I am glad that the notorious crisis stopped the bacchanalia on runways. The gap between real and dream worlds was only growing. But now fashion returns to life and real women. It looks like the streets won the fashion battle. I saw some great collections lately.
I mean Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2010 Ready-to-wear-collection. It is like they have read what’s on my mind. There are not very many real womanly collections out there. This one is touching, warm, sensitive, unprotected, spiritual and back to classic. The clothes are not dominating. No aggression whatsoever. Slightly dishevelled ballet buns, red lips, slender figure and long legs. On the other hand, jersey hot pants and bodices, stockings and elegant jackets, tiny handbags, velvet and silk simple dresses made an intimate and warm impression. The whole collection invites us to become natural and intimate. It is just like reading a good classical book. It’s cuddly. It’s nice to be loved. I am anticipating what‘s more to come.
Two momentous events happened in my life recently which I actually shared with others. The first was the big screen event “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in my favourite cinema Embassy. I thought my daughter and I will be ones of the few people. How mistaken I was!
The theatre was overcrowded and not only with elderly ladies but with young girls dressed in a little black piece adorned with pearls. The majority of us were holding a glass with bubbles. Everything in style!
Givenchy outfits were stunning and so was Audrey Hepburn! She was natural! Just like I’m natural wearing pyjamas. She still unites people so different in real life. Well done New Zealand!
The second: I discovered my favourite designer in NZ! How unfair I was when I stated that I probably would wear my existing clothes till the end of time!
On our way to Embassy we passed the store of Kate Sylvester and two days later I entered it and found the most amazing pieces I ever saw for the last two years in NZ. Uncomplicated, effortless, sophisticated, elegant, androgynous, ironic, jazzy. Very down to earth and just stunning. DIAMOND DOGS AW 2010.
I have just seen (in my imagination) me wearing my dad’s woollen coat and jacket with that gorgeous pair of jersey woollen pants, baggy and skinny at the same time. It would go with woollen pair of socks, Italian shoes with laces and Audrey sun glasses. The thing is that the first part is from my student years and the second is today. There is one accessory that I fell in love at once – the shoulder belt, the one to hold the scabbard or a gun. I am going to ask my dad if he still has one of those belts from his army days. I think it’s very Chanel and Earhart. It’s nice to hide lipstick or a powder case in it. Awesome! There was that jazzy silk dress like a cloud! I need to have my hair cut.
I only bought my (first) yummy nail polish (in years) but I’m very much excited about the clothes.
Kate Sylvester is a great personality. Her collections are the philosophy of living a life and what she loves and admires in life. Every piece is like a painting or a story, simple but realistic.
How about pyjamas…
I do not know about you but I really enjoyed A Valentine’s Day. It was like having fun with a few good friends. Nothing special but good old things like friendship, love, loyalty, commitment, being yourself. A good sense of humour. Good, good, good. Lovely outfits though.
I watch Fashion channel occasionally to know how the designers react to life. Do they really? Is it about life actually? Speaking about a NY fashion week, yes. Calm and reserved colours, simplicity and elegance, natural look and balerina buns. As a diversion to this tranquility – 3-dimensional dresses and skirts. No sign of mischief. Respect. But I haven’t seen everything. Madrid is less conservative and more playful. Milan is loyal to elegance and youthful touch. Glamour is giving place to shabby chic which I personally love.
Oscar fashion was a bit boring. Too much make up maybe? Not much imagination? Good actors and good decisions of the academy. I will follow up with the rest. Nice talking to myself.
Well, well, well, I am back. I hope you noticed that I am not just a fashion observer. I also read, watch movies, and work occasionally. In my future entries I would show you my other sides like sailing or attending wine festivals or even place an extract from my reflections on my progress as a style guru. It is not easy for me to put a tag on what I reflect about. It is like fashion; all aspects of life are included.
Anyway I saw two remarkable movies lately. Both I was looking forward to impatiently. I normally go to the cinema to see great actors or a story.
First one was Amelia. Amelia Earhart was searching for a life that was outside of the norm. As a child she committed imaginary journeys full of fabulous perils. As a grown up she became an icon of free spirit. I forgive the movie makers for trying to make her character a bit more trivial than it really was. The duet of Richard Gere and Hilary Swank was unexpectedly invigorating.
I planned to watch Nine as it promised to offer a strong cast to admire and the most important to immerse into the world of great Fellini once again. I am a big admirer of Italian cinema, as well as an Italian style. I couldn’t find any of these in a musical a-la cabaret. What a shame! I had a glimpse of beloved Rome though, and, besides, we could enjoy the performance of a talented Daniel Day Lewis who does not indulge in appearing in the movies very often. I presume that only Italians are good in making movies about Italians and their dolce vita.
First thing I loathe is rules.
The trick is to do what I like and how I like. The chance is big, that people would loathe my attitude. The rule to follow fashion rules means to be in good terms with the fashion industry. I take the opposite position. I would make a rule : to be different and be yourself. Do not let them choose for you. Take your own freedom to choose. I am unique as well as every other girl. I loathe when everybody does the same.
The rule number two is simple: if you like something, wear it. Who cares if designers did some pants this season or if a fashion writer decides to declare some colour?
Rule number three: just because it’s “in” doesn’t mean you have to wear it.
However, I like Fashion Week, as I can enjoy watching new collections and be inspired by some fresh ideas or be reminded about something that I adore, but currently forgot about. It’s like the Olympics for the fashion pack, the pinnacle of the fashion year.
They say being a try hard is so passé. I agree; I look the best if I look my way: relaxed and casually elegant or shabby chic.
In all honesty, fashionistas can sometimes be a bit, um, boring. There are, of course, those who dress up and make an effort and look incredible – and there are also those who just look effortlessly stylish. I pursue the last variant. But let’s just say that compared to other world capitals – Paris, New York, Rome – Wellington street fashion is relatively low key. I think this is a perfect scene to look individual.
So if you want to “look fashion” then wear the craziest outfit you can find. It doesn’t necessarily have to be designer, just make sure you’re comfortable.
I always wear good shoes, don’t play a try hard fashion sycophant – all valid points. Really, you should just wear what you like and have fun.
The last but not the least rule is that I don’t leave home with a boring look. I pair a low key dress with bright patterned tights, as well as interesting flats, heels and gloves or my fake fur bolero.
For me the most important rule in fashion is to be myself.
I think I still didn’t introduce myself properly. Please, meet me, the one of the most stylish women around, just kidding, who talks clothes and fashion inspirations. I also do not take part in a frenzy of being the it-girl.
“Pencil skirts, jean leggings, a great white shirt, military jackets and tall boots are just some of the styles that will be roaming high school hallways and college campuses this fall,” -I try to escape the predictions like that and mostly do the opposite.
To be honest, I don’t read the ‘outfit inspiration’ blogs anymore (I used to do it with my daughter for ‘inspiration’), mainly because they all copy each other, i.e. go spend loads of money on Kate-Moss inspired outfits just to swirl around, take photos and properly never wear them again.
I used to go to the library (a dinosaur!) and browse through the fashion books for inspiration. It is quirky to find out, that many successful designers used to go to the museums and libraries for inspirations. That’s where they were digging!
‘Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn remain frozen in time, because they exuded a fairytale foreverness. These women were all natural beauties whose star appeal lay in their subtle sensuousness, unlike the in-your-face sexuality that’s thrust in our faces today.’ Or
‘Like Dietrich, Diana Vreeland was of the older generation but important to the notion of chic: she was the top dog of the all the stylish women.’ Or one more
‘The stunning forties silhouettes at Lanvin are Hitchcock-heroine glamour at their best.’
The last one is already from the internet. Yeah, I hang there too.
If you don’t constantly re-invent yourself, you’ll end up being a dinosaur. Just like the print media, who have had to expand from just hard copy to online websites, blogs, e-alerts, sms-es, multimedia and now twittering.
So you are looking for fresh and updated information regarding dresses, dress designs and new trends in dresses? Looking at the intense demand for dress info, here you are:’Draping is a must-have for autumn/winter’.
SERIOUSLY, speaking about the dress, I would mention a draped Gianni Versace dress – the master of the sexy dress himself! I personally would accept a Chanel rubber-knit dress, a Prada’s land-girl glamour dress, but most of all a Roland Mouret dress. Can anybody tell me where I can buy an affordable Chanel, Prada or Mouret?! Never mind…
How about that: ‘Clothing is our Second skin. Man since prehistoric time has always endowed in textiles to protect his body from acute climatic settings and wild animals. With the course of time, the idea of wearing clothes from just protecting the body became a way of beautify the body and also hold specific cultural and social meanings.’
Fashion geeks know, a sprinkling of catwalk inspiration is best served with a slice of vintage, a sliver of high street and a generous spoonful of personal style.
If you notice a woman wearing a woolen dress fit like a glove and 40′s-inspired with a pair of Oxfords and a woolen, Chanel inspired cap, it would be me… Only sequins are missing. They would decorate beautifully silks and berets.
Tags: a dinosaur, Audrey Hepburn, Chanel, Diana Vreeland, draping, dress trends, Gianni Versace, glamour, Grace Kelly, Hitchcock, Kate Moss, Lanvin, multimedia, outfit inspirations, pencil skirts, Prada, Roland Mouret, twittering
As I expected it was a great contribution to the legacy of Chanel as a designer and a celebrity. My teenage daughter and I, both, enjoyed every second of the film of Anne Fontaine. Everything was just perfect. We made ourselves comfortable on a sofa with cushions in a beautifully decadent cinema room, surrounded by gray haired grand ladies. The next almost two hours we were completely taken by the drama of life of one of the most admirable women in the history of fashion. It is made in the best traditions of the good French movie of the middle of the 20th century. Why was it so lovable? You live in the movie and everything is real: the faces, dialogs, scenery and FEELINGS. I loved the face of Audrey Tautou as Chanel, her eyes as big and expressive as life, her independence, her difference and her determination to work. I read two books about Chanel and they were very heavy written, trying not to forget anything that matters in her long life: personal and as a designer. Anne Fontaine made a very light and colourful story of a little and brave woman, who could win over as men as women without forcing herself out of her beliefs. A special praise to her wardrobe! Starting with a touching dress with a white collar, men suits, finishing with her timeless woolen suit and pearls. Nobody could resist her bold and comfortable style. Her fragility and her spirit made her elegance unique.
What would an adventurous woman wear? I am going to compose a compact and fabulous wardrobe of a woman who embarks on an adventure. First and beloved item for me personally is a cardigan. I would take two: one is long and cashmere; second is light and cotton. Second item is a pair of trousers. Mine would be inspired by Belstaff : jersey jodhpurs. Those two things are like pyjamas for me: I feel comfy and snuggy. By the way, without pyjamas I would not survive a single night! A soft cotton tank top would be my third item; take two or three of them. Next, fourth item would be a nicely warm and light parka. A simple maxi jersey dress, like a glove, of a warm earthy colour : ochre, chocolate, dark green, rusty. A long warm cashmere jersey skirt for a cold season and linen-silk mix for a warm season. Baggy shorts and bikini for summer. Sun glasses, a hat (your favourite at the moment), gloves, a bulky necklace and pashmina. Shoes – a pair of robust leather Italian laced boots and balerinas or court shoes. And the last but not the least item is a bag, your favourite one, of course. There are few more things that I would consider taking, like a notebook, i-pod. If you are very sensitive to the cold weather, take a cashmere coat or a fur vest. Well, have an awesome trip!
Once a designer Paul Smith mentioned, that he dresses the women, who do not need to be embellished, as they can adorn any clothes by their own accomplishments. I love it! Maybe in the early years of ancient civilization women were dressed like goddesses and were worshiped. Although we still adore decorations, our lifestyle has rather changed since. We can talk about different lifestyles now. What about a style of an adventurous woman? Adventure means spontaneity, easiness in taking a decision, but it does not mean tasteless attire. I think in this case we will chose comfort, mobility, good quality. Our body needs to be taken care of: a warm, soft and light fabric will protect it from the hardships of the weather. But there is one very important issue: even those clothes should look elegant to make us still feel like a woman! I like 24 pieces wardrobe idea of Gok and would meet a challenge to put together a wardrobe to be able to take with on an adventure! I will give you a tip: it will be jersey mixes mostly!
