This is a weird juxtaposition: people desiring the appearance of mainstream wealth buy imitations of rich people things, but people who want to look like they’re above all that buy very costly clothing that elegantly attempts to say nothing. |
| | Margiela fur coat and tabi boots at the Vancouver Art Gallery. | | | | | “This is a weird juxtaposition: people desiring the appearance of mainstream wealth buy imitations of rich people things, but people who want to look like they’re above all that buy very costly clothing that elegantly attempts to say nothing.”
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| rantnrave:// There is no "right" way to cast a fashion show. For labels who participate in the traditional fashion system, the show represents the culmination of their creative vision, and they should strive to realize it exactly as they please. By the same token, the models a label chooses for the runway send a message. Those decisions are an expression of values, so it's fair to question why the forward-thinking team behind VETEMENTS and BALENCIAGA staged two shows at PARIS FASHION WEEK without a single model of color. I don't know that I'd call the whitewashed casting "defiant," as JASON CAMPBELL did at BUSINESS OF FASHION yesterday -- that implies a degree of intent and malevolence I’m not comfortable assigning a group of people I don’t know. How much does intent matter when the result is exclusion, though?... Yesterday at HAZLITT, SASHA CHAPIN sprung from shopping BANGKOK's fake goods to earnest musings on wealth, status, how objects accrete meaning, and the real value of luxury... On a similar note, a section from PATTI SMITH's "M TRAIN," which I've finally gotten around to: "Do our lost possession mourn us? Do electric sheep dream of ROY BATTY? Wil my coat, riddled with holes, remember the rich hours of our companionship? Asleep on buses from VIENNE to PRAGUE, nights at the opera, walks by the sea, the grave of SWINBURNE on the ISLE OF WIGHT, the arcades of PARIS, the caverns of LURAY, the cafés of BUENOS AIRES. Human experience bound by its threads. How many poems bleeding from its ragged sleeves? I averted my eyes just for a moment, drawn by another coat that was warmer and softer, but that I did not love." Our clothes become extensions of us, weighed down by memory. Today's rantnrave is dedicated to my CRAIG GREEN wrap vest, currently residing in the bowels of an airport either in NEW YORK CITY, SEATTLE, or CALGARY. A special garment, and a key component of my DRAKE cosplay wardrobe, gone too soon... Ooh, corporate intrigue: BURBERRY steels itself against potential takeover bid while RALPH LAUREN faces litigation over teddy bears... HEDI does DYNASTY... | | - Adam Wray, curator |
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| Searching for the ease that comes with unspeakable wealth, from counterfeit markets in Bangkok to money at the bottom of a barrel. | |
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When the San Francisco-based apparel brand Everlane launched in 2011 with its simply designed t-shirts, ties, and bags in luxe materials, it could easily have been yet another e-commerce site seeking to "disrupt" the crowded market for high-end basic clothing. | |
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As the creative director of his own acclaimed label, Off-White, and Kanye West's right-hand man, Virgil Abloh may be better positioned than most to know exactly where fashion is headed. A few days before his show in Paris, he took part in a wide-ranging interview that touched on everything from the show system to Julia Roberts. | |
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In-house brands do more for stores than cut down on costs. | |
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PARIS -- In the third and final video for season four of the "In the Studio" series, Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of Louis Vuitton, discusses what scares him, compulsive shopping and the importance of stability. And those are the outtakes. | |
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Curator Shonagh Marshall explores three key historic moments celebrating gingham; from Miu Miu to Biba, Comme des Garçons to wartime fashion. | |
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Last week Zara released an " ungendered" clothing line, and it's causing controversy. The clothing retailer joined the unisex and genderless fashion movement that gained steam last year. In 2015 luxury labels like Saint Laurent, Gucci and Burberry incorporated elements of gender fluidity into runway shows, while brands like Nicopanda and VFILES showcased both men and women in skirts and dresses. | |
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In the spirit of International Women’s Day, leading brands should vow to do more to protect the women making our clothes. | |
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PARIS -- The most urgent gossip this Paris Fashion Week has centered on Hedi Slimane, the press-averse designer of Saint Laurent, whom the rumor mill has decreed is imminently leaving Saint Laurent. | |
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Sales of high-end vintage attire and accessories are soaring--both in volume and price--and a handful of small businesses are taking advantage of market forces that are making what was old new again. | |
| Victoria Beckham recently confessed that she "can't do heels anymore" -- and that revelation, from a style icon known for her sky-high stilettos (especially at the airport, where they were an essential part of her travel uniform), rocked the fashion world. | |
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Undergarments used to be made of wool. | |
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The French fashion house is reportedly finalizing a contract with couture designer Bouchra Jarrar. | |
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"I don't like fashion," said the French designer Agnes b. For someone who has spent four decades at the top of the fashion tree, it is a curious confession to make. "I like clothes," she added quickly as she put the final touches to her autumn winter collection before her Paris fashion week show Tuesday. | |
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What happens when you can buy more than you can carry. | |
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