EXPRESS-COLLECTIONS!

-A phenomenon of our times. During some time I´ve noticed that fashion-companies often are looking for designers to do these express-collections 6-12 times a year.

I´m just wondering. Is it a need of or a demand from the customers? Is it to force fashion to change faster, to make more money? Is it because of competition ? -Or is it maybe just because they can?

Because, as I wrote in an earlier post about fashion-strategies, the risk is that when you expose or force new fashion on people all the time, they eventually get tired of it. -And the companies are kind of fading out their brands.

In my opinion there is not a lot of brands that stands apart these days and all the shops look-a-like. It´s hard to tell what they want and why we should buy their clothes at all. 

Like it is, I have the feeling that people don´t really care about brands, as long as the price is right.
Certainly it´s not very sustainable to produce that much. On top you see more and more designers burn out because of the pressure to constantly perform. 

The Fashion industry/Fashion brands really need to reflect and re-invent them selves. A new parameter could of course be good quality, a certain point of view and clear strategy that sets them apart.

So, who is benefiting from the pace? What is your opinion on this matter?

FENDI & GAULTIER

At the moment the danish Channel K is showing two interesting documentaries on fashion, The House of  Fendi and Karl Lagerfeldt, and Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chaos in the Wings.
Interesting, because they show how intense the houses are working to get collections ready in time.

I´m always astonished to see how bad their timing is, but maybe that´s the nature of creativity. If you want to know more you can click on Fendi and Jean-Paul Gaultier.

MICHELLE OBAMA IN MCQUEEN

Getty Images

Mrs. Obama´s choice of gown for the Chinese State dinner at The White house a few days ago, was a very bold and daring one. 

She choose red to honor the Chinese president, because it is the symbol of good luck in China.

I have to say; she couldn´t have made a better choice in my opinion. The gown is from Alexander McQueen´s 2011 Resort collection, slightly modified from the original. What do you think?

DESIGNER DOCUMENTARY

-Is the most recent documentary about Yves Saint Laurent and his lifelong partner Pierre Bergé, finally launched in Denmark today. Originally initiated by Pierre Thoretton to document the Auction of Arts and artifacts they acquired together, at Christies in 2009.

But Pierre Bergé encouraged Thoretton to do a complete documentery about their relationship, that lasted 50 years, until Yves Saint Laurent passed in 2008.

Yves Saint Laurent: His life and Times from 2002 and Yves Saint Laurent: 5 Avenue Marceau also from 2002 are other documentaries. See more in my previous post on YSL here.

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD

For tredje gang i historien, vandt en dansker, nemlig Susanne Bier en Golden globe, for bedste ikke-engelsk-sprogede film.

Der er selvfølgelig tale om den anmelderroste film Hævnen, med Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen og Mikael Persbrandt i hovedrollerne. Et stort Til Lykke herfra.

Susanne Bier ses her i en meget enkelt hvid changerende kjole, skåret på skrå. Hvem der står bag den, er der måske nogen der ved?

Foto: Paul Drinkwater/ AP

 Der var en del flotte kjoler, men også det modsatte. Hvem synes du var den bedst og værst klædte ?

STUDENT CHIC

-On a rainy day? No! Just dressed up for Student Gala-party. 

 

This is a one-of-a-kind from last summer. The student wished for a green and black dress with a velvet draped top and bare back. 

 

Have you noticed, that the tendencies for gala dresses of students the last couple of years seems to be short dresses. 

VINTAGE DRESS

-Er meget oppe i tiden. Vintage er ligesom god årgangs-vin. Det er som oftest design-klassikere, der dukker op efter en del år og som stadig holder. Vintage udmærker sig ved et godt og gedigent design i en god kvalitet.

Det handler ikke om nutidigt design. Det er ikke noget man designer nu og her og sælger som vintage, som jeg har set at flere modefirmaer gør. Det vil jeg faktisk kalde en form for falsk varebetegnelse. Mere derom i kommende indlæg.

Du kan se nogle gode eksempler på hvad vintage egentlig er, hvis du clicker på Vintage couture Label herunder.

Denne Pierre Cardin-vintagekjole fra starten af 70´erne, vil jeg tro, er et arvestykke. Det er en plisseret jerseykjole i paneler med lange ærmer og fine detaljer i et særpræget flamme-mønster. Den er en størrelse 31 og i sin tid købt hos hedengangne Eliné i Odense.

Hvad mener du? Er du den lykkelige ejer af ægte vintage ?

PASHMINA SCARFS

I purchased these three very nice Pashmina-scarfs in Montreal last time. Scarfs that nobody else have here.

The quality is very luxurious in 70% Pashmina-wool and 30% silk. You can make a deal, because they are on offer for 450,- each. Danish currency. They measure 60 x 170-180 cm.

DENIS GAGNON S´EXPOSE

By coincidence I stumpled upon a feature about the Canadian designer, Denis Gagnon in a fashion-magazine here in Montreal.

 

 

Right now, he is having an exhibition of 20 unique dresses from his coming collection, at Musée des Beaux-Arts, to mark his 10 years anniversary in the fashion-business.

I´ve never heard of him before, even if he is quite known here in Canada. But this was about to change. He is doing some rather fabulous things, as you can see if you have checked his website.

 

In the middle of the display, there was big "pyramide" hanging upside down, where his latest fashion-show was running in three dimensions. 

On the walls were close-ups of the materials he used shown. All in all a very original and cohesive exhibition.

In the dresses, as you see below, he worked a lot with materials as zippers, metal-chains, fringes, leather, lace and stripes in different variations. The dresses were both original, innovative, futuristic and very inspiring.

All photos: John Frantsen

HAPPY NEW YEAR

- Wishes for all of you who is following my blog, in spite of sad circumstances here in Montreal. 

A passing in the family is the reason why I´ve not posted as much as I would have liked to. I hope everybody out there had a nicer New Years Eve.