fashion entry
i heart fashion
::tickets to the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival::
let me start by quoting a paragraph from my favorite poetry.
"...where a strong wave of tailoring comes down the catwalk,
all formal, and all in muted greys and creams.
it's one of the strongest indicators of the season that the loud
colour of last summer has died back and given way to much
more considered tones.
But these suits aren't lazy.
The cuts are slick, the linings minimal." - by GQ Style.
this is what i call poetry! just beautiful!
so what is fashion?
and what does fashion mean to you?
when you say you love fashion, do you mean
you love clothes in general? the design? the designer? the tailoring?
the brand? or the history behind it?
let me tell you my definition of fashion.
Fashion is not about utility.
An accessory is merely a piece of iconography,
used to express individual identity.
but i dun stop at there.
when i carry, say, a Gucci wallet,
i'm aware that The House of Gucci was founded by
a guy named Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921.
in the 1990s the company was having financial difficulties,
closed to bankruptcy.
in 1994, Tom Ford was appointed as creative director.
Domenico De Sole was CEO at that time.
in 1999 Gucci forged a strategic alliance with French group PPR,
and at the same time, acquired Yve Saint Laurent.
2001, Ford's lean sleek look with lashings of sex appeal Spring Collection
became a signature style for Gucci.
in 2004, Ford and de Sole left Gucci due to disagreements with PPR bosses.
Frida Giannini is currently the creative director.
(and yes, i remember facts like that by heart)
Tom Ford has since launched his own eyewear (in 2005), fragrance (in 2006)
and men's wear(in 2007).
i love his perfume!!! in my opinion, Black Orchid by Ford is one of the best female perfumes around. i am personally using the man's fragrance by Tom Ford and its
absolutely beautiful!
what about Calvin Klein? i absolutely love Calvin Klein!
but does anyone know who the designer/designers is/are?
no.. not 'Calvin Klein'.... duh.
Fransico Costa is currently the creative director for the women's wear.
Kevin Carrigan is the creative director of CK Calvin Klein.
and finally, Italo Zucchelli is the head designer for the menswear. (if i'm not wrong!)
what about say... i dunno... local aussie fashion line Alphaville a.k.a. Alpha60?
as you guys should already know by now, i love love love the clothes from them.
they are Melbourne based who recently just opened their first sydney store in Sydney. brother and sister team, Georgie and Alex Cleary started their Alpha 60 label in 2002.
their range focuses on surreal graphics and sophisticatedly quirky shapes. Georgie makes the prints all by herself.
in 2006, their works were exhibited at the National Design Centre at Federation Square and even designed the uniforms for Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant in Melbourne.
they are impressive eh?
my point is,
when i say i love fashion, i say it with conviction.
i say it with backing reasons.
i say it because i truly, truly love it.
that goes with labels that i particularly love.
i wear it because i love the garment.
i wear it because i know the brand.
i wear it because i know the people behind the designs.
the excellent tailoring, the fabric used, the design and style, what goes behind making them... all these factors dictate what i purchase and what i put on.
i dun carry a Louis Vuitton bag or wallet just because i want to achieve a bigger-than-life status. i carry it because i know Marc Jacobs is exceptional at what he does and has done for LV. i love his vision and love the fact that he has collaborated with Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse to produce a collection that infuses fashion with art and design. and i love the fact that LV makes fabulous bags.
and it doesnt have to be branded labels that i'll fall for.
i even love local aussie designers.
James Cameron, Hem and Haw, Trimapee, Ksubi just to name a few.
i also love the fact that fashion defines who we are and it allows us, as i have mentioned, to express our own individual identity.
that's why i hate it when people say they love fashion "just because. period."
i hate it when some poser gay boy wears what he wears because all his friends are wearing them.
i hate it when people wear something just because it's "in" right now.
for example, when i was back in singapore, i've seen countless people wearing scarfs.... seriously.... it's freaking hot in singapore, you dun wear a scarf! (a thin scarf may be fine, but borderline)
even in fashion, i believe in practicality.
i too hate it when people buy fake goods... they have absolutely no respect for the designers.
Ultimately, what i'm trying to put across is,
when i say i love fashion, please do not stereotype me like everyone else.
never put me into the "great, another gay boy who loves fashion" category.
because when i say i love fashion, i mean it with all my heart.
(just so you know, all the facts regarding the fashion labels are written by memory.
feel free to test me in person.)
::Rosemount Sydney Fashon FEstival Banne::
lipei and i recently attended the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival which lasted from the 13th to 17 august.
the event was fabulous! featuring local aussie labels like Sass & Bide, Wayne Cooper, Alex Perry, One Teaspoon, James Cameron, Silence is Golden, Jayson Brunsdon...
just to name a few out of a long list of labels.
we wanted to go for the friday show to view Sass & Bide's collection. but sadly, it was sold out. my next option was to go for the saturday show because they have James Cameron, Trimapee, Romance was Born and Bowie. it'll be great to see a mix of menswear and womenswear on the runway.
i enjoyed the show very much, and James Cameron's collection, in my opinion, lived up to his name. love love love it!
if there was anything to complain about, it's the models.
lipei and i were disappointed with them because they looked tired and uninterested.
it's as though they wanted to rush through the whole show and get out of there asap.
these are some pics i took during the show.
::oohhh... gotta love the LED lights!::
>
::the runway inside the tent. the whole tent was pitched on Martins Place. very Bryan Park-ish::
first up, Frisoni Finetti.
i didnt get to take much pics in the beginning of the show because i was trying to figure out how to use my digital camera.
it's a pretty old camera therefore many of the pics came out really badly at the start of the show.
had to make a lot of adjustments to the exposure. (it's time to get a new camera!)
finally managed to get it right. therefore, the pics look much better at the end. :)
too bad i was having probs with my camera.
the clothes on display were just gorgeous.
i must say, the clothes by Therese Rawstonrne are exceptionally beautiful.
the clothes from Trimapee are quirky, which is what i like about them.
in general i tend to like their coats and jackets. but their shirts are pretty awesome as well.
i didnt get to snap many of the menswear as i was still meddling with my camera.
but dun worry, i was still able to enjoy the show. :)
the collection didnt disappoint. i fell in love with everything on the runway.
bright colours and well tailored. it was enjoyable just watching it.
finally we have Romance Was Born.
at the beginning of the show, i was very excited to see what Romance Was Born has to offer.
they are often very unpredictable, and that's what i love about them.
during last year's Motorola Melbourne Spring Fashion Week,
they came out with this wedding theme. extremely hilarious and a great way to end the show.
this time round, it was a nomad kind of a theme.
exception clothes, gorgeousl prints and i love the whole wackyness of it.
the bull mask... you gotta love it. haaa!
::lipei and i outside the tend::
::what i wore...::
so... what did i wear to the event?
(man, this sounds like last year's fashion show)
i wore:
White shirt by FCUK. $120
Yellow jumper by Saxony. $80
Cardigan by Alpha60. $169
Bow tie by Beat Poët. $99
Scarf by Gucci. $310
Black skinny jeans by Cheap Monday. $95
Socks by H&M. (not sure how much. from Ben who got it from New York)
Shoes by Converse. $79
Watch by Armani. $290
Long wallet by Calvin Klein. $179
Underwear... haa! by Calvin Klein. $45
as you can see, i wore a mix of formal and casual stuff,
which is usually my style.
if only you guys can see the Alpha60 cardigan up close.
it's extremely unique and quirky. i love it!
as for lipei, she wore a simple yet beautiful dress from Quick Brown Fox,
and a pair of pink high heels from... i cant remember where. haa!
she also inserted a flower at the side of her hair. pretty and cute. :)
(yesh, i may do a monthly fashion entry)
i'll be highlighting a few labels that i personally love.
they've been around for a while, so some of you may already own
a couple of pieces from them. (give the others a chance!)
::tshirts by April 77 Records::
the first is April 77.
founded by Bric Partouche in 2002,
the brand has now split into 2 sub brands.
one is called April 77 Records which, in association with it's record label, is more towards the denim side. so you can expect lot's of skinny jeans and basic tshirts.
the other is called April 77, which is more towards the fashion and experimental side.
what i love about April 77 is that it does so well at fusing music with fashion.
the brand is heavily influenced by rock-and-roll, and this can be seen throughout their collection. i love how they would incorporate a guitar pick onto their jeans on even onto the polo shirts (autumn/winter 08). even the simple designs on the tshirts somehow just screams music. and what i like about April 77 Records is that, when you buy a piece of apparel from them, you can download a song from their website simply by typing in the password which is found on the clothe tag. (you gota scratch out the special numbers like a lucky draw coupon) awesome eh?
i do however feel that their cutting are suited for the skinny, slim and small build.
the skinnier the better. seriously!
finally! something that looks good on skinny guys! i personally have to wear medium though, cos their small size is really really small...
so check them out at www.april77.fr and www.april77records.com
::clothes by A.P.C.""
next is French label A.P.C. founded by Jean Touitou in 1988.
what i like about A.P.C. is that their clothes are extremely well tailored, ensuring that they fit appropriately to your body. the superior quality of fabrics used in their clothes ensure that it's money well spent. :) the brand focuses a lot on designs that are minimal and cleancut, thus making it accessible to most people. so if you're the kind who aren't all that adventurous when dressing up but still wana look stylish, then A.P.C. might be your answer.
if you're in sydney, you can get them at Incu and Our Spot.
check it out at www.apc.fr.
you'll be impressed.
::pic taken from Our Spot::
lastly, i'll introduce a local Sydney label called Rittenhouse.
understated and lacking in publicity, Rittenhouse makes it up for it's designs. it has one of the most wearable and original style in the local fashion industry. team Sally McDonald and Micah Hamdorf traverse the world in search of stocklists. the label consists from loose fitting, over sized tshirt dresses to beautifully crafted parkas and sculptural tops.
sold in Australia, LA, London and Japan, get it now at www.rittenhouse.com.au.
that's all for now. :)
just wana thank the few friends who have read my previous post and have comforted me i in more ways than one. u thank you for that. and i'll do better for sure.
let me end this entry with a quote by Christian Dior.
'"By being natural and sincere, one often can create revolutions without having sough them".
deelearn bitched @ 1:56 AM
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