Daca sunteti intre putinii care s-au saturat de mare dar nu si de Bucuresti, faceti-va timp sa mergeti la un film in aer liber - iar prin asta nu ma refer la drive-in-ul din Baneasa, ci la MTR, unde este o retrospectiva a festivalului Anonimul. Aseara a fost noaptea perfecta in oras: un vant racoros, greieri, cerul plin de stele, un film extraordinar (Foxes) si o companie pe masura ;-). Daca sunteti la mare, mergeti la Stufstock - mai invatati cate ceva despre regie si distributie de film, mai despre fotografie si cursuri de chitara, ii ascultati pe KUMM si Luna Amara…

In orice caz, bucurati-va de soare, vara si vacanta, ca le vom duce dorul in cateva saptamani.

Hai sa vedem ce citim azi…

Jil Sander: her rise, fall and rise - “It’s not just that this pioneer of austere minimalism in the 1990s has switched from making £3,000 suits for her own label to making £150 ones for the mass-market chain Uniqlo. It’s personal. Ten years ago, Sander was a woman who never laughed—at least, never in interviews. She was a serious designer of serious clothes, affordable only by the seriously wealthy. ” Pe The Economist.

Societies may fall, but prices do not -“What surprises most when entering Lanvin’s new three-floor shop on Madison Avenue is how packed with merchandise it is, and how intime it feels. At barely a month old, it already evokes a feeling of having been lived in.” Pe NY Times.

Profiling the retail values - “Stores, like people, have personalities. Whether that personality determines the customer, or the customer the personality, is one of those chicken versus egg questions that’s a matter of perennial debate (well, at least among retail nerds).” Pe WWD (genial articolul!)

A Paris house and a playful street link - “We’ll see more sites that essentially serve as a bridge between street style and e-commerce… customers want styling tips — and buyers are picking up ideas from visual blogs and user-generated sites that help them present trends.” Pe NY Times.

China’s fashion bloggers: 5 to watch - “In the US and the UK, fashion bloggers have long been considered ahead-of-the-curve influencers… With China’s growing appetite for luxury, there’s room for China’s fashion bloggers to gain industry traction as well.” Pe Jing Daily.

A return to basics, a stitch at a time - “When Sara Checcucci opened her atelier in Galluzzo… she was astonished by the number of young people who would stop to gaze at her through the window as she worked. Later some of them came in and asked her to teach them her skills.” In International Herald Tribune.

Fashion most tasteless moments - “Vogue Italia recently decided that the most inspirational event to channel (should that be Chanel?) for a photoshoot was, naturally, the worst environmental disaster in US history. I mean, who doesn’t look at dying seabird and think “ooh, perfect backdrop for a 5k frock”? Pe The Guardian.

Will Chinese shoppers embrace luxury goods sans-logo? - “Although luxury shoppers in established, recession-stung markets may gradually be lured back into stores by understated items…will this trend appeal to potential buyers in emerging — and lucrative — markets like China, where garish still equals good?” In Forbes.

The new adventures of old Elaine - “The unlikeliest fashion icon of the summer: Seinfeld’s Elaine, who favored florals with denim, padded-shoulder suits, and “granny shoes with socks”. In NY Times.

Sequins, fur and bar codes - “The hottest accessory at New York fashion week this year may be a bar code… The new check-in technology, though common in other industries and even a few individual fashion shows, hasn’t been used in other major fashion weeks in Milan or Paris.” In Wall Street Journal.

Fashion tries on zero waste design - “Zero-waste design strives to create clothing patterns that leave not so much as a scrap of fabric on the cutting room floor. This is not some wacky avant-garde exercise; it’s a way to eliminate millions of tons of garbage a year.” In NY Times.

Fashion gets a deserved night out - “Though the evening is devoted to commerce, it is balanced with an artistic side. A glance at the event’s website, Fashionsnightout.com, which launches Monday, reveals that brands across the spectrum… are exploring the interplay between fashion and the arts.”. In Wall Street Journal.

Designer hopes to bring chic to geek - “Internet entrepreneurs are not known for their keen fashion sense… Which is why Kristen Slowe, a product developer and fashion designer, is hoping to cater to geeks who want to dress a little bit sleeker with an online clothing line called Saboteur.” Pe NY Times.

All hail the humble espadrille! - “Today, the Castañer factory, founded in 1927, creates luxury, high-heeled espadrilles for 15 designer labels… one of several family-run Spanish shoemakers who are capitalizing on traditional craftsmanship to carve an international niche.” In International Herlad Tribune

Ugly battle brewing over fashion week - “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week could be burdened by a decidedly inelegant accessory during its inaugural run at Lincoln Center: a picket line… the union will hold an emergency board meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss its options..” Tot pe NY Times.

The LBD finally finds itself in fashion with the dictionary - “It may have been a staple of women’s fashion for decades.But the LBD  -  short for Little Black Dress  -  has only now been officially recognised in the dictionary.” In Daily Mail.

Inca un weekend de vara vine si trece, de data asta la mare. Nisip fierbinte, leganat in hamace la umbra, cosuri de nuiele si palarii de soare, asternuturi albe, iarasi penumbra si totul, totul, intr-un ritm mult mai lent… Daca aveti un iPad, puteti citi linkurile saptamanii cand stati la plaja

The September Issue - “Tumbling yesterday out of the dark clouds of recession, unemployment and austerity came that gleaming almanac of glamour and self-indulgence, the September Issue of Vogue.” In The Telegraph 

Is Italian too italian? - “The bolts of wool and cashmere produced at [Carlo Barbera] mill, can indeed be described as high performance, among the finest in the world… The financial performance of the mill that creates this fabric, on the other hand, is far from stellar.” Pe NY Times

The anti IT bag - “From 2005 to 2007, Stuart Vevers was known for creating showy studded and tasseled “it” handbags… [Now] Mr.Vevers is trying to dust off Loewe, a Spanish leather-goods brand owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. To do that, he’s been leaning toward simplicity over bling, functionality over flash.” In Wall Street Journal

Champagne corks popping up again in luxury business - “Champagne corks are popping again in the luxury business as “It” bags and expensive watches this year sell like hotcakes from Beijing to New York, signalling the turning of a page after the global financial crisis.” Pe AFP.

Strangers as Style Icons - BeautifulStranger, The Sartorialist and other photo websites are turning fashion’s focus from models to regular people, tot pe WSJ

Why do we care about luxury brands - “There’s now suggestive evidence that our faith in the authentic – especially when the authenticity is supported by effective marketing campaigns – is a deep seated human instinct, which emerges at an extremely early age.” In Wired.

A dream that led from dolls to the First Lady - “The rise to prominence of a young fashion design graduate from West Africa via East London shows that, with talent, a stroke of luck and a contact as highly placed as Nelson Mandela or Michelle Obama, anything is possible.” In The Independent

Playful and sleek, with subversive twists - “The man behind the fashion label  wears his philosophy about life, and clothing, tattooed upon his arms… Despite his fixation with both literal and metaphorical black, [he] is by far the most colorful character on the Spanish fashion scene.” In NY Times.

Designers know the money is in “fat-friendly” clothes - August is finally here, and in fashion-land that means it’s officially autumn. Put down that ice cream and pick up Vogue. I love the Fall collections, all those layers to hide under. Thank goodness for the new season - it was getting tricky disguising magic knickers under the lightweight camisole-inspired dresses of summer. In Daily Mail.

Va vine sa credeti ca am trecut de jumatatea anului? Ca mai avem doar o luna de vara? Ca diminetile deja miros a toamna si ca zilele-lumina sunt deja mai scurte? Ah, never mind, o luna de vara inseamna o groaza de timp in care sa mai stam in picioarele goale, in care ne putem scalda si arde nasul la soare, cel putin 8 zile de weekend in care putem face picnicuri sau prinde rasaritul la mare, in care putem pune o sticla de vin alb la frigider, manca inghetata pe saturate, citi dupa-amiezele, plimba pe Kisseleff desculte sau asculta un concert in Vama. Iubesc zilele astea de vara, mai ales pentru ca timpul pare sa curga altfel iar listele mele de lecturi de vacanta se scurteaza pe zi ce trece (BTW, voi ce cititi in perioada asta? Aveti carti “pentru concediu”? Eu recitesc, printre altele, The End of Fashion)

Eu inca nu am ajuns la mare, dar soon, soon, ma asteapta… Si abia astept sa ma imbrac intr-o rochie ale carei degradeuri merg de la galbenul soarelui la cel al fructelor de mango, sa imi simt parul plin de sare si carliontat, sa inot, sa ma plimb pe kilometri de plaja si sa dorm la soare.  Pana atunci insa, mai postez cateva linkuri care sa va tina companie astazi si maine

Why fashion has fallen out of love with A-list clotheshorses - “This time around, the women chosen… are united by their anonymity outside of [fashion]… prompting many insiders to wonder: is fashion’s long-running love affair with celebrity finally over?” In The Independent.

Fashion Nation: what retailers know about us - “By tracking customers’ spending habits, retailers get a bird’s-eye view of tastes as they ebb and flow. Online retailers, in particular, see every click we make. They know which brands we’ve peeked at, how long we pondered, and what we actually purchased.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

The rich and boring need not apply -  “Looking for success as a photographer, Todd Selby bet on his Web site, not traditional magazines. It has paid off. Theselby.com is certainly not just any Web site. Introduced in 2008, it generates up to 35,000 unique daily visitors. Part online interior magazine, part who’s who of global hip, theselby.com is a window into the private realms of those Mr. Selby deems “cool.”Pe NY Times.

The sun is out and the girls are in bloom - “I’ll tell you the problem with the sun,” the cab driver said five minutes into our Weather Conversation. “The women. They come out in their… in these clothes… and… walk up and down…’ he faltered and descended briefly into silence. “At least when it’s raining I can keep my eyes on the road.” In The Telegraph.

The four species of wealthy consumers - “A doctoral student and two professors have been studying luxury goods and their “brand prominence”–how noticeable a brand or logo is on a product. They tried to figure out what types of consumers want.”  Tot pe Wall Street Journal. Probabil cel mai cool articol al saptamanii.

Into the blue: why denim never went out of fashion - “It’s among the most versatile and practical fabrics, beloved in its time by soldiers, railway workers and, of course, since the mid-1950s, by any fashion follower worth his or her credentials.” In The Independent.

Plus-size wars - “Mainstream fashion magazines have always purported to embrace diverse images of the female body, publishing periodic “shape” issues that juxtapose the thin and very thin with the moderately fleshy. But only in the last year or so have notably larger women been released from the fringes, appearing not only in magazines and on television but also in the more rarefied world of the runway, including a Chanel show in St.-Tropez this spring.” In NY Times.

The chic learn to click - “Luxury firms may at last be waking up to the internet, but they have a long way to catch up… It is odd that an industry that would not be seen dead in last season’s colour is wedded to the last century’s technology.” In The Economist.

A hat fit for a queen - “In Via Dei Piatti, a narrow one-way street in the rabbit’s warren of roads around the Duomo in downtown Milan… master hat maker Lorenzo Borghi has labored for almost 60 years.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Celebrity fashion lines - “Stars from Madonna to Jay-Z have tried designing clothes. Some are more successful than others.” In Forbes.com

Random questions for… Tavi G - “I have “aha” moments rather often though, as I’m growing to love fashion more and learn more about it. I think one I can pinpoint is Comme des Garcons fall 2009. That collection made me cry, and I was just seeing it online. I finally understood how emotion could come from design.” Pe Fashion Informer.

I lost my mojo… Nu-l declar inca nul, pentru ca sper ca imi voi regasi inspiratia si cheful de a scrie cat de curand. Vreau sa spun ca, uite, au inceput saptamanile modei si sincer, nu ma intereseaza. Nu ca as avea alte lucruri de facut (desi am!) si nici nu e vorba ca nu as stii ce sa scriu despre ele (pentru ca stiu!), dar pur si simplu nu ma mai… anima, nu ma mai misca, au inceput sa ma plictiseasca. Like little rats on a treadmill. Deocamdata nu stiu ce se intampla si nici nu am energie sa analizez lucrurile, dar curand am sa revin cu posturi mai dese. Oricum, una peste alta, a fost o saptamana aglomerata, se anunta o vara interesanta si mi-am pierdut si vreo 2 nopti razand in hohote pana la 3 juma’ dimineata, uitandu-ma la Mock the Week (daca nu stiti ce e, cautati pe youtube, pregatiti-va pentru addiction, accente irlandeze si scotiene, politica britanica si multe, multe fraze necenzurate, dar geniale).

In alta ordine de idei, mai tineti minte ca spusesem la un moment dat ca voi sustine niste workshopuri? Intre timp lucrurile s-au schimbat putin, va fi vorba de un mini-curs de imagine personala, va incepe in toamna (cel mai probabil in septembrie) si nu va spun mai multe pentru ca mi-e teama sa nu il “jinx it” (pentru ca nu-mi place cuvantul romanesc ) Dar o sa anunt aici si pe pagina mea de Facebook.

Si, in sfarsit, ma omoara caldura. Mai am putin si clachez, pentru ca nu pot sa dorm noaptea. Voi cum rezistati? Nu cumva stati si cititi linkurile saptamanii, pana se crapa de ziua? Ma plang de caldura, dar nu si de vara - savurez intens fiecare zi, mai ales lumina de dimineata, pranzul cu un pahar de vin rece, o carte buna in mana, orele languroase petrecute in cearceafuri dantelatate si in penumbra dupa-amiezelor si mai ales faptul ca orasul e mai gol in weekenduri.

The actual cost of digital marketing - pe Fashion Collective, cititi despre estimatele de cost la care ar trebui sa se astepte un brand pentru promovare online ca la carte.

Jewelry with stories to tell - “You don’t need 3-D glasses for the sculpted shapes to stand out and the colors to pop. But the high jewelry that had an open day during last week’s haute couture season is finely tuned to the latest fashion.” Pe NY Times.

The new summer power suit - ”Dress codes tend to relax in the summer months. It’s difficult to endure business-formal when it’s 85 degrees. But it’s equally difficult to maintain an aura of authority when you’re wearing a hot-pink golf shirt.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Aging gracefully, the French way - “[…] she always wears a matching, if slightly kooky, outfit — like the red print skirt, loose cardigan and scarlet cloche hat she wore one day this spring — has great posture and is beautifully made up. She clearly loves being herself. And she makes me think that in France, women might forget everything else as they age — but never their sense of style.” Pe NY Times.

The socks and sandals look has got legs - pentru ca tot scriam, nu demult, despre acest trend. “Originating in the mid-Nineties as a London girl look, it was seen once more only this season on catwalks as diverse as Burberry, Marni, Dior and Alexander Wang.” In The Independent.

The 80-year hunt for IT fashion - “Trend forecasting is a critical service that big retailers depend upon. Buyers placing multimillion-dollar orders six months in advance need a crystal ball, and forecasts are the next-best thing. Even though retail executives travel the globe to spot new styles and source new fashions, many still pay for research to back up their work and cast a wider net. To peruse the trends in Tobe’s archives is to travel to a time when styles were manufactured across the ocean, and women waited to snap up a version of them at the local department store.” Tot pe Wall Street Journal.

Anna Mouglalis stars as Coco Chanel - “In a new film about Coco Chanel’s affair with Igor Stravinsky, the French actress Anna Mouglalis plays the designer - a role for which she is amply qualified”. Pe The Telegraph.

Season of Biker chic - un ghiont pentru cei de la Bate Saua si pentru fetele de la Vello Bello. “Looking at bike shops had become as fun as shopping for fashion because it is fashion. The accessories are as enticing as a new handbag: picnic baskets, tote bags, and even pet carriers.” Pe Wall Street Journal.

Valentino’s techno legacy - “There will be cross reference to people, because you can’t separate the clothes from the life — it has to be biographical… interweaving categories of craft, art and the world of Valentino.” Special Report pe NY Times.

Shorts story - nu ca n-am stii sa purtam pantaloni scurti, dar pentru cine nu i-a incercat inca, gasiti pe Daily Mail cateva idei de styling

O saptamana ca a lui Icar - cu suisuri fantastice si coborasuri abrupte, cam asa au fost ultimele zile pentru mine. Multa munca si frenezie depusa intr-un business plan pentru un business de moda (evident), nervozitate si fluturi in stomac la niste interviuri de recrutare, intalniri cu multi prieteni si ha-ha-ituri peste masura, totul garnisit cu ceva frumos despre designul scandinav si planuri - mai mult sau mai putin serioase - de a merge la Zabola, Biertan sau Vama Veche, si apoi, la final, totul incununat de o amigdalita zdravana, din cauza careia nu am putut dormi 2 nopti si care, in mod bizar, ma face sa ma simt de parca as trai in Maroc sau Algeria. Probabil din cauza ca beau ceaiuri tot timpul; in schimb, camile si covoare zburatoare nu am vazut.

Anyway, cum azi par sa fiu in convalescenta,  cred ca doar o sa imi cumpar niste plante, voi citi Elle-ul de iunie, poate voi trage o fuga pana la petrecerea Tabu/ Facebook, sigur voi dormi din plin si voi mai cauta niste linkuri interesante, ca cele de azi… Bronzatul, saptamana urmatoare…

PS: tristetea mea cea mare este ca Times UK a decis sa suspende accesul gratuit la varianta online, aplicand in schimb accesul contra-cost. so long, Lisa Armstrong..

Why I stopped the sale - “When plans for an auction of Isabella Blow’s collection of fashion and photographs were cancelled last month, there was speculation about why. Her friend Daphne Guinness writes for the first time about stopping the sale.” Pe Financial Times.

The Yohji Yamamoto story - “Yohji Yamamoto, the charismatic and mysterious Japanese designer, is allowing the first-ever published biography about his life to be published. The book, entitled (enigmatically, of course) ‘My Dear Bomb’, will be released worldwide in October.” In The Telegraph

What’s in a name? It’s Gucci vs Gucci - “On one side is a luxury goods brand loved by celebrities and fashionistas across the globe; on the other, the great-granddaughter of the empire’s founder. Welcome to the battle of Gucci vs Gucci.” Pe The Independent.

Bluefly going viral for more luxury buzz - “Bluefly is adding live interviews with celebrities to its fashion shopping website and allowing consumers to upload their own videos, part of a larger effort to attract buzz, new customers and sales.” Reuters

The grown-up model comes of age - “From 43-year-old Kristen McMenamy to 81-year-old Daphne Selfe, older women enjoyed outings at the autumn/winter 2010 catwalk shows.” In Financial Times.

Erdem Moralioglu: a man for all seasons - “The London Fashion Week designer has successfully moved the classic garment away from any lingering associations with Laura Ashley or Hyacinth Bucket, and turned it into something both pretty and modern. More cool cocktail party than the Queen’s garden party. ” In The Independent

Tom Nicon, face of Burberry, jumps to his death from Milan flat - “He had been due to take part in Milan Men’s Fashion Week, which began on Saturday. He had attended a fitting for Versace in the morning and was due to attend a meeting with his modelling agency, Success, in the afternoon, but never arrived. He was found dead at the foot of the building shortly afterwards.” Tot in The Independent.

Luxury shopping tours gain popularity - “In France, Chinese tourists surpassed all other nationalities as the biggest shoppers according to a recent French government survey. As a result, French travel companies are developing more shopping programs for the Chinese.” Aparut pe Red Luxury

Fashionable shorts: these movies have credits - ““In a time when the iPad has eclipsed the September issue, and editorial channels are growing while advertising page numbers are shrinking, luxury labels have to promote their collections somehow. The result? A fashion film movement, in full swing.” In T Magazine.

Japan opens doors to more Chinese shoppers - “Swarms of Asian tourists disembark from a bus with tinted windows, snapping pictures and staring in awe at Japan’s capital city while a petite tour guide waving a flag shouts instructions—in Mandarin. Chinese tourists are to Japan today what the Japanese were to Manhattan and Honolulu during the late 1980s: the single fastest-growing group of overseas travelers and the highest spenders.” Aparut pe Wall Street Journal.

Radical surgery on regular menswear - “Off with the coat sleeves! Cut away the collar! Snip at pants until they morph into shorts! Split the seams and close them with zippers! Radical surgery on regular menswear was the message of the Paris summer 2011 season that ended Monday.” In NY Times.

Hey, small spender - “The hour of bling has blung. And yet… Bottega Veneta dares to sell tie-dyed T-shirts for $330 each, while Apple has sold three million iPads in 80 days (at $499, minimum) to somebody. Who has the money? Nobody’s telling.  Several new books are suggesting that it’s time for shopaholics to seek a cure.” In NY Times.

The subtlety of Zegna - “In an age of technology, he (Gildo Zegna) says, “it’s important to remember the feeling of the clothes, the smell of cashmere.” And here, he lifts a swatch of the lush fabric to his nose and inhales. “What we do is authentic; it’s history.” Pe Washington Post

Luxury department stores on Twitter - “It’s been interesting to watch as more and more luxury brands and retailers get on the ‘Twitter train.’ In particular, [watching] how the department stores (amidst their complex organizations) are innovating in this space. Unfortunately, not all have gotten on board, but there are a few clear standouts.” Pe Fashion’s Collective

Designers pitch brand New York - “Young labels like the Row, Jason Wu, Nellie Partow, Waris Ahluwalia and Prabal Gurung are trumpeting their New York roots on apparel and labels in an effort to create a sartorial version of the locavore movement.” Pe Wall Street Journal.