Chanel, stereotyping, high fashion

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Lena

Fashion is a way of life. For me to enjoy life means to look good. When you look stunning you feel that everything will be all right. This is my philosophy. One Italian character appealed to enjoy life and not only good things but also pain as it gives you new experience which makes you stronger. After each period of my life something changes inside me as well as my look. Fashion gives you many opportunities. I am not talking about mainstream fashion that shows us what to wear every season. If you really love fashion you would notice, that fashion makes circular movements picking up something new, slightly changing the idea and, here we are, a brand new old style is born! That is why every person, who loves fashion, loves the magic word ‘vintage’. Every designer exploits his or hers own winning ideas in every collection. Chanel pursued her unique style in every collection, some elements became timeless and adorn any woman or a young girl. I think, stereotyping is something that I try to avoid my whole life. As well as the opinion of a philistine society. Fashion is freedom. Do not suppress your individuality. You have a better life, if you wear impressive clothes. Do not misunderstand me, please! I do not speak for high fashion for elite. I feel lucky to find elegant items during sales, incredible accessories at second hands and flea markets. Use your own imagination, create your outfits and make your day!

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More Vivienne Westwood

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Lena

Once Vivienne Westwood said:”In Italy they take cheap cloth and make it look expensive, and I take expensive cloth and make it look cheap.” That kind of suppressed elegance of a ragamuffin always appealed to me. I know that urbane people will appraise the lark of it. The latent message of it lays in parodying conservatively elegant dress. Juxtaposition of apparently unrelated elements is my motto. Imagine a perfectly lithe body in sheathlike garment ‘embellished’ by high-laced pilgrim shoes. Although modest, low-key design is an anathema. There should be a hue of sensuality and romance. Only shoes alone can make a statement, for example, court shoes. I would wear them with jodhpurs and pirate’s chemise. Contradictions are inherent in human nature. I used to be an ardent follower of minimalism. I think it has to do with your inner beliefs and as Vivienne Westwood said: “Minimalism is a timorous fear of committing an error of taste.” I thought I looked sophisticated. Actually, every garment is telling a story about wearer. If clothes arouse an interest and comment it means that the wearer is a personality, who makes a statement.

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Christian Dior, Amelia Earhart

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Lena

In France clothing was considered one of the “arts”, a living art. Every item was elaborate, decorative and sophisticated. It had a great impact on way of life. With the Modernism of 1920 came the liberation of the female body and slender figure with inner corset of muscles and mobility was searched. New fabrics and masculine clothes opened a new era for women. I personally admire the style of woman-pilot Amelia Earhart, which is very modern and timeless: men shirts, silk ties, jodhpurs, pilot jackets. In addition to boyish short hair here is the image of a free woman, making her own destiny. On the other hand nostalgic femininity of Dior collections had an appeal to the tastes of grown-up, affluent and elegant women. Here comes the image of a modern woman leading an active and healthy life in the fusion of elegant and comfortable clothing with feminine accessories like cashmere shawls, jewelry and bold headware. I feel slightly disenchanted with the present sloppiness in grooming and dress of some nowadays women, who happened to be too busy with their everyday life to pay attention to how they look. This is where the problems come to life. I wish us all to be infatuated with life. Overcome reluctance and conjure up a new style for yourself!

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Why I really love fall/winter collections 2010

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Lena

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.

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Prada and her style

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Lena

Miuccia Prada is definitely one of my favourite fashion designers as who else would combine such things as early glamour 20’s dress with late 20th century business suit with sneakers on the platform in one collection or English tweed suits with woolen long socks and platform shoes slash rubber over knee boots and BB hair style? Hot tweed pants with rubber boots or sequin dress with woolen cardigan? She is the one who constantly breaks the canons and brings controversial things together, like Beethoven with Mexican blues and turns roman gladiator’s armour into a glamorous evening gown. It’s always very intelligent and free of conventional glamour. Her woman is very modern and demure, natural and very intelligent, dressed glamorously but far from being a snob. It’s her nature: being intelligent but playful with meticulous attention to details. Very special,fresh and young. I love her shoes, socks, tweeds and dresses.

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Dress like pyjamas?

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Lena

I feel sorry for people who follow the stream and do not see personality behind the gowns. Every time a star wears a white shirt with a skirt to an event it gives lots of food for criticism. Tilda Swinton is famous for wearing “pyjamas”. She defies the conventional dress code. Everybody forgot about Chanel who laughed at the women dressed like a Christmas tree at the beginning of her career. My respect to a woman who chose a pure minimalistic style and always look elegant, effortless and demure. She is a muse. She covers her lean and long body with chic negligence as if she reminds us that there is something else. I think Tilda Swinton is a personality who thinks and acts different than people expect from her. Actresses are supposed to promote big brands and wear exquisite garments and jewelry for the events like Golden Globe awards. That is why it is great to see some personalities who promote different way of thinking and happiness.
I love Jil Sanders’ dress Tilda Swinton wore on the ceremony. She looked fresh and ageless.
We deserve to think and act different. Being different is refreshing and dashing.
So we can think about art.

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Boyish clothes with a feminine twist to it

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Lena

A crispy off-white shirt, woollen high waist pants and patent leather boots of a contrast colour paired with healthy look and bright lips – is it a new femininity? I would say so if I was not familiar with the movie stars of the 20th century – Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Ornella Muti. But even earlier was Gabrielle Chanel who compared high society women of the beginning of the 20th century with a Christmas tree. She initiated a new fashion trend of being active in life as much as men. As a modern elegant woman she brought decorative details to a minimum and borrowed the most items from a wardrobe of a working man: a woollen coat, pants’ suit, a shirt, a woollen sweater, silk pyjamas and comfortable shoes. As for a dress it became free from a corset and streamlined a woman’s svelte body. Lavish pearl necklaces of different shapes and lengths became a femininity twist to simple clothes.
A modern woman started sharing man’s activities and she needed to be free in her movements. Mademoiselle Chanel introduced a short hair cut to make an image complete. This image calls for fragile feeling, purity and freshness.
Another femininity twist she gave us – stockings. Woollen stockings are widely introduced in many autumn-winter collections nowadays, which I really love. They are paired with silk dresses and wedges or high heels sandals. I welcome contrast mixes of different fabrics and styles like wool, silk, brocade and sleek, shaped, layered. It means that we, modern women of the 21st century, can realize our creative side to look stylish and be in line with our personality.

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ready-to-wear, street wear or second hand from op shop

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Lena

I watch new collections, get inspired by Freja, Paul Smith’s white shirt with small pants and end up in one of the op shops – the tendency I copied recently from my daughter. I know I am not the first and definitely not the last. I made up my mind to buy only pieces that are of great value to me and complement my edgy style. I dilute my big-shoulders boyish pieces with sleek silk dresses and grandma cardigans. You can find XS shirts together with XL coats in my wardrobe.
Recently we got rid of everything that was fortuitous and wasn’t us. It was not without recycling: she took my few pieces and I took few of hers. The rest went to op shop. It’s a good feeling.
My last treasures were a new cashmere-wool-mix chocolate raglan knee-length coat, leather military belt and grey rough silk dress, both NZ designers. Both were in my dream-list.
At the moment there’s one thing left to find: woolen loose pants as in Kate Sylvester collection or cotton with leather details ski pants from Ricochet.
I’ve got a funky Uzbek embroidered with gold khaki cap for coming hot summer days. Exciting.

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Why I really love fall/winter collections 2010

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Lena

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.

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Kate Sylvester

Posted on April 29, 2010 by Lena

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…

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