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blazing a trail in the world…

In books, fashion on April 25, 2012 at 6:00 am

…of new african fashion!

while at lacma for the surrealist exhibit, i browsed through their bookstore for inspiration and came across this recently published resource, new african fashion by helen jennings. a fantastic find, it showcases the work of established and up and coming young designers of africa.  the introduction by artist iké udé provides a brief history of indigenous fashion and fabric art highlighting local heritage, tribal styles and adaptation of embroideries and techniques.

udé illuminates the influences of africa and their effect upon fashion in the western world beginning with internationally acclaimed designer, yves saint laurent, himself of african descent.  from there it permeates into the ateliers of christian dior, azzeline alaÏa, guy laroche, thierry mugler, max azria, dries van noten and diane von furstenberg to name but a few.  what’s great about the book is that it shows that the reins of african fashion are no longer left in the hands of the western world to be interpreted, sanitized and stripped of it’s context.

the amazing duro olowu who’s work can be found on net-a-porter!

it focuses on the rising players in africa who are bringing jobs to the continent through fabric design and manufacturing, garment construction, retail promotion, etc.  because the infrastructure is practically nonexistent, the creation of such beautiful collections are driven by pure passion and are a testament to the tenacity of their creators.

nigerian born ajayi’s lagos based label.

nigerian buki akib and her fela menswear collection.

the gothic tailoring of anisa mpungwe.

deola sagoe came from the business world with no formal training in fashion.

fashion, alas, would be nothing without those who walk down the runways or appear on the glossy pages and there is a section dedicated to those faces of african fashion.  most westerners are already familiar with alek wek but how many know about georgie baddiel or flaviana matata?

candice swanepoel

jaw dropping statement necklace by anita quansah!

please click on the links to see more of the designer’s works! if you fancy yourself in the know and you’d like a window into another world of fashion, i would highly recommend this book!

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past imperfect…

In books on February 23, 2012 at 10:35 am

…by julian fellowes

for lovers of downton abbey, the name julian fellowes has reached high priest status.  there are those of us, particularly americans, who love literary period pieces because of the glimpse they provide into class stratum.  not having lived beneath our own monarchy, there is a fascination with the established pecking order laddered with dukes, marquis, knights and the like and the gulf between themselves and the working/servant classes.

rather than the glamorous edwardian trappings of downton abbey, the setting for past imperfect is the turbulent late sixties.  if the teens and twenties were the last gasp of upper aristocracy, the sixties were definitely the death rattle.  gone are the legions of servants silently performing the most menial of tasks.  huge estates have never recovered from the war and having been used alternately as hospitals, finishing schools for girls and finally senior citizen housing, the cost of keeping up such money pits without the rents from farming tenants has proven futile.  there are the carpetbaggers flushed with new money who strive towards the very level of previously unattainable respectability and in vain, sink every penny into a dream turned nightmare.

the 50 something narrator of past imperfect remains anonymous as he recounts the past events of his own circle of social haves and have nots and the implosion of their reality.  there is a definitive moment of realization when all of the social posturing and rank has been washed away in the stark realization that the world has changed and they are woefully unprepared.  the catalyst in this revelation is unwittingly introduced by the narrator himself as he befriends and is subsequently outshone by an interloper named damian baxter.

as the son of an ambassador barely on the edges of said circle, he watches paralyzed as handsome damian charms his way to the center, his popularity no doubt heightened by the flaunting of conventional standards coupled with an uncanny grasp of the new modernism.  it’s a pill that becomes even more bitter to swallow as the object of his affection, lady serena gresham, too falls under the sway of damian’s charisma.  the ensuing drama takes place over the course of a year when the last of the debutante balls are peopled with desperate mothers trying to make their daughter’s fortunes.

a fun read, julian fellowes does not disappoint with his rather keen sense of hierarchy and the skewering nuances of social snobbery.  the plot in and of itself isn’t anything new but it’s the detailed observations that pulls the reader in making this a hard to put down page turner.

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kate does florence…

In art & design, books, fashion on February 10, 2012 at 1:32 pm

…and milly for sperry topsider.

i first fell under the spell of florence broadhurst on a trip to sydney back in 2006.  i found the beautiful book above at a little home furnishings boutique and was completely struck by the gorgeous textiles.  it was one of those ‘look what i got!’ kind of moments.  the australian designer was larger than life with her iconic wallpaper prints featuring contrasting over-sized blooms, natural themes and graphic icons popped with mylar, metallic inks, flocking, etc.  i was in love!

florence broadhurst’s japanese floral

fast forward to 2012 and the public has been introduced to ms. broadhurst through a resurgence of her designs including several retrospectives of her works, some of them not seen since her death in 1977.  suddenly home furnishings are cropping up in new york showrooms and her prints are finding their way into posh boutiques world wide.

so it should come as no surprise that the fashion world should want in on the game and my curiosity was peaked when reading the release on kate spade’s collaboration with florence broadhurst prints.  i’m a sucker for blown up prints on buses and bikes but, there was something about the collection that fell a little flat for me.

i think it might have been the overkill of black and white throughout the ad campaign.  more often than not, her colors being limited to 2 or 3, ms. broadhurst featured a sophisticated range of palettes throughout her contrasting prints rarely using black alone.  i know this is supposed to be kate spade’s take on the broadhurst designs but there is a joylessness in how the collection is featured which runs contrary to the richness of the original wall coverings.

meh.

i have the nanette lepore original below from her spring 2007 collection…

…kate spade could have taken a note or two on color and styling.

black polka dot stockings with a lightweight spring dress, shudder.

really? again, print is great but the shoe shape, zzzzzzzzzz…….

the totes and handbags were equally predictable and one dimensional.  the clutches were a nice try but too bad the rest of the campaign failed to capture the feeling of this little grouping.  broadhurst’s designs are present and accounted for yet the materials and styling make the gorgeous prints look so matronly and dowdy.  patent leather trim would have added a modern touch or a little gold toned hardware would have upped the chic factor.  sadly, this looks more like kate spade for florence broadhurst for target.

now, moving on to a designer who seems to know how to harness the exuberant essence of the color blocked sixties and seventies and funnel it into a modern day interpretation exuding high octane energy.

milly, who tends to appeal to the same customer, has trumped the competition by infusing the youthfulness lacking in kate spade.  michelle smith doesn’t play it safe when it comes to bold colors and pattern mixing.  her collaboration with prep staple sperry topsider, features her own signature prints and hardware which enlivens the ugliest of shoes.  i’ve never seen the appeal of the sperry topsider but her take on the line injects playfulness in an otherwise dull as dirt brand.

hel-lo!  gold leather laces, signature hardware, tortoise shell links and a use of color that is vibrant and appropriate for spring.  conservative but cute!  when i think of floral printed bags, i suddenly lean to the right usually preferring to keep bags simple in order to maximize their use.  however, this bag reads retro-chic and  i’m pretty sure i can find a way to rock it without it looking mumsy!

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a lifetime of pucci…

In art & design, books, fashion on November 2, 2011 at 6:02 am


..my true love gave to me!

christmas came very early this year as my partner lit my love of print with the gift of the limited edition,  PUCCI: by taschen!  the cover is made from fabric, comes in several sumptuous prints and shades and is blessed with an acetate dust jacket to keep it clean.

i can imagine what it must have been like to go through their archives, the sketches and photos.  that kind of an experience is inspiring and i’ve certainly been turned on by this compilation.  it’s a beautiful timeline of the marquis of barsento, emilio pucci and his definitive legacy of feminine leisurewear  told in brilliant hues.

Some of my favorites:

this boldly beautiful dress is absolutely heart stopping!!


this book is the bomb diggity for any designer, textile artist or lover of fashion! they’re limited so don’t sleep on it too long!

images from the book PUCCI available here at taschen.

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secrets of the flesh…

In books, culture and lifestyle on July 25, 2011 at 2:50 pm

…a life of colette.

my summer reading has gotten off to a whirlwind start.  trish regan’s look at the underground medical marijuana economy, joint ventures tops the list along with the latest tome in george r.r. martin’s series, a dance with dragons. another vastly different offering is judith thurman’s piercing biography of famous french novelist, sidonie-gabrielle colette also known simply as colette.

i have an admitted weakness for literary classics especially those written by turn of the century authors if, for nothing else, because of the window they offer into the societal conventions of their day.  women, in particular, utilized literature as an opportunity to express themselves and rail against the confines of what was then considered ‘a woman’s place.’ as bold and unconventional as colette was for her time; c0-writing with her first husband, henri gauthier-villar, the erotic hi-jinks of boarding school bound, claudine; the scandal and disintegration of their may/december marriage; the lesbian affairs and society shunned stage career; to name but a few, brought her into contact with the most fascinating group of eccentrics paris had to offer.  with the biographical spotlight on the artist, so comes into view the additional cast of like minded creatives who are successful in their own right; rich, bored patrons who are famed for their debaucheries and the usual hangers on; leeches, courtesans, scam artists and the like.  all of this makes for a rich, summer stew of salacious reading that can in turn, take on a life of it’s own.

mathilde de morny, image courtesy of strange flowers

i am the kind of reader who thrives on break out google sessions perusing the wiki’s, extra bits of information and photos of these side show characters who surrounded colette.  i want to see the “old man” who was able to sweep the naive 16 year old off her feet.  i want to know more about the tragic transgendered marquise, mathilde de morny who, following colette’s divorce, became her lover and patron.  from their connection with colette, i learn more about french intellectuals, poets, playwrights, artists and the like and with every other page, performing online searches to flesh out their portraits.

by and large i begin to recognize a commonality of sources and find much of the material provided courtesy of strange flowers.  aptly described as “cultural archeology”, strange flowers is a wordpress blog dedicated to those individuals who lived and died on the fringes of society often times producing some of the most groundbreaking creative work of their generation.  as many of those who were known for their successes, there were so many more who were famous for their excesses and blogger, james conway does such a brilliant job of bringing those individuals to light.

gay rights, civil rights, women’s rights, many of the boundaries were being pushed and explored by these pioneers during times when it would not have thought to have been possible because of crippling social shunning. my heart goes out to these misunderstood, often discarded people, struggling for the right to exist according to their own perceived values and they do not disappoint in their dedication of living by their own creed right up until the, sometimes tragic, end.  forget about the summer blockbusters and boring remakes of half baked hollywood, give me the independent films, plays and bios exploring the lives and contributions of these compelling people!

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