Cinematographic Fashion II

Boring barbies?

Post translated in italian HERE

Couture disappoints ?

May we call this the worst Couture season ever? It’s actually quite depressing to write this article; it’s always depressing to write about boring and deceptive stuff. And when ’stuff’ isn’t a random something but, well, Haute Couture, it’s even worst.

So here I am, pondering again these plain three days. What did we see? Pastels, revisitations of revisitations, déjà vus, zero energy, less creativity (except for Valentino and some Givenchy). It’s like the fall of the big ones, Galliano for Dior, Lagerfeld for Chanel (I never really liked his work for Chanel but this time it’s even worst), whitout forgetting the absence of Christian Lacroix and Martin Margiela.

It’s probably a paradox that one of my favorite shows of the week has been Armani; it was pretty and well-cutted and beautiful, sure, but it was the most classic show you could  imagine. And classic isn’t usually my piece of cake… but still, whereas other designers attemped to do classic or classic thematics (especially at Dior and Chanel) failing, ‘Re Giorgio’ managed to keep simple yet still fancy. Isn’t Couture made for red carpet anyway? The only dresses I can really imagine at red carpets are those of Armani.

Tisci bugged me too. I saw that mesmerizing outfit on Hanne-Gaby (I liked the green one too, but this one is special, the color is simply fantastic) and then the other dresses… and it just pissed me off how it is a Valentino redux (the times near to Valentino’s adieu to fashion especially) with bold make-up. I think it’s sad that even Tisci didn’t really took any risk with his creations this time; there wasn’t a magical narrative such as the Pina Bausch one for example, or the ’sailor for Taranto’, that were my favorite collections of all time.

It’s the same for Dior (though I must precise: Givenchy wasn’t bad to me and had really sharp looks, Dior was a complete catastrophe. I know it’s subjective, but it was to me a disaster), the formule is old and tired, we miss the pompe of De Betak’s big shows. Isn’t after all hypocrite how everybody tried to be ‘mediocre’ with Couture this time, ‘calm’, ‘moderate’? Isn’t it even worse than doing baroque impossibilities, exaggerations, dreams more than dresses? It really pissed me off. I don’t see the point of Couture if it is just about plain bad prom dresses and repetitions. There was a lack of energy that was really depressing, and I see the colors reflect this absence in a good way. Pastels were great at spring/summer 10, I found the thematic to be great because it was somewhat deconstructed, it was used in an unexpected way, it was disturbing. Pastels with metallics and vieux jeu clothing (Chanel) simply don’t work. Don’t get me wrong, I know some of you may have liked it and that’s perfectly fine to me, I personnally think it wasn’t ok, it wasn’t exciting, it wasn’t anything. Silly Barbies after all.

You could percieve the fraud of Couture this season (except Chiuri Piccioli, who frauded in another way) by a simple clue: did you notice how all the dramatic and over-the-top and excessive was in the make-up and the hair? I actually thought this was a GREAT season for make-up artists and hair stylists, who really had fun masking a little the plainess of the clothes themselves. If you forget the accessories – looking at Dior for example – you see boring dresses with boring cuts and unmatching colors.  At Chanel you’re looking at boring tailleurs. At Givenchy an interesting outift as the one with the hat lose all its sense. Gaultier is even worse – how could someone create designs based on so many clichés (the Mexico – sauvage - disgusting stuff) ? Perhaps I’m being overly dramatic here – and I’m also writing too much. But I really got a sad feeling this time. Is it the way we want the new decade to start?

In this apocalyptic panorama of boring and plain and unsatisfying and recycled what really came out as an UFO was the Valentino collection: it is quite funny to observe that one of the most conservative, classic designers (you know I adore him, it is a compliment I’m making here, not a critic in any sense) maison was the most courageous this time. I still don’t know if it really fits with Valentino’s heritage. I miss Alessandra Facchinetti a lot (as I miss Olivier Theyskens every ‘fashion’ day), and of course as many have pointed out if Facchinetti’s designs seemed unValentino to Valentino what could we say about… these?!

But it isn’t the point here. I appreciated the way Chiuri/Piccioli introduced a new problematic -and perhaps too modern for us- concept in fashion. It kind of reminds me Viktor&Rolf, for the thinking aspect. But I really think what is even more important is the kind of quirky catharsis operated by the duo. Of course I first thought ‘this is ugly’. But ugly isn’t a bad thing. Ugly is an aesthetic, it is a way of seeing; it is a fantastic possibility to play with. And that’s exactly what Chiuri/Piccioli did: their was a childish experience. We have all played with Day-Glo, covering boring-colored fabrics (greige, beige, taupe) with these infamous unmatching shades. I remember I had always an almost sacred fear of doing that; you couldn’t go back, it was totally a revolution. I think this is the key to read and appreciate Valentino’s show whitout being too disgusted by the unusual color palette. Seeing the details again and again made me realize how I really liked it in fact. First I thought it was Sprouse meeting what Sprouse hated, Sprouse’ antithesis – a.k.a. greige and taupe etc. and that it wasn’t coherent. (It was also funny because I reread the Stephen Sprouse book just before seeing the Valentino collection, and of course there is a lot of Balenciaga, Givenchy, Preen & co but I still see Sprouse as the primary source of the thing). But anyway – deconstructing a shocking vision à la Sprouse, with day-glo and eighties feeling, with classic – also classic Valentino – black and BEIGE was like a fist in the stomach. This show was more a rhetoric act, a philosophical act, an art act than a mere fashion act. It is what makes it impossible to categorize or to note, it goes somewhere else. Hopefully it is perhaps a new intellectual/subversive trend for fashion, that might take years to be understood. But that is the point with revolutions. Of course you can read this show in many other ways – the way proposed by the duo, a ‘psychedelic Eden garden’, which is also great because it implies a fascinating genealogy of gardens in history and even gardens in fashion (perhaps that reminded me of Viktor&Rolf too). There is then the way the couture draping was like mummified. And then the way this is in a way an uchronic (promise I stop with these pompous terms!) show, because it deconstructed different eras whilst combining them (beige vs day-glo is here a tensed fight that make all of this experimentation work).

I wrote way too much.

Tell me what you thought about this season because I’m really interested in your point of view !

Tahti Syrjala

I don’t usually write about bloggers and their styles. But when I saw Tahti’s blog, I totally felt in love with her sense of styling ! She has an incredible way to enhance an important detail whilst making a super interesting outfit out of it… I think what is inspiring is her way to work with black and patterns: my favorite look is the one with the striped tights (she totally looks like a medieval angel hybridated with some futuristic classy heroin!). But you should visit her to read « The musings of a pale redhead who loves aesthetics and food. » She’s not only a tremendously stylish girl, but she also writes very pleasently and dissertates on food, make-up (with terrific tutorials), fashion… So just visit her ! She’s also been very kind to answer one question I wanted to ask her:

How would you define red and black (as fundamental components of your look: red for the hair, black (often) for the clothes), what do these colors mean in your world/esthetic ?

Red is a very powerful colour, and I only own one item of clothing with the colour red – I let my hair fill the red quota for me! It’s such a strong shade, and it’s so noticeable, it kind of intimidates me. I believe red is best used as lipstick. Black is just my everyday colour-love, it goes with everything, it sets off my pale skin and hair, and I feel at ease in it – it’s my comfort colour!

…Hmm, I think she’s a very rosso velvetian inspiration !

Plastic pink pastel skulls

The lovely Lolita made this collage for me, and I love it so very much… funnily enough it has much in common with the last collage I did…

…flammable martyrs, neohamletian Ladurée à la rose skulls, pink mirror poses (fantastic Velvet editorial), Haute Couture reminiscences… fair is foul and foul is fair !

Danger: Diabolik!

Let’s start 2010 with a movie that is certainly daté but still very, very enjoyable. Danger: Diabolik! or simply Diabolik is the only example of an italian pop movie. An übersixties portrait using pop-art effects for a psychedelic triumph. Diabolik is a 1968′ movie whose director is Mario Bava. Let’s also remember that Dino De Laurentiis produced it, and that the great score is by Ennio Morricone. The result is an incredibly fun and kitsch product, impossible to forget. Flashy colors, psychedelic motives, unrealistic situations… Diabolik is originally a very dark comic-book hero, mean and cynical. In the movie there is more place for killer humour and trips into sixties dreams. There is fashion, of course: the beautiful Marisa Mell, who plays Eva Kant – mistress of the hero antihero Diabolik – is always stunning in super short A-dresses or hot pants. (click on the images to enlarge them)

And doesn’t the metallic dress and the metallic bikini terribly remind us about Christopher Kane for Topshop? Anyway. Orange, sand, white… the colors are those of the lately sixties. She portrays with her overeyelined eyes a new kind of femme fatale, in many ways an anti Bond-girl. Diabolik is a typical anti-Bond movie: first it’s better, second it is more exhuberating, third it has a good italian sense of self-irony. Of course there are the warholian colours in crazy rapid sequences, like in the titles.

Another pop moment is the scene of the ‘identikit’: Eva Kant’s face is developed with a futuristic machine.

I didn’t say a word about the story until now – though you may have seen the trailer before: imdb says that « Fey super-thief Diabolik runs around stealing jewels, gold, murdering innocent people, and being a nuisance to the government of a generic European country. » The city is the imaginary city of Clerville, the enemies of Diabolik are l’ispettore Ginko (outstanding Michel Piccoli’s performance) and chief of mafia Valmont (Adolfo Celi). Diabolik isn’t a Robin Hood because he doesn’t give the money to the poors… he just accumulates it as a warholian concept, whitout even using it. It’s a beautiful manifest against capitalism – in the movie, Diabolik causes an explosion that destructs every fiscal bureau – all of these criminal actions within a very relaxed style. Meanwhile, drugs are distributed at psychedelic clubs… With clichés and kitsch, joyful special effects and a glamourous cast, Diabolik proves itself to be a sure pleasure.

It may appear like a simple divertissement, but the movie – mainly thanks to the comic-book – also shows a struggle between antiquate worlds and contemporary ones. Stealing the emeralds of the outdated british ambassador is therefore a sign of change: the beautiful gems ornate the glamourous young sixties woman, just like it should.

This striking contrast is also shown in the buildings and the déco: Diabolik’s refuge is the tripudium of contemporary madness (the scene of the bed is a cult), whereas traditional signs simply blow.

It’s important to know the atmosphere to fully appreciate the fashion in the movie. Diabolik, the hero, wears most of the times his minimalistic costume, but we can also appreciate him wearing a (!!) Burberry trench. Tradition VS future (the metallic uniform), disguise VS personal style, black VS white. Many sixties contrasts and excesses for the most enjoyable pop movie ever !

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Having written about the movie, I couldn’t stop without writing about the comic-book. Diabolik is with Tex the most popular italian fumetto. Everyone in Italy knows it and has surely read it. It’s a very short and little format (12×17 cm), perfect for the train – it was initially created for milanese pendolari by the sisters Giussani. Diabolik is a quintessential sixties product, but it also shows many curious aspects (especially in puritan Italy). The figure of Eva Kant becomes central and almost ante-feminist, Diabolik & Eva represent a couple versus « il perbenismo imperante in quegli anni » (the prissiness of the years), as the creator says.

Diabolik versus Ginko, the inspector that represents the failure of the outstide world.

Also, Diabolik is a very crual hero and the situations are most of the times very dark. The king of terror is characterized by the sound of his dagger: swiisss. Other distinctive marks are the car he rides (the stunning Jaguar E-Type Coupé), the multiple refuges where he hides himself and the masks he can reproduce: the idea is that with a peculiar formule he can take the appearence of anybody.

Diabolik is also the example of a perfect design product… here a few of the covers and retro-covers, and then a selection of sixties outfits I scanned for you (because yes, I used to have plenty of Diaboliks here in Italy !)

Translated post (french and italian) here

Breakfast in style !

p.s: remember this brilliant shoot by Flamboyant magazine? There’s bread too !

Ending the decade: RV rambling

Here we are… the very last days of the decade. A decade caracterized by an extreme melting-pot of styles. I have had few icons of the decade, but persons that inspired me were Daphne Guinness, Diane Kruger, Tilda Swinton, Daria Werbowy, Irina Lazareanu… more recently Kate Lanphear and Lapo Elkann. But the ‘00 (late years especially) have confirmed themselves as the years of the anonym style-icons, the queens & kings of street-style blogs. The fashion photographers that have marked this decade are for me Tim Walker and Miles Alridge (both very young, and it’s fun to notice that Alridge’s career began in 2000 exactly), but this is very subjective. The designer of the decade is for me Alessandro dell’Acqua. He anticipated every trend we see today (lingerie, nude, japanism) and filled this decade with cinematographic collections. The other obvious name must be Alexander McQueen, for being a longeve übercreative designer of the british tradition – but with many failed shows in my opinion. 2000’s were also the years of the triumph for Prada+Miu Miu, as well as they were Marc Jacobs & Nicolas Ghesquière’s years, or Viktor&Rolf’s. The palm for Couture goes to Dior for the first half ot the ‘00, to Givenchy for the second (Tisci years)… I’d choose Daria as model of the decade because she managed to return as a SuperSuperModel even after a (quite long) break and she has the simplest fantastic style for grandes soirées. She’ll also be an intemporal beauty because we can’t categorize her as ‘doll-face model’ or ‘brazilian/slavic model’, the two trends of the decade. Also… my favorite shows are too many, but my favorite season was undeniably fall 2006 with that russian-military-opulent direction…

But the most important thing is that the ‘00 were the years of a certain democratization of fashion: Haute Couture became more and more anachronistic every season, while streetstyle take the advantage (but still despite that, one of the names of the decade in fashion must be the anachronistic name of Alexandre de Betak, the productor of circus-like, theater-like, heaven-like runways) . The internet fashion years aim to a new fashion without any wall. Is it an unrealistic utopia or a perversion of fashion? Only time will tell.

Shoe battle: which pair should I buy, Underground winklepicker or Office chloélike ?

I simply can’t believe it, one year blogging for wordpress (the day after christmas)!

Enjoy your holidays and THANK YOU very much for your everlasting support!

And don’t forget the RV fall-winter issue if you haven’t checked it yet ! It’s HERE…

Dark Water + 160g

Sorry for being such an absent blogger ! But I was both sick and occupied writing for… 160 magazine blog ! I’m so honored to write there, you can find my first three articles if you want: 1 / 2 / 3…

As for this post, I just realized how many scary & beautiful shoots were with water !

Enjoy your holidays folks !

RV fall-winter 09 issue !

I told you about this few months ago, but it’s finally here ! I had problems with acrobat reader (I’m so pissed off actually!) so 4 pages don’t fit correctly, I’ll give you the right links later !

But anyway… let’s consider this my modest Christmas Present for you all !

http://issuu.com/rossovelvet/docs/rvfallwinter

I’d love to hear your opinions about this project ! What would you prefer to see next time – if there will be a next time ;D, what were your favorite parts, trends, which trends I forgot… well, enough talk !

Here are the 4 missing pages:

(click on the images below for HQs)

p.s: don’t you find prefall kind of particularly crappy this year, or is it me ?

X.o.X.o,

RV

Rossovelvet’s

Xmas Guide

I just wanted to give you some gift tips in case you’re overwhelmed with christmas pressure… many of these ideas are truly great things to receive (I say that because I’d love to receive them too ! ;D).

So, let’s braisntorm a little bit. One of the best and easiest gift is of course a magazine subscription, it will make eve-ry-one happy. You just have to find the right domain, whether it’s Vogue (plus they are so many Vogue, for example Vogue Italia will please even someone not that interested in fashion), GQ, Lula, the Economist or l’Equipe (or Marca, AS, la Gazzetta dello sport), Rolling Stone…

The best item of clothing to offer to a woman is without a doubt tights. Tights can be (very) cheap or (very) pricey (see Wolford), and you’ll always find the perfect pair for someone. There are many great websites with original stuff. Lovecolour-lovetights has a wonderful crazy selection. What’s good with tights it’s also that they can make a fantastic pendant to another gift. For example:

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Star tights + chanel inspired kneehighs + map of france tights + books Chanel and Chanel jewellery (Assouline is a great editor) = perfect combination for the elegant parisian wannabe friend (or mum, sister, etc.) = 40£

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This is one of my favorite tips because I have this book and it truly has been a revelation – I should do some scans btw, I remember reading it litterally fascinated like I’ve seldom been: Stephen Sprouse isn’t only that guy who made the Vuitton roses, he was a genius and an incredibly inspiring person. Even if you don’t like 80′ esthetic Stephen was more than that, he had subtility and elegance and well… just everything you can wish for. So the perfect combination could be a beautiful Blondie vinyl (Debbie was Stephen’s neighbor, and her costumes were Sprouse) + day-glo tights (I personally recommend you purple) + the Sprouse book… = 38£

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But anyway, tights… these are also superfun if you know someone who loved the Miu Miu effect, the heart and dotted tights are a must… And if you want the pair of tights, nothing is better than Wolford Velvet De Luxe… I suggest red, but every color is fantastic and they’re just the softest and ‘richest’ tights you might imagine !

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Now. Since we’re talking accessories, let’s have a look on the trends… I really like the comeback of rétro digital watches, you can find any Timex 80 you want on yoox or on net-a-porter. My favorite is this one, and if you prefer a cheaper version you can find one at asos. A great, great, great place for multibudget jewelry is nOir jewelry. You could challenge la Lanphear with this bracelet, or simply rock the world with this ring (I love it SO much, and it only costs fifty bucks… it even beats Tiffany’s!). Of course you can find very special pieces on etsy…

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Another standout for both men and women is this amazing t-shirt from italiaindipendent (Lapo Elkann’s brand).

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And what about a book ? For that fashion-interested friend, the Prada book can’t be missed… I would love Margiela book too, and of course the Valentino one + the DVD !

There are also magical fashion photographers books, I’d go for Tim Walker or Miles Alridge…

Or you can offer a copy of your favorite book… one of my favorite is Lermontov’s A hero of our time (for that cynical friend this time)… or Bulkagov’s The Master and Margarita. Everybody on earth should read Gomorra. Or if you want something more frivol you can imagine a package Breakfast at Tiffany’s book + movie + a foulard from Tiffany’s… and for nostalgic people this looks so funny… Anyway you got the idea. Books are awesome, remember ! Don’t think that because they’re a classic gift they should be avoided, nobody reads enough ! Another great idea by the way – even for adults – is to offer a wonderful fairy-tale book (Hoffmann, Andersen, even Carroll…) because not only do they bring memories back, but fairy-tales are also extraordinary examples of great literature. For the DVDs the best thing to do is a compilation, even if it is a burned DVD thematic ‘mixtapes’ are just great… For example, do a sixties DVD with cool movies and music and pictures and add to it a ticket for the Brigitte Bardot expo in Paris, or a book about Twiggy… Thematic boxes are really great to receive ! Speaking about mixtapes… Suck UK has a very beautiful and cheap proposition.

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…and then you have the usual suspects: crazy useless gifts, decoration gifts, photography goodies… I bought the LOMO fisheye at Urban Outfitters last April and it’s really cool, people probably think I’m mad with my pink camera ! I also love the little ones, the multicolored one… well they’re all simply great ! But it’s nice to add some film to the gift, remember ! As for decoration and house stuff (another simple idea: buy flowers… and offer them with a vase!), I love this simple shelf, MoMAstore is a fantastic place to shop – they even have a Cassavetes DVD box, yeah ! I can’t think of a better gift ! -, I especially love this jewelry box… you could add these two fabulous rings, i guarantee you the ’snow’ one is  mesmerizing… and if you’d like a classical (but supersnobby) gift the Bauhaus Moleskine will be perfect… Other indispensable item is the ring bell from fredflare ! Then there is the glow graffitti, and the snow globe frames… or even pocket guitar hero ! Another very special idea could be offering galadarling’s podcast…

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Then of course you have the classics: perfumes, a personalized album, nailpolish, an art piece, a voucher (I suggest you offer a voucher for something at least a bit original, like limecrimemakeup for example! but an iTunes voucher is still cool), make-up, photo frame, a ticket for a concert or a sport match, DIYs (studded gloves, handmade dress, etc.)… And then of course the big budget gifts: a travel, a short course (like fashion design at Central Saint Martins or so…)…

What are your greatest gift tips?

What’s on your Christmas list ?

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p.s: since we’re talking Christmas, what’s your favorite Christmas movie? I’d say Die Hard – I know I’m losing any cinephile credibility saying that – and Mickey’s Christmas Carol, but the one of 1983…

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