Christopher (Kane, yes on first name terms, don't you know) and I are roughly the same age. Maybe a year out at the most.
Therefore imprinted on our childhood memories (early 90's) are those pencil cases encased in plastic filled with multi coloured saline that could be swigded, pushed and prodded by a child bored in maths class. They were very useful, not only because of the sheer time wasting opportunities they inspired but because it held your million troll pencils. (Remember those plastic trolls with funny hair that you stuck on the end of the pencil. Occasionly I still find them knocking around in old childhood boxes with similar strange items (anyway I digress)).
This visual trope appears in Kane's 2011 A/W collection. Using his childhood memories and in particular the nostalgia for these memories in such an enticing and fresh way in fashion. Intrigued to see if they were exactly as I remembered as a 10 year old. I went and had a feel while I was at Liberty the other day. I am very pleased to tell you. Yes it was.
It transported me back to maths - 10.30am on Tuesday morning with Miss Mitchell. I like the way I'm on the inside, I know the joke here. It feels like fashion for me. My generation. I'm not excluded.
But the jokes on me a bit since I can't really afford a 2,000 pound shirt with plastic saline attached to the collar. I wonder if those women who can actually afford it, understand the joke. I'm making a leap of faith here but I bet they would be over 40. They are unlikely to quite understand the pure joy of the connection to those pencil cases.
But maybe they don't really need to anyway. Kane's ability to re-interpret his nostalgia in high fashion goes beyond knowing exactly where things came from the sheer fun at knowing something feels strangely familiar.
Feeling inspired I'm off to ransack my suburban childhood memories for my own designs. I'm not feeling so excluded now. Thanks Christopher.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Acne I'm dreaming
I'm dreaming of this Acne skirt. Perfect cross trend work hard skirt that would go with so much. Find it here.....
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/162994
Oh to dream. Is it me or is Acne one if the those labels you really come to love in your late 20's? I'm so in love right now. Come to me and we could live happily together and eat capers, olives and gurkins in blissful union.
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/162994
Oh to dream. Is it me or is Acne one if the those labels you really come to love in your late 20's? I'm so in love right now. Come to me and we could live happily together and eat capers, olives and gurkins in blissful union.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Liberty
Liberty is part of my childhood and adult hood (when I was 11 I was bridesmaid and my whole dress was made of traditional Liberty fabric, but that's another story).
A department store that I have always loved and shopped at. Well looked around mostly since it's a little expensive to buy stuff every weekend. Since Yasmin Sewell took over the buying of fashion a few years ago, this area has hugely improved. Fresh, exciting new designers flooded in. The kind that makes you hold your breath in awe.
How disappointed was I yesterday on a visit to see it looking a bit blah. There has been some major shifts around of areas in the store. It feels a little confused, over packed and uninspiring. My main beef is they have now shifted a lot of the interesting designers to the 2nd floor to make space for average more affordable designers on the 1st floor. I'm assuming this is for commercial reasons. Some how by the time you get to the 2nd floor you're feeling a little jaded to get really excited.
The interesting designers are still there but they feel harder to find. I guess it made be realise just how important presentation is and that even fantastic clothes need a helping hand to make them lust worthy. Even the buying seemed a little out - case in pint Acne.
Great commercial label yet key piece were missing from the selection ( I checked this with assistant).
Maybe this is because we're in between seasons. Well I hope so. I'll go back and see if anythings changed. I then went next door to CoS and in 5 minutes was more inspired by their collection. Go CoS!
If I had money (and was thin) I would buy from CoS the acid yellow jumper and leather skirt. I wish!
www.cosstores.com
EDIT. Sorry for the crap grammar, I'm trying folks!
A department store that I have always loved and shopped at. Well looked around mostly since it's a little expensive to buy stuff every weekend. Since Yasmin Sewell took over the buying of fashion a few years ago, this area has hugely improved. Fresh, exciting new designers flooded in. The kind that makes you hold your breath in awe.
How disappointed was I yesterday on a visit to see it looking a bit blah. There has been some major shifts around of areas in the store. It feels a little confused, over packed and uninspiring. My main beef is they have now shifted a lot of the interesting designers to the 2nd floor to make space for average more affordable designers on the 1st floor. I'm assuming this is for commercial reasons. Some how by the time you get to the 2nd floor you're feeling a little jaded to get really excited.
The interesting designers are still there but they feel harder to find. I guess it made be realise just how important presentation is and that even fantastic clothes need a helping hand to make them lust worthy. Even the buying seemed a little out - case in pint Acne.
Great commercial label yet key piece were missing from the selection ( I checked this with assistant).
Maybe this is because we're in between seasons. Well I hope so. I'll go back and see if anythings changed. I then went next door to CoS and in 5 minutes was more inspired by their collection. Go CoS!
If I had money (and was thin) I would buy from CoS the acid yellow jumper and leather skirt. I wish!
www.cosstores.com
EDIT. Sorry for the crap grammar, I'm trying folks!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Proenzer Schouler
Wow, that was a while since the last post.
It's come to my attention just how good Proenza Schouler is, in particular Fall 2011 RTW. Seems to have taken on the grunge, jumper wearing, blanket trend and turned it elegant and lustful.
Also the video collaboration on their website is good too. Worth a look.
www.proenzaschouler.com
Chunky knit sweater. Yes please. Oh yeah no money. Fail.
It's come to my attention just how good Proenza Schouler is, in particular Fall 2011 RTW. Seems to have taken on the grunge, jumper wearing, blanket trend and turned it elegant and lustful.
Also the video collaboration on their website is good too. Worth a look.
www.proenzaschouler.com
Chunky knit sweater. Yes please. Oh yeah no money. Fail.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Sorry and Why.
Sorry, yes I have not updated my blog as I should have done. Slapped wrists. That is in part because I have been super busy. I'm not going into it because generally people talking about being busy is boring to listen too (or read).
I called this blog Fashion Ugly because of a few things I had read recently by designers and how generally I have become to feel about style and fashion.
Fashion for me is about taking risks, and this often means dressing for yourself and not others. To wear something that goes against your sexuality, your class, your friends, the general public takes bravery and vision. This (for me) is not in an attempt to define yourself as being different to others, but too truly and really embody the concept of your own identity and your creativity. The clothes I wear do not hang upon me but rather these shoes, hats, blouses are me.
At times in the past and now I have been abused verbally because of what I have worn by the public. Sometimes this has been quite vicious. I am to others Fashion Ugly. Seems strange to me that in what can be an often mundane and grey life than an expected piece of colour, an outward expression of creativity can evoke such horror.
I have and will always be walking the tight rope of being fashion ugly as I go on defining and redefining my own identity.
I called this blog Fashion Ugly because of a few things I had read recently by designers and how generally I have become to feel about style and fashion.
Fashion for me is about taking risks, and this often means dressing for yourself and not others. To wear something that goes against your sexuality, your class, your friends, the general public takes bravery and vision. This (for me) is not in an attempt to define yourself as being different to others, but too truly and really embody the concept of your own identity and your creativity. The clothes I wear do not hang upon me but rather these shoes, hats, blouses are me.
At times in the past and now I have been abused verbally because of what I have worn by the public. Sometimes this has been quite vicious. I am to others Fashion Ugly. Seems strange to me that in what can be an often mundane and grey life than an expected piece of colour, an outward expression of creativity can evoke such horror.
I have and will always be walking the tight rope of being fashion ugly as I go on defining and redefining my own identity.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
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