A post a month

I don't like to draw much attention to the frequency with which I post. It's not the greatest thing that recently it's taking me weeks and weeks to summon the willpower to think of something fashion-related I want to talk about, do a little research, and write something.

But it's all too obvious, and I hate feeling like I owe something. I hesitate to type this, and literally erased the sentence a few times before letting it be, but I'm wondering if fashion blogging is my thing after all. Don't get me wrong: I love fashion with all my heart and will always obsess over things like a hem of a dress in a Dior show or what the models' hair meant in that other show, but it makes me feel very... first-world-ly to try and maintain a blog strictly about that.

What's more, it's the strictly-fashion talk that I've been trying to keep lately that I think makes it so difficult to find inspiration. I'm indeed a busy girl, but it's not like I don't waste enough time every day on other things, so I can't justify my inconsistence on that. Also, I'm simply reading different blogs and other online publications that focus on other things.

The tagline for the blog, scribbled in the header under the title, reads "A little life, a lot of fashion". But there's a spark in me that says maybe it should be, "A little fashion, a lot of life". It sounds a lot less catchy, and I probably won't change it to that, but what I'm getting at is that I'm considering changing the direction of the blog at least a little bit. Make it more culturally aware, perhaps dip into feminist issues, lifestyle things. And maybe then the fashion that will surely resurface will be an awesome, breath-of-fresh-air type of occurrence.

I definitely think this blog needs a breath of life. Or maybe I'm just in finals season again and procrastinating, like when you clean your room to avoid studying.

Prom season makes me sad

...because it only reminds that my prom season was a year ago. And I'm kind of feeling a pang of regret over how much excitement I've forgone for focusing on studying. But alas, there's no reason for regret, because the past doesn't exist anymore, and for something as trivial as this, I can only console myself by endless browsing.

A beautiful vintage dress from Asos

D G dress

Dress

Gown

Matthew Eager gown

Amsale gown

Amsale gown

Dress

So there, a selection of gorgeous dresses of all sorts of prices that would lend themselves quite gorgeously for prom night. Sigh. Is it okay if I buy a nice gown just for the hell of it? I mean, I'll wear it... sometime. Someone in my family is bound to get married sooner or later, I have like 30 cousins.

How about you darlings? Are you in prom season? Do you wish you were? What kind of dress would you wear? Let's discuss!

Fashion is a mini-universe, just meaner

1. Heels are difficult to walk in, we all know that. Runway shoes are worse, because they're essentially prototypes.

2. Models are tired at this point.

3. Did that meanie seriously walk past her and kept on going as she was crumbling to the floor?! Can you imagine the humiliation, and how little that did to help?

4. Kudos to Suvi Koponen and Daria Strokous, 'nuff said.

5. I have a nice big post about my new crib in the works!

What do you think about this video? Is it relevant for the fashion industry? I have to admit I have shameless fun with these moments(remember Jessica Stam falling head-first at Fendi and laughing about it?!), but this was different.

Why it's OK that you're NOT in the front row

Every fashion blogger fantasizes of being in the front row at one point or another. And while anyone can participate in a shopping mall fashion show, it's the high fashion that entices people. It's actually pretty common that we want to be in the room, not necessarily in the front row.

So why is it OK that you're not prancing aroung New York City right now?

1. Because it's not physically possible. Imagine how big the venues would have to be to fit all the people that would be willing to go. It would end up very similar to stadium concerts. And that's logistically, financially and artistically unreasonable.

2. Because not everyone can really handle it. While it's very pleasurable to envision yourself changing from one fancy outfit to another, glamour is tiring. We all know it's not very easy to make ourselves look our very best, especially non-stop for a month, and the thought that a street photographer is always somewhere near you can be pretty unnerving.

You may not be Leighton Meester, but streetstyle photogs take thousands of pictures a day of everyone and anyone.
Source: wwd

3. Because it would take away from the exclusivity. High fashion is by definition exclusive. Its price tags and limited stocks make it available, whether we realize it or not, to a select few. The 1% if you will.

4. Because fashion lives and thrives throughout the world, in the most unexpected places, not only in the "fashion cities". You can see jaw-dropping style in most any city. The bigger the city, the bigger the chances, actually.

5. Because style doesn't have to be of the "high" variety. We've all seen outfits that were fabulous, despite the fact that they cost a fraction of a designer handbag. Incredible style can come from thrift stores and high-street shops, from that quirky boutique on your street or even from outlets. It's all about what you with what you have.

This is literally 4-5 minutes from my Uni. And there's a Longchamp store to sigh near.

Have you ever been to fashion week? Do you wish you were there?

Remembering a genius

Two years ago today, the entire world learned of a fashion designer's untimely death, whereas the fashion universe was shocked and pained to lose its avantgarde prince: Alexander McQueen. It was a tragic time and the magazines, the papers, not to mention the blogs, boomed for weeks and months afterwards. Our world had been painfully shaken and we could not get over the imensity of our loss.

Countless people who had never met this man truthfully suffered as they imagined a future where there would be no Alexander McQueen show to rock their soul. We all sighed in relief when it was announced the label would go on. We immediately wondered who would replace him. We were again relieved to see Sarah Burton do honour to her predecessor. 

The exquisite Shalom Harlow during the SS1999 show. Seems a long time ago, yet so timeless.

      

Lee McQueen, as friends called him, had climbed to the top of the ladder, his inimitable shows being one of the most eagerly awaited events of every fashion season. He was a revolutionary artist, and his ideas in many ways produced a paradigm shift in the industry.

We learned that even in this age there can be innovation, and plenty of it, and that beauty can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Fall 2008

If anything, we learned the look of a shoe wasn't quite established. 

Most importantly, we learned that there is no limit to which art can be taken.

And for all these invaluable lessons, we stand with our heads low today, two years after his passing, wondering "What if...?".


Rest in peace, prince. 

It's here! Oh the excitement!

Did you think style freezes along with the temperature? Europe might be dragging its feet through ruthless bouts of low temperatures and icy winds, but a new fashion season is starting up, and New York is where it's at right now.

What is going on in Bryant Park and around? Why, goodies. Countless. Starting with, in my mind, Rachel Comey, one of the designers to the cool girls, a less high brow Alexander Wang, if you will.

Always a relaxed (if not minimal) brand, Rachel Comey doesn't disappoint in aptly tailored garments, always leading to those shoes that I just know will be must-haves come Fall. 

Awesome collage look. 

    

                            

The colour palette is lighter than what you might expect for Fall/Winter, but all the leather and wool make it convincing enough. My favourite look is probably the last one I posted, with the awesome combination of silver skirt and black belted sweater. 

Derek Lam's 10 Crosby line could very well also be called Hanne, Hanne Gaby or Hanne Gaby Odiele, because as his favourite model, she's the muse of the collection, modelling it for the second time in a row. Actually, the lookbook was shot in her own apartment. And it's just as want-able as the previous one.

Good signs for the season, my friends. Good signs! And if New York is the home of the impossibly sophisticated cool girls, I can't wait for London's outrageousness, Milan's hotness and Paris's elegance! 

Have you seen any FW2012 collections? Which one's your favourite?

What the hell happened to Karlie Kloss?!

'Scuse the rough choice of words.

But I was "introduced" to Karlie Kloss when she was 16 years old, was known for being a former ballerina and having a special walk. I thought she was cool, and loved seeing her climb higher and higher. I loved how healthy she looked, with those strong legs and childlike softness.

Then, something happened. I think Victoria's Secret happened, but then I'm biased. 

However, you can't tell me this (below) is normal and the Karlie Kloss we know and love. I can accept that she's 19 now and growing up, but growing up shouldn't be growing thin. The fashion world wants slim women, which she was. This is starting to border on unsightly and also, really really really bad in the context of so many women struggling with self-image.

You see, it's not just about one girl being too thin. It's about those big fat (sic!) letters practically saying "this is what you should look like, too." Look at her waist. Look at it! Look how her bones poke out and how her stomach is sunk way into her body. 

I thought a lot about whether to post these photos. First, they are nudity. And while I'm not offended by artistic nudity or fashion photography that includes nudity, I know some people are. Second, they are all over the internet anyway. But in the end, they make my point: what happened to Karlie?

Is it a coincidence that after becoming a VS model she started looking like this? 

When VS models started to appear more on high fashion runways (or the other way around?) people thought maybe the runways are accepting more curvaceous women. But actually, it's the VS models that are getting thinner. Which is terrible, because there are a whole lot more 13-year-olds that are crazy for VS than there are crazy for Givenchy, for instance. And the latter, if they are, they understand a bit more. 

To sum up, I think it's great that Karlie is so athletic. I think exercise is wonderful! But I also think women should be encouraged to be their "own size of healthy", rather than having these unrealistic standards shoved in their face. 

Photos by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia (a photographer and publication that I love with all my heart, just like I love Karlie Kloss).

Coffee, why so chic?

I'm not a coffee drinker. My very traditional family maintained that children don't drink coffee and I complied happily after sneaking a sip,when I was 6, from my mum's cup and thought it was disgusting black venom.

photo found here

Come highschool, particularly the final year with all that studying, I somehow managed to make-do with mostly green tea and the occasional cappuccino (strictly for fancy reasons, like with friends over even more chic cigarettes called "Vogue"). I was just fine without it on a regular basis. But I LOVED the idea of it.

Photo by Stefan

Now , between a very demanding Business Administration curriculum,working part-time, blogging, and trying to, you know, actually have a life, I'm hitting up the coffee machine at school more often, sometimes north of three times a week. An icky love affair, because for 60 eurocents, you get a plastic cup filled with a dark brown coffee undeserving of its name, but with the same chemical properties. I snare at at all the girls brandishing steaming Starbucks cups and I sigh. I'm too much of a stumble-to-school-no-time-to-stop kind of girl, not to mention Starbucks is $$$.Or should I say €€€?

Photo from here.

Anyways, the point and inspiration of this post was that coffee is just so chic, non? 

What about you? Are you a coffee drinker?

Something chilly our way comes

Temperatures have been steadily decreasing.
The wind has become icy rather than simply crisp.
The skies are dark, almost depressing. Something I'm told is common of the Belgian winter.
Brussels promises a rough winter.

Which means that it's time to shop for a new coat! One huge, extremely warm and comfortable duffle coat is the only thing that made it with me (in fact, it made it after me along with some of my favourite boots and home-made jam - I love you mum - in a box, months later). So I've been scouring the stores as well as the web for something that I can wear whilst the weather is so chilly, yet not quite winter yet. I'd feel like I'm in a sauna if I were to wear my coat right now.

Anyways, this is the best - and student-budget appropriate - the www has to offer.

Pleated adorableness from Asos for £70.00 (about €85).

Also from Asos, this one is a classic, military-inspired coat that would get me out of a lot trouble, as it's so versatile. (£75) 

H&M makes a tempting offer, this cinched-waist short coat with all those pockets (something I always appreciate in a coat) is only €29,95. 

Just one of Zara's many wonderful coats. The €139 price tag is a little steep for me, but thinking it may be a good investmend tugs at my heartstrings. I mean, look how pretty!

Another wonderful Zara, another heartstring being tugged. Its oldschool Haider Ackermann-like appeal makes me think seriously about shelling out €99,95.

Also very tempting is this cape from New Look, on sale for only €41,99. It's impractical, but it's oh-so-cool. 

Ah, anyway. Which one would you guys choose? Do you have any better sites I should check out?  

The Super Model

*I swear I didn't mean for two post titles in a row to start with the same two words... but don't you love it when that happens?


People argue over what a supermodel is, and nowadays it's kind of accepted that supermodels aren't what they used to be, that is to say celebrity power-houses in their own right. Victoria's Secret "Angels" make the tabloids, but high fashion models, the ones that grace the runways in Paris, are no longer "all the rage". 

But I kind of like that. It means "us", the "fashion crowd", that is to say, people that are actually interested in fashion as an art form rather than a glittery spectacle, get to admire and love them without being part of a practically world-wide agglomeration of adorers. 


That said, who is the Super-Model nowadays? The runways are numerous and people get lost in the crevices of an ever-globalizing (thank you, Internet) fashion universe but here and there, a face sticks with us, and we recognize it season after season. 

There are many models. Many many many gorgeous girls that embed their names in our heads because they have that special look, that particular walk, that perfect body. But one raises above all. One floats among them with a serene smile on her face and 16 tattoos that would have scandalised and earned her no castings 15 years ago. 

You guessed it, it's Freja. Freja Beha Erichsen, Karl Lagerfeld's muse, the odd, black-dressing smoker that once dated Catherine McNeil (or didn't you know that?!). Many people might love to jump in disagreement, but in my opinion, there is no one that "does it better", she is the goddess of the runways in Paris. 

Freja has always been a special presence during fashion shows, but during SS2012 she brought with her an air of serenity, of calm contentment and that (previously) rare smile, that lights up her surroundings. 

Something else that makes Freja Beha Erichsen beautiful? The fact that she is real and down-to-earth, by realizing it's not all as glamorous as the world around her. She is aware there are people on this same exact planet who are struggling in ways we can't even imagine - so she lent her image to the Starved for Attention campaign, and smartly let the world know by wearing the T-shirt for the campaign during Fashion Week. 

This button feels unloved. ^_^ 

Do you like her? Who is your favourite model?