Safra Ducreay

Posts Tagged ‘gareth pugh’

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What is modern?

In Fashion on July 26, 2010 at 6:08 pm

In January of 1984, American Vogue made a tribute to modernity. Sally Ride was the first woman to head into space, the Olympics presented more opportunities for women and the runways liberated our bodies with men’s clothing. Hair was also significantly shorter. Athletes and models were praised for being womanly rather than emaciated. The ideal of ‘men’s’ attire meant we preferred a looser, more serious wardrobe to that of the glitz and sex from the `70s.

Giorgio Armani made jackets in masculine cuts, while Donna Karan and Calvin Klein capitalized on minimalism.  Grey jersey dresses and wide-leg trousers meant we were tired of the fuss. Could this have been a much-needed women’s revolution?

Fast forward to 2010. Giorgio has launched Armani Privé, a sparkling collection of evening dresses and gowns, and Calvin Klein, while still true to minimalism, is severely feminine. Floral was ubiquitous by the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and Erdem. Viktor & Rolf bathed their collection in Tulle and Michael Kors laced his runway with furs. Models are now a size 0 or smaller. Hair is longer, braided and tossed to the side, or, freely flowing playful. If there is a hint of womanly, it’s in the form of the sultry Lara Stone, who, despite being a buxom blond, possesses the face of an innocent Lolita. The closest thing to grown-up on the runway is a dominatrix, sashaying in leather as seen in Hermès. Then there’s the complete morbidity of Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh. No matter which way you look at it, fashion appears to be going through puberty. It’s taken ten steps back.

Michelle Obama is a cultural step forward being a woman of colour. But she is essentially a traditionalist: her physique is powerful, but she revels in the frills of pretty. And our heroes of today, hard as it is to believe, are girls from the flimsy world of reality TV – it’s no wonder fashion is in such a state.

If fashion is influenced by current events, it’s surely stuck in a rut. There’s a need for that modern-essence that gave it such clear director back in 1984.

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Out with the Punk!

In Fabric, Fashion, Fashion Heat, designer, style on April 23, 2010 at 5:35 pm

Fashion Editors are calling for a nouveau punk revolution. They’re saying women are rebelling. Maybe it’s a strike against the pretty gowns some designers sent down the runway. They’d rather embrace pairing tulle with spikes than look like societe’s ideal of the wholesome girl.

I see nothing wrong with Ms. Wholesome. I’ll freely admit she’s what I strive for. She’s classy and smart. But I’ve taken a keen interest to goth girl because she’s très chic. Goth is elegant, has depth and is androgynous. The goth girl is the smart person’s wholesome girl. While Goth continues to evolve, becoming more hipsterish and emotional when young, it’s  consistent. Goth can be beautified, or kept monochromatic, it doesn’t matter, the point is it’s always there. Gareth Pugh has brought a much-needed glamour to goth while Joseph Altuzarra made it more approachable. Rick Owens is more of a modernist, but there’s a hint of goth empowerment in his collections, always.

So, I’m rebelling against punk.  I’d rather be timeless than hold on to something I’ll part ways with once I’ve noticed a grey hair or two.  At least this way, I can exchange leather with silk, and replace my sheer black t-shirts with a Victorian style blouse. It will be a transition rather than a metamorphosis, growing more fruitful with age.

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In the know: Pre-Fall 2010 Valentino, Maison Martin Margiela and more!

In Collection, Fashion, Fashion Heat, Good Look, I heart, Icon, In the Know, News, Rouse, Trend, Trend Report, designer, style on January 29, 2010 at 7:59 pm

Look 1: Valentino‘s Pre-Fall 2010 collection. Quite impressive. Definitely a different perspective from the traditional ballroom gowns it used to be. The bows and ruffles is being done quite a bit this season. But while that’s great for a line trying to go with the flow, it’s taking away from what made this iconic brand what it is in the first place.

Look 2: Maison Martin Margiela’s spring/summer 2010 collection. Breath taking. As always, MMM’s spring/summer 2010 collection is always innovative. A definite tone down from it’s 2009 glitter, but the cascading embellishment and use of fabrics and unconventional elements puts the line at the top of the ranks.

Look 3: Ann Demeulemeester‘s spring/summer 2010. Goth-punk influenced. A hot trend for 2010, but is it being over done? Considering I’m a major fan of Rad Hourani and Gareth Pugh, I’m quite happy that fashion’s embracing a darker tone.

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A man’s touch

In Fashion, Fashion Heat, Good Look, I heart, Shopping, Trend on December 17, 2009 at 9:27 pm

(Pharrell Williams on the Town)

If I were a boy…

I’d dress like a man. But even if I’m not, I much prefer the art of men’s clothing. Whether it’s biker boots, sneakers, plaid shirts or rugged leather jackets, men’s fashion seems to center around the luxury of making a hard-wearing concept look über cool. Whereas if done by a woman, it would either be too  “dyke” looking or just plain “durty.”

But I’ve been this way since I was a young’un. As a pre-teen, my statement was meshing my father’s wardrobe with my own. Particularly during the `90s when pants were baggy enough to fit at least three people in them. I loved that time – I really did. As I’ve grown older, I haven’t yet figured out if I have a signature style. But if I do, it’s probably my love for monochromatic colour palettes with a masculine reference. Maybe that’s why Gareth Pugh, Meadham Kirchhoff and Rad Hourani are amongst my favorite designers.

During my frequent musings at H&M and Urban Outfitters, rather than rummaging through the women’s isles, I now dive right over to the men’s section. It’s my own little amusement park, and oh the joys in trying on cardigans alongside the fellas! I don’t particularly like the attention, but maybe the benefits of being a woman is that I get the best of both worlds. Even when I’m dressed super feminine, I always have to garnish the finished look with a tinge of masculinity. When I shop for sneakers, I don’t buy ones made women, oh gosh no! I want the ones made for guys, which in my opinion, is so much more attractive anyway.

I did, and still do, have a knack for femininity. But I can’t stand (or at least no longer can) ultra-girly high-street stores like Costa Blanca and Miss Selfridge. Perhaps because I don’t like the manufactured girly look. You know, the cookie-cutter separates you won’t be the only one sporting when you see every third girl wearing it. It’s actually quite appalling.

Burberry Rabbit Fur Snood (for the neck)

Pretty Green - Black Label Coat

Lyle & Scott Cardigan

Bleach & Destroy Jeans

Maison Martin Margiela High-top leather trainers with Straps

Belstaff leather messenger bag

 

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One to Watch: Horace x Finsk

In Fashion, Fashion Heat, Good Look, One to Watch, Recap, Rouse, Shoes, Shopping on November 28, 2009 at 3:26 am

It’s all because of those citadels of fashion on West Queen West that I’m kept beautiful. It seems as though every time I shop in the area, I’ve entered the emporium of fashion avatars.

First I walked into Chasse Gardee. A long, gothic black dress with a thick braided scarf along the neckline, sat draped in the storefront. It looked more like an installation than something one would wear. But then – as I looked up – I was transfixed on the sea of shoes. They were positioned  as if marching upwards, perhaps to the pearly gates of a shoe paradise. There were biker boots, shoes embellished with gold-pleated rivets, and hard-edged “bitch boots.” It was all – as they say – a sight for sore eyes. But what got  me was a piece of architecture with black pony hair and a varnished, diffuse-porous wood heel. But, it wasn’t just any heel; I perceived the illusion of a shoe without a heel. I brought the shoe within closer circumference to get a better look. When I looked at the insole, the label spelt “Finsk.” I was bewitched.

Julia Lundsten, a Finnish-born graduate from the London College of Fashion, and Royal College of Art, launched her shoe line – Finsk, in 2004. “I approached shoe design like architecture or furniture for the feet rather than conventional footwear when studying for my MA at the RCA,” said Lundsten about her concept in an interview with Design Forum. “There is no need for a heel to have a ”heel-like curved shape”. It is not functional, and can therefore be changed. But a shoe should be flattering to the foot and the body.” Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik are cobblers who have both mastered the finery of foot fetish. But who better to design a woman’s shoe, and understand her feelings towards her shoes than a woman?

Next I paid my family at Carte Blanche a visit. As my eyes scanned the room, I became entranced by a bright object on a rack cloaked between a caboodle of clothes. I walked over to the rack and examined the object further. It was an elongated button-up blouse with caped-sleeves encompassed in colorways of candy pink, clementine, and metallic silver, and outlined with black lines that resembled a stained glass window. It was truly – a work of art.  (There is also one with green and blue colourways, pictured.)“That’s Horace,” the Sales Assistant, Nyssa, had advised me. I walked to the second section of the store and looked at some pieces by Gareth Pugh (my favorite designer), and Jeremy Scott. But then I saw another long, complex, black-knit shirt with two almost floor-length drapings. “That’s also Horace,” Nyssa advised me (I officially consider her to be my personal shopper). Horace had outdone Gareth for me with these items, and as I left I advised her “I’ll be coming back for Horace.” Then I rushed to a computer to find out more.

Horace is a British line created by Adam Entwisle and Emma Hales in 2002. According to Fashion UK, the brand made it’s fashion week debut in 2007 despite it’s tenure in the business.

Working out of designs studios in Bali and London, the design duo has gained worldly inspiration resulting in a collection that’s androgynous, yet primitive. The line has gained accolades from top fashion editors globally, and celebrities including super models Kate Moss and Agyness Deyn covet the line.

I’ve learned more about fashion now that I’m back in Canada then when I lived in London. Though I’ve always craved fashion, now, thanks to walking down the promenade of curiosity, I feel myself delving deeper into the depths of fashion as an art form.

Chasse Gardee

1084 Queen St West, Toronto, ON M6J 1H8

ph. 416-901-9613

Carte Blanche

758 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5A 1S2

ph. 416-532-0347

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I Heart Gareth Pugh, London, UK

In Fashion, Good Look, I heart, Rouse, Wish List, designer on November 20, 2009 at 6:32 pm


I don’t own any pieces yet by UK-designer Gareth Pugh yet, but I promise you, not only will I have up-the-minute releases, but I’ll be sitting front row at all his fashion shows.

If there’s one designer I’d wear everyday, Mr. Pugh is in my top three list. I was introduced to his collection years ago via Canada’s Fashion Television, followed by the pages of i-D magazine; I was immediately smitten. I don’t just want raven on about how wonderful he is, but the reason it makes perfect sense for me is because his collection is very much reflective of my personality.

Pugh’s line is dramatically fashionable and very historic. When you look at his line, you can see victorian era emblems, and as I mentioned in my previous post about Rad Hourani, gothic references are done with meticulous precision.

You don’t have to be brave to wear Gareth Pugh’s line, you have to have taste.

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Off The Sales Rack: Carte Blanche, Toronto, Canada

In Fashion, In the Know, Off The Sales Rack, Shopping on November 20, 2009 at 2:09 pm


This is your chance!

For those of you in the Toronto area hoping to add some runway luxe to your collection, this coming 20, 21 and 22, niche boutique CARTE BLANCHE is having a sale on ALL JEREMY SCOTT and GARETH PUGH pieces discounted at 35% off.

You better move quick though, the store is located in the über-hip West Queen West district; an area well versed in eclectic fashion.

Who: CARTE BLANCHE

What: Sale on all Gareth Pugh and Jeremy Scott pieces.

When: November 20, 21 and 22.

Where: 758 Queen St. West Toronto, Ontario M6J 1E9

For more info, visit: Shopcarteblanche.ca

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One to Watch: Rad Hourani

In Fashion, One to Watch, designer on November 19, 2009 at 4:55 pm


Fashion authorities love cultivating the success of burgeoning designers. And we do it because quite frankly, it’s our job. Isabella Blow did it with Alexander McQueen, Diana Vreeland did so for Gabrielle Chanel and the list goings on. For me personally, I have three designers I would wear everyday if I could: Balenciaga, Gareth Pugh and Meadham Kirchhoff. So when I saw NYC-based designer Rad Hourani‘s collection, I was instantly smitten.

His line is for those that love minimalism. The sharp architectural edges, monochromatic palette of blacks, silver and greys and bondage elements are bold, yet very clean – it serves its purpose. I love the fringe embellishments, and while I wouldn’t wear a whole look, I can still make a statement with separates which is what I like (actually, what I prefer). I’m not a maven. I don’t like to wear a designer because it’s a designer, and I stress that for me, it’s more about the art of fashion. That’s why I love the aforementioned designers. I’m also highly influenced by the punk era of the early `70s, and I love the industrial goth look; which is why I like designers who create collections with a dark, edgy reference.

Ultimately, of course the line plays with the ideas of pretentiousness but it’s fun. And the fact that he’s self-taught means he has a natural flare for constructing garments for the human silhouette.

Rad Hourani is a hot one.