It was this idea of, you can’t afford a car, but man, I can afford a pair of fresh sneakers, and that can make you feel a certain way. I really did feel like I could jump higher and run faster. Sneakers are the frame to what you’re wearing that day. | | | | At the offices of Black Beauty modeling agency, NYC, 1969.
(Yale Joel/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) | | | | | | “It was this idea of, you can’t afford a car, but man, I can afford a pair of fresh sneakers, and that can make you feel a certain way. I really did feel like I could jump higher and run faster. Sneakers are the frame to what you’re wearing that day.”
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| | rantnrave:// DRIES VAN NOTEN made a suggestion at BOF VOICES Thursday, and it's one I wholeheartedly agree with. Van Noten suggested creating a publication that, similar to a a title like the BUSINESS OF FASHION, tells the story of the "beauty of fashion." Has the focus on money eclipsed more human-centered stories about fashion's creativity, how it influences society? Telling stories about the beauty of fashion isn't lost on luxury groups. There are plenty of books, exhibitions, and films that tell stories of creativity—and spark desire to buy—but the portrayal of beauty and craftsmanship in the industry must also come from a broader range of storytellers. In-depth reportage on the business side of the industry has been important and revelatory, especially given the rise of major luxury groups in the latter half of the twentieth century. Reading stories about investment, production, and trade in the fashion industry makes people feel as if they're participating—that they're seeing from the inside. There is room for all, but why does it feel like the creative side lacks coverage? Everyone I've known in the industry is drawn to fashion because of the extraordinary creations it puts into the world. Van Noten's proposal isn't a radical one—it's a fundamental part of what brings fashion into being every season... 1GRANARY published a well-considered story on PARSONS MFA's decision to recuse itself from BOF's fashion school rankings, and it's opened a productive discussion about fashion education in general. Do rankings promote a simplified view of higher education? Education in all disciplines has faced criticism, and the fact that fashion schools are thinking about how to do better is a good thing. And rankings should be taken as only one in a large number of factors for young people interested in fashion... The documentary "Maddman: The Steve Madden Story" tells the story of a mass-market shoe designer who started his business out of the trunk of a car and grew the business into a company with over $1.4 billion in annual revenues. Madden was also indicted on federal charges in 2000, which eventually landed him a character portrayal in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. Sure to be an entertaining story. Find out more in THE CUT... In brief: History buffs, the name AILEEN RIBEIRO should be on your radar. Her new book, "Clothing Art: The Visual Culture of Fashion, 1600-1914," looks like a wonderful contribution to clothing's portrayal in art... COLETTE co-founder SARAH ANDELMAN's next gig? Consulting. | | | - HK Mindy Meissen, curator |
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| Belgian designer Dries Van Noten joined BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks on the VOICES stage to discuss the challenges of being a 'citizen of the world' amid rising critique of cultural appropriation. | | |
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| “Fashion education can’t be surveyed, judged, or put in boxes to tick.” | | |
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| The assistant to the president became the first member of the Trump administration to try to use clothes as political capital. | | |
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| The menswear 1.0 veteran talks about scaling up, moving back to California, and dressing like Steve Jobs. | | |
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| Charles Jeffrey loves a party. The London designer's name is rapidly becoming a by-word for nightlife and its attendant freedoms, due in part to his riotous Dalston club nights, Loverboy, which started back in 2014 as a way to raise funds for his gradu... | | |
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| The conversation of diversity within the fashion industry saw its shift in 2017. On the surface, the industry has begun to move to a more inclusive space, including a spike in models of all shapes and skin tones marching down the runway at New York Fashion Week. | | |
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| Dapper Dan and Leila Fataar joined BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks on the Voices stage to discuss the power dynamics of appropriation and the legendary designer's historic partnership with Gucci. | | |
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| Donatella Versace will be presented with the Fashion Icon Award at the Fashion Awards next week. | | |
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| In just one year, Sies Marjan has reached cult brand status at New York Fashion Week, and brought colour to a city that always wore black. | | |
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| The photographer’s new photos will bow on Dec. 1, highlighting the issue of integration and education. | | |
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| Hansae, Sae-A, and Youngone make garments for many brands that are popular in America. | | |
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| Anti-fascist activists believe in dressing for the job they want. Right now, many think, that job is punching Nazis. | | |
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| Tube tops, lip gloss, and Juicy Tracksuits are back whether you like it or not. While some refer to this era as the "Naughties" or "Early 2000s", another name is circulating through the Internet. Enter McBling. The name was coined through a Facebook page in 2016 and 5,000 members. | | |
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| I have to admit, this blog is mostly full of random posts until I can gather enough photos to do something on Yukio Akamine. For all the men who are admired nowadays for their sense of style, you'd be surprised how many weren't always so well dressed. | | |
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| The man behind the shoe box is revealed in a new documentary. | | |
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| In yet another triumph for the rapid ascent of ecommerce, 2017 is the first year that the majority of gifting purchases will happen online instead of in stores, according to Deloitte's annual holiday survey. Throughout the 20th century, third-party retailers and large department stores reigned supreme because they held the power to funnel consumer demand. | | |
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| From blue-black lipstick to fake blood. | | |
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| David LaChapelle on working with Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur and the Kardashians. | | |
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| "Do you think I'll die?" she asks while discussing such life experiences as getting fired from a DJ set by Kate Moss. | | |
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| James and Lawrence dive dong-first into the thorny bush of long distance relationships, with real-time input from Intern Chuck fresh off his boo’d up holiday staycation. Then, WSJ men’s style writer and friend of the pod Jacob Gallagher joins FU to discuss octogenarian internet trolls, swaggy trends for the Fail Gang, and cryptojawnz. | | |
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