Julia Bunny and Lynn Yaeger. This must be some meeting of the minds here. Not forgetting nuclear wardrobe explosions. I do wonder where all these amazingness come from, that Alexander Wang cutout shirt (which patriotic red and white stripes of America have been deemed too patriotic for colour viewing), and that (ARGH!) Linda Farrow catty sunglasses. (Unfortunately, it seems that my face cannot handle such amazingness.) And speaking about Julia Bunny and Lynn Yaeger, where have these girls been lately? I miss their articles and posts. I simply choose to believe that they are lost in some faraway fantasy land, up in a tree-house in a wooded clearing somewhere, where baby badgers serve earl-grey from floral china on tree stumps, and where fancy ladies wear tulle dresses with huge ribbon bows, and birds rest on their heads both as a friend and as an accessory. And Susie Bubble, Tavi, Anna Piaggi, Iris Apfel, Isabella Blow, Daphne Guinness, and all the FANCY WEIRD, "A LIL' OFF" GIRLS are also there, where they have secretly resolved to re-emerge only when the REAL WORLD has chosen to be as lovely as the universes in their heads, or when skeptics and critics die off, or to stock up on their TWG.
Inspired by Daddy Likey's FMFFI, I've decided to do my very own version of that, only this time, it's gonna be with my (not-so-fashiony) family (consisting of my super adorable parents, my sister and brother.)
Firstly, I apologise for the cheesy title. It does sound like some sort of lame Singapore talkshow or a really bad western reality show on asian sterotypes or just another youtube video of asian teens criticizing their own conservative asian parents. But if you haven't got a clue what I'm planning to do, here's how it works: I'm going to show my somewhat conservative, fashion-non-approving family members a fashion outfit/avant garde fashion/something I'm sure they would have a million thoughts on, and record their reactions to it. The only problem is, how am I going to show them the photo without looking like I'm doing this for the blog or being too interested in fashion? For your information, my parents do not have much idea about my love for fashion nor the existence of this blog and so this is basically mission-almost-impossible.
But me, being the really resourceful and smarty and incredibly intelligent, pretty little narcissistic blogger have a somewhat feasible solution that just might work. Given that everyone walks past my computer, I'm going to set the photo as my wallpaper. Subtle, maybe not?
This time round, I've decided to settle on Tavi. Specifically the photo you see down below, which outfit she wore during the New York Fall shows. Now, this sure would be fun, given that this might just be the 'weirdest' person my parents may have ever seen. And now, let's open the flood gates of asian talk. Be warned: Asians as you know are.....asians when it comes to fashion.
Mother: Oh, you changed your wallpaper again. Wow your tastes sure do change fast, first there were the women with boobs (Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 Campaign), and now you have this......is that a girl or an old lady?
(Looks Closer)
Me: That's a 14 year old girl, MOM!
Mother: If you're gonna be a pedophile, can you at least choose someone that doesn't look like a Japanese grandmother who looks like she is too old for Harajuku? And with that many layers of clothing, you would take a long time......
Me: MOM!
Mother: And I'm going to warn you and your sister that if you ever wear something like that, I'm gonna kick you out of the house.
(You see what I mean when I say asian parents are just ASIAN PARENTS. They wouldn't want their kids "going out looking like clowns", as quoted from my mother.)
Dad: Are you serious anyone ever dresses like this? You know how this reminds me of an episode of The Amazing Race, where the contestants would pile on the contents of their luggage on themselves because they have to leave all their belongings behind except those on your body. Yeah, she's like those contestants, except she happened to have a curtain and a tablecloth in her bag.
Brother (20 years old): Firstly, I don't get this. Secondly, I don't get this. Thirdly, I don't get this and I don't really care. No wait, is that a microphone in her hand? Which television station in their right mind would allow their presenter to go round looking like a wallpaper?
Me: Fashion TV
Brother: You mean Home Decor TV.....
(Well, meet my super duper lame brother who is super duper lam-eh-oh lame. Oops, I may have been infected by some of the lameness.)
Sister (17 years old who is not exactly the very fashion-y type of girl): (Laughter)....Haha, this is what I imagine mom's wardrobe might look like if it exploded on someone. No joke. Except god could have taken a pity on her and gave her a flower made of crepe paper and a snake around her neck that will not bite.
To make things a little more exciting, I'm letting you decide what will go up here in this section. If you ever want me to feature any other fashion item in "Let's Talk Asian Talk', feel free to leave your suggestion in the comments section or just send me a mail at loving.marc.jacobs@gmail.com. LET THE FUN BEGIN!
I've been wanting to write about this for the longest time. The subject of today's post, which has been living in my green Ikea box and has not been given its due recognition till today, is the world's first 'culture of fashion' magazine. Industrie, they call it. I got this magazine a month ago, but was only able to write about it today after I felt that I've read everything I should have read. This is because Industrie really isn't like any other magazine on the market right now. It is a text-heavy magazine and when I say text-heavy, I mean the ratio of pictures to words are 1:100. And a month of reading definitely does mean something. The magazine features lengthy interviews from many of the industry insiders, who can be grouped into 3 categories: 1) The influential stylists (Karl Templer, Katie Grand, Marie Amelie Sauve and Panos Yiapanis) 2) The stores (Natalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter, Jan Nord of H&M) 3) The Magazine People and The Future of Publishing (Patrick Demarchelier, Tom Florio of Conde Nast, Luis Venegas). One interview alone spans a few pages, eats into 30 minutes of my homework time and reveals what no other magazines has ever revealed about the industry. The magazine doesn't have much editorials, nor many ads nor does it showcases the season's latest clothes. In fact, this magazine isn't here to sell clothes, nor is it here to dictate trends, it is here to sell print.
There was this recurring question that seemed to infiltrate almost every other interview. The famous debate of print vs media, bloggers vs editors, democracy vs hierarchy. To be honest, I do find this debate redundant and almost to the brink of annoyance. It may seem funny for me (as a blogger) to be saying this, but I think print is in many ways much more superior than blogs and twitter and what not. I basically live my life for the sake of buying a Vogue every month. My so-called luxury item (especially when I can't afford anything really that great YET) is a fashion magazine. I look forward to the day when I would head down to the bookstore and grab COLD HARD LIVING compilations of glossy paper. Even before any bookstore trip, there would be another moment of excitement and infinite numbers of 'editorial-daydreams'. I could live my life without blogs but I can't say the same for magazines. After all, to put it in computer technical terms, a magazine is a 'hard copy' and blogs are merely 'soft copies'. It always feels good to know that what you're holding is something that can last a long time. And that one day you would be able to take Vogue out of your already-rotting ikea box and say to your grandchild, "Do you know there exists days that I would secretly lock my bedroom door so as to read POP or Dazed behind my parent's backs? And the days of Anna Winotur. God be with her soul in heaven."
Then again, the smell of magazine pages is enough to make me all giddy with joy and go "Bryanboy WHO? Tavi WHO?"
I think the editor's letter could sum up what I would like to say but didn't have the ability to say:
"Then came the explosive popularity of fashion blogs, Twitter and fashion as entertainment across all media channels. In the wake of all of that, it is easy to think that things have moved on, that fashion is now a product of a broader consensus; that today, because of sheer volume and accessibility of information, you and I shape the trends. In fact the change is merely cosmetic. More people simply report the same things. True, the broader reach and faster transmission of news has certainly created a business problem in print publishing. But when it comes to setting the fashion agenda, things have barely moved an inch."
Sorry for the digression. And so here I am, leaving you with a few more quotes from this issue.
Katie Grand says, "Authority is knowledge. If someone goes onto the Fashion Spot and writes that a certain magazine is dreadful, that's different from Cathy Horyn saying it is dreadful because there is an authoritative and experienced voice behind the latter point of view. I don't know what I think about the whole idea of blog culture yet. The internet is very much like snow blindness; there is so much information available but after a certain point I just can't look at it any more. There is no real kind of beauty."
Katie Grand says, "When Marc and I were backstage at Vuitton with 54 girls lined up in huge afro wigs, we did look at each other for a second and go, "What the fuck have we done?" But at the end of the day, you know why you make those decisions."
Katie Grand (who is a genius by now) says, "Fashion may have previously been a working-class profession but over the years it has shifted to become quite middle or upper class. There are a lot of privileged people working in the industry now and sometimes it's frustrating because it seems there might not be any hunger or need to be somewhere."
Patrick Demarchelier says,"When models are 14, 15, they come to New York to work. They are too young. The agencies bring so many models to New York now that they kill the old ones-and with that, their whole business."
Patrick Demarchelier speaks, "To become a supermodel, magazines need to help the girl. Right now, magazine don't do cover modes. When they are on covers, models become supermodels, they rise."
Panos Yiapanis giving great words of wisdom,"That idea that stylists have assumed this position where what they wear to Fashion Week is more important than their work is kind of comical. I hope that changes....The front row, the entrance to the shows-it has become a bit of a circus."
Tommy Ton makes some funny comments,"After the whole blogging massacre happened last fall, when people saw that me, Scott and BryanBoy were on the front row, I think there must have been thousands of people who thought, "You know, I could do that too." That must have been hell for all the PR companies this past season, getting all those requests. I have a friend who represents a designer and he said to me, "Look what you've done, my inbox is full with all these bloggers."
LONG LIVE PRINT AND ANNA WINTOUR AND KATIE GRAND AND PANOS YIAPANIS AND JAK&JIL & KARL TEMPLER.........
Usually with reviews, I'm definitely not one who likes to put a myriad of photos and there at the bottom, insert a big 'LIKE!' to end off the post. I'm the one who yaks on and on and on, sometimes even too much for my own good. Unfortunately (or fortunately) this time round, I'm not going to write anything much for the Christian Dior Haute Couture collection, and would rather put a 'LIKE!' or a 'LOVE!' or an 'EPIC!' or an 'EFFFF YOU!' as captions of photos. Sometimes, collections such as these need no explanation or any review, they are just too beautiful and perfect for any sort of description (that would probably not do any justice to the clothes anyway).
Maybe someone would like to try matching these dresses to actual flowers, I am not a very gifted botanist so I'm passing this task on.
P.S. And did I mention that I somehow liked what John Galliano was wearing as he took his bow (which sometimes might be too over-the-top). Also, someone should seriously consider making a video montage of all of Galliano's finale bows.
Pen leak gone totally RIGHT!
The most amazing explosion of colours EVER on a dress! Did the rainbow just explode or is John Galliano an (effing) genius?!
The dress below is too perfect. This is probably the best use of tulle ever! LOVE!
Need I say more? TULLE!!!!! THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST USE OF TULLE I'VE EVER SEEN. (NOW THAT SOUNDED FAMILIAR.) I would gladly drown myself in tulle and be sent to tulle heaven and live happily (tulle) ever after.
It always happens every fashion season and it sucks.
As I write this review with the grunts of Serena Williams at Wimbledon in the background, it suddenly dawns on me that I've never really written much reviews on the Paris shows, ever in the history of this blog. Most of my time is spent on New York and Milan that by the time Paris Fashion Week comes, I'm too lazy to even think or translate these images on style.com to words. The never ending cycle of fashion weeks; it sometimes surprises me how editors can jet from one country to the next for 4 continuous weeks (or 3 sometimes, for the lazy ones), without feeling jaded or tired or in desperate need of a new wardrobe change or a good sleep in bed.
As such, Lanvin always get left out in this blog of mine, because it has this habit of showing in the later part of the week. I would never be able to get myself to write about it, despite how amazing each and every collection always is. (GODDAMN IT, Lanvin please revise your schedule!) Amen Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 (who never really made it here), you hear me Alber Elbaz! And so I guess it's only right to write about Lanvin this time round, FINALLY.
My love for Lanvin goes right down to my roots and blood and name. For those who didn't know, I wasn't born with the name Lucas. Instead, my parents gave me a very traditional chinese name, that has and still is giving me a lot of troubles throughout my growing-up years. (Not many people, unless you're chinese, know how to pronounce this very chinese name, just like how no one ever knows to pronounce Meadham Kirchhoff or Ball-mane or even LAWN-VAH for the matter.) I can't believe I'm telling you this now and so here's a lil' short story. There was this time I decided to name myself 'Lucas' after Lucas Ossendrijver of Lanvin after seeing his menswear collection, if I'm not wrong, it was Spring 2010. (Before Lucas, there was Alexander, named after Alexander Wang but I didn't like it after some time. Ok, that was real awkward.) And there it happened, my name ever since. This has gotta be the most absurd thing you should have ever heard, and I too feel stupid and embarrassed for doing so then. I swear I'm not even making this story up.
Moving on, 30 degrees is not exactly the best temperature to piece together a two piece suit, or even to put on a long-sleeved shirt. Without doubt, summer is the most challenging season to look elegant, and the easiest time to look all relaxed, 'minimalist', or sloppy and lazy as you go down the spectrum. Mr Alber Elbaz had pointed out that this collection was 'the antidote to laziness'. In this case, one could either look at this season's clothes as 1) an answer to looking (somewhat) polished during summer, 2) or as a wardrobe option of a summer suit (not a swimming suit, mind you) or 3) one that suggests energy, and movement or simply, sports. Sounds perfect to me. The only time I really do exercise is during a weekly one-hour session of hardcore tennis training (just to keep the calories down). Even during PE lessons at school, I couldn't even be bothered to show any sort of enthusiasm and I really do dread any type of strenuous movements. Perhaps Lanvin cycling shorts will do the magic and provide the love.
This collection had a real sporty vibe to it, probably one of the more athletic collections that Lanvin has come up with. There was the spandex, in the form of tight, stretchy knits, some that were wrapped around the torso, resembling cocoons that of Balenciaga Womenswear Spring 2009. They look somewhat breathable (and that is because they are sheer), I hope. And there were the cycling shorts, the one sporting garment that the entire fashion industry seems to be crazy about and readily approves of as something you can wear outside of sports. (Credit goes to Marc Jacobs.) The peacoats were great, but what I thought really stood out was Lanvin's take on the parka. So great that it reminded me of capes that Dracula would wear and upclose, the plush fabric detail only made it more desirable. Somehow somewhere, that smell of the fabric (leather? canvas? jersey?) is lingering in the air right here right now. Across the Atlantic, a week since the show. Wouldn't this be perfect to hug to sleep and to sniff at?
Along the way, silhouettes shifted from tight to breezy and loose. It wasn't entirely sportswear throughout, let's be honest here, no one in the right mind would go out looking like a Tour de France cyclist. Elements of that easiness and casualness of sportswear were taken apart and fused with formal tailoring. This translated to slouchy suits, with the emphasis placed on the extensive use of innovative fabrics, that would make suits in summer seem acceptable and very wearable (read: comfortable). I think it was silk that these suits were made of, and it was nothing perfect. Don't get me wrong, the suits were nothing that of prim and proper, in fact it was light, almost weightless and was wrinkled and unfinished. There were the loose seams and the rough hems, and to be honest, I was not quite sure what Lanvin was doing here. It was complicated, perhaps messy sometimes and I find myself looking back and forth at looks, trying to 'get it'. I rather leave my doubts unanswered when it comes to Lanvin.
What I appreciated from the duo was the use of textures. It's hard to describe textures (especially if you haven't really felt them yet. DUH!), but thank god style.com provided the detail shots and gosh, have I been sent to textile heaven! There was some sort of quilted fabric used on the pants, and patch-worked square patches that looked like really bad primary school art and craft; those which sides were never glued properly. The best part of the collection was undoubtedly the last parade of floral suiting. They were more than just plain old 2D floral prints, these were cut from textured, floral embossed silk, probably the best fabric ever made. I think I will make a trip down to Lanvin when these arrive in stores. After all, these are the clothes that would be great to touch and to hog on for a few hours because you know you can't afford them and memories are great, aren't they? 3D floral prints, you just never know.
The thing to note about this collection was that from afar and from just the runway pictures on style.com, there was nothing really special about it. But the essence of this collection could be found in the detail shots. The detail shots and nothing more. If it was top money you were paying for Lanvin, then it was the best and ultimately the most innovative fabrics you would be getting.
