...see whatever common people see?

Fqr is an intimate line for men designed by Fabio Quaranta. Chic for common people without loosing any allure? Yes he can. Fabio makes it fresh, conceptual and elegant. Spread it to the common people!

Fqr is sold at Motelsalieri
(courrently a selection of shoes is available).

Info Fqr : fq@fqr.it
Title from "Common People" - Pulp

...heart Comme?

The best white polo goes with a fresh-clean look and a gentle smile.

Polo by Play-Comme des Garçons.

...rich dresses for poor times?

To the repetitive motto of these days which announce "Fashion is Over", I'd like to reply with a brief historical fact. Fashion had been surviving to more difficult things ( like wars / famine etc. ) and it's a never ending adaptive force that wouldn't fade because of an economical re asset of the world. Times are not easy but the art of wearing it's just coming back to its primal scream : emerging designers, where the energy is.
Born in hard times , Msgm is the proove we can watch the future with a certain optimism. Massimo Giorgetti and an anonymous designer sign this collection produced by Paoloni, betting on hard times and trusting the effortlessly power of young minds . Colourful, graceful and with the right dose of chic, this pre-collection spring-summer 2010 has the same shocking freshness you may feel entering an air conditioned room after a walk at 40 degrees : it's that little relief, that little unexpected joy.

Infos @ Studio Zeta Milano

...say goodbye to the extreme?

Our times are requiring more softer and more comfortable clothes to feel warm and cuddled in and "Coming Soon", a very young fashion line that was born under the wing of Monsieur Yhoji Yamamoto, is rich of these qualities.

"Coming soon is a brand created for a generation of men and women who wear what they like without stating who designed it " they say there "wearing Coming Soon is an act to express who you are through the essence of clothing, fabric and cut".

To buy and check out video " Le Chef Chic" by Max Vadukul :

http://www.coming-soon.com/

...aprés moi, le déluge?

Le déluge bag is the new born at 72Smalldive . The name comes from "Arpés moi ,le déluge"a phrase attributed to the King Of France Louis XV : quite snobbish quote you may say, but in years of massive productions and lack idivuduality this is such a vintage motto.
At 72 they are keeping this holistic approach towards design and they always want to be sure that their design project will help in constructing a positive and rewarding relationship between humankind and product. " We hope that through this relationship, consumers acquire discernment in making day-to-day choices and eventually influence the market in a positive way" they say there.


http://www.72smalldive.com/

...Cha Cha Chalayan?

Produced and developed in association with Sergio Rossi and Puma, the unisex HYBRID COLLECTION explores the morphing of genres, a re-occurring theme in Hussein Chalayan's work. Borrowing elements from existing footwear styles, the unisex HYBRID COLLECTION offers a fresh interpretation of the trainer. The colour palette includes taupe, black, coffee, neutral and white. Fabrics range from suede and calf leather to nylon puffa and the collection comprises of five key styles.

Hybrid Collection @ Oki-ni (click banner on your right)
from August 2009.

...some sugar pop style from those lovely years ?

I had a look at old Eight Wonder's videos and it didn't take me that much to understand that Patsy had been the minimalist of all pop stars. Emerged in years of puffy hairs, punky leather jackets and big shoulders, Kensit was more into simple cocktails dresses and quite out of the mainstream looks. With her powerful , yet classy, haircut and a rarely smiling face, she was surfing those exaggerated years in an apparently calm sea.
After 20 years of pop stars passing under my ears and eyes, after all that tacky/ sexy sells more...wasn't she the coolest of all? Isn't she such a forgotten icon?

Patsy Kensit in a recent photo.
Video to watch and get inspiration :

Eight Wonder - When The Phone Stops Ringing

... mature into a graceful swan, the most beautiful bird of all?

Alvise Bittente - Mixed Media Drawing On Paper.

Part of the show "Mamma, perchè il tuo anatroccolo nella vasca vibra?".

@Perugi Artecontemporanea

...real shoes for real people?

This is not a fetish post, this is just a caption on what people is wearing on their feet . What's hot? What does people want when it's a matter of walking and do it with style and comfort?
Sandals for him are surely hot (ones up here are by Antonio Marras) : English shoes mixed with a Goyard bag are forever and calfskin used look - Clarks inspired - rock as never before.
Flat rock and roll/Gothic sandals - black nail polish is so part of the game-, instead, are the only choice a woman can make if she doesn't want to go to the hospital with a broken leg.
The thermometer of fashion is the in season people choices, the real .....what are we wearing and where are we walking. Designer's crystal ball ,sometimes, getting crazy? Just look around, it's all under your eyes.

All photos have been taken at Pitti Uomo.

...the "d" collection?

Fall in a cashmere mini dress? The "d" collection by Delfina Capuzzo for AsapLab (as sustainable as possible) seems a really good, yet affordable, option.
Fresh and 60ies inspired, "d" is simple, airy and girlie without loosing any quality. In fact, it is produced with yarns recovered from the warehouses of prestigious companies in Biella : so if you ever think that Eco means poor, please don't miss the opportunity of having a look at these marvellous, conscious- luxury, dresses.

"d" line - sold at:
AsapLab - Corso Garibaldi 104 - Milano

From September 2009 :
Pupi Solari, Milano/ Penelope, Brescia /Desperado, Tokyo /Frameworks, Tokyo

...more Pitti People?

Mocassini, mocassini.

The croco diary, the striped jacket.

Maurizio the lawyer in Rick Owens and sandals.

Maryjane.

Enrico and his ultimate accessory: the cast.

High waisted jeans, painted bow tie.

...faces and details of Pitti People? (Day 3)

Class is ageless and it doesn't go away with the first hot.

Wild hair and smily face, perfect accessoires.

Casual but always unique, a DNA thing.

Flowers and Diadora after 40ies.

Ah ah, Vuitton babes...you are so over! Goyard forever.

Just roll up your jeans and be natural.

...summery Pitti People? (Day 2)

...Pitti People Day 1?

One of my photo I'm in love with (finally). Thank you girl in white tee-shirt and short pants ; you are the classiest girl I've met in ages.

...understand it's hard work?

Tomorrow is going to be a big day at Pitti Uomo, the opening. Fashion is about many things but also about preparing, installing....and working hard with 35 degrees. Here are some photos of the before tomorrow.


Pitti Immagine - 16/19 June, Firenze.

...je ne te connais pas!

Vive La Bodybuilder - Photo M.M.

...reinvent yourself starting from your head?

A Noel Stewart's hat is possibly the most "arty" piece you can put on your head. The London based milliner, after collaborating with most important designers, settled down his own label which is inspired by contemporary art and architecture. Need an impressive effect and in search of strong-great emotions ? The Noel Stewart collection is about being secure enough of yourself, ready to get all the attention and conscious about the fact that you are wearing a "next generation" British hat.


http://www.noelstewart.com/

...doubt the fact that T comes between S and U?

In fashion alphabet, word T should be positioned before A...and we all know why : an arty-well done (and possibly limited edition) tee has always saved our disastrous looks. Always!

Emotionally Unavailable, Fall-Winter 09-10 Collection.

Infos : www.emotionally-unavailable.com/

...admit some cowgirls never went out of fashion?

It had been on and off for ages. It comes and it goes so rapidly that you never ever have the time to set your wardrobe properly. You give away your cowboy boots or your boot-cut jeans and that is exactly the moment : it's coming back again ! It may not be the chic-est inspiration we can take but yes, it's here again. We are not taking back any Madge-Don't Tell Me , we are taking inspiration from 50s cowgirls/boys like J.C. in the photo: a less technical way of being a cowgirl, Texas meet the Hamptons:that is mood!

...go to Coney ? The beach is divine.

After the immense succes of Acne+Lanvin project line, some of the most popoular pieces have just been remade in summery, white Japanese denim. Run baby run baby run!

http://www.acnestudios.com/lanvin

...joke on domestic fashion victims?

The sad wife, the distant man, the spoiled child. This very recent work by Erwin Olaf portrays a woman which find her only comfort in fashion : when in trouble, the postmodern heroine doesn't hesitate to pick up her Croco- Kelly bag, adjust her dress and...walk away!

Erwin Olaf for Libèration Magazine.

Infos on artist @ http://www.erwinolaf.com/

...wear white shoes from Memorial to Labor Day?

Nobody really knows why or who "invented" this rule, but it I think it is right (if we don't talk about sneakers). So take advantage of the season and go out with your immaculate pumps untill September 9, not a single day more.

Photo : Trouble On - M.M.

...stay? You're the perfect lover, ain't it always that way? Yeah.

I was a 20 -something Italian guy in London (for some months) during the 90's and it was real Fun. There was such an energy around at that time and ...fashion, oh fashion! I remember I was, for reasons I cannot understand now, going around the city pretending to be a model. One day at Take Two Agency , waiting for my turn and trembling like hell, I picked up I.D. Magazine focusing on a small interview to calm down my stressed nerves. There were a guy answering the same old silly questions (where are you going, what are you wearing etc). He was called Simon Foxton, he was portrayed by a roof pool: he was funny and seemed to know what fashion was about. When I went trough another no it was not a big deal: it was a sunny marvellous day, I was walking around Covent Garden and that guy made me want to change my dream.I had been on and off fashion since that day while Simon had been styling the best male photography of the last two decades, breaking barriers between traditional and street wear, making the men's fashion something finally interesting and full of life.

Before him it was very different, believe me.

" When You're A Boy" - Men's Fashion styled by Simon Foxton.

17th july - 4 October 2009.

The Photographers' Gallery
16/18 Ramillies St, London W1

Photo : From Tooling Around, photographed by Ben Dunbar-Brunton,
styled by Simon Foxton. Published in i-D, February 2009

...count each wave that breaks?

Cocktail dresses by Galc (Gainluca Gizzi) ...and
waves become ribbons or knots.

www.myspace/mygalc

...cross boundaires, be an author without book ?

When Diddo emailed in to call some attention on his works, I had the immediate impulse of buying me a wetsuit. I do not surf, neither windsurf, but that "human body" wetsuit (an "homage to our inner strength" as he said) it was something I needed to have. The idea of wearing a work of art appalled me since the beginning of this blog : it has been my mission to find objects-clothes-works that can not only be a good thing to possess but, more than everything, can tell a new story . Diddo gave me the feeling he is an "author" without writing and his work is simply an amazing ride into different ways of expression.

" I don't believe in traditional approaches ...- write Diddo - I try to blur boundaries between art, design, architecture, fashion and photography...it's all about being dynamic, open , seeing and taking advantage of new opportunities".

Photos : Designer Gas Mask and Human Body Wetsuit.

Info about Diddo Velema at : http://bydiddo.com

...the Esther factor?

The "bonsai swimwear" era is ending and women are starting to be happy in putting on traditional one-pieces: nothing makes a woman sexier on the beach than a retro, and less revealed, silhouette.
"I always had a passion for styling of the past (40's and 50's in particular) and the swimwear was no exception " says Pamela Levenson designer and owner of Popina Swimwear. "Reaching back to those eras, I created styles with the influence of days gone by but with the modern convenience of today’s fabric innovations and bathing suit construction". Based in Portland - Oregon, Popina is proudly made in the U.s.a and we have no wonder, if she would be here swimming pools and oceans, Esther Williams would be a great fan of them.

http://www.popinaswimwear.com/

Photo : Miss Axemaker.

...stop to special places?

Favourite places are where we find peace, beauty and kindness. It could be a baker, a supermarket or ...a gallery. Kicken is one of those Zen points, a parallel world made of images and love for the 20Th century (mainly) photography. From German/Czech avant-gard of the 20's and 30's, to fashion photography with names like Man Ray, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Albert Watson, Annie Leibovitz. A place for kids that grew up with milk and Vogue.

Kiken Berlin
Linienstrasse 161 A - Berlin
(by appointment only)

...transform style into that something more?

Millicent Rogers was a famous It girl of the forties. Blonde, beautiful and rich (for a change), but with something more. Known for being extremely elegant, she was the very first woman wearing tons of jewels with shirts and sporty skirts. Elsa Schiapparelli in her memoir wrote she was a great human being, a true artist and a magnificent designer: Millie was extravagant, out of the mainstream... and at one point of her life she abandoned the social scene and settled down in Taoma -New Mexico. Illuminated by ray of light and with peace in her heart she occupied herself full time helping natives American. At her premature death in 1953, natives organized the most spectacular and one of kind ceremony to pay homage to this woman that starting with elegance , ended her journey with generosity.


Infos : Visit The Millicent Rogers Museum,
New Mexico.

...send friends to Japan so they can bring you souvenirs like this?

Geisha by Michele Morando.

...save creativity , file up fashion ?

Creating a fabulous archive just to have a history to tell to its clients can only happen at Oki-ni. "We have produced this quite simply because we wanted to share all the things that got us into doing what we are doing now", they said there. So have a look and you will agree with me...they are never wrong when it is time to adopt a designer!

Raf Simons, a fashion archive.
(click banner on your right - features section)

...electro dark with a dash of daring ?

If Coco would have been here, she would have appreciated this collection by Maiden-Art called "The Black Vinyl's collection". Black and white meet the modernity of elastan, vinyl and cotton creating a crosswords palette. The melody is a point between metal and new romantic : the result is an elegant energetic look. At Maiden-Art they design clothes, jewellery and accessories for men and women that loves to wear dark without looking any gothic.

Photos : Black Vinyl Leggings and Black Wall Fleece.
Complete Fall/Winter 2010 Collection at :
maiden-art.com

...Liz Taylor is not his style and even Lana Turner smile.*

The end of the logo era and the return to a more discreet way of wearing accessories is here: even the big public is almost on the way, while a small part (and Japaneses) is still queuing in front of stores selling alphabetized bags. For the ones that have been already liberated and think that shape, cut and materials speak more than a logo, here it is the marvellous Y's Mandarina Duck collection. Beautifully designed, magisterially produced these bags doesn't cost like a car and can drive you toward freedom.

http://www.ysmandarina.com/
*Nina Simone - My baby just cares for me.

...search for perfection even if it rarely arrives?

The perfect video had been done in 1978.
Blondie recored it at Studio 54 , Debbie was wearing that perfect dress by Stephen Sprouse, Heart Of Glass became a worldwide success. And they say dresses (locations and melodies) do not make the man.

Photo by Roberta Bayley from "Blondie: Unseen 1976-1980"
to buy at amazon.com

...add some beer to your Champagne?

AA Kinal by Adrianna Kindal is a made in L.A. jewellery line that brings to the world the magic and the spirit of the city. " I designs pieces that I crave to wear...for the L.A. IT girl who exudes easy confidence, down to earth strengh, and fearless living without apologizes" says the designers. " My focus is on small production runs allowing me to pay attention to details and deliver high quality. I try to celebrate the beauty in natural imperfections and the uniqueness of a piece"...and Adrianna created an affordable luxury line which has many enchanted points inside. Some rock-roll touched with grace, some red carpets moments to alternate with motorcycle riding , some masculine classical touches twisted into feminine ones. Bracelets, earrings and collars to wear for any occasion and with every dress ( perfect if accompanied with some Chambeer).

Shop AA Kinal at : Jennifer Kaufman - L.A.
Bounce Fashion- Las Vegas
Online shop : www.shopflick.com/stores/aakinal

...chic shake, camel shade?

I'm starting the fall/winter 2009-2010 ride with A-Lab Milano, a very young label which makes of the limited edition its status and navigates quite out of the mainstream ( thank god).
A- Lab is a creative team inspired by quality, details and the right dose of conceptualism. Take this collection for example, and see all the medieval game in it. Take that black, that camel and play the I'm a witch I'm a saint game. Take a woman, her everyday life.... in exquisite-portable clothes.

Photos : Paolo Mazzeo

Infos : A-Lab @ Iqons and (+39) 02 36 55 44 31

...kimonos, flowers, innocence?

Photo by Dominique Darbois from the book "La Petite Japonaise"
- Fernand Nathan Editions -
1961

...stand for your right to walk and shine?

Every morning, when I open my closet , I force myself to pick up one of those marvellous glossy-shinning leather black shoes. I stop, I admire my shade reflected between fine cotton laces .....and then pick up a pair of sneakers and run to work . What is the point if you can choose ? What's for when sneakers had become more bright than classics's?
Who wouldn't like to open that closet one day and find a pair Christian Peau boots, wear it and shine all day long?
" We fell in love with these boots around 4 seasons ago " says Charlotte of Oki-ni online store " and we have been tirelessly trying to bring them to our clients ever since. We can honestly say that we have never seen (or tried on) anything that comes close to the comfort, quality or the colour palette that these boots boast", and we trust her.

Christian Peau Strap Color Sneaker,
only at Oki- ni (click banner on your right).

...intimate green?

Lisa Yuskavage - Teresa and Lauren

2008

Oil on linen
Image Size: 64.8 x 61 x 3.2 cm

David Zwirner Gallery- New York

...Cuz I'm In Love, all dressed up in love.

There is nothing more intriguing than the French-casual touch and that dash of imperfection making them always special, no matter what they wear. Shabby chic may sounds quite reductive as definition but surely is main part in their DNA and The Kooples translate this mood into a clothing line which is casual, elegant and grungy at the same time. Legere and easy, full of music, built with an imaginary line that links Paris to London : The Kooples create in French but can speak SavileRow's language .... and they celebrate couples as the latest super heroes of our times. Geniuses!

http://www.thekooples.com

Photos : S/s 2009 by Raphael Elicha .
From Top :
Marieke and Gaby -in a 3 months relationship..
Fred and Julien - in a 4 years relationship.
Merel and Zeno - in a 2 years relationship.

...see the bright side of your fears?

The Oooh!design team has anticipated me this fabulous object which will be presented during "Il Salone del mobile" and I'm so enthusiastic about it that I can't resist...and post.
Amazingly designed , whit a "strong/ironic" concept behind , it' is called Enola Fruit : a limited edition ceramic fruit bowl which represents a mini domestic apocalypse.
Shaped as the atomic mushroom, frozen and stylised, Enola Fruit plays with the contrast between the fear of atomic destruction and the spectacularity , yet hypnotizing, of the most fabulous firework humanity have ever seen.

Enola Fruit : ceramic ,dim. 40 cm x40 cm
Limited edition of 50 copies.

Designed by Oooh!design to buy at Superego.

...ba ba, Bazaar?

Easy, reassuring, optimist : that's how I saw Harper's Bazaar.
At Hb they never impose, they suggest ; they never give it for granted, they explain it in the nicest way . If editor in chief Glenda Bailey writes to her readers, you can be sure it is a message from planet heart and not from Mars. I loved the way The Bazaar faces the crisis (with a smile) and the March 2009 issue . Ironically dressed as Diana Vreeland, Sarah Jessica Parker pays hommage to divine Dv and writes down 8 Why Dont' Yous that are, as they were, a joy to read . And I can help but wonder...can other publications, still pushing the vamp in a cage eating bloody steaks accompanied by wild animals, be considered useful to fashion/people in these times ?


Photo : March 2009 cover by Peter Lindbergh.

...rely on mother nature?

No words to describe the beauty of this collection. This is an enormous tribute to the "green side" of fashion : this is spring on your body without risking any allure.

Junko Shimada, S/s 2009

...see the way she walks, hear the way she talks?*

Among various resources of inspiration, because we need the past to create the future, H.P. - Harri Peccinotti by Damiani Editore may be considered not only a book, but a one way trip to the extinct femininity.
Beginning his career at Rolling Stone , Peccinotti was trained at graphic department and then sent to Vietnam to document the never ending war. Surely marked by the photo reporter career, he turned his eye to fashion never forgetting the realistic side of photography and trying to be faithful to reality. In years of excessive glamour , with the power of fashion editors starting the manipulation , Peccinotti's work seemed like a breath of fresh air, a praise to simplicity. His women were just wearing nothing , hanging on the beach, enjoying a beautiful sky or an ice cream, evoking the natural/ funny side of sexuality and launching a message of indipendece.
I had a vintage feeling of freedom watching those pictures, and if it's true that freedom never goes out of style, then this book may be considered fundamental in every bookshelf.

H.P. - Harri Peccinotti
Damiani Editore


* title from Femme Fatale - The Velvet Underground and Nico.

...The Black Keys Work?

Among all the blacks of spring 2009 , this by Davidelfin is a special one. Worn by beautiful icon Bimba Bosé and part of the Distema collection, this dress is simply a seasonal must have.
Spanish designers suffering a couture-lack syndrome ? Not the case of Davidelfin which exquisite tailoring, proportions, and arty dense inspiration have always been stamped on his passport to the world.

Davidelfin Madrid

Photo : Gorka Postigo

...wear summer ?

Samuel Hodge - "Miles"

Exhibition - Chalk Horse Gallery from 26th March - 23 April 2009.

...Rhapsody in White?

I have never been a fan of the white total look. Unless you don't deal with a t-shirt, worn by a man, the white too often recalls of an ice cream seller, a surgeon, a nurse.
Looking at this 1985 photo I retracted me and started to think there are some terms in which the all candid may look absolutely extraordinary. Could be the volumes , proportions, that mirror shades and wrist bands : could be all that years contributing in making the most banal of the things into a museum piece...but this photo was absolutely inspiring and helped in overcoming one of my prejudices.

Claude Montana S/s 1985
Photo by Paolo Roversi

...get stoned with stones?

Maybe it is a way to react, maybe a way to fly but jewels have the power to cheer up and spry some positiveness around. Worn, given or watched : gold and stones have suach a tonic effect on humour, especially if they have the right price.
Alexis Bittar, born Brooklyn in 1968, has learned his work wondering aimlessly for flea markets and opened his first store in New York in 2004. His creations, delicious and super pizzaz, are the American jewellery tradition glamorized with a touch of fun.

Photos : Large Celestial Ocean Hinge Bracelet In Gold Coral
and Vermeil Hand With Amethyst Drop Earring to buy at
http://www.alexisbittar.com

...that little love in a pocket ?

Sewing kit, also called "housewife", was originally made of cloth- leather and used by soldiers for mending uniforms during wars . I always been fascinated by this object designed by women and used by men : with buttons and needles, I think it brings some love and care . Invented during hard times, the sewing kit is an irresistible little world as necessary as it was.


The Cucirini Milano Sewingkit .
€ 2,98

...mentally dye minimalism?

If you like the idea of a tipsy star in your breast and an impeccable cut modeling your body, here are two pieces from Raf Simons s/s 2009 collection. Long time existentialist, mixer of rock culture and minimalism, Raf is the guy who doesn't necessary find happiness in colors or impressive volumes. If it's true that joy is in simple things , and everybody is learning the rule, then these two clean pieces are the most exquisite items you can add to your wish list.

Raf Simons Show Piece Jacket and Full Length Waistcoat.
To buy @ Oki-ni (click banner up right).

...mass production?

Jota Castro - China, 2006