Saturday 18 April 2009
Yes Please
I love this 'Follow the Line' bodysuit by Sass&Bide. Yes, it's a fairly unrealistic item of clothing as I don't regularly frolic around in a glorified leotard, but, if I was going to this is what I would undoubtedly do it in. Oh so pretty.
Alice McCall A/W 09
I remember seeing Alice McCall's collection for Topshop last Summer and thinking it was nice but nothing incredibly exciting, and I had never really paid much attention to her before until I came across her A/W 09 collection. It is, in my opinion, beautiful. Take a look.
Fashion in Motion
Technology is changing how fashion can be presented. Fashion shows are making way for fashion films and brands are using this new medium to allow customers a greater insight into their brand.
The dawn of the 21st Century has seen many technological progressions, but none have matched the social impact of YouTube. The eponymous tag of ‘YouTube Generation’ will be forever associated with the youth of the Millennium’s first decade and video is now the fastest growing online media. In the last few years this medium has become an increasingly popular way for fashion houses to gain wide-reaching exposure for their collections, whilst adding greater depth to the concepts behind them. Complementing less elaborate presentations, online fashion films have the potential to deliver the poetry and energy of a full blown runway show, with motion and music, in a way that’s cost effective and easily distributed.
SHOWstudio, the fashion and art website which allows viewers to observe the creative process of image-making has been at the forefront of the online fashion film revolution since its conception in 2000. It is SHOWstudio’s creator Nick Knight’s belief that as film is a sequential event a narrative starts to impose itself much more quickly than it does in stills. He has said of the medium that “When a designer produces a piece of clothing it is to be seen in movement…fashion has almost solely been represented by the still image…this has compromised the representation of fashion. But with the advent of the internet, the garment can now be shown in the way that was intended” The site has developed a number of projects including Moving Fashion, Editing Fashion, Political Fashion and most recently FutureTense - an opportunity for young designers to express their design vision through moving image, and also collaborations with established, avant-garde designers such as Gareth Pugh, the result of which is Insenate, a short showcasing “the brutal geometry and raw creative fire of Gareth Pugh's A/W 2008 collection to truly bewitching effect”.
It seems bigger, luxury brands are also keen to manipulate the power of film as a marketing tool. Prada’s Trembled Blossoms was the first film from a luxury house to showcase actual products. Although CGI heavy and seemingly clunky in comparison to some of SHOWstudio’s pioneering offerings the film premiered at New York Fashion Week causing a huge buzz with fashion insiders and YouTube audiences alike. Creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati has further utilised the power of fashion film. The Autumn/Winter 08 Homme collection was presented solely using the medium with the traditional catwalk presentation discarded in its favour.
High street brands also want in on the act. In celebration of their 30th birthday Italian fashion brand Diesel launched their xXx campaign that included a limited edition pair of jeans, global parties and most significantly a promotional viral video entitled Dirty 30. A viral video, a clip which gains widespread popularity through the process of internet sharing, typically through email, instant messaging and blogs, is usually humorous and Diesel’s was no exception. Composed entirely of clips from 80s porn movies with illustrations strategically doodled over offending areas to juxtapose sexual actions with those of the everyday. Labelled with the lettering SFW (Safe For Work) the film, and therefore the company’s message, spread like wildfire. Diesel’s latest foray into film is a collection of 50 black and white shorts entitled V, all of which are set in the context of a surreal and hallucinatory television studio. “As well as building hype for the brand the films create a greater sensory experience and feeling of involvement for the customer when they visit the website, some even encourage the viewer to call a given number and leave a message that may be broadcast “across the universe”” says Nikki Alder, press officer for diesel in the UK. Similarly Wonderbra’s short The Science of Sexy, featuring burlesque pin-up Dita Von Teese can only be found online. Although at the more commercial end of this growing phenomenom Diesel and Wonderbra’s videos have the power to sell products and are also visually exciting experiments in design.
Fashion film is a groundbreaking new format that seems set to grow in popularity. Jason Campbell, founder of the trend bureau JC Report agrees “Its reaching tipping point. They are the freshest way to grab attention for your brand.” It is also one which looks set to continue to get a boost from the current economic climate.
The dawn of the 21st Century has seen many technological progressions, but none have matched the social impact of YouTube. The eponymous tag of ‘YouTube Generation’ will be forever associated with the youth of the Millennium’s first decade and video is now the fastest growing online media. In the last few years this medium has become an increasingly popular way for fashion houses to gain wide-reaching exposure for their collections, whilst adding greater depth to the concepts behind them. Complementing less elaborate presentations, online fashion films have the potential to deliver the poetry and energy of a full blown runway show, with motion and music, in a way that’s cost effective and easily distributed.
SHOWstudio, the fashion and art website which allows viewers to observe the creative process of image-making has been at the forefront of the online fashion film revolution since its conception in 2000. It is SHOWstudio’s creator Nick Knight’s belief that as film is a sequential event a narrative starts to impose itself much more quickly than it does in stills. He has said of the medium that “When a designer produces a piece of clothing it is to be seen in movement…fashion has almost solely been represented by the still image…this has compromised the representation of fashion. But with the advent of the internet, the garment can now be shown in the way that was intended” The site has developed a number of projects including Moving Fashion, Editing Fashion, Political Fashion and most recently FutureTense - an opportunity for young designers to express their design vision through moving image, and also collaborations with established, avant-garde designers such as Gareth Pugh, the result of which is Insenate, a short showcasing “the brutal geometry and raw creative fire of Gareth Pugh's A/W 2008 collection to truly bewitching effect”.
It seems bigger, luxury brands are also keen to manipulate the power of film as a marketing tool. Prada’s Trembled Blossoms was the first film from a luxury house to showcase actual products. Although CGI heavy and seemingly clunky in comparison to some of SHOWstudio’s pioneering offerings the film premiered at New York Fashion Week causing a huge buzz with fashion insiders and YouTube audiences alike. Creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati has further utilised the power of fashion film. The Autumn/Winter 08 Homme collection was presented solely using the medium with the traditional catwalk presentation discarded in its favour.
High street brands also want in on the act. In celebration of their 30th birthday Italian fashion brand Diesel launched their xXx campaign that included a limited edition pair of jeans, global parties and most significantly a promotional viral video entitled Dirty 30. A viral video, a clip which gains widespread popularity through the process of internet sharing, typically through email, instant messaging and blogs, is usually humorous and Diesel’s was no exception. Composed entirely of clips from 80s porn movies with illustrations strategically doodled over offending areas to juxtapose sexual actions with those of the everyday. Labelled with the lettering SFW (Safe For Work) the film, and therefore the company’s message, spread like wildfire. Diesel’s latest foray into film is a collection of 50 black and white shorts entitled V, all of which are set in the context of a surreal and hallucinatory television studio. “As well as building hype for the brand the films create a greater sensory experience and feeling of involvement for the customer when they visit the website, some even encourage the viewer to call a given number and leave a message that may be broadcast “across the universe”” says Nikki Alder, press officer for diesel in the UK. Similarly Wonderbra’s short The Science of Sexy, featuring burlesque pin-up Dita Von Teese can only be found online. Although at the more commercial end of this growing phenomenom Diesel and Wonderbra’s videos have the power to sell products and are also visually exciting experiments in design.
Fashion film is a groundbreaking new format that seems set to grow in popularity. Jason Campbell, founder of the trend bureau JC Report agrees “Its reaching tipping point. They are the freshest way to grab attention for your brand.” It is also one which looks set to continue to get a boost from the current economic climate.
Friday 27 March 2009
Trend A/W 09: Exaggerated Shoulders
Shoulders are back, and they're better than ever.
Shoulder pads are back this autumn/winter. But don't panic, things have changed since the stuffy boxy shapes and big hair of the 80s. This season’s shoulders are sculpted and architectural adding wing-like qualities and injecting a modern twist to classic shapes. Nipped in waists, slim cuts and shorter lengths keep the look fresh and in context of contemporary fashion, and hair is kept sleek and neat to warn off any of those niggling 80s references. It was Christophe Decarnin’s spring collection for Balmain that seemed to kick off the latest fascination with the trend last season. His combination of rock-chick swollen-shouldered military jackets along with bejewelled dresses set fashion mouths watering for more, and the A/W 2009 collections didn’t fail to disappoint.
This silhouette is no longer restricted to the balloon-like tailoring it was in the 80s - then shoulder pads were used to support the wider cut of sleeves that were fashionable, this season cuts in tailoring are lean and close to the body allowing for a neater exaggeration at the shoulders which, in some cases, is purely implied by simple material tucking. Twenty8Twelve have stitched pads into loose-fitting vintage feel rock Tees, Erdem has used soft rounded shoulder shapes to add edge to his floral prints, Danielle Scutt teamed hers with bright red cut-out lapels and Julien Macdonald with biker jackets and knitted dresses. The Boyfriend blazer is also still going strong but this season with the added impact of robust shoulders with Opening Ceremony, among others, offering one in navy wool. Roksanda Illinic’s shoulder shapes perfectly illustrate how this previously masculine trend has been flipped to depict femininity this season. Paired with pretty metallic, crocodile-stamped gunmetal brocade, violet duchesse satin, and silvery velvet they are capped, tucked and embellished on pencil dresses and evening jackets. Meanwhile, Marc Jacob’s are blanketed in crayola-brights, and are probably the biggest of the season. Teamed with crimped hair and Boy George-esque eye make-up the 80s vibe is definitely strong, perhaps because Jacobs was fresh from working on his coveted Stephen Sprouse inspired collection for Louis Vuitton when he presented the show in February. And, Vivienne Westwood, a long-time fan of shoulders used pleats, ruffles and puffs to create the illusion.
Of course, runway shows are fantasy and much of what we see paraded down the catwalk does not translate into the everyday, and if it does it is greatly watered down. But, exaggerated shoulders are one trend that can. For once, size was kept to a reasonable, wearable scale. A strong shoulder line gives the illusion of a neat waist and slim neck as well as smoothing out postural imperfections and can be simply achieved by adding a set of shoulder pads to existing garments.
In the 80s it was all about women dressing to fit into the male dominated world of corporate business. The masculine silhouette formed by shoulder pads empowered them. They were breaking through the glass ceiling of society and strong shoulders gave them that extra pushing power. A similar theory could be drawn as to why this trend has come back into favour. We are in the depths of a financial crisis; everything is unsteady, uncertain and unreliable. Perhaps the structure formed by exaggerated shoulders can make us at least feel in control, professional and a little more confident about ourselves, if not the economic situation. Plus, we’re now far more likely to be buying a couple of statement pieces each season as supposed to entire looks, and big shoulders can easily rework and update tired pieces from past seasons and add an edge to a simple jeans and T-shirt look.
Shoulder pads are back this autumn/winter. But don't panic, things have changed since the stuffy boxy shapes and big hair of the 80s. This season’s shoulders are sculpted and architectural adding wing-like qualities and injecting a modern twist to classic shapes. Nipped in waists, slim cuts and shorter lengths keep the look fresh and in context of contemporary fashion, and hair is kept sleek and neat to warn off any of those niggling 80s references. It was Christophe Decarnin’s spring collection for Balmain that seemed to kick off the latest fascination with the trend last season. His combination of rock-chick swollen-shouldered military jackets along with bejewelled dresses set fashion mouths watering for more, and the A/W 2009 collections didn’t fail to disappoint.
This silhouette is no longer restricted to the balloon-like tailoring it was in the 80s - then shoulder pads were used to support the wider cut of sleeves that were fashionable, this season cuts in tailoring are lean and close to the body allowing for a neater exaggeration at the shoulders which, in some cases, is purely implied by simple material tucking. Twenty8Twelve have stitched pads into loose-fitting vintage feel rock Tees, Erdem has used soft rounded shoulder shapes to add edge to his floral prints, Danielle Scutt teamed hers with bright red cut-out lapels and Julien Macdonald with biker jackets and knitted dresses. The Boyfriend blazer is also still going strong but this season with the added impact of robust shoulders with Opening Ceremony, among others, offering one in navy wool. Roksanda Illinic’s shoulder shapes perfectly illustrate how this previously masculine trend has been flipped to depict femininity this season. Paired with pretty metallic, crocodile-stamped gunmetal brocade, violet duchesse satin, and silvery velvet they are capped, tucked and embellished on pencil dresses and evening jackets. Meanwhile, Marc Jacob’s are blanketed in crayola-brights, and are probably the biggest of the season. Teamed with crimped hair and Boy George-esque eye make-up the 80s vibe is definitely strong, perhaps because Jacobs was fresh from working on his coveted Stephen Sprouse inspired collection for Louis Vuitton when he presented the show in February. And, Vivienne Westwood, a long-time fan of shoulders used pleats, ruffles and puffs to create the illusion.
Of course, runway shows are fantasy and much of what we see paraded down the catwalk does not translate into the everyday, and if it does it is greatly watered down. But, exaggerated shoulders are one trend that can. For once, size was kept to a reasonable, wearable scale. A strong shoulder line gives the illusion of a neat waist and slim neck as well as smoothing out postural imperfections and can be simply achieved by adding a set of shoulder pads to existing garments.
In the 80s it was all about women dressing to fit into the male dominated world of corporate business. The masculine silhouette formed by shoulder pads empowered them. They were breaking through the glass ceiling of society and strong shoulders gave them that extra pushing power. A similar theory could be drawn as to why this trend has come back into favour. We are in the depths of a financial crisis; everything is unsteady, uncertain and unreliable. Perhaps the structure formed by exaggerated shoulders can make us at least feel in control, professional and a little more confident about ourselves, if not the economic situation. Plus, we’re now far more likely to be buying a couple of statement pieces each season as supposed to entire looks, and big shoulders can easily rework and update tired pieces from past seasons and add an edge to a simple jeans and T-shirt look.
A Tight Squeeze
It’s an undershirt that uses Helix-Mapping Body Response Technology to visibly streamline the body, a mirdle, a waist-eliminator, compression wear, a body-enhancer. Call it what you like, it’s slimming underwear for men and it’s coming to the UK.
Fashion has recently witnessed a number of crossovers between menswear and womenswear. There’s been Yves Saint Laurent’s make-up for men, Marni and Calvin Klein’s leggings and Gucci’s gladiator sandals, but none have quite matched the new kid on the block – control underwear for men. Labelled as ‘Spanx for men’ in reference to the astonishingly popular women’s shapewear brand that boasts global retail sales of $350m and celebrity followers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, the phenomenon is crossing the pond and making waves in the UK.
‘Bodycon’ is the current fashion buzzword in womenswear and it is a trend that, to be pulled off respectably, requires some serious scaffolding for many, hence the skyrocket in popularity of women’s control wear. Similarly, in recent seasons slimmer cuts have become more and more popular in menswear. Thom Browne’s schoolboy-chic super slim-cut tailoring has somewhat changed the shape of menswear over the last few years and the trend for skinny jeans seems to have filtered through to formal wear creating an altogether more slender, chicer twist on the traditional tailored silhouette, as illustrated by designers such as Burberry, Paul Smith and Dell’Aqua. History is also playing a part in the changes. American drama series Mad Men has repopularised the sophisticated style sensibilities of the ‘60s. Costume designer Janie Bryant cites movies like North by Northwest and Breakfast at Tiffany’s as influences and believes that fashions new fascination with the era could be down to the realisation that “culture has got so far away from dressing up that maybe it’s going to go the other way now…men’s suits are so tailored in this era, and it looks so much more stylish.” Peter Som and Michael Kors have both stated Mad Men as stimulation, so much so that the latter gave away DVD box-sets on his website. So if women can have a little help slipping into tighter garments, why can’t men too?
Enter Equmen, a brand that would like you to know they are “Proudly Supporting Men of the World”. They offer “a premium range of body-optimising undershirts and underwear for daily wear” and last week released it’s latest offering, the Core Precision Undershirt which is available to buy on the company’s website now and exclusively at Selfridges from March. Tagged as a ‘compression’ garment, and with no hint of the word ‘slimming’ in sight it’s marketed perfectly – men can buy it knowing the purpose for which they are buying it but not having to confront that purpose. Corie Chung, creator of Equmen strongly believes that these garments “literally transform the body – helping to boost men’s confidence and keep them looking smarter and sharper everyday…There is a global revolution in men’s fashion with the growing sophistication of the male consumer, the result of which is a more fashion-conscious demographic of men who are highly educated in the choices before them, and demand products that incorporate function, style and sensibility” Within the UK the menswear market was valued at £9.8 billion in 2006 and is expected to grow steadily to 11.1 billion by 2012, a phenomenal increase which is being driven by increasing male fashion confidence, a return to smarter dressing, and an increasing fusion of sport and fashion – as a result men’s underwear is being hugely impacted. Nick Ede, a style consultant and author of Pantology, a men’s guide to underwear, agrees; “shapewear for men has become popular due to the fact that any enhancement is seen as both stylish and also a way of making the most of yourself. When men see pictures of models like David Beckham they want to look like them so underwear to them is a cheap way of feeling what those perfect men feel!” But is it really? Can a tight T-shirt really make a man feel like David Beckham?
Dan, a financial advisor in the City sampled what the Core Precision Undershirt has to offer; “When I took the top out of the packaging it looked as though it would fit an eight-year-old, but I persevered and put it on. I felt like sausage being squeezed into it’s skin. Once I had it on there was something comforting about having a tight layer underneath my shirt that made me feel compact and neat and it certainly shaved some weight off of my stomach but that feeling soon turned to one of claustrophobia. It was just so tight and by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to take it off, upon which I found pressure lines all down my torso from the tightness. It did make my guns look good, I can’t say it made me feel like I should be up on a billboard, but I can see why some guys would want to wear it” Probably not the opinion Equmen would hope for but truthful to say the least. Now, what would women think of a man wearing shapewear? “I guess it shows they care about their appearance which is admirable, but I’d rather not know about it!” says Cat, a fashion buyer.
So, the jury’s out at the moment but with major brand Spanx also set to release men’s control wear next fall it looks as though its an area of the market which is only going to grow. All hail the Mirdle (Man-Girdle)
Fashion has recently witnessed a number of crossovers between menswear and womenswear. There’s been Yves Saint Laurent’s make-up for men, Marni and Calvin Klein’s leggings and Gucci’s gladiator sandals, but none have quite matched the new kid on the block – control underwear for men. Labelled as ‘Spanx for men’ in reference to the astonishingly popular women’s shapewear brand that boasts global retail sales of $350m and celebrity followers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, the phenomenon is crossing the pond and making waves in the UK.
‘Bodycon’ is the current fashion buzzword in womenswear and it is a trend that, to be pulled off respectably, requires some serious scaffolding for many, hence the skyrocket in popularity of women’s control wear. Similarly, in recent seasons slimmer cuts have become more and more popular in menswear. Thom Browne’s schoolboy-chic super slim-cut tailoring has somewhat changed the shape of menswear over the last few years and the trend for skinny jeans seems to have filtered through to formal wear creating an altogether more slender, chicer twist on the traditional tailored silhouette, as illustrated by designers such as Burberry, Paul Smith and Dell’Aqua. History is also playing a part in the changes. American drama series Mad Men has repopularised the sophisticated style sensibilities of the ‘60s. Costume designer Janie Bryant cites movies like North by Northwest and Breakfast at Tiffany’s as influences and believes that fashions new fascination with the era could be down to the realisation that “culture has got so far away from dressing up that maybe it’s going to go the other way now…men’s suits are so tailored in this era, and it looks so much more stylish.” Peter Som and Michael Kors have both stated Mad Men as stimulation, so much so that the latter gave away DVD box-sets on his website. So if women can have a little help slipping into tighter garments, why can’t men too?
Enter Equmen, a brand that would like you to know they are “Proudly Supporting Men of the World”. They offer “a premium range of body-optimising undershirts and underwear for daily wear” and last week released it’s latest offering, the Core Precision Undershirt which is available to buy on the company’s website now and exclusively at Selfridges from March. Tagged as a ‘compression’ garment, and with no hint of the word ‘slimming’ in sight it’s marketed perfectly – men can buy it knowing the purpose for which they are buying it but not having to confront that purpose. Corie Chung, creator of Equmen strongly believes that these garments “literally transform the body – helping to boost men’s confidence and keep them looking smarter and sharper everyday…There is a global revolution in men’s fashion with the growing sophistication of the male consumer, the result of which is a more fashion-conscious demographic of men who are highly educated in the choices before them, and demand products that incorporate function, style and sensibility” Within the UK the menswear market was valued at £9.8 billion in 2006 and is expected to grow steadily to 11.1 billion by 2012, a phenomenal increase which is being driven by increasing male fashion confidence, a return to smarter dressing, and an increasing fusion of sport and fashion – as a result men’s underwear is being hugely impacted. Nick Ede, a style consultant and author of Pantology, a men’s guide to underwear, agrees; “shapewear for men has become popular due to the fact that any enhancement is seen as both stylish and also a way of making the most of yourself. When men see pictures of models like David Beckham they want to look like them so underwear to them is a cheap way of feeling what those perfect men feel!” But is it really? Can a tight T-shirt really make a man feel like David Beckham?
Dan, a financial advisor in the City sampled what the Core Precision Undershirt has to offer; “When I took the top out of the packaging it looked as though it would fit an eight-year-old, but I persevered and put it on. I felt like sausage being squeezed into it’s skin. Once I had it on there was something comforting about having a tight layer underneath my shirt that made me feel compact and neat and it certainly shaved some weight off of my stomach but that feeling soon turned to one of claustrophobia. It was just so tight and by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to take it off, upon which I found pressure lines all down my torso from the tightness. It did make my guns look good, I can’t say it made me feel like I should be up on a billboard, but I can see why some guys would want to wear it” Probably not the opinion Equmen would hope for but truthful to say the least. Now, what would women think of a man wearing shapewear? “I guess it shows they care about their appearance which is admirable, but I’d rather not know about it!” says Cat, a fashion buyer.
So, the jury’s out at the moment but with major brand Spanx also set to release men’s control wear next fall it looks as though its an area of the market which is only going to grow. All hail the Mirdle (Man-Girdle)
Thursday 26 March 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)