Et Gaultier créa la femme/ Looking back

By Neslihan
A while ago I blogged about this exhibition (not on this blog) called 'Devout/Divine: Fashion vs. Religion' in Modemuseum Hasselt. And I've still not gotten over the fact that I haven't visited this expo. *Sad face* It was the ultimate chance to see what the impact of religion is/was on fashion. Crucifixes, headscarves, mysterious traditional clothing belonging to central African tribes: it was all there to see and 'secretly' touch. Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dries van Noten, you name it, they had it. It still hurts to write this down.
Since the internet is a place with a billion hidden treasures and since I'm quite anachronistic when it comes to fashion I decided to take a look at Jean Paul Gaultier's 2007 spring/summer couture show. I know as a blogger you're supposed to be innovating and you shouldn't look back. It's all about being on track and being the first who shares the news but screw that.
I can imagine the amount of stress fashion people (primarily designers) are experiencing when designing-sometimes- up to FOUR collections in a year. Bashing themselves to please Anna W. or Emanuelle A., don't get me wrong I'm not trying to denigrate the industry because I respect the artist, who works in this industry.
Doesn't it sound totally contradictional to use 'artist' and 'industry' in the same sentence? So many feelings, so many mixed feelings when I'm talking about (the) fashion(industry). It always comes down to this: it's not the materialistic value of fashion that I'm interested in but the emotional part intrigues me. And that's why I've chosen to blog about the 2007 collection of Gaultier, the one and only French enfant terrible of fashion with the biggest 'I don't give a f*ck' attitude. Sit back and enjoy monsieur Gaultier's religious delights.

Defending Raf

By Neslihan

I felt like defending Raf Simons for his first Dior collection because I've read so many negative comments on the internet. I think it's injustice towards Raf's talent and simply unrespectful towards his art. So that's why I'm focusing on a couple of those reactions in this blog post:

"Raf's collection for Dior was a copy of his last collection for Jil Sander."
This is just bullocks. Okay, this collection had that strong, refined, minimalistic Raf stamp but that's what it was supposed to be. That's why they hired the man. You've got to integrate your own vision while respecting the authenticity of the brand. Dior isn't just a brand it's a history lesson in fashion. It's a hard thing to stick to your own style but also respect what Dior originally stands for: femininity, craftmanship and class. Femininity isn't so much about cleavage, glitters or extravagance. Raf stresses on the polished side of being a woman with his sleek cuts. It basically comes down to this: when Raf left Jil Sander, he did take his vision with him. So, the next time you whine about Raf being too simplistic or minimalistic, take a second and maybe think that that's what it actually has to be.

"This Dior show wasn't couture. It looked like ready to wear!"
Can we please get over the fact that couture is only about gaudy luxury? The luxury of Raf's designs for Dior lies in Raf's impeccable sense for tailoring. Have you seen the modern version of Mister Dior's bar jacket? It was the most perfect taloring ever!  And what about the cut out dresses used as tops? I mean the embellishment was breathtaking. The voluminous dresses were another tribute to Christian Dior's style. This collection was actually something like back to basics. Back to what Dior stood for. The poppy colours and elegant pantsuits proved that. Couture isn't so much about showy, crazy extravagance but ir's about smooth fits and amazing details. Or that's Raf's motto.

"We want John Galliano back."
I'm sure we all have to get used to Raf's vision but give the man at least a chance before you start to judge. You can't compare Simons to Galliano. That is just impossible. Galliano is all about theatrical, eccentric, romantic, 20's glamour while Raf is the embodiment of less is more. He's romantic but in his own way (hence  his last Jil Sander collection). You can't expect him to be a Galliano rip off. That would be boring as well. This collection shows us that a new era has begun because Raf ends the Galliano episode and makes the industry ready for poetic minimalism. And I can't wait until the next collection!

Luckily Raf received also lots of good comments. He invited a lot of fellow designers like Alber Elbaz, Pierre Cardin and Marc jacobs but also celebs like Marion Cotillard and Sharon Stone. Even Charlene from Monaco was there. Isn't that the most amazing guest list? The Belgian and Dutch readers can read some of the reactions here. As for my other beloved readers, I've translated a couple thoughts. Scroll down to read them.