Wednesday, December 23, 2009

INSPIRATION McQueen SS//2009... McQueen SS//2010

Alexander McQueen gets inspired for SS//2010 [all right] by his last summer collection SS//2009 [all lefts].


Sunday, December 20, 2009

INSPIRATION Vanessa Beecroft ...THOM BROWNE F/W 2009//10

... quite a resemblance between a typical Vanessa Beecroft artwork [above] and the presentation for the latest collection of Thom Browne [below].
Thom Browne (born in 1965) is an American fashion designer and was named the Council of Fashion Designers of Americas (CFDA) Menswear Designer of the Year in March 2006. Browne was picked up by Club Monaco, a brand of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, to lead its creative development team. He worked with the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren in this capacity. Browne spent several years at Club Monaco leading its design department before launching his own label. A Thom Browne suit is distinctive in structure and fit. The suits are composed of flat front pants with exposed ankles and a jacket that concludes mid-wrist and doesn't cover the backside. They almost always have three buttons, narrow lapels rolled to the middle button, side vents, and trouser without belt loops. On September 8, 2006, Brooks Brothers announced its partnership with Browne as part of a guest designer program to create and distribute a 50-piece men and women’s high-end collection, called Black Fleece. Claudio Del Vecchio, Chairman and CEO of Brooks Brothers, felt that "Thom Browne’s brilliant eye, his ability to foreshadow the market and offer a special look will bring a new dimension to Brooks Brothers." The line appeared exclusively in 30 Brooks Brothers stores worldwide beginning in September 2007.





Tuesday, December 15, 2009

INSPIRATION Valentina 1951 ...FENDI SS//2008

...in this picture [left] Valentina is modeling an evening cloak of her design during a Vogue sitting, December 1951... Fendi SS 2008 [right].
Valentina Nicholaevna Sanina Schlee (1899- 1989), known professionally simply as Valentina, was a Russian émigrée fashion designer. She was most famous for having an affair with screen siren Greta Garbo. The Schlee family arrived in New York City in 1923 and became prominent members of the café society during the roaring 20ties, where Valentina stood out for her clothes and her style… when other women were wearing short skirts, she appeared in floor-length styles; when others wore low-neck dresses, she wore covered-up styles. Valentina's made-to-measure, flowing styles combined the intricate bias cut of Madeleine Vionnet and the grace of gowns by Alix Grès. "Simplicity survives the changes of fashion," she said in the late 1940s. "Women of chic are wearing now dresses they bought from me in 1936. Fit the century, forget the year." She was a skilled self-promoter. She modeled her own designs and rarely let her dramatic, elegant air of self-possession falter. She was always impeccably turned out, earning her a mention on the International Best Dressed List.



Monday, December 7, 2009

SS//2010 AND MY FAVOURED BOYS ...

...Lanvin's Alber Elbaz [left] and Hussein Chalayan [right] ...aren't they cuties? ... and don't they resemble each other quite a bit? ...and don't they smile in the same way while leaning slightly to the side?


Sunday, December 6, 2009

INSPIRATION Gentlemen of Bacongo ...PAUL SMITH SS//2010

Photographer Daniele Tamagni's new book 'Gentlemen of Bacongo' captures the fascinating subculture of the Congo in which men (and a few women) dress in designer and handmade suits and other luxury items. The movement, called Le Sape, combines French styles from their colonial roots and the individual's (often flamboyant) style. Le Sapeurs, as they're called, wear pink suits and D&G belts while living in the slums of this coastal African region. In interviews with some notable sapeurs, Tamagni unearths the complex and varied rules and standards of Le Sape, short for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, or the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. Sapeur Michel comments on the strange combination of poverty and fashion, "A Congolese sapeur is a happy man even if he does not eat, because wearing proper clothes feeds the soul and gives pleasure to the body."


Saturday, December 5, 2009

SS//2010 AND MY FAVOURED GIRLS...

...Cloé's Hannah McGibbon [left] and Céline's Phoebe Philo [right]... not only for designing the most beautiful collections of this season, but also for wearing a perfect masculine look with oversize shapes and flat shoes... the right time to worship the style of Lauren Hutton, Diane Keaton and all the other Victor-Victorias...



Wednesday, December 2, 2009

INSPIRATION Jean Patou 1969 ...MIU MIU FW 2009//10

Jean Patou (1880-1936) retained his popularity during the Depression by catering to the Paris and New York elite, and as cocktail gatherings became more exclusive, so too did Patou's creations. The designer became so enamored of private cocktail affairs that he created custom-made "Cocktail" perfumes that were sold in a "Bar" scent box to his couture clientele. He was credited with pioneering the shortened skirt for both daytime and early evening, and was consistently celebrated alongside Chanel for innovations in sportswear fabrics and separates styling. He was also known for his sweaters with Cubist designs. He was very much influenced by Art Deco and Cubism, creating sharp geometric shapes and patterns in his fabrics. In 1925 he introduced his first perfumes Amour-Amour, for brunettes, Que Sais-je for blondes, and Adieu Sagesse for redheads. In 1929, he added Le Sien, a sports fragrance, and in 1931 his most famous Joy, still one of the great perfumes of the world. He later launched "1000" , Sublime and Eau de Patou. His perfume JOY is always advertised as "The most costly perfume in the world".