Fashion Critic

A Rare Interview with Maison Martin Margiela

2008-02-15T07:01:00.001-08:00

Dear phantom readers. I wanted to share this interview with you, because Margiela is as elusive as he is genuis (and maybe elusiveness is part of the genius?). I was glad to see that his reasons for anonymity parallel the views I expressed in my Masters thesis. I also like his preoccupation with the passing moment - how Baudelearian of him (see quote #2).

Some Like It Haute

2008-01-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I for once I could not refuse the cheesy/cute title that makes the likes of Wallpaper famous. Sorry. What I want to tell you about is a niche brand by the name of Haute. I have followed the brand and its designer Vincenzo de Cotiis for a while now - the guy is good. De Cotiis is an architect and an interior designer before he is a fashion designer, and his love for tinkering with raw materials can be seen in both his architectural work (as in hotel Straf - I stayed there, highly recommended) and in his designs. De Cotiis pays a lot of attention to fabrics, and they are of highest quality. His garments are produced in small quantities with emphasis on workmanship and finishing. Unlike most designers these days, he cuts no corners. At first sight many of his designs are quite conventional, but the devil is in the details, or the proof is in the pudding - you have to sell your soul and taste it for yourself. And now, without further ado, the best (IMHO) Milan menswear collection of FW08/09.

Gilty!

2007-11-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting concept - an exclusive discount store! WWW.GILT.COM is a members-only shopping website that offers heavily discounted merchandise (50-75%) in an atmosphere that is far from discounted. The website looks well made (besides the ghastly fur-clad image of a kept woman), and is members only. They have direct deals with a handful of designers and offer their goods directly. As one of the co-founders put it, “We are analogous to a sample sale without the headaches.” It's womenswear only, with menswear and childrenswear in the works. Now, who has an invite?

Notes on Camp

2007-11-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

I was rereading the famous Susan Sontag essay, and my thoughts wondered towards Camp in fashion. I was thinking how framing certain designers as Campy gives their clothes a new meaning, particularly in allowing me to separate their work from kitsch. I am not crazy about Camp myself. My style is by and large monochromatic, and Camp tends to be more colorful, although it does not have to be. Rick Owens can be campy - those 5" heels of his certainly are.

According to Sontag, Camp allows one to be serious about the frivolous, and frivolous about the serious. I think that is exactly what attracts me to work of Jean-Paul Gaultier. He is whimsical in his creations, yet there is a certain seriousness in his work. That seriousness lays in subverting traditional bourgeois images - a sailor becomes a gay boy, a grand dame becomes a hooker, and Gaultier hysterically laughs at the bourgeois propriety that he repeatedly violates. But this laughter is not mean - the way Vivienne Westwood's punk rock laugh was in the 70's - it's hearty. It is not an apolitical laughter (contrary to Sontag's view of all Camp as apolitical) but it is light-hearted all the same. Gaultier is the guy that the sophisticated Camp traffickers like Galliano silently pay homage to. Gaultier's last trick was sending Ms. Velvet d'Amour down the runway as a commentary on the media hoopla surrounding the malnourished models. Before you get all self-righteous, let me repeat - it was commentary not on the underweight girls that are treated like props, but on the media hoopla surrounding the issue. Gaultier rightfully picked up on the insincerity of the bourgeois media - where was the same media the next season lamenting the waifs? Nowhere, because all they care for is a hot story, not the girls.

In my view, what separates Camp from kitsch (something that Sontag only lightly touches upon) are two things - lack of seriousness and quality of execution. Lack of seriousness is what separates Gaultier from Lagerfeld - the King (the Queen?) of kitsch. Lagerfeld, while producing plenty of things that could be seen as campy (little Catholic school girl uniforms, for example), fails to be frivolous. He is dead serious about his role in fashion, and about the things he produces. Barbara Vinken rightfully calls him out in her book Fashion Zeitgeist for violating everything Coco's legacy by putting the Chanel logo on display. That's kitsch. It could've been Camp, but it's not.

Quality of execution is the second aspect, and that's where I think the Camp men are separated from the kitsch boys. After all, I fully subscribe to the idea that art has to be well executed and manifest the artist's prowess. This is where Gaultier, McQueen (sometimes), Comme des Garcons (strange company for Rei, but don't blame me), Galliano (for the most part) stand apart from the likes of Bernard Willhelm, Jeremy Scott, and Heatherette. While someone could make the case for Willhelm in the past - his Bavarian peasant references done in quality fabrics and gorgeous colors certainly made one look twice - his present work lacks the same quality of execution. Jeremy Scott and Heatherette are nothing to take about - their "work" is kitsch, although it borders on Camp.

What is pure kitsch in fashion, then? There is no lack of it. D&G is pure kitsch. Loud and ugly, it says nothing. DSquared is pure kitsch, although it tries to be campy. Camp is superficial, but it's not shallow enough to simply yawn at it - D2 is. Camp, while being loud, is also sophisticated - D2 is way too crude to be Camp. The Milan would-be Dandy who wears the huge double-G buckled Gucci belt is kitsch - he takes himself seriously. By now the division should make sense.

Camp can be found in strange places. Comme des Garcons is one of them. Rei Kawakubo used to be dead serious about her work, or so it seemed judging by what she sent down the catwalk. Her innovative cuts were matched by her innovative fabrics - I cannot describe her work by any other word than "Avant-Garde." But, it seems as Ms. Kawakubo got older, she had some kind of an internal World War III, and her Modernist ideals became Postmodernist. The Avant-Garde turned into Camp. Somber colors and distressed fabrics gave way to Pink Panther and the Rolling Stones. I am not sure what happened (I'd like to know), but I can tell you one thing - much of Camp (not all) is thematic, and it's easy to be thematic.

For all that, Camp can be fun. Although not my cup of tea, I can enjoy looking at it. And why not? After all, as Sontag says, "The man who insists on high and serious pleasures is depriving himself of pleasure; he continually restricts what he can enjoy; in the constant exercise of his good taste he will eventually price himself out of the market, so to speak."

What Is It About Rick?

2007-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

When you have a clearly defined aesthetic, you tend to discover certain designers first. When I came across Rick Owens' clothes at Atelier in New York, I was immediately intrigued by his deceptively simple leather jackets and heavenly tees. I liked the silhouette - extra long and skinny sleeves that could be bunched up, the hug-my-body snugness that also did not aim to cut off your circulation, the way Dior Homme's offerings do, the soft ribbed inserts on sleeves that carefully relaxed the rugged look of the leather.

In these clothes I could see a designer who grew up in a certain environment without growing out of it. Yes, the words goth, rock, punk sprung up to my head, but without the word "stylized." "This is not a designer who is cashing in on an image," I thought, "this is someone who had a chance to manifest his experience, and take it to a more mature and elegant dimension." The garments were distinctly his, and therefore not stereotypical like stylized clothes are.

So, I sat back and enjoyed Rick's clothes season after season, without seeing a single mention in the American press. I was used to this - neither Raf Simons, nor Ann Demeulemeester, nor Dirk Schonberger have ever gotten much attention here. Why would Rick? He's on the fringes, and I'm on the fringes - a flaneur that observes with a mix of amusement and slight irritation the huffing-and-puffing "It" rat-race of the fashion world.

And then THEY noticed. Hmm. Maybe they ran out of stuff to write about? Or maybe they are just late, as so often they are (it took Cathy Horyn what - 10 years? - to "discover" Raf Simons?). But the articles kept rolling in. First, the reverent Ms. Horyn started mentioning Rick on her blog, here and there. It is still disorienting to see "Galliano" and "Owens" in the same sentence. Then comes the article from Guy Trebay.

So, what makes Rick special, I wonder?

Sophia Kokosalaki - Still Talented, Still Under the Radar.

2007-10-04T11:58:00.001-07:00

What is it about some designers that have enough talent, but whose name does not roll off the trendy tongues? Do they have bad PR? Do they not have a strong following? Sophia Kokosalaki is one of these designers. She produces good to great collections from season to season. Yet, ask how many people know her name? And how many stocklists are there in New York? The answer to the former is "close to zero," the answer to the latter is "zero." Ms. Kokosalaki showed in Paris yesterday, and she shone again. The silhouette she presented is fresh and fluid; neither hipster skinny, nor matronly tight. She showed careful balance in the bunching, of her tops and dresses, in the widths of her trousers and shorts. The few layered sweeping dresses she sent out at the end effortlessly flowed in the air. Elegance is the word that comes to mind. Will the buyers notice?

Naoki Takizawa Shines in New York

2007-09-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

We live in unabashed world where sexuality has lost any kind of mystery. Sexual has become sexy, sexy has become raunchy, and sex itself has become pornography. Needless to say, fashion has had its part (special thanks goes to Tom Ford who glorified pornography on the Gucci runway). From Karl Lagerfeld's Catholic school plaid mini-skirts to Dolce & Gabbana's suggestive gang-rape and orgy ads, pornographic imagery in fashion never skips a beat, ranging from tasteless to downright offensive.

In this light, the Spring-Summer 08 collection by Naoki Takizawa, who has long stayed in the shadow as the head designer for Issey Miyake, is a breath of fresh air. Nay, it's a long overdue hurricane that blows lewdness away. This ethereal collection gives back sublimity to sexuality. It makes sexuality intriguing once again. Moreover and most importantly, it gives it respect. Mr. Takizawa presents a perfect balance of translucence and secretiveness in his semi sheer garments layered together, in the black and white, in the lengths and lightness of his garments.The stockings (leather?!) provide a bit of an armor that otherwise may have made his models look vulnerable.

The video of the collection further reveals the mastery of Mr. Takizawa. The confident and relaxed walk of the models and the light and airy movement of the clothes provides a perfect balance between a fairy tale and a real world. This balance is romance that has not been lost, but made contemporary.

This is an absolutely stunning collection, and I am thankful to Mr. Takizawa for showing it in New York, because it would make any Paris catwalk proud.

Subdued Elegance of Narciso Rodriguez

2007-09-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

Talking about the New York Fashion Week is an exercise in political correctness. Everyone knows that in terms of creativity, it's much weaker than Milan and Paris, but because it's so financially powerful, everyone tiptoes around it. It's kind of like criticizing the American Vogue - one must ask oneself first if he is not committing an editorial suicide (witness Cathy Horyn's diplomatic dismantling of the September issue).

And yet, in between the bland sportswear and clownish outlandishness that passes for fashion at Bryant Park, there are gems to be discovered. Narciso Rodriguez's collection is one of them. His S/S 08 runway show is an exercise in subdued elegance. It is sophisticated and seemingly simple. Minimalist is the word - so be it. I am always on the fence about minimalist designers. Not that I need to see complicated work in order to be impressed - sometimes the purity of a graphic effect of a well executed minimalist black and white combo will strike me more. For example, Jil Sander's work at times has bored me to tears on the runway, only to overwhelm me with amazing fabrics and impeccable cutting in stores. It suited a young individual, one who operates in the adult world without necessary accepting it.

This is exactly the vibe I get from this collection by Mr. Rodriguez. It is everything the rest of the New York fashion week isn't - assuredly cool, and quiet. This confident quietness is very attractive. It is good to see a man who just a few months ago was about to close the doors of his company (thank you, Liz for bailing him out) produce such a solid collection. The proportions are perfect (except the more ballooning pieces), and the near-neutral color palette is well offset by a masterful use of contrast. Such a collection does not easily lend itself to labels. Minimalist? Maybe. Rock'n'roll, punk, rebel, James Dean, Sex Pistols, goth, glam, sex, bondage, street, surf, skateboard - it is not.

Why So Few? Gilles Lipovetsky's View

2007-08-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

It seems I am not alone in my inquiry. Here is how Gilles Lipovetsky's starts his book, The Empire of Fashion.

The question of fashion is not a fashionable one among intellectuals. This observation needs to be emphasized: even as fashion goes on accelerating its ephemeral legislation, invading new realms and drawing all social spheres and age groups into its orbit, it is failing to reach the very people whose vocation is to shed light on the mainsprings and mechanisms of modern societies. Fashion is celebrated is museums, but among serious intellectual preoccupations it has marginal status. It turns up everywhere on the street, in industry, and in the media, but it has virtually no place in the theoretical inquiries of out thinkers. Seen as an ontologically and socially inferior domain, it is unproblematic and undeserving of investigation; seen as a superficial issue, it discourages conceptual approaches. The topic of fashion arouses critical reflexes even before it is examined objectively: critics invoke it chiefly in order to castigate it, to set it apart, to deplore human stupidity and the corrupt nature of business. Fashion is always other people. We are overinformed about fashion in terms of journalistic accounts, but our historical and social understanding of the phenomenon leaves much to be desired. The plethora of fashion magazines is matched by the silence of the intelligentsia, by its forgetfulness of fashion as both infatuation with artifice and the new architecture of democracy.

What can I say, except "Amen."

Why So Few?

2007-08-09T11:48:00.003-07:00

While StyleZeitgeist is down and I hunt for a new hosting provider, I thought I would manifest in cyberspace a thought that is intermittently on my mind. Rather, I will pose the same question to you, "Why are there so few genuinely intelligent people concerned with fashion?" I know several people (and I thank them for making my life more stimulating), but that is all. Do they hide in some hole? Are they ashamed of something? Or do they simply not exist? Is fashion not important enough? Not interesting enough?

From what I've gathered through numerous conversations and observations, the answer is pretty elusive. It seems that there is definitely a certain kind of shame for an intellectual to be associated with fashion, at least in America. Fashion has a deep reputation of a shallow, materialistic enterprise. Granted. Yet, this is incredibly reductive. One cannot write off an entire sphere of human enterprise just like that, especially a sphere that is clearly creative. Why is architecture not considered shallow? Art? Theater? Music? Yes, especially music. Do people stop listening to Mozart just because Brittney Spears tops the charts? No. Yet, fashion is peculiarly singled out as a scapegoat. Want to talk about superficiality? Materialism? Shallowness? Ostentation? Fashion is an easy target.

For a while the obvious answer was lack of information. Just like with any sphere, those looking from the outside are not educated as the cognoscenti. That answer no longer satisfies me. If Brittney Spears (to continue the music analogy) is on every fucking billboard and radio station screaming at you, does that mean you don't know about Mozart? Does that mean that Mozart's value has been somehow discounted? Increasingly, I think that the answer is that fashion is not taken seriously enough to begin with. This means that for most people, intellectuals included, there is not even ground to make the distinctions. To them, what equates Hussein Chalayan and Louis Vuitton is the high price tag (and, yet, you don't hear much complaining out of the same people about art prices), and scorn for the people who pay it.

So, that sense of shame, I've sensed it. An intellectual will not concern him/herself with fashion, because fashion = materialism, and because it is shameful to be materialistic. "I am not going to be like THOSE people," an intellectual will say. Not like whom? Not like the bitches on Madison Ave. with their pocket dogs in Gucci collars and crystal dog-food bowls. Ok, neither would I, nor any person who has an ounce of intelligence coupled with an ounce of humility. I can see stupidity oozing out of their faces. Maybe they aren't even people.

But, back to intellectual shame. Thorstein Veblen sanctified it in academic circles, when he devoted an entire chapter to fashion as a mode of conspicuous consumption in The Theory of the Leisure Class. Thank you, sir. I wish you would've written about cars, or Manhattan rents instead of womens dresses. Things are even bleaker today, thanks to the idiots at institutions like The Met, who deem some parasitic socialite's wardrobe museum-worthy.

As a result (with many other things added, of course), to be an intellectual is to be utterly unconcerned with material things, and therefore to be unconcerned with fashion, and therefore to be unconcerned with appearance. Yet anyone who claims to be unconcerned with their appearance has always seemed like a hypocrite to me. One is ALWAYS concerned about ones appearance, and some people who choose to dress in ill-fitting clothing from bargain bins just may have put more calculation into how they look than a person who throws together a well-designed outfit. So, the problem is the same - the problem of image. Both the Madison bimbo and the scruffy teacher are fakes.

I don't know if intellectual shame is the whole answer. Most probably not. I am sure there are other reasons for so little intellectual inquiry into fashion. Yes, you may say, these inquiries exist, but they mostly exist as efforts of condescension, a la Veblein or Barthes. There is no body of work that I know of that is a theoretical work that treats fashion as an art form. This leaves no framework from which to begin discriminating between good and bad. Oscar Wilde praised fashion, but he did it in a sarcastic manner. His was a certain kind of sarcasm that characterizes a person so tired of explaining his point of view to an stiff-necked audience that his own wit becomes his only refuge. I think I am the only person who thinks that, 'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art ...’ is a statement not pompous, but tragic. Its tragedy lies in having to make loud statements for lack of understanding.

Another One (NYC Neighborhood) Bites the Dust

2007-08-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

SoHo is not enough for you?

StyleZeitgeist is Back Up!!!

2007-07-13T17:36:00.001-07:00

Back in business.

StyleZeitgeist is Down for a Few Days

2007-07-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Dear all who follow my community - the site has been down for a few days, because my ISP f-cked up. Please bear with me while I look for a new ISP - I will bring the site back.

Best,
Faust

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

2007-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Finally, the Paris menswear week is here. While Milan was nothing to speak about, as usual (even Dries van Noten was a let down - did he know that his collection would be mediocre? Is that why he moved it to Milan?), one of the first Paris shows, by a Japanese label Attachment, really impressed me. As a matter of fact I haven't been that impressed since Cloak's FW04 collection. Not that this collection is as original as Cloak's was. As a matter of fact those who are familiar with Rick Owens, and more niche brands such as Julius will no doubt find some connotations. However, this show was so flawlessly executed that I don't mind a little derivation.

Yesterday, I got my hands on the Attachment lookbook from the upcoming FW07 season (you can see the electronic version here)- and it's just as brilliant. Attachment is designed by Kazuyuki Kumagai who previously worked at Issey Miyake. The label is now PRed by Totem Fashion, which is definitely one of the more avant-garde fashion PR agencies (their lineup includes Raf Simons, A.F.Vandevorst and Veronique Branquinho among others). You can see the full S/S 08 collection on my forums.

Available next season at Atelier in New York City.

Prada Is NOT an Intellectual.

2007-06-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Everyone who follows fashion has their pet peeves, which usually arise from that infamous The Emperor's New Clothes feeling. My biggest one is Miuccia Prada's reputation as an intellectual. Even by one of my favorite journalists, Guy Trebay, who is usually an astute and sharp observer said it in today's NYT article.

I am not even too much concerned about the term "intellectual" used so frivolously. Intellectual, at least to me, does not merely mean a person whose work is cerebral, that is characterized by a determined and sometimes arduous thinking process. It means a person who either has devoted his career to, or at least by nature engaged in philosophical activity that bears some relation to the socio-political sphere through science, art, or philosophy. I actually cannot think of a single designer whom I would call an intellectual, and least of all Miuccia Prada.

Her majesty Queen of Blandness is the title I would give her, because blandness is what I see. Her empire is build on $1,000 handbags and $300 sneakers. Her runway shows are boring, and what gets into stores is even moreso. Ideas for her best shows couple of seasons ago where she used some color and embroidery to suggest "ethnic" (another term misused to death) motif have been a signature of Dries van Noten long before. It seems that it is enough to show the fashion world some dorky models and a shy "don't-praise-me" smile at the end of the show to be called an intellectual. If so, Prada has definitely succeeded.

But what about the clothes? For men what you will find in stores are basic shirts and suits not unlike those you can find at Theory. For women, an occasional dress buried among a heap of shoes and bags. Her clothes possess neither the quirkiness of Margiela nor superior quality of Jil Sander. The whole thing is one huge faux pas. The quality of her garments is inferior, her coats, for example, consistently lack ANY lining (even in the summer time a good coat will have partial lining, but in Prada's case even her heavier coats often have none). The fabrics she uses are sub-par, plenty of synthetics, and not of the high grade that Rei Kawakubo uses. So, since when did such clothes have become "cerebral" and a designer who creates them "intellectual?" Can someone tell me? In my humble opinion, the Emperor has no clothes.

BARNEYS SOLD FOR $825

2007-06-22T14:04:00.001-07:00

NY Times reports that Jones New York sold Barneys for $825 million to Dubai. Not a bad return on investment, considering that they bought it for $400 million two and a half years ago. Hedge-funders beware - there are better places to sink your money in.

NY Times article

The clothing retailer Barneys New York, a temple to fashion that introduced Americans to Armani and $300 T-shirts, was sold today to the investment arm of the Dubai government for $825 million.

The deal for Barneys, whose founder pawned his wife’s engagement ring to start it 84 years ago, represents a trophy for the Dubai government, which has been on a buying spree in the United States, purchasing a raft of high-profile businesses and real estate, like stakes in the retailer Loehmann’s Holding and the investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners.

Barneys was sold by Jones Apparel, the struggling mid-market clothing company behind brands like Nine West and Anne Klein, which wanted to cash in on a red-hot luxury clothing market. Jones apparel, which bought Barneys in 2004 for $400 million, more than doubled its money. The agreement allows Jones to consider other offers, both for Barneys alone or the company as a whole, according to a statement from the company. Jones would have to pay a breakup fee of at least $20.6 million if it went with another suitor.... (continued)

News: Dries van Noten will open boutiques in Tokyo and Singapore.

2007-06-13T12:32:00.001-07:00

Leaving poor old New York in the dust, boohoo...

As reported by WWD

DRIES OPENING: Dries Van Noten is expanding his retail presence. The Belgian designer, who opened a shop on Paris' Left Bank this January, has signed deals for two new stores, in Tokyo and Singapore. The latter unit, in partnership with Club21, is expected to open in August in the Hilton Shopping Gallery. The Tokyo unit, which is scheduled to bow in March 2008 in the Minami-Aoyama district, will be a partnership with TFC. Besides Paris, Van Noten operates boutiques in Hong Kong and in his hometown of Antwerp, Belgium.

Magazine Review: Arena Homme + S/F 07 Gets It Right

2007-06-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Shocked? Me too. These days I pick up a menswear magazine with a sense of dread and masochistic, hopeless, semi-professional duty of keeping up with the media. I expect another glossy homo-erotic mess that (yet again) tries to address clothes by depicting lack thereof. Leave that to the gay porn industry and the Oscar Wilde Bookshop, I say; not everyone who is seriously interested in mens fashion is a Karl Lagerfeld clone. And the king (or shall i say the queen?) of menswear magazines - Arena Homme Plus - has been consistently guilty of just that.

Maybe they heard me, because the Spring/Fall 07 issue is full of editorials of men wearing clothes, and good clothes at that! One that particularly stands out is an editorial devoted to a Soviet modernist poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. It's chockful of great outfits heavy on Yohji Yamamoto and Ann Demeulemeester. Other editorials have Margiela, Junya Watanabe, and Raf Simons mixed in with the usual commercial heavy-hitters like Prada/Miu Miu and Dior Homme. And if you were excited by those crazy Raf Simons elbow length gauntlets - there are a few clear shots of those.

Another right thing AH+ editors did was featuring a lot of Fall/Winter 07 clothes. It looks like they finally realized that by the time their magazine actually rolls off the press and reaches international destinations spring sales are already in full effect. I only wish that more shots showed clothes in detail - I appreciate the artistic calling, but it should be subordinate to details in a fashion magazine.

Needless to say AH+ is still homo-erotic heavy; there is a big spread of male Barbies rolling around in John Galliano underwear, and a final spread of half-naked adolescent boys modeling bits and pieces of SS 07 collections - but, hey, I can't ask for it all.

Wall Street Gets Fancy - Round 2

2007-06-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

As reported earlier, Wall Street is clearly in the sights of the luxury industry. I don't know what it is - either Manhattan is running out of retail space, or the recent Financial District residential boom (we even have a name now, FiDi!!!) is attracting wealthy men and their expensive women. Hermes has finally dropped their orange cardboard curtains at Downtown by Starck, so here is a preview of what the store will loolk like.

Around the corner, at 37 Wall St. we have that familiar turquoise color that, usually when found on a small box, sends every American housewife's heart racing. That's right - we are luxury.

Ostentatious Display of Flashy Showiness - Sucks Fifth Avenue Edition

2007-05-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

In the "do we really need this?" category, Saks flagship store (and the only one on Fifth Ave.) is expanding their womens shoe salon the length of an entire floor. To add insult to injury, the shoe salon is getting its own zipcode, 10022-SHOE. Saks has long ago descended from a sophisticated luxury shopping destination to an emporium where bridge and tunnels teenagers buying Juicy mix with Eurotrash gigolos and Latin American politicians' trophy wives. Once the loopy, but moneyed UES old guard dies off, Saks will take another hit courtesy of the department stores that get it right. The shoe salon zip code thing only adds to the kitsch factor. I see Saks becoming the next Bloomies - a pseudo-luxury store that is really in the business of peddling overpriced mediocrity. Next move - I envision a SoHo outpost.

Fashion Critic's Antwerp Shopping Guide

2007-05-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Antwerp, and I would like to share with my readers my shopping experience in that wonderful (yes, full of wonders) Belgian city. I don’t need to tell you that if you like Belgian fashion design, Antwerp is a must-see destination. The thing about the Belgians is that no matter how successful and cosmopolitan in reach they become, they are always grounded in their homeland. This is why you see Ann Demeulemeester’s only European boutique in Antwerp. Dries van Noten has had his flagship there as well for years now, the only European DvN boutique until a few months ago (he opened another one in Paris). All this makes up for a very charming and refreshing experience from megalopolitan shopping of New York, London, and Paris. Imagine strolling on a quite tree-lined avenue in a small city, and then BAM! – you are standing in front of the largest selection of Ann Demeulemeester in the world. Shopping doesn’t get cooler than that.

Another plus about Antwerp is that it’s a fairly inexpensive city compared to the cosmpolises (cosmopoleese? cosmpopoli?), which has allowed some designers to rent absolutely stunning buildings.

Antwerp is a small city, one that can be easily traversed by foot. To make things even more convenient, all stores you need to know about are concentrated on and around Nationalestraat (see my map). Antwerp shops are basically divided into two categories – slick, high-end Eurotrash and Belgian design. Therefore, I will not cover some shops which for some people might be worth a visit. These are; Verso – Gucci, Dior, D&G, Dirk Bikkimbegs, Les Hommes, Kris van Assche – maybe worth going to see the gorgeous space alone, and Coccodrillo – used to be the space to go for footwear, now mostly Prada sneakers, although you will see an occasional pair by Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, and A.F. Vandevorst).

The only store that’s a little “out of the way” is the Ann Demeulemeester boutique… or, in my view, all other stores are away from her shop. Basically, you can do all of your shopping in one day. The stores vary in size, but the selection is invariably better than anything you can get in New York, for example. The sales people are knowledgeable and courteous. The prices, after the hefty 21% VAT refund, come to about 25-40% lower than retail + tax in New York. This means that if you are truly serious about buying a bit ticket item (or two), you might as well make a trip out of it.

Another added bonus in Antwerp is consignment shopping. There are definitely gems to be found (a 1998 Raf Simons coat for 150Euros). And last, but not least – the fashion museum, Mode Natie is the best in the world, and so is its book store.

Ann Demeulemeester, Verlatstraat 38

A gorgeous two-story emporium of all things Ann. A la-la land for a Demeulemeester fiend like me, especially given small NYC buys. ¾ of the store is devoted to womenswear, which is fine by me, because I appreciate her womenswear. The space is in a gorgeous old building (I can’t even begin to pretend to be intelligent and tell you what architecture type it is – you tell me), opposite the Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts. The lofty space with huge windows is painted white; the wooden floors nostalgically creak when you walk around. There are a few hanging mannequins at the front; two long racks of clothes line each floor, with white tables showcasing the accessories and some knits. The changing rooms are spacious, all white, with a big mirror, and a bottle of spring water. The back of the store is glass and opens on a tiny court yard wall completely snaked in ivy. Romantic, to say the least. The staff is very courteous and knowledgeable. Knowing that Ann’s strength is the moving silhouette they encourage you to walk around when you try something on. The CRT TV showing Ann’s runway presentations is a nice change from all the flat screens around.

Dries van Noten, Nationalestraat 16

The two story store is housed in a simply stunning 19^th Century building. The first floor houses the womenswear, menswear is on second. The two floors are connected by a beautiful spiral staircase.

The store itself has an air of the old mixing with the new, the menswear floor seems as if Oscar Wilde moved into his grandpa’s house and left everything intact, except the clothes.

The mens floor is a series of little rooms, split level, which is very charming (and when a hapless New Yorker last seen OPEN windows in a store?). A full range of Geo F. Trumper shaving products (my favorites) is a nice touch, along with some felt hats hand made in New York. The lineup of clothes is comprehensive, although they did not have my size in one shirt that I wanted. C’est la vie. The lone salesman on the man’s floor (the women’s has two, although it’s a smaller space) is unobtrusive, but ready to help.

Veronique Branquinho, Nationalestraat 73

More minimal than Margiela, but less clinical than the late Jil Sander – Veronique has been enjoying an inexplicable cult following. Well, maybe not so inexplicable, the (seemingly) plain clothes are incredibly made (a woman’s trench revealed an astonishing amount of seam-work during a recent examination, with buttons held together by rings on the other side to boot – this is an old artisanal method of attaching buttons that cannot be done by a machine). This is her only stand alone boutique in the world.

The exterior sports an uncharacteristically non-minimal “VERONIQUE BRANQUINHO” sign, but the photo wall paper of a forest is a beautiful touch. Inside, the space is again two floors, with a signature old-Europe impossible-to-fit-in spiral staircase. Women’s on first, men’s on the second – the stock is pretty small, and each garment is given a huge amount of shelf space, which gives it an air of a gallery. The interior is very clean. Leonard Cohen as soundtrack is always a plus.

Louis, Lombardenstraat 2

The original store that supported young Belgian talent, before it became established Belgian talent. These days it’s the only store in Antwerp that carries Martin Margiela and Raf Simons, although I found the selection to be underwhelming. For women there is a small selection of Ann Demeulemeester and A.F. Vandevorst. There is also Lanvin and Rick Owens for both sexes. The store is small, and is housed in a building perched on a street corner, with a façade painted black.

Walter, Sint-Antoniusstraat 12

This boutique is owned by Walter(van Beirendonck). The father of all things kooky (personally I think he is Bernard Willhelm’s Dad), mixes his own collection of loony toon sweatshirts plastered with semi-rebellious political messages (yawn), with Comme des Garcons Play line (double yawn), and Christian Wijnants (yes!), and Bruno Pieters (yes!). There is a small capsule collection of Bruno Pieters menswear, not available anywhere else in the world as far as I know (see what Imean about staying local?). Sticking with the kooky vibe, the store has an intact garage door that opens automatically to let you in the store. Much of the merch is displayed on platforms that you have to ascend if you want to see the clothes - the feeling is sacrificial. What does it all mean? Ask Walter.

Stephen Schneider, Reyndersstraat 53

A tiny boutique that carries Schneider’s seemingly plain clothes. Schneider is a male counterpart of Veronique Branquinho, their idea is similar, well-executed easy to wear clothes – although their aesthetic differs (VB has a heavy that 70’s vibe and her clothes seem more grown up, while Schneider’s clothes are very young). There are two floors in the store, with the requisite tiny spiral staircase. The top floor is well lit, while the bottom floor is a small but cavernous space. Interestingly, both floors have mens and womens mixed on a single rack.

Elsa, Nationalestraat 147

This is a small, but very well edited shoe store. Sparse space features Hussein Chalayan, Chie Mihara, Fiorentini + Baker, Premiata, Christian Peau (rare!), and some other brands that I haven’t heard of. The prices are excellent, and so is the selection. Definitely worth checking out.

Labels Inc, Aalmoezenierstraat 4

This is the best consignment store in Antwerp, right off of Nationalestraat. It’s a great source for hunting pieces from older collections. Tip – they don’t accept credit cards. Another tip – go in the beginning of the season, when they change the merchandise to score the best pieces.

Francis, Steenhouwersvest 14

Another consignment store that has both clothes and furniture. The clothes selection was poor, maybe because it’s a very popular store, so stuff goes quickly.

Last, but not least, here is a map of all these wonderful spots.

THE ONE TO HAVE (FOR ME) - SS07 ANN DEMEULEMEESTER COAT

2007-05-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

While I was in Antwerp (posts on that are forthcoming), I tried on an Ann Demeulemeester coat... and I was smitten.

To be honest, I was underwhelmed by the collection, based on what the NYC stores bought, but the Ann's boutique was another story.

The coat I tried on (see pictures) was the beige with black, and it was out of this world... so much so that sadly I had to pass on it, because it's just not something I could wear a lot.

Now that I got back to New York, I saw the same coat at Barneys in all black. There is only one left in my size in the whole US of A, and I have it on hold for today, and the clock is ticking.

I also dreamed of a version that had the colors reversed of the one I tried on. Of course Ann (being Ann) read my mind, and lo and behold, here it is! Three versions, all stunning, but it looks like nobody bought the black/beige one. Plan of action? I am going to IF boutique today to see what they have, and then calling Barneys if IF fails. Wish me luck...

Wall Street Gets Fancy

2007-05-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here is how Wall Street works - in downtown (physically on Wall St.) are the grunts, and in midtown are the upper echelon of managers who need to flash their wealth. It's not a rule of thumb, but it's a fair statement. In addition all the Wall St. money makers live uptown and that's where they (and their wives) are dropping the cash. Hence, you will see zero luxury clothing stores on Wall St., and only two tiny stores that sell swiss watches (the barometer of male Wall St. wealth). Contrary to the popular belief, a ton of people on Wall St. don't make much money, especially the grunts. However, with recent residentail development in the Financial District, some execs. and brokers are moving close to where they work. Some apartments at 15 Broad St, across from the New York Stock Exchange, designed by Philip Starck rent for $11 thousand a month. The luxury fashion industry, having run out of retail space on Madison and in Soho is taking heed. An Hermes store is in the works on the corner of Wall St. and Exchange Place, and Canali just rented floor space across the street. This is just the beginning.

The Ultimage NYC Designer Shopping Map by Fashion Critic

2007-05-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

I finally caught up to Google maps, and decided to add some visual aid to my NYC shopping guide. Here it is! I am not going to brag about it - see it for yourself and save time and trouble of browsing Citysearch and other websites when planning your shopping trip. I will also add the link to my shopping guide on the right menu. Enjoy!

What IF?

2007-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

IF boutique - an iconic New York store for creative fashion - saves Dubai from being exclusively the land of ostentatious luxury, by bringing in labels such as Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Comme/Junya, Carpe Diem, Dries. The question is, can it save SoHo from becoming a mall?

Post-Cloak

2007-04-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

I usually dislike the prefix "post." It always seems like a cop out - a poor substitute used for lack of definition. But, maybe it's Ok to use it in this entry - as Robert Geller, the co-founder of Cloak (he left the label in 2004), may fill the void left in the heart of hipsters, and, well, just people who appreciate good design. The ground is still not clear as to whether it was Plokhov or Geller who was the heart of the label. Regardless, Ploklhov closing shop after this season leaves a void in contemporary designer menswear. Cloak got it right by applying good tailoring to such basic expressions of modern man's wardrobe like rock'n'roll and the military. But, that's all gone now. Enter Robert Geller's brand new menswear collection, available in stores next fall. Of course it is too early to shout Le Roi est mort. Vive le Roi!, but it looks like Geller is picking up Cloak elements (after all, he's a co-author), and putting his twist on them.

For now the list of stores is unimpressive - Odin is a trendy hipster hangout - but who knows what will transpire next? Rumor has it that some major stores are enamoured with the line. The final test will be to see this in person. All I know for now is that the clothes are made in Japan (always a plus), and that price points will be fair (think Cloak FW04 and earlier). The online lookbook looks good, and although I understand Mr. Geller's desire to put his own stamp on his designs, the best looks are still the more Cloakish ones. In any case, I wish Mr. Geller best of luck in the menswear wasteland.

http://www.robertgeller-ny.com

EYE CANDY

2007-04-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the prolonged silence. I have been busy with my thesis, running my new forums, and work.

I would like to redeem myself by sharing a link to Atelier's Spring-Summer collections that include Ann Demeulemeester, Carol Christian Poell, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Carpe Diem, and other beautiful and black creations.

Enjoy!

ITALY MUST GO

2007-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

I don't have much against Italy as a country - friendly people, amazing food, wonderful weather, and Tuscany is heaven on earth. But Italian fashion must go. Gaudy kitsch that Italian "fashion" has produced in the recent years, led by Dolce & Gabbanna and Versace, is beyond vulgar. Ripped sloppy jeans, logoed tshirts, and sneakers - this is not what people who are serious about fashion design should produce. Or, if they do produce it, they must admit that what they make is trash, and that they have no more pretence at being a fashion designer than Brittney Spears does at singing at La Scala.

What is even more alarming is Italy's influence on the emerging economies, such as Russia and China. While sophisticated Europe simply shrugs this trash off, the rich in the emerging countries operate by, "the bigger the logo, the better" principle. Of course Italians are not the only ones that churn out this trash - DSquared are Canadian, Dirk Bikkimbergs is Belgian, and Denis Simachev - but they all operate in Milan, and were all attracted to Milan as a thoroughly entrenched as the ostentatious fashion dumpster of the world that commercially rewards bad taste.

One thing I am glad about is that some fashion journalists have had enough of this as well and no longer sugar coat their feelings on Italian fashion. Read the two articles below, one by my favorite, Guy Trebay from NYT, and one by Maisie Wilhelm from IHT.

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Those Weathered Satchels

2007-01-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

I see these old or middle-aged men in airports sometimes with these weathered old satchels they carry. There is alwasy something about those men, not neccesserily stylish, but something real, their history. They are alive with history, it's in the wrinkles on their faces and in the wrinkles on their old weathered satchels. I look at them and I wonder about who they are and where they are going. If I see one on a luggage conveyor belt, I pick it out with my eyes invariably, and follow it as it makes its slow, respectable rounds. Time is imprinted on them. They are almost always light brown leather. These men have had them for years, and even though they are weathered and old, they won't exchange them for another one. It's their permanence that's worth so much more than newness. These satchels are their friends. I want one like that. I want to keep it until the day I die. It will be my companion, my mute companion, filled with experience and stories.

Jas MB

OPEN CALL - HELP ME WRITE MY MA THESIS!

2007-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly. I will write it myself, of course. What I am looking for are references, in realm of philosophy, art criticism, and fashion. In summary, I am writing about how one can judge fashion design without the influence of marketing, but soleley on the merit of the garment. I am using Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as my focal point. What I need are writings on concepts like excellence, mastery, creative difficulty, and care in any realm. I will take anything from Plato to Poincare to Palahnuik. For example, art critic Robert Hughes in his book Culture of Complaint: The Fraying of America, argues against precipitation of bad contemporary art and for judging art on what he terms "elitism" (that is his term for excellency, or what Pirsig calls Quality),

It is in the nature of human beings to discriminate. We make choices and judgments every day. These choices are part of real experience. They are influenced by others, of course, but they are not fundamentally the result of a passive reaction to authority. And we know that one of the realest experiences in cultural life is that of inequality between books and musical performances and paintings and other works of art. Some things do strike us better than others - more articulate, more radiant with consciousness. We may have difficulty saying why, but the experience remains... For instance, my hobby is carpentry. I am fair at it - for an amateur... I love the tools, the smell of shavings, the rhythm of work. I know that when I look at a Hepplewhite cabinet in a museum, or a frame house in Sag Harbor, I can read it - figure its construction, appreciate its skills - better than if I had never worked wood myself. But I also know that the dead hands that made the breakfront or the porch were far better than mine; they ran finer mouldings, they knew about expansion, and their veneer didn't have bumps... People who can make such things are an elite; they have earned their right to be... Mutatis mutandis, it's the same in writing and in the visual arts [AND IN FASHION DESIGN!]. You learn to discriminate... This corresponds to experience, just as our perception and comparison of grace in the work of a basketball player or a tennis pro rise from experience. These differences of intensity, meaning, grace can't be set forth in a little catechism or a recipe-book. They can only be experienced and argued, and then seen in relation to a history that includes social history.

I am looking for strong stuff like the quote above. In asking for help, I am utilizing the Internet in its best way - as a vehicle for collective intelligence. You can simply post your recommendations as comments. Thank you.

Sample Sale Soliloquy

2007-01-12T13:01:00.000-08:00

To go or not to go -- that is the question,
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
Uncertanties of sample sales and people
That crowd with greedy eyes the aisles
Or face the pangs of hope. To buy, to skip?
No more - and by a skip to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That dissapointment in sales is heir to. To skip, to sleep -
To rest - perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that inaction's rest what dreams may come
When we haven't seen the stock with our own eyes?
This gives us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the scorns of crowds,
The crowded subways, the fifth floor walk-ups,
CASH ONLY signs, the dissapointment and shock
Debasement of experience and pride,
That Cloaks our shopping ways,
The insolence of stockboys, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself can gather all his strength
With bare wallet? Who would sales bear,
To grunt and sweat over remains of styles,
But that the dread of missing bargain great,
The joy of scoring, from whose sense
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than skip the sample sales that we know of?
Thus conscience does make consumers of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Not to go, is sicklied o'ver with a thought,
And enterprise of will
Fades inexorably into distant shores of mind
And loses pride and sanctions grief -- Soft you now,
The fair Hussein's creations - My nymphs, in thy orisons
Be all my scores remembered.
--------------
This soliloquy is protected by copyleft. It maybe reproduced in part or in full without my permission - however, you must link to this blog entry. Thank you.

BRUNO PIETERS WILL LAUNCH A MENSWEAR LINE

2007-01-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

YES! I love his womenswear, and I think his menswear should be superb. I only hope our boring New York stores will pick up the line. As reported by Diane Pernet.

Oh, and congratulations to Peter for winning the Swiss Textile award. He is a worthy designer and joins a worthy company.

Bless + _Fabrics Interseason = Smart Coffee Table

2007-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope that's not why you would buy the new books by the two German-speaking idyosincratic houses, Berlin based Bless, and Vienna based _Fabrics Interseason (not sure what's with the _, but I have noone to ask) - but they are definitely not something your lowly Amazon will have. I like the work of both houses - they are fresh and playful. It's interesting that the two books are coming out so close in time, and by two different publishers. I haven't seen either one in person, but I would love to. I think a book by The Little Red Riding Hood (yes, it's a fashion house) is due, naturally. As reported by Contemporaryfashi on.net

GOOD SAMPLES

2007-01-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a good fashion book for yourself or as a present, check out Sample: 100 Fashion Designers - 010 Curators - Cuttings From Contemporary Fashion. Never mind the winding academic title - it's a wonderful, informative, and well-edited book. The curators are a bit skewed (Alexander McQueen picks only British designers, for example), but the selection is decent nonetheless. There are some cool blurbs on Carol Christian Poell, Shaun Leane, etc. It was just released in paperback, and for under $30 it's just about the best fashion book one can own. And in case you feel like splurging, I suggest the hardcover version (that's the one I own) - after all, it did not get the I.D. magazine honorable mention in graphics (2006) for nothing.

soft cover

hard cover

LOSING FASHION AS ART

2006-12-28T13:19:00.001-08:00

Fashion is a unique cultural phenomenon that stands at the crossroads of artistic expression, utility, and commerce. To regard fashion without considering all of its aspects is to paint an incomplete picture. Yet, in today’s world of conspicuous consumption, businessmen’s greed, and celebrity worship we are in danger of losing the first, and the most important aspect of fashion - its artistry. Trends are becoming the biggest sales driver, celebrities are rapidly replacing the designer as the source of fashion authority, and businessmen prescribe what should be produced, and how. The designer is losing his power both as a creator and as a business owner. He no longer dictates, he is dictated to. The signs are clear and urgent; in the past several years a slew of highly talented and influential designers were simply fired by their corporate bosses; Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, and Olivier Theyskens are the most notable of those names. These designers have all redefined fashion in some way; Mr. Lang and Ms. Sander introduced minimalism that became fashion’s driving force in the 90’s, and Mr. Theyskens was responsible for revival of the venerable house of Rochas. They created beauty with thread and needle. They have emphasized a personal relationship between the wearer and the clothes. Their stories are different, but the bottom line is the same – they have failed commercially.

Both Helmut Lang and Jil Sander were bought by Prada in the late 90’s. The Prada corporate bosses promised to leave complete creative freedom to both designers, and to shift the burden of running a business to Prada’s business arm. What could be better? A year later, Jil Sander was fired after a clash over creative control. Five years later Helmut Lang, whose house Prada diluted by producing a huge number of jeans and tshirts that they could not sell at high prices, was shut down. Prada subsequently sold Helmut Lang to Theory, a mass-market brand that will re-launch the brand this spring. They will try to sell same jeans and t-shirts again, only at lower prices. Today, neither Jil Sander nor Helmut Lang design. Should they choose to design again, they will not be able to put their own name on the garment label.

The story of Olivier Theyskens is a different one. A while ago, Procter & Gamble acquired the house of Rochas for its lucrative fragrances arm. P&G then decided to gamble on reviving the ready to wear line of Rochas, and hired Mr. Theyskens to be the head designer. Mr. Theyskens chose to close his own house in order to concentrate on designing for Rochas; after all, Rochas is a part of fashion history, a label that used to rival Chanel and Dior. During his tenure at Rochas, Theyskens produced breathtaking (and very expensive) creations, painstakingly crafted in small Parisian ateliers. Procter & Gamble smartly kept their ownership under the covers – who would want to buy a $4,000 suit from a company that makes laundry detergent? Yet, despite constant rave reviews from the press, Rochas failed to make a profit. It seems that the days of old school aristocratic patronage are dead, and because Mr. Theyskens refused to produce an “It” bag, or cheap garish logo-covered accessories, or a diffusion line, or prostitute his talents otherwise, Rochas did not find commercial success with the general public. The label lasted three years, before short-fused suits from Procter & Gamble decided to shut it down.

Surely, it is not all bad news for fashion. There still exist a handful of talented designers who manage to create beautiful clothes and run a successful business who give a clear priority to artistry and craftsmanship. They let the garment speak for itself. Yet, if we carefully look at the most successful of them, we can see definite compromises. Martin Margiela sold his company to Diesel; it’s been a successful marriage, for now. Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons is doing well in the high profit margin businesses of fragrances and retail, which lets her finance her ready-to-wear lines. Yohji Yamamoto has signed a lucrative contract with Adidas to create a line of sportswear (which has been a commercial success but hardly a design one, since Mr. Yamamoto does not design any of it himself, but “oversees” a design team). Yohji once famously declared, “I hate fashion.” This apparently contradictory remark has been interpreted in various ways – often as pretentious, or attention seeking. I think Yohji expressed nothing more than his disdain for the current state of fashion, and not for his love of design.

What creative designers emphasize is relationship between the wearer and the clothes. Ideally, this is all there needs to exist – a judge, and the object he judges. This relationship is no longer in equilibrium. That balance has been upset by those who worship material culture, and by those who despise it. Both groups are reactionary. The worshippers follow trends, celebrities and the magazines, and slavishly acquire the advertised goods. Their purchasing decisions have absolutely no meaning, except that of desire to be trendy and fear of being ridiculed for not being so. The others scoff, understandably, at the shallowness of the former, and often write off fashion altogether as a mere playground for the idle and the facile. By emphasizing the material aspect of fashion, both groups deemphasize its artistry. Both sides are thus responsible for the loss of beauty, of a sense of craftsmanship and artisanal tradition, for the loss of quality. Such losses impoverish culture.

If you think that you stand outside of fashion, consider this; dressing down is as much of a fashion statement as dressing up. Care and carelessness in dress are both a form of personal aesthetic expression. When Wim Wenders, a German film director, was commissioned by the Centre Georges Pompidou to film a documentary about fashion, he was at a loss. “Fashion. I’ll have nothing of it. At least that was my first reaction…” until he tried on a jacket at the Yohji Yamamoto boutique in Paris. “I looked in the mirror and felt transformed,” Wim Wenders recalls. What he did was simple – he paid attention to the garment. He realized its beauty, and sensed a personal connection with it. He felt enriched and moved. He talked of Yohji’s “philosophy and craft.” For a moment, he forgot his socio-cultural views that have previously turned him away from fashion. Subsequently, Mr. Wenders produced a memorable documentary on Yohji Yamamoto, “Notebook on Cities and Clothes.”

Fashion would be in a great position if most people appreciated its artistry the way Wim Wenders has learned to. After all, conceptually, how much difference is there between creating a garment and creating a painting? The designer’s needle is his paintbrush; the fabric he chooses is his paint – both require talent, creativity, and skill. One may say that at the end of the day the clothes are mechanically reproduced, but so are the lithographs and posters of Warhol’s, and Dali’s work. Still, with a few exceptions, fashion is not recognized as a form of artistic expression. Art enjoys a huge corporate sponsorship that recently swelled to new heights with the rise of the hedge funds. It has become en vogue for governments to commission projects by famous architects. Fashion has no such beneficiaries. With a few exceptions, such as the Council of Fashion Designers Association, and the Swiss Textile Association, who hold annual competitions and award monetary prizes meant to help young designers, there is no organized support for fashion. Art is considered refined, and architecture intelligent. Yet no one pauses to ask why so many artists and architects wear designer clothing. Could it be that they find same artistic aspects in fashion as they do in their own work? What a revelation! Alas, that is not the image of an individual interested in fashion that usually comes to one’s mind. Instead, again and again, fashion must grapple with the image of a careless idle bubblehead carrying too many credit cards in her “It” handbag, summed up in one despicable word, “fashionista.” It is high time we divorce fashion from that image.

Today, fashion is confronted with kitsch, just like the art world was at the time of Modernism. In his 1939 essay, Clement Greenberg gave the following definition of kitsch,

"Kitsch is mechanical and operates by formulas. Kitsch is vicarious experience and faked sensations. Kitsch changes according to style, but remains always the same. Kitsch is the epitome of all that is spurious in the life of our times. Kitsch pretends to demand nothing of its customers except their money -- not even their time."

Mr. Greenberg could not have been more precise were he asked to describe the state of fashion today. One needs to look no further than these two fashion-related phenomena: trends and celebrity “designers.”

Trends, mechanical and formulaic, are the sole biggest driver of fashion sales. They are a blessing to fashion kitsch, because it saves the kitsch-producers time and creative effort, because they have none. All designers have to do is produce pre-formulated trendy clothes, if they want to sell them. They consult a number of trend-forecasting agencies about what color, cut, and length will be “hot” in a year from now. Obviously, these agencies don’t have a magic ball that predicts the future. Instead they serve as a legal vehicle for designer collusion. As a result, fashion shows, especially those in bottom-line oriented New York, have become a boring, monotonous blur, albeit a commercially successful one.

The case of celebrity “designers” also precisely fits within Greenberg’s definition of kitsch. All celebrity “designers” want is people’s money, and not even their time. As a matter of fact, the less time the better, because, given time, a consumer might actually discern a fraud. Fueled by corporate investment and large egos, celebrities capitalize on public’s ignorance. Their business model is simple – build an image of high fashion and sell your low-quality wares produced in the third world sweatshops at a huge profit. Jennifer Lopez, P.Diddy, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani – these are the names that occupy prime time catwalks during the New York fashion week, and that make it into a farce despised by the entire fashion industry. Yet, they laugh all the way to the bank. Their shows are nothing but a sham – they got rid of the original purpose of a fashion show, a presentation of a new collection. Their shows have become just another form of advertising.

The celebrity has gone through an interesting transformation. In the past what celebrity wore was inaccessible to most. It helped create an aura of uniqueness about them. Now, celebrity has become a walking billboard. It is a fact that the big fashion houses will pay celebrities to wear their clothes, or give whole wardrobes to them for free. Rappers are paid to put designer names in their lyrics. The most enterprising celebrities start their own clothing lines. The result is completely reversed – from exclusivity to inclusivity. To quote Greenberg again;

"…Discovering the new capacity for boredom …the new urban masses set up a pressure on society to provide them with a kind of culture fit for their own consumption. To fill the demand of the new market, a new commodity was devised: ersatz culture, kitsch, destined for those who, insensible to the values of genuine culture, are hungry nevertheless for the diversion that only culture of some sort can provide."

So, what is the demand for the new new market? Today, consumers want the Warholian 15 minutes of fame, and they believe they can buy it with their dollars. Everyone wants to be “glam,” and for a suburban teenager girl buying a $100 pair of jeans with “JLo” written in glitter on a back pocket means just that. What Greenberg blamed on urban boredom has now become suburban rock-star fantasy. “Glam” has become the new word for kitsch.

The Modernists made a conscious effort to expose kitsch as such, and distance themselves from it. Today, we can do the same for fashion. By “we,” I mean journalists, magazine editors, museum curators, and simply people with good fashion knowledge, and – dare I say it? – good taste. To cultivate taste in dress is not that far from cultivating taste in painting, music, or any other artistic enterprise. We have the power to educate the public by praising the good and criticizing the bad – this is how taste develops. There is plenty of room for dialogue, from newspapers and magazines to blogs and Internet forums – and there is nothing condescending in teaching and learning. After all, one makes a value judgment based on the sum-total of one’s experience and knowledge. To be sure, I do not envision a world where everyone is dressed in expensive designer clothes – that would be as silly as imagining a Picasso painting in every house. It will be sufficient if the so-called “tastemakers” promote designers based on their creativity, instead of promoting those with celebrity connections and large advertising budgets. The rest will trickle down through mass-market store chains that will imitate high fashion in their own ways, and there is no shame in that. The only shame is losing beauty of clothes we put on our bodies. It is as bad as losing the beauty of art that gratifies the mind.

_____________________________

This article is protected by Copyleft. It maybe reproduced in part or in full without my permission – however, you must link to this post and mention the article source, fashion-critic.blogspot.com

JOOP HIRES DIRK SCHONBERGER

2006-12-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is huge news in my book. I am a big fan of Dirk Schonberger's work. I love his vision of deconstructing formal garments, adding a little grit and roughness to the items we normally associate with polish, such as tux jackets, blazers, and dress pants. Something has been amiss for him in the past several years - I hope his new position lets him fully unleash his creative and sartorial talents. Smart move on the part of all-but-defunct Joop as well. Good luck, Dirk.

FWD report.

FASHION INC - "NEW" MEN'S MAGAZINE GOTH ISSUE

2006-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

So, it looks like Loaded Fashion has changed its profile in order to take it to a higher ground. The new magazine called Fashion Inc (they couldn't pick a cheesier title, could they?) is more high-end and polished... and that's exactly what I did not like about it. An issue of a magazine that claims to explore the dark side, however cliche this has become, will certainly find an audience, but it is not an audience that is going to buy Louis Vuitton, Prada and Hugo Boss (that's right, Hugo Boss), not even if you submerge their items in jet black paint. It might have suited them better to profile Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Cloak, Carpe Diem, and such. There is exactly one image that features exactly one Yohji Yamamoto's piece - and Yohji is only the king of black. The magazine claims to be "A Thinking Man's Style Bible," but it leaves me wondering about what they were thinking (except their current and future advertisers) when creating this particular issue.

I've always worn a lot of black clothing and I've also maintained a certain edge to my style - it's just a reflection of my personality. From a long practice of reading and observation I can tell you that noone who is serious about black color and edgy mood does the polished gigolo look. When you polish the dark look what you get is kitsch. You make it safe, cute, and ready for the wide audience with money to consume (witness the whole skull craze). I am afraid that Rick Owens was right when he said that these days there are no more ways left to be edgy.

RAF SIMONS REVAMPS HIS WEBSITE

2006-11-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

Yes. I am not sure if they hired someone new to make the new website, visually it's largely the same. Boy, a long time Raf Simons friend and model (Raf has used many of the same guys as models throughout his career, some of them are his friends) was responsible for creating the first one. I think the best feature of the new website are the videos from the old fashion shows - it not only lets you see the dynamics of the shows, but also peek at pieces that were never produced. AW 00-01 is my favorite. Enjoy.

http://www.rafsimons.com

THE ONE TO HAVE - ANNE FONTAINE WHITE SHIRT

2006-11-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

Men aren't the only creatures that need a cool white shirt. I think having a great white shirt in one's wardrobe is equally important for both sexes. It is a versatile piece that can be a gateway to both dressing up and dressing down. For any woman who is equally bored with the standard offerings of juvenile chain stores and stuffy Brioni types, take a look at Anne Fonatine. She is a French designer whose preoccupation has been a white shirt. I must say she's perfected the art. Her offerings are always unique, but rarely flamboyant. They will make you stand out from the crowd in a sophisticated and subtle way.

IS IT WORTH IT?

2006-11-10T12:32:00.001-08:00

My big theme right now is the rise of design culture among the masses. I even might write my Master's thesis on that. I am all for it when it's good; when the pure intention is to democratize design, to make low-priced items more beautiful, more interesting, better quality. Beautify the world - isn't that part of progress? Once we've fed, clothed, and sheltered the world, isn't making it more beatiful the next logical step? I say, yes. But recent developments in the high-design-for-the-masses world leave me a little disconserted. Take the Viktor & Rolf collaboration with H&M, for example. I looked at the designs on the website, and they are pretty lame - the gimmicky arrows, the bow ties, etc. I cannot speak for the quality, but I would assume it's pretty atrocious, like most of H&M is. Yet, look at the stampede in the H&M store in Amsterdam, and in London (thanks, Susie_Bubble for the link) during yesterday's debut of the collection. Not a pretty site, eh? Do these people look like dignified humans or like participants of the proverbial rat race? Some of these garments showed up on Ebay within hours.

Today a huge discount Japanese retailer, Uniqlo, that is another player in the huge high street market opened their first flagship in New York. Massive lines are reported. A.P.C. warehouse sale that started today in Williamsburg is the same story - lines out the door and down the block. Are clothes really worth it? Is it really a sign of progress that people behave in such debased ways to be in touch with design? I think being human is more beautiful than the most beautiful article of clothing in the world - let's get our priorities straight.

"Helmut Lang" - Coming to Stores Near You

2006-11-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

That's right, in quotation marks, because I will not view it any other way. I am a long term admirer of Helmut's work, and the fact that it is becoming a jeans'n'tshirts line under Link-Theory is just heart-breaking. You can read the latest article on the demise of the label in The New York Times. I highly doubt that a Lang customer, who admired not only Lang's clothes, but his vision, his minimalist-with-a-quirk philosophy that made his clothes intelligent and intriguing, will come back for this. Will they find a new clientele? Maybe. Oh, and no disrespect to Mr. Calvos of Habitual, but saying that Helmut made the decision to leave when he sold his company is a lie. Helmut made a decision to leave when the Devil started interfering with his creative process. They might have as well fired him. Oh, and it would do Mr. Calvos good to learn the difference between the terms Modernity and Modernism.

I absolutely disagree with Mr. Wilson. Helmut's last collection's that featured bondage details were one of his best. What killed Helmut is dilution of the brand under the "auspices" of the Prada Group management.

SHAME ON YOU, MCQUEEN - AN OPEN LETTER

2006-10-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Lee,

I have been a long time fan of your work, but your recent Nazi ad for your diffusion line McQ, published in the "Happiness" (#270) issue of i-D magazine is shameful and outrageous. If you were trying to bring scandalous attention following the first rule of PR, "bad PR is still PR," you could have at least done someing excusable, say like the Lust Supper Diesel ad, which was kind of cute. I can't even call this ad something done in bad taste. It is horrible. There is no reason to put a Nazi eagle and swastika, and the Iron Cross on that poor model. These things symbolize nothing but hatred, suffering, and murder. Maybe you are one of those great admirers of Hitler? Is that why your head is shaved? Are you an anti-Semite? Do you hate gypsies and Eastern Europeans? I want to know. I am posting the ad on my blog, you can sue me for copyright infringement if you'd like - maybe you will get even more publicity and sell more clothes this way, not a bad deal. I am also posting some images of the Holocaust right next to your ad, so my dear readers get a reminder of what these Nazi symbols have really stood for.

Cheers,
Fashion Critic

DESIGNER PROFILE - HENRY BEGUELIN

2006-10-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ladies (and Gentlemen!), if you want to stand out from the brown monogrammed Louis Vuitton bag crowd, look no further - Henry Beguelin is your man. Mr. Beguelin is a prolific leather goods maker whose quirky designs and stunning high-quality leathers make a beautiful and unique hand-made product. Just touch the leather, and you will be sold. He was launched into niche US stardome by Barneys, and they know their sh.. stuff. I will not chew your ear off with biographical details, I'll scrape them off his website directly, as well as some pictures. Yes, it's expensive, but not more than the fugly Guccis, and you will get a much higher value for your thousand dollars.

1971 HENRI opens a craft center-cum-shop in a little corner of a square that overlooks the sea. It was named "HENRY CUIR".

1981 His products were sold at PUPI SOLARI, a shop in Milan. He felt that he'd reached the limit of what he could do on his own so he decided to enlarge his craft center and gathered more workers.

1982 HENRI meets a shoe maker. A comfortable-to-wear moccasin was invented, which later became one of the vital items. HENRI gradually developed his interest in making interior products/furniture such as cushions, mini-tables and chairs. The company gradually expanded.

1985 The first shop opens in Milan. His name was used for the label except the spelling was changed into HENRY BEGUELIN. He has a crucial encounter with BARNEYS NEW YORK. As they were strongly impressed with HENRI's products, BARNEYS displayed them in show windows, which led to the recognition of the label in the American market.

1997 He developed doubts about the direction of the expanding company, and also the way his partner was managing the company. He decided to leave his job.

1998 He launched a new label. As a departure from HENRI BEGUELIN and to restart his creative production, it was appropriate to take the name of the little craft center-cum-shop in Elba, "HENRI CUIR" which was his starting point. "Cuir" means leather in French as well.
In the same year, his first shop opened in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo. His products are also available in some outlets in Europe and Barneys, New York.

1999 Milan store opens.

2002 HENRI CUIR Aoyama flagship store opens in Kotto-dori, Aoyama.
More shops opened in Kyoko, Osaka and Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

HENRYCUIR

@BARNEYS

NYC SHOPPING GUIDE PARKED

2006-10-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

A lot of my avid readers (thank you!) have been asking me on shopping advice in New York. I covered this in one of the first posts of the blog, which was about a year ago (time flies fast!) and might not be easily accessible, unless you dig through the archives. Therefore, I have permanently linked to that post in the link section on the right >>>>. Enjoy!

GUY TREBAY TRASHES MILAN FASHION WEEK - FASHION CRITIC LOVES IT

2006-09-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Leave it to Guy Trebay to expose the shallowness of the fashion world. Although sometimes his articles border on socialite commentary, they have often been my guilty pleasure because of his witty and sharp style. He first got my attention with his article on fashion forgery called "Imitation is the Mother of Invention," exposing big-time designers who often ironically complain about lack of copyright protection. This article has become iconic and is taught in fashion colleges and law schools alike. His article in the current issue of New York Times exposing the sillines of Milan fashion week is just plain hilarious. Thanks, Guy.

GoGuyGo!

MY NEW FASHION COMMUNITY WEBSITE IS UP. JOIN!

2006-09-06T12:04:00.001-07:00

Dissatisfied with the Fashion Spot that has turned into a playground for celebrity and model worship, a group of us has decided to launch an alternative site. Well, the working version of it is up!!! Check out STYLEZEITGEIST, sign up, and post! This community will be purely fashion and design oriented, no fluff. The forums and blog section is ready. We might have more things, like news feeds, and photo galleries in the future.

THE COOLEST FASHION SHOW EVER.

2006-08-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this a while ago. In the link below is the coolest video of a fashion show staged in Milan by Carol Christian Poell. It's another testament to Carol's genius. I believe that show was for the F/W 05 collection, but I am not 100% sure. It was called "Mainstream - Downstream." I think what Carol was trying to say is that it's high time we flushed the dull mainstream "fashion" down the toilet, or, to be more poetic, let it go down a steam of water, into the ocean, far far away. Amen.

CLICK HERE

BOOKS ON BELGIAN FASHION WORTH HAVING

2006-08-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

If you are into Belgian fashion, I would recommend the following three books, Belgian Fashion Design, Young Belgian Fashion Design, and Dries van Noten 01-50. I own all three and I never get tired looking at them.

The first two books are compilations of work by different designers.
Belgian Fashion Design concentrates on the early famous designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Walter van Bierendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs (R.I.P. in Milan), Martin Margiela, Raf Simons, etc.
The photos are absolutely amazing and showcase their talent in the best possible way. There is also a little historical and biographical information on the designers.

Young Belgian Fashion Design came out in 2001 and surveys what then were young designers.
Strangely, Raf Simons is in both books.
In addition, there are some extremely rare shots of work by Jurgi Persoons, plus A.F. Vandevorst, Bernard Willhelm, Veronique Branquinho, etc.

Both books are now out of print and fetching quite a high price on Amazon, but they are worth hunting for.

One designer that is covered very thinly in those books is Dries van Noten. Not to fear - he made his own book that highlights his first 50 runway shows. It is called Dries van Noten 01-50. I got it for my birthday, and it is an absolutely amazing book, wonderfully laid out and full of words from Dries and comments from fashion insiders that are as warm as his clothes. It also lifts the veil on what goes on in preparation of a catwalk show - it's mind-boggling. Did you know that Dries started out as a menswear designer? I didn't. This book is still available in some stores, but I predict not for much longer.

THE NEW ISSUE OF A MAGAZINE IS OUT

2006-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I hate magazines. Honestly. I am not even talking about mainstream thinly veiled advertisements catalogues like Vogue, with their ten thousand must-haves lists that the mindless sheep eats up in steady monthly doses. I am talking about pseudo-creative, pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-indie magazines that sell pseudo-rebellion culture to trust-fund hipsters in Williamsburg. Purple, Nylon, Tokion, etc. - all these poseurs can shove it - their blandness and fakery is mind-numbing. i-D is only half-passable because they still have decent editorials, while the rest of the content is filler.

What's a boy to do? Enter "A" - my savior. This magazine is backed by Mode Natie, and is the most creative magazine I have seen to date. It is only in it's 4th issue (before that I think it was called A-Z magazine), and it hasn't disappointed yet. I don't know what they feed them in Antwerp (must that excellent beer), but the amount of creative talent that has and still is coming out of there is staggering. Anyway, each issue of A is curated by a different designer. This one is done by Jun Takashi of Undercover. You can pick it up in Universal News on Broadway (where else?!), and St. Marks Bookstore. It costs an eye-brow raising $26, though - so if you steal it, I won't blame you.

ISSUE 4 - CLICK

CLOAK BOUTIQUE NYC: LAST DAYS OF SALE

2006-08-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

I know lots of you go ga-ga for Cloak. In a way I do, too, but only for the designs. Cloak needs to fix their quality control, which is really erratic. However, for those of you who don't give a damn about silly things like a durable garment, Cloak boutique is in the final days of clearing their SS06 merchandise, which is now at a whopping 70% off. There are still plenty of dress shirts, polo shirts, some jackets, and some pants left. I am providing several pictures here. Mostly sizes S and XL (that is XS and L in normal sizes).

Cloak Boutique: 10 Green St., New York City

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING FOOTWEAR

2006-07-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

People often ask me what is the best brand that makes shoes, or what I can recommend. The truth is, it's hard to recommend things to people who have different tastes, so sometimes I would rather give practical advice instead of an aesthetic one. My best practical advice is to buy shoes with leather soles. Leather soles let your feet breathe and keeps them cool in the summer - rubber just won't do it. But don't buy just any leather soled shoes. Look for the "VERO CUOIO" sign stamped on the outside of the solde - it is a sign of an Italian leather sole association that adheres to the strictest quality standards, and produces the best shoe soles in the world from vegetable tanned leather. So, do your feet a favor...

CLICK

FALL/WINTER-06/07 MENSWEAR IN-STORE REVIEWS, PART I

2006-07-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

I never fully judge a collection until I see it in stores. It's one thing to see the pictures, and another one to hold a garment, feel the fabric, see how it fits, and how it works with other pieces. I wanted to share my initial reviews of the first FW 06 shipments that NYC stores are receiving right now with my dear readers, especially those who don't have stocklists in the immediate vicinity. I will do a part II once final deliveries come in, probably in mid-August. I think FW06 was one of the strongest menswear seasons in recent history (Junya Watanabe and CDG flops notwithstanding), and my wallet is already shrinking from the blows it will have to take in the few coming months.

ANN DEMEULEMEESTER

First thng first - Ann's collection. The stores bought it well, I think - no blue velvet, and no silver leather. If Ann forgot that her forte is black, the NYC stores certainly didn't. Lots of outerwear, coats, short jackets, and blazers done inn jet-black virgin wool, or virgin wool/ramie (if you don't know what ramie is, consult wikipedia). The wool/ramie mix feels amazing - very soft and cozy. The outerwear is going for around $1000 to $1500, blazers for $700+. The cropped pants off the runway were also present - I liked them. They looked like a nice slim fit, with buttons on the bottoms of the legs - yours for a mere $700. A couple of dress shirs and tshirts were filling in the space - those were nothing special. And there were jeans, again. WTF? Ann isn't someone I associate with jeans - this is freaky. They were another filler item - definitely not worth $350. Noone bought any leather yet (if at all), as Ann's leather prices are through the roof.

Reviewed at: Atelier, IF Boutique

RAF SIMONS

Raf's strengths this season seem to be the fabrics. The suits are done in a very luxurious wool - I thought it was cashmere at first - I just know Raf never does cashmere, so I had to look at the tags. The knitwear is top-notch as usual, but the fabrics are a little rough - I personally don't mind that. The prices certainly went up - I wonder if Raf's new gig at Jil Sander is boosting the ego, and the prices - hopefully not. Everything is slim, slim, slim - the suits, the knits, the dress shirts. Dress shirts with the signature scripted "R" are present in several colors and fabrics - cotton in black and white, and some funky fabric in silver. The classic drainpipe dress pants are also on order, done in virgin wool. Noone bought those breakthrough jackets with the double zippered collar. Atelier bought the cape, which I thought was awesome for someone who can pull that off. Prices, suit jackets around $1k, dress pants $400-650, shirts $200-$450.

Reviewed at: Atelier, Barneys

RICK OWENS

Rick = leather, denim, soft knits - all on order, and top notch, as expected. Leather jackets are cool, including the leather/cotton combos (see picture). Oh, yea - you bet Atelier bought the 5 inch heels. Leather jacket will set you back around $2K, but that's besides the point. Some black blazers were present too. No coats yet, which I think for the first time was the highlight of the collection, but I was assured that they'll come in later. I'll be waiting...

Reviewed at: Atelier

DIOR HOMME

I am not a fan of DH, but I used to be. This collection was Ok, but I still wouldn't buy it. The suits were strong, this is one DH's strength - black luxurious wool, slim fit, fully canvased - a classic. Lots of raw denim jeans - $235-400. The standout piece was the double-brested military coat (see pic), which was pretty cool, and pretty good quality. The price was Ok - $1465. I liked the fact that the coat did not cut off my circulation when I tried it on, so buy true to size. The only thing that I did not like about it that below the chest it only closes with a belt - so if you live in the windy city of Chicago, for example - you'll be screwed.

Reviewed at: Saks

CAROL CHRISTIAN POELL

Every season I think to myself, "What will this insane genius will come up with next?" And when you think he outdid himself, that means you don't know Carol. No surprises that I found myself twisting and turning the dress pants and jeans with double seamed saddle, luscous grey blazers with overlock bright green stitching, buttons with off-center buttonholes, and exposed construction, and textured long-sleeve tees in vertical stripes. Damn, I want it all. Jeans are $1k, tops $500. Bring lube for your wallet.

Reviewed at: Atelier

NUMBER (N)INE

I thought that this collection was the strongest N(N) collection ever (moreso because I don't think he's a good designer), so I actually shlepped to their boutique in the freaky part of Tribeca. The clothes were really amazingly well made with a lot of attention to detail, and practically everything was black and slim. Lots of different blazers ($1200-1400), some knits, including the cape with horn buttons ($1400). The fabrics on the blazers are very dressy, luxurious wool. I did not like the excessive padding on the blazers though - it made them too stiff for my taste. There was also one coat, which I did not like, and some capes. A ton of non-descript tshirts for $200 - don't know who on Earth would want to buy those. Oh, and there was a soft cotton hoodie with 3-D pockets for a "mere" $310 - run people!!!

Reviewed at: Number (N)ine boutique

CLOAK

Last, but not least, and a very impressive collection. There wasn't much at the store yet, but the standout was the black wool peacoat - let's just say that it was the best peacoat I've ever seen. I've never wanted a peacoat, because I don't like them, but I wanted that one. Jet-black, gorgeous wool, lots of tiny details that keep you just staring at it again and again. At $1400 it was palatable by today's standards. The burgundy vintage looking leather jacket (see pic) was $1475 - also a very decent price. I liked it - the leather was a little beat up, and somehow buttery and a bit rough at the same time, 3-d chest and bottom flap pockets, and a funky button closure in addition to the zipper. I just hope the quality control at Cloak has improved, so if you buy this and it falls apart in a year - don't blame me! Oh, yea - and skinny jeans were there too - buy them now, because they go F.A.S.T.

Reviewed at: Cloak boutique

Sad Day for Fashion: House of Rochas to Close

2006-07-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, indeed. Reuters reports that Rochas will cease to exist as of this fall. CLICK

It turns out that Procter & Gamble, the epitomy of disposable cheap crap, actually owns Rochas. It happened by default, when they acquired the entire house while pursuing its fragrance business. This fact of course was carefully kept under the covers all this time, so as not to turn off the rich customers (who wants to associate themselves with P&G while buying a $3k suit?). The house's Belgian designer, Olivier Theyskens, who is in my opinion one of the best womenswear designers at the moment, will find himself unemployed, hopefully not for long. I would like him to go back and do his own line that would consist of Haute Couture and a small ready-to-wear to support it, sort of the way Ann Valerie Hash does. I see other people wanting him to go to Chloe, but I think he's to good for it.

Where would you like to see him?

My Latest Acquisition

2006-07-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am usually not the one to brag too much about my purchases, except maybe to a few of my friends (well, Ok, maybe occasionally on the FashionSpot ;-0), and I've certainly have not done it in cyberspace in a while. This I had to share, though. I am now a proud owner of this Lmaltieri (CDiem's fabrics line) jacket. I think it should go in the dictionary under "understated elegance." About the jacket. It is done in two layers. The fabric tag reads I. 150% wool, 30% silk, 20% Linen, II. 100% Cotton. The black piping you can see is cotton, the entire outside and part of the inside of the jacket is wool, the back is silk, and sleeves lined in linen. The jacket is reversible. You may notice there are no buttonholes per se; instead, thick thread is seamlessly sewn into the piping of the jacket. Perfection.

The jacket

Collar detail

Jacket reversed

Fabric label

Former Carpe Diem assistant Maurizio Amadei launches his own line.

2006-07-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Former assistant for Maurizio Altieri's label Carpe Diem has launched his own line of mostly bags/wallets/belts made of leather. Beautiful products, you can definitely see CDiem's roots here.

Check them out CLICK .

Something is going on at CDiem. Former assistants are fleeing, and the word on the street is that Altieri himself is no longer interested in the CDiem project. SOS - the coolest brand on earth may be in trouble.

The one to have - Dries van Noten scarves

2006-06-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

If you were to invest some money into a scarf, and needed to have one – look no further than the Belgian designer Dries van Noten. I have never seen a designer work with color so masterfully. He creates some mind-boggling color combinations that look good together, and that is a very hard task. In addition to that, he adds the most amazing embroidery and beadwork – often done by Indian artisans. Belgian lace and other high quality fabrics are always on order. For women, the scarves project a sense of femininity with a touch of fragility and romance. For men, these are never flashy, and are a great introduction of color into one's wardrobe, even if you are color-shy (like me). So, pick one up – it will always make a statement.

Men's

Women's

Women's on the runway

Women's shawl detail

Designer Profile: Jurgi Persoons - Remembrance of Things Past

2006-06-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

To invoke the title of Marcel Proust's masterpiece is to invoke a flood of memories about moments that have left some imprint on you. It is also to invoke the things that passed and will probably not return. It is both nostalgic and sad. Such an imprimint was made on me when I first encountered Jurgi Persoon's work. I remember an iconic image of being completely stopped in my tracks while rushing through Barneys racks by clothes of staggering beauty and craftmanship. These clothes were designed by Jurgi Persoons, a young Belgian, who graduated Antwerp Royal Academy in 92.

Jurgi no longer designs. He was driven out of business by economic reasons - his clothes were very expensive because of a significant amount of difficult manual work they required. The "nervous" assymmetrical stitching, highest quality fabrics, such as Dormeuil wool and a large amount of panels that went into each garment demanded a premium. Unfortunately Jurgi could not get the client base required to keep him afloat. Yet, in my mind he remains a genius. I've collected some pictures (thanks to my friend Scott), and would like to share them with you. His pieces are still displayed in the MOMU museum in Antwerp.

"Mirror" presentation - dispensing with traditional catwalks

Multi-layer kilt from the Scotland-inspired collection - A/W 02

Coat embellished with chiffon - A/W 99

Skirt from A/W 99 (check out the stitching!) - must brag, wife is a proud owner of that museum piece.

Sweater detail - best example of the "nervous" stitching

Pant detail

Sweater

Fashion Critic's Milan Shopping Report - Part 2, Viktor & Rolf Boutique

2006-05-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

While I am not a big fan of Viktor & Rolf's designs (I do like some of their women's, not so much men's), I can appreciate the quirkiness they sometimes put into their work. Their first boutique in the world is no exception. One can't help but smile at the pure simplicity and ingenuity of the concept. They basically turned the whole interior upside down! The parquet "floor" is on the ceiling, with some chairs attached to it. Even the small TV showing V&R's fashion shows is upside down. It makes you involanterily twist your neck. The store itself is tiny, and selection is limited, but it's just a fun place to be in.

Here are some pictures I took.

Window (check out the chandelier growing out of the floor... or the ceiling)

The door

Interior

More interior

TV

Fashion Critic's Milan Shopping Report - Part I, 10 Corso Como

2006-05-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

So, I was in sunny Italy last week, and yes, it was amazing. I flew into Milan and explored it a little, before heading out to Tuscany. I snapped a few pictures of the more interesting Milan stores - this is part 1. My hotel was just around the corner from the most famous, and by far the best store in Milan - 10 Corso Como. It was a pure coincidence, of course...

I loved the store. It's really a charming playground with separate floors devoted to a well edited men's (Ann Demeulemeester, CDG, Junya Watanabe, Raf Simons, Dior Homme, NDC Made by Hand) and women's (Alaia, Biba, CDG, Chloe, Balenciaga) designer clothes, perfume, a book store, a photo gallery (it was hosting World Press Photo exhibition nonetheless!), a cafe, and even a 3 room hotel! Definitely one of the best stores I've seen... and I've seen lots.

Entrance

Elevator

Book Store

Cafe

Women's floor

Courtyard Wall

Skinny Jeans - Not Sick of Them Yet?

2006-05-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

I know I am, especially on guys, and especially after New York Times reports on it. Not only that, the article actually got on the most e-mailed list - that's how you know it's over. Sorry, but it's hard to get pass the 80's hairy rocker thing - like it or not. There are very few who do it well. But, if you have to do it, PLEASE don't wear them with frigging dress shirts, or ANYTHING tucked in, like that New York Times photo shows.

From left, John Varvatos jeans with Peal & Company shoes from Brooks Brothers; Cheap Monday stretch jeans with Polo Ralph Lauren deck shoes; Cheap Monday jeans tucked into John Varvatos suede boots; Cloak selvage denim with Converse sneakers; a Tsubi high-waist style with Acne ankle boots.

The one to have… Ann Demeulemeester combat boots.

2006-04-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here is another entry that showcases the one item I would want to own from a vast variety of what's out there (and I'm glad to say I do own it). These combat boots are my most favorite boots ever. Ann first showed them in F/W 2003 “Twilight” collection. They were made famous (for better or worse) when Nicole Kidman wore them throughout the entire 20 page photo shoot in the September 2003 issue of Vogue. They became so popular, that Ann reintroduced them again a year later. These unisex boots are made of supple buffalo leather that wrinkles and beautifully ages with wear. There is a faux lacing in front, and a functioning zipper on each side of the boot, so they open easily. There is also a strap with a buckle and two flaps that close with snaps. This gives one a variety of ways in which to wear them. I wear mine with both zippers undone up until where they meet the buckled strap, and with laces loosened. Ann once said that she wants to cut nonchalance into her clothes, and I think that a nonchalant way of wearing these boots is the way to go. So, if you were planning to buy that one pair of boots - you might want to consider these - they still pop up on Ebay once in a blue moon.

Oh, and I would like to publicly thank my wonderful wife for giving them to me as a present.

Shaun Leane Jewelry

2006-04-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am usually not a fan of jewelry, and especially not on men. I never wear any, because I can’t shake off this slight feeling of pretension or of trying too hard when wearing jewelry. But one man impresses me with his precious creations. His name is Shaun Leane. I find that his mind is just in another universe – full of fantasy and a fairy tales that can be either creepy or romantic… or creepily romantic. Shaun is perhaps best famous for his lasting collaboration with Alexander McQueen – for whose runway show he’s provided phantasmagoric jewelry such as spears that look like they pierced the model’s body, vines that seem to grow around the torso, a crown of thorns, or a bodice made of coiled sterling silver. The sky is the limit for this guy.

The one to have… Martin Margiela classic leather biker jacket.

2006-04-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Time and again I have come across people asking, “If you were to choose one garment from this or that category, what would it be?” These questions gave me an idea to post from time to time “the one to have” entries, where I will profile garments that I would give top priority in my closet. My first entry is the classic Margiela leather biker jacket. The reason why I use the word classic is two-fold. First, the design is a classic one – minimalist, easy on the eye, one that will probably not go out of style for a long time (if ever). Second, it is because Margiela must be of the same opinion, because he produces these jackets in a variety of leathers (I’ve seen them in shiny hide, distressed leather, and suede) and colors. Here is a picture of one in cream color and one in black. The two chunky side zippers hide two pockets on each side -- there are also two internal pockets and a chunky zipper at the end of each sleeve.

So, yes - if you were to buy one leather jacket - get that one, and trust me - it will turn heads.

Best of Womenswear FW 06/07

2006-03-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Fashion week is over, the catwalk dust has settled, the emotions subsided, and after initial wows and eewws, I have analyzed and picked my favorites -- so let me know what you think and feel free post your favorites.

For me the real fashion week starts and ends in Paris. There maybe an exception here and there, but as a rule, New York is safe and bland, London is always almost but never quite there, and Milan is a decadent hooker with too much coke up her nose. Paris is creative, romantic, edgy and beautiful. To be sure, most designers who show in Paris are not French, but, c’est la vie.

This season was an interesting one. The reason I choose the word interesting is because for me it had as many absolutely fantastic shows as it had disappointments. Some of my favorites flopped. Yohji Yamamoto gave up on the female form altogether – whereas before he produced amazing creations that were voluminous, but retained a body contour, this time he sent out a series of potato sacks. Rick Owens is beginning to make me believe that he is a one trick pony – I LOVE what the guy does, but will he ever progress (he seemed to in his menswear)? Olivier Theyskens sent a series of sportswear for Rochas in some bland-looking fabric – is this the Rochas we know and love? Undercover wrapped those poor models in some fabric that looked simply amateurish. Yet, McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester, and Hussein Chalayan produced absolutely stellar collections. So, there was a bit of ambiguity, ambivalence, and dichotomy in my reactions, but that is what makes things interesting, isn’t it?

1. Ann Demeulemeester – what can I say? Ann never fails my expectations. For this collection she has retained her signature silhouette, flowing, nonchalant, yet flattering, elongated, and absolutely, gorgeously feminine. She moved away from the straps and buckles that dominated the past few seasons, which is fine by me – I love either-or. I am grateful that, unlike for her menswear, she retained the romantic, yet assertive mood. Joan of Arc? I’ll take two.

2. Alexander McQueen – the eagle has landed, both figuratively and almost literally (judging by those headpieces)! I am glad that McQueen is back to basics, so to speak. His staggering talent has always amazed me. For years, he, Junya Watanabe, and Hussein Chalayn rotate the crown of the most talented and innovative designer – and this season Lee takes the cake.

3. Hussein Chalayan – ah, yes, the unsung genius of fashion. The one who pushes and pushes the boundaries and relentlessly innovates. Another fantastic collection, absolutely easy without being simple. The garment construction looks top notch. I can’t wait to see this in stores.

4. Junya Watanabe – punk is dead. Punk is so dead that you can buy it on every corner. Punk has been swallowed up and vomited out by the very culture it opposed. Who gets the last laugh? Certainly not the rich kids that buy their expensive punk gear on St. Marks and pay $50 for Rancid tickets. Punk is so dead, that these days if you want to do it in fashion YET again, you better be damn talented. You better produce a collection that is so impeccably and complexly constructed that it will FORCE the spectator to look at the clothes, and not laugh at the theme. Who else, but Junya?

5. Neil Barrett – surprise, surprise. Actually he was a runner up. My number 5 spot originally went to Bruno Pieters, but due to technical difficulties, I can’t find any pictures. Back to Neil – how often does it happen that a menswear designer starts doing better clothes for women? I like his masculine on feminine adaptation. No fuss, just beautiful, flattering clothes. And let’s face it, a skinny pant suit looks so much better on a woman (unless you are into Berlin rent boys that is…)

Best of Menswear F/W 06-07

2006-03-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

The menswear shows ended a couple of weeks ago, and it is time to choose some favorites. This season had the fewest surprises for me - pretty much all designers I revere produced excellent collections. I haven't seen some collections yet, such as Carol Christian Poell and Carpe Diem - but that is simply impossible, unless you are a buyer. So, I will wait until their clothes gets to stores. Anyway, here are my picks;

1. Raf Simons. Finally!!! I have been waiting and waiting for Raf to get back to his roots, and he produced an absolutely stellar, perfectly tailored collection. While I understood Rafs explorations of the youth culture and such, I have always felt that it was missing his incredible cutting skills, and his austure, yet innovative tailoring that dominated his late 90's collections and made him one of my favorites. This collection marks this return. Yet, it is not a complete return - that would be boring. There are plenty new interesting garments (notice the two-piece coat and the double-collared one). Perfect all around.

2. Number (N)ine. This was definitely the biggest surprise. I am not a fan of N(N) in general. I think Taka is more of a stylist, not a designer. Last season's horrendous Axl Rose show was the biggest proof of that... and so was this as a matter of fact. It was very derivative - you could see Raf Simons, early Dior Homme, and even Cloak in it. Yet, what made it attractive to me, and put it so high up on this list is how incredibly well executed it was. I could see myself in almost every garment from the show.

3. Rick Owens. I liked this show, because it was a bit of a progress for Rick, who is often accused (and sometimes rightfully so) of being a one-trick (the trick being the draping, and the earthly colors) pony. I liked the oversized coats with pinched shoulders - a definite step forward. If the fabrics in this collection are as exquisite as they usually are - this is a winner.

4. Ann Demeulemeester. My fashion love has toned it down a little ever since she started a stand-alone mens show. And maybe it's a good thing and a sign of progress. I do feel a tiny feeling of disappointment, as I am used to Ann's romantic, yet very confident tone. She retained it with the womenswear this season (the women's review to come in my next entry), but not with the menswear. However, the romantic part is still definitely there, and there are plenty of beautiful pieces. And she put her good friend and source of inspiration - Patty Smith - on the runway. How cool is that?!

5. Cloak. I got to go this show, and the atmosphere inside was fantastic. I love seeing a lot of people in one place who share a similar aesthetic, because I always hope that behind sharing an aesthetic, there are deeper cultural similarities. The clothes themselves were also less agressive then in the previous season, but the tailoring and a decisively masculine aspect is still there.

2006-01-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

Designer Profile: Maurizio Altieri of Carpe Diem

If one wants to talk about artisanship and craftsmanship, to get away from all the garbage that surrounds fashion – advertising, neurotic personalities, glittery magazines that sell fakery in forms of images and banal collections of syllables – in other words if one wants to concentrate on the garment itself (and after all, garment is fashion, everything else is filler) – one must talk about Maurizio Altieri.

Altieri decided to pursue his real passion – crafting clothes - after getting degrees in economy and jurisprudence. After working for some time at Chrome Hearts, he decided to strike out on his own. Thus his label, Carpe Diem, was formed in 1994. It started out as a leather house, and subsequently moved into cottons and knits (L’Maltieri and Linea lines), and bespoke (Anatomica WatchIt! and Sartoria lines).

Mr. Altieri at Work
The design philosophy from day one was creating timeless, utilitarian, hand-made clothes from highest quality materials that have undergone unique treatments. These included leathers (horsehide, cowhide, anaconda) that have been washed, distressed, crushed, and buried in soil for months, silver sterling buttons, 12-gauge over dyed cashmere, and hard cottons. The pride in craftsmanship techniques and attention to detail is on par with one that goes into fabric development - .all garments are hand made, the pants are lined, seams are carefully distressed. The result of this industrious labor is that the soul of the maker can truly be seen in the clothes. The garments, displayed on meat hooks (to remember the leather-making roots of the company), come with their own tube cases – a sign of respect for a garment.

Carpe Diem on Hooks at Atelier Boutique, NYC

They call on you to touch, examine, and contemplate them. Their beauty is in their purity, just like the purity of the Carpe Diem house manifests in its refusal to advertise, produce seasonal collections, fashion shows, and engage in other activities that are expected of a fashion house. Such philosophy forces one to appreciate the garment itself, stripped -- and that is the final, most beautiful, and purest manifestation of creating clothes.

Distressed Horsehide Boots with Leather Laces

Crushed Washed Leather Shirt

Laser Cut Leather Jacket

Crushed Leather Coat

FASHION CRITIC PICKS OUT COLLECTOR'S ITEMS

2005-12-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Holidays are coming, so everyone is publishing their Holiday Gift Guides. Well, you won’t find one here. I would not want my readers to roll their eyes after from boredom after the second sentence of this post. So, instead I decided to write a blog entry about Collector’s items. Yes, yes, view fashion as art with utilitarian purpose – and you become a collector. The list below is a result of years of careful and discriminating hands-on fashion experience, and if you do want to treat yourself or your loved one to something indeed special - take a look. This list is androgynous, by the way – and, in the words of late Hunter Thompson, why not?

LEATHER JACKETS – What’s a man or a woman without a leather jacket?! Well, I’m not the one to say “nothing,” because that’s a pretty stupid assessment. However, a leather jacket is a staple that no other items of clothing can rival. I like my leather washed, beat up, stomped on, run over by an 18-wheeler truck and otherwise annihilated to achieve that nonchalant, comfortable, cool look.

Carpe Diem – this is the king of leather. The small label produced in Perugia, Italy by a former Chrome Hearts designer Maurizio Altieri. Each piece is virtually hand made of highest grade leather. The fabric takes a long time to prepare because of different treatments it undergoes, such as washing, burying in the soil, painting, etc. etc. Their most famous item is the leather shirt – which is really a jacket.

Ann Demeulemeester – Her leather jackets and coats are absolutely stunning. These days Ann favors paper-thin and therefore paper-light, yet durable leather. Her asymmetric designs add nonchalance to her clothes.

Rick Owens – this Paris-based designer from Los Angeles does wonders with leather. I love his cuts, which hug the body, and the leathers are soft but durable. He likes the sleeves long, but because they are skinny, they bunch up nicely. Rick favors earthy, dusty colors and silver hardware on his jackets – rock’n’roll!

FOOTWEAR – now that you own your dream leather jacket, shouldn’t you compliment it with a pair of kick-ass boots?! Yes, you should. I know I don’t have to convince girls on that one, but I have to say that I don’t like sneakers on guys in any way, shape, or form.

Carpe Diem – yes, you will see some repetition throughout this post, but I can’t help if these great designers are in the habit of turning out great products in more than one category. Yes, they make the best footwear as well. Everything is hand-made, and the materials vary from the usual leather to horse-hide and anaconda.

Carol Christian Poell – this great Austrian designer, who also operates out of Italy produces some unbelievable footwear. All pairs are hand-made in tiny quantities, with a lot of attention to detail. On this picture (courtesy of my friends at Atelier boutique) you can see the top pair has an asymmetrical zipper and the bottom one has a wrap around piece that allows you to put your pant-leg through.

Ann Demeulemeester – Ann is the queen of rock’n’roll and her boots speaks to it. Immortalized by Nicole Kidman in September ‘03Vogue, her boots are one of the most covetable fashion items.

KNITWEAR – It’s getting cold, isn’t it? It is in New York. I love knitwear – there is nothing like a beautiful chunky knit sweater to make me feel warm, comfortable, and cozy. Besides, don’t you want to soften that killer rock’n’roll look so people don't get scared of you on the street?

Raf Simons – Raf makes best knitwear, hands down. Raf is a menswear designer, but hey – what’s stopping a girl from wearing it? Nothing. Raf’s knitwear is produced by a small atelier in Belgium. The wool is usually of superb quality, and full of intricate weaves.

Rick Owens – Rick’s knitwear is also very beautiful. His lightly knit, feather-weight sweaters and asymmetric cardigans are a joy to wear. Once again, he likes dusty, earthy colors and unusual blends, such as cashmere ans silk.

DENIM – Last but not least, the jeans. By now you probably realized that my choice won’t be Seven or Rogan or any garbage like that. I favor REAL denim – that is Japanese selvage denim. There is nothing like it.

Dior Homme – One of the best jeans I’ve ever seen, and the most perfectly fitting. Almost everything is made directly in Japan. Hint – try hunting for jeans from earlier seasons, because Dior quality is rapidly declining – you can thank the greed of Louis Vuitton for that one.

Junya Watanabe – Junya’s jeans made in collaboration with Levi’s and are of superb quality, artfully distressed. I have only one picture unfortunately, but this is my favorite pair ever (yes, I have these).

45RPM – this is a Japanese label that’s been making jeans for several decades now. They own their own looms in Japan, so their denim is theirs! Their most expensive jeans are naturally dyed – if you are feeling fancy.

2005-11-01T10:57:00.000-08:00

Fashion Critic’s Paris Spring/Summer 2006 Picks, Part I;
New York City Sale Alert - Gigantic Brand

I know, I know – I am late, the Paris fashion week has been over for a while. But, I hope to be fashionably late. I trust that my picks will be far removed from Cathy Horyn’s (although I respect her writing) and the others. I am only going to cover Paris, because in my opinion New York and Milan are nothing to write home about, and London has been as underwhelming as it was overwhelming for F/W 05. Paris is truly a gem of creativity (although the best designers who show there are not French). Well, c’est la vie.

So, here are the collections that have impressed me most.

1. Dries van Noten. The man simply can do no wrong. He nailed the airy, romantic, feminine style a long time ago, and he keeps turning out superb collections season after season. Besides, Dries keep his prices on a decent level, because he does not advertise and chooses to move some productions to countries with cheaper (not to be confused with sweatshop) labor. He has been so quietly successful and influential that he’s spawned quite a few imitators (bite me, Marni).

2. Veronique Branquinho. I am usually not her biggest fan. Her work can get redundant and overly simple, which leaves you wondering why you should buy her clothes and not JCrew. However, this is a wonderful, more elaborate departure.

3. Bruno Pieters. One of the new young Belgian crop, Pieters seldom disappoints. This collection is wonderful in its lightness and is beautifully cut. I also think the lengths are on the perfect border of sexy, but not slutty.

4. Yohji Yamamoto. The architect of fashion does it again. This amazing collection is a superb display of Yohji’s talent – a couture collection, really, shown as ready-to-wear. I love how he works with volume, how his three dimensional creations seem to have a life of their own without the need of a human body. In this particular collection I also liked what he did with camouflage, and I normally strongly dislike camo.

5. Undercover. First, I didn’t really like it. It seemed like a too literal of an interpretation of Raf Simons. However, this collection has been growing on me, so I thought I would include it anyway. I really love the jackets made out of t-shirts, and the strong graphic presence.

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Sale Alert - Gigantic Brand, an out of the way Tribeca store that is the only New York stocklist for Bruno Pieters and Stephen Schneider has begun their Fall sale.

http://www.giganticbrand.com/

Best Collections of the Past Few Years, Part 2 – Menswear

2005-10-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ahh, yes – in case you haven’t figured out yet, I am a man. I think men’s fashion, especially in the US, is in a dire state – there seem to be three camps, the straight men that behave and dress like apes, the gay men that dress too femininely, and lately the metrosexuals (forgive the term, please, I hate it myself) who are just male versions of trend whores (of course I'm being stereotypical here, but that is to save space and time, and not out of wantonnes). Men’s fashion that is edgy, masculine, serious, yet beautiful, unique and exceptionally made is still a rare event, but it does exist. So, lo and behold, here are some of the most remarkable menswear collections I’ve come across. Some of these pieces I own, but that’s a topic for another blog entry…

Raf Simons – Fall/Winter 1999

Raf Simons is a master, and his mastery is twofold.
The side of his mastery that he is known for is his ability to capture the Zeitgeist of the lost, disenchanted, alienated youth.
This is a sociological and cultural problem, and to reflect a problem of this type through a creative medium is to be an artist.
Which is just what Raf is.
Yet, the other side of his mastery is much lesser known.
It is his technical skills that make him one of the best menswear designers around. The precision in the way he can cut a coat or a suit has often been termed “laser.” This collection reflects his skills best.

Raf Simons – Spring/Summer 2002

This collection solidified Raf’s status as a socio-cultural critique. Despite the obvious Middle Eastern connotations that the models wore (which I personally think were not meant to reflect on the Arabic youth, but on the image of a youth rebel in general) at the show that took place just months before 9/11, the clothes themselves are full of striking visual imagery of anger and anxiety. The collection was exquisitely cut – most garments are roomy without being baggy, and Raf’s juxtaposition of luxurious fabrics with gritty images… could mean anything from straight irony to the invitation of the more mature (and richer) public to reflect on where they themselves were in life 10 years ago.

Dior Homme – Fall/Winter 2003

Hedi Slimane’s best collection ever. I personally got to look at a lot of it, and Hedi displayed a real talent there, which he since to seem have been buried in Pete Doherty’s @#$, and his own quasi-celebrity life. But this one was done when Hedi still remembered that he is first and foremost a designer. The complexity of some garments, the attention to detail, and the exquisite quality of the fabrics of this collection (named Luster) are absolutely awe-inspiring.

Ann Demeulemeester – Fall/Winter 2004

I keep coming back to this collection, I know. But, I can’t help it – it’s perfect. The menswear part of it bore a strong equestrian theme, with tall riding boots, exquisite paper thin leather jackets layered under wool blazers, and a beautiful color palette. Strong, masculine, yet romantic.

Cloak – Fall/Winter 2004

Finally, a real menswear talent out of the US!!! Well, out of Russia, technically, which makes me proud doubly, because just like myself, Alexander Plokhov is a Russian émigré living in New York. His talent is undeniable, and this collection was his best to date. It was dark and military. The attention to detail, from antique military buttons to unfolding high collars, was top notch. The heavy duty wools and cottons added more edge – and the cuts were slim and flattering. Perfect collection all around.

Best Collection's of the Last Few Years - Part 1, Women's........ News: Junya Watanabe - Aquascutum Collaboration

2005-09-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

I thought long and hard about choosing a proper adjective for the title of this post. What is a good collection - is it beautiful, influential, unique, artistic, innovative? I guess the word "Best" has a bit of everything, and that's why I chose it. Anyway, below are my favorite women's collections since 2000. I will follow up with the mens next week.

JUNYA WATANABE FALL/WINTER 2000

This breathtaking collection was so innovative in terms of fabric.
Each piece is made of the multiple
layer light fabric,
and could be folded completely flat.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN FALL/WINTER 2002

The theme of this collection
was shipwrecks and pirates.
Some of the most beautiful
creations I have ever seen.
One thing I love about McQueen
is how his themes really
translate onto the runway.
Many designers can not do
that and have to resort to
verbal descriptions.

COMME DES GARCONS FALL/WINTER 2002

Another incredible collection
from one of the strongest seasons overall.
All silhouettes were twisted and wrapped
- no straight lines.
And it worked beautifully!

HUSSEIN CHALAYAN FALL/WINTER 2002

I can't seem to get away from that
womenswear season, but I couldn't pass this collection. Chalayan is a genius, but his genius is often hard to see on the runway, because of the incredible amount of detail that is not apparent at first view. I picked this collection because that's where his skills are most visible.

JUNYA WATANABE SPRING/SUMMER 2002

I think that right now Junya
is the most talented womenswear
designer on earth. His
creations are not just gorgeous,
structural, and complex,
but his fabrics are interesting
and used in uncommon ways.
Really, did you think one can
do such things with denim?!

ANN DEMEULEMEESTER FALL/WINTER 2004

And last but not least.
This was just an incredibly
strong collection,
full of layering, amazing coats,
jackets, and boots.
The equestrian theme is apparent
and beautifully executed.
Romantic, yet powerful.

---------------------------------------

So, Comme des Garcons is on a real collaborations kick.
Today I read a blurb in the current issue of Surface magazine that Junya Watanabe collaborated with Aquscutum to recreate their two classic English trench coats. He did one version in hand-shaved (whatever that means) black denim, and one in bright neon colored nylon. There was a picture of the nylon version - can't say I was impressed. Maybe because it was extremely orange...

Fashion Critic's New York City Shopping Guide - Map included!

2005-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE - MAP ADDED!
Shopping guides are like opinions – everybody has one. It's easy to get lost in the maze of these guides, just like in the maze of any type of information. I personally have been frustrated plenty of times by shopping guides that offered Bloomingdales as a prime shopping destination. What I want to present here is a shopping guide tailored to my fashion philosophy – stores with an interesting selection by creative designers. Reading my recommendations will also let you shed some light on my personal tastes.

So, without further a due:

ATELIER – My personal favorite. A beautiful, dark, romantic space filled with beautiful dark, romantic clothes – I can not ask for more. This is a small men’s shop and the people who own and work there – Karlo and Jo-Jo are knowledgable, friendly, and have a genuine passion for what they do. The store carries: Carpe Diem/Lmaltieri/Linea, Carol Christian Poell, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Undercover, Number (N)ine, Cloak, and jewelry by Sean Leane. Black and white colors dominate the racks.
125 Crosby Street, between Houston and Prince – SoHo
http://www.ateliernewyork.com/

IF – A great unisex boutique, but the service can be very spotty. This store has been in business for a long time and has a loyal, artsy clientele, somewhat more mature than most store. IF was responsible for introducing Martin Margiela to the US, and has been his biggest supporter ever since. Other designers in store: Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Dries van Noten, Undercover, Sacai, Carpe Diem, Paul Hardnen, Veronique Branquinho, Gary Graham, and more.
94 Grand Street, between Greene and Mercer - SoHo

SEVEN – A young cool unisex store that is not afraid to take chances. The staff is really laid-back, which is always a plus. Their stock is a mix of “indie” hype (Imitation of Christ), and substance (A.F. Vandevorst). Other designers featured – Raf Simons, Boudicca, Veronique Leroy, Preen, Bless, Gaspard Yurkievich, Cosmic Wonder, etc.
They should be moving into their new space any day now (which is what they’ve been saying for half a year already), but for now you can shop directly from their website.
110 Mercer Street (coming soon) - SoHo
http://www.sevennewyork.com/

KIRNA ZABETE – This is a women’s only boutique. I have mixed feelings about the store, as I can’t exactly underline their aesthetic. Some of it is very girly la-la land type of clothes, but sometimes it has flashes of brilliance. Designers featured, Rick Owens, Gaultier, Hussein Chalayan, Viktor and Rolf, Chloe, etc…
96 Greene St – SoHo
http://www.kirnazabete.com/

OTTO TOOTSI PLOHOUND – Shoe Mecca, baby!!! A large and interesting unisex selection of shoes in their three locations. Goodies by Dries van Noten, Collection Privee, Prada (meh), Costume National, and many other, more obscure, but nevertheless interesting designers. They mix and match as they please from season to season, which is pretty cool. Beware – their flagship store on West Broadway closed because of the greedy landlords. I think their best location now is on 5th Ave.
137 5Th Avenue – Flat Iron
273 Lafayette St – Nolita
38 East 57th St – Midtown

CLOAK FLAGSHIP – Finally, Cloak, which is the only good brand that came out of the US fashion in a while, opens a store of its own, thanks to the owners of The Opening Ceremony (thank you, Umberto!). The space is beautiful in its austerity and seriousness. A dark library-like back wall hides a back office and fitting rooms. Gorgeous!
10 Greene St – SoHo
http://www.cloakdesign.com/

COMME DES GARCONS FLAGSHIP – Well, this is pretty self-evident. The service is aloof, if you care. The thing I like about the store (besides the funky interior) is that they have more CDG/Junya Watanabe accessories than other places and they sometimes are not that expensive.
520 West 22nd Street – Chelsea

ISSEY MIYAKE FLAGSHIP – Even if you are not into Miyake’s clothes, you must visit it for the architecture alone! The interior, designed by Frank Gehry is made of huge sheets of twisted metal, which makes a nice juxtaposition of the solid and the fluid.
119 Hudson Street – TriBeCa
http://www.tribecaisseymiyake.com/

DESTINATION – This store has mostly accessories and shoes, but also some clothes in a very eclectic mix. The space is vast and white, and the staff is friendly and non-chalant. They have stuff from Xavier Delcour, Collection Privee?, Kashura, Mastermind Japan, Jack Henry, and many many others. It’s definitely worth checking out. Besides, there is not much interesting left since the Meat Smelling District suffered from Death by Trends.
32 Little West 12th Street – Meat Packing District

VIA BUS STOP - This is a newcomer. The outpost of the Japanese Onward Kashimaya might prove to be a hit. Any store that carries Hussein Chalayn gets props from me, regardless. Other highlights include Ann-Valerie Hash and Viktor+Rolf. Women's only for now. They should get the menswear next spring.
172 Mercer St at Houston - SoHo

BARNEYS – Well, I guess I don’t have to tell you about this one. However, I go there for different reasons than the bubbleheads from Sex and the City. I like their service – none-intrusive, yet helpful. Their selection can vary by season from wonderful to so-so. What I like about Barneys is that they are willing to take a chance on an upcoming designer, as they’ve done with Label Under Construction, Ato and Cloak. They also don’t have problems dropping one (in my shopping history they’ve dropped the menswear by Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, Carpe Diem, Carol Christian Poell, etc.), but hey – if one has to choose from the big bad department stores – Barneys is way better than the rest.
Men’s highlights – Dries van Noten, Martin Margiela, Comme des Garcons Homme Plus/Evergreen/Shirt, Junya Watanabe (unexplainably stuck on the 5th floor, while the rest of the designers is on the 3rd), Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Dior Homme, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Carpe Diem, Premiata and Collection Privee? footwear.
Women’s highlights – Ann Demeulemeester, Martin Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Boudicca, Rochas, Dries van Noten, Veronique Branqhuino, Rick Owens.
Madison and East 61st – Upper East Side
http://www.barneys.com/

Designer Profile: Ann Demeulemeester News: I missed a Stephan Schneider show!

2005-09-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Designer Profile: Ann Demeulemeester

I guess I wouldn’t be true to myself if my first post (after the introduction) would have to be about other than my favorite designer, Ann Demeulemeester. Ann is my fashion love. Her incredibly romantic, androgynous style touches me like no other. Her designs are intelligent; the amount of thought she puts in them is amazing;

“I want to cut nonchalance into my clothes. To do that, you have to work with balance. For example, a jacket pocket will hang differently after you've put things in it. Clothes will eventually take the shape of your body — a favorite coat will have a completely different soul than an identical jacket before it has been worn. The idea that garments are alive is a big inspiration. I want to fill them with soul. I've worked on that for a long time through the cut, the fabrics, and the treatments. I want to create the shape of your arm in the sleeve of the jacket.”

Ann loves layering, and primarily works with black and white colors. Her signature, neo-gothic rock-n-roll look is unmistakable, and gives an edge to her collections. I think Ann is also a master of the moving silhouette. The way she cuts, along with her omnipresent use of tassels, buckles, and strings creates a sweeping, exciting movement. Yet, Ann manages to keep a sense of a soft romance in her clothes, and it is that mélange of soft edge, the masculine femininity, the dark romance that makes her a true artist – a designer with a clear philosophy and a strong identity. She never bows to trends, although trends sometimes intersect with her collections. She does not advertise. She lets the clothes speak for themselves, and to me they speak in the most beautiful voice.

A bit of the bio:

Ann graduated in 1981 from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Art. She was one of the (in)famous Belgian Six, who have brought a fresh wave into world fashion. She produced her first for-sale collection in 1987. Her first catwalk fashion show took place in Paris in 1992. She launched her menswear line in 1998. She originally showed the menswear mixed with the women’s collections. Ann held her first standalone menswear show several months ago in Paris.

You can read the two available interviews with Ann by following these links:

Index Magazine
Lumiere.com

Here are some memorable images from her past and present work.

Spring/Summer 1992

Spring/Summer 1993

Spring/Summer 1996

Spring/Summer 1998

Fall/Winter 1999

Fall/Winter 2000

Fall/Winter 2001

Fall/Winter 2002

Spring/Summer 2003

Fall/Winter 2004

Spring/Summer 2005

Fall/Winter 2005

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News: I missed the Stephan Schneider Show!!!

Let's face it, in the daft and drab circus that passes for a fashion week in New York, there are almost no shows that a discerning fashion critic would want to attend. I'll let others sneer at JLO & Co, though. I have access to virtually any show in Bryant Park thanks to a friend of mine, but I am not going to any - I simply couldn't be bothered. The only two shows I wanted to see were Cloak and Boudicca, but they don't show in Bryant Park. Imagine then my horror when I checked my Yahoo email yesterday to find out that I was invited to a surprise Stephan Schneider (who is one of the more interesting designers of the new Belgian breed) show and afterparty at Gigantic Brand the day before. Gee, thanks. Who the hell sends out an invite the day of the show?! Yes, I'm pissed.

2005-09-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Fashion Critic blog.

My goal is to create a blog that will examine and comment on fashion in general and on its cultural underpinnings. Fashion has a unique position because it stands at the intersection of art, utility, and commerce. The purpose of this blog is to explore all three sides. I have a great amount of experience and knowledge in that field, so I trust that you'll find a lot of interesting and new information here. I will post about my views on fashion, about my favorite and non-favorite designers, about fashion-related books and art exhibitions, about interesting stores I've come across, about fashion news, and so forth. I will try to do this in a critical and objective manner. However, I'm just a human, and I am bound to express my feelings, failry or not. To give you an indication of what this blog will be like - if you are a fan of the Japanese and Belgian fashion - you will feel right at home here.

Now for what this blog is not. I am not a fan of most mainstream designers and celebrities who exploit fashion solely for their own material benefit. I think they are a disease. So, you will not see me praising Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford here. This is also not a blog where you will see the latest Paris Hilton-like fashion pictures.

I will try to post at least once a week, but hopefully more often. Stay tuned and I hope you will enjoy it.

Best,

Fashion Critic