We are back in the swing of things with events.........Here's some of our latest work done for the J&B Met - Client Jaguar
Monday, February 2, 2009
GAVIN RAJAH EVENTS
We are back in the swing of things with events.........Here's some of our latest work done for the J&B Met - Client Jaguar
Monday, January 26, 2009
COPING WITH DOOM & GLOOM - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS IN FASHION BUSINESSES
Last year saw the first panel discussion hosted by African Fashion International on the global recession and it's impact on the fashion industry.......
I thought it was a brilliant start to the fashion week and a great initiative given the economic climate and that everyone is scaring each other with impending doom and gloom scenarios.........right down to the cash bar in the VIP lounge and soggy Nik Naks on offer.....;-)
Anyway be that it as it may it was a great start to something which could turn out to be something finally worth anything to designers. Off course I really think that many of the panelists had some great takes on the current situation and offered great perspectives on the global impact of the economy.......included in this was the usual brain flexing dull as bricks factual blah blah which clearly had gave some the fashionistas in attendance a half glazed, deer with headlights type of expression.....it simply flew over their heads and kicked the living daylights of the person behind them.
For me it was really interesting but I sat there wondering whether any of these people were offering any practical solutions to the fashionistas who awaiting with bated breath for the panacea.........the promise of a future lined in silk and edged in mink. Again I found it interesting bar the regurgitation of some boring rant on the quotas etc etc and some trend person who spoke about the shoulder of the Balmain jacket (see my blog on Paris Fashion Week) - the good Lord only knows how a trendforecaster could look at the last Spring/Summer (ready to wear) collections and base predictions moving forward..........should we not be looking at Spring/Summer 2010 already and be assessing how they would impact on us commercially - her observation was as about relevant to the discussion as an ostrich would be to a Japanese tea drinking ceremony! One thing I would have agreed on was her constant mention of the word 'relevance' (see below for explanation)!
What I found interesting was that most people were predicting the end of luxury brands......yeah right.......and were implying that Chanel should go Walmart! Luxury brands stand the test of time.....its their thing and most of them whilst cutting back on retail expansion, jobs or their ad spend......don't really cut their price. Consistency even through adversity is what makes them brands that withstand the test of time, Madoff scandals and recessions.
Moving on though I did find some of the points that were made exceptionally relevant to our current situation. What we did forget is that to a large extent many of the fashion businesses in SA are SME's and have the ability to adapt to market conditions and demands far more easily so there are ways to try and combat the effects of a recession. Most of these businesses are not in such great shape to begin with so this compounds problems.......
What would have been nice is if people had practical suggestions/ideas that fashionistas could use in the daily operation of their businesses.
For me I had a few things but since we gave air time to more statistical jargon I never got to say what I wanted to say so here goes:
1. Spend on your brand
During a vibrant and growing economy consumers spend without question. Having an unclear brand position, while not the most ideal situation, therefore is not as risky as during a recessionary period such as the one we are encountering. In times of growth and expansion, the brand’s weakness in the marketplace is less obvious, as consumers tend to be more forgiving and are not so price-conscious. When times get tough however, consumer spending habits change dramatically. With negative news percolating from all media avenues the consumption fear sets in and they require much further motivation for spending. In recessionary times, consumers, not only spend less overall, but they become far more selective in how they spend. They gravitate away from brands that fail to provide a clear, meaningful, relevant and emotional engagement.
Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of recession it is better to tighten the belt and cut costs and most companies immediately cut their marketing and branding efforts. For me this is when opportunity presents itself. When others are cutting their spending and loosing the emotional engagement with customers, it will pay in the longer term to spend on the brand.
2. Spend on brand relevancy
The brand spend doesn't always mean monetary spend in every case. It is about generating a buzz around the brand and with the present day technology such efforts can be choreographed much easily than one can think. Think of online marketing for instance......the internet! A word-of-caution however for those over eager brand managers. When you create and open these new avenues of communication understand the limitations of it and the manner in which customers will engage in it. History of such communications is littered with companies overdoing it and in turn failing to become relevant. Relevance is extremely important to luxury brands and therefore you should tread carefully. During economic slumps it is the best time to build this brand relevance as it will entrench these brands long term. So ask yourself a simple question is whatever it is that you intend doing relevant to your brand.......does imbue the core values upon which your label is built on? Does it differentiate you in the marketplace and emphasise your unique selling point.....is it RELEVANT to your business? If yes then proceed.......
3. Avoid the SALE mentality
The increasing 'Wall-Street' driven short-term mentality to outperform competitors everyday is another pitfall associated with most marketers. I do not believe that there is a single business out there that can do this. Remember that proverb 'every dog has its day'. This is how simple it is. You cannot outperform the market everyday and every time. It catches up on you. In recession times short-term focused marketer go on sales promotion overdrive. This has a direct impact on the brand erosion and consumers get confused as to what the brand stands for.
Instead of sales promotion spend on engagement. Make your brand relevant. Cement the position of your brand in the customers' minds. Stop the sale mentality. However, simple and logical this may sound, most marketers who are continuously involved in operational thinking miss this and kill their beloved (mostly by the consumers) luxury brands.
I thought it was a brilliant start to the fashion week and a great initiative given the economic climate and that everyone is scaring each other with impending doom and gloom scenarios.........right down to the cash bar in the VIP lounge and soggy Nik Naks on offer.....;-)
Anyway be that it as it may it was a great start to something which could turn out to be something finally worth anything to designers. Off course I really think that many of the panelists had some great takes on the current situation and offered great perspectives on the global impact of the economy.......included in this was the usual brain flexing dull as bricks factual blah blah which clearly had gave some the fashionistas in attendance a half glazed, deer with headlights type of expression.....it simply flew over their heads and kicked the living daylights of the person behind them.
For me it was really interesting but I sat there wondering whether any of these people were offering any practical solutions to the fashionistas who awaiting with bated breath for the panacea.........the promise of a future lined in silk and edged in mink. Again I found it interesting bar the regurgitation of some boring rant on the quotas etc etc and some trend person who spoke about the shoulder of the Balmain jacket (see my blog on Paris Fashion Week) - the good Lord only knows how a trendforecaster could look at the last Spring/Summer (ready to wear) collections and base predictions moving forward..........should we not be looking at Spring/Summer 2010 already and be assessing how they would impact on us commercially - her observation was as about relevant to the discussion as an ostrich would be to a Japanese tea drinking ceremony! One thing I would have agreed on was her constant mention of the word 'relevance' (see below for explanation)!
What I found interesting was that most people were predicting the end of luxury brands......yeah right.......and were implying that Chanel should go Walmart! Luxury brands stand the test of time.....its their thing and most of them whilst cutting back on retail expansion, jobs or their ad spend......don't really cut their price. Consistency even through adversity is what makes them brands that withstand the test of time, Madoff scandals and recessions.
Moving on though I did find some of the points that were made exceptionally relevant to our current situation. What we did forget is that to a large extent many of the fashion businesses in SA are SME's and have the ability to adapt to market conditions and demands far more easily so there are ways to try and combat the effects of a recession. Most of these businesses are not in such great shape to begin with so this compounds problems.......
What would have been nice is if people had practical suggestions/ideas that fashionistas could use in the daily operation of their businesses.
For me I had a few things but since we gave air time to more statistical jargon I never got to say what I wanted to say so here goes:
1. Spend on your brand
During a vibrant and growing economy consumers spend without question. Having an unclear brand position, while not the most ideal situation, therefore is not as risky as during a recessionary period such as the one we are encountering. In times of growth and expansion, the brand’s weakness in the marketplace is less obvious, as consumers tend to be more forgiving and are not so price-conscious. When times get tough however, consumer spending habits change dramatically. With negative news percolating from all media avenues the consumption fear sets in and they require much further motivation for spending. In recessionary times, consumers, not only spend less overall, but they become far more selective in how they spend. They gravitate away from brands that fail to provide a clear, meaningful, relevant and emotional engagement.
Conventional wisdom suggests that in times of recession it is better to tighten the belt and cut costs and most companies immediately cut their marketing and branding efforts. For me this is when opportunity presents itself. When others are cutting their spending and loosing the emotional engagement with customers, it will pay in the longer term to spend on the brand.
2. Spend on brand relevancy
The brand spend doesn't always mean monetary spend in every case. It is about generating a buzz around the brand and with the present day technology such efforts can be choreographed much easily than one can think. Think of online marketing for instance......the internet! A word-of-caution however for those over eager brand managers. When you create and open these new avenues of communication understand the limitations of it and the manner in which customers will engage in it. History of such communications is littered with companies overdoing it and in turn failing to become relevant. Relevance is extremely important to luxury brands and therefore you should tread carefully. During economic slumps it is the best time to build this brand relevance as it will entrench these brands long term. So ask yourself a simple question is whatever it is that you intend doing relevant to your brand.......does imbue the core values upon which your label is built on? Does it differentiate you in the marketplace and emphasise your unique selling point.....is it RELEVANT to your business? If yes then proceed.......
3. Avoid the SALE mentality
The increasing 'Wall-Street' driven short-term mentality to outperform competitors everyday is another pitfall associated with most marketers. I do not believe that there is a single business out there that can do this. Remember that proverb 'every dog has its day'. This is how simple it is. You cannot outperform the market everyday and every time. It catches up on you. In recession times short-term focused marketer go on sales promotion overdrive. This has a direct impact on the brand erosion and consumers get confused as to what the brand stands for.
Instead of sales promotion spend on engagement. Make your brand relevant. Cement the position of your brand in the customers' minds. Stop the sale mentality. However, simple and logical this may sound, most marketers who are continuously involved in operational thinking miss this and kill their beloved (mostly by the consumers) luxury brands.
GAVIN RAJAH SPRING|SUMMER 09 COUTURE
This season is inspired by Victorian novelist Sir H Rider Haggard, with particular reference to his ‘lost world’ novel “King Solomon’s Mines”. With origins in Durban, moving inland and then to a ‘lost world’ type civilization loosely based on the Zulu Kingdom. Whilst the collection is not solely based on the novel, the descriptions and impressions of the book by Victorian society in 1885 is what captured my attention. The impressions of African cultures and the perceptions of London society at that time were triggers for this collection. Whilst not devoid of racism in anyway the book was seemingly less racist then many books of this genre to follow it. One thing that was evident is that he portrayed the African characters as having pride in their culture and even went as far as elaborating on the beauty and allure of the African female characters in the novel.
So with this in mind my collection is inspired by a singular theme ‘African pride’. I wanted to design a collection that showed various elements used in traditional cultural dress but with a new take to it. The collection is based on fluid fabrics which really are an antithesis to the often rigid fabrics used in traditional dress or the animal hides that form part of it. Soft silks with hand painted detail done in freehand and animal prints lend a strong African/Tribal element but hopefully not in a trite way. Mother of pearl buttons, cowrie shells and other elements are used as embellishment but in combination with modern Swarovski components. Bronze finished chain mail, Chantilly lace, silk chiffon and
This season the focus on the collection is evening dresses that are simplistic in silhouette but are embellished richly. I wanted the collection to not look like traditional garments but more couture and delicate. I wanted this to be a wearable collection which had great aspects of craftsmanship to it and artistic merit. The end result was collaboration with a great African accessory designer based in Paris, Mikael Kra. Mikael listened to what I wanted and interpreted some of my crazy sketches into beautiful pieces together with designing some special pieces for the collection. Mikael has designed collections for luminaries such as Azzedina Alaia in Paris and I have for the last ten years waited for an opportunity to work together. I am thankful for his time and the effort he took to get inside my head to understand what I wanted!
I would be amiss in not mentioning a South African fashion luminary, Dicky Longhurst (one of the reasons I am a designer today) who painstakingly hand painted silk taffeta inspired by the rich cultural mix of Durban.
This season is about colour for me. Africa is not always about disease, poverty, dictatorships or crime……….its about celebrating the cultural diversity and the pride we share despite whatever adversity we have. This is what I wanted to show in Paris this season……….we are capable of so much more. ‘Eau Sauvage’ was perhaps a cheeky title for the collection but it was a really jab back at those who often think so little of what comes out of our continent and those on it who think that anything not out of Africa has to be better!
Special thanks go to Catherine Le Sueur of the Bead Merchants for her assistance and unconditional support in contributing to this collection with her wealth of expertise and amazing selection of beads from all over Africa. I look forward to great collaborations with you!
Photographer: Simon Deiner
So with this in mind my collection is inspired by a singular theme ‘African pride’. I wanted to design a collection that showed various elements used in traditional cultural dress but with a new take to it. The collection is based on fluid fabrics which really are an antithesis to the often rigid fabrics used in traditional dress or the animal hides that form part of it. Soft silks with hand painted detail done in freehand and animal prints lend a strong African/Tribal element but hopefully not in a trite way. Mother of pearl buttons, cowrie shells and other elements are used as embellishment but in combination with modern Swarovski components. Bronze finished chain mail, Chantilly lace, silk chiffon and
This season the focus on the collection is evening dresses that are simplistic in silhouette but are embellished richly. I wanted the collection to not look like traditional garments but more couture and delicate. I wanted this to be a wearable collection which had great aspects of craftsmanship to it and artistic merit. The end result was collaboration with a great African accessory designer based in Paris, Mikael Kra. Mikael listened to what I wanted and interpreted some of my crazy sketches into beautiful pieces together with designing some special pieces for the collection. Mikael has designed collections for luminaries such as Azzedina Alaia in Paris and I have for the last ten years waited for an opportunity to work together. I am thankful for his time and the effort he took to get inside my head to understand what I wanted!
I would be amiss in not mentioning a South African fashion luminary, Dicky Longhurst (one of the reasons I am a designer today) who painstakingly hand painted silk taffeta inspired by the rich cultural mix of Durban.
This season is about colour for me. Africa is not always about disease, poverty, dictatorships or crime……….its about celebrating the cultural diversity and the pride we share despite whatever adversity we have. This is what I wanted to show in Paris this season……….we are capable of so much more. ‘Eau Sauvage’ was perhaps a cheeky title for the collection but it was a really jab back at those who often think so little of what comes out of our continent and those on it who think that anything not out of Africa has to be better!
Special thanks go to Catherine Le Sueur of the Bead Merchants for her assistance and unconditional support in contributing to this collection with her wealth of expertise and amazing selection of beads from all over Africa. I look forward to great collaborations with you!
Photographer: Simon Deiner
Sunday, November 23, 2008
TOP 25 FASHION CITIES IN THE WORLD
Atlantis Hotel Launch in Dubai
Plaza Leading to Red Square in Moscow
Faena Hotel and Universe in Buenos Aires
The Global Language Monitor has brought out its list of the world's top 25 fashion cities:
- New York (1) - 5th year in a row and probably supported by the ease of internet access!
- Rome (2) - Expected but thought that Milan would take this spot!
- Paris (3) - In terms of our fashionistas probably is NO. 1 but not in the survey!
- Milan (5) - Hmmm it reigns over London....
- London (4) - Still within the Big 5 but slowly dropping.....not surprisingly if you saw the last collections at fashion week.......
- Los Angeles (6) - Not suprising considering it hosts Chanel's Cruise collection launches...
- Sydney (12) - Fashionable??????? Not convinced. Fab location and social life but fashion?
- Las Vegas (9) - Elvis regalia reigns supreme and 60 sec marriages.......go figure....
- Berlin (11) -This should have been higher up........such a cool city!
- Tokyo (6) - Capital of Asian luxury brands.......
- Hong Kong (8) - Poor step cousin to Tokyo!
- Dubai (24) - Hype, more hype and even more hype.......advertising pays!
- Shanghai (14) - This should be higher up........although the polluted air could be keeping fashionstas at bay........
- Singapore (10) - Hmmmm again I think its about the advertising and hype....
- Madrid (New) - Hmmmm not convinced of this at all thought that Rio would hit it here
- Moscow (16) - New luxury market capital.........would have thought that it would have gone higher?
- Santiago (19) - Is this for real? Although with the amount of investment in this part of the world it does make for a serious contender....
- Melbourne (15) - Geez another Australian city........
- Stockholm (New) - In fashion? Most boring fashion ever........fashionable furniture and clever interior concepts yes but fashion?
- Buenos Aires (22) - Hmmm not convinced that it has such a strong fashion presence however with new design hotels like the Faena Hotel and Universe it just might be deserving of this position.....(its awesome hotel by the way and I highly recommend it!)
- Johannesburg (23) - Joburg improves two spots......a climber which bodes well for SA!!!
- Mumbai (18) - Great entry and with the introduction of more luxury brands into the Indian market this should head up on the the list in the future....
- Cape Town (New) -Hot new entry! Love this and its a firm prediction that this will push out JHB in the future....
- New Delhi (New) - The Indian capital makes a fashionable entrance and trust me will be moving on up in this list in years to come
- Barcelona (18) - huge drop for this city that will surely be taken over by Rio and Sao Paolo in years to come........
Sunday, October 19, 2008
'The Times They Are A-Changing...'
Photographer: Annie Leibovitz - Vanity Fair "Killers Kill, Dead Men Die"I have had a few emails about fashion week dates (the ones held by AFI) and the move to bring them forward. In fact I read it on a blog by fellow designer Abigail Keats. Keats seems to think its a great idea and quite frankly I must agree except cannot agree to the dates that are now being proposed. Whilst my colleague is under the impression that these change of dates will lure buyers out from other parts of the world I am not quite convinced, in fact I am pretty willing to risk my Balenciaga gladiator sandals over it!
Rather then go on with a rather elaborate explanation of why these dates are simply laughable all I would like to say on this matter is pick up the phone and call any buyer worth their salt and see if they will be prepared to travel all this way at that time.......leave alone whether we are able to all change our closing schedules for business. Just an additional word on this........I have had the experience of working through the festive holidays prepping a collection for international fashion weeks........its not that easy and requires more then just simple forward planning etc........it requires a mammoth task of motivating staff and forget about the simple fact that most suppliers in SA at that time are propped on beach chairs looking like broiled lobsters far removed from the productive environments of our studios.
I do think that there is a need to move the dates however come on who dreamt this up? Apparently 'industry research' was conducted. What? Who? How? Come on share this watershed piece of research with all in the industry - we are all desperate to know? Please for the good Lord's sake don't use lead times in magazines as a material reason.........if this would be the case then one wonders how international magazines have coped all these years?
Oh well it seems that again the industry that warrants these events are being dictated to. Will be interesting to see the line up this January........the quality, the standard and number of designers that are truly ready to show Winter 2009! And I meant 2009 and not winter 2008 thats past!
Whilst there are some of us that are ready - as our ready to wear 2009 collections are done and dusted I am not sure how many SA designers are really ready. I cannot think of this change even if it were reasonable being introduced without a minimum of 6 months notice to all - hell I forgot we were apparently all consulted in terms of the 'research' that was done.......
My invitation arrived for JHB fashion week......Winter...
For me not being able to committing to participate is two fold:
1. Our collection is ready however putting a show together requires at least a month's prep......with my staff already on leave at that time the simple issue of manpower becomes an issue. I will be left with a few days to get it together........we could possibly do this however what about other designers who may not have comprehensive infrastructure or did not factor this into their planning? Real businesses in fashion plan - in fact it is crucial to everything we do.......
2. If the reason is to have buyers attend then who are they and where do they come from and who do they represent? Who am I showing to? More sponsors? Do I get 200-300 tickets in a venue filled with people who are trying to look vaguely fashionable? Do I have to pander to event creative direction as creative as Milli Vanili?
Leave alone that we are wanting to entertain international buyers when we allow collections on ramp that have as much romantic appeal as unrequited love..........
It costs designers money to do shows......as much as people can labour on about how much it costs to stage fashion weeks it does not take away from the fact that without collections to show there are no fashion weeks! We define the strength of a fashion week - the line up supports the event.......doesn't anyone get it? Without consulting the designers that they want to have on their fashion weeks about the change of dates is not a clever move either.
Anyway enough said I am looking forward to see what January has in store for us all! With the rand plummeting with the way it is and the way fashion is trading its an expense that most designers out there cannot afford. This was evident in the international fashion weeks that past.
Interesting to note that the covering email to this year's invitation stated that there has been an 'unprecedented interest'............hmmmm.
In terms of my brand I am not committing to expending time, energy and effort unless there are some changes and there is a benefit to our business. Keep the carrot dangling for rabbits and desperados!
Rather then go on with a rather elaborate explanation of why these dates are simply laughable all I would like to say on this matter is pick up the phone and call any buyer worth their salt and see if they will be prepared to travel all this way at that time.......leave alone whether we are able to all change our closing schedules for business. Just an additional word on this........I have had the experience of working through the festive holidays prepping a collection for international fashion weeks........its not that easy and requires more then just simple forward planning etc........it requires a mammoth task of motivating staff and forget about the simple fact that most suppliers in SA at that time are propped on beach chairs looking like broiled lobsters far removed from the productive environments of our studios.
I do think that there is a need to move the dates however come on who dreamt this up? Apparently 'industry research' was conducted. What? Who? How? Come on share this watershed piece of research with all in the industry - we are all desperate to know? Please for the good Lord's sake don't use lead times in magazines as a material reason.........if this would be the case then one wonders how international magazines have coped all these years?
Oh well it seems that again the industry that warrants these events are being dictated to. Will be interesting to see the line up this January........the quality, the standard and number of designers that are truly ready to show Winter 2009! And I meant 2009 and not winter 2008 thats past!
Whilst there are some of us that are ready - as our ready to wear 2009 collections are done and dusted I am not sure how many SA designers are really ready. I cannot think of this change even if it were reasonable being introduced without a minimum of 6 months notice to all - hell I forgot we were apparently all consulted in terms of the 'research' that was done.......
My invitation arrived for JHB fashion week......Winter...
For me not being able to committing to participate is two fold:
1. Our collection is ready however putting a show together requires at least a month's prep......with my staff already on leave at that time the simple issue of manpower becomes an issue. I will be left with a few days to get it together........we could possibly do this however what about other designers who may not have comprehensive infrastructure or did not factor this into their planning? Real businesses in fashion plan - in fact it is crucial to everything we do.......
2. If the reason is to have buyers attend then who are they and where do they come from and who do they represent? Who am I showing to? More sponsors? Do I get 200-300 tickets in a venue filled with people who are trying to look vaguely fashionable? Do I have to pander to event creative direction as creative as Milli Vanili?
Leave alone that we are wanting to entertain international buyers when we allow collections on ramp that have as much romantic appeal as unrequited love..........
It costs designers money to do shows......as much as people can labour on about how much it costs to stage fashion weeks it does not take away from the fact that without collections to show there are no fashion weeks! We define the strength of a fashion week - the line up supports the event.......doesn't anyone get it? Without consulting the designers that they want to have on their fashion weeks about the change of dates is not a clever move either.
Anyway enough said I am looking forward to see what January has in store for us all! With the rand plummeting with the way it is and the way fashion is trading its an expense that most designers out there cannot afford. This was evident in the international fashion weeks that past.
Interesting to note that the covering email to this year's invitation stated that there has been an 'unprecedented interest'............hmmmm.
In terms of my brand I am not committing to expending time, energy and effort unless there are some changes and there is a benefit to our business. Keep the carrot dangling for rabbits and desperados!
'Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
Bob Dylan 1963
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
LACE........MOVING INTO 09 & BEYOND.....
Sonata Lace Bodysuit & Gavin Rajah Couture
Manolo Blahnik Lace Mule
Tord Boontje Floral Chandelier
Louise Campbell 'Bless You' Chair
Gam Plus Fratesi Lace Chair
Decarabia Bracelet
I am currently looking at new collections in fabrics to place orders on and I am bowled over by how many laces are in each of the fabric collections and just how many new designs are available at the moment from the lace houses. I love the lightness and the feminine edge lace brings to a garment and must say that this season I have used a bit........not sure I can hold back for the next season either! Even the last cruise collection managed to not go unscathed without a dose of lace....... Forget the naff oversized patterns that were once de rigeur in collections.....lace is taking on a new look.
Old wiry grannies making beautiful hankerchiefs in Venice? Sexy frilly bits to cover fleshy parts.......lace is taking on a new direction this season and impacting on many areas of design.
Taking on fresh interpretations from old patterns and details reminiscent of what your grand mum would have worn; this season it returns in forms and patterns that are reflective of the technological age we live in. Abstract gossamer cobwebs, alphabets through to landscapes have been woven into lace for collections moving away from the delicacy and preciousness often associated with it. Muiccia Prada last season described it as the most significant fabric in a women's life associating it with birth, marriage and death; and possible many other important occasions in between. Forthcoming seasons will see lace featuring hugely in all the collections.........woven, laser cut, printed, crocheted and embellished..........
For an amazing selection of lace try Solstiss out.......I tend to buy alot from this French house. Only word of caution is that you order in advance and pray that the rand does not do major dives.....oh and check the duty and courier costs payable!
Check out Sophie Halette or Strella who also produce some amazing laces.......
Old wiry grannies making beautiful hankerchiefs in Venice? Sexy frilly bits to cover fleshy parts.......lace is taking on a new direction this season and impacting on many areas of design.
Taking on fresh interpretations from old patterns and details reminiscent of what your grand mum would have worn; this season it returns in forms and patterns that are reflective of the technological age we live in. Abstract gossamer cobwebs, alphabets through to landscapes have been woven into lace for collections moving away from the delicacy and preciousness often associated with it. Muiccia Prada last season described it as the most significant fabric in a women's life associating it with birth, marriage and death; and possible many other important occasions in between. Forthcoming seasons will see lace featuring hugely in all the collections.........woven, laser cut, printed, crocheted and embellished..........
Solstiss Lace
For an amazing selection of lace try Solstiss out.......I tend to buy alot from this French house. Only word of caution is that you order in advance and pray that the rand does not do major dives.....oh and check the duty and courier costs payable!
Check out Sophie Halette or Strella who also produce some amazing laces.......
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
SPRING|SUMMER 2009......HOT OR NOT?
D Squared S|S 2009 'Charlie's Angels' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
Interesting take on the 70's with some snazzy tailoring and the best quality from Dean and Dan Caten so far. The over top twins were inspired by 'Charlie's Angels' and in particular Farah Fawcett. Oversized jewelled neck pieces, belts and harnesses on fluid jersey dresses through you back to the days of Halston and Studio 54. Sharp wide leg denim pants and fitted jackets teamed with American plaid shirts were strong looks. The in your face spaced out 90's rock star glam was replaced by a quieter (still sultry) contemporary sexiness.
Christian Dior S|S 2009 'Tribal' Photographer: Alessandro Lucioni
A dilution of the last couture collection John Galliano was just not in the same form as is his previous collections. If you think he went quieter then maybe creative silence would best describe the collection. The signature porn star shoes remained but had African fertility dolls as heels.......same for the neckpieces. Bodices on dresses were beaded with cowrie shells and a distorted polka dot print almost took on a leopard print. If this was Dior's way of trying to reign the designer in and make for a more commercial collection then to an extent the silhoeuttes were wearable however not sure if the transparency will cut it? Maybe Carla Bruni for her next state visit will need to ask for linings to be added to some of the gossamer light gowns that were presented which all had the 20's type bathing suit bottoms underneath it all...........Python skin was huge in this collection...and in Prada. Overall not quite the collection one would expect but then again maybe Dior is heading for change..........
Versace S|S 2009 'Tough Love' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
Donatella has cleaned up Versace or so the buzz was in Milan. The collection was pared down and this season she used hearts as a motif for her collection. She cleverly used zip detail and zipper teeth to form heart shapes on garments. Whilst the collection was ready to wear it had many couture type details and she correctly added that people who were buying pret a porter want to see details and workmanship. A neat collection which still had the Versace edge to it but far more sophisticated. This was a great follow on from her resort collection which had already premiered many of the season's popular looks. Versace it seems is heading in a new direction and most buyers seemed impressed and ready to spend again on this collection.
Maison Martin Margiela S|S 2009 'Bon Anniversaire' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
Martin Margiela celebrated 20 years on the scene and sent down a collection to rapturous applause. Whilst many were at the show in Paris to celebrate the success and the zany if not completely OTT signature style of the house........many were there to see whether the enigmatic Martin could still serve up a dose of madness. True to his reputation he did not fail........this included sending down a birthday cake of gargantuan proportions down the runway. Wigs, wigs and more wigs covered models faces and created a an eery if not surreal collection. Conceptual in the extreme but with all the technical competence and mastery of a house and designer worthy of celebrating 20 years in fashion.
Gianfranco Ferre S|S 2009 'Geometry' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi are the duo from 6267 that have taken over at Ferre. This collection was architectural (not surprising since Mon Ferre did train as an architect) but more then anything it was modern and wearable with the perfect balance of 'show only' pieces and enough separates and suits to be a commercial success. Amazing construction and much better then the job being done at Valentino by Fachinetti...........
D&G S|S 2009 'Cote Azure' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
The second line at Dolce & Gabbana, D&G was nautical. Stripes, stars, gold emblems, sailors knots and nautical flags were abound in all the collection. The duo borrowed their inspiration from Coco Chanel........the tweed, stripes and drop waisted dresses were all there. An interesting collection but not sure the 50's maillots are going to be such a hit for the D&G clientele who tend to be young and far more 'out there'.
Balmain S|S 2009 'Bling Rock' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
Christophe Decarnin sent a collection out to the pounding sounds of Madonna. Whilst this opening show to Paris Fashion Week set the tone and energy it was also a flash back to the 80's. The brash and loud designs of Gianni Versace came screaming back at your memory but this collection was anything but a re-hash. It was a clever interpretation with clever and unique details. Two most interesting details stand out and mark my words they are about to be copied pretty soon by many others out there. Firstly the sleeve with the peaked crown was an interesting addition to jackets. The second thing which was an interesting detail was the suede dresses which were left raw and unfinished.......
Dolce & Gabbana S|S 2009 'Pigiama Baroque' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
The actual theme behind the collection were pyjamas! The duo cleverly used traditional masculine shapes and subverted them in the cut and details to create a sexy and sleek collection. There was an interesting mix of fabrics with some garments having up to 5 different types of brocades in the construction. Fluid pyjama weight failles, satins and crepes were combined to create a relaxed feel. Even though some of the garments looked overtly constructed the feel was soft to the touch. Unlike many designers this season the duo wanted to create garments that loooked structured but were still comfortable to wear. Heavily jewelled belts accessorised garments to create cinched waists and the clutch bags became the new jewellery this season for Dolce & Gabbana. Heavily beaded and embellished bags, including ones made from porcupine quills added to the luxe value of the collection........
Bottega Veneta S|S 2009 'Modern American Prairie' Photographer: Marcio Madeira
I love this brand but not the clothes....give me the bags and accessories any day. Maier, the designer said that this season the clothes were not about being ostentatious......I agree Bottega Veneta is not about screaming logos or for the nouveau riche.......its for the discerning......Whilst the leather is the best available in the world and this season the butter soft leather dresses were amazing..the rest could have been a contemporary wardrobe for 'Little House on the Prairie'..........rich women playing poor....................
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