Look of the Weekend #11 - Christmas Special Edition.

FASHILOSOPHY's suggestion about style and weekender outfit!

Click image to enlarge

Just look around to realize that Christmas is a very kitsch celebration, then why not take this feature to turn it into a form of amusement of our clothing?
A touch of red is the right note of enthusiasm to celebrate at the best the eve night.
Dress ourselves as the Santa Claus-ettes (Santa Claus + Voguettes) and let's enjoy the holidays.

Fashilosophy's Christmas Greetings!

© Copyright Marzio Martel, All Rights Reserved.

Fashion on Film: The Black Swan.

Beyond any form of beauty or fashion, the single most powerful element above all is that of reality, our actual living circumstance. far greater than the world of high end editorial, outside of the pages of vogue; i believe that we all have a greater purpose. we’re all waiting to breakthrough & become our accomplished selves- but what happens beyond that point of breakthrough? does the cycle redirect itself or does it end completely? is it possible to have a series of breakthroughs in one lifetime or are we each granted one true defining moment? who are you now & how does that give way to what you are destined to become? is the world around us blocking us from our destiny or are we standing in the way of ourselves? are these questions we sit & ask ourselves questions that live in the realm of the unknown? black swan, starring natalie portman & directed by darren aronofsky, is a visual journey & exploration of these questions. the film itself hosts an impressive set of acting talent & after watching, i was completely stunned, breathless & intensely inspired. a long time fan of natalie portman since her role in 1994′s léon: the professional, i’ve admired her ability to chose roles of depth & sophistication, especially considering that her film debut happened at the tender age of 12 years old. with costume designs by the mulleavy sisters, who are more widely referred to, in design, as rodarte; my initial fashion interest combined with my love for portman allowed my usual level of excitement for any film to increase. the mystique of the story line, the headlines from new york magazine about stunning designs inspired by swan ballerinas, the dark undertones of the plot through previews- it was all very chic & incredibly intriguing. in the days leading up to the release of the film, i had seen the film referred to as a ‘psychosexual thriller’ & tried to challenge my own perception to understand this contrast of two wildly aggressive & thoughtful genres. the film began with an intimate portrayal & close intersection of ballerinas & the sub-culture of ballet. the bending & contorting of human limbs with elegance & refined movement was combined with scenes of rigorous training, intense discipline, emotional destruction & impossible standards that are often applied to these performers, who are more like athletes than anything else.

the capitalization on the unattainable & impossibility of achieving perfection were focused on both poetically & profoundly throughout the film. i drew great personal attachment to the story, in identifying it’s symbolism & applying elements to my own life. a battle of inner strength versus fragility & hesitation made up most of the plot. resulting, ultimately, in a war of portman against herself; pitting light against dark, modesty against seduction, reality against sanity, control versus letting go & of course, good versus evil. psychologically, the script allowed the audiences’ mind to become shifted from reality over the course of the entire film. stylistically, we became caught up in the sheer simplicity & effortless grace of ballet minimalism. cleanly swept buns & meticulous up-dos were seen throughout as almost an embodiment of the ballerina sub-culture. from simple shrugs to portman’s white gown at her introductory gala event- the costumes were a key element in personifying the transformative elements of the film. with a large focus around the ballet classic, swan lake, the plot aligned with many swan related stories, writings & philosophies quite impressively. in the story of swan lake, we are familiarized with deception, manipulation & seduction by way of white swan versus black swan; which more directly is associated with portman’s character of nina sayers, as the swan queen. outside of the swan lake references, i found relativity to the ugly duckling; which is a widely known childhood story of transformation in itself- something small & unwanted going through a process of self actualization, only to blossom into a beautiful creature who, at the finale, spreads his wings proudly for all to admire. furthermore, i found the films most provocative elements were those found directly aligned to the black swan theory of nassim nicholas taleb.

scientifically, the black swan theory is identified as, ‘the disproportionate role of high-impact, hard to predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations in history, science, finance and technology. the non-computability of the probability of the consequential rare events using scientific methods & the psychological biases that make people individually and collectively blind to uncertainty and unaware of the massive role of the rare event in historical affairs.’ which, in simple terms means, undirected, unplanned events that affect our world more greatly than realized. while the film explores the idea & concept of the swan lake within swan lake, i am further compelled to raise the popular question; does art imitate life or does life imitate art? while the black swan theory is certainly not an art form, as much as it is a scientific theory, more specifically the theory is identified as an event of surprise, to the observer, that has major impact; which through rationalization could have been expected. three forms of criteria are seen: surprise incidents, impact & rationalization leading to explanation. in becoming familiar with taleb’s theory; it is profound to connect this scientific notion through it’s the performance of natalie portman in her black swan role as nina sayers. whether an intention of director darren aronofsky is as yet, unknown.

on a greater level of personalization, i found myself well acquainted with the concept of white swan versus black swan. before any form of branding, writing, image or song- i am an artist. the battle of your inner self & your destiny is one that may never end. at the climax of the film, portman appears in performance as the the swan queen, visually representing a transformative figure intended to be the black swan. in this performance, portman breaks through in dance & also visually, as digital effects allow her to take on a rapid paced suiting of a black swan with elegant wings that are applauded by a roaring ballet audience. i felt as though the black swan represents the fighting spirit, almost your destiny fighting to break free. we all struggle with the good versus bad, internally, whether mentally or emotionally or creativity versus destruction. this battle is very real as i have had the same battles with myself for years. the need to breakthrough, to break free & become what you know you’re capable of & to be recognized for it- that story, that script, that character & that symbolism has been my life.

whether a childhood fable, a golden globe nominee for best film or a ballet about swans in a lake; the reality of the film versus it’s impact of highly improbable & unplanned events is intellectually mind blowing. as the film ended with a white screen, revealing directing credit & traces of black feathers; the entire audience in the theatre sat in silence while remaining seated. the film, as a whole, was psychologically gripping & visually enchanting; as a film & representation of art, fashion, culture & creative expression- every person needs to see this film. upon entering 2011, my white swan has had it’s moment to shine throughout this year & the black swan is now clawing murderously, rupturing psychology to break free to a greater realm of artistry.

(via Jeremy danté)

Le Calendrier 2011. Vogue Paris.

Daria Werbowy photographed by Mikael Jansson for Vogue Paris' calendar 2011.

Carine Roitfeld says au revoir to Vogue.

Carine Roitfeld has announced her decision to leave over the leadership as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris, the non plus ultra of historical fashion magazines. It seems that she has justified her own decision by saying that after ten years of incessant work she wants to try something else.
Some rumors says that the choice of Roitfeld is not a voluntary entirely but it was the result of the choice of someone to the direction of Condé Nast.
We do not know what is real and what is not, but good to take the declarations of the Editor.

Mickey Boardman says to Albert de Castro (Maison Chaplin) by Twitter a great truth: "No other major editor of a fashion mag is also stylist. Fench Vogue under Carine Roitfeld has been very unique and amazing." Yes! That's it!

Good luck Carine! We ♥ you!

Look of the Weekend #10

FASHILOSOPHY's suggestion about style and weekender outfit!

Click image to enlarge

For this weekend: a touch of pink! 'Cause pink is ever a sure choice!

Get the Fur!

Grace Gao for Numéro China, December issue 2010.

Cecil Beaton, a myth of photography tolds by a scrapbook!

As one of the 20th century’s most important photographers, Cecil Beaton helped invent the cult of the celebrity image while pushing the boundaries of his art form with innovative techniques and staging. In the course of his decades-long career as a photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair, as well as a British war correspondent, Cecil Beaton documented lives both famous and quotidian in dozens of scrapbooks now held by Sotheby’s London.

In these pages, reproduced here for the very first time, the inner vision of the man behind the camera takes center stage. Composed of his own prints and clippings from magazines, newspapers, and playbills, the pages are an instructive record of his creative process.

His famous eye alighted on society figures, royals, dancers, actors, statesmen, and natives in ceremonial garb, picking out visual rhymes and witty juxtapositions. To flip through the pages is to enter a fabulous and surreal party where Tallulah Bankhead rubs shoulders with a bust of Voltaire and a portrait of Stravinsky; where Beaton’s first trip on the Queen Mary coincides with Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Beaton’s scrapbooks allowed the artist to play with pictures he had taken (and perhaps those he wished he had) in the dreamspace of artifice that was always his favorite setting.

Remembering of the myth of photography through the pages of his work, enriched by the passion and devotion with which this great artist has given us a personal glimpse of his contemporary society.

Cecil Beaton, come uno dei fotografi più importanti del 20 ° secolo, ha contribuito ad inventare il culto dell'immagine-celebrità spingendo la fotografia ai confini della sua stessa arte con tecniche innovative e sperimentali. Nel corso della sua pluridecennale carriera come fotografo per le grandi riviste patinate come Vogue e Vanity Fair, così come corrispondente di guerra inglese, questo straordinario fotografo e "documentarista sociale" ha ritratto la vita quotidiana attraverso celebri scatti e in decine di albums di ritagli ora in possesso di Sotheby's, Londra.

In queste pagine, condivise per la prima volta, si mette in mostra la visione interiore di un uomo che dietro la macchina cattura il centro della scena.
Composto da stampe e ritagli di riviste, giornali, locandine, queste pagine sono un record istruttivo del suo processo creativo. Il suo occhio si è posato su importanti personaggi della celebrità, sui reali, sui danzatori, sugli attori, nativi in abiti da cerimonia, estrapolandone rime visive e giustapposizioni di spirito. Sfogliando le pagine de "The Art of the Scrapbook" si ha modo di entrare in un party favoloso e surreale dove Tallulah Bankhead fa spalla a spalla con un busto di Voltaire e un ritratto di Stravinskij, dove il primo viaggio di Beaton sulla Queen Mary coincide con l'incoronazione della regina Elisabetta. I suoi albums di appunti e ritagli hanno permesso all'artista di giocare con le foto che ha scelto in un costante dreamspace artificiale che è stato sempre la sua impostazione preferita.

Ricordiamoci di un mito della fotografia, attraverso le pagine della sua opera, arricchite dalla passione e dalla devozione con cui questo fantastico artista ci ha regalato uno spaccato personale della società a lui contemporanea.

Get the Leather!

Dominique Hollington for Attitude.

Look of the Weekend #9

FASHILOSOPHY's suggestion about style and weekender outfit!

Click image to enlarge

For the latest weekend we have proposed an outfit all played on vintage style passion, which even though is successful, it's separate to the real must-have of the moment (to which we have already devoted an entire post): the nude. The nude effect is simply amazing, very elegant but not for everyone! People who decided to wear it should have a natural inclination to the delicacy and refinement to be able to wear without looking ridiculous, and it takes a certain passion to learn to appreciate its stylish-possibilities. However to fashilosophers like us don't care who will wear it or not, what we mean is that the nude effect we really like and then we're proposing for this weekender outfit.
Last but not least this mix is inspired by a friend, Valeria, that she got style and a big attention to the refinements, not to mention that she will a Voguette, surely. We know she will love our choice (especially those fabulous YSL's shoes).

Glen Luchford A/W 2010. Not another fashion film!

Glen Luchford and Tabitha Simmons experiment with seductive slow motion in their hypnotic new fashion film.

“I wanted it to be about a girl that starts off conventional and then travels around the world in 80 days, adding to her outfit.”

Embroidered jacket by Dries Van Noten; Cropped jacket from NY Vintage; Lace Blouse and belted Fair Isle waistcoat by Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci; Chiffon harem trousers by Roberto Cavalli; Feather bracelet by Tem; Ankle boots by Tabitha Simmons.

Deep Down Diane Arbus and Ellen Von Unwerth: Photography and feminism!

One Shot #4

"I do not like to arrange things. I arrange myself!"

Everytime I look at the 1968 picture, A family on their lawn on a Sunday in Westchester, I can't help but thinking about Diary of a Mad Housewife (1968), by Sue Kaufman. Contemporary to Diane Arbus, Sue was a writer, one of the most important and revolutionary artists at the time. The way she looked at women, the way the protagonist, Tina, gets real and living in her hands, well, it's far from being common.
Do we really know what happened when women usurped traditional male roles in society? Tales were published in newspapers during the 50's and the 60's, functioning as warnings of what could happen if wife and husband did not perform their duties correctly. Do you want some more?
In 1956 Life magazine told the story of a woman who got dominant and active within the household: this fact drove her husband to drink. She was left to support the whole family, a very "undesirable and unnatural" role. Women like Tina and Diane were considered dangerous because "the independent, active woman is believed to give birth to perverted, homosexuals boys, the so-called "sissies".
The same sissies, transvestites, dwarfs, freaks, out-of-the box subjects Diane was longing to take pictures of. She wanted to focus her attention on how bodily decoration like make-up, jewels, dresses were used by the men to create the socially-culturally-determined image a woman was entitled to look like.
When Diane finally found her subject, she already got bored of fashion photography. Nothing really excites her, nothing impresses her like freaks. Let's go deep down and dirty into freakness, let's climb the way back to beauty. The sexual tension between photographer and model. Yes, this is it. Consider who the photographer is, and who's the model. Freaks. Watch them in Tod Browning's movie Freaks.
I think Arbus is still the one, but there's one girl more nowadays. Ellen Von Unwerth is the only living female photographer who's giving shape to a new kind of woman.
She started after being a model herself, she doesn't look for freaks, she's really sexual in her strength and imagery: so, what do Diane and Ellen have in common? Apparently nothing.
Take a look at this.

Ellen does not hit us with a subversive or violent impression, yet she's looking for a strong sense of surprise and unexpected sense of grotesque.
Genius is a form of beauty, beauty is a form of genius, being surprised or moved by a picture is the key to a new approach on creativity. Our age is way more used to getting shocks and stabs at one's eyes, yet Ellen caused me shivers down my spine more than once.
Get outside of the box.
"A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know."

Spread the word!

Ellen Von Unwerth
Diane Arbus' freaks (1966-1967)

"Non mi piace fare ordine. Riordino me stessa!"

Quando davanti a me ho A family on their lawn on a Sunday in Westchester (1968), non riesco a non pensare a Diario di una casalinga disperata (1968), di Sue Kaufman. Contemporanea di Diane, Sue fu una delle più importanti e rivoluzionarie scrittrici dell'epoca. Il suo sguardo verso le donne, il modo in cui Tina, la protagonista, prende forma e vita nelle sue mani, beh, è lontano da qualsiasi stereotipo.
Ma sappiamo realmente cosa accadeva quando una donna usurpava i costumi maschili negli anni '50 e '60?
I giornali raccontavano favole moraleggianti, sedicenti cronache di ciò che accade quando l'uomo e la donna non rispettano i propri ruoli in famiglia. Non vi basta?
Life nel 1956 metteva in inserto la storia vera di una donna che aveva "indossato i pantaloni" in casa propria, portando così il povero marito all'alcolismo. Lei rimase quindi l'unica a mantenere la famiglia, un compito "che nessuna donna vorrebbe avere, perché innaturale." Donne come Diane e Tina erano pericolose. Uscire dal ruolo della casalinga perfetta imprimeva maledizioni sulla progenie, si diceva infatti che la donna-uomo avrebbe avuto figli pervertiti, omosessuali, chiamati "sissy".
Gli stessi sissies, travestiti, nani, freaks, outsider che Diane doveva fotografare. Era incuriosita da come questi soggetti indossassero make up e abiti femminili ricreando la perfetta immagine dell'aspetto che la società imponeva a una donna di avere.
Quando infine Diane trovò il suo soggetto, era stufa da tempo della fashion-photography. Nessuna ossessione come loro, nulla la spingeva al limite come i suoi freaks. Si lanciava in profondità nei loro abissi, per scalare al ritorno verso la bellezza e il loro segreto. Guardateli, in Freaks di Tod browning. Diane cercava una connessione con loro, la trovò. La tensione sessuale tra fotografo e modello. Certo, c'era. Consideriamo chi è il fotografo. Diane Arbus. E il modello, i freak.
Ritengo sia ancora la prima e l'unica, ma un'altra donna scava in profondità, di questi tempi. Ellen Von Unwerth sta dando una nuova forma alla donna del XXI secolo.
Ellen ha iniziato come modella, non cerca i freak, è profondamente sexy e allusiva nel suo immaginario. Cos'hanno in comune quindi lei e Diane? Nulla...apparentemente.

Ellen non ci colpisce con violenza sovversiva, ma cerca la sorpresa, l'inaspettato, il grottesco. Ad ogni costo.
La bellezza è una forma di genio e viceversa, farci sorprendere o sconvolgere da una fotografia è certamente un modo sano per risvegliare la creatività. Certo, la nostra epoca è decisamente più abituata a ricevere shock allo sguardo, ma Ellen è riuscita a farmi arrossire e pensare più di una volta.
Usciamo dal recinto.
"Una fotografia è il segreto di un segreto. Più ti comunica, meno sai."

Ditelo in giro!

Tommaso Pollo's "One Shot" for Fashilosophy!

Style Icon of the month #5

Style Icon of this month: Róisín Murphy.
singer/songwriter/record producer.

Róisín Marie Murphy, 39 years old, is a native of Ireland, but british singer's adoption. She shot to fame as lead singer of artistic duo "Moloko", which now has emerged as an alternative and experimental music scene. Parallel to her career with Moloko, Róisín carries out her plans working as independent producer and author, but will be meeting with Matthew Herbert to make her an international electropop star.
After the release of three limited edition EP in 2004, following the year after the release of Ruby Blue with the record label Echo Records.

This album, the first solo, one that will bring his musical talent to the international success as an artist, along with a brilliant study of his image that will come in the firmament of fashion icons. Not many people know that before of the phenomenon Lady Gaga (which is a constant mention of iconic characters in the history of music), Róisín has pioneered an unconventional and eccentric concept of her image and her look, imaginatively making many references borrowed from the world of art, fashion, photography, design and cinematography (in fact she was the muse of Simon Henwood).
What is today may be attributed to Gaga, actually, this is reflected in the artistic career of Murphy that not long time ago she was an futuristic attitude towards the combination of fashion and music.

In 2009 Róisín has updated her role from front-row fixture to catwalk queen when she walks the runway as the guest-of-honor at French designer Alexandre Vauthier's debut couture show. Vauthier represents the outlier of cutting-edge designs synonymous with Róisín's style legacy. In videos, on stage, and even on London's high street, the singer is a fearless, skilled interpreter of the complicated fashions most only experience through editorials. For example, the "You Know Me Better" musicvideo was inspired by Cindy Sherman 's Centerfolds; in turn, Róisín uses cosmetic and sartorial artifice to manipulate her identity. And like Sherman's characters, Róisín's extreme wardrobe runs the gamut from arch couture to campy nostalgia-whether she's tempering her Maison Margiela statement pieces with Topshop or vintage André Courrèges.

Although Murphy has decided to retire from scene to devote herself fully to her family (by giving us some performances from time to time), Fashilosophy decided to dedicate a post as Style Icon because she will be always a music legend and a constant inspiration for designers, as Victor & Rolf, for example, that made her the face of their griffe.

Chanel s/s 2011 Focus on Accessories promo video.

Dreaming disturbingly...

Get the Animalier!

Wild, wild, wild woman!
Credits of pic: Eniko Mihalik for Vogue Nippon december issue, 2010. Shot by Sebastian Faena. Styling by Sissy Vian.

REDValentino, a Romantic and Eccentric way to live a dream fairytale!

REDValentino tells a contemporary fairytale, one that combines freshness and classic style.
Symbolizing a glamorous, romantic and playful parallel world where anything is possible, RED revisits, through innovative visual language, the timeless beauty of Valentino.
A modern girl who hails from a long lineage of iconic ladies, from the delicate princess of the best-loved children’s tales, to the shy, well-behaved debutante of half a century ago. Each would hardly recognize herself in her modern counterpart, yet they all undoubtedly share the same dreams, aspirations and longings of any young woman. REDValentino dresses a girl who is naturally feminine and confident, yet retains a delicate innocence. One who dares to be romantic while playfully investigating her darker side. One who exudes the fragility of youth, while dramatically aware of her power to seduce. One who sees life and style as a game, a funny one, a serious one.
Inspired by the exciting new world unfolding around her, she borrows bits and pieces and makes them her own. REDValentino mixes various influences, from a myriad of places and eras, allowing this girl to experiment to herheart’s content, daring her to wear couture with an edge. textures. Innovative accessories and unexpected ornaments further enrich the collection, emphasizing its fresh, feminine individuality.
As she begins a new chapter in life, the REDValentino princess enthusiastically explores the full range of her emotions, slipping back and forth from daydreams to reality. From her private cocoon, she invents a realm of her own: she directs her emotions and follows the script of her romantic imagination.

All this is REDValentino, a sign of style, its poetry!

REDValentino racconta una fiaba contemporanea, quella che unisce la freschezza e lo stile classico. Simbolo di un mondo parallelo affascinante, romantico e giocoso dove tutto è possibile, RED rivisita, attraverso un innovativo linguaggio visivo, la bellezza senza tempo di Valentino.
Una ragazza moderna che proviene da una lunga tradizione di iconic ladies, dalla delicata principessa delle favole più amate, alla timida e ben educata debuttante di mezzo secolo fa. Oggi difficilmente si ritrovano in un moderno omologo, ma tutte condividono senza dubbio gli stessi sogni, aspirazioni e desideri di ogni giovane donna. REDValentino veste una ragazza che è naturalmente femminile e fiduciosa, che conserva ancora l'innocenza delicata. Una ragazza che non teme di essere romantica, mentre scherzosamente scopre il suo lato più oscuro. Qualcosa che trasuda la fragilità della giovinezza, mentre è drammaticamente consapevole del suo potere di seduzione. Colei che vede la vita, e lo stile, come un gioco, divertente ma serio. Ispirata dal mondo nuovo ed entusiasmante che le è attorno, lei prende un po' di questo e un po' di quello facendolo suo. REDValentino mixa varie influenze, da una miriade di luoghi ed epoche, permettendo a questa ragazza di sperimentare ciò che c'é nel suo interno, la sua audace moda da indossare all'estremo. Textures. Accessori innovativi e decorazioni inaspettate arricchiscono ulteriormente la collezione, enfatizzando la sua fresca individualità femminile. Come lei inizia un nuovo capitolo della sua vita, la principessa REDValentino esplora con entusiasmo l'intera gamma delle sue emozioni, scivolando avanti e indietro dai sogni ad occhi aperti alla realtà. Dal suo intimistico bozzolo, inventa un regno tutto suo: dirige le sue emozioni e segue il copione della sua romantica immaginazione.

All this is REDValentino, a sign of style, its poetry!

Popeye Mag - December issue's Cover.

Fashion Editor: Tomoki Sukezane.
Shot by: Junji Hata.

Mr. Ford's back!

Tom Ford signed his return to the forefront of the fashion system. Ok! be quiet and maintain a decent appearance to hide our deep happiness to know such a good news. The real breath of fresh air in latest times. After his rise to fame as Gucci's creative director, after leaving a huge void in the international fashionweeks, having shocked the world (a bit bigot) with the super erotic advertising campaign for his eyewear and fragrances labels, having competed with great success in filmmaking, the sexy-Ford back to talk to him about two important news. The first one, as my post-debut, is his return to the design by creating his own collection, presented with an artfully orchestrated event in NY, in the presence of a selected group of fashion editors and with the participation of international stars such as Julianne Moore, Byonce, Rita Wilson. American Vogue, who has won the exclusive preview of the collection, showed it in the December issue. To ensure the photoshoot was Terry Richardson (the only photographer invited to the presentation-event), which has captured a series of clothes that have nothing to envy to those which Ford designed for Gucci. According to statements by the designer, his creations for Gucci were too "trendy" and for this collection has decided to focus on concept of individuality. Real clothes for real women, which can be worn by women of all ages. To enjoy his return to wait until the next spring because Ford decided to grant to the press a small part of his latest work, challenging the media pressure played with so much advance.
The second one, last but not least, is the rediscovered artistic partnership between Ford and Carine Roitfeld (Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris), already winning duo in the '90s. To consolidate this meeting, Carine has appointed Tom as guest editor of the magazine and with him edited the December issue.
What's more, the eclectic Ford has comunicated to be working on his new movie, a comedy, which is writing the screenplay.

Welcome back Mr. Ford!

Update: A rumor that runs a few days ago says that Mr. Ford is agreed on a collaboration with the Swedish giant H&M. Will this be true?

Tom Ford ha segnato il suo ritorno alla ribalta del fashionsystem. Va bene, manteniamo almeno un'apparenza decorosa nel nascondere la nostra febbricitante felicità nell'apprendere una così bella notizia. La vera ventata di freschezza di questi ultimi tempi. Dopo la sua scalata al successo come creative director della maison Gucci, dopo aver lasciato un vuoto incolmabile nelle fashionweeks internazionali, dopo aver scandalizzato il mondo (un po' troppo bacchettone) con delle advertising campaign super erotiche per la sua linea di eyewear e di profumi, dopo essersi cimentato con grande successo nella regia cinematografica, la vecchia volpe torna a far parlare di sé circa due importanti novità. La prima, come da esordio, è il suo ritorno al design con la creazione di una sua collezione, presentata con un evento orchestrato ad arte a NY, alla presenza di un gruppo selezionatissimo di fashion editors e con la partecipazione di stars come Julianne Moore, Byonce, Rita Wilson.
Vogue America, che si è aggiudicata l'anteprima esclusiva della collection, ne darà visione nel numero di dicembre. A curarne la fotografia è stato Terry Richardson (unico fotografo invitato alla presentazione-evento), che ha immortalato una serie di abiti che non hanno nulla da invidiare a quelli che Ford disegnò per Gucci. Stando alle dichiarazioni del designer, le sue creazioni per Gucci furono eccessivamente "trendy" mentre per questa collezione ha scelto di incentrare il concept moda sull'individualità. Vestiti veri per donne vere, che possono essere indossati da donne di tutte le età. Per ammirare il frutto del suo ritorno bisognerà attendere la prossima estate, dato che Ford ha deciso di concedere alla stampa una minima parte del suo lavoro, contestando la pressione dei media messa in atto con così tanto anticipo.
La seconda notizia, non meno interessante, è quella del riscoperto sodalizio artistico tra Ford e Carine Roitfeld (Editor-in-Chief di Vogue Paris), già duo vincente nei '90s. Per consolidare questo ritrovo, Carine ha nominato Tom guest editor del magazine e ha curato con lui il numero di dicembre.
Come se non bastasse, l'eclettico Ford ha reso noto di essere a lavoro con un nuovo film, questa volta una commedia, di cui sta scrivendo la sceneggiatura.

Welcome Back Mr. Ford!

Look of the Weekend #8

FASHILOSOPHY's suggestion about style and weekender outfit!

Click image to enlarge
Now is almost impossible not to be fascinated by the poetry of vintage style that especially from London and Paris has reached a big popularity. What pleases us, however, are not only endless possibilities of style gives us by real vintage (that one of the trade fairs, that one came out of the old trunks or archives and the big maison use as inspiration to create something new with a nostalgic flavor but this rampant mania has led to prohibitive prices), but also everything can be obtained by mixing new items created by a suggestion from the past. A great mix of old and new is always a choice of success, but when the old is too expensive, we can direct our choices on something more affordable but effective, like this "Look of the Weekend". Fashilosophy chose every ex novo piece, but you would know really distinguish them from something really vintage?!

Have your say!

Get the Fringe!

Credits of pic: British Vogue's Stars Editorial, shot by Mario Testino (Vogue UK, December issue 2010).

Strike a pose ADR!

"There are many faces to my personality. That is why I love clothes so much. It's more like a different expression of myself. I don't even know what I am. For me Fashion is perfect, as it conceals a lot and I find it quite therapeutic. It helps me survive as I can make myself feel better hypothetically. I can hide my insicurities and think positively. Fashion is my mantra!"

We love ADR!

Karl Lagerfeld and Macy's, a new collaboration of style!

Our hearts were all flutter after we heard that Karl Lagerfeld, one of sacred fashion icons in the history, would be selling his rumored “masstige” label at Macy's, , tha most famous chain of stores. That's a fantastic news for every fashilosopher. Yesterday Macy’s confirmed what until a day ago was just a rumor but the collaboration entails something a bit different from what we initially hoped for.

Karl is indeed teaming up with Macy’s, but only for a limited edition capsule collection. Next year Macy’s is launching a new initiative that will rotate one-off designer capsule collections every two months. Karl is taking part, and it is basically the same thing he did for H&M, six years ago. We think that this collaboration will be nothing revolutionary there, but we are very excited to be able to buy a styling items by "Lagerfeld" at a reasonable price.

“Karl Lagerfeld holds a unique place in the world of fashion, an icon who is the ultimate modernist. Through the decades, his style and vision have marked the history of design. It is a tremendous honor to bring his inimitable perspective to our fashion customer.” This is what said Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren.

So, we can just waiting for the release of collection in F/W '11-12.

I nostri cuori hanno cominciato a fluttuare quando ha cominciato a serpeggiare ed è giunta alle nostre orecchie la notizia che Karl Lagerfeld, uno dei mostri sacri della storia della moda, potrebbe vendere la sua linea "masstige" in partnership con Macy's, la famosissima catena di fashion stores. Questa è sicuramente una fantastica nuova per tutti i fashilosophers. Nella giornata di ieri, infatti, Macy's ha confermato quello che fino ad un giorno fa pensavamo fosse un semplice rumor, anche se la collaborazione sembra essere qualcosa di un po' diverso rispetto a quello che noi tutti avevamo sperato. Karl infatti collaborerà con la catena di negozi solamente per una capsule collection in edizione limitata, dando il via ad una nuova iniziativa che vedrà un susseguirsi di collaborazioni con diversi designers, una diversa ogni due mesi. Molto semplicemente, Lagerfeld, ripeterà l'esperienza fatta con H&M circa sei anni fa. Noi abbiamo motivo di pensare che questa collaborazione non sarà nulla di rivoluzionario ma siamo comunque molto eccitati all'idea di poter comprare dei pezzi dallo styling Karl Lagerfeld a prezzi vantaggiosissimi.

"Karl Lagerfeld ha un posto unico nel mondo della moda, un'icona, l'ultimo designer del modernismo di moda. Attraverso i decenni, il suo stile e la sua visione hanno segnato la storia del design. E 'un grandissimo onore di trasmettere la sua inimitabile prospettiva al nostro cliente abituale" ha dichiarato Terry Lundgren (Macy's CEO).

Dunque, non ci rimane che aspettare l'uscita della collezione, prevista per F/W 2011-2012.

Scent of Anna Dello Russo. The fabulous fragrance by ADR!

Anna is not only the fashion editor of a leading fashion magazine, she's also a person with a great personality and great need to communicate. After several collaborations, having strike a pose for some photoshooting, after becoming one of the fashion icons of last times, Anna Dello Russo presented her own fragrance: scent of a lady... "Scent of Anna Dello Russo".

Burberry's Giftables 2010.

Burberry's Giftables 2010.
Simply Amazing and sophisticated!

Karle Lagerfel and his elegance concept!

Karl Lagerfel, the genius mind of Chanel Maison, talks about his point of view of elegance and luxury.
Enjoy it!

Fashion and Cinema, endless love.

I was thinking about the importance of fashion in cinematography and the cinematography in the world of fashion. So far nothing new, but the fact of matter could be cause for a serious reflection with relative comparisons and analogies that characterize these two arts. The "Devil Wears Prada" has finally crowned the fellowship between movies and fashion industry, even if the experiment is started long time ago, leading to an iconic success of many fashion houses and especially many movie-stars, which we're left to influence (but which also gave themselves a lot) with the magic can reveal behind a couture dress worn on the screen. The brilliant Robert Altman with "Pret-à-porter" immortalized vices and virtues, whims and hysteria of the fashion catwalks, emphasizing how these two realities joining, may influence lifestyle, social phenomena and real trends (then exploited cleverly by designers).

The empire cut, for example, has now become a must-have of contemporary clothing, was relaunched by Gattinoni who supervised the costumes of King Vidor's "War and Peace" with a beautiful Audrey Hepburn, a movie that made history. Just as we can not but remind us the perfect american style-cut jackets and polkadot ties by Giorgio Armani for Richard Gere in "American Gigolo"; or his tweed hat worn by the protagonists of "The Untouchables" and then became a constant accessory of F/W collections. And what about amazing styling of Madonna for "Evita" entirely handled by Fendi? simply that's was a great demonstration of knowledge of historical costume! Surely the great fox and mink fur worn by the popstar in this movie were seen on fashion capitals' streets shortly after the release in theatres. Marlene Dietrich was the first to wear the pants-suit and launch the androgynous style that defined an era, and Christian Dior, has proposed many versions of the white plissé dress of Marilyn that was to wind up in "The Seven Year Itch". But one who has inextricably connected fashion and cinema was undoubtedly Givenchy, who created the costumes for "Breakfast at Tiffany's" a sacred icon of world cinematography. Leggings, ballet flats shoes and oversized glasses still are imporftant pieces of our wardrobe!

Recently the movie-directors have confirmed the trend to entrust the costumes to the knowledge of greatest international designers, so that has created a festival of short-film of author to celebrate this union: Style Star, created by Marina Garzoni (president of the non-profit "Fashion and Technology" association, in cooperation with the Leo Burnett's agency), made its debut last edition of the Cannes Film Festival, then at the Venice Film Festival and finally came to the last edition of Milan fashionweek.

All this leads us to believe that fashion will never stop dressing cinema and dressing itself by cinema, because the creative synergy between these two great arts going on for more than a century and now their connection seems so strong.

Riflettevo circa l'importanza della moda per il cinema e quella del cinema nel mondo della moda e fino qui nulla di nuovo, ma l'argomento in questione potrebbe essere motivo di una grande riflessione con relativi confronti e analogie che caratterizzano queste due arti. Il "Diavolo veste Prada" ha definitivamente coronato il sodalizio tra fashion system e cinematografia, anche se l'esperimento è partito molto molto tempo prima, portando ad un iconico successo molte maisons e soprattutto molte stars, le quali si sono lasciate influenzare (ma che anche hanno dato loro stesse molto) dalla magia che può svelarsi dietro un capo di couture indossato sul grande schermo. Il brillante Robert Altman con "Pret-à-porter" immortalò vizi e virtù, capricci e isterismi delle passerelle della moda, sottolineando come queste due realtà, unendosi, possano influenzare stili di vita, fenomeni di costume e vere e proprie tendenze (sfruttate poi furbamente dai designers). Lo stile impero, per sempio, oggi diventato un must-have dell'abbigliamento moderno, venne rilanciato da Gattinoni che curò i costumi per "Guerra e Pace" di King Vidor con una splendida Audrey Hepburn, un film che ha fatto storia. Così come non possiamo non ricordarci delle giacche dal perfetto taglio americano e le cravatte a pois di Re Giorgio che diedero tanto da pensare a Richard Gere in "American Gigolo"; oppure il berretto di tweed (sempre di Giorgio Armani) indossato dai protagonisti de "Gli Intoccabili" e diventato poi una costante delle collezioni F/W. E cosa dire dello strepitoso styling di Madonna per il film "Evita", interamente curato da Fendi, se non che fu una grande dimostrazione di conoscenza del costume storico?! Sicuramente le grandi pellicce di volpe indossate nel film dalla cantante spopolarono sulle strade delle capitali della moda subito dopo l'uscita nei cinema. Marlene Dietrich fu la prima ad indossare il tailleur-pantaloni e a lanciare lo stile androgino che ha segnato l'immagine di un'epoca, mentre Christian Dior ha proposto molte versioni dell'abito bianco plissé che Marilyn faceva alzare al vento in "Quando la moglie è in vacanza". Ma chi ha legato indissolubilmente moda e cinema fu senza dubbio Givenchy che realizzò i costumi per "Colazione da Tiffany", un icona della cinematografia mondiale. Leggings, ballerine e occhialoni oversize non sono tutt'ora elementi del nostro guardaroba abituale?!

Anche i registi di questi ultimi anni hanno confermato la tendenza delle loro produzioni di affidare i costumi alle mani sapienti dei più grandi stilisti internazionali, tanto che è nato un vero e proprio festival di "corti d'autore" per celebrare questo connubio: Style Star, ideato da Marina Garzoni (presidente dell'associazione no-profit "Moda e Tecnologia" in collaborazione con l'agenzia Leo Burnett), ha fatto il suo esordio all'ultima edizione del Festival di Cannes, poi alla Mostra del Cinema di Venezia ed infine e approdato alla scorsa edizione di Milano Collezioni.

Tutto ciò ci spinge a crede che la moda non smetterà mai di vestire e vestirsi di cinema, perché la sinergia creativa tra questi due grandi fenomeni dura da più di un secolo e, in nessuno momento come adesso (basti pensare ai docu-film sugli stilisti o alle pubblicità-film della maisons), il loro legame ci sembra così forte.

Chau Har Lee and her tech-sculpture shoes!

Ok fashilosophers! We like fashion, it's our great passion, for some people is even a life mission, and all of us (as very good fashion-addicted) we have a real obsession for those elements that complete our look, give us a touch of style and can be trasform us into the hound dog when it comes to go in search of the coolest vintage piece. This obsession are the accessories, especially shoes.

An Italian aphorism (Italy has always been the cradle of the best footwear industry) claims that "the shoes tell the person who wears them" and it is often a great truth. But enough beating around the bush and go to the point: Chau Har Lee.

A promising young chinese footwear designer, born and brought up in cosmopolitan London, where she graduated at Cordwainers College of Fashion. She's the genius mind of a small collection of shoes, winning recognition in 2009 of RCA's Manolo Blahnik Project, which has enabled her to continue producing her own label. The development of her creations don't follow a fixed concept, but it changes time by time in accordance with suggestions and the message that Chau wants to communicate. The only frequent thing is strongly felt attention to technology and plastic elements, which are the basic material of her shoes.

"My designs span conceptual showpieces to elegant and original but accessible footwear. I often employ a crossover of making and manufacturing processes from fields other than shoemaking in order to realise my concepts. This gives me massive scope for creativity in the design stage by removing boundaries associated with traditional methods. However, my knowledge of traditional shoemaking lets me know how and where I can break these boundaries. Importantly, although my most conceptual designs are showpieces, they are still built to adorn the foot.
To summarise, the more inventive pieces are desirable as bold fashion statements and the more accessible shoes are unique, timeless and beautiful."

This is the philosophy of her brand, then let go of those horrible Masai Barefoot Technology, the "diet shoes" launched in the U.S. market, and enjoy the pictures of Chau's work!

A man can not make a good pair of shoes unless it does so devoutly. (Thomas Carlyle)

Click images to enlarge

Ok fashilosophers! La moda ci piace, è la nostra grande passione, per alcuni addirittura una missione di vita, e tutti noi (da buoni fashion-addicted) abbiamo una vera e propria ossessione per quegli elementi che completano il nostro look, che ci danno un tocco di stile e che possono trasformarci in dei cani da segugio quando si tratta di andare alla ricerca del pezzo vintage più cool. Questa ossessione sono gli accessori, in particolar modo le scarpe. Un detto italiano (e l'Italia è da sempre la culla della migliore industria calzaturiera) sostiene che "le scarpe raccontano la persona che le indossa" e in molti casi questa è una grande verità. Ma basta tergiversare e andiamo al sodo: Chau Har Lee.
Una promettente quanto pazza giovane footwear designer cinese, nata e cresciuta nella cosmopolita Londra dove si è diplomata al Cordwainers College of Fashion. Lei è la mente geniale di una sua piccola collezione di scarpe,vincitrice nel 2009 del riconoscimento RCA's Manolo Blahnik Project, che le ha permesso di portare avanti la produzione di una sua indipendent label.
Lo sviluppo delle sue creazioni non segue un concept fisso, ma cambia di volta in volta secondo le suggestioni e il messaggio che Chau intende comunicare. L'unico motivo ricorrente è l'attenzione fortemente sentita per la tecnologia e le materie plastiche, che sono la materia base delle sue scarpe.

"My designs span conceptual showpieces to elegant and original but accessible footwear. I often employ a crossover of making and manufacturing processes from fields other than shoemaking in order to realise my concepts. This gives me massive scope for creativity in the design stage by removing boundaries associated with traditional methods. However, my knowledge of traditional shoemaking lets me know how and where I can break these boundaries. Importantly, although my most conceptual designs are showpieces, they are still built to adorn the foot.
To summarise, the more inventive pieces are desirable as bold fashion statements and the more accessible shoes are unique, timeless and beautiful."

Questa è la filosofia del suo brand, dunque lasciate perdere quelle orrende Masai Barefoot Technology, le "scarpe dimagranti" lanciate dal mercato americano, e godetevi le immagini!

A man can not make a good pair of shoes unless it does so devoutly. (Thomas Carlyle)