HAPPY BIRTHDAY LADY GAGA

by Simon

26 years ago today, in New York city, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born. Who? You all know her. She's a 5-time Grammy Award winner, has more than 21 MILLION followers and was named the world's most influential woman by TIME Magazine. If you still don't know who I'm talking about, read the title or check the pictures. Yes, this is indeed my birthday-fashion-higlight-tribute to Lady Gaga. This is a rather short overview, it doesn't start in the earliest days of Gaga's existence and there's some big gaps in time here and there, but I tried my best to make an interesting selection of her most iconic looks. Enjoy!

Back in 2008, Gaga spent most of her budget on this outfit: a sculptural dress inspired by cocaïne, revealing a bodysuit when the skirt is removed. Always paired with her platinum blonde weave (yes, weave, a wig was too expensive!), long white gloves, tons of bronzer and signature Louboutin shoes (until they were stolen prior to a performance on the Jay Leno show.) The Lady wore this outfit and some variations of it (including a black and gold version and a semi-transparent interpretations of it) on countless occasions. The two main reasons were: she couldn't afford to buy different outfits every time and also because she believed that repeating an image would make her more memorable and easy to recognize. 

Opening her very first headlining tour, the Fame Ball, Gaga wore this triangle dress by Haus of Gaga (her creative team) every single night. At Glastonbury, she first showed a revamped, fully sequined version. Gaga would appear out of a collection of shields scattered with mirror shards to perform Paparazzi. She wore the outfit for three songs in total: Lovegame and Beautiful, Dirty, Rich followed Paparazzi. Most of the shows, Gaga wore a matching mask.

THIS WAS PART ONE, CHECK BACK SOON FOR MORE!!

"Florals? For spring? Ground breaking. "

By Neslihan
Hello there beloved reader,
There hasn't been a blog post for seven days and spring is already in our little country (read Belgium). So, welcome, welcome, welcome dear Spring! And yes, the capital was needed. People wearing dresses and sandals, ain't those things the best part about good weather? I already love it! So, wake your spring/summer closet up from its winter sleep and go nuts with colours, prints and fabrics. As for myself: I still have to find some summery shoes to wear but then again, Doc. Martens don't have a specific season, so why the hell would I bother? Enough about my 'personal issues' let's get on track.
Those of you who really follow this blog might already have noticed that I'm a major sucker for florals. And it's not a shock to tell you that it will be the trend of the season. It won't be the farm girl version though, we'll go for bold prints and even digitalised florals are huge this spring/summer. Make sure you go over the top with it and look like a life size painting. What really was a surprise though was Givenchy's s/s collection for the dudes. I mean it's common knowledge that boys just do not like flowers. Wait, I'm creating stereotypes. I should say the boys I know don't. So Riccardo Tisci pretty much knocked my socks off with his last male colection. He came up with the idea of creating a print that was inspired by (carnivorous) plants. He kept the colours simple though. Tisci used crisp white, mint green (wanna have) and khaki. He found the perfect balance between laid backness and elegance by working with layers. Riccardo chose also a couple of minimalistic outfits but worked with a lot of different lengths and fits. I can imagine that his printed blazers and caps will be spotted in the streets this season. What an amazing collection!

"Vogue Nederland is coming..."

By Neslihan

Het is zowat surreëel, die eerste Nederlandse Vogue. Een versie waarvan ik, als 14-jarige betweterige puber, dacht dat die er nooit van zou komen. Nederland of België zijn Frankrijk of Amerika niet. Hier is het modeplatform niet zo groot, zeker niet in vergelijking met Parijs of Milaan, dacht ik dan. De laatste jaren echter zijn de Nederlanders en Belgen heel goed bezig in modeland, zowel de modeontwerpers als de modellen zelf. We hebben al heel wat geniale couturiers in onze Lage Landen, zo denk ik dan bijvoorbeeld aan Dries van Noten, Viktor en Rolf en Iris Van Herpen, eentje van de jongste generatie. De Belgische make-upartiest, Peter Philips, is artistiek directeur in de afdeling make-up van Chanel. Toch niet zomaar het eerste, beste merk. Inez van Lamsweerde en Vinoodh Matadin, het Nederlands fotografenduo dat telkens weer de grens tussen mode en kunst opzoekt, zijn ondertussen al de lievelingetjes van Emmanuelle Alt (hoofdredactrice van Vogue Paris). En die namen zijn niet de enige talenten in onze gebieden, laat dat vooral duidelijk zijn. Ze zijn met zoveel meer, en nog belangrijker, er zijn nog superveel talenten die niet ontdekt zijn. We moeten koesteren wat we hebben. We moeten voor naambekendheid zorgen, want talenten hebben we al. De boodschap is die talenten hier, in België en Nederland, te houden. Daar loopt het vaak mis. We moeten nog groeien in onze editorials. De Vlaamse/Nederlandse versies van wereldvermaarde tijdschriften zoals Elle en L'Officiel hebben we al en het zijn vaak die magazines die het goed doen, omdat het concept geen uitleg nodig heeft. Men weet waarvoor die namen staan, dat zegt ook Karin Swerink, de hoofdredactrice van Vogue Nederland. Ze zegt ook dat het modelandschap in Nederland klaar is voor de Nederlandse versie van de modebijbel bij uitstek, maar dat wil niet zeggen dat er alleen maar gefocust wordt op de Nederlandse modeïndustrie, neen, ook de Belgen krijgen een plaats in het tijdschrift. Ze zegt dat ze er vooral een blad van wil maken dat goed weergeeft wat er reilt en zeilt op vlak van mode in de Lage Landen. Zo wil ze voor haar eerste nummers alles zelf doen, geen interviews of editorials overnemen van andere edities. "Laat ons eerst alles maar lekker zelf doen", zegt ze. En dat, die nuchtere en ijverige aanpak, siert haar. Voor het allereerste nummer werkte ze samen met drie oerhollandse modellen, Romee Strijd, Ymre Stiekema en Josefien Rodermans gefotografeerd door uiteraard een Nederlandse fotograaf, Marc de Groot. Wat ben ik blij dat het voor dit eerste nummer niet Daphne Groeneveld of Lara Stone is geworden. De drie dames werden in kleurrijke tenues gestopt en met die eenvoudige achtergrond springen de kleuren zo van de cover. Een prachtige eerste omslag. Nu nog benieuwd naar de inhoud. Hopelijk wordt het het wachten waard. Nog twee keer slapen en het is zo ver!

De eerste cover
© G+J Uitgevers

MUGLER FALL 2012 RTW

by Simon


Hi guys! I'm still alive! I promised this one was coming soon, but soon turned to be al little less sooner than expected. Things are pretty crazy for me (for example, we're getting new floors and the house looks like we're moving out) but I found some time to finally write this report. Ready?

The show started with some white looks, trimmed with fur (which is extremely popular this season!). The dresses were cute, with some classic Mugler details such as the shoulders and the pannelling, but with some fresh ideas as well, think fringes and cut-outs taken the next level. The shoes, also white, were designed by Christian Louboutin and they are cute to look at but are probably impossible to wear (unless your name is Lady Gaga).

The next part of the show brought some sculptural dresses which really took the Mugler classics to a more futuristic  level but they simply were too short or too bare for a fall collection. Formichetti attempted to use some color but the orange two-piece look was one of the only succesful results of that. The others looked like they had orange ink spilled on them.

Then the collection sort of collapsed. The Louboutin shoes turned from iconic to tragic and so did the clothes.  Fur patches that looked like they were stapled on the clothes, a foul not orange nor yellow "dress" and zebra print, yes, zebra print. Oh boy.

The last part of the show left me divided: an amazing embellished dress made my jaw drop, as well as an outstanding skeleton-like print gown. The last ten looks however were so dull and repetitive, you can't even begin to imagine how bored I got. The ninja-like looks that seemed to be made from fabric leftovers didn't do anything for the model's bodies and just weren't exciting to look at. Sadly, the final look was one of these craft projects as well.

Conclusion: a collection fit for the Mugler vixen-woman, full of good ideas that needed some serious editing. They did, however, keep me interested to see what they'll come up with next.

Under skies, we still see

By Neslihan
Dearest fashion lover,
Whether it's just chilling by a river, sitting on a bench in the city, eating ice cream or just being this lame weirdo with your friends, do have fun! I mean, sometimes you just have to do those crazy, impulsive things. Don't think too much, just give it a go. Whether it's buying those fantastic pair of shoes or applying for the job of your dreams, go for it! Be passionate, be creative but most important -cliche but true- be the ever so fabulous you. Just a simple piece of advice but I shall stop here before I get too corny.

Let's talk about Simone Rocha. She's said to be the most promising new talent discovered by the NewGen (read more here) during London Fashion Week. The Irish young lady graduated from Central Sain Martins in 2010 and a year later she even had her first spring/summer collection. Rocha creates some beautifuly tailored clothing pieces made from great materials like lace and tule. She isn't all about tradition and hardcore wearable garments because she has the guts to combine the ever so beloved, classic lace with a plastic like material. She makes me say 'plastic is fantastic' without being ashamed of being accused of bad taste. Rocha wants her ladies to be playful, girly yet very polished. She also plays hide and seek with us by using see-through fabrics. She works with collars Alexa Chung would totally kill for and even has fun with green and coral. It's like she knows what women will be craving for this spring/summer. A wearable and very pretty collection for girls who like to transform the traditional into something more edgy but still look ridiculously romantic. I warn you for the amount of drool leaving your pretty mouth. Enjoy your weekend. Love.

To flush away the day.

Miu Miu RTW F/W 2012-2013/ Details

By Neslihan

Hello there fashion lover,

I know the last thing you want to read about is a fall/winter collection when we're all impatiently waiting for summer, I mean spring. Still I couldn't hold myself from posting those pictures above. I mean how perfect are those shoes? They look so incredibly chic and very autumnal. I love the first two pairs because they're masculine but still have a little height. The blue ones from the second picture are just absolutely divine! The last pair remind me of my mother's 80's boots. She also had a lot of bags made from fake snake leather. And when I give her my disapproving look, she always says disillusioned: "What? That was fashion back then!" Well mum, I've got some great news for you: it's making a comeback (unfortunately).

Pictures: Vogue Paris

I wanna do bad things to you

By Neslihan 

Hi there loyal reader,

Some of you might've noticed the blog's theme has changed. It has become more us in a way. The skull is designed by Ali Gulec, a Turkish illustrator/designer, who's based in Istanbul. He hasn't designed this specially for us. God, no. We'd feel really honored though but unfortunately that's not the case. I'm following this blog on tumblr. and get really inspired by the owner behind it. He/she posts some really amazing artworks and that's how I bumped into this cool illustration. So, Ali Gulec also creates prints for T-shirts and has something with skulls. I love the way he changes the true symbol of death, which is rather macabre, into a sweet, dreamy and vivid image of life. You should definitely visit this site to see more of his artworks. The second thing I wanted to share was Piece Of Chic. Piece of WHAT? Well, calm down honey, I'm about to explain. Piece Of Chic is a brand founded by the duo Barbara Repole and Sebastien Pescarello. They are graphic designers and each season they create a collection consisting of a couple dresses. The dresses are designed according to a certain theme. This collection was all about the Virgin Mary, florals, skeletons and...that's right, skulls! The collection is named after an AC/DC song, Highway To Hell, saying that there is no such thing as death but only a change of style. They reinvent R.I.P. by saying it's an acronym for Rest In Piece Of Chic. I loved the first dress when I had seen it on Belmodo, a Belgian Fashion blog. So I want to thank guest editor, Absolutely Mrs. K, for the eye candy. Enjoy the dresses and have a crazy week.

Love.

Info at http://www.bypieceofchic.com/ 

By Ali Gulec (previous background)

"Oh Lord, not another Marni report!"

By Neslihan
Most beloved fashion lover,
It has again been a crazy busy week. Books I have to read, reports I have to write, people I want to see, exhibitions I want to go to, clothes I want to have, a blog I have to update and the endless dilemma concering my hair. Since I can only do one thing at once, I'll start with updating this blog.Let's start with 8 March. No, no I'm not going to nag about International Women's Day (why do we have such a day in the first place?-sorry I couldn't help it) but about that other event that took place on the same date. Does Consuelo Castiglioni ring a bell? For those of you who haven't heard the fashion bells ringing: Marni for H&M, god damn it! So I too was one of the early birds who stood in a queue full of jumpy, greedy women. I wasn't alone, I went with a friend. We actually skipped school thinking well, this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We got up very early (read: 05:30h) and stood one and a half hour in this queque until we got our bands. Then another two hours waiting during which my energy level was below zero. It was 09:55 A.M. the moment I had waited for for like several weeks. We got in the store and stood in another queue amongst sweaty ladies. #bodyfluidsaresonotfashion. The fences opened and we attacked the Marni Collection with such an outrageous aggression. People watching us might've thought they were in a freaking zoo.My friend and I even got photographed. We went there with hopes and dreams. I wanted to have the amazing, gold jacquard pants ant that white sequined collar. What I got: the white sequined collar. The store in Ghent didn't have the jacquard pants. I was a little disappointed because I really loved the pants but the experience was nice too. What really turned me off were the women who just grabbed the boxes with accessories without even looking at what they had grabbed. They just took it because it was branded 'Marni'. "Oh God, look what I've bought. It's Marni but I don't really like my buy. It's just the brand that counts."  People like that shouldn't even get the chance to enter the store. Afghzstrph. Anyway this is what I bought, wanted and loved. (below)

What I wanted.

What I liked.

What my friend bought.

What I bought.

Have a splendid weekend. Love.

COMING SOON...

By Simon

Minimalistic Thursday

By Neslihan
Hello there, bored reader
So it has kind of been a very busy week for me. I usually plan everything and do the stuff I have to do in advance. So I can relax during the week, you see? But this week has truly been crazy, hectic and just amazing. I have seen some friends I hadn't seen for quite some time. So going totally nuts because of the lack of planning was actually pretty much worth it. But I'm not going to make a habit of it, control freak talking, hellooo! And everything goes so fast. I mean I remember the start of this week and it's already Thursday! And tomorrow will be Friday- oh God, I sound like Rebecca Black. Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me! I'll stop whining about the speed which with everything is happening and start showing some pictures. Since everything in fashion is changeable, not completely though, I will be showing two minimalistic dresses from Zara (surprise, surprise). They're simple but just so incredible. Promise me you won't pimp them with colourful shoes, big jewelery and crazy hairdos! They don't need to be pimped. Just go hardcore minimalistic. And opt for the wet look: a great bun and pounds and pounds of styling gel. Make sure your eyebrows are well epilated and dark (in their own colour though). Not too thin either. Skin pure and lips scarlet red, are you getting the picture?

P.S. wear industrial grey with yellow: the contrast of those two colours together is just amazing.

P.P.S. button the last dress up for an extra classy effect.

Info: at http://www.zara.com/ 

Dress one: 25.95 Euro

Dress two: 39.95 Euro

Love.