the concept of ‘liberal’ confused me for many years, as in Australia the ‘Liberal Party of Australia’ is the more conservative party

some cheeky episodes in Garance Dore's 'Pardon My French' series:




+ some exciting news - hopefully at least a few photographs will be released online..:
'next year’s Met Costume Institute Exhibit will be ‘Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion’.
Australian film director Baz Luhrmann has been tapped as a creative consultant for the exhibit; he'll also help with the production design for the benefit. surely not by coincidence, Carey Mulligan, who's starring in Luhrmann's forthcoming remake of The Great Gatsby, will co-chair the Met Gala on May 7 with Miuccia Prada and Anna Wintour.

the exhibit will feature about 80 designs, a combination of pieces by Schiaparelli from the late twenties to the early fifties and by Prada from the late eighties through today. the main reason for choosing the Schiaparelli theme now is that the Costume Institute obtained a large portion of the designer's archive from the Brooklyn Museum in 2009. as for the connection to Prada:
'once we got Schiaparelli as the core part of what we wanted to do, it became a logical jump to Miuccia,' Koda said. 'they are both Italian women, and even though Miuccia might not describe herself as a feminist, what we see is these two very strong women with a very strong aesthetic.'

while Schiaparelli’s work can’t reference Prada’s — she died in 1973 — and Prada’s work never references Schiaparelli’s, there are 'significant resonances' between their designs, according to Koda. 'they are both very provocative for their time,' Koda said. 'we thought it would be very interesting to pit these two women together in an anachronistic conversation.'
the show will be structured as an imaginary conversation between the two designers; different sections will juxtapose their opinions on various topical themes, including 'On Art,' 'On Politics,' 'On Women,' and 'On Creativity.'

in other news, this year's underwriter for the exhibit is Amazon, so you can bet there will be lots of fancy Kindle downloads for the show as well.'

the Louboutin – Yves saint Laurent shoe feud. this takes the boring cake.

the lace trend can be tiring at times, but this Sabo Skirt top is so cobweb-like and delicate that i couldn't resist..


everyone is always talking about how celebrities’ red carpet gowns are either a safe choice or risky. do you try to steer your clients in a more adventurous direction?
'the people i work with are really beautiful and thin and o feel like just making the case that they’re beautiful and thin is super boring. both Michelle and Natalie are super smart and i work with Rachel Weisz and it’s the same thing. i think the idea of pushing that, or not just being a barbie doll is very appealing to them, so i think that tht three of the are much more open than a lot of other women to the idea of being..a little bit more abstract of a beauty. and i think they do all take risks, more than some people do. i mean i get it; people want to look pretty. there’s nthing wrong with that. i think it’s hard to take a risk. can you imagine putting on a dress and the next day turning on Good Morning America and seeing somebody talk about how ugly you looked, like i can’t even fathom how horrible that would be. i really am thankful that the people i work with trust me and are willing to push it a little bit.'
- stylist Kate Young



+ i fiiinally start a design / studio subject this semester (and will be doing so for the following five) at uni and i'm extremely terrified and excited..for all twelve contact hours per week of it (!)

why are we should-ing all over ourselves?

'keep in mind that blogging isn't the same as journalism. what professional writers do is more structured - and has academic rigour. we are accountable for what we write. we must prove what we say. we must be objective. we must tell both sides of the story - and allow sources to comment. we use financial documents and legal briefs and other research. there is scholarship in what we do. blogs are stream of consciousness. they certainly are valuable to the conversation. they contribute to the forum of ideas. but they are not journalism.
students should vary their course load beyond their major - take courses in history, economics, religion. learn well at least one foreign language (which helps improve your English). the more curious you are, the better journalist you will be.'
- p105
'why would you believe everything you read in a fashion magazine just because it is a hundred years old? you have to be able to exercise critical judgement about your sources. you're interviewing someone. what they say may not be true. an awful lot of fashion writing is hagiography books about the lives the saints: 'oh, this designer is a genius.. he / she has invented everything.. greatest thing since sliced bread.' there is no kind of critical awareness.'
- p348, Writing for the Fashion Business - Kristen K. Swanson & Judith C. Everett

fashion through the ages

GREEK / CLASSICAL (~500BC - 339AD):
- only the amount of fabric that was needed was woven; no wastage
- cloth was seen as a gift of the Gods
- in artistic / sculptural representations of a clothed body, a wet look was used to show the female form (in this way, artists were almost like the first form of designers; realistic fiction)
- we can only base what we know of this period on imagery (eg. pictures on vases / sculptures), which could just have been stylised representations
- types of clothing were indicative of different occupations


BYZANTINE + MEDIEVAL (1300/1400s - vague overlap from Byzantine to the Middle Ages):
- silk was traded from Italy to China
- fashion was more or less born in 1340 when clothing was cut to follow the shape of the body, while the excess that was cut off while fitting sleeves was used for sections such as hems / cuffs
- growth of the merchant / city class meant more production of clothing
- purple indicated royalty
- dress was seen as an expression of the soul (eg. slashes / stripes / scalloping was seen as the Devil's clothing and indicated an equally slashed soul)
- sumptuary laws were enforced by aristocrats to restrict the use of cloth and rich materials and therefore restricting lower classes from imitating their dress
- the Burgundy Court created the birth of fashion, dictating trends to Europe and the church


RENAISSANCE (~1400 - 1600):
- the introduction of guilds and division of labour / hierarchy
- international trade
- pattern making was based on mathematical proportions (i.e. Vitruvian man of perfect proportions and the idea of Humanism; individual potential / centrality of the human being)
- Queen Elizabeth I + Henry VIII as fashion icons
- in Florence, clothing was fundemental to the economy and the rise of the city state and flourishing arts, along with the invention of the bank
\

BAROQUE + ROCOCO (late 1700s - French Revolution 1789-1799):
- tailors / men made the clothing while women made headpieces / shawls / underwear / embellishments..
- Paris as the hub of fashion and change
- pastels used
- excess / refinement / surface embellishment / lightness / frivolity
- cross-cultural aesthetic influence (eg. kimono-inspired dressing gowns)
- fashion (Marie Antoinette) had political power in the court; aristocracy had to keep up
- 1600s brought on the printing of fashion illustration plates and the first circulation of fashion images portraying aristocrats in the latest trends
- Louis XIV built Versailles in 40 years (the hub of culture / arts) and supported fashion
- 1789 French Revolution as a revolt against the existence of luxury while other people starved (monarchy > democracy)


NEO-CLASSICISM (/Jane Austen / Napoleonic) (early 19th century):
- more opening of boutiques in Paris
- the invention of powered looms
- a return to classical and political / aesthetic ideas of the Greeks
- romanticism / regency / a cycle back to naturalism
- statues and ruins discovered at Pompeii in 1748 revived interest in antiquity / the authentic / natural + a rejection of the Renaissance
- after the French Revolution, no-one wanted to be associated with being an aristocrat
- principles of citizenship / individual rights were introduced; individualist rigor


MENSWEAR (/Dandies) (early 1800s):
- parallel to romanticism
- tailors made handmade / bespoke clothing; the rise of tailors + exclusivity
- sporty / simple / functional / naturalness / superior + unattainable / no bright colours or decoration
- English + French influences (English country clothes spread in Europe)
- men had a greater role in social life
- Dandies were cultured / intellectual / refined VS Bucks / Bloods with sexual energy / boisterous / sporty / worked for the state
- Lord Brummell was the creator of the understated look which is today the archetype of English male dress (the three-piece suit)
- perfection / exhibitionism
- to avoid another revolution, the British court allowed equality in menswear and relaxed sumptuary laws
- Armani was the 'mass Dandy' by allowing couture to become mass fashion as part of 1975's renewal of fashion and gender-blurring / creating a 2nd skin through clothing


VICTORIAN (19th century - parallel to reign of Queen Victoria):
- women in sweatshops / factories
- black became fashionable
- 1850 - the invention of the sewing machine; part hand / machine made
- the industrial revolution
- clothing allowed to be made more readily at home
- menswear - dark / little ornamentation / active (allowed movement) / strong / agressive
- womenswear - frivolous / pastels / lace / inactive / delicate / submissive
- corset - disciplining women and their bodies
- ready-to-wear pieces included crinolines / corsets / vests / stockings..
- the introduction of magazines (covering fashion / recipes / etiquette..)
- conspicuous consumption at its height
- size standardisation (eg. shoes)
- department stores - new technologies VS expansion of middle class buying power VS creation of the RTW market


(images via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Portrait Gallery (London), The Louvre)

oh, Yoox

Fashion Backward

'looking back at the fashions of the 1980s typically results in a shudder, a sigh and a hope that the worst of it won’t cycle back into current trends. of course most of it has come and gone already, and will most likely be back again, but there is a certain piece of this decade that was so entirely radical, innovative and fashion forward that it seems to transcend the trends that are identified with the era, existing timelessly in a class all its own. so let’s all take a moment and pay homage to the Japanese and their avant-gardism.

spandex. power shoulders. neon. these are the images that come rushing back when you take a moment to consider the 1980s. but, as is true with everything in life, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. and the response to the body conscious, designer label dominated, vapid mess of bright colors that plagued the decade was something that revolutionised fashion — and went far beyond 1989. Japanese Avant Gardism had a decisively explosive impact on the fashion world as a whole. It was intellectual, highly deconstructed and featured shapes that enveloped the wearer, obscuring both form and gender. it was a counterpoint to the aspirational look preferred by bleach blond hard bodies, it refused vapidity and was the product of new faces from a relatively new land. Japanese designers were around in the 1970s, but created fashions in an entirely different manner. their work was 'Frenchified' if you will and explored Japanese culture and style through a Westernised lens.

the Japonism (a French term that describes the influence of Japan on the West) of the ’70s is best defined by the work of Kenzo Takada — a designer who moved from Japan to Paris early in his career, before he really even began producing clothing, in order to work his way into the rigid social system of French fashion. his work took on elements of Japanese culture from the outside looking in and, though highly acclaimed, it remained close enough to the Western status quo as to not cause any sort of crazed response. Issey Miyake was also on the scene at the time and resided much further on the avant garde end of the spectrum than Kenzo’s more commercial friendly wears. Miyake approached design as conceptual art, often working with artists, poets, illustrators and photographers to further explore where clothing could go and what it could do — calling this an essential part of his work. Frequently his innovative and experimental looks were more suited for an installation than a runway — however this is not to say that he entirely ignored practicality and modernism. Japanese fashion places emphasis on a meticulous attention to detail, with the ultimate goal of creating the perfect simple pieces which exist outside the bounds of trend. both Kenzo and Miyake utilised flat construction and drapery — and both placed importance on leaving excessive space (also called 'ma') between the body and the fabric. the two designers pioneered this oversize aesthetic; the layered, rough edge looks they created were free from the guidance of seams or darts. Kenzo is credited with bringing this part of Japanese style to the global stage; he was a major trendsetter for young fashion especially since he went out of his way to incorporate aspects of French//Western culture into his work, a move that made his clothing much more appealing to the global market. he mixed bold patterns with bright colors while still retaining the XL look. Miyake on the other hand was much more experimental and along the way discovered the secret to many a perfect basic — he in fact designed and produced Steve Job’s signature black turtle neck. Miyake is considered the founding father of avant garde and used opulent materials to create forms that flowed away from the body. his use of clashing colors, twisted synthetics and bouncing pleats are cornerstones of his identity as a designer and he is particularly renowned for his work with technologically driven textiles. the work of Kenzo and Miyake set the standard for clothing in the ’70s — oversized, free flowing and lots and lots of layers.

now we must further set the stage for revolution. you understand the context of Japanese designers in the French arena — relatively new, both in terms of arrival and ideas, and perfectly okay with operating inside the existing rules of fashion, both on a global scale and in Paris in particular. what the 1980′s brings about is a revision of the Japonism of the decade past: Neo-Japonism. this time instead of Japan through a Western lens, Japanese designers explored their own unfiltered statement about the West, no lens needed. they incorporated traditional elements of both Japanese clothing style as well as materials and construction (even origami). the country has century old traditions of weaving, dying and fabric manipulation that allow for much easier experimentation and access to higher quality or more technologically advanced materials than designers from other countries.
additionally, the Japanese had the advantage of an entirely different viewpoint from that of the West. at the time, there wasn’t a strong Asian invasion in the global marketplace of French fashion. Westerners had yet to be introduced to the design elements that their neighbors to the East had up their sleeves.

with no focus on enhancing the body, the clothes are free from the restrictions of the human form.
Yohji Yamamoto, master tailor and 'fashion genius,' and Rei Kawakubo, the mastermind behind Comme des Garcons. their combined work caused a Parisian frenzy — and even went so far as to bring about accusations that they were attempting to not only abolish the traditional definition of fashion, but to demolish fashion itself.
were the hems really unfinished? they actually put rags in the models’ hair? why were their lower lips black and bruised?

Rei Kawakubo is known for the challenges she poses to normative Western definitions of beauty. she goes out of her way to deform the natural shape of the human body, and her fashions work toward an entirely different goal — ignoring the protocol of enhance-flatter-perfection — to instead work with clothing as art, a wearable free form piece. Yohji Yamamoto also raised questions about the beauty idolised by the West.
their work went beyond fashion into the world of art — and their connections within the art industry served to in fact increase the status level of fashion designers, turning them into the gods we know them as today. and despite being accused of attempting to tear down the structure of fashion itself in Paris, they in fact reinforced France as the great legitimiser. they knew that the Paris runways were where they had to go in order to enter the global marketplace. and by doing so they gained social, economic and symbolic capital which put them ahead of all those who went a different route.

they created a look that 'went beyond the polarity of West vs East,' something that went against the very idea of national dress itself, and suggested something that stood outside the very framework of the system known as fashion. they weren’t coming in as Japanese designers, they were global designers — incorporating elements of both Eastern and Western tradition, pieces of varied subcultures and different subversions. with the result being a globalized look that was free of the restrictions of the body, that introduced the language of deconstruction to the world, and that 'vigorously transformed clothing into art.' it was a sensational controversy that suddenly allowed for a gold rush of new possibility.'
- Fashion Backward

Miu Miu's glitter Mary Jane pumps - they were cute until every fashion editor started wearing them

the Jac + Jack AW12 campaign..




the silhouettes prompted by the model's stance in each photo fascinated me originally..but at second glance, i was reminded of early collections by The Row in the sense that each piece is incredibly simple, and not something that i would find myself consciously shopping for..
but i realised that i would in fact really love a perfect black dress and similar luxurious tops for layering and that i've forever desired a pair of wide-legged pants.
sometimes collections like these can seem uninspiring in terms of design innovation, but i think they are wonderfully helpful in reminding me of the sorts of wardrobe staple pieces that i have been craving the most.

here are some chocolates to show that i love you / here is some heart-shape diabetes

i'm very cynical when it comes to Valentines Day, but it was a lovely excuse to get together with a lot of my wonderful girlfriends that i haven't seen in months. so i made some chocolate-dipped strawberries to bring along :)

afraid of windmills / i still think 1990 was 10 years ago

some found objects..


XXXXXXXX

'Stockholm fashion may not have the clout of Parisian haute couture or the glamor of Milan's upscale brands. but the city is turning its flair for sleek design into a major business export.
'Sweden is the only country that has created a unique fashion aesthetic that's recognisable around the world,' says Yvan Rodic, a fashion blogger and photographer based in London.

along with other fashion writers such as blogger 'Susie Bubble' and The Telegraph's Hilary Alexander, Rodic traveled to Stockholm to see the city's signature minimalistic designs gracing the runways during its Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm, when major labels unveiled their new collections for the press. Stockholm Fashion Week, meanwhile, runs until February 12.

Rodic points to understated fabrics and discreetly chosen colors as reasons behind the devoted following local designers have built up in the last decade. Rodic, who runs the Facehunter blog - with over 58,000 followers on Twitter - says Sweden offers young, affordable and cool brands for those who aren't attracted to the fashion coming out of Paris and Milan. that fashion is seen as 'expensive, serious and pretentious,' he says.

H&M is one affordable Swedish brand which has contributed to the country's rising exports sales. but other labels, including Cheap Monday, Tiger of Sweden and Acne Studios are all making their mark on the global stage.

so what is the secret formula behind the popularity of Swedish fashion? Rodic, a regular attendee of Stockholm Fashion Week, says the country's blogging culture contributed to its global success.
'Sweden is a pioneering country when it comes to blogging,' he says. 'in the last decade, people from around the world have started looking at Swedish blogs for inspiration - mostly to enjoy the photos since they don't necessarily understand the language.'

readers have then been educated on the brands and how to create outfits without spending a fortune. 'i think this was a perfect match for the world of blogging since it promotes individuality and helped Sweden become a mini phenomenon in fashion,' Rodic says.
- Swedish Fashion Uncovered via CNN

INFLUENCERS SERIES - part VII

there are a handful of reasons why Brooke Jamieson is a model to watch.
for starters - she is studying mathematics right now, which i'm happy to announce breaks the mould of models and intellect being mutually exclusive. on the other hand, she has a long history of finesse in the field of dance which brings a new element of body-awareness to her work, while growing up in the same not-so-open-minded / non-capital city as i did has only managed to nurture her creativity and personal style in recent years.
while i do love a simple outfit comprised of jeans and a basic t-shirt, i personally find it refreshing to see a model with an 'off duty' look that would be more likely to involve a cardigan / pom-poms / pastels.



but don't take my word for it, see what Brooke has to say about modelling and her personal fashion interests for yourself..

why did you decide to start modelling?
i saw this photo hanging in the window of a store and immediately wanted to be Siri [Tollerod].

has your personal style evolved or changed as a result of becoming more involved in the world of modelling?
my personal style has changed somewhat since i started modelling, however i'm not sure if this is a result of becoming more involved in the industry or simply just refining my style as i grow older. i am more inclined to take risks with cuts and prints now, and i pay more attention to the design and construction of garments.

do you have a way of categorising your wardrobe? (eg. colour / style / season)
i am currently living out of a suitcase, because i'm back in Mackay with my parents for the holidays and i'm not quite ready to admit to myself that i'm staying here for a while, so i just haven't unpacked at all. back at home, i try to categorise things into styles, but this doesn't always work out.

what inspires your outfits on a day-to-day basis?
i wear clothes that remind me of whatever music i have stuck in my head. i went to see Fleet Foxes at the Tivoli last night, so today i was wearing a floral dress with clogs.



do you tend to mostly buy new or vintage pieces?
i mostly buy vintage pieces, unless i see something in a store that is perfect. i love the challenge and feeling of accomplishment of sewing my own clothes, so if i don't like what i see in stores, i just go home and sew something.

was there a particular person / event that started your interest in fashion?
a combination of Siri Tollerod and Miranda Kerr. the poster of Siri opened my eyes to the idea of being a model, however watching Miranda grow as a model really inspired me.

what characteristics do you believe make a successful model?
persistence and determination. breaking into the industry is far from easy in most cases, so being able to set and achieve goals is important.

do you follow any local or international blogs?
i follow a really well-rounded mix of fashion blogs on tumblr, and my favourite blogs are brightwildeyes and definitelynologic.



is your wardrobe influenced by any particular designers, or more so by street style?
i tend to be inspired by people on the street who remind me of a particular designer or collection. seeing something so conceptual executed really elegantly in a practical setting is captivating.

if you had unlimited money, do you think your style would change?
i don't think my style would change, but my ability to express that style would definitely grow. similarly, if my sewing skills improved i would be less trapped when it comes to seeing a concept in my head and actually being able to make it.

does the style of the city or country that you live in affect your choice of outfit?
yes, because i am so inspired by the people, art and architecture around me. also whem i'm in Brisbane, there is much more freedom to be creative, unlike when i'm in Mackay ad i have to tone things down a lot.



what do you think your point of difference is to all of the other editorial models out there?
i have 15 years of dancing experience, and i think it really shows in my photos and also runway walk. it has been really beneficial to be able to 'get in character' for some shoots, and also because i am quite aware of the shapes i am making with my body, and how the light will fall.

what have you found the most difficult during your modelling experience so far? are there any reasons why you would not encourage other fashion enthusiasts to follow a similar path?
constant rejection because of my body shape. i have high-set hip bones, so i don't have the 'noodle' body that omst models have. this works out extremely well when shooting vintage clothes, however agencies just tell me that i need to lose weight while they point at my hips.
i love my body, and i am not fat, which has taken me a while to realise, and i just hope that an agency feels the same in the future. if girls aren't extremely comfortable with their body, i would not encourage them to be a model, because the persistent rejection and pressure to conform will surely break you down.

(all images courtesy of Brooke's Facebook page)