Go Wild!

It's been a while since my last entry but I've been very busy preparing my graduation project and also presenting it. But finally much of the stress and pressure is gone and hopefully A la mode, a la mort will be alive and kicking.

I've looking around recent editorials and for some reason I'm still obsessed with models and their look (maybe it's because my photoshoot is coming and I'm dreaming about having a famous model on it). Lately I've seen some great fashion spreads in different magazines, full of creativity, great photogrpahs, gorgeous models and amazing clothes.

As we all expected, McQueen pieces are everywhere! Is impossible not to see his armadillo shoes or any of his Spring 2010 dresses in every magazine.

Usually I'm not a spring/summer lover, I'm much into fall and heavy fabrics, lots of layers and fur. But for this season, they are showing great styling options. This is an example, V photographed model Masha Novoselova in the latest trends for time time of the year.

I LOVE this photos! They are clean, perfect lightning, white background...

"De alma felina": John Galliano shoes ♥

"Instinto Indomable": Armadillo shoes by Alexander McQueen.

Dress by Alexander McQueen.

I don't like the "ethnic trend" but this photo on the left wowed me! The make up is great!

This one is speacilly interesting. ♥ the texture on both pieces.

Hannelore Knuts

There's something about androgynous models that drives me nuts. And also, I love old models. I know that the boom is being 14 years old a being super tall and skinny, but I guess I love maturity. And here's one example.

Hannelore Knuts it's a Belgian fashion model and she has been on the cover of Vogue Italy, Japan and Korea. I remember "meeting" her back in 2004, when I started watching every single fashion show online and buying every magazine that got in my hands. The first time I saw her I was shocked and immediately in love. There's something about her face, her bone structure and of course her eyes that makes her so unique and so different from the rest. I really like the fact that she's old and looks like a real woman, not like a highschool girl.

She was born in Antwerp ♥, she is 5'9.5" or 176.5cm and she's a size 6 (wow!). She has an amazing curriculum, thousands of fashion shows (both ready-to-wear and couture) and I think that all the rest that I could write it's useless. Her photos speak for their own.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of her.

Photo from her modeling portfolio.

WOW!
♥

Taken from Vogue Italy.

♥

W Magazine

It's been a while since my last entry and I want to apologize because it has been really busy with my last school project and getting everything ready.

But, I read something that was kinda shocking and I needed to share it! W Magazine is getting a new editor, Stefani Tonchi and he has some plans I disagree with. He will be starting at W on April 12 and he already told Times that he talked with the people from Condé Nast to give the magazine a new twist, and not a good one. He's planning to make the magazine more accesible and "probably ... more of a general-interest style magazine, and less of a fashion-obsessed publication." He called W's current approach "very specific."

This is really sad and I was pissed when I read this. W is one of the magazines that always has the best shoots, the best accesories selection, society pics, interesting articles, amazing specials (like the art issue)... Its best asset are the fashion spreads and that the difference between W and MarieClaire or Elle. I think that even if it is all about high fashion, they do it in a mature way.

W Magazine always has a new take on fashion and photography and I'm really dissapointed to heard this. Hopefully they won't change that much, but it's so bad when you see something that was unique become just one more. I know that if it's accesible and stuff it sells more, more c'mon, W has thousands of readers even here in Costa Rica!

Tonchi is seeing this as a "new challenge" and one of the most shocking things is that they no longer would share staff with WWD.

I thought about W and how this magazine was the one who slapped me in the face and I realized that fashion was my passion. When I saw a photo shoot made back in 2004 with headpieces, pale faces, awesome make up and clothes from John Galliano and Junya Watanabe. I guess I'll just have to wait and see or maybe I should start picking a new favorie magazine, one that keeps that a 1000% fashion spreads, with amazing photoshoots, bizarre clothes, etc.

Here are some of my favorite editorials from W Magazine.

Madonna and Jesús Luz. By Steven Klein.

Sasha Pivovarova as a "Paper Bag Princess"

Elefants dressed in Chanel. Photographed by Bruce Weber.

Madonna photographed by Steven Klein.

Natalia Vodianova in "Metallica", dress by John Galliano for Dior. 2004.

How "unique" is Lady Gaga?

Here comes the love/hate relationship I have with Gaga, again. She's always on the spotlight and this time she is on it because of her new video Telephone featuring Beyoncé. We all have seen the video and I think it's good or fun, I haven't decided yet. I love the fact that she's wearing Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, plus Viktor & Rolf.

But here we go again, causing controversy is not everything you gotta do to sell. She is good playing piano and also her voice is not that sucky. But what bothers me the most is the fact that everyone's calling her "unique" and "original" when she's not. She and her Haus of Gaga have been "creating" things without authorization from the designer, copying things that in some cases are extremely obvious. She says it's a homage to the designer work, but I think that's plagiarism!

This is a continuos discussion with most of the people I talk, most of them agreed on how copying one thing from a famous designer is a tribute to his work, but in my opinion is NOT flattering at all. I would hate to see someone copying one of my designs and besides that, trying to steal all the credit and that's what Gaga do sometimes. The most annoying example is when she was promoting Poker Face and she's wearing a bubble dress and she never said who made it. For those who love Hussein Chalayan, we noticed inmediately that it was a knock off. And she's being doing this all the time.

I think that what makes a designer or a brand special is the fact that he or it proposes something new, something that we have never seen before. Is very different to get inspired by someone's work and another extremely diffrent thing is to copy someone's work. Inspirations and copies are two completely different words and I think many people needs to sit and think about the meaning of each of this words. I think the least you can do if you're copying a piece is give the proper credit to the right person.

And maybe this time I'm the one who's gonna cause controversy, but that's not my intention. The thing is that as a designer, and respecting the work of everyone who's a creator, we need to stand up and defend what's ours. Since the time of Charles Frederick Worth, knock offs have existed and we have to fight this as he did. This is something that happens everywhere and sometimes it happens in countries like Costa Rica, where not everyone's aware of the things that are being shown in fashion weeks or anywhere and it's easy to copy a dress or details on clothes without getting noticed. But the problem is that you're fooling your potencial customers and also yourself.

I found this pictures months ago and maybe it makes clear what I'm trying to say. I would love to show many knock offs that I've seen here in Costa Rica, but I guess I would just create lots of controversy and that's not the point of A la mode, a la mort... let's leave that to Perez Hilton or the Superficial.

Pictures from the Idolator.

Of course the knock off shows her crotch!

The original bubble dress made out of Swarovski plexiglass, from Hussein Chalayan 2007.

Gabriel Navarro by Coco Vargas

Yesterday I had an amazing surprise... I was checking my facebook and I had 1 notification from Coco Vargas, a girl that I met a few months ago and I felt in love with her, and she was saying that she wrote about me.

I went to her blog and I found an entry about me and I can't be more thankful for her words. Doing what I love and getting nice reviews, amazing and strong opinions from people who really know what they're talking about is priceless.

There's nothing more rewarding than people loving what you love to do, in my case: designing. Thanks Coco for all the support given and for also writing an awesome biography for Sorry Zorrito.

Check her blog! She's a really smart writter, funny and "ácida".

CFDA Awards

It's always great when a designer's work is recognized and award. The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America's foremost fashion and accessory designers. The purpose of this organization is to raise its artistic and professional standards; to define a code of ethical practices of mutual benefit in public and trade relations; and, to promote appreciation of the fashion arts through leadership in quality and aesthetic discernment.

Every year they host a the CFDA Awards, where they prize designers in different categories. This year nominees are:

Womenswear Designer of the Year

Marc Jacobs

Donna Karan

Alexander Wang

Menswear Designer of the Year

Michael Bastian

Tom Ford

David Neville & Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone

Accessory Designer of the Year

Alexis Bittar

Lázaro Hernández & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler

Marc Jacobs

Swarovski Award for Womenswear

Joseph Altuzarra

Prabal Gurung

Jason Wu

Swarovski Award for Menswear
Richard Chai
Patrik Ervell
Simon Spurr

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design

Eddie Borgo

Dana Lorenz

Alexander Wang

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award

Michael Kors

Eugenia Sheppard Award

Kim Hastreiter, Paper Magazine

International Award

Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Board of Directors’ Special Tribute

Alexander McQueen

Fashion Icon Award

Iman

Eleanor Lambert Award

Tonne Goodman, Vogue

After checking all of the nominees I found that they're too many designers that I have to research, but I have my favorites in some of the categories, like Alexander Wang, Tom Ford, Proenza Schouler, McQueen ♥ and Iman, which I think it's a great model, legendary, gorgeous, so good looking and she's 54! And of course, I hate the fact that Michael Kors is getting I prize, I know he's huge in the U.S, but I think he's a basics designer, he has some good stuff, but not remarkable. Oh well, is Michael Kors and it's U.S and they love him, I don't. I found that there's more talented people designing.

Can't wait to see the red carpet and what everyone's gonna wear and of course the winners. Here are some photos from some of the nominees.

Alexander Wang.

Tom Ford.

Proenza Schouler.

Joseph Altuzarra.

Prabal Gurung (I LOOOOOVE this model and I have no idea who she is ♥)

♥ McQueen ♥

Collaborations

I think is great when two creative minds gather to create something full of beauty and esthetic. I really admire all the people who is involved in creating nice things for life. I know it might sound shallow and superficial, but I really appreciate something that is made with love and dedication. I respect designers, couturiers, chefs, artists, etc.

This week I had a chance to work with two people who I really admired, Pablo and Eka. They're both models, they have a great portfolio and a huge background modelling here in Costa Rica and outside of it too. They do not limit their work to a great photoshoot or to the runway, their love for fashion goes beyond. They make a great duo, also individually they work really well. Ekaterina Sánchez has made gorgeous shoots, photographed by her for magazines like Fantastics and Fashionlifela.com. And Pablo Solano has worked here and also in Mexico, doing amazing shoots, showing his potencial and his chamaleonic looks, going from preppy to rock-ish.

They both asked for my designs for a shoot and let me tell you, what they created is just amazing, it left me speechless. Soon this work is gonna be published on a fashion webzine and you'll be able to see it. By the moment I got this three photos that excited me a lot.

Like I said before, it's great when you have the opportunity of working with different people (like Matias, Gabby, Andrés, Jime, etc etc etc), from differents fields, it gives you so much knowledge and such a variety of options and points of view. This time I had a new experience and they gave my dress a new perspective and that's priceless! I really appreciate the fact that they think of me, that they value my work, because without the people who thinks I create nice things, they would never come to life.

So here I'm... chasing a dream! Hopefully I'll get there.

By the mean time, here are the photos that Pablo and Eka made for one of my pieces. And I couldn't be thankfull enough! ♥

Photography and production: Ekaterina Sánchez and Pablo Solano.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2010 - Video

As I promise you before, here's another entry and here's the video from McQueen's last collection.

It's amazing to see his work from close (even if it is in a video). Here you can see all the detail and the work in every one of his pieces. Starting with the dresses with their images made with an old-fashioned loom, the the shoes made out of feathers and with details of gold filigree, the embellishment. Everything from this collection was remarkable. Unique.

McQueen proposed for this season "women as a divine entity" and he made it! Models looking like Madonas, with her feathered headpieces, gorgeous dresses and incredible shoes. A work that only himself could achieve. Truly the greatest lost in fashion...

Rodarte Shoes

In an attempt to keep my mind busy, I'm doing a few entries and besides I have many thing waiting to be posted.

I was checking a design site and I found great pictures from the shoes Rodarte presented on their Fall 2010 show. The Mulleavy sisters has been doing an amazing job, given to fashion something to speak about. They always have some bizarre materials and a great conceptual base to start their collections, it's always great to see what they're gonna show and inspired their work. They do they way I like it, fully conceptual but worked in an incredible way, not too literal like some others do.

Shoes are being a great and important piece in every fashion show from the last season, designers are putting much more effort on them and that's because luxury accesories are on the top of their sales. For this season, they presented in New York quite unique shoes with great materials, great heels and of course like nothing we have seen before (like the thigh high boots that I love). Illuminated shoes! The light up heel has the appearance of dripping wax, inside of them they have led lights that makes them glow. The front part of the shoe gives the impression of a collage, thanks to the material and texture mix.

A great design from a great duo of designers. Always in the vanguard. They are giving fashion great creations to look at, to wow about. I'll be making an entry soon with my favorite collection from them, from which I felt in love long ago.

Pedro Lourenço

Paris Fashion Week always has the best designers. And season after season, there's always some surprises in it. For this fall, Pedro Lourenço surprised everyone who was invited to his debut runway show.

First of all, he's 19, that's the #1 reason why he's getting so much attention. #2, he presented a really mature collection, aclaimed by fashion editors and everyone around. He's from Brazil, his show was styled by Brana Wolf and he also has the support of KCD, a public relations firm. Of course, there's more, he's a guy full of oportunities. His parents are designers in São Paulo, he presented his first collection at the age of 8 and he used to go to Comme des Garçons' shows when he was a kid.

This fall 2010 collection, includes leathers mixed with plastic and with transparencies."Some pieces I have details made by hand, some very natural, as leather, and some very technological, as the plastic," he explained. He added that his collection is from today, from his generation, not old nor futuristic.

Working with what's making news now (rigid shapes and geometric), Pedro showed some beautiful pieces and his worked has been compared with the ones from Central Saint Martin's and with some of the things that Nicolas Ghesquière has created.

Here's comes "the word vomit", he has done a good job, but he has everything is there for him, his parents, pattern makers, help, advice, contacts, "argolla", factories to produce his clothes... So pretty much he was meant to be a designer, it was easy. The problem I see with this people (like Victoria Beckham or anyone famous and influentional) is that they have a spot already on the fashion business, they didn't have to fight for it, so I don't know how much recognition he deserves. The question is how much of HIS own design and creativity was put on his designs. Is his first collection, maybe I'm just being harsh on him and I guess it's a matter of seasons to see what he's up to. By the moment I really liked what he did, in my opinion he's mixing the old with the modern, ruffles with contemporary silhouettes and materials.

And I would really liked to see what he created when he was 8. The Tavi Gevinson of designers?