Decadence: true or false?

There has been a lot of buzz around the low economy and how that impacts the fashion industry, including the couture houses. But not always. I think some take the opportunity to create from a perspective of working with less, or using less extravagant materials or shapes. Some look at scarcity, or perceived scarcity, as a creative opportunity. Designers at heart will always be resourceful--however the actual resources may be quantified.


I am especially keen on the Dior line for Spring/Summer. The show really gave a sense of decadence while remaining light (perfect Dior), and though "equestrian" inspired, I see a lot of early century themes too. It is so exciting to see such graceful contemporary re-interpretation of luxury. That is after all, what designing in "hard times" is sort of about. Not that there were any potato sacks to be seen...keeping in context here.

The lush and light mixed together so reminded me of the costuming and styling of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette--again a contemporary and youthful take.



And well, what is more decadent than this? Of course, maintaining the equestrian theme, and all those fruity flavors...

pardon our dust!

just a little under renovation here. links and goodies will be reconstituted soon! xo

(real) Holographic Fashion

I have watched this gorgeous hologram quite a few times, always struck by the ethereal quality and contemplating its significance to the fashion world. I would have posted on it already if it weren't already 3 years old. But now I have the perfect, and most exciting excuse!

Check out the lower video, about these Japanese researchers creating 3D responsive holograms. Science has pretty much demonstrated that we are all just energy, which also includes our clothing. In the last post I touched upon that a little, suggesting we think about the un-seeable aspects of what we choose to put on our bodies. But here we step into what I imagine as a possible future...



While we still inhabit our bodies, carrying around mobile devices that do everything and more, one function will be a virtual shopping experience. But instead of waiting for something to appear in the mail, we can put it on right away. A hologram. It will respond to our bodies and our whims.

Something like a sim game character? I mean, social networking already has us turning our own images into cartoons. If this fashion thing worked, I would say the clothes would have to modeled after real textiles and real sewing. At least as long as we have "real" bodies :)

More than money: the true cost of your clothes

The two most common considerations when shopping for clothes are our personal wardrobe and our wallet. More and more of us are buying based on additional criteria, like environmental impact of an item and whether or not it was made using fair and just labor.

It is admittedly difficult to juggle all of these. The fashion engine rolls out tons of new, ever more cheaply made clothes every year. The cheaper they are the costlier they tend to be in other ways. Flip the coin and you see a society continuously driven to consume, and always renew. And what is the result? Simple. Lots and lots of trash. Some clothes are lucky enough to find second third and fourth homes, be donated to people who really need them or at least be turned to rag. But a LOT of it landfill.

photo from this GREAT article: Clash of Cultures, clothing edition

A fifth element that I have added to my shopping checklist is, "how long will I wear this?" Meaning, is this an item that I truly feel good in, that resonates with who I am and how my body moves in this world? Or is it something that has been suggested to me that will no longer be important come tomorrow? In other words, am I buying something that will soon enough be landfill fodder and has little personal significance?

If I buy trash clothes then not only am I potentially undervaluing everything that went into making them, I may really be undervaluing myself. In those moments of weakness when concerns for the environment is too abstract and child slaves seem an unreality, I take it back to myself. How do I consider myself?

Haute couture and luxury goods get a lot of flack from some people because they are excellent symbols for the great economic divide. Children go hungry, and you wear Prada--you should feel guilty. Not so. There is more than enough of everything for everyone; it is the way things are produced and distributed that is the problem. And the more we expect to get things for cheap, the more we actually contribute to every problem: pollution, waste, exploitation, and keeping our own selves down.

While I especially recommend supporting small designers and artisans as a more accessible way to invest in a positive economy, I would like to share this video about the making of a Hermes Bag. The sourcing, work, and my favorite aspect of truly well made things, "it can be repaired", are very good illustration of where the value is in a true luxury piece. (not a knock off!) I wish everyone who owned these bags knew just why they're so beautiful.

The importance of fashion in postwar ruin

While this first photo might evoke shock or rage in the hearts of an anti-capitalist, when you take a closer look you discover something even a Marxist might appreciate...

Yes, Sierra Leonean fashion designer Adama Kai is a woman after my own heart. I have had some difficulty locating an online presence for her, but found this fantastic interview at Ladybrille. Here is a taste:

LADYBRILLE.com: You have been quoted saying that what "you are doing is enriching Sierra Leone." and you say that it's like opening a "hospital or a school." Arguably schools and hospitals are critical to improving the overall health and economic state of Sierra Leone. High fashion/couture is not. Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say it enriches Sierra Leone?
Adama: What I know is that you can follow the history and development of the world culture and its people through cloth. The topic of dress is [that] of self-image, self-esteem and self-confidence. With the recent past history like ours [Sierra Leone], one can only imagine what it has done to our self-image. Some say fashion and style is superficial but I believe it has a way of boosting ones self esteem and I see self-confidence as critical for social development. Aschobi is changing the image of Sierra Leone, from Blood Diamonds to Couture. Through fashion, I am employing tailors, through the tailors’ talents, I am showcasing African style. I am enriching their lives an dshowing them a new way of looking at life.


I would rather you read her own words than my own spiel related to them. It really is worth a click over...

(Images by Katrina Manson as attributed in the Corriere della Sera report by Maurizio Caprara.)

Do you really have a choice?

This old Wendy's ad struck so true to me, for as I was twirling the beginnings of Wrinkle in 2003, writing up an angsty storm about fashion and societal structure, a big part of it was about choice.

Choice as we know it is related more having options in front of us, determined by someone else, than creative or truly independent choices based on an infinite number of possibilities. I am sure it would be harder to govern a population that was accustomed to using its full potential in that way.

This old Wendy's ad plays on what would be an American point of view of freedom, and its antithesis, this gray Roussky picture of Communism. There is truth in it, and comedy too, but what gets me is how it is used to play into our minds, particularly susceptible to the image of freedom as having "choice". And not only choice, but this ad makes a stab at fashion, one of THE absolute purveyors of the image of happiness and well-being.

Have you ever noticed how many designer interviews begin with the story of, "I started making clothes because I couldn't find anything I liked out there?" I think this absolutely must be true for a lot of designers, and remains true for a lot of super small fashion creators too, even if we are just doing DIY refashioning. And Threadbanger has had terrific success, because the DIY culture touches every element of our lives. And we ALL wear clothes.

It pleases me so much to see the breadth of people who would rather explore through making and remaking, than play into the old game. And those who are involved directly too, by widening the scope of choice into something full of unbridled imagination through supporting small indie designers. I don't believe we can or should make everything we need, but neither should everything we need be furnished by so few, such controlled sources. And some great things have been invented by non-experts!

I'd love to know:
In what ways does fashion contribute to your happiness?
Are there any important questions you ask yourself before making a fashion choice?

Sacred Costume...the example of the Salwar Kameez

This week's thoughts were inspired by a dream I had a few days ago, of discussing with a friend her reluctance to wear a Salwar Kameez, as she is a White American, and wasn't sure that she should. In real life, this friend has lived in India and wore them everyday for a period of her life, and feels comfortable in these suits. I am not sure why I had the dream, but it brought back to mind conversations I had in college about how "white people shouldn't wear locks", and intrigued me to think more about the things swimming around in my subconscious...

Just for arguments sake, we can say that the basic reason one could be opposed to my White American friend wearing a salwar (or sari, or....), is that the color of her skin puts her in a class of people that sort of represent past and present wrongdoings of other whites (american, british, french..) who take power over a country that is not theirs. Colonizing, leaving in serious disrepair and pain, and stealing, are big huge issues that can be stirred up when strong pieces of culture, such as dress, are appropriated.

It's tricky. It depends on a lot of things, and each circumstance is different. I don't agree for example, that "whites shouldn't wear locks". Because locks don't belong to Rastafarians, or even to Black people, and not even to an oppressed people. Locks themselves, have been appropriated over the years, and their message changed, depending on who is wearing them.

However, there is something to be said for sensitivity for those who do take such an act as a co-opting. For the most part I also take that with a grain of salt, because the truth is that we are ever more global, and increasingly share space with people of all cultures. Much of the time it just seems that having such distinct lines between dress codes only helps create more visual separation between cultures that are learning to live together.

Where I live in Italy there is a significant Bangladeshi presence, and I know that the local Italians are more comfortable interacting with immigrants in Western dress than with those who dress traditionally. A part of me wants to reach out, experience their cloth, their movement, their space. Another part of me wants to just appreciate it from afar, respect the traditions and leave them to their own people.

But why should they have to dress differently to be accepted? Is it just about the nature of humans to fear what is different? If I were to live in a non-Western country I would expect to alter my dress some, or would I?

I am curious where the line is between pop-arting Mexican Catrinas, wearing an embroidered Mexican Tunic, and eating Mexican food. Being from California, none of this feels strange to me. So I can assume that for my friend who has a personal relationship with India, things are fairly similar. But, how is she viewed by a traditional Indian woman? Is there anything left over from British colonization lingering in her subconscious? Would it matter if my friend were Chinese and not White? Does it matter to her at all?

It seems some interviews are in order...

In the meantime, here are some videos to stir your thoughts and your funny bone, as well as your heart. The first one speaks to the subject at hand.



The second one is the cutest DIY video I have seen in a while. I wish I could understand what the woman is saying, but the whole scenario with the toddler and sewing a salwar on the floor, just too good! It's all so familiar :))



And the third video is really for next week, when I may not be able to post. A hearty subject that doesn't really need commentary, but inspires at least, I hope, one to think, to picture, where clothes are born. Who is making your clothes? I encourage you to support work you believe in.

Confessions of a Shopaholic, or how we stuff our style

The movie is a run of the mill romantic comedy, with funny fashion twist. Slightly less dramatic and moralistic than the Devil Wears Prada, and definitely inspired by Sex in the City. All in all it's a nice ride for someone who relates to Rebecca Bloomwood's main predicaments, which are being in thousands of dollars of debt, and obviously, being addicted to shopping.

I won't give anything else away, but I will tell you my favorite part: A scene where Rebecca's internal shopping monologue is exposed. At this time we are privy to the secret world of rationalizing as she lusts after something in a shop, while also having totally maxed out her credit...

“You do not need a scarf”

“Then again, who needs a scarf? Just wrap some old jeans around your neck…That'll keep you warm...That's what your mother would do"

“The point about this scarf is that it would become part of a definition of you…of your psyche..You’d wear it with everything”

“It would be an investment”

“You’d walk into that interview confident and poised”

The film is written comically, but it really shows how our emotions, past and present self worth can be wrapped up in style and fashion. Really, most of what we buy when we are giving in to shopping impulse is just more stuff that we don't need, but feel in the moment is somehow imperative to our happiness. And then, withing a week (or even an hour), the purchase is forgotten, and we do the same thing over again. And truthfully, an addiction to shopping has nothing to do with fashion or style. They can be symbiotic, but each can live just fine without the other, too. (Think of all the other crap that is cluttering up our lives and emptying our wallets!)

I do a fair amount of window shopping, and there is this insane monologue happening all the time...

"Just looking for inspiration. You know you are not going to buy anything. And who else is paying for this? Who made this? What about you handmade pledge? It's so cute. Do I have to feel bad if I buy something here? Go to the Ethical Shop. That's even less affordable. Make it at home. When? And this fabric is so cute! Aren't you just being a victim of current trends? So what. Is that bad? I like it. Do I really? I don't need it. I don't need anything. Do I need anything?"

And on and on. A lot of it is me trying to analyze the impulse to acquire new pretty things. How it makes us feel better about ourselves. And how it depends on this low feeling that comes from not having, which means not "being" somehthing, or someone, special. Playing fashion plates at a very high cost, giving way precious parts of our body, mind, spirit connection. It all seems utterly unproductive to humanity.

Yet I have a hard time pursuing the argument fully because it seems so anti-fashion, which I am not. I love fashion. There is so much art to it and it is soo important. The culture of dressing the body obviously has a distinct relationship to the psyche, just look at how we do it all differently across the world. I think this part is VERY productive to humanity.

In the video The Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard addresses the subject of how we can be manipulated into feeling inadequate by not participating in the shopping and style engines. Our feelings of (perceived) inadequacy stem mainly from the advertising gears of the engines, and connect to our value as economic contributors. It's totally fascinating, and simple enough for a child to understand.

When I do my window shopping I also challenge myself to confront feelings of inadequacy that may arise when I see something I want. "Wouldn't I look more beautiful if I had that dress? Wouldn't it be helpful to my life to change my style?" Would it?

I truly think that sometimes the answer is yes. We need to remember to use style as a tool for self expression and inspiration. To not let ourselves be used, by fashion.

Alexander McQueen and the commoners

So, this month something beyond my wildest dreams is happening. Take one of your favorite couture designers, and get him designing for the big box store you spent the most money in as a kid.

Any guesses? Yes, that's Alexander McQueen + Target = ????

When I said beyond my wildest dreams, I did not mean I am running off to Target now (well, if I had one near me I might). I think I meant that for just one millisecond the world stopped, and I had to press the reset button. Okay. Healthy paradigm shift, I am always up for that.

H&M has already built its name on designer copying and collaboration both, as well as simply being an internationally shopped fashion mecca of sorts. Target is a whole different kind of Big Box. You can get hot dogs there, and shaving cream, and tupperware. I am not snobbing up here, just stating the facts. Does not the world shake at the fact that Alexander McQueen is designing for Tar-zjay?
Surely Mr. McQueen was quite aware of the press of all kinds this new relationship would garner, and I am very curious what the company's thoughts are. Is it all business? Is there something in there about narrowing the divide between elitist fashion and accessible clothing?

This is a perfect moment in fashion consciousness where you have the good, the bad, and the ugly all at one table. What do I mean? Well, raise your hand if you shop at Target...

A. I shop at Target because they have wonderfully low prices on clothes that work for me.
B. I don't shop for clothes at Target because it is not the fashionista haven I am accustomed to.
C. I don't shop at Target for anything at all because I prefer to support small shops/designers for all my goods.
D. All of the above.
And the answer is D. Yes. How many of you live this sort of tortured existence?

I don't think I can offer any closure on this subject just yet. In the meantime, tell us what you think about big box fashion...

(These photos were snagged from fashionisima, what seems like great blog, as far as my Spanish goes.)

Let's Dance

It's time! I am so glad you are here. Please, pull up your feet and a favorite beverage and get ready for something a little out of the ordinary...

Soon to make it onto the scene is the premier issue of Wrinkle! I am still learning some of the ropes, so if you know you are being featured or are just excited to see more, then stay tuned.

In the mean time, weekly content will now be a part of Wrinkle too. Let's have some fun!

In honor of fun, frolic, and all that may be deep or superficial, and is lucky enough to be both, a little David Bowie.

Do We Need Big Box Fashion?

I recently made some environmentally motivated changes in my life that I feel good about. One of them is to no longer bring meat into my house or eat it at restaurants. I don't believe that I will completely eradicate meat consumption from my diet forever, but taking it down to "ten percent" is no doubt a good thing. That (figurative) "ten percent"? Well, I am not a purist and I like to make room in my life for exceptions. Room to accept whatever my grandmother wants to cook for me, or participate in dear cultural traditions and enjoy my own comfort foods.

So how do we apply that to fashion? Does that mean that SOMETIMES we buy sweatshop clothing? I know that the Gap Body underwear I purchase on sale for $1.99 a pair probably has a dirty history. So how can I do it? I've looked at my options. I need new underwear, seriously. I don't have extra cash, so I am looking for the most economical option. These undies are comfortable, reliable, and fairly well constructed. So, for my sweatshop, environmental damage dollar, I feel I am getting the most for my money/karma.

My suspicion is that many of us who know what's best choose it most of the time—but there's always the ten percent. I have found that it is nearly impossible to eliminate it though. Think of this. Some of us are great supporters of buying previously used clothing. We believe that we are giving new life to cast off clothing, taking advantage of the great endless tail of the consumer dragon, and giving less money to manufacturing processes that we don't believe in.

But what about that old navy hoodie I score at Goodwill? Thank goodness it isn't overtly branded, but it's got a dirty history. And not because someone else wore it. I know that it is made from cotton I don't believe in, built by a company I don't trust, with hands I'll never know. So basically, I feel like I am helping this object, a victim of the style engine, regain life so that whatever damage was done to create this it will not have been in vain. Plus, of course, it's cute and comfy and cheap.

Going deeper, am I inadvertently supporting Old Navy? A second hand consumer is still a consumer. Basically, WE can't exist without THEM. We are an entire subculture of DIY, environmental and social do-gooders, but in order to be who we are, we NEED this whole superculture of mass production for mass consumption.

What do you think? How can we have a tail without a head? Do we need Big Box Fashion?

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