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.

Beyoncé & Thierry Mugler

I'm not Beyoncé's biggest fan, I kinda like some songs (of course "Single Ladies" is one of them) but I must accept the she and her creative team has made an amazing job putting the "I Am" tour on stage.

Like any other big artist, like Madonna, Lady Gaga or Britney, there are some elements of vital importance like the set design, coreographies and of course, the costume design. Starting a few years ago we've seen some great collaborations between singers and fashion designers, like Madonna and Ricardo Tisci, Britney with DSquared and Beyoncé with Thierry Mugler.

Thierry Mugler was huge during the 80's and 90's, famous for creating highly-stylized silhouettes, very feminine and making emphasis on the female body. Another characteristic is his mixture of materiales, playing with leather, metal, vinyl.

I found this video, where it shows some of the pieces that Mugler exclusively designed for Beyoncé's tour and they're just amazing. The way he creates a real piece of cloth from a sketch, respecting everything that's included on the drawing just leaves you speechless. I've seen some of this designs he made on videos, but never got a closer look like the ones you'll see here. From sequins to an amazing "robot costume" made out of plastic and metal, we assure Thierry's greatness as a avant garde fashion designer.

Click here so you can watch the video (sorry I couldn't find the embed thingy to post it).

New Chanel face

Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld just chose the new face for the brand and I couldn't be happier. Blake Lively, the star of Gossip Girl, was in Paris shooting the new advertising campaign that will be launch next year.

Besides her success as Serena in Gossip Girl, she's now a fashion icon, front row girl in most of the fashion shows, has an amazing body (specially her boobs and legs) and also she's been on the cover of Vogue twice and a third time in the cover of the "best dressed" issue. She's one of Anna Wintour's friend, they both attended to the Chanel couture show in Paris and this might be one of the reason why she's gonna be on the new ad campaign.

She's like my number one crush right one and I think she fits perfectly for Chanel, I guess she's gonna look like a blonde version of Daria Werbowy. Sometimes I hate watching some celebrities on fashion ad campaigns (like Angelina Jolie or Lily Allen), but Blake is Blake and no one will be like her. So I can't wait to see this ads! Anxiety attack 'til I see the first photo of her wearing Chanel from head to toes.

Alexander McQueen by Nick Knight

Like two days ago I posted an entry about Alexander McQueen getting the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards. Also I named a video that Nick Knight was doing, also styled by Edward Enninful and with a soundtrack by Björk.

So thanks to my friend Faby, I got the chance to see the video and of course, start my emotional rollercoaster, loving every second of the video, listening to Björk and also kinda teary and sad because of Lee's absence in this world.

I think the video is a master piece and McQueen's designs go beyond anything that we've ever imagined to see on a runway, plus Knight's amazing images and Björk's unique voice.

God save McQueen

To Lee, With Love, Nick - A Tribute to Alexander McQueen By Nick Knight from SHOWstudio on Vimeo.