Fashion Feeds by fashionoffice.org

Teamrider wanted! - Mountain Style 2009/10

The new season starts with several events in the Alps organised by fashion labels from the sports field...

Short Message 14/11/2009 - Interactive video installation about climate change and its effects

Mumbai born artist Shilpa Gupta�s interactive video installation �Shadow� will be shown at the Carter road promenade in Bandra, Mumbai (India). At the time, Shilpa Gupta is one of the most requested female artists when it comes to social issues (gender politics, power of consumerism, politically or ideological terror, desire and religion, cultural differences etc.). The interactivity of the web has influenced her view on the world. Bandra is the �Queen of Suburbs� in Mumbai. It�s the place where Bollywood celebrities live and modern lifestyle happens. The quarter invites from 14 to 29 November to the annual �Celebrate Bandra� festival. Each festival has a theme: Heritage in 2007, Education in 2005, Environment in 2009: "Bandra�s geographical lines have changed drastically over the years. Vast areas of the sea surrounding our suburb have been reclaimed. We now have a sea link spanning the ocean from Bandra to Worli, with aspirations of going even further." http://celebratebandra.net

Short Message 13/11/2009 - Lady Gaga's styling in her new video 'Bad Romance'

Lady Gaga sings 'Roma-roma-mamaa! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la! Want your bad romance' in her amusing video. She is dressed in Alexander McQueen, wears Carrera... Stylist Nicola Formichetti publishes screenshots from the video for a better orientation. You can watch the music-clip on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACm9yECwSso

Korean design on time and gravity

For spring/summer 2010, Lie Sang Bong conquers time and space. He takes his inspiration from a science fiction novel that is focusing on humanity. It plays on a planet without water, where people are awaiting the new messiah...

Short Message 13/11/2009 - How we are creating popular culture

...questions the American artist Jordan Wolfson in his Cartier Award 2009 winning video on the example of String Theory (combines quantum and gravity theory). A physicist from the Queen Mary University, London, explains that it is about individuals that come together and project information. "Popular culture is about projection of information, it�s about knowledge � about how we create things collectively." The Cartier Award 2010 calls for entries (performance, film, video, print work; deadline 4 January 2010).

What Have You Done To Your Face?

�is a video work on female beauty and societal images of perfection by Alex de Campi (visuals) and Marcella Puppini (music). It is one of 450 individual entries to the Metropolis Art Prize on the web and mobile video content platform Babelgum. On the website you can vote for the �Audience Award� winner. The voting closes on 6th December. Green Porn' video-artist and actress Isabella Rossellini is heading the judging panel for two other prizes.

Talents from the Indonesian fashion industry

The Jakarta Fashion Week from 14 to 20 November will present more than sixty of Indonesia's leading designers who are inspired by the country's rich heritage in different types of traditional fabrics while keeping the eyes on the present and future.

Art gallery under the Caribbean Sea (video with music from the Ghost Rockers Mio Myo)

The British artist Jason deCaires Taylor loves to dive and had the great idea to present his sculptures permantently under the waves before the coast of Grenada, West Indies. The lifesized figures will help to re-generate the natural coral reef. In an interview he describes one sculpture that shows 26 children in a circle how they will become slowly part of the undersea such as children grow into the upper world. "They take on the characteristics and personality of where they are."

Taking a journey to and from the Caribbean

Real Art Ways presents Contemporary West Indian Art focusing on the diaspora (movement of a population) in the exhibition 'Rockstone and Bootheel'. The title of the exhibition comes from a Jamaican dub-metal song 'Rockstone and Bootheel' by Gibby. The phrase means 'taking a journey'. Trinidad artist Marlon Griffith has powdered the sign of Louis Vuitton on the skin of a school girl. The fashion label is renown for its long tradition in making travel bags...

Modepalast invites designers

The sales exhibition �Modepalast� (23 - 25 April 2010 at the MAK Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art in Vienna) invites fashion, jewellery and accessories designers. In celebration of its eighth edition, the event introduces the new focus �Modepalast Green�. Closing date for designers� applications is 10th January 2010.

How to dress up for the 'Hunters-Ball'; Vienna Insight by Karin Sawetz

The 'Hunters-Ball' was one of my first and definitely funniest balls I ever have attended. As a 17 years old girl in the 80ies I was in my 'New Wave'-phase and had very artful colored hair in green, red and orange. The 'Hunters-Ball'-style was completely different to my normal style...

Neo-pop dresses, Jeff Koons, Herb Ritts and a travel to the African continent

In the last years, a constant can be monitored at the work of the designers Basso and Brooke: the theme 'traveling' or 'meeting other cultures'. From the exotique world with images of endangered species, over a 'High-Tech Romance' made from the mathematical logic of technology and the asymmetrical essence of natural elements, they are inviting to a travel with David Livingstone's words "I am prepared to go anywhere, provided it be forward" ...

Short Message 9/11/2009 - Art work about the non-holistic view on the body

The Swiss, in Austria and Egypt living artist Barbara Graf exhibits her sculptured sketches under the title �K�rper-Linien� (�Body-Lines�) from 18 Nov to 19 Dec at the Galerie Atrium ed Arte in Vienna. The artist focuses on the limitation of the body by reducing it to separate parts; her bodies are mostly female and without heads. The exhibition's leading sculptured sketch is entitled �Skin-Folds� and makes think of the reduction of the body in its wholeness � such as it happens in our society today � to the folds of skin. In some of her sculptures these �tracks of life� look like annual rings of a tree.

40% of Fashionoffice's main domain traffic comes from Pakistan; reasons for the domain's popularity boom in Pakistan mentioned by CERT

The significant expansion of user traffic from Pakistan on the domain fashion.at (fashion.at and Fashionoffice.org are directed to the same webspace) was reported as suspected domain abuse on 30 October 2009 to Globat.com (Hosting Provider), Nic.at (Austrian Registry), and CERT.at (Computer Emergency Response Team Austria). On 3rd Nov, the Austrian CERT has affirmed that the technical premises for the measurements are reliable. The domain fashion.at is free of abuse. CERT mentioned some reasons for the domain's popularity boom in Pakistan...

Short Message 8/11/2009 - UK band 'The Vanities' are dressed in the new video in Diesel SS2010

The Italian denim brand Diesel is producing videos for young emerging artist of the Diesel:U:Music initiative. Since 3rd November, DieselPlanet publishes the video (co-created by the Diesel Team) for the track �Dolly� on YouTube and at the same time a website that shows white dots on black background; in each of the dots stands a woman or a man wearing the new pieces. You can make them shake to the new music when you go over with the mouse! www.diesel.com/rockingdots

Fashion online performances by Levi's, HM, or Boudicca

In fall 2009, several labels publish style guides, mostly in form of videos. Levi's and HM are two labels that have reached the highest online-video-level. HM is publishing broadcasts in documentary style about seasonal trends while Levi's creates videos with 'Gesamtkunstwerk' signature. Boudicca, the design label from London, had a nice idea for the useful service of an observation camera...

Short Message 7/11/2009 - Print in the digital age

Parsons The New School for Design (New York) explores in the exhibition �Control Print� (7 Nov - 14 Dec) the intersection of craft and technology. Works by international artists extend the idea of ink on paper and showcase how traditional, digital, and mixed media enter the representational process.

Short Message 7/11/2009 - New art forms with online strategies and performance

The School of Art at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) announces its new MFA program in Art and Technology and will begin accepting students for the fall 2010 semester. Involved are faculty and visiting artists whose work engage computer programming, web based systems, digital image making, digital sound design, immersive installation, digital video, interactive multimedia and hybrid performance.

Gucci's new eyewear is inspired by the social web

Art director Frida Giannini has created both, the collection and the networking microsite. The users can choose the language, the city, select between day and night. In each city, the music changes. She designed a virtual world made of the different facets of the real world. Frida Giannini followed the main idea that people are 'reflecting and connecting' off- and online...

Rihanna's live-performance on the web

On 16 November 2009, Rihanna presents her new album 'Rated R' in London. Together with Nokia, she makes the concert available for users worldwide...

Music-tip: Love song about New York/Brooklyn

US musician Jay-Z publishes the brand new video 'Empire State Of Mind' ft. Alicia Keys, a 'love song' about New York/Brooklyn, the city where the musician comes from.

Short Message - The Trend Is Your Friend!

The MedienKunstLabor invites to take part in an interactive art experiment where visitors can meet as an active player our world through the visualisation of the virtual world. It happens during the �Long Night of Research� on 7 Nov, 16:33 � 24:00 in the Kunsthaus Graz. Soundarchitect Peter Szely provides the audio part of Sylvia Eckermann and Gerald Nestler�s performance project �The Trend Is Your Friend� which is developed from robotic, gaming and economical theories. The 'Long Night of Research' www.langenachtderforschung.at is celebrated with 570 events on 7 November on 99 locations in 7 Austrian cities.

Vienna's fashion scene at a charity

Showroom 53 is a former studio and education center of a wellknown hair stylist. Since September 2009, the fashion scene uses the two floors for chic exhibitions, cool parties, trendy photo shootings - for everything that is fashionable. In other words: at this time it is 'the location'. Obvious, that the cult boutique for 'accessories and toys for a fulfilled day dream' has chosen to held the party there...

The rules for sexiness stay the same, the means change

Each season bears its own strategies to succeed in the play 'veiling and unveiling nakedness'. The winter strategy with pieces by R�ckl, Humanic, Donna Karan, Triumph, Pierre Lang, Est�e Lauder...

Music-tip: techno-punk Balkan style by the Fagget Fairys

The Fagget Fairys are two Danish women, model Ena and DJ Sensimilla, who felt in love and started to make music together. Watch the video "Feed the Horse", directed / produced by Sigrid Astrup. The Fagget Fairys are on tour: 6 Nov Copenhagen, 14 Nov Berlin, 26 Nov Brussels, 28 Nov Paris, 5 Dec Eindhoven,� to name a few www.myspace.com/faggetfairys.

Experimental jewellery that can be applied like a perfume

On 10 Nov, Vienna celebrates jewellery art and design on various places in the city. The Galerie VV invites visitors to �taste� the jewellery with the title �Le cr�ateur de l�air� by the winner of the Pierre Lang �so fresh�-award, Christian Hoedl. Galeries, shops, and studios are open from 17.00 to 24.00.

72 hours man! - Interview with men's wear designer Paul La Fontaine

Paul La Fontaine, you have worked many years in Italy on the side of John Richmond, in New York as design director of Max Azira, in Paris, and now you are based in Hong Kong with your own collection Paul LaFontaine that premiered in New York. Would you say that all these cities have a special, differentiating style that is reflected in fashion?...

"Woman must define her style and undefine her roles" Sonia Rykiel; Paris insight by Karin Sawetz

I have to confess that I prefer to find fashion where others won't expect it. Such as it happened in Paris, in the rue Jacob...

Design of gadgets, toys, culture, and game hacking

"Toys are not as innocent as they appear. Games and toys anticipate important ideas," said once US designer Charles Eames who created goods in the knowledge to produce information. The LABoral Centro de Arte y Creaci�n Industrial (Gij�n, Spain) exhibits in �Arcadia - Games from a culture of innovation� the art, academic research and industry in the various domains of contemporary ludic culture: from toy design over the independent development of video games to game studies with more than thirty projects from the last three years. �Arcadia� runs until 7 December 2009.

Fashionoffice Insight by publisher Karin Sawetz; Nov 2009

Thoughts from the Vienna Circle (founded by Moritz Schlick, professor at the University of Vienna) influence our lives still today. What scientists such as Rudolph Carnap, Kurt G�del, Otto Neurath, or Ludwig Wittgenstein have studied about in the 20ies and 30ies, can be found - for example - on the internet and in museums: the mathematical logic and semantics at search engines and behavioural targeting, the abstraction of popular culture at style guides...

FashioninJapan-publisher about scouting, keywords, privacy

Loic Bizel is the creative mind behind the magazine FashioninJapan.com. He speaks about the founding idea, the editorial concept, trend scouting, archiving trends, his method to elaborate keywords, the difference between men's and women's wear, and the privacy of photographed people...

Fashionoffice statistics from October 2009

In October 2009, most of the fashion.at-users (approximately 40%) come from Pakistan. Compared to the data from Sept 2009 (ca. 40% from Germany and Austria), is this one of the most significant changes in the statistics...

Short Message - Your opinion belongs to your point of view!

The experimental sushi restaurant DOTS in Vienna invites to the opening of the exhibition of Norbert Brunner�s work on 2 November. The recipients of the Austrian artist�s installations can decide by walking around the arrangements of hundreds of dots, which information from the art work is the preferred one. Norbert Brunner shows with his work that the point of view (culture, language, geography, religion�) is influencing our perception.

PRO Academic Research

"Fashion is the most beautiful accessoriness; but is it really only an accessoriness in our life? Why does fashion become so important when it comes to gender roles, emancipation or sociological groups? What's the reason why many countries regulate clothing rules still by law?" questions Dr. Karin Sawetz, Fashionoffice.org...

What are men's dreams?

The style world of Marc Ecko is the one of a boy who has materialized his imagination of being a cool man...

Short Message: Puppet and puppeteer

...is the title of the exhibition of the Viennese fetish fashion store Tiberius from 5 Nov to 2 Dec. Designer Marcos Valenzuela und store owner Karl Ammerer invite on 4 Nov to the opening party. They are writing in the invitation that �...puppets get alive with puppet players; and vice versa. This is what most of the people think. But at Tiberius everything is different.� Surprises are promised at the exhibition that shows puppets in fashion by Tiberius. The accompanying photo book is a charity for �Doctors for Disabled� www.doctorsfordisabled.at

Short Message: Trends of society reflected in luxury fashion

The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo presents new views on luxury in times of a challenged world (financial markets, ecology, etc.) from 31 October 2009 to 17 January 2010. Some 100 fashion creations from the collection of The Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI), dating from the 17th century to current times, document our changing times and values from the perspective of luxury, through fashion - a field that sensitively reflects human desire and the trends of society.

Short Message: Guitar streams from the canyons in North San Diego, influenced by coyote howls

The California based band �Transfer� is on US-tour, performing new British-Rock/American-West songs with chilling lyrics from the album �Future Selves� (release date 3rd Nov). On the band�s website, you can listen to the first song �Losing Composure� www.transferband.com. What you shouldn't miss, is to watch the video from a concert in San Francisco: 'White Horse' by Transfer!

Short Message: Quiksilver video with the 'Robbery Song' by Tha TrickaZ

Quiksilver invites to music, skate boarding, and art with Tony Hawk on 20 and 21 Nov at the Grand Palais in Paris. Take a preview at the extraordinary skate location Grand Palais on a video with music by Tha TrickaZ.

Textile design of the 20ies, 30ies, 40ies

The Czech born Jacqueline Groag was an influential textile designer in Britain in the post worldwar II era. She studied textile and pattern design in Austria. During the late 20ies and early 30ies, Groag designed textiles for the 'Wiener Werkst�tte' in Vienna...

Fashion as political instrument

The history of the Jews in the Central European Alpine region goes back to the expansion of the Roman Empire. During National Socialism, the field of fashion was one of the instruments to make Jewish Austrians quasi-'homeless'...

Short Message: Gender Check

...is the title of the exhibition about �Femininity and Masculinity in the Art of Eastern Europe� from 13 Nov 2009 to 14 Feb 2010 at the MUMOK in Vienna. �Gender Check� follows the changes in the representation of male and female role models in art - especially as they develop under different socio-political conditions. The exhibition documents Eastern Europe since the 60ies from the propagated �sexless society� over the self-confident portrayals of the body in the 70ies and new challenges after the fall of the wall in 1989 until today�s practises of reading gender.

How to dress up in a kind of jazz

Imagine a modern Betty Page in parachute trousers, ski-couture jacket, gaiters boots and balloon bag walking on the street in a rhythm such as she is just listening to Mile Davis' Kind of Blue. When she comes along, a captivating scent of tobacco, honey, patchouli, raspberry, camomile makes you sure: she is a kind of jazz...

Short Message: Halloween fashion mask

On 31st October, the Londoner Fashion and Textile Museum invites kids to a workshop where they can make a super-fashionable mask for Halloween

Japanese culture on jewellery and perfume

The French jewellery house Van Cleef and Arpels has a strong connection to Japan such as you can find in the current perfumery line that is inspired by the garden styles of the world - even the Japanese garden art. When Van Cleef and Arpels was founded in 1906, Japanese prints have been in fashion. The Europeans got many new ideas from the Japanese culture of colour and light, line, composition and perspective. Van Cleef and Arpels created pieces like the 'Jardin Japonais' clip (1924) or the 'Paysage Japonais' (1930), which were inspired by the iconography of Japan...

Short Message: 'He's got looks that books take pages to tell' sings fashion-music darling Mika

...in 'Blame It On the Girls', performed live at the Ellen show http://ellen.warnerbros.com/ on 22nd Oct 2009; when he is playing the piano, he looks sometimes like Elton... Since 19th October the music video to the single is online, directed by Nez Kahmal. This year, Mika was already in a photo shooting for Vanity Fair in London; Mika tours in US: 23 Oct Los Angeles, 24 Oct Oakland, 26 Oct Seattle, 27 Oct Vancouver� www.mikasounds.com.

Art-craft of the middle ages

Goldsmith Christian Fail is one of the jewellery-artists at Skrein. He shows the working place of a goldsmith which stands in the center of the store. The grey sack is for the gold that falls down while creating new jewellery...

Inked denim hangings

...'inked' had been even most of the jeans at the 'inked'-store opening party on 20th October 2009; not only the ones that were hanging on the walls beneath computer screens and on the illustrating photos. Some early birds have worn the 'inked' jeans already on this evening.

"I am at home on the racetrack; I love driving. I'm a Mustang girl." Queen Latifah

On 16 October 2009, the video for the song 'Fast Car', featuring Missy Elliott, from the new Queen Latifah album 'Persona' premiered. It shows the dynamic side of the US musician, actress and producer, Grammy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah. In the same month, Queen Latifah's first fragrance - an elegant oriental scent - started the international roll-out at Macy's in New York. Queen Latifah exercises that the choice of who you are is yours...

Short Message:Absurd art videos about the experience of space

...seen at the website of the NRW-Forum D�sseldorf. The museum closes from 1 Nov until January 2010 for renovation. In the meanwhile, the visitors can enjoy each day one of in sum 101 videos from �Notebook� (2004) by John Wood - Paul Harrison. Check out the absurd video on occasion of the museum's renovation.

Short Message: "You in yourself have the whole of the universe. When I cut you up in a certain way, I cut up the universe." William S. Burroughs

Video: William S. Burroughs cuts pages of books, newspapers and brings the words into a new meaning; in the documentary Burroughs says: "When I cut you up in a certain way, I cut up the universe." By cutting up texts, he creates gaps in time and space. William S. Burroughs� experimental writings, the �Cut Ups�, are on screening during the exhibition �Rip It Up and Start Again� about five artists with influences on the international art scene of the 1970s and 1980s (William S. Burroughs, Charles Henri Ford, Ray Johnson, Arthur Russell, Philippe Thomas) from 10 Oct to 22 Nov 2009 at the Kunstverein M�nchen. In official art historical discourses, however, they received little attention and remain virtually unrecognized to a wider public till today. Watch the video by clicking the title of this short message!

Design trend: 'human power'

One trend was elaborated by designers in the last years consequently: environmental friendly design. But this year, they have reached a new stadium. The design products are not made of recycled material only, but mostly enriched by the work of people such as the German military jacket in a new fashionable cut and hand-embroidered in India, or in Austria artfully handmade coats and jackets from skydivers' parachutes. The factor 'human being' and the main role of people's work is the most important difference to the trends of the years before.

Short Message:Style guides made of the abstraction of popular culture

The American artist Jason Salavon�s work �Field Guide to Style and Color� (2007) and �374 Farben� (2007) is on view on occasion of the exhibition 'Fenomen Ikea' from 6 Nov 2009 to 28 Feb 2010 at the Museum f�r Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg (Germany). The title '374 Farben' means �374 Colors�; the artist has named it referring to Gerhard Richter�s abstract paintings �Color Charts� of the late 60ies/early 70ies. For his analytic work, Salavon has simplified each page of the IKEA catalogue into pure color and arranged 374 pages into charts. The Columbus Museum of Art-documentary gives insight into the artist's analytic view on trends in popular culture.

Interview about trans-seasonal fashion and over-national sale

Vienna Insight by Karin Sawetz: I have met Brussels based designer Aleksandra Paszkowska in Vienna to speak about her label 'Y-dress?'. I decided to show her one of the most famous caf�s, the Caf� Havelka. A meeting place for artists, literati and musicians; this is the most common version Viennese are telling tourists. The special relation of Viennese people to the caf� is mostly not a theme, because it is not easy to explain...

What makes the boyfriend style so sexy?

Probably the boyfriend look gets its sexiness from the fact that the 'feminisation' of male pieces tells the story of a woman and a man who are in love and don't want to miss each other. But would men wear Girlfriend jeans? As long as there are no Girlfriend jeans on the market, man can use the boyfriend cut! Imagine him with crunchy back...

The idea of post-it notes seen on the catwalk

Oversize tees and leather boots are covered in coloured paper inspired by Post-it notes. Paper is a material that can be found through the womenswear 2010 collection of Maison Martin Margiela. The post-it idea - to remember something or somebody - is integrated into the catwalk scenery too: little bits detach themselves down the catwalk leaving traces where models have passed...

Men's business wear for the ones who think alternative

In October 2009, the Graz (Austria) based brand Dresscode21 has presented itself with an interesting concept: creating men's business wear that express alternative ways of thinking; in fashion as well as in business. A good reason to investigate further...

Going fishing or into the disco; or both?

US designer Dinna Soliman combines for SS2010 new interpreted, very practical inspired pieces like the fisher's vest with pockets, originally for the bait to attract the fishes, with the classical development of dance wear - the retro-80ies disco-striped legging...

Short Message: Does a chicken express cultural identity?

The Washington gallery �Conner Contemporary Art� exhibits the artwork �The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC)� of the Belgian designer Koen Vanmechelen from 7 Nov � 31 Dec. The artist questions ethical themes like genetic engineering, globalization, and individuality. Does a chicken express cultural identity? Therefore the artist has started a global enterprise, The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, a systematically crossing all breeds of chickens to create a world-mongrel chicken

Short Message: The artists and designers' utensils for love affairs

Vienna has a long tradition in �love-things�; for example, Sigmund Freud has redefined sexual desire while living in this city. The KlausEngelhorn Depot exhibits until 23 Oct 'Love Design' - lightings, furniture, and accessories by artists and designers like the Austrian Elke Krystufek, the Italian Matteo Cibic, the Brazilian in Switzerland living Andrea Knecht, the French Arik Levy etc...

The 'Memorized-Data'-hypothesis

Fashionoffice's statistics of the most viewed articles from July to September and high ranking keywords verify the hypothesis that memorized data gain more attention. Publishers and advertisers have to calculate the impact of editorial content as well as online-campaigns with a new factor: the unprogressive data...

Nouvelle Vague Radio Diesel:U:Music Radio

Nouvelle Vague radio show at Magnolia Festival (Italy) with Marc Collin and Nadeah Miranda...

Critical texts that encourage people to make their own opinion; heard at S�hne Mannheims

The musicians perform on 19 Oct in Mannheim, 30 Oct Stuttgart, 1 November N�rnberg, 5 November Vienna, 30 November Hamburg...

Short Message: Design Pieces collected by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

The MCA Store has selected new pieces for the colder days such as the Gangsta Baroque Scarf by the Germans Catrin Krause and Holger Grabowsky showing ornaments of the High Baroque (ca. 1650-1720) combined with modern gangster signs, or a bag looking like a dog by designer Jennifer Liu. The �dog� comes with seasonal extras like tartan antlers and striped knit top. From the Austrian Walking-Chair Design Studio, the MCA Store has chosen the Urban Gridded Notebook. While you are writing into the book, you are inspired by 127 international cities which appear as street grids on the paper�s pattern. The 256 pages notebook is created by the US John Briscella who is living in Europe and Japan.

Glittering red crystal cross supports humanity

Pierre Lang's designers have created a jewellery set consisting of a cross pendant with glittering red crystals and two ribbons in coral and cherry red for a Red Cross charity. Celebrating the 150 anniversary of the organisation which was founded after the battle of Solferino during the Austro-Sardinian War in 1859 by the...

Social life and men's underwear

The US brand Jockey shows under the title 'Cult meets Art' the cooperative collection of the Spanish label Diez Diez by Carlos Diez at the 50th Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week...

The pink ribbon trend at Dirk Bikkembergs' male underwear

Pink ribbons on male underwear are one of the strongest trends of the last years, such as seen at Dirk Bikkembergs FW9/10; although pink ribbons are strongly connoted with a very female theme. On the most masculine clothing piece they are serving for a new cheekiness. It is made for men who are...

Styling tips for the street walk; seen at Kamik, Luis Trenker, Purisme

While the circulating Fashion Circus is presenting the new looks for spring/summer 2010, some of us are questioning 'How to dress up for the current season?' The Fashion Circus' new trends spring/summer 2010 are influencing our perception of the fall/winter fashion 2009/10 - that's a fact. The keywords in fashion are...

Viennese designer Rose Beck about styling rules shoes/bags and bags like sculptures

Question: The white �Berlin� bag looks like a balloon in the moment before he takes off from the ground. What's the idea behind? Why have you named the bag �Berlin�?

Short Message: Audiovisual installations composed from a combination of pure mathematics

Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda exhibits data.tron/data.scan until 13 Dec at the Surrey Art Gallery, Canada. The audiovisual installations are composed from a combination of pure mathematics and the data present in the world. Each single pixel of the visual image is strictly calculated by mathematical principle. Visitors will experience the universe of data in the infinite between 0 and 1 www.surreytechlab.ca (On the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrxsvrlajV0 you can watch the collaborative work CYCLO of the computer-sound minimalist Carsten Nicolai from Germany and Japan�s Ryoji Ikeda.)

The Burberry-check as mono-chromatic draperies

Burberry's SS2010 women's collection and the limited fragrance edition have two things in common: the transformation of the Burberry-check and the playful lightness. The 25th anniversary of the London Fashion Week was celebrated with a party hosted by Burberry. Video screens served party-comments from social media sites including Twitter and Facebook; a YouTube-user has commented the music selection for his/her catwalk movie with "[ Sorry about audio track ]" ...

"There is only a thin line between being lonely or free" from 'Leaving Circus' by Ivana Helsinki

"There is only a thin line between being lonely or free" writes Helsinki based designer Paola Ivana Suhonen as an insert into the movie to the new spring/summer 2010 collection 'Leaving Circus' of her label 'Ivana Helsinki'. The track 'Stallion' comes from Brooklyn based singer/songwriter and new music darling Alexa Wilding...

The Fashion Circus; Fashionoffice Insight by publisher Karin Sawetz, Oct 2009

This month's insight is about the Fashion Circus. I found similarities in Britney Spears' song 'Circus': "I'm like the ringleader - I call the shots I'm like a firecracker - I make it hot - then i put on a show"

Tour de la Mode Vienne; Vienna Insight by Karin Sawetz

...It was an entertaining evening with interesting talk partners; almost everybody had to tell something that was new. But such as the Viennese use to say: 'One has always the 'Bummerl' (translated 'bad card')', the models in the upheated bar windows get the flash lights and not the most brilliant questions. Like the model who told me that it's not the helmet why it is hot in the windows...

Lingerie in Scandinavian style

Mette Hoff presents the new Hoff by Hoff spring/summer 2010 lingerie, night- and homewear collection: "I was trained to be a designer at the Danish Design School in Copenhagen... Before starting my own company I worked for some years in the design studio of a big Danish department store as a designer of their private labels, especially with lingerie and nightwear. This was where I got the idea to create a lingerie collection for the fashion conscious woman, ... to get rid of the many useless bows, frills and multicoloured laces..."

Fashion inspired by 'Manitou'

Jeroen van Tuyl presented his spring/summer 2010 collection during the Paris Men's fashion week in June 2009 not on the catwalk but as a performance with the title 'Manitou'. The Manitou collection is influenced by the Native Americans' respect for nature...

A designer on the decadence of untroubled lightness

'Sugar' is the name for one of the leading patterns in this collection of dresses in floating materials. Stine Goya who graduated in 2005 from Central St. Martins in fashion design with print, creates a lightness of water and air that she entitles 'bubbles of spring'. The decadence of these bubbles come from their untroubled lightness...

Juggling with design-rules

Question: With this ring the wearer looks like a mutant with advanced flexible finger. What has inspired you? Product and jewelry designer Fabian Seibert: The perfect bodies in the media that influence our perception of beauty in a way that makes most of us feel not attractive enough. The media definitely raise the standard. This gradually gnaws on one's self-confidence...

A holistic approach to beauty

The natural cosmetics label Bioemsan invited to a seminar about cosmetics and healthy nutrition with the title 'Beauty from In- and Outside'. Interview about the distribution concept of natural cosmetics, what a dentist has to do with Bioemsan, and if there are any meta-rules to gain beautiful skin through healthy nutrition...

The idea of guilt-free shoes

From 18 to 22 September 2009, the UK shoe brand Beyond Skin will present the new 2010 collection at the 'Estethica' during London Fashion Week. The lookbook opens with the quotation of Mahatma Ghandi: �Be the change you wish to see in the world�. The design of the ethical footwear is surprisingly classic with a modern touch that remembers partly New Wave style in the tradition of Memphis design. Bold colors and minimalistic lines have the refreshing appeal of a sea breeze...

What's about the sexiness of men's legs in our times?

On 3 September 2009, the Spanish label Jan i� M�s presented the men's wear SS2010 in Barcelona. Question: Alongside to the short trousers, even your long pants in partly transparent materials are presenting men's legs in a sexy way; never before experienced a fashion trend with such a strong focus on men's legs. What's about the sexiness of men's legs in our times?

About curating a fashion store or He's got the look, Vienna Insight by publisher Karin Sawetz

He leads me to the 'Outdoor' section of the BR-Fashion Concept store with pieces from Geospirit, True Religion etc and an extraordinary mirror which he has found in Paris. "Are you traveling a lot?" Wolfgang Olzinger told me that he travels for the store collections every season to Germany and Italy to find things that are looking good. I like the way he is measuring himself in the mirror and captured the moment with the camera of my mobile before...

A delicate story about a man and a woman inspires jewellery

The Austrian jewellery designer Mona Moore presented her new spring/summer 2010 collection with a story about a man and a woman in a boudoir. The story becomes more delicate when the man reaches for a camera. This is a reason to look closer at the work of the Austrian and her website...

Mapping a city with apparel, shoes, and art

The work of Momo (born in San Francisco, living in New York) is a perfect extension of Y-3 into the art world. Momo is known for his maps and minimalistic street art. For Y-3, the collaborative label of Yohji Yamamoto and adidas (Y stands for Yohji, 3 for the three stripes of adidias), he has used silkscreens, stencils, and paint, to put his stamp with bright colors on everything from women�s blazers to men�s trousers...

Exploring the ruins of New York City

The New York based online broadcast network VBS announces the newest productions for the French boots label Palladium. The videos are made in the style of travel movies about 'places both weird bizarre as well as unknown with a nod towards exploration,' explains VBS. They are about burning underground coal fires in West Virginia, abandoned subway tunnels in NYC, and missile silos long forgotten...

Fashion for two and four legs

The Berlin fashion designer and veterinarian Michaela Irmscher has opened the new online shop 'fuchs and fjonka' for the ones with two and four legs. She collects artful products from Scottish designer Donna Wilson who creates knit toys for pets or William Wegman's collection made of bacterical free fabrics...

Country cultures are the sources for global color trends

The Bangkok based Thailand Institute of Fashion Research (inFASH) presented the color trends for the fashion and textile industries fall/winter 2010/2011 and spring/summer 2011, elaborated together with 14 European and Asian countries. "... our research team worked closely with several design and educational institutes, trade associations, local brand owners and manufacturers to identify Thailand�s exact trends," says Pradit Ratanawijitrasilp, director Infash. How the European and Asian experts are perceiving the look into the future of colors becomes clear by reading the intro of spring/summer 2011...

The mobility of youth cultures in the 80ies

The Austrian division of Vespa refers back to the style of the 80ies Mods and Poppers; both had been Vespa riders. Mods represented the working class with the aim to become like the upper class and the Poppers had been the upper class kids with the aim to show it permanently. On the other side had been Punks. Whatever; the fashion addicted Mods, Poppers, and Punks have already played in the 80ies with different fashion styles...

Design concept for women's mobile phones

For fall/winter 2009, Sony Ericsson presents the new fashion mobile phone designed by DolceGabbana with the name 'Jalou'. Probably the name 'Jalou' - the French word means jealous, was chosen because the accessories-like mobile is made to impress others; a very female attitude...

A snake to drape, glasses to veil a secret, illustrated skateboards...

On Stevie Boi's website you can find a huge (faked) snake to drape around the body, skateboards or glasses in a modern-baroque Italian-Venice style; such as they are veiling a secret. Question: Your glasses are looking like masks. What's the idea behind your creations? ...and is this your music and voice on the website?

Beauty design concept for 'Brilliant Women'; Helena Rubinstein and Demi Moore

In summer 2009, the cosmetic and perfume brand Helena Rubinstein presented under the title 'Wanted' a 'starshine' collection for the lips and the brand's first perfume in the 21st century with Hollywood actress Demi Moore. Demi Moore represents a woman over 40 that is "certainly different from what people feel someone in her 40s should be", is the actress cited under the title 'Brilliant Women'. On the same web page, Helena Rubinstein announces that the brand will take part at the Women's Forum, 15 - 17 October 2009 in Deauville, France...

Russian culture on cheeks, lips and eyes; seen at Guerlain FW 2009

Creative Director Olivier Echaudemaison has day dreamed three sceneries to find the make up colors for the 'Volga Princess' and the 'Russian Doll'...

"Beauty is not opposed to revolution" said Ernesto Che Guevara; heard at the Salzburger Festspiele

Since 22 August 1920, directors, musicians, actors, stage and costume designers are celebrating high theatre culture during midsummer at the Salzburger Festspiele in Austria. Interview with the Costume and Make Up Director Elke Wolter. Question: Have you experienced that the costume designers at the Salzburger Festspiele are influenced by fashion?

What are man's and woman's roles in the history of scents? The Gentleman's Collection by Aramis

You will see that men are described mostly as adventurous 'runaways' from the 70ies on that become 'sensuous' in the mid 90ies. Women play in more than 30 years of fragrance history for two times explicitly an important role in the olfactory world of men: 1981 it is the creative power of a female and in 2006 it is the independence of women that becomes a theme...

What's the power of the black raven? Seen at Thomas Sabo FW9/10. Vienna Insight by Karin Sawetz.

The German jewellery brand Thomas Sabo presented the new collections on occasion of a press day in Vienna. One of the new lines is the 'Black Raven'. It is said that the raven and crow are the most intelligent birds which can even learn to speak. Since ancient times the raven was a mystical animal that exists between the worlds...

"...anything that gets wet starts getting sexy." Marilyn Minter for MAC Cosmetics

New York based photographer Marilyn Minter (born 1948) was chosen alongside to painter Richard Phillips and illustrator Maira Kalman by MAC Cosmetics to visualize the new limited fall 2009 collection. The artists had been inspired by the new colors. Minter says in her interview on the website of MAC Cosmetics that she thinks that "...anything that gets wet starts getting sexy"...

Coats, equipped with a music mechanism

The coats of the installation 'Showroom' by the Serbian artist Goran Despotovsk are arranged like on a runway. The objects are equipped with a music mechanism providing sounds of...

Humorous story-telling technique by using clothes, wigs, bags

...seen at the Neues Museum in Nuremberg where the current work of Berlin based female artist Wiebke Siem about...

A natural cosmetic pioneer who fled from East Germany; talking with Annemarie Lindner

In 1958 Annemarie Lindner's cosmetic business was so successful that the East German government wanted to nationalize it. The German cosmetic pioneer had to flee with her family to the West. In 1959 she has started with the label Annemarie Borlind in West Germany again. On occasion of the 50th anniversary of the brand Annemarie Borlind, the founder Annemarie Lindner speaks about the history of the brand, her inspirations, the approach to beauty and health, and what ecological awareness has to do with 'Celebrity Red' lip color, dead lice and eatable ingredients...

About the selection of labels and trend items for online shops and the future of e-commerce; interview with Lingerieplease.co.uk

Question: How are you finding out what Fashionistas prefer? Kirsty Tippett, lingerieplease.co.uk: "We check sales figures once the product is launched. Before we buy into a product we listen to feedback from customers about current products and what they are looking for next, we visit many different blog sites to see what the latest hot topics are, especially fashion and lingerie blogs. We also see what is in the press; magazines are always good to see what is on trend."

Setting trends online; seen at Topshop.com

In mid-August 2009, the London headquartered edgy retailer 'Topshop' presented the 11th collection by Kate Moss. From 27 Aug 2009 on, the 60/70/80ies rock�n�roll vintage-glam fall/winter 2009/10 outfits will be available in countries around the globe on the award winning online shop topshop.com...

A manifesto rules a fashion shop; seen at Styleaut.com

Question: You have founded the style shop in summer 2008 with a manifesto. Are these the rules which decide if a designer can be part of Styleaut.com? Boris Berghammer, initiator of Styleaut.com: "Just like the "Dogma" films in the 90's, this manifesto serves as frame work and screening criteria. Like all rules, these are interpretable as well. Fashion is after all a living process."�

Regional boutiques become international; seen at Reyerlooks.com

The importance of professional selected, relevant news grows in times of overflowing information. This business is done online by publishers and search engines. But who is selecting the pieces in an online shop?

The individualisation of taste began in times of pop-culture; seen at a Taschen publication about fashion advertising

From the 19th century it was a long way until pop-culture (popular culture, popular comes from 'populus', from the 'people') breaks through in the 60ies/70ies. The democratisation of fashion was enabled by affordable clothes. The masses had for the first time the chance to join the fashion 'circus'...

The democratisation of high fashion; seen at La Redoute FW9/10

Since 1969, La Redoute invites each season prominent designers like Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent etc with the aim to democratise fashion and the ready-to-wear products of the French Haute Couturiers. The 31 year's old shooting star Alexis Mabille created for FW9/10 a robe that seems to tell a story about the construction of today's 'women'. He lengthens the shirt on the widest point of the hip with a voluminous skirt. This dramatic change of the shirt's 'male plot' on the most female part of a woman's body evokes a thrilling, new sexiness...

Men's scent for nomads in a world of multimedia; seen at Givenchy 'Play'

Givenchy describes the world of these men with the words: "In our high-tech nomadic era of multimedia and modernity, experiences can be shared anywhere, anytime"...

Break out! Fashion for sports in front of your door; seen at Nike Women fall 2009

Under the title 'Urban Playgrounds' Nike summarizes current developments such as guided outdoor trainings organized by gyms for the ones who haven't experienced the new 'playgrounds' yet and that sporting in front of the door is already popular in China, Australia and UK...

Italian street style; seen at the Campari calendar 2010 shooting in Milan

By the end of July 2009, the first 'behind the scenes images' from the Campari Calendar 2010 shooting have been published showing Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko in front of the camera of photographer Simone Nervi on the fashionable streets of Milan...

Streetwear that re-interprets cultural heritage; seen at Heartblood SS2010

'Heartblood' designer Sabine Haun is inspired by historic themes, music, religion, literature and publishes the re-interpretations of her cultural heritage on glam shirts with rock'n'roll appeal. Question: And what means the anchor? Does it bring the wearer good luck to find his/her counter�heart�?

Streetwear re-interpreted by the 'enfant terrible de la couture'; seen at Jean Paul Gaultier for Levi's SS2010

The couturier re-interpreted the Levi's streetwear pieces in a 60ies secret-agent style with maritime stripes and punky bondage elements that could be inspired by skydiving. Blue and red, especially red, are signature colors in Jean Paul Gaultier's work...

The accentuation of the body in a sexy way; seen at Seiko Taki FW9/10

The Japanese born in Paris based designer Seiko Taki presented her fall/winter 2009/10 collection under the title 'Chic Dry Woman' at 080 Barcelona Fashion. The designer drives her inspiration mainly from music...

Water bottles and a mathematical theory; seen at the Sigg water bottles collection 2009

In 2009, the Swiss maker of reusable water bottles, Sigg presents an artful collection of over 100 new designs. One of the bottles is made of good, bad fortune and just everyday symbols. The symbols look on the first sight like flowers that form a butterfly; probably it is inspired by the prominent butterfly effect from the Chaos Theory which means as much that each of us influences through personal behaviour the system of the world...

The story plays at night in a web of gold and gemstones - the thread is burgundy colored; seen at Georges Chakra FW9/10

The Lebanese couturier Georges Chakra has shown his Haute Couture collection inspired by the glamorous 1920s fashion during the Paris Fashion Week. Imagine a woman - her body is captured in a spider web made of jewellery...

Stay elegant and keep an eye on your privacy!; seen at John Richmond's first woman's fragrance

John Richmond's philosophy comes from punk, rock music, and street culture. From these sources he creates couture for men and women under slogans like 'Love and Hate' or 'Destroy Disorder Disorientate'. Annie Lennox, David Bowie or Snoop Dogg has been dressed up already by John Richmond...

Art and design inspired by football; seen at Scott Elk and Dirk Bikkembergs

On 22 June 2009 Dirk Bikkembergs presented his Sport Couture spring/summer 2010 inspired by artworks of the Australian Scott Elk on the catwalk in Milan. Scott Elk's black, red, white, yellow, and white overpainted photographies of a football player are encoded with numbers which could stand for the strategic play from one player to another, or the numbers could signify the score of the play...

Creative chattering women from Pakistan; seen at the exhibition 'Gup Shup'

The Australian designer-sisters Cath and Ange Braid are working with over 400 women across eight centers in and around Chitral town in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan to produce textiles for women�s accessories like handbags and textiles. The newest project, "Gup Shup" is about daily life in Chitral. "Gup Shup" means as much as "informal chit-chat and gossip". In Melbourne (Australia) the project takes part in an exhibition with 23 contemporary hand-embroidered textile creations by females from Chitral...

Jimmy Choo's red carpet high heels at HM; Fall 2009

From 14 November 2009 on, the Swedish manufacturer and store chain HM will present the glamorous, sexy shoe and bag collection for women and men by the British accessory brand Jimmy Choo in around 200 stores across the world. Former Vogue editor Tamara Mellon founded in 1996 together with the Malaysian-East End of London shoe maker Mr Jimmy Choo the British label 'Jimmy Choo'...

American retrospective in fashion; seen at Smitten FW9/10

For his first worldwide collection, the New Yorker designer Michael Simon is inspired by his passion of the romance presented in 40�s American comic books and their stories about intoxicating love. The pieces will be featured at Fred Segal; the store is known for a good hand in picking trend items...