The fact that as the rest of the fashion world embraces the return of bold colour, Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy sends out a collection centred around black, shown only with white tailoring, head-to-toe beige and reworked leopard print tells us something; Givenchy is not a house of trends, its ideals lay elsewhere.
Firstly, and without question there is the archives and the heritage. Next up, and perhaps more predominant these days, is the vision of Tisci himself. Seeped in dark-romanticism with religious and art references abound, Tisci has slowly and steadily introduced his own codes to the Givenchy crypt. The Spring Summer 2011 collection was no exception.
The stand out story was the vest. A clever way to keep sharp tailoring in a collection proposed for the warmer months. Paired with the vests which ranged from the ruffled and buckled to just the simple beauty of a sleeveless jacket body, were long sheer skirts. Leopard prints were shown as a subtle tone-on-tone pattern and also spliced onto tops, adding a distinctive lick to the layered look.
By Scott Stephenson
We met Ingrid Chua the mastermind behind the incredibly influential blog The Bag Hag Diaries back in June for our Firenze 4 Ever bloggers party. With a background in journalism and a truly enviable skill at managing her way around Twitter we knew she would be the perfect guest blogger to invite to Paris fashion week.
With a keen and highly educated eye for fashion, Ingrid has had the opportunity to meet with our head womenswear buyer Silvano Vangi, and his team including Ania Arcaini, Luisa Panconesi, Sandra Preussinger and myself.
With a schedule that included going to the shows of designers like Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Emanuel Ungaro and Chloe amongst others, Ingrid has now seen Paris fashion at it’s finest.
“Guest- tweeting and guest- blogging for Luisa has been a great honor because I am working with the best team in the e-tail business. The one thing I love about Luisa is the how their buyers curate designer merchandise– every single piece they pick out for the store is spot on, as luxury consumers have become so discerning over the last decade. Being able to go to the shows, to see designer collections firsthand is really something that so many have been dreaming of doing, and I am just humbled that I’ve been chosen to live this dream.”
Thank you Ingrid!
By Scott Stephenson
Vivienne Westwood Reminds Us It’s Never Too Late
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By the time Dame Vivienne Westwood herself had done her little swagger down the runway to close the show, all was forgiven. She had a tense crowd in her hands, when things almost ran late by 2 hours. In a fashion week calendar that runs from one show to another without barely enough time to breathe (or dare we say, eat!) in-between shows, there was a lot of impatient toe-tapping going on.
Needless to say, these things happen. Rain, a grid locked Paris and a late show before hand were beyond Westwood’s control.
Once things got underway though it was a bustling, bust-up of everything brilliant about the Westwood world. Boxy shirts, with spangly vests led into tartans, bold accessories, heart shapes, candy stripes, and taffeta plumes. Vivienne’s trusty little bag of tricks was emptied out before us, with a blast of freshness coming courtesy of the colours, fabrics and silhouettes. Wrapped and somewhat alarming (in a surgical bandage kind-of-way) head contraptions were perhaps the strangest addition to a collection that focused on the past, the present, and climate change as stated in the show notes.
She might have been late to start the show, but at the end of the day the mention of climate change reminds us all that there are actually bigger things to worry about. And it’s never too late to start making a change.
By Scott Stephenson
Lanvin Looks Far, Wide and Firmly Towards The Future
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With each passing season, Lanvin continues to define itself as a brand, a house, and a legend in a league of its own; here in Paris now, the iconic label which began womenswear in 1909, has never felt more relevant.
Sure, a few good collections and you may just be lucky or extremely well-timed, we know that. But with hit after hit and an ever-increasing profile on the radiating fashion radar, there is quite clearly a genius at play within the Lanvin maison. That mastermind who conducts the wizardry of undeniably a phenomenal team effort is Alber Elbaz. Fashions most endearing and delightful designer, who has managed to conjure up one enviable and consistently desirable (to buyers and clients alike) signature touch.
For the Spring Summer 2011 collection, the signature was kept alive and coated in a perfect interpretation of the current mood in fashion. The line and shapes were minimal without being devoid of the human hand and still entirely agile. Luxe embellishment was aligned and neat, meaning excessiveness was never a consideration, and the colours were every bit manageable, from earthen neutrals to, simmering jewel tones. All of this is the kind of evidence which suggest a global brand with wide-thinking appeal.
Women the world over just cannot get enough.
By Scott Stephenson
Photos by Sandra Pressinger
Alessandra Airo’s blog Little Snob Thing has become a huge success in recent times. With constant posts in both Italian and English Alessandra’a approach and aesthetic to blogging appeals to a worldwide audience.
Taking inspiration from bygone eras and high contemporary fashion, at the end of each day is it her own unique sense of style that drives the blog forward. From classic and timeless accessories to inexpensive delights, through Alessandra’s eyes we learn that fashion is for anyone and everyone.
By Scott Stephenson
Helene Le Blanc backs up her blog with a wealth of knowledge. By including intelligent insights that stem from an influential list of career experiences, Helene’s blog The Luxe Chronicles is a refreshing contrast against some of the more cosmetic approaches to blogging.
Having a background in law, writing and luxury consulting, it is no wonder The Luxe Chronicles attracts a well-read reader, who constantly “challenge me as much as I challenge them” in her work for the blog, which began in October 2007 purely as an “experiment”.
I sat down with Helene during the second day of the Firenze 4 Ever in Florence, eager to throw her some questions about the future of social networking and blogging in the fashion industry and here is what she had to say:
“What it is today is not going to look like anything that we are going to see tomorrow or the day after. When you are putting something out there it gets appropriated, it gets interpreted, and it gets transformed and I think that’s what is absolutely exciting about it.”
It is without a doubt Helene represents one of the strongest voices within the online fashion community. Holding authority through knowledge, a beautiful aesthetic through her visuals and a charming wit from her personality.
What is so particular about Luisa Via Roma is that it began as a brick and mortar traditional multi-brand store. Yet it has been completely transformed, they have really managed to incorporate ecommerce in a way that is consistent with their brand. So they are very much the same company, they have just taken it to cyber-space and expanded their clientele.
By Scott Stephenson
Without stepping on the toes of the other bloggerati out there, we have to say Bryan Boy may just be one of the most successful bloggers…ever. Taking a stance on fashion that is strikingly unique, endlessly entertaining and at the end of the day incredibly intelligent, has been a consistent pattern under Bryan’s continuous blogging.
It all began in October 2004, well before the other high fashion, computer literate kids had even caught on to the concept. Initially it started when Bryan went on holiday to Moscow for a month and a half. “I don’t want to have to send 200 emails when I’m on vacation. So maybe if I have a blog, people can go there and see what I’m up to.”
It was practical, simple and genius.
Now the self-created online empire is a full time job, with more than a few benefits. It’s seen him travel worldwide, sit front row, mingle with the elite, and even have handbags named in his honour. Which is a clear sign of the power of online social networking, blogging and the internet. All of which we at Luisa Via Roma are celebrating as part of our 10 year online birthday.
Taking to our Style Lab like a seasoned professional Bryan Boy was an absolute star, making the most of the Fall/Winter 2010 collection pieces.
Luisa Via Roma loves Bryan Boy!
For me its really about the selection here, I love the edge, they are always on top of everything great. All of the hottest labels, supporting young designers, but the main advantage is the selection. It’s very well edited.
By Scott Stephenson
The who’s who of the blogging world arrived this morning at the Luisa Via Roma store in Florence. The beautifully designed multi-level store set in the heart of the city is now only a portion of the Luisa Via Roma history.
It was 10 years ago, that Luisa Via Roma opened its fashionable doors to the digital world and welcomed it’s first online client.
As part of a celebration for not only the success of Luisaviaroma.com but also the importance of technology in fashion, through most notably, social media and blogs. Luisa Via Roma presents ‘Firenze 4 Ever’ a weekend long event that allows the best bloggers from around the world to visit the store, take their pick of the new Fall/Winter 2010 collections and go wild. Styling, photographing and documenting at the in-store studio and at exclusive locations around Florence.
It’s the perfect salute to the online fashion world! And a sign that the next 10 years will be even better!
Scott Stephenson
Marching on strong, military madness continues. For Spring Summer 2010 however, it is a certain type of boot-camp chic that has the radar racing. You can salute the polished soldier goodbye, and welcome the combat kid into your summer wardrobe this season. It’s about casual cottons, strategically placed rips and mountains of khaki. Alexander Wang is doing it, so is Balmain, Altuzarra and Haider Ackermann. We rest our case. Let the battle begin!
By Scott Stephenson
Rarely does one associate fashion with complex mathematics, but for the Spring/Summer 2010 season, it would seem designers have done just that by using geometry as a key trend. A line, a square, a circle, a triangle; cropping up on everything from Givenchy trousers, to Jonathan Saunders tees and almost everything in between. It’s about being bold, so stand tall, and lets see how you measure up.
By Scott Stephenson