Fashion, Art And Beyond

In defense of John Galliano

2011-03-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

In the midst of all the mud slinging that is happening to John Galliano, one of the greatest couturiers of this day, have we, in the haste to bulldoze 25 years of rock solid contribution to fashion made by this great man, forgotten that we live in an era of "fictionalised realism", an era where we are programmed to see the world in a way that might be far removed from what it actually is. Has anyone paused to think whether the video of John uttering racist comments could have been doctored? Whether his apparently "odious" comments might have been taken out of context after all?

John is quoted as saying "People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers would all be fucking gassed." What is the prelude to this conversation? John is using "would" implying that he might be referring to some incident prior to making these comments.

Is it fair to crucify a man, who for 25 years maintained the impeccable image of a gentleman making significant contribution to the fashion industry tirelessly working to push the limits of creativity, without giving him a chance to hear his side of the story?

P.S The intent of this article is not to support anti-Semitism or racism but rather to kindle a thought in all concerned minds as to whether we are judging too soon?

Christian Dior Fall 2010, be seduced!

2010-03-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Seduction of Libertine - Christian Dior Fall 2010!

Paris This Fall!

2010-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

She's back after a long hiatus!

(Where she went and what she did

Will remain a mystery forever!)

To grace her presence, among

The many, that have pruned and preened,

And await her presence

On the runways of Paris...

Is she a joyous riot of colors

Or a melancholy medley of black and white?

Has she ballooned into a mountain of creativity

Or wasted away into itsy bitsy rags of mediocrity?

Is she youth glorified or senility mourned?

As the Grand Lady of Fashion
Descends on the runways of Paris yet again...
Showing the tricks to escape the icy fingers of Fall
Will she be embraced as the matron of fashion

Or abandoned as a mere nebulous of confusion?

Photo Credit:www.catwalking.com

On Monday, am a good girl!

2010-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

On some days you just wanna confirm, more so on a Monday when the gossamer of carefree slumber is rudely melted by the brazen sun, that pokes you awake, streaming in through the curtains that had thus far walled you from its nascent play! Days when nothing ever matters to please or displease, love or hate and when you ride on one such wave of nonchalance and absolute indifference then these looks convince you enough that they are indeed part of the Spring 2010 Haute Couture collection that was showcased recently in Paris and they are as intricate, sophisticated and avant-garde as any from the season would look. On other days when you take life with an ounce of zest, am not so sure...

Photo Credit:www.catwalking.com

Its time to snooooooze! Happy Weekend

2010-02-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Missing Horse at Christian Dior's Haute Couture...

2010-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Christian Dior's Haute Couture Spring 2010 collection

Nothingness...

2010-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Engulfed by nothingness - hauling out of bed - colossal reluctance - break of day - reflecting into the mirror - stupified in a stance - thinking of life fleeting past - vague nebulous thoughts - prematurely aborted - a bit of slumber - a ton of melancholy - stabbed - bludgeoned - suffocated - drowned in nothingness...

Face of a Concept!

2010-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Now that Haute Couture week is over, the discussion hasn't yet settled on the maybe trivial question of who showed what, but still seems to linger around(much like a shrew's tantrums) the "unforgivable" sin of a little girl making her appearance on the front row of fashion shows, blinding one and all by an infamous bow. The issue it seems is not so much of the bow but how a pesky little 13 something can upstage years of hard work and dedication thrown in by senior editors of conventional fashion magazines. The whole cosmic world was aghast about the extreme injustice, about being short changed etc And when I tried to make light of the situation in one of my previous posts I got many not so nice comments about the little girl's supposed obnoxiousness for even daring to attend those shows.

To all those bow and baby bashers I can only say "Don't be angry!". The girl is not your competition unless of course you are a 6 year old fashion blogger with a keen sense of observation of how Chanel's couture hairstyle resembles an inflated balloon! This girl is what you may call "the face of a concept". What concept? The concept of unbridled youth, uncorrupted by external influences having its say on fashion. What with couture clients being mature ladies, a breath of fresh air would do them wonders into thinking that when I wear that dress I'm a 60 looking a 13, because this 13 that attends my favourite designer's show looks more like me i.e a 13 resembling a 60(the greyed hair aiding belief)! And what with the electronic media stretching its long hands and pinching the Grand Lady of Fashion in unthinkable places coupled with the need to fatten the bottom line, PRs are willing to throw in any spice into the fashion curry to make it more palatable! So unless you are a toddler, move on...

Disclaimer:The views expressed are my own and not influenced by anyone else.

Madame Haute Couture...

2010-02-01T01:59:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit:www.catwalking.com

Wait!!!

2010-01-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wait! How gargantuan you are!
Poured your heart out
Talked of your admiration
For your idol

Sent your thoughts
All packed neatly
In lines scribbled
Across many papers,
Resembling words,
or perhaps a woven dream

Creating a window
of graphite dust
That offers a peep
Into your inner soul

Wait! Have your thoughts
Been delivered
Lands and oceans across?
To the one for whom
You have sculpted
Your wishes

Wait! Has your idol seen
The little packet
In his inbox docket?
Opened to reveal
Your admiration pure

Wait! Did your idol
Glance deep enough?
To understand the graphite dance
Now metamorphosed strangely by chance
Into his portrait, entranced

Wait! Was that his thought?
Or me in a mere knot?
Vacillating like a pendulum clock
Between extremes of
Hope and Embarrassment

Wait! Did you hear a gentle knock?
Everything around blurred
And your little world swirled

Wait! Was that your idol's symphony?
In response to your graphite cacophony?
Oh how he communed a melody
Or perhaps not!

Wait! Oh what joy you are in pain
Wait! Or a throbbing pain in joy
Wait! Wait! Wait!

Inspired by a young girl who writes to her idol and speculates his reaction...

At Devil's Disposal...

2010-01-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the devil, young lady?
Asks the man smoking a pink ciggy
Yes sir, I reply rather coyly

For quite recently

It caused such a furore

Over my big pink bow

Which it fumed had

Blinded it temporarily

From flaring at pretty young girls

Daintily walking the aisle

The pink ciggy man persists
So lady, does the devil anguish you much?
Oh sir it's terrible, I confess
It bathes me in vitriol
From morning till night

Reminds me constantly of how ugly I'm
Calls me a cretin when I'm perfection
Unutterable names when I'm human

Yes sir I work the devil
That has jumped hell's gate
Right onto my plate
To twist my poor fate!

Dedicated to all those poor souls that attract the devil's wrath with their big pink bows!

Solidarity for Haiti

2010-01-25T10:06:00.000-08:00

Our hearts go out to the countless victims of Haiti earthquake disaster.

Versace's Wonderland!

2010-01-22T10:22:00.001-08:00

Inspired by Versace's Spring Summer 2010 Ready-to-Wear Womenswear

Stay tuned for more...

Tropic of Flowers From Stella!

2010-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Stella McCartney's Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear Womenswear

Have you seen the barren trees
Colored a gentle green?
By this woman named Nature
Who exchanged her blackened slate
For a painter's rich color palette?

She labors long under the gentle sun
Whose warm rays caress her into tireless work
For all who have felt a painter's pain
Would know that her task is no mean!

To tinge the fiery red with orange
Splash some yellow on a lemon
Color the flowers to soothe the eyes
And the earth with youth and joy

Oh how Nature churns her colors
To deftly apply on her canvas Earth
Once every year a unique painting she does
Rich in colors and strong in beauty

"Spring" she calls it every time
Oh! I wonder why?

Photo Credit:www.catwalking.com

Mysterious Dior!

2010-01-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Christian Dior's Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear Womenswear collection!

Dior girl on the run
In a silver lamé trench coat to stun
Sparkling diamonds in her bun
Pursued by a gangster's gun

She hears a faint knock on her door
Leaps off her bed to avoid terrible gore
No time to dress and adore
Slips into her underwear on the floor
And deftly escapes before
Things turn really sour!

Only baby dolls and negligees cover her modesty
Onlookers gape wide at her audacity
No time for outerwear she says in honesty
Dior girl's frail femininity
And robust vanity
Never fails to impress in enormity!

Photo Credit:www.catwalking.com

Creator: John Galliano

Event: Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear Womenswear
Date Held: Oct 2nd, 2009
Place: Espace Ephémère Tuileries - Jardin des Tuileries – Paris 1er

Designer(John Galliano) Speak:

“I discovered this wonderful image of Lauren Bacall, a loyal Dior client, and Humphrey Bogart on an Avenue Montaigne terrace, and I took it from there”

“She was a regular client of M. Dior and I loved the idea of taking that 1940s Hollywood glamour and making it more contemporary. And I liked the idea of the link between film as an illusion and the illusion of undressed dresses”

“I wanted very femme fatale, a strong woman with a lot of independence, a heart breaker”

“semi-dressed allure”

Critics Say:

“Disrobing was Dior’s biggest story today.”(Vogue.com UK)

“It’s just that this season the look isn’t special enough.” (The New York Times)

“The message at Christian Dior this afternoon was very definitely taken straight from the underwear drawer.” (The Daily Telegraph)

“For all its delicacy, and prettiness, was there a single idea that took fashion — or Dior — forward?Everything seemed like a reworking of early Galliano collections under his own name, but now with all the finesse and studio support that he has from Dior.” (International Herald Tribune)

“Why limit yourself to a movie when you can access the living wardrobe?” (Financial Times)

View Complete Collection

Bui girl gonna rock!!

2010-01-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Barbara Bui's Spring Summer 2010 RTW Womenswear Collection

Bui girl, not yet a star
Just a young girl having a lot of fun
Attending rock shows, strumming her guitar
Bohemian attitude and a wardrobe to match!

Rocks in skinny leather pants and studded jackets
Slithers into metallic python pants with equal aplomb
Throws in some feminity with lacy slips
Patchwork mini dresses and tons of sequins

Arty Pop or plain Woodstock
However you categorise her
Its not easy to match
Bui girl, who's yet a star...

Photo Credit:www.elleuk.com

Creator: Barbara Bui

Event: Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear Womenswear
Date Held: Oct 5th, 2009
Place: Musée de l'Homme - 17 place du Trocadéro - Paris 16e

Press Notes:
Free-spirited and luminescent, she refuses the gloom. Her rock chick nonchalance is dressed in brightly coloured clothing. Exuberant and happy-go-lucky, she can’t stay still and claims her zest for life. Flower Rock and Arty Pop embroidery invades her androgynous chic wardrobe. Party-perfect trousers and jackets shake it up for a look that is part self-conscious sophisticate, part laid-back rebel. Anything goes - as Victorian lace, Kerouac-style worn brown leather and chain mail is mixed with floral prints, simple white cotton fabrics, snakeskin and high octane punk leather. Somewhere between Woodstock and the Palace, her wardrobe is a patchwork remix of pop culture and party girl. She dares to mimic the humour of Ziggy Stardust, evokes the sensuality of Veruhska and harnesses the lightness of touch of Vanessa Paradis. Her obsessions? Chain bracelets and necklaces. Her style? Disco stilettos, punk boots and sexy rock sandals. Her nonchalent accessories? Woodstock-style bags with lashings of luxe. The bullets in her armour? Precious mini bags that shine like jewels.

View Complete Collection

Balenciaga high street drama!

2010-01-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Balenciaga Spring Summer 2010 RTW Womenswear's tough urban look!

Quest for growing young John Galliano way!

2010-01-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Inspired by John Galliano's Spring Summer 2010 RTW WomensWear where an old actress revelling in the glory of her heydays tries to make a comeback oblivious of the reality that she has long lost her youthful looks!

John Galliano- Spring Summer 2010 RTW- Oct 7th 2009- Paris- inspired by movie Sunset Boulevard- an actress of the silent movie era attempts a comeback- assembles a red carpet wardrobe from her existing wardrobe of lingerie, night gowns, brooches and pearls- 1920s Hollywood glamour- fresh colors, ice blue, silver lame, powder pink, lemon yellow-sheer fabrics of chiffon, tulle and lace- trench coats either encrusted with brooches with price tags till attached or decorated with flowers made from film gel, bias cut semi transparent gowns layered with bright polka dot gowns- spray painted hair- "Galliano Gazette" newspaper print hats and drawstring purses- giant pearl bracelets- high heeled shoes with pearl stacked heels- for the young and wild- cute romantic dresses reflecting Spring- familiar territory for John Galliano- collection focused on a strong bottom line!

Image Source:www.catwalking.com

Mystic Woman...

2010-01-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...

2010-01-05T05:52:00.001-08:00

Embrace, Explore, Excite! Happy New Decade!

2010-01-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

As we bid farewell to the oughties and step into a new decade, hope the year holds promises that are bright, varied and colorful !

Adieu to a loving decade!

2009-12-29T01:29:00.000-08:00

Its been a fabulously fashionable year.Thank you readers for all your encouragement and support.Keep tuning in for more action in the coming year.

Where beauty beguiles...

2009-12-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

To replace the impossibly perfect "photo shopped" women with an equally impossible task of hand stitching each LV bag, fashion ads will always remain tainted with fantasy!

John Galliano, is that you?

2009-12-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else have a better reaction to this 29 year old John Galliano? From here to where you are today, the transformation has indeed been GARGANTUAN!

Image Source:www.gettyimages.com

Yohji Yamamoto takes a U-turn, embraces skinny silhouette!

2009-12-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

Think Yohji Yamamoto and images of gloomy girls buried under heaps of black cloth with not a hint of the powerful sexuality that might lie hidden underneath, float across the mind's eye.This time around when the silhouettes mirrored the recession and transformed from voluminous black skirts to tight mini skirts and skinny pants, everyone familiar with Yamamoto's work raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. A few days later when Yamamoto filed for bankruptcy protection with debts accrued to $67 million, the pieces all fitted together. Concept has been swapped for commercialism, where bottom line seemed to be the strong focus and that it could be strengthened without slaughtering creativity, is after all the genius of Yamamoto.

Yamamoto understood that no one has the pleasant mood or the gentle patience to indulge in "conceptual" fantasy.Rather he focused on the mood at hand, making angst filled women, thinned down by financial worries and dressed in fitted black skirts and shirts with mutton of leg sleeves and collars stylishly popped out, take on the task of being their families' breadwinner, their inner turmoil and state of unrest manifested through bedraggled hair and blazing eyes made prominent through brightly colored feathers stuck on the eyebrows of eyes painted to match the color of the feathers!

The no nonsense tough attitude was prolonged through taut black boned corset jackets and double breasted tuxedo jackets with their collars and lapels pushed down to bare shoulders and worn with miniskirts, all coyness vapourising into an overpowering femininity!

As the show progressed the girls got bolder and rougher donning black leather, puffed-sleeve moto-cross jackets and fitted shirts worn with either asymmetrical miniskirts with kilt pleats on one side or over studded garter peeking out of miniskirts!

With jobs so scarce and the mood intensely workaholic with everyone consumed by a ravaging need to hold on to their only source of income, the focus was on work wear, the lean frame of the damsels held in respect through skinny pants and shorts worn with the usual fare of Yamamoto's floor grazing shirt dresses or the more conventional T-shirt over jackets, even the t-shirts oozing out their despair through little black appliquéd flowers decorating them!

Toughness and practicality give way to another hero of the hour, namely frugality! The worked-to-the-bone woman has barely enough time to crash into bed after making a messy something in the kitchen with not even sufficient time to clean up the leftovers! What was once a spic and span apartment had metamorphosed into a hell where rodents, moths and the like roam around as if they owned the place! The tough life bearing down on her apartment eventually starts showing up in her wardrobe that comprises of skinny pants that hide bony legs and long black lounge robes, all riddled with holes resulting from persistent gnawing at by rodents, barely held together and ready to disintegrate at any time. But in our girl's fight for survival these are the least of her concerns and so we catch a glimpse of her running around doing her weekend errands in "decayed couture"!

Finally, even during bad times there is the occasional merriment in the form of some one's birthday or baptism which begs to be dressed in "cheerful clothes". Our heroine brings down a musty old box from her attic where she has put away the girlie dresses of her cheerful youth to wait for better times! As she unpacks those delicate Liberty print floral dresses and jackets with utmost care, she notices to her utter dismay that the icy hands of ill fortune that had pulled her down into this rotten hole, had extended its hands right into this box as well, shredding the dresses into a "holey" mess! With a sunken heart and a threadbare dress our girl marches on to face the world as it is today...

Apart from the skinny silhouette which was a first in Yamamoto's collection, a 2 inch heeled shoe too was debuted by the designer whose shoes in the past neatly fell into the category of flat soled trainers! The finger tip exposing gloves too added a groovy edge to the collection!

Though the shoddy financial situation of his company might have been a contributing factor in Yamamoto choosing commercially sell able clothes over conceptual ones, still one has to commend Yamamoto for coming up with an extremely functional and smart work wear wardrobe with a bit of punk rock chic thrown in, in the form of bullet riddled jackets, pants and dresses.

Image Source:www.style.com www.catwalking.com