HOLY MARINA

Marina Abramovic and Tyson Ballou by Mario Testino for V Magazine

    Guess what's the biggest trend of 2013? MARINA! The girl is on fire. She is everywhere. I have to give her credit. She has an amazing career and has only recently been fully recognize for her contribute to the art world. BUT that doesn't mean that she has to be everywhere and with everyone.
   She has become Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci number one groupie and seems to be involve in everything that has a lot of exposure. From going to auctions with Gaga to performances with Jay Z, Marina is EVERYWHERE.
    Her work hasn't felt any repercussions of these mainstream lifestyle she has now. And I have a big concern about it, should it feel repercussions or not? I mean, she can be an artist and hang out with pop stars, can't she? Andy Warhol did it... But why can't I accept it so easily with Marina?

///

LOVE?

Left to right: Cara Delevingne, Georgia May Jagger and Edie Everywhere These Days Campbell by Mert & Marcus

    LOVE magazine hit is 10th issue! HURRAY! LOVE used to be one of my favourites magazines. But I don't know what went wrong, maybe too much Cara, maybe too commercial, I don't know fellows. I just know that the last two issues were a big fat disappointment. And looking at these new covers for the 10th issue all I can say is MEEEH. I'm not feeling the Minnie Mouse ears thing, I think it's so Lanvin three seasons ago and the use of the same models of the last issue. C'mon Katie, give Cara a rest. We know you love her and think she's the most amazing super model but I miss the old LOVE, filled with amazing editorials and interesting interviews. I thinks this is going to be another blah issue, but lets wait and see, maybe I'll be surprise, or not. Congratulations to LOVE for its 10th issue.

missing this </3

and this </3

and this </3

///

WANTED: AMERICAN COUTURIERS

Karl being himself on Rodolphe Marconi's Lagerfeld Confidential

    Today I read a very interesting article on Fashionista. It was about American couturiers, more specifically about the their non existence
    Suddenly it hit me. Oh my god! There aren't any American couturiers. How is it possible? Why? So I went twenty thousand leagues under the internet to find out about American couturiers and they're work. The most recent American couturier to show at couture week was Ralph Rucci and it last happened in 2009. Ages ago. Before him we have to go sixty years into the past to reach the name Mainbocher who was famous in the 30's. So basically in all fashion history there was only two Americans who did couture. WOW.
    By the end of my journey to the depths of the internet and fashion history my questions changed. The whys and hows changed into this: Do Americans really want couture? Does couture makes sense in America?
    I think that's really interesting. Think about it. They created McDonald's and all the fast food you can imagine. They created everything fast and cheap. Does couture sound fast and cheap to you? No.
When I think about American fashion I can only think about fast fashion and sporty fashion and a lot, I mean a lot, of street wear. Not a single couture piece. Then I think of the king of American fashion, uncle Jacobs himself, and think about him doing couture. It makes no sense. I, for sure would be curious about it, and would stay in line to see it, but, I mean, it's probably, for the best, never going to happen. The same with Alexander Wang. Big American designers don't rhyme with couture.

   Other interesting point is that it takes time to make couture. And most of these designers have so many work on their hands that it's impossible to create two more couture collections per year. It takes a big house, with a big name and a big designer to handle so much work. Not all designers can be Karl Lagerfeld. That's why Riccardo Tisci decided to stop presenting couture collections. Too much work, too little time.
    But I see, or would like to see things changing. There are American designers who I think have what it takes to create couture. In this day and age where couture is really changing from what it used to be, the options are endless. I for sure would love to see what Proenza Schouler would do.

///

BUYING THE CRITICS

Left to right: Cathy Horyn, Bryan Boy and Tim Blanks.

    Recently Jean Paul Gaultier lashed out to Tim Blanks about Blanks review on his latest couture show. Tim, which is one of the critics that I take most in consideration, only said the truth about Gaultier show. JPG in my opinion is nearly dead. Tim was right, he was once one of the best and now he is almost irrelevant. Which is sad. But for Gaultier to feel the need to lash out to Blanks the way that he did was so... tacky. And for a designer like JPG to feel that way about a critic is not good. It's like JPG is questioning his work.
    Anyway... This has been a huge deal for me since I got into fashion. The critics. Because I looked everywhere for good reviews of the shows and honest opinions and I couldn't find any. It was like critics were afraid to say it was bad. I didn't understand it. Sometimes it was so obvious that the collections were lacking something or the designer's work was just a mess.
    Then I found out Cathy Horyn. I read a lot of what she wrote, and Suzy Menkes too (although I think Suzy is a bit less sassy than sister Cathy). I like Cathy Horyn. I don't agree with her every single time but I like that she has the balls to say what she thinks. Cathy has been banned from many shows for bad reviews. That's just nonsense. For a designer to feel that frustrated with a critic. I know artists have huge egos but this is just nonsense. I follow Cathy's posts on NYTimes.com.
    Then, it came Bryan Boy. The boy who had nothing and now has everything. Is he still a blogger? Does he still have an opinion? I don't think so. He's a sold out. He is Jacobs favourite blogger and receives little gifts from all the major brands. Which basically means that he can't say negative things about the designers work.
    Then I found out one reasonable critic. The guy who stands in the middle of a sold out and the devil. The guy who is not afraid to say it's bad when it's bad, and the guy who doesn't look like a complete sold out from head to toe. Talking about Tim Blanks here!
    That's why I got so sad when I read that open letter JPG wrote to Tim Blanks. What the actual fuck? It seems that a journalist can't be honest otherwise it's banned from watching the show... It's like a designer is a spoiled child and can't hear a bad thing about his work. We all know that not all collections are good. Even the greatest designers have, from time to time, less interesting collections. That's normal, they're human beings. To lash out to the critics and journalists just for being honest is something that makes me sick. Most of the journalists or critics are too afraid to say anything bad, otherwise they might not be invited to the show next season. It feels like there are less and less honest critics in the fashion world.
    People like Cathy Horyn make me believe that it's possible to be honest in the fashion business. It's possible to have an opinion and stick with it and not be afraid. I'm not really into writing reviews of shows or even being a fashion journalist. Fashion is just something that I really like and I just can't be silent about what's going on around me so... I had to say something.

///

GIMME MORE

Riccardo Tisci and his boy toys for Self Service by Maciek Kobielski

As once Britney sung: Feels like the crowd is saying//Gimme more/Gimme, gimme more//They want more?/Well I'll give them more, oh! Fashion is getting to a point where, like Britney said, more, they just want more. 

I've been thinking about this for a while but a few days ago I read Riccardo Tisci's interview for Self Service and it all hit me. He has to design so many collections a year... How does he do it? He said in the interview that he likes to make most of the drawings so I can only imagine the work he has and how very understandable (but sad) it is that he stopped doing couture. 

Britney being made fun of at 2007 VMA

The pressure that the fashion houses feel to create is frightening. How can one be creative if he has no time to create? How can one designer be responsible for eight or more collections a year and still maintain his creative vision? Well, he just can't. 

Last season (S/S 2013) Givenchy broke away from the t-shirt making and Tisci presented a very different vision for womenswear. If you ask me it was a breath of fresh air for Givenchy and for the entire fashion world. This season, Tisci went back to the t-shirt, print making that gave street glory to the house of Givenchy. Why did he decide to go back? He had already started a new path, a new vision and then, like S/S 2013 never existed he created F/W 2013-2014, that if you ask me was his worst collection to date. It was such a mess. I think it was his way to say a big FUCK YOU to all the critics and stupid bloggers that adored his angry rottweilers. The collection itself was like a best of of the last collections. All seasons revisited.

It makes me sad that fashion has to come to this point. The demand and desire for something new was never so high and the need for identity and quality was never so low. I don't know how this is going to end... Fashion houses can't compete with fast fashion retailers like ZARA or H&M. One day they'll have to stop. They can't keep it up unless they give up quality. And if they give up quality they'll be the same or worse than a fast fashion retailer. They'll end up like Britney, alone, high and fat on a stage where people laugh about how low they've come.

///

HANGOVER

Courtney Love by Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent

I'm starting to dislike Hedi Slimane. That's something I thought it'd never happen. But here we are.
I just don't know where to start... From destroying Yves Saint Laurent legacy in two seasons or from the casting of the new campaign.

It's important to get this straight: I'm not against change. I'm not against new beginings nor do I hold on to the past. Fashion is about future. But what's Hedi's doing at Saint Laurent, I'm sorry to break it to you in case you don't know it, it's not the future.

Said that, let's focus on the basic concept of the House that Saint Laurent build:  LUXURY.  Hedi's creations have nothing of luxury in them. They look like something that H&M or Pull&Bear would have sold three years ago.

Jessica Chastain for YSL manifesto by Mert & Marcus

As if that wasn't enough he chose a cast of stars to feature in the new adds. I'm sorry, I love
Courtney Love, I love Kim Gordon and I even like Marilyn Manson. But they're not the right faces for Saint Laurent. Marilyn Mason doesn't scream luxury. Courtney Love doesn't scream luxury at all.

Something is very wrong in that company. They chose Jessica Chastain to be the face of the fragrance and then they put Courtney Love and Marylin Manson on the adds? WTF? It looks like they're trying to sell two productos from two different houses. It's insane, it makes no sense.

But I guess Saint Laurent can take all these attacks from Slimane. Saint Laurent is a house full of history and even if Hedi is making all this changes people will still think of Saint Laurent as something luxurious. But I wonder how many hits can the house takes. Eventually the ship that Yves once build and drove is going to sink. Unless somebody stops captain Slimane.

And some other issue I don't quite understand: why the fuck did they change the logo from everything except the beauty products? Guess they didn't let Hedi touch where the money is...

///

REMEMBERING GREATNESS

  




                     


                                                Gemma Ward

                                           

                                                            

                                              
   by Nick Knight 

 

for W Magazine 

              

wearing Balenciaga by  Nicolas Ghesquière 

                                                              S/S 2006

 ///

BYE, BYE PARIS

Miu❤Miu

Well, that was boring. Maybe I just can't get excited about anything fashion related. Maybe it's me who's wrong. But I don't think so. This season the collections bored me to death. With a few exceptions, of course.
I always say I won't post anything about fashion week but I just can't be quiet. I have to say something, all the time. It's a blessing and a course.

❤details at Miu Miu❤

For me, the peak of amazingness at Paris was Rick Owens. I'm mean, what's not to like? I already did a post about him, sooner than all the other posts about fashion week. I just couldn't wait. I had to share my love for those jackets. Those details! YUM!
Closing that I have to say that I loved Miu Miu and where Miuccia Prada is taking the brand. It's so much more mature but with that quirky touch that is so Miu Miu. I also hate when designers who have more than one brand to design tend to mix it all up and it all looks one big collection. This time that didn't happen. Miuccia hit all the right notes. Loved the skirts with the stripes. Loved the handkerchiefs and the socks! It could all went so deeply wrong but it's Miuccia that we're talking about. The woman makes no mistakes.

the set and even Moss can't pull this look. It's so not working for me

Then I have to say something about Louis Vuitton. Marc outdid himself this season with the sets. In his own brand and at LV the sets were amazing. I really liked his collection but what he did for LV was kinda boring. I miss the old LV days where Marc used to  made some of the most amazing things. But this pj's stuff and lingerie... I mean, it's only amazing because it has a LV stamp on it. You could find some of the pieces at Intimissimi or other lingerie shop and would not have to pay 10000 dollars for it. But loved the set.

So many things to talk about, god!

Malgosia's in marble and fugly shoes

Alexander Wang presented his debut collection for Balenciaga and it wasn't that bad. I have to admit I was expecting a lot worse. It had few looks. I didn't understand that one well. It was obviously inspired by marble. Lawl. While the shoes were hideous, I liked some of the tops. It's not near as good as a Ghesquière collection would be, but I'm not gonna be bitter about it. It's a good collection.



Talking about bitterness: HEDI SLIMANE. OH-MY-GOD! I have no word to describe what he's doing to Saint Laurent. I mean, this second collection… Really? Is he alright? Gurl went nuts. It's so irrelevant that hurts. I'm starting to think that he lost he's touch and he's still stuck to the past. Grunge is dead. Punk rock is dead. I mean, you want punk rock you go to Vivienne Westwood. She can do punk. You want grunge you go to Zara or H&M. Not to Saint Laurent. I mean, can you imagine Catherine Deneuve wearing anything from the collection? It was just a mess. Yves is rolling in his grave.

☠☠☠Hedi Slimane ruining dreams for a Saint Laurent custumer☠☠☠

Saskia with terrible hair and Mariacarla wearing f/w 2011 lawl

To finish: I say meh at Givenchy (crying inside, so many things gone wrong: the hair, the prints… It's like he glued all the past collections together), loved the shoes at Stella McCartney. Comme des Garçons was awesome. Rei Kawakubo did it again, almost.

Haider Ackermann is solid and beautiful. Raf Simons show more of himself at Dior which I still don't know if I like or not.

Stella's shoes ✌

Balmain

❤❤❤Felipe Oliveira Baptista's awesomeness❤❤❤

Balmain in starting to be a mess, AGAIN! Olivier Rousteing is such a cool guy but I'm afraid he's just one trick pony. And the oversized clothes, please, enough. Stop interfering Emmanuelle Alt!









































And last but not least I loved, as always Felipe Oliveira Baptista.
The final dresses…
#Breathless. 

///

BORING MILAN

at Prada by Fabien Baron

this is crazy and i like it.

boring Armani, but cute dress though

❤❤❤❤

this is crazy but i like it part 2

Milan fashion week this season was a complete disaster. There was nothing showstopper that made me jump of my seat. I thought about doing this post or not, because it'd be so hard to choose my favorites. I mean, where can I begin?
Giorgio Armani was the same, again. Emporio Armani, was the same, again. And 84 looks? Really? Ain't nobody got time for that. Gucci had a great S/S collection last season. I loved that collection and damn it Frida Giannini went back to what she knows best. This brow-less thing is so boring, it's so last decade. Please stop.
I'm not even going to talk about Dolce and Gabbana. For god sake, please, stop. We get it, you're Sicilian!
Prada was cool but I loved the set more than the clothes. I mean, I really liked it but it was nothing compared to the excitement of last season. Still obsessed with the geisha thing. Versace was a little to spring-ish for my taste, I would have expected more fur. But I guess I can see it rocking some editorials. At least I know Emmanuelle Alt is going to use it. I thought Fendi was funny. You can't go wrong with Karl. But just like I said in the begining, Milan sucked. Bye.

Gucci. Meh/Cute

love the detail, not the look

///

LET LONDON TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUTH

Edie, Kristen and Saskia backstage at Giles

Kristen making everyone know that the show had started

Kristen making everyone know the show was over

 ⚔⚔⚔⚔







Here come the londoners! Ah! How I like London fashion week! There's nothing more refresing that LFW! It's so cool. When you think of Paris fashion week you think about rich people's dresses and what's going to be Karl Lagerfeld's next runway set. When you think of Milan fashion week you think about a contemporary women who aren't affraid of anything. And NY, we'll it's just too boring. But London it remindes you of youth and modernity and art and shit that is cool!
 
Giles has been one of my favorite designers from London. I always like his collections. I think they're creative and I would use the shit out of it if I was a stylist. I don't really understand why Londoners don't have a big projection outside, except Burberry.

And he opened AND CLOSED his show with Kristen McMenamy.
Hello? Another legend coming through!

Anja wearing an amazing pair of boots by TF

this print is sick

In other news I liked Tom Ford's collection. I know. It was meant to be a disaster but It kind of worked for me in some ways.
The fur, the prints, the Linchenstiend inspiration... It's all too much. But I kind of like it because of that. It's too much, It's so Tom Ford.
It reminded me in some strange way his glory years at Gucci and Saint Laurent. I can see Anna Dello Russo orgasming over these boots! And Carine rocking this in her fashion book.

❤ Boots! Coat! ❤

I'm obsessed with the boots! And the colours!

(this post is going to be huge)

♆♆♆

JW Anderson

Simone Rocha. ♥skirt♥

Simone Rocha, JW Anderson!
Ah! Nothing in common! Only marvelous collections!
Zara should start copying more Simone Rocha. I think it's so sweet and awesome! So girlie!

And JW is such a interesting designer. He's menswear show was something from the other world. When the fashion world only thinks of selling and safe collections the boy pulls a creative! And I love it. He's not going to sell any of the pieces and I want to believe that they will be featured in some editorials, but damn, that's setting the bar a little higher!

I'll have to stop otherwise this will never end.

✩✩✩

Christopher Kane

✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩
✩

✩


✩





✩

✩



✩
✩








And ah! Christopher Kane is amazing. Bye!

///