Ghesquière's.

Nicolas Ghesquière was born in 1971 in Comines. His dad owned a golf course and his mom was a fashion lover... 

In his resumé, Agnès B (aged 15), then Jean-Paul Gaultier where he made an internship with the designer. In 1995, he got hired as a licensed product designer for Balenciaga, making an  approach to the brand. "It's OK. I will go and I will see what the potential is and see what is going on. So it was not the most glamorous way to approach the brand. But it was interesting to work on this license and to see what was left from Balenciaga." Two years after this, he got named as Balenciaga's new creative director.

After this happened, back in 1997, all of his collections started to succeed, giving more reputation to the house and to himself.

"We've developed the brand," he told Interview magazine in January 2010. "I probably feel more solid because the brand is solid and I feel stronger than my years. But I put so much pressure on myself, which makes me very insecure. With my designs and my ideas, I want to please myself first. I'm always very stressed about making a new proposition every season. But in a way, it's a kind of addiction. In another way, it's a crazy pressure. I try to stay quiet about the whole situation, because fashion itself can be crazy, and everyone wants a part of you."

After more than 10 years working for the famous fashion house, he gained everyone's respect and admiration. Every season me, and many more, waited for each Paris Fashion Week to see what Ghesquière's proposal for the season was. And it was always mind blowing. Unique silhouettes, weird/new materials, volume, show... The whole package to make of his show one of a kind.

After all this success, after dressing Nicole Kidman for her wedding, working with Charlotte Gainsburg, getting Twilight's hated Kirsten Stewart as spokeswoman and image for the brand... Ghesquière decides to leave Balenciaga behind.

"With an incomparable creative talent, Nicolas has brought to Balenciaga an artistic contribution essential to the unique influence of the house", said François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of PPR.

Is not confirmed what Ghesquière's future will be. If he would launch his own brand or start with another house... By the moment I will make a little homage to one of the designer's I admire the most. Here's a selection of my favorite designs.

 ♥

H&M and Maison Martin Margiela

Everyone's being dying of anxiety since a gossip started more than a year ago that the swedish retailer, H&M, would open a store here in Mexico... And finally that day came!

With 3 floors, 4200 square meters this store is the beginning of H&M's expansion in Latin America. Starting in Mexico City with zero risk of being a failure, because since they open their first store outside Europe back in 2000 all they keep getting is more and more success, more fans, more clients and of course absurd amounts of money.

The opening is one huge event but for me the biggest, and the one that everyone have their eyes on, is H&M's new collaboration with the Belgian designer, Martin Margiela. A few months ago the news were broke all over the internet, published on NYMag, videos on YouTube... It was all over! And it has been a long long wait since we saw those and read about it and finally there are just a few days before we can get our hands in some cheaper Margiela pieces.

The retailer is known for always offering their customers fashion at an affordable price, trends and of course not the best quality (but at least better than Zara). A few collaborations after, this strategy maintain the growth and success of the house.

Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Roberto Cavalli, Comme des Garçons, Matthew Williamson, Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel, Versace and now Margiela for H&M. Excitement for this collaboration is up to date becuase Margiela created a collection based on his most pieces, from the plexiglass heel shoes, the candy wrap clutch, the oversized coats, the two-dresses-dress... this promess to be a huge success and mayhem at stores worldwide... but anyways, I'll be part of that mayhem to get a MMM piece with friendly price tag, not one with the £3000 on it.

Here are some of my picks from this awesome collaboration.

Iris Apfel: Goddess.

It's been quite a while since I last posted an entry here. For many reason I've been off but I guess is about time to make a comeback and what a better way than writing about someone you really admire.

Iris Apfel is a businesswoman and interior designer, known for Old World Weavers, the textile firm she created with her husband, which they ran until 1992 and for being A fashion icon. She worked for Women's Wear Daily and now, being 92 years old, she's everywhere: magazines, ad campaigns (MAC), covers, editorials, fashion lectures, special events and also consulting. 

Her own and unique style has given her a special place in fashion, styling celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and stores like Bergdorf Goodman. And in 2005 she was honored by the Metroplitan Museum of Art with an exposition called Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel, showing her exhuberant and idiosyncratic wardrobe, which combines pieces from Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, flea market findings, textures, colors, patterns... an aesthetic that's truly hers.

Dazed & Confused photographed Iris in the celebrated 2D Fall/Winter 2012 collection from Comme des Garçons for their current issue, so here are the photos and also a video they posted on their official website.Enjoy and welcome back!

 

 

CREDITS:
PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM Jeff Bark
STYLING Robbie Spencer
HAIR Duffy at Tim Howard Management
MAKE-UP Lisa Houghton at Tim Howard Management
MODEL Iris Apfel
SET DESIGN School Float
PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT Christopher White
STYLING ASSISTANTS Elizabeth Fraser-Bell, Jessica Bobince
CASTING Noah Shelley at AM Casting

The John Galliano Drama

It was about time to write a new entry, it has been months since I last wrote but I guess my head's been somewhere else and I guess is not gonna be fun to write something that might be boring and senseless. But now I felt like writing and what's more trendy than flower patterns and Stella McCartney's orange pieces or Prada's banana skirt!? Well, the whole John Galliano dismissal from both Dior and his namesake brand.

This situation is bizarre. We all drink and we all get drunk sometimes, from the boy who works at a supermarket to worlwide famous designers like Galliano. And I think this episode that happened in a Paris café just went out of everyone's hands.

"In light of the deeply offensive statements and conduct by John Galliano in a video made public , Christian Dior has commenced termination procedures against him".

"We unequivocally condemn the statements made by John Galliano which are in total contradiction to the longstanding core values of Christian Dior." Ok, his comments were a little racist and anti-semitic, but I also think it was a trap. If you start bothering someone by the way he's dressed and making comments of course there's gonna be a reaction and it seems weird that someone's taping a conversation in the middle of a café.

Anyways, more than trying to find a reason of why this happened, this post is focused on what a big loss fashion's having again. Fashion is going through lots of losses. I can't name them all in order but Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow are the biggest of all losses, then Christopher Decarnin, Lacroix and now Galliano, who lost his job at Dior and his own brand. And I think exactly the same way I think about Lee, John's position won't be easy to replace. The way he brought Dior's house back to life it's amazing. The way the company gave him freedom to create was amazing. If we go back to see of all his work we could see how full of creativity it was and the great proposals he made.

I will never forget his Egypt inspired Haute Couture collection, one of my favorites. He is (or was) one of the greatest showmen that fashion has met. A Galliano show was not only about the clothes, it was a whole: lightning, fashion, stage, acting on the catwalk and of of course his finales, where he always came to greet the audience with his costumes.

Hope he finds a way to make a come back in the fashion world, couture and Paris Fashion Week won't be the same without him...

Nicola Formichetti for Thierry Mugler

I'm having an anxiety attack right now!

On Wednesday at Paris Men's Fashion Week, Nicola Formichetti, known for his collaborations with Lady Gaga, Japanese Men's Vogue, Dazed & Confused and V, will be presenting his debut collection for Thierry Mugler, called "Anatomy of Change".

Part of the anxiety I'm having is because of the work we all know from this amazing stylist/designer/editor, including spectacular images for the already named magazines. Plus, Mugler has always given a twist to fashion, creating looks that leaves lots speechless because of its materials, silhouettes, craftmanship, show, etc.

Here's a first image from his debut collection. Hope I get more photos to update you all.

Scott Schumann, aka The Sartorialist

A few years ago, I found out about a blog, The Sartorialist, filled with photos of street style. Of course there was a great eye behind those photos, not even a proffesional photographer but a guy a unique sensibility for style.

I've been watching his blog for quite a few years and I still enjoy each and every one of his photos. And today I found this video called "Intel Visual Life - The Sartorialist". It's a quite simple production, but same as the blog The Sartorialist, it has its special beauty and harmony.

Enjoy it.

El bien y el mal.

Just for a change I'm gonna post something in spanish and not fashion or design related. I just started a new book and I'm wow-ed by all the things its says and I just wanted to share it with you and especially those who know spanish.

"(...) Y no lo creo porque, por definición, el ser humano está dotado de libre albeldrío, y puede elegir entre el bien y el mal. Si sólo puede actuar bien o sólo puede actuar mal, no será más que una naranja mecánica, lo que quiere decir que en apariencia será un hermoso organismo con color y zumo, pero de hecho no será más que un juguete mecánico al que Dios o el Diablo (o el Todopoderoso Estado, ya que está sustituyéndolos a los dos) le darán cuerda. Es tan inhumano ser totalmente bueno como totalmente malvado. Lo importante es la elección moral. La maldad tiene que existir junto a la bondad para que pueda darse esa elección moral. La vida se sostiene gracias a la enconada oposición de entidades morales. De eso hablan los noticiarios televisivos. Desgraciadamente hay en nosotros tanto pecado original que el mal nos parece atractivo. Destruir es más fácil y mucho más espectacular que crear. Nos gusta morirnos de miedo ante visiones de destrucción cósmica. Sentarse en una habitación oscura y componer la Missa Solemnis o la Anatomía de la melancolía no da pie a titulares ni a flashes informativos. Desgraciadamente mi pequeño libelo atrajo a muchos porque despedía los miasmas del pecado original como un cartón de huevos podridos".

Anthony Burgess
Noviembre, 1986.

Sarah Burton on taking McQueen's position

"For quite a long time I didn't want the job," Sarah said. "I thought: how would I ever even begin to begin? Lee's mind was so different to everyone else's. I knew there was no way I could pretend to be him; but I had to ask myself, what did Lee work for? For all this to close down? I thought about what I wanted. What was best for me. Like many women my age, I do want children, but I came to think that that's not a reason not to take up a challenge. In the end, I decided to just get on with it: do my best." She also reveals details from her job interview with McQueen... "I remember Lee asking me, 'Do you believe in UFOs?'"

Hope I can get the British Vogue to read more about her.

Kate Moss for Balmain

There's nothing like a smart/creative mix. And like we all know, fashion is a specialist on doing that. To name a few: Comme des Garçons + H&M, Björk + Alexander McQueen on Fashion Rocks 2000, Rodarte + Target, Miu Miu + Lindsay Lohan, etc.

And now, Balmain, for their fall/winter ad campaign they worked with Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin to make a short film featuring Kate Moss wearing tight pants, leather jacket and a sequined top while she appears to be in the photo shoot view from a different angle. But that's not all, add Antony Hegarty's amazing and unique voice and a great animation of some kind of creature going around Moss' body and stealing her cigarrettes.

Enjoy it! I really think it's a great mix of model + music + animation + video + fashion.

Tom Ford's new womenswear collection

It's not new for many that Tom Ford already launched his new womenswear collection, the one that everyone has been waiting for. It's been on every magazine, from Harper's Bazaar to Vogue Korea. And I really think that he made quite a comeback.

Tom Ford presented a collection really true to himself, with his own signature sensuality, amazing dresses, best frabric choices, sexy silhouettes and everything else that made him a total success back when he was in Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci as creative director.

For his "debut" show, he chose great female icons to walk down the runway, starting with Beyoncé, who opened the show. Choosing women from all ages, from early 20's to almost 70, to show that her clothes fit all. "There used to be a look for women who were older. You didn’t wear certain things, you did your hair a certain way – but today, 70-year-old women who keep themselves together want to look just like their 25 (year-old) counterparts,’ says Ford.

As a target, he chose intelligent women, with a live, kids, from different ages, inspirational and also iconic and this comes to light, when you see the pieces he presented. He made a great statement for an interview: "The women (in my show) don’t change their look from day to day. They have figured out who they are – that’s what makes you iconic, by the way. Figure out who you are, figure out what you like, figure out what you look good in."

His designs have an "elegant sophistication", as he said, he's now a more mature designer who thinks in his clients and also in selling. Of course, price tags on his clothes are a little bit higher, from $3800 for a jacket to $35000 for a dress. But at the end, the price you pay, worth it. Hand-painted silk, feathers, lace, crocodile skin and mother of pearl sequins are a few of the materials you could find in his gorgeous collection.

Someday I'll have one of his dresses, in the mean time I'll satisfy myself by watching over and over again pictures from the editorial and from his fashion show.