I'm normally not a big fan of video lookbooks. Generally speaking, I have an extremely short attention span, which hasn't been helped much by the advent of modern technology, and I often find myself surfing the web during the slower parts of movies. When presented with the often plotless, non-music video, I often wonder if I really want to waste my five minutes watching, what usually amounts to a whole lot of sweet nothings. I do however understand that sometimes videos are necessary to really capture how the clothes move, and I know that very often, photographs alone cannot do justice to the details. For Spring 2011, The Twentyten created a video lookbook that shows off the flowing, draping movements of many of their pieces, in a way that you cannot see in their normal lookbook. It also contextualizes their work, and shows that their avant-garde clothes don't just look good, but are meant to be wearable and functional within everyday life. Take a peek at the video; you can find The Twentyten's current collection at Convent.
Even though green fashion has come a long way in the past decade, the very structure of how the fashion industry operates prevent it from becoming fully eco-friendly. The very concept of fashion isn't green at all. The majority of designers on the market, myself included, produce new, trend-driven collections every few months that are designed to create a false sense of need within the consumer rather than oriented towards fulfilling practical needs. It's something that makes me feel a bit guilty about what I do, contributing more useless things to our over-cluttered world. I will be the first to admit that none of us actually need jewelry--its purpose is purely symbolic or decorative, it doesn't even cover us up or keep us warm. While many eco-conscious brands focus on environmentally friendly materials and production methods, as consumers, we should also consider our consumption habits, and rethink how we buy.
The I Owe You Project addresses some of these concerns. First off, it focuses on empowering the artisans who produce the clothes by working with individual hand-weavers and textile makers rather than relying on machine-made materials, using 100% sustainable materials and energy-saving production methods. Secondly, since IOU works with craftsman from the production of the fabrics to the construction of the garment, they're able to make each garment completely unique, and no two pieces produced will ever turn out the same. When you purchase one of their items, you know that you are buying something special that no one else else has. Lastly, rather than wholesaling to larger stores, IOU plans on selling directly through their website, passing on the savings to the consumer, and paying the artisans who create the product a higher wage. The result is a vibrant, colorful, and completely hand-crafted collection which can be worn individually, or paired together to create a mad mix of prints.
While the aim of the project isn't necessarily to cut down on consumption, it does make us think about how we can become more conscientious about what we consume. I know that I won't stop buying clothes I don't need, but I'm learning to really ruminate over my purchases before hand, cutting out things that I might tire of after one season, as well as taking a moment to consider where the clothes came from and what conditions they were produced under. That said, I'm really looking forward to the launch of IOU this month. Take a moment to watch the wonderful little video they put together explaining their mission.
What better way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo than pairing up with one of our favorite local design talents, Suzanne Rae? Her current Spring collection was inspired by the American Southwest, and has the dusty but vibrant feel of a Mexican border town. Please join us to celebrate at Anchor Bar (310 Spring St) from 10pm-2am. RAM, Swan, and Slim Rockwell will DJ, and there will be a video by Alexandra Roxo featuring Suzanne's collection. We will also have a wine open bar from 10 until it runs out, so make sure to arrive early! I took plenty of photographs of the collection here, and for an additional peek at Suzanne's work, take a look at this lovely video, courtesy of re:FABRICATION.
BREAK, spring summer 2011 - courtesy of re:FABRICATION
Had an incredibly long, but wonderful day, starting with a little project with DKNY which will be coming out this fall. Of course shooting ran a bit behind schedule, so I ended up spending a bit of time hanging out with the Swedish male model on the set. Luckily I feel most at home with Swedish male models (no joke!). After a semi-hurried shoot by a very accommodating production crew, I rushed down to our trunk show at EVA. Thank you to everyone who turned out, in spite of the not-so-pleasant weather. Christina, Sam and I finished the night with a very glamorous trip to the $1 pizza place on St. Marks, and then a quick jaunt to a stranger's house party.
Anyway, I'm dying to crawl into bed right now, but I couldn't resist sharing the new Lykke Li video for Sadness is a Blessing, directed by Tarik Saleh, and starring Stellan Skarsgård (father of frequently naked hunk, Alexander). This song is dedicated to my very sad friend. Chin up, my love. Things can only get better. Sadness is a blessing.
Back in January, I wrote about our friend Lars Andersson, an incredibly talented knitwear designer, who hand knits many of his collection pieces himself. After much talk, we're finally throwing Lars a party at Anchor Bar (310 Spring St) this coming Thursday, and have gotten our dear friend, and Lars's former lookbook model, James Gillespie to DJ. The Black Soft, who do the music for all of Lars's videos, will perform, and there will be an open vodka bar from 10-11. For a little preview of what's to come take a look at the video below...
Plenty of designers are jumping on the Tumblr bandwagon, erecting pages dedicated to inspirational images, lookbook photos, and online campaigns. I myself recently tried to create one, only to find that both the Triskaidekaphobia and the Six Six Sick domains are already taken (WTF). One of the most high-profile labels to join the site of late is McQ, the Alexander McQueen contemporary line, which has built an entire website off of Tumblr, with the intent of having the content shared and re-blogged. Week by week they have gradually released images of pieces from the collection, shot by different photographers.
Their latest series, featuring the Spring collection, was shot by British photographer Niall O'Brien during a road-trip across America, using small towns and classic bits of Americana as the backdrop. Having grown up as a city-kid, spending my entire life in Manhattan, my idea of American suburbia is awash in a semi-dull yet alluringly-comforting glow, which was originally constructed through sixties television sitcoms and teen movies. Now my image of suburbia is equally shaped by the songs of Arcade Fire, and the books of Jonathan Franzen; the mix of romance, decay, and ennui. Only a few images have been released thus far, but I think O'Brien manages to capture both feelings in his work. While you might want to listen to Arcade Fire while perusing the site, I also suggest you take a look at The Ghosts video (below) by Eddie O'Keefe, which has no relation to the McQ site at all, but also runs in the same vein of American suburban nostalgia and complements the site quite well.
I first came across Belle Sauvage at Pixie Market a little while back, and was immediately taken by their distinctive prints, which combine geometric shapes with illustrative imagery. For fall, the designers Virginia Ferreira and Christian Neuman have layered self-similar shapes with spiritual images, and have created a variety of distinctive silhouettes which often jut out from the body in an alien manner. The colors are mesmerizing, and even though it is difficult to tell from the runway images, close inspection of the fabrics reveal all sorts of hidden illustrations. One of the most astonishing aspects of the line is how relatively affordable it is compared to the work of other digital-print focused designers, and even though the runway pieces will cost you a pretty penny, their diffusion line Leopard by BS has quite a few silk dresses and leather pieces hover around $300 or below. I especially encourage you to check out their online shop, where they have a sample sale section that has some incredibly great steals.
When I hear the word Viking, it generally conjures up cliches of a somewhat barbaric but immensely fascinating Scandinavian civilization known for exploring, raiding, and conquering their neighboring countries. It's hard to believe that all the peace-loving and mild-mannered Swedes I know descended from the pillaging Vikings, and I imagine that if my husband were born during that time, he would be relegated to doing the 9th Century equivalent of desk duty (deck mopping, perhaps?) while all the other dudes sailed out to battle. Even though the Vikings left behind a somewhat violent legacy, they also were known for their culture, their folklore and myths, and their intense burial rituals and tales of the afterlife. Jimmy jovially likes to tell me about how Valhalla, Viking heaven, involves an endless horn of mead and a giant pig that is sacrificed for feasting on every night, before resurrecting itself in the morning. Sounds good to me!
I'm guessing this aspect of Viking life was what inspired the very sweet Swedish label Minimarket for their fall collection, which focuses less on the battle stories, although those are cool, and more on the charming tidbits of quotidian life. The designers created several prints, including a languid one inspired by the tradition of burying important Vikings with peacocks, and another print inspired by the beautiful glass beads used for trade during that time period. There are also plenty of cozy knits and furry hats in damp colors and soft fabrics, which are perfectly suited for keeping warm during the harsh Scandinavian winters. To fully get a feel of the collection, I suggest taking a peek at the lush lookbook video that they put together below. As you can see, the Swedes are all about staying warm while keeping their cool.
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