Friday, October 8, 2010
Imperiusmus
Somebody once said art is meant to disturb. But is fashion? Well if I was a retail assistant in the Gap, then I'd be a bit worried by thoughts of the power of Junya Watanabe oooh or of a ghostly prison ship crashing into my store and all the spirits of sailors and convicts past attacking me in the stock room, smothering me in hosiery and letting themselves into my body which they would then proceed to parade around in pretending to be an oddly stylish human. oooh
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
more talent than we know what to do with
We have an unofficial stitch and bitch group that was born in Ellen's house last year in Dublin and has now relocated to Ellen's house in Galway. I say unofficial for our meetings are somewhat sporadic and usually end up being an excuse for us to be hungover together and watch too many episodes of Come Dine With Me. But you're more than welcome to come and join us, we have only one rule of membership: BYOBiscuits.
Although none of us are overly skilled in the area of stitching we help each other out where we can; like in an earlier post I told of teaching Jack how to knit and yesterday he progressed from Plain to Purl. Go team! Check on the stitching. And the bitching? Well we inadvertently progressed to mild visual insults with our cartooning... Anyway if you would like to come along you're more than welcome, just mail me and I'll give you directions
Although none of us are overly skilled in the area of stitching we help each other out where we can; like in an earlier post I told of teaching Jack how to knit and yesterday he progressed from Plain to Purl. Go team! Check on the stitching. And the bitching? Well we inadvertently progressed to mild visual insults with our cartooning... Anyway if you would like to come along you're more than welcome, just mail me and I'll give you directions
Saturday, October 2, 2010
oh Boy
There are some things you don't need telling:
1. I am not a boy
2. Sometimes I like to dress like some boys do
3. Today I wore a shirt with a scarf fashioned as a dickie bow.
To recap: Today I wore a shirt and a bow; it may have looked a bit boyish... This is a truth which I understand.
Now let me tell you of something, something else:
Today I saw a review of New Power Studio from London Fashion Week. This is a truth that I am not so sure I understand...
New Power Studio is a London based menswear label and for all intents and purposes their MAN collection gets two thumbs up from my good self as I think it's hilariously clever. But if I wasn't a girl and I was looking to for something new to wear for Spring 2011 I'm honestly not so sure their collection would be my first port of call. However I'm not shopping so hurrah it's a collection that tells the story of how Pop Culture was bored sitting at home one night, mindlessly clicking on one You Tube video after the next, staring passively at the screen with his mind half turned off, bzzzzz... bzzzzz.... until the semi-conscious half became painfully fed up being on stand-by and decided that tonight was a night where not only would the lights be on, but there would indeed be somebody home. Bam. Action. Zap. Pow. Pop Culture was alive and kicking. Bursting with energy he raced toward the street looking for some fresh hot action when whom should he see standing at the pedestrian crossing, oh so casually smoking on a cigarette, but Sports Wear. Ha ha he thought as he snuck up behind him and pounced, jumping high into the air, mounting Sports Wear's unsuspecting back, flattening him to the kerb with the sheer force of the attack. Sports Wear's shock rendered him utterly helpless and had it not happened that Kitchen Sink was out taking his dog for a late walk around the block, there might not have been anyone nearby to hear him scream. But so it was, there in that instant, as Kitchen Sink came running to the rescue, all three thrashing about on the double yellow lines between the shadows from headlights of passing cars, in a comic-strip blur of elbows and fists, MAN was born.
On one hand my story may be fabricated from exaggerated untruths but on the other I do tell the truth when I say New Power Studio's collection has materialised from things equally as strange. Including eight year old boys... Oh boy...
1. I am not a boy
2. Sometimes I like to dress like some boys do
3. Today I wore a shirt with a scarf fashioned as a dickie bow.
To recap: Today I wore a shirt and a bow; it may have looked a bit boyish... This is a truth which I understand.
Now let me tell you of something, something else:
Today I saw a review of New Power Studio from London Fashion Week. This is a truth that I am not so sure I understand...
New Power Studio is a London based menswear label and for all intents and purposes their MAN collection gets two thumbs up from my good self as I think it's hilariously clever. But if I wasn't a girl and I was looking to for something new to wear for Spring 2011 I'm honestly not so sure their collection would be my first port of call. However I'm not shopping so hurrah it's a collection that tells the story of how Pop Culture was bored sitting at home one night, mindlessly clicking on one You Tube video after the next, staring passively at the screen with his mind half turned off, bzzzzz... bzzzzz.... until the semi-conscious half became painfully fed up being on stand-by and decided that tonight was a night where not only would the lights be on, but there would indeed be somebody home. Bam. Action. Zap. Pow. Pop Culture was alive and kicking. Bursting with energy he raced toward the street looking for some fresh hot action when whom should he see standing at the pedestrian crossing, oh so casually smoking on a cigarette, but Sports Wear. Ha ha he thought as he snuck up behind him and pounced, jumping high into the air, mounting Sports Wear's unsuspecting back, flattening him to the kerb with the sheer force of the attack. Sports Wear's shock rendered him utterly helpless and had it not happened that Kitchen Sink was out taking his dog for a late walk around the block, there might not have been anyone nearby to hear him scream. But so it was, there in that instant, as Kitchen Sink came running to the rescue, all three thrashing about on the double yellow lines between the shadows from headlights of passing cars, in a comic-strip blur of elbows and fists, MAN was born.
On one hand my story may be fabricated from exaggerated untruths but on the other I do tell the truth when I say New Power Studio's collection has materialised from things equally as strange. Including eight year old boys... Oh boy...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
I'm a little teapot short and stout
Today I ventured outdoors; it was great. It wasn't the Great Outdoors it was just down the street, but it was outdoors. And it was great. I walked the whole way to the pharmacy to buy a box of paracetamol and the fresh air made my head all woozy and made my feet feel like I was floating along. I decided that the break from the house was doing me good and I should stay out longer, so I went for coffee. (I had tea, I was too scared of the coffee making me crazy or faint or something as ridiculously unlikely).
I didn't have any reading material nor was I bothered to go and buy a newspaper because why bother when I love nothing more than people watching? So I sat there oh so contentedly looking around me, minding other people's business, and scribbling in my notebook unbeknownst to my coffee drinking subjects.
And this is what I wore. Topshop jeans, Abercrombie vest, a tshirt from H&M and an old cardigan from American Apparel that I overwore and got bored of so stitched some buttons onto to give a new lease of life
I didn't have any reading material nor was I bothered to go and buy a newspaper because why bother when I love nothing more than people watching? So I sat there oh so contentedly looking around me, minding other people's business, and scribbling in my notebook unbeknownst to my coffee drinking subjects.
And this is what I wore. Topshop jeans, Abercrombie vest, a tshirt from H&M and an old cardigan from American Apparel that I overwore and got bored of so stitched some buttons onto to give a new lease of life
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
lounge around and about
Since writing my post yesterday I keep thinking about loafers; I think it's cabin fever setting in that I can't get them off my mind, not that I can keep my mind on much right now really... You see I had an operation on Monday to get my wisdom teeth out and I've been couch bound all day yesterday and all day today just lying there eating Petit Filous, nodding off to sleep, waking to take some tablets, watching some television, dozing off to sleep again, a constant cycle of nothingness. Ordinarily I'm a terrible patient in that I find it so hard to sit still but it's sort of nice having nothing to worry about except whether or not I have enough pillows / baby foods / loafers. Ha ha.. What's also funny is how both meanings of the word are rather fitting to my state of being right now - there's loafers A: the lovely leather shoes I'm lusting after, and loafer B: the lazy person I've become. Anyway I've got my sister to find the pair she had last year from Topshop because I plan on wearing them on my first day of recovery out of the house; after all this slipper time my feet won't know what hit them!
I also saw this pair on the Topshop website but I'm not sure whether I properly like them or not. I don't think I look enough like a greasy middle aged Italian yacht owner to get the wear out of them if I were to actually make a purchase. I can't decide.
On the up side I feel like I'm still on my holidays having lots of time to read. I won't say quality reading time because Harry Potter isn't exactly high end literature but it's, um, my version of light entertainment, yes, that's it, it's my chic lit.
I also saw this pair on the Topshop website but I'm not sure whether I properly like them or not. I don't think I look enough like a greasy middle aged Italian yacht owner to get the wear out of them if I were to actually make a purchase. I can't decide.
On the up side I feel like I'm still on my holidays having lots of time to read. I won't say quality reading time because Harry Potter isn't exactly high end literature but it's, um, my version of light entertainment, yes, that's it, it's my chic lit.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
more bread less butter
Take a spoonful of modern minimalism, add a dash of masculinity, and what have you but another delectable collection from Margaret Howell. Her designs are clean and classic yet ever so slightly over-sized, which I love because they're smart whilst looking comfortable without being sloppy.
Did you notice the shoes? Ladies? Wearing loafers?
Two years ago I went to London and a friend of a friend who is studying in LCF took us on a guided shopping tour of Brick Lane. He was wearing a battered old pair of loafers and a home made cape, and since that day I've been envious of boys who are light in their loafers for their being able to wear loafers so stylishly. Now it's our turn to do so should we please this autumn. I do like the librarian look of contrasting pretty dresses with sensible footwear but I see loafers a little above brogues in the shoe charts so I'd like to do them the honour they're due in true androgynous style. Cigarette pants, trousers tapered, cropped or rolled, all ankles out and a nice clean shirt. Dashing I say!
Did you notice the shoes? Ladies? Wearing loafers?
Two years ago I went to London and a friend of a friend who is studying in LCF took us on a guided shopping tour of Brick Lane. He was wearing a battered old pair of loafers and a home made cape, and since that day I've been envious of boys who are light in their loafers for their being able to wear loafers so stylishly. Now it's our turn to do so should we please this autumn. I do like the librarian look of contrasting pretty dresses with sensible footwear but I see loafers a little above brogues in the shoe charts so I'd like to do them the honour they're due in true androgynous style. Cigarette pants, trousers tapered, cropped or rolled, all ankles out and a nice clean shirt. Dashing I say!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Forever Ford
Mister Ford how I love thee! Old fashioned but leading the times! Genius!
Last week saw Tom Ford's first women's show in six years at New York Fashion Week and despite the enormity of this there was one, yes only one, photographer permitted to use his camera. Why? Because Ford believes that fashion has become over exposed in recent years. Why? Partly due to advances in internet technology. If everything is instant then there's less excitement. The anticipation is eliminated; there's no wishing and waiting and wondering, it's just wham bam thank you maam. Instant gratification doensn't necessarily ensure a sense of satisfaction, or happiness at that. Imagine you've just written your letter to Santa and walked down the road to put it in the postbox. Arriving home again you open the back door to find your kitchen full of the things you just asked for. Wow! Amazing! You take everything out, you look at it, you play with it, you try it on, isn't it all so great!? Then you put it away and it's sort of all over and done with, largely forgotten about a week later...
I admire Ford for stepping aside from the current rush toward feeding live runway collections to be broadcast in real time online. I don't believe he is running the risk of becoming quickly out dated in this world of high speed communication because there's a romantic element to preserving the mysteries of beauty, and there's little more essential to the concept of fashion than the notion of beauty.
His collection will eventually be available to view online in December before appearing in shops from late January, a course emphasising the rememberance of the word worth when saying it will be worth the wait. Another possible message to take from his show was from the models he chose. Not size zero high fashion catwalk girls but a range of seductive women who emanate style, character and personality, by whom he was inspired and for whom each garment was individually tailored. Not just a pretty faced clothes horses walking up and down representing the transient nature of the industry of our time, but all rounded women asserting the glamour of time.
Last week saw Tom Ford's first women's show in six years at New York Fashion Week and despite the enormity of this there was one, yes only one, photographer permitted to use his camera. Why? Because Ford believes that fashion has become over exposed in recent years. Why? Partly due to advances in internet technology. If everything is instant then there's less excitement. The anticipation is eliminated; there's no wishing and waiting and wondering, it's just wham bam thank you maam. Instant gratification doensn't necessarily ensure a sense of satisfaction, or happiness at that. Imagine you've just written your letter to Santa and walked down the road to put it in the postbox. Arriving home again you open the back door to find your kitchen full of the things you just asked for. Wow! Amazing! You take everything out, you look at it, you play with it, you try it on, isn't it all so great!? Then you put it away and it's sort of all over and done with, largely forgotten about a week later...
I admire Ford for stepping aside from the current rush toward feeding live runway collections to be broadcast in real time online. I don't believe he is running the risk of becoming quickly out dated in this world of high speed communication because there's a romantic element to preserving the mysteries of beauty, and there's little more essential to the concept of fashion than the notion of beauty.
His collection will eventually be available to view online in December before appearing in shops from late January, a course emphasising the rememberance of the word worth when saying it will be worth the wait. Another possible message to take from his show was from the models he chose. Not size zero high fashion catwalk girls but a range of seductive women who emanate style, character and personality, by whom he was inspired and for whom each garment was individually tailored. Not just a pretty faced clothes horses walking up and down representing the transient nature of the industry of our time, but all rounded women asserting the glamour of time.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ronda you say?
Should you ever find yourself at a loss for where to go in Spain then you should think about visiting Ronda.
Ronda; it's like Honda, but with an R.
We had a proper day of playing tourists as we drove there through the epic landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and then in the old part of the town there are lots of historical spots in beside which you can take silly wish-you-were-here photographs. Also, you can pick the oranges straight from the trees in the street although they're a bit bitter. And Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time there in the 1930s, which is as good a reason as any other to get excited about a place, non?
Ronda; it's like Honda, but with an R.
We had a proper day of playing tourists as we drove there through the epic landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and then in the old part of the town there are lots of historical spots in beside which you can take silly wish-you-were-here photographs. Also, you can pick the oranges straight from the trees in the street although they're a bit bitter. And Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time there in the 1930s, which is as good a reason as any other to get excited about a place, non?
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