"Oh em gee, she's fooling around with paint!"

By Neslihan

Hello there crazies,

I felt a little bored yesterday and had the uncontrollable urge to play with paint. It's funny how something stupid can immediately beam you  to a certain phrase in your life. And yes, I'm talking about my years as a 10 or 11-year-old. You know, that period during which you think you know everything but the scariest things still have to come, along with puberty. You're exploring everything, clothing, music and even the internet. Dressing dolls and feeling like Tim Gunn. Oh, the good ol' times. Seeing a couple of pieces on the catwalk also evoked that nostalgic feeling. Christopher kane played with shiny metalics for his last s/s collection and also made some flower collages, which reminded me of my own fashion collages. When we moved to an unparticular middle of nowhere, I felt alone and bored. So, I had to find some kind of way to amuse myself. I started to collect gossip magazines (the only magazines in our house back then) and ripped the last style pages out of it and started to cut and paste images on a white sheet of paper. I'd write titles with coloured glitter pens and one day, those titles became full articles. One page became many and this way, I'd create my own fashion magazine without stupid advertisings. I'd give my magazines names but don't ask me which because the only name I can remember is 'Heirs'. Don't ask me why either. As I became older though, I discovered fashion magazines and started collecting them without ripping pages out of it. Because I knew every edition of Vogue or L'officiel was a holy beacon of inspiration that had cost its creators blood, sweat, tears and uncountable hours of overtime work. You don't start to cut in the bible, do you? One day making childish fashion magazines wasn't enough though, so I had to find some other way to temper my fashion hunger. That way was blogging. I started blogging on netlog and later on facebook. Then on weblog, to eventually start a blog on blogger. That's the little journey I've made so far. Coming back on the pictures below: they're from various collections. I've picked the ones of which I thought they'd be interesting to accompany my writing. Scroll down for more information.

I am so in love with this cute, little clutch. It looks like it's a picture from some biology textbook. Very nostalgia-proof. Christopher Kane (s/s 2012 RTW)

Riccardo Tisci really is one of the last masters of sheer haute couture. His s/s 2012 HC collection for Givenchy was memorable. Certainly the first two dresses. I wouldn't call it spring/summer though because the heavy colours and fabrics scream fall/winter. It were not the clothes though that held my attention. No, this time it were the accessories. What about this amazing nosering?

I thought this was a funny way to tell the person next to you to shut the hell up. Marc by Marc Jacobs

Two rules when buying a bag: 

1. Big enough to hide my junk.
2. Aesthetically interesting to look at.

Conclusion: this Lacoste bag has it all.

If I want to be amazed, repulsed or happy I turn to Martin. He knows how to awake those feelings all at once. Those shoes above really remind me of a friend's transparant raincoat from back then. Maison Martin Margiela s/s 2012 RTW

Do you remember yourself painting when you were little. You'd mingle the blues and the reds and the yellows, really thinking those colours went well together. You'd finish your painting and your mum or dad would call it an artwork and hang it on their wall or freezer. Well, that's what Junya Watanabe's model reminded me of. Green painted gummy hair + bitchy face = Junya Watanabe s/s 2012 RTW

Take a closer look

By Neslihan
Hi there fashion lover,
Sometimes fashion is about mixing the craziest things together. Brands of which you think, no I won't ever be able to combine this with another brand or prints that are just too fickle to wear with other prints. I somehow think that fashion isn't about dos and don'ts because these little rules truly make you unhappy. And they also limit your artistic fashion spirit which is- excusez le mot- a huge don't when it comes to expressing yourself through your outfits. You should know what goes great on you or what you really like and go for it. Of course this has to happen in some kind of sane way because without guidance we are savages in this enormous fashion jungle. The most horrible things could happen if you don't respect your body structure and above all your personal style. Yes, personal style to me is very important. It's an identity one should never desert or fake. You have to stick to your guts even though you get strange looks in the streets for the pair of shoes you wear or for your exentric glasses. Don't give a damn. Feel like everything is possible when you're standing in front of your wardrobe. It's such a liberating thought but it's of course more easilly said than done. Go for a couple of signature pieces like earrings or a scarf and try to put them together with those amazing pair of pants you bought earlier or the most incredible tee you ordered on the net. Don't wear what you're told to wear because that would be like changing your name because your friend doesn't like it. If there's one lesson I've learned up to now (read: my still juvenile age of 17) it's sticking to your style in whatever situation you are. Let that be a wise thought on this Sunday noon.
As for this blog post I assembled two of the most outspoken and controversial designers of our era. Those two names do not fit together, they're just too different for that. They're like water and fire, that's how dissimilar they are. The first detail pics are from Rei Kawakubo's (Comme des Garçons) RTW show for this season and the second group of pics belong to Roberto Cavalli's show. I know, I know, relax those eyebrows. Mister Cavalli is to be found one of the most tacky designers of all times if you group him up with Versace and Guess (is Guess a high fashion brand?) but Versace for H&M showed us that it's ok to be tacky once in awhile. And looking at his pictures it's the most mouth watering tackiness I've ever seen. I mean look at those animal prints mixed up with florals and goldy glitters. It's bombastic but I adore it! And let's not froget Kawakubo's Comme des Garçons show, pretty please! It was one hell of a collection. So sculptural, rough but also poetic at the same time. Kawakubo is one of those designers who doesn't give a flying f*ck about wearability. She puts the F to fashion and creates art with her collections. The crispy white dresses and those big flowers sewn onto the dresses were just memorable and will be used in lots of editorials of trendsetting magazines, that's for sure. The whole collection also reminded me of the edgier version of Marie Antoinette. It was a delightful freak show. Cheers to that!

Comme des Garçons

Roberto Cavalli

The NewGen looks promising/ Do it like a brother

by Neslihan
Hello, dearest fashion lovers
If you're still hungry for more Fashion Week collections: grab a mug of coffee and put your fashionable reading glasses on. And make sure you've got Fashionmania on your screen.

The Fashion Week I love the most is LFW because it's all about being innovative, extravagant and avant garde fits in this row too. It's about young designeres standing up and showing their most amazing creations. And since I tend to neglect the men's collections on this blog, I'm going to show you some style for guys today. And there have been a couple of very different collections pour le mâle. Star Wars, the Beatles, and sporty elegance were all to be spotted at this season's lfw for guys. Let's start with Martine Rose.

   

 Martine Rose LFW RTW A-W 2012

Martine Rose is one of the NewGen designers this season. The New what? The New Generation is an organization created by the British Council of Fashion that looks for new talents every season. It was thanks to this project that we can/could enjoy McQueens gaga creations, fall in love with Erdem's rose garden and go nuts with Christopher Kane's prints. And a little more recent is Mary Katrantzou's launch. Martine Rose though is different. Her show consisted of  black suit pants and amazing white shirts. She played with proportions while giving the male models a waist and  destroyed this waist again with bomber jackets. She used shiny, satin like fabrics to make the whole collection luxurious. She didn't only play with proportions when it comes to sizes and shapes but also when it comes to gender. She gave her dudes a blond/ grey wig but then again she made them wear Cats ( she had a collab with them), with which she tried to man her collection up. Not so many colours: think of spicy orange, military green and lots of black+white. The capes gave the collection another dimension. So I liked it because it was wearable but still had a few weirdnesses to top things of.

Matthew Miller LFW RTW A-W 2012

Oh how I nearly passed out looking at those delicious prints! I've got the impression that men's fashion is always a B plan but how Matthew Miller, another NewGen launch, puts it on A again! He knows to keep the balance between elegance and being laid back. He splashes with colours that make your head spin around. And his fittings are just so fine! His keywords are industrial, tailoring and sporty. One thing though: I don't get the futuristic black trench coats in this collection. Maybe drop 'em next time?

J.W. Anderson Men LFW RTW A-W 2012

The first thing I thought when I saw the first look (first picture) was: Starwars! How it hit me like a fireball! Seconds later 'the Beatles' popped into my mind. So that might've been J.W. Andreson's (also a NewGen designer) two inspirations while designing, well euh...his outfits. Don't get me wrong, I think his collection is rather interesting. I mean at the end I am the one who said that you have to look further than words like 'beautiful' and 'wearable' because like Simon and I agreed: fashion is a form of art. Fashion is there when no more words are left to say. So keeping that in mind I truly liked what Anderson did but it's just too literal. I can deal with futuristic but a full length homage to Darth Father and C-3PO is just a little too much. Maybe wear the jumpers but the shiny jumpsuits? Nah, didn't think so.

Move your fingers towards this site's direction for more fashion because less isn't more when it comes to exploring new designers.

Love.

De hedendaagse nomaad volgens Haider Ackermann/ Haider Ackermann's modern nomad

Ergens tussen Antonio Marras en A.F. Vandervorst kwam ik terecht bij Haider Ackerman. Haider die ons elk seizoen weer prachtige silhouetten levert, heeft voor de lente/ herfst van 2012 uiteraard niets minder dan dat in petto. Terwijl hij ons elk seizoen weer betovert met simpele kleuren en soms minimalistische ontwerpen die er keer op keer weer heel chique uitzien gaat hij dit seizoen voor kleur en fanasieloze creaties. Alhoewel 'fantasieloos' een negatieve bijklank heeft, is dat niet het gevoel dat ik wou opwekken. Met 'fantasieloos' bedoel ik weldegelijk dat hij niets aan de verbeelding overlaat door te kiezen voor doorkijkstofjes. Hij gooit deze tesamen in de blender met glanzende stofjes en bohemienachtige prints (waar ik de naam nog helaas genoeg niet van ken). Het resultaat is een betoverend mooie collectie geworden die bij momenten zelfs geïnspireerd lijkt te zijn door nomadenvolkeren, zoals bijvoorbeel de Toearegstam. Geniet ervan!
English translation: Somewhere inbetween Antonio Marras and A.F. Vandervorst I bumped in to Haider Ackerman. Haider always creates fabulous silhouets, well this season he's doing the same thing! He enchants us with his choice for simple colours and sometimes minimalistic designs but for the upcoming spring/ winter though he splashes colour and goes for less imaginative creations. 'Less imaginative' doesn't have to sound negative because that's not how I meant it. He exposes the female body by going for see-through fabrics. It shouldn't be called 'see-through' because that means showing things in a subtle way. What I really mean, is transparency. Just nudity! Showing skin. It's not all about being Rihanna or Lady Gaga though because he mixes all these elements with shiny fabrics and bohemian like prints. He seems to have been inspired by nomads, such as the toearegs. The result is just another beautiful collection that is a pure pleasure for the eye. Enjoy!

N.D.

Mary Katrantzou: not the ordinary designer

Hi, I have so much to show you, guys! So, so, so much! I've saved tons and tons of pictures on my computer. Pictures of fashion collections, you know: the usual inspiring stuff. Mary Katrantzou is a name I've just (read 3 months ago) discovered. I 'discovered' this creative young lady thanks to a friend. I'd like to call him a fashion friend because that's what we do: talk about fashion. My first impression of this young Greek woman was: damn, she's different! Why? Because when other designers are extremely wearable and following the trends, she's creating her own. When other designers stay at the surface, she goes underneath it and creates the most amazing visual stuff ever. She isn't afraid of playing with volume and shapes. Her clothing, no 'clothing' sounds too less,  too ordinary, her pieces of art are 'humpy' and it's not about elegance. It's about being outspoken but not because it's cool but because she knows what to with the weirdest shapes and most loaded prints. She managed to colour my early fally days and she will continue doing that. It has always been a big discussion, is fashion a form of art? Well, after seeing Katrantzou's collection, my answer to that would be 100 % yes! She has industrial influences in her collections and uses the most magnificent colours. Your first impression can be like: "Oh, it's so outstanding. Not really wearable either." But you have to look closer, look at the materials, the prints, the colours... It is special but why not? Why not going over the top in a classy and great way? Why not Mary Katrantzou? Exactly! Watch it,  examine it and love it!

Pictures: vogue.fr

N.D.

Ps: On Thursday the 20th of October there's something we call Zuiddag here in Belgium. It's an organisation that donates money for charity. There's a different charity each year. This year's charity is going to be Tanzania. Several grades at my school will work on that day and they'll give their earned money to this organisation. This organisation will donate it to Tanzania and the money will be used to create a common place for the Tanzanian youth. A place where they can meet and find jobs and get the needed information in order to find a job. They'll learn how to work with computers as well. I think it's a wonderful charity. Each and everyone of my grade had to find a job. I have one too. I will be working in the library the University of Ghent. It's a library with Latin and Ancient Greek books. I'm super excited and cannot wait until that day! I wanted to share this so you know what's happening in my life right now and so you know that the youth of today isn't ignorant or careless Wish us luck! 

Alexander McQueen: Ars nec artem celare

De zomer mag dan wel ver weg zijn, de couturiers zitten niet stil. Ze hebben immers net hun collecties getoond in Parijs en de meningen zijn verdeeld. Zij die in herhaling vallen, zij die beter nooit begonnen waren en zij die ons met stomheid geslagen hebben. Bij die laatste groep hoort ook Sarah Burton. De laatste collectie die ze heeft ontworpen voor Alexander McQueen is een pareltje geworden. Een ware lofzang voor het vrouwelijk lichaam. De show zelf was zo breekbaar. Het decor zo simpel, zo puur. De muziek zo mythisch, in het begin tenminste. Daarna versnelde het tempo. Het leek wel alsof de kleding zelf zorgde voor de beginmelodie. McQueen was nooit iemand die traditioneel draagbare collecties maakte. Het was vooral niet altijd de bedoeling om het vrouwenlichaam te accentueren, maar juist die 'rariteiten' sierden hem. En met deze collectie bewijst Burton alweer dat ze een waardige opvolgster is voor McQueen. Burton ging aan de slag met goud, zilver, zacht roze, wit, koraalrood en zwart. Ze gebruikte stijve stoffen die ze vormgaf met ruches, maar ook doorkijkstoffen. Ze speelde met asymmetrie en parels, maar vooral met volume. Ze gaat zelfs zo ver dat ze het traditionele kant schaamteloos gaat mixen met latex. En die vreemde masker- en badmutsachtige dingen op het hoofd waren eigenlijk gewoon de McQueen-handtekening, want zonder zou het er algauw minder McQueen uitzien. En dat heeft Sarah Burton maar al te goed begrepen.

English translation: Summer might be months away but fashion designers are always busy with next season's trends. They have been showing their collections in Paris the past days and of course everyone had a merciless oppinion. Some repeated themselves, others shouldn't even have started to design and some others surprised us once again. So did Sarah Burton. Her last collection for Alexander McQueen was an absolute delight for the eyes. A true hymn for the female body. The show was so fragile. The setting was simple and so pure. The music was mythical at the beginning though. The tempo speeded afterwards. It felt like the clothing was making the soft tunes.McQueen never created traditionally wearable collections. He didn't always desire to accentuate the female body, but these oddities made him the designer we know now. With this collection though Burton proved once again that she's a worthy successor for McQueen. Burton used gold, silver, soft pint, white, coral red and black for this collection. She used rigid fabrics and made them fluent with ruffles, she has also used see-through fabrics. Burton played with asymmetry, pearls and volume. She even dared to match latex with the traditional lace. And those weird masks were the McQueen signature. This collection would've been less McQueen without them. So, well done, Sarah!

Foto's/Pictures: www.vogue.fr

N.D.