A Fallen Fashionista

Fashion gone crazy: Marc Jacobs in a pink dress and famous architect in leather outfit

2012-03-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

During the Paris Fashion Week, the exhibition “Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs” was inaugurated at Les Arts Décoratifs. This retrospective recounts the history of the famous French maison, from the founding in 1854 all the way to the recent collections by Jacobs, who has been Vuitton’s creative director since 1997. And for this special occasion this is the outfit Marc Jacobs has chosen: a long pink dress (WTF?!) on his muscular and a tattooed body. And his companion for the evening, Peter Marino, famous architect who has designed the new Chanel boutique - opened this week in avenue Montaigne - had an interesting choice of wardrobe too: full leather outfit. No comment from me... As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Want this job? Renounce your privacy, or, Look for a job in another country

2012-03-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Ph. Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of my recent job interviews was at one fashion press office run by one single person in Milan. I wasn't that much interested in this position but I did find the job interview quite interesting. I was asked all sorts of questions, most non related to the job itself, my previous experience or my capabilities. The questions I was asked were about my family, my parent's jobs, how much money we have, and other question that went even deeper into my private life. The person explained to me that if we were to work together, she would have to know everything about me.

Hmm, was I applying for a job at FBI or CIA? Not quite.

She told me that maybe the questions were odd to me because I wasn't Italian, and “Italians are very open-minded”. I had to force myself not to laugh, but the truth is that you are open-minded only if you don't care about someone's private life. The moment you ask someone these kind of questions in a work environment, you show that this is how you will evaluate them.

After all this time in Italy, I really got bored with this kind of questions. Should I move to another country where there is a different kind of work ethics?

I also told this person that one of my hobbies was blogging and that I have a blog where I write about my experience in the fashion industry. She said that I could never write about her and her agency, because in Italy there are laws that protect her privacy. What law is going to protect my privacy and dignity of all the young people in search of a normal job?

My blog on Paperblog

2012-03-05T15:04:00.001-08:00

Who knew my blog had so many readers on Paperblog... I certainly didn't. Yesterday I visited for the first time my page on this website, even though I had registered on it a few months ago. The statistics were quite surprising, but pleasant. I also learned that some of the articles were chosen by Paperblog's editorial team and were featured on the main page of the website. If you like, you can follow me on Paperblog too at http://en.paperblog.com/users/fallenfashionista/

Baroque inspiration

2012-03-01T04:14:00.002-08:00

One of the recurrent themes in the fashion world is the Baroque opulence. Some brands like Versace have it in their DNA and some designers just play with this theme every now and then.

Golden embroidery in contrast with black fabrics was the main leitmotif of the latest Dolce&Gabbana collection for autumn/winter 2012/2013.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2012/2013

Before Domenico and Stefano, it was Alexander McQueen who in his final collection for fall 2010 used regal baroque elements mixed with his vision of futurism.

Alexander McQueen fall/winter 2010

The baroque can be defined as an “expression of the extreme, as an aesthetic of exaggeration and surprise, invented to evoke wonder in the public”. No wonder baroque is so popular in contemporary fashion.

Quote of the day

2012-02-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

I absolutely believe my talent is God-given. I ask God for a lot, but I also thank him. I'm a very demanding believer.

- Hubert de Givenchy (born 21st of February 1927), French designer

60 Years of Givenchy

2012-02-27T14:51:00.001-08:00

Givenchy spring/summer 2012 ready to wear collection

Not a lot of people know that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the French maison Givenchy. At the magazine I work for we were interested in dedicating a nice article to the history of this famous brand, its roots, the founder and the contemporary collections. Unfortunately, after several calls to their press offices, both in Milan and Paris, I was informed that Givenchy has decided not to communicate regarding this anniversary since the company has no plans for celebration of this important milestone.

At first this seemed a little bit odd to me. Not every fashion brand gets to last 60 years in the business. But then I realized: despite the fact that the collections by Riccardo Tisci, current creative director of Givenchy, are really beautiful, both prêt-à-porter and haute couture, they are very far from the vision of Hubert de Givenchy who founded his fashion house in 1952. To compare Tisci's gothic style to effortlessly elegant Givenchy dresses Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's is simply impossible. These are just two different philosophies, two different worlds.

So sometimes companies like to explore and use their past for marketing purposes, and sometimes like in case of Givenchy, they like to pretend that the past is in the past, and we just have to live in the present. Meaning: talk about what you can sell, a.k.a. current collections. The old ones are not profitable.

Givenchy Haute Couture, spring/summer 2012

Hubert de Givenchy in his studio

Givenchy, the first collection from 1952

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Democratic fashion - Missoni edition

2012-02-23T11:37:00.001-08:00

This February 26th Missoni will present its new women's collection for Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 at the University of Milan, Italy. Here is an invitation Missoni press office sent to me. This year everyone is welcome. You probably won't have any seat and you won't see much of the runway, but at least you'll get to feel the atmosphere and maybe catch a glimpse of some celebrities. Will you be there?

When journalism hits rock bottom

2012-02-21T06:32:00.002-08:00

Ph. paskelius at www.sxc.hu/profile/paskelius

As every freelance journalist knows, not having a stable job means you constantly have to search for new work opportunities and collaborations. In my case it means sending a lot of emails to all the magazines and websites whose addresses I manage to find. I prefer contacting editors in chief instead of section editors, so one time I got in touch with the new editor in chief of one already established Italian magazine. She kindle responded and asked me to contact one of the editors because she herself wasn't deciding the editorial content of the magazine (?)...

Anyway I did contact this editor and she subsequently asked me to send her some ideas for articles and promised she would get back at me asap. This fashion magazine wasn't just about newest bags and other accessories, but instead they had a lot of articles that you could actually read. So I did my research and found 6 topics that in my opinion had some intellectual value. Something about eco-sustainable fashion and similar innovative projects, young deseigners, some exhibitions dedicated to famous and less famous designers from the past...

To make it short, I never got any reply from this editor. So I got curious to find out who this journalist was, where she worked before and what was her writing style. The only result I found on google relative to her name and the magazine was an article on one Italian websites dedicated to the media and journalism in general. The piece was cleverly entitled, and here roughly translated to English, “The publishing house hits rock bottom”. The post was about an article from this magazine which was co-written by “my editor” and was dedicated to the important subject of women's behinds or bottoms if you prefer. Basically, female “journalists” of this magazine had a discussion about their bottoms, how much they liked them or didn't and what they would change and so on...

The author of this critic in my opinion had a really good point. An article like this was really “journalism” at its worst, but it seems that at least it gives you a job. So I realized: I was sending ideas about art exhibitions, sustainable fashion etc to a person who writes about her own ass! It's so sad how far people can go if they just don't have any shame...

The curious case of death in the front row

2012-02-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Ph. Zelda Kaplan at Joanna Mastroianni fashion show

When you have dedicated your whole life to fashion, it is only fair that you get to experience it until your last moments on Earth. This is exactly what happened to 95 year old Zelda Kaplan, a real fashion lover, socialite and philanthropist. This Wednesday she was in the front row - like she always was during the New York Fashion Week – attending the fashion show of her longtime friend, the designer Joanna Mastroianni. But unfortunately it turned out to be her last Fashion Week ever. Just as the show started and first models came down the runway, Zelda collapsed and was immediately rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead of natural causes. Let's hope that she is in a better, and most of all, more fabulous place now.

Quote of the day

2012-02-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

You know something, Giorgio. You dress elegant women. You dress sophisticated women. I dress sluts.

- Gianni Versace to Giorgio Armani

Fashion journalism, how it once was

2012-02-16T03:02:00.000-08:00

Kitty Potter with Jean Paul Gaultier, still from the movie Prêt-à-Porter

From Paris to New York, then London to Milan, occasionally Berlin and Madrid, and back to Paris again. Some lucky fashion journalists and bloggers get to travel to all this places and attend fashion weeks around the world. I understand what fashion editors and stylists do during these events: research for their work. They have to know what will be the trends of the next season and immediately start shooting for magazines. I would also understand what journalist do, that is if there still was such thing as fashion journalism.

It is so hard to find today real reviews of collections in papers, magazines or on websites. In seems like no one is capable or dares to criticize the work of fashion designers. The farthest some journalists go is to explain the story behind the collection and what the designer was inspired by. But it's not like they come up with this on their own. Before the show you get a press release, look book and a detailed description of the collection. You just have to tell it with your own words. I do admire the work of some outstanding journalists like Hilary Alexander, Suzy Menkes and Tim Blanks. Listening to them after shows is certainly educational. I wish there was somebody like that in Italy as well.

And I would also prefer if there were more bold and serious fashion journalists, who instead of going to every after-show party, would take some time to write a decent review of collections. Remember the time, '80s and '90s, when a bad critic in newspaper could actually cause poor sales of the collection? Who would dare to do this in some mainstream publication today? A day later, the mentioned brand would pull all their ads and the publishing house would lose a fortune.

In the meantime, here's a funny clip for the 1994 movie Prêt-à-Porter with Kim Basinger as the fashion journalist Kitty Potter at Paris Fashion Week . Fashion at its best. And funniest.

The worst fashion at Grammys or How to embarrass yourself in front of millions

2012-02-13T04:37:00.000-08:00

Nicki Minaj in custom Versace something, can't call it a dress

Fergie tries to wear Jean Paul Gaultier couture and fails miserably

Robyn, enough said

One positive example, nothing over the top, but still not boring

Rihanna in Giorgio Armani

Ph: Official grammy.com images

Quote of the day

2012-02-11T05:56:00.001-08:00

Fashions fade - style is eternal.

- Yves Saint Laurent (1936 – 2008), French fashion designer

The season of vegetables. Fruits are so last season

2012-02-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

Dolce & Gabbana spring/summer 2012 and detail form the runway

While I was searching for images for my previous post, I remembered that just as Dolce&Gabbana's spring/summer 2012 collection is all about one motif - the vegetables – so was the spring/summer 2011 collection by Stella McCartney. Only in her case the fruit was the main theme of that season. I do like when a collection has a specific theme. It makes it more fun and very recognizable. On the other hand, since it is very distinctive and memorable, people will usually wear it only that season and then get bored with it. But that should be the point of fashion, right? Make you desire and buy something, then six months later make you throw it away in order to buy something completely new. Then again, fruit and vegetables are only good when fresh.

Stella McCartney spring/summer 2011 ad

Quote of the day

2012-02-08T04:42:00.000-08:00

Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is no beauty without happiness.

- Christian Dior (1905 - 1957), French fashion designer.

Job interview at Dolce & Gabbana

2012-02-08T04:41:00.000-08:00

Dolce&Gabbana spring/summer 2012 ad

Last year one of my numerous job interviews took place at Dolce & Gabbana headquarters. One morning I got a phone call from their HR office asking if I was available for an interview the following week. The funny thing is that at that moment I couldn't remember that I ever responded to a job ad from D&G. Later on I realized that the ad for the position of web editor was probably published just under "fashion company". Often famous fashion brands chose not to publish their name to avoid too many candidates who would be attracted by the name.

Back to the job itself: it was for their online magazine called Swide which I find actually quite interesting as a form of publication. Armani was probably one of the first fashion designers who started his own magazine in the ’90. With the digital era of today, the pr activities are turning websites of fashion brands into real online magazines.

How did my job interview go? Let's just say my expectations were too high, the job seemed to perfect to be true. During the interview I realized that they were looking for a food editor for their new channel. Somebody who would write about recipes and best restaurants. It was immediately clear to me that it was not the right fit for me. I don't care that much for restaurants, I'm vegetarian (not like I can eat all the dishes and write reviews), I'm not an expert in fancy places in Milan...

But this experience wasn't that bad at all. Before my interview started I had about 15 minutes to observe from the inside the headquarters of one of the biggest fashion houses in the world. It was all there: showrooms, pr offices, graphic department, editorial offices and who knows what else. I only saw three floors. It all looked very elegant, white walls, black furniture, video walls with the footage from the latest shows. And I immediately realized: compared to all the horrible, dirty, unorganized offices of famous fashion magazines that I saw, this was a different world. Here the luxury was in the air. Not just on paper.

The other surprise came about two weeks later. I received an email from the HR office thanking me for application and informing me that they found a more suitable candidate... After many years in Italy, and who knows how many interviews, this was the first time that somebody bothered to let me know how the selection process ended (even though I already knew this). And so in some twisted way, I was happy and thankful even for a rejection. It gave me hope that there is still some politeness in this crazy world.

Quote of the day

2012-02-06T03:05:00.001-08:00

Fashion condemns us to many follies; the greatest is to make oneself its slave.

- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821), French military and political leader.

Is it summer already in February?

2012-02-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

Here is how Milan looks like in these cold February days.

And this what the high-end stores in Monte Napoleone and Via della Spiga streets are selling at the moment...

Prada Spring/Summer 2012 ad

Isn't it little bit absurd to sell summer collections when it is freezing cold outside. There are some stores that even display baiting suits in their windows? Taking the commercial side in consideration, maybe it makes sense. The sales of winter collection are almost over and stores need to introduce a new offer. But really, who buys light summery clothes when it is snowing, besides the turists who come from warmer places. This thing happens also in July when at 40°C stores start selling winter jackets, wool sweaters and fur coats. Can't they postpone the sales and let us enjoy our winter clothing and shopping until the final days of the season?

Quote of the day

2012-02-03T04:39:00.000-08:00

Art produces ugly things which frequently become beautiful with time. Fashion, on the other hand, produces beautiful things which always become ugly with time.

- Jean Cocteau (1889 - 1963), French novelist and poet

Photoshop disasters

2012-02-03T04:34:00.000-08:00

Ph. Miracle cream. I don't know who made this fake photoshop ad, but it probably answers all the beauty secret questions

Every now and then the people at the graphic departments get a little bit carried away with retouching photographs, so models/celebrities end up missing some part of their body or 30 years younger than their actual age. Here is my selection of my favorite photoshop disasters form the last few years:

Demi Moore on the cover of W Magazine, 2009. Where are your hips, Demi?

Ralph Lauren model. Umm, extreme virtual liposuction?

The Queen of Pop is also The Queen of Photoshop. Dolce & Gabbana spring/summer 2010 ad. Before and after retouching. Arms, face, everything... Little bit too much?

First day at Vogue, or, How should I dress?

2012-01-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

Photo: LA Closet Design

I will limit this post only to my wardrobe choice for my first day of internship at Italian Vogue. In some of the next posts I will describe my work experience at this magazine and how it all went.

When I got the final confirmation from Condé Nast and when my contract was signed, my next obsession became my wardrobe choice for this three months (that turned into six). I wasn't thinking about buying everything new and completely changing my wardrobe, but instead I was focused on the first day. It's all about the first impression, right? And I could always spend my money later on new clothes. Also when I went for an interview with the editor it was very early in the morning and the offices were almost empty so I didn't get to see anybody in the corridors and understand what was the mood at the magazine. One thing is for sure. The pressure was high. You don't get to work at Vogue every day.

In this situation there are three mistakes you can make:

1. look to formal, as if you were working in a bank or some other strict organization.

2. look too casual, and thus disrespectful to the company.

3. try too hard to be fashionable and in the end look just ridiculous.

My choice was an effortless casual elegance: black Calvin Klein shirt, Trussardi dark blue jeans and elegant black-grey Fred Perry plimsolls. I think it worked just fine.

So when I got my identification card at the reception before starting my first day, I went up to the third floor and there I was... The sign “Vogue” was hanging next to the glass door. And this is how my adventure in the crazy fashion world began.

Going back to my wardrobe choice, I honestly think that nobody paid much attention to what I was wearing or how I looked. Probably because most of them in the office didn't even care how they themselves were dressed. It was a warm June day, and at Italian Vogue it seemed like a fun day at a sunny beach. People in shorts, flip-flops, espadrilles... My fashionable summer party was about to begin. Or at least I thought so...

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week – what was there, what wasn't

2012-01-28T04:28:00.000-08:00

Dior atelier in Paris, from the book "Dior Couture Patrick Demarchelier"

So Haute Couture Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2012 has just ended and here is my personal view on the subject. The thing about haute couture is that to really appreciate the collections you have to see them personally and analyze every detail. Photos on websites just can't tell you the whole story. Sometimes from the pictures you can get the vibe of more extravagant collections like in case of previous John Galliano collections for Dior. However, usually the true value of haute couture is in the precious fabrics, little details, sewing techniques and rich embroidery. That's why I think what Riccardo Tisci does for Givenchy Haute Couture is a rather smart move. Simple presentations for a selected group of guests who can watch closely every model. No need for spectacular runway shows, celebrities in first row and paparazzi madness. Simple presentation, just like back in the day when designers hosted fashion shows in their own studios and while the models walked slowly, designers would talk to the press and explain all about the collection, fabrics and inspiration.

After 8 years Versace has came back to Paris HC Week. The collection itself, however, had little to do with haute couture and frankly some of their past ready-to-wear collections were better structured and even more glamorous than this one.

Another thing I believe is missing at Paris HC is the brand Alexander McQueen. I always thought that his collection, and now those designed by Sarah Burton, are way more couture than ready to wear... Maybe next year.

Is Milan still one of the fashion capitals?

2012-01-24T06:34:00.001-08:00

A few days ago Men's Fashion Week in Milan ended and in less than a month Women's Fashion Week will begin. The city will turn into chaos, the bloggers will occupy the streets and nervous journalist and editors will run hysterically from one show to another.
This makes me wonder : is all this hype justified? Can Milan still think of itself as one of the main fashion capitals along with Paris, London and New York or is it slowly losing the battle against some rising fashion metropolis like Madrid, Berlin and São Paulo?

There is no doubt that when it comes to the commercial aspect Milan is the winner. What you see on Milan's catwalks is what sells all over the world and there will always be big brands like Gucci, Armani, D&G, Prada that will attract international buyers and press. But what matters for the future of any fashion industry is the young and upcoming talent. And that is exactly what is missing in Milan, or rather it is not featured enough as in other fashion weeks around the world. When I think about it, I can't really come up with any Italian designer that has emerged in last ten years and has created an internationally known and successful brand. Maybe DSquared2, but they are originally from Canada, based in Italy, but not really representatives of Italian taste and style.

So what is missing? There are countless fashion schools all over Italy, there is even a solid platform for the manufacturing process... Maybe Italian fashion community doesn't do enough to support and guide young designer so they just end up working as assistant designers for some major brand never getting the real recognition for their work. Sure there are events like "Who is on Next?" but still after all these years not one young designer has managed to surpass the borders of Italy and make it big worldwide. And young designer always have their shows on the last day of the fashion week, after all major brands have already finished their shows, and all the press and buyers have left for Paris wich is the next fashion week in the calendar.

So how can we explain the phenomenon of two extraordinary talented Italian designers like Riccardo Tisci who has resurrected the French maison Givenchy; and Giambattista Valli who is equally successful both in prêt-à-porter and haute couture. And somehow they are both based in Paris and are fully embraced by the French fashion industry.
Maybe what is happening to Milan is what used to be the problem of London till recently. It just didn't have the support system. But one of the biggest British brands Burberry has eventually returned to the London Fashion Week. I don't see Italian brands like Valentino ever coming back from Paris to Milan.

And lastly, maybe it is to consider also the fact that fashion lives where creativity and young energy burst. In a city that can simply be described with the color grey, where walking down the streets there are significantly more old than young people, and where anxiety and bitterness is the common state of mind, even the fashion has given up. It has moved to a better, warmer and more prosperous place. I bet it is having a fabulous time somewhere in the streets of Rio.

Giambattista Valli at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

2012-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

My personal highlights of the Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012 Fashion Week

What's my name?

2012-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

One of the weirdest things Human Resources do when there is a real or fake job opening, is that they send emails usually without even checking the information about the recipient.

This is how I once got an email from one Italian company that referred to me by a female name (which I'm not) and recently I got an email from a company based in Dubai and they called me Tom (not my name either). It's kind of funny to open your own email account and find a message that informs somebody else that at the company, that you have sent your cv to, there is a job opening.

But in this situation it is hard to decide your next move. Should you just ignore the email since it wasn't intended for you or should you reply anyway and ask if the email was meant for you and they just got the names wrong? In both cases I chose the second option. From Italian company I got no reply (typical), from Dubai they explained that this Tom was also a candidate, but I was one of the recipients for the job offer as well (which I seriously doubt).

So HR offices around the world, please learn my name and those of the other candidates. It's easy, it's usually the first thing you read when you open someone's resume (“cv”, “resume” and similar don't count). Oh, I really hope never to receive an email that starts with “Dear Curriculum vitae”...