a party for tonight, please!

happy New Year! ¡Feliz Año! Bonne Année! Frohes Neues Jarh! Feliz Ano Novo!

to celebrate to 2008 I have selected 5 songs as present for you. some are a bit old, some are quite new, but it´s just a way to enter in the new year.

have fun tonight!



I dont have resolutions for this new year, but if you want to share them with us, you are welcome!

when Marc chooses right...

when Marc Jacobs (I refer to him in a explicit way because he´s the only one I know, he is the public persona we all have in mind when we talk about this company, but I´m sure he isnt the only one behind all the decisions) takes a good decision, we all love him, we all enjoy it, we all agree, we all want to be dressed by Marc Jacobs.

When we think on the possibility of seing Victoria Beckham advertising Marc Jacobs, we lose the view in the collection, we laugh, we think someone went crazy in MJ company, we dont want to dress MJ anymore, MJ has lost its kinda vintage kinda undergroud allure, that we, fashion lovers and dreammy girls, think it still has. until we wait for that moment, until we wait to see her... we can get an idea about the campaign with Harmony Korine (photographed by Jurgen Teller, as usual). I´m really sorry but I dont have images to post, if someone can provide me with one, I´ll be really grateful! btw, on the image the guy appears eating a huge hamburger surrounded by tones of extra-caloric food. Can you imagine Victoria Beckham is such situation?

btw, is there any hidden message in the campaign? believe me, the guy is eating fiercely his fatty meal.

BUT, when we think on... sorry! when we are already seing MIA advertising Marc by Marc Jacobs we just wonder if we can fit in this pair of pants, or if we are able to wear the suit with such quirky style.

apart from the surprise of finding MIA wearing Marc by Marc Jacobs the campaign is in line with the previous campaigns done by MJ with JT for Marc by MJ. nothing new or espectacular.

images: tfs

some Winter streetstyle needs...

Personally, I´m loving Balenciaga knits (developed by Guesquière) for this winter. I have declared myself a Balenciaga fan a couple of months ago, the great collection of Guesquière, the one that everyone applauded never really impressed me, although I agree it was a brilliant tribut to Mr. Cristóbal Balenciaga, Guesquière conquered my heart with his own interpretetaion of neo-futurism and it was at that moment when I finally discovered the true artist behind this face of eternal kid. Since then I was never disappointed.

Each piece of the knitwear collection is soft, warm and sophisticated. As a example one of my favourites: Regarding winter knitwear, I want to post as well this streetstyle picture founded in the thread about NYC streetstyle of TFS. Isn´t it appropiate to wear head to toe a white winter outfit? I inmediatly fell in love with it. it looks so "winter-wonderland". Moreover, although the contrast, the black ankle boots are a plus!

rinko kikuchi does Chanel

Among all the current fashion campaigns, the one that got my attention was the one I´ve following all around Paris bus stops with Rinko Kikuchi advertising Chanel Cruise accesories collection, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld.

"C´est la fin de notre belle aventure"

when nobody else believes in your ideas, you are lost and you may fail. this has actually happened to Kenzo Takada, founder of Kenzo.


he had a laborious start but he did his best to keep going his designs and in the 1970s (a decade after graduation from Bunka Fashion College and his settlement in Paris) he succeded and began to gain a place in fashion with his first show, his first boutique, his first cover in Elle magazine and his first awards.

In 1993, Takada sold the brand to the French group LVMH but he continued working as the designer of the house. Finally he announced his retirement in 1999, leaving his assistants in charge of his fashion house. In 2005, he reappeared as a decoration designer presenting "Gokan Kobo" ("workshop of the five senses"), a brand of tableware, home objects and furniture.

Different legal fights with its parent house (LVMH) ended with Kenzo recovering his complete name to sign his desings (Kenzo Takada), but also ended with a huge lack of funds and heavy financial problems that moved on a the legal liquidation of the company last week in Paris.

"C´est la fin de notre belle aventure", remarked Takada.

based on a article read in Économie 18.12.2007

Stagnant

it´s Xmast time, it´s time to visit your family, time to come back home, if airlines allow you... Due to some problems I dont want to explain I lost my plane to The Alps, so until tomorrow I´m stagnant in Paris. and what can you do when you are stagnant? reading... (or going shopping!).

"...and this is another thing they do. they flirt with you violently because there is no possibility of it being taken seriously."

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

p.s.: btw, Paris Haute Couture S/S 2008 shows are from 21st to 26th Jan. excited?

knitknit knitting

it´s been 5 years since Sabrina Gschwandtner started her personal project called KnitKnit about handmade knitting and art.

How can you mix these two different things?
To a deep undertstanding of the concept she has recently published a book (last september) that has just reached my hands. it´s really unique and interesting and that´s why it deserves to be in the blog, although I´m not a big fan of complex knitting and although I hate the over-patchworked pieces... but it´s cool to see that so many ppl is getting fond of such an "art" always related with grandmas (or havent you ever worn a sweater knitted by your grandma in Xmast?).

because Paris is so close to London...

i´m really sorry for the lack of news lately... i´m overbusy... and between my activities there´s an upcoming trip to London to visit family and friends in Xmast. But Paris is so closed to London... Even Karl Lagerfeld has this feeling, so that´why he decided that instead of showing Chanel new collection in Paris, he should have done it in London.

Karl Lagerfeld presented last 4th december Chanel collection "Paris-London" Métier d´Art, started 5 years ago.

The Métiers d’Art collection is a special showcase for the decorative crafts of the Parisian ateliers that have been working with Chanel for decades. Lagerfeld created a strong collection to seduce his clients (I say his clients because there some Chanel fans, but i think there are more Lagerfeld fans shopping Chanel) and also to exhibit all the extraordinary pieces.

the collection combines classic Chanel details with new and modern references Amy Winehouse queen-of-the-street style.

The event also allowed us to see on stage the model-turned-singer Irina Lazareanu and Sean Lennon performing their new album (something that I was personally willing to see for a long time).

Obviously and as usual, everything was surrounded by these little crossed C´s Madame Chanel created and surpassed by celebs wearing Chanel.

pics: nylon magazine

Eric Bompard pour Noël

Are you thinking about gifts?... you are not the only one... but to help us, (to help me), I received a cool surprise from Eric Bompard. So, instead of squeezing your brain, go to a Eric Bompard shop or buy online one of the exquisite cashemere sweater, a scottish-plaid scarf or a soft pair of gloves.

Alors, comment est-ce qu´on peut définir les pièces d´Eric Bompard?

"chic, doulliet, décalé, sobre, ludique, simple, sophistiqué, somptueux, brilliant, séducteur..." (Catalogue Automne-Hiver 2007/2008)

my favourite item: this pair of slippers

Gabriella Marina Gonzalez: interviewing a designer.

After going to her show I though about making her a kind of a interview and I turn into a jornalist for a day. so, this is the second part of the article about her fashion show, it´s the continuation. the questions I did and the answers I got:

Q: why did you choose Dinosaurs vs Ballerinas as a name for the collection?(I made my guess about it, but i would like to have more details, because the name is actually very appealing but i´m sure than behind it it has to be a reason that outlines the spirit of the collection, which it was clearly defined on the show).

A: the named was a metaphor, the collections was inspired by a battle between two opposing groups in search of being greatest, these groupscan apply to whomever in your life experience you have ever witnessedbeing greedy or heartless and learned not to follow there way.dinosaurs and ballerinas contrast so harshly, to show that monster orbeauty, we are all capable and not to be fooled.

Q: why have you chosen Joe Ashworth ? in my opinion fashion show soundtracks are very important to get into the mood of the collection, but sometimes are just chosen without any purpose.

A: i also feel that the music is very important in setting the mood of your collection. the viewer can not read your mind and the more youstimulate there senses the more you will get the point across, willthey know it is serious if you are playing top of the chart pop? itdose serve its purpose as well but that's not for me just now. Joe Ashworth is a good friend of mine and i believe him to be very talented, that is why i asked him to help me, i want to grow with myfriends, and share. the music we choose and mixed had an underlyingmilitary-esque beat that we may or may not have imagine to be there...

Q: as a new designer, have you found difficult to start? which do you think is the main problem of new talents? financing?

A: I'm a firm believer after my first show that if you want thingsdone...do it yourself, or have a close team of people who you trustand love helping you. often miracle favours appear which make youthink your sorted, but be aware they may fall through at the worsttime. I'm not cynical but a realist. as for financing, it's great tohave money, it makes possibilities endless and things get done faster,but there is something about having nothing that i feel pushes you toconvey yourself more creatively.

Q: do you think contest and events to promote and support new talents in fashion are useful? are there still some gaps to cover in this sense?

A: i think they are great, if there are people out there who are willing to support talent in any form i think its a really lovely thing to dofor someone, i always have my eyes out for competitions orscholarships that may be useful, even if its ripped out of a teenmagazine, for now its OK, i have nothing to loose.

Q: Which element is more important to you when you are designing a new collection: fabrics, embroidery, defining a certain silhouette, structure of the pieces...?

A: i always work around a story, series of events, time, place,atmosphere, i image this scenario and try to recreate it as anillustration on paper, it could be a sketch book full, then i gothrough it and take bits out that could be fabric, textures and shapesthat could be silhouette and work from there.


Q: I would not define your collection as a very commercial collection, i would say it´s more artistic (maybe i´m wrong); so according to this: do you think there are still some market segments that need to be covered? is there still a gap between Haute Couture and pret-à-porter?

A: i wouldn't consider it to be a commercial collection either, althoughunderlying there may be a recognisable garment which is easy to wearit is thoughtfully detail and the fabrics are great quality. i wouldhave to say that its a Haute couture/ Pret-a-porter and vise versa,for the person who wants the beauty and glamour of high fashionwithout the pretense and the normal not so mundane.

Special thanks to Gabriella

Hedi Slimane, the perfect stranger

We know him thanks to his designer facet, but for most of the ppl his other faces are hidden (like curating), they are like "Perfect Strangers".

Last July, after leaving Dior Homme, Hedi Slimane went to Benicassim, (for the ones who dont know it: Spanish summer rock festival, the best festival ever), invited by the Leon Museum of Contemporary Art (MUSAC), to document the event with photos, audios and videos.

The result of this collaboration is now shown in Galerie Almine Rech, 19 rue de Saintonge (from 12/1 until 1/5). all that I can say it´s that I really enjoy it, it made me meet a new person that I was not expecting behind the public persona of Slimane. I have been always a big fan of his slim suits and now i consider myself a big fan of his photograpies: they are in black and white showing young ppl enjoying music in a not-at-all glamorous, crowded and noisy atmosphere but he makes them look elegant, serene and chic

see the images here, on his online diary

belt-yourself!

recently (well, since a while ago) I´m obsessed with belts and accentuating the waist... here are some outfits I´m loving from different blogs I visit regularly.

red help for Xmast

today I was at Colette and discover the Gap special collection of (Product) RED clothing and accessories for World AIDS Day, curated by Katie Grand. Between the designers: Giles Deacon, Pierre Hardy, Stephen Jones, and Proenza Schouler's Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, who "were each asked to develop new versions of their respective brand's iconic products while incorporating Gap values of quality, desirability, and accessibility". 50 percent of profits from the sale of the products will go to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa, with a focus on providing anti-retroviral drugs to women and children affected by HIV and AIDS. The collection includes T-shirts and tank tops from Giles Deacon, Calvin Klein, Charlotte Tilbury, Proenza Schouler, Henry Holland, and a Beth Ditto tee designed by Pop Magazine. For accessories, the main item is the Mulberry Roxanne bag in red and grey.