When White Means Mourning and Death

One of the lessons that stuck in mind during my years of Fashion Design in college since I learned it was the difference between East and West when it comes to color codes. I still remember the shock when the teacher told us during Fashion Sociology's subject "Color Symbolism in Fashion" that white, that "pure" and "peaceful" color, means "death" for Eastern cultures and is used for mourning out there.
"White" is for them what "Black" is for us, and it was very important to learn if you were thinking to move to the East because a white dress for Westerners is a bride dress but a Chinese would go to the cemetery with it.
Since then Comme des Garçons collections have a different meaning to me and I see Japanese fashion in a whole different way.

My point with this talk is to introduce Lu 12 28's latests collection "Dancing with the Ghosts" that she presented last weekend during the Style Evolution event in NYC.
A Beijing native, Lu studied Fashion Design in Paris and NY, where she stayed for the last four years and where I met her through my friend Raquel Sacristan, one of those people who is like a magnet for rare and interesting creatures..

Last summer Lu's visa expired and she went back home. Once in Beijing she had time to use as she pleases and made this amazing collection out of love desperation (her beau was some few miles away). And love gave birth a very sinister collection; very white indeed.
She made with her own hands skulls out of Japanese clay, which is so light you wouldn't even think is clay, allowing her to saw it to the clothing without reaping the cloth.

There was a robbery in her building this summer and all her neighbor's houses were emptied except hers ... Her mom wondered if the sight of a whole collection of skulls on her bedroom desk would scare the hell out of the thieves ...

While in China she got in contact with the people at Style Evolution. They promised her press coverage and support with her new collection therefore she decided to get the chance and took a flight back to NY.

Once here she realized that everything was plain bullshit, which is common coin in NY anyway.
For almost a month she has been fighting with the show organizers for free tickets for her friends and family (no luck), professional models who wouldn't mind to model with no bra (yes my dear, she had to deal with girls that didn't want to model a bikini without a bra... hello?) and basically fighting for creative freedom and press coverage. None of those had any positive response.

The day I went to her place in Harlem to see the clothing I got so excited I couldn't wait to try it on. Now another friend is preparing a video about the collection that hopefully will be up in YouTube sooner than later.
I will keep you updated.

I'll Break A Rule

I don't like to talk about Summer collections when it's Winter but today I need to make a concession because the case deserves it.
The "case" is the latest, alas Spring/Summer 08, collection of Austrian designer, Vienna based Claudia Rosa Lukas, who is in my top list of favourites designers since I discovered her simple yet elaborated line and contacted her to fetaured her work in my webzine.
Her wonderful collection for summer next year arrived to my Inbox just yesterday and I couldn't wait to put my hands on photoshop to make the pictures that photographer Gregor Titze took of the clothing suitable for my blog: smaller.
Claudia Rosa Lukas' website offers surprising gems as the series "Balanced to Ground" or "Homebase" and so I always enjoy to get news from her; I know they will always be mind-moving and very well cared: photography, styling, concept, clothing, make-up and hair are all one and not divided.
I just wish i could find her collections in NY soon.
PS: NY shops out there, please take note.

Noovo Festival for Fashion & Photography by A. Esteban Librero, part III

NY Fashion Editor of Metal magazine, Angela Esteban Librero, and the third part of her very personal trip to noovo festival..

part I // part II

My personal trip to Noovo Festival in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. (part III)
by Angela Esteban Librero.

The second day of Noovo started with the presentation of You Wear It Well, a festival of short films and videos from around the world exploring themes of fashion, beauty and style created by Dino Dinco & Diane Pernet.
As far as the quality, I though some of the videos were very good but other weren't.
We had to vote for our favorite one, I choose two (I wasn't supposed to but I didn't have a choice!); Pinguis from Malcolm Pate (UK) and Fash-off: Make-Up-A-Thon' Concept and Direction: Nick Knight and Gareth Pugh (UK). I encourage everyone to see them if you get the chance.

Diane Pernet, Charo González, Dino Dinco and Jorge Margolles presenting You Wear It Well.









Then we had lunch at the San Francisco Monastery.
I had some Metal Magazines so I gave some to the people at the table. Everyone liked the #7 issue, the cover by Miguel Villalobos and Graham Tabor that were on the table as well!

Zowey from Boudicca and friend.




On my left: Gustavo and Dino Dinco, Zowie Broach from Boudicca, Graham Tabor from FLY, Miguel Villalobos, rest of Boudicca's team, Mr. Pearl, on my left Henderson and Gemma from Gareth Pugh.


I had the enormous chance to meet the corset eminence, Mr. Pearl, he was part of the jury of the festival.
For those who doesn't know, Mr. Pearl is one of the most famous corset-wearers of our time, he is known for wearing a corset day and night, and having an 18 inch waist. I only can tell that meeting him was one of the best things of attending the festival, he is extremely interesting.

Before going back to the tents for the second day, we walked around Santiago and set in a gorgeous old Casino for hot chocolate and "churros" or "Chocolate con Churros".

Angie from Three As For with her amazing original Brigitte Bardot glasses

Graham, Miguel, Henderson and Gemma

Later on, back to the tent!

First the Galician designers.
A lot of black, not much of creativity and a little boring.

Inpe Piel








Jose Castro



Gloria Rodriguez-Figueroa







Lorena Rodriguez





Cristobal Vidal








































Later, the 5 students who applied for the Young Designer Award.


Some members of the jury at the show: Mr. Pearl, Diane Pernet, Joseph Quartana from Seven NY and Rosa Orrantia from Persuade Bilbao.






Esther Lebrato





Panic (Paula Solveira and Mónica Bastón)



Paz Villar: she got the 1st price


Carme Núñez


Manuel Bolaño: he got the 2nd price













The winners really deserve it! That is it for the third day!
After the shows some of us went to Diane's hotel for a drink.










Michael O'Brian, Mr. Pearl, Graham and Diane.

A Woman's Obsession

When I looked at the pictures that French photographer Chantal Stoman did of Japanese women consuming Western luxury brands such Chanel, Gucci or Hermes, I couldn't help but being amazed at the respect, interest and obsession at once that these women professed to the objects they were purchasing and/or carrying already.
The buyers surprised me, and the sale assistants fascinated me even more for they're total submissiveness to the costumer, so different from our dear ones (the Western ones) who seems they are doing us a favor by allowing us to shop and spend our money in the stores.

The French photographer re-visited Tokyo several times after her first visit to take pictures of these women and their obsession, and with the help of an interpreter she encountered dozens of Japanese women in her quest to understand their motivations and ardent love of fashion and she learnt this: "The Japanese woman regards fashion as a unique form of art, which - for her - is superior to all other forms of creation."
The French Institute in NY is now showing these pictures in an exhibition called A Woman's Obsession that will run until December 1st as part of their Fashion Month.

Cecil Beaton: Memoirs of the 40's. Part II

part I

This post is the second part of my review on British photographer Cecil Beaton's diaries from the 40's. (The third one will be the last).

Even though I chose only extracts in which the author writes about fashion related people, it doesn't mean the book is about fashion, because it is not quite exactly.
The book is a wonderful window on Western culture and history during the 40's, and because many of those people were artists, therefore some of those people were fashion related.

I've had problems finding images for the post, what really surprised me, as I thought being key in our current fashion culture would help them to have a place in google images or the like, but it seems it didn't.
I hope this little review brings them back to memory, i think they really deserve it.

[please note that the images have been taken from internet and had nothing to do with the book. I just wanted to support the text with pictures that recreate the story]

* Cecil on Madame Dilés, manager of Paris Vogue studio at the time and before the II World War:

" [...] Then a great contrast: to the Vogue studio for my first shot at Paris fashion photographs for many years. Here again was Madame Dilés to give one a hug of welcome. Madame Dilés, a small birdlike woman with raven's-wing hair and huge thrush's eyes, has managed the Paris Vogue studio and its often difficult "star" photographers through untold phases of fashion. When I first came to Paris on assignments for the magazine I was unable to understand the language and proved inadequate in dealing with both technicians and my illustrious sitters.

But Madame Dirés at once became my friend, and no matter how difficult an editor might be to please she always had an encouraging word. As the years progressed, and my knowledge of French improved and my style of photography became ever more elaborate, Madame Dilé's task increased in difficulties. Yet at a moment's notice, and on a last-minute whim of mine, she would produce fishnets, statues, waxwork figures, cemetery wreaths, and any imaginable assortment of objects as part of my neo-romantic or surrealistic compositions. She did not quail at the thought of going out at midnight to bring back to the studio and old seller of violets from the Madeleine or lobster in pots from the market. Nothing ever surprised or daunted her."

Cecil Beaton: Memoirs of the 40's. page 27

* Cecil on Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas and their friendship with a "simple young man named Pierre Balmain"

" During the years of cold and shortages, Gertrude and Alice became friends with a neighbor at Aix, a simple young man named Pierre Balmain, who had a taste for antiques and a natural bent for designing women's clothes. In fact he made with his own hands heavy tweeds and warm garments for Gertrude and Alice to wear during the hard winters.

Now he has opened a shop in Paris. At his first showing to the press Gertrude and Alice arrived with their huge dog, Basket. Gertrude in a tweed skirt, an old cinnamon-colored sack, and Panama hat, looked like Corot's self-portrait.
Alice, in a long Chinese garment of bright colors with a funny flowered toque, had overtones of the "Widow Twankey", a comic transvestite from the vaudeville stage. Gertrude, seeing the world of fashion assembled, whispered: "Little do they know that we are the only people here dressed by Balmain, and it's just as well for him that they don't!" "

Cecil Beaton: Memoirs of the 40's. page 37

Noovo Festival for Fashion & Photography by A. Esteban Librero, part II

part I

My personal trip to Noovo Festival in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. (part II)
by Angela Esteban Librero.


The afternoon of November 1st was the first day of the Noovo Festival, starting with the opening of the photography exhibition co-curated by Diane Pernet.
On my way there, I had time to enjoy Santiago's sun and nice weather as well as it monuments.

My favorite photographers were Miguel Villalobos, Daniel Riera and James O'Brien, who I had the pleasure to meet and admire their work with. I don't know why but I did not take any images except of Miguel Villalobos.










Then the organizers of the festival did the official presentation and speeches. On the right you can see Diane Pernet between the directors Jorge Margolles y Charo González who are responsible for the Noovo Magazine as well.



Then we had some wine and Spanish "aperitivos" with friends before having lunch at San Francisco Monastery.















Graham Tabor and Peter and Christopher from Peter Pilotto



Sara Sáez from YoDona, Ramón fashion editor of Neo2 and L'Enfant Terrible.

Dori, accessories designer for Zara Woman and Basic and Yolanda Muelas, Director of Metal magazine.

November 1st was also the first night for the international fashion show featuring Three As Four, Eley Kishimoto, Patrik Soderstam, Boudicca and Gareth Pugh.
They built a tent in the middle of the Plaza Quintana, which I think it was a mistake because they could have done the shows in one of the amazing cloisters of San Francisco Monastery.
To me, it was one of the best nights of Noovo; those designers set very high standards for the rest.
My favs: Boudicca and Gareth Pugh, I was very greatly surprised by the androgynous looks of Patrik Soderstam, beautiful Three As Four prints and silhouettes and I would love have seen not just S/S Eley Kishimoto.
Here are some photos from the shows, enjoy!

Three As Four:






















































Gaby, Angie and Adi



Eley Kishimoto:
















Marc and his sales representative, who has been working for them for 2 years and now she is leaving, that was her goodbye trip!




Patrik Soderstam:

The artist of the head pieces was modeling and opened the show filming the audience with small video camera nude and just wearing that pink piece around his waist...


















Patrick





Boudicca:















Gareth Pugh:




























After the show we had some cocktails....

From (L-R): Yolanda Muelas from Metal, Miguel Villalobos, Gemma and Henderson from Gareth Pugh (wearing boots and skirt from the show!!! Gareth doesn't need to know that!), Peter Pilotto and Graham Tabor from FLY magazine.


Three As Four team














Patrik Soderstam and the artist that opened the show with the video camera.














Dino Dinco, who was exhibiting his work in the morning, and his friend and artist Gustavo.