Tag Archives: Fashion

Fashion

Fashion resolutions

I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but there’s something I’m actually very thankful for:  Black Friday and Cyber Monday happening at the end of the month when my bank account can’t possibly tolerate any extravagances. With all the temptation that’s constantly surrounding me – insta pics of people’s latest purchases and the plethora of promo codes flying around everywhere, I feel like I couldn’t even trust myself if going shopping didn’t mean I’d be pretty much ruined the week after. Really, it’s the only time of the year that I’m actually happy about being constantly broke.

And this year’s been especially hard. Since I’m getting more and more involved with people’s stories on Instagram (even though I never met them irl), I’ve been continually bombarded with posts inviting me to check out this or that brand’s website. And yes, I did crack. But only just a little bit. Six items. (That’s a very small amount for my standard.) All from my favorite store which is H&M. And compared to the Hunger Games re-enacted in some US stores, I feel like I stayed quite reasonable, since I only bought some pants, two dresses, a sweater, a blouse, a scarf and some earmuffs (it’s cold outside!) – all combined on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I didn’t go crazy, and this is why:

I don’t want to accumulate any more stuff

In the last year alone, I’ve moved more than five times. It was such a pain and I realized that I own way too much stuff. And even after I’d gotten rid of two big bags of clothes, I still had way too much. So my new goal is to wear everything my closet contains on a regular basis. And the clothes that I end up not wearing in a year will have to go, eventually.

I want quality stuff

It’s insane how much designer wear can do for you. For me, it’s such a big boost in confidence. I feel like nothing can be compared to the experience of wearing an Isabel Marant dress and feeling absolutely fabulous, just because the cut and the fabric are so on point. Seriously, I thought I was ruling the world, just because my dress spread this vibe for me. And that’s so much more than some generic item from any generic store can do for me. The minute I was wearing the high-end product, I knew I never wanted to downgrade again. So from now on, I’ll try to invest in high quality basics and only get the trendy things at stores like Zara, Mango or H&M. Not only will that make my entire wardrobe be more fashionable, it probably will also have a positive impact on the environment.

I want to live somewhat sustainably

I’m kind of fed up with fast fashion. I feel like I don’t get anything of quality (let alone that the way of manufacturing a low-cost item often, is morally questionable), and of course, there’s no point in trying to sell something you got for only 15 bucks. So instead of continuing to hoard fast-fashion items, I’d like to concentrate on the finer things. I prefer buying less, but making better choices in what I buy – and to keep an item for more than just one or two years.

I want to be excited about something new

Having everything available at all time has kind of made me lose interest in what’s new. Because what’s the point of owning something that’s in vogue for one minute and irrelevant the next? And why would I spend any money on something so futile? Instead, I want to be sure that this new item purchased will not just sit around, waiting for this one occasion I bought it for to happen. I want to feel comfortable choosing whatever I want in the morning (when I’m in a hurry) and still feel confident in the way I look. This (and because of the other reasons above) is why I’ve restricted myself from buying more stuff. The result of this small kind of detox is that I’m actually getting excited again about the few items I do buy. I really missed that.

 

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Culture

About fanfiction

Last week, one of my friends asked me to write a short text for her website. She wanted it to be some kind of fanfiction about the impressionist writer Rainer Maria Rilke. Well, she didn’t actually employ the word “fanfiction”, but she wanted me to invent a story about why the writer had spent a part of his life in Paris, mentioning, that it hadn’t necessarily need to be true – so basically fanfiction.

It’s very funny how things happen in life. Only a couple of days before, I had read an article about students being much more into literature than their teachers would have expected. They invent alternative story-endings, or add some funny details to their beloved book or movie characters lives, letting them experience great adventures and unexpected relationships. Although the author of the original book might not be too happy about the fan’s rich and wild imagination, I think that fanfiction is a very interesting and delightful way of interpreting a story. And in some cases, it even gives space to new productions, like Snow White as a horror movie. Well, this is more of a reinterpretation than fanfiction, but I think that it’s pretty close, though.

While reading the article, I was already thinking about what I would do to the characters of Harry Potter. And since the book is so incredibly detailed, I found it quite hard to imagine anything which still would make sense to the book, but be totally new to the story. Also, I’m respecting my childhood heroes way too much to imagine them in a threesome or anything of this kind. (According to the article, people’s imagination is endless and touches all areas.) And so I came to the conclusion, that I would probably never write anything which can be categorized as fanfiction. Despite of all that, I surprisingly did, just a few days later, on the request of my friend. And it was fun! And since I had to do some research as well, like finding out more about Rilke’s biography, learning more about historic and cultural events which were important at that time, I actually upgraded my general knowledge.

And le voilà the text I finally wrote:

The Story of a Youth to Discover Paris

“Why Paris of all cities? That’s a good question.

It mostly was thanks to my friend Auguste Rodin, who had had a big influence on me taking this decision, after all, it was him who had offered me the position as his secretary. I could never have rejected such an offer, particularly as I have always been a great admirer of his artwork. And of course, Paris is a very scenic city, considerably more charming than London, which seems to be a little too gloomy for my taste. And considering that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle probably found the inspiration for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in current events, then I’m feeling a little uneasy about England. Besides, the weather there seems to dampen one’s mood and to make one miserable. I  do not want to deny at all that the English culture has its appeal and that it produced quite a few great and brilliant authors and artists, let’s just name Charles Dickens or William Turner. But it seems as if Paris was more pleasant after all.

I find it especially interesting that the Russian culture, which has always aroused my enthusiasm, has been following the French example. Who knows, if my friend hadn’t made this offer, I maybe would have traveled to Russia first. I think it’s a fascinating country.

Paris isn’t any less splendid, of course. Art and beauty are always celebrated there, even in everyday’s life. Just think of Parisian fashion! This makes me think of how impassioned my mother used to talk about French couture. From my very early age, she tried to share her love for French fashion with me. I suppose, and Sigmund Freud would certainly agree, that the enchantment my mother felt for the French style has left its mark on me in a manner that it explains my curiosity for Paris. Besides, I’m convinced that there’s almost no other city which could be more suitable for an artist. Magnificent beauty always surrounds you, everything is incredibly picturesque. Not to mention the remarkable architecture. And the gardens! They’re just a true paradise. If you have ever been to the Jardin du Luxembourg or the Jardin des Plantes, you know what I’m talking about. It’s almost impossible not to find any inspiration in those places and not to be impressed by Paris.”

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Culture, Lifestyle

New year, new beginning

Even though I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions – I think people should try to be the best version of themselves throughout the whole year and also make resolutions at any moment it becomes necessary – I actually do have some resolutions for this year.

The first one, which I’ve already started working on since November, are getting fitter, physically and also mentally. Having struggled with eating disorders for the past ten years, I’m becoming aware of the results of the horrible things I did to my body. I’m also noticing how my former lifestyle is affecting my health and how it might affect me in the future. Therefore, I started taking care of myself, which includes working out regularily, eating healthier, drinking less alcohol and sleeping more (and much better without the usual glas, glasses or sometimes masses of wine I used to have).

And since body and mind go hand in hand when it comes to your well-being, I also decided that I would challenge my brain more. At first, I started with the idea of simply increasing my IQ and trained myself by doing some IQ test preparation on my phone everytime I was taking public transports. In the meanwhile, I was thinking about how I could also become more creative. I have to admit that I kind of feel ashamed when people find out that I once started writing a blog, when I’m now totally lacking of inspiration and commitment. So I’m now planning on writing for at least half an hour a day – about anything, regardless of how it it could affect potential readers. (I’ve read that becoming adults, we lose the spontaneity that kids have. Kids just start drawing, writing, being creative without minding how their work will be perceived. As adults, we first of all think about the result we try to achieve, and sometimes get frustrated with our creative attempts, which of course, turn out to not be that creative in the end. So in order to escape this vicious circle, I’m trying to stop overthinking. I can still do that when it finally comes to publishing what I’ve written.) I hope in that way, I will be able to collect some ideas which are worth working with. That being said, I’ve no clue which direction this blog will take. There will certainly be less posts about fashion (there are so many talented people who are alreday doing a great job by writing about fashion). Instead, I will probably share more of my personal thoughts, concerns, opinions. Or to say it in a different way, I will use the blog for its initial purpose.

A few weeks ago, I read an article on the website of The Guardian. It was an critique on a modern artist whose name I forgot. (It also doesn’t matter in is case.) What really striked me in this article was the critivc asking if the artist had ever thought about what she actually wanted to express and in which way her art should affect the recipient. Apparently, she just went from painting to publishing, staying in the childish approach of not thinking about what kind of an impact her art could have. In any case, I thought that the question of purpose was a relevant one. And even though some people might say that art should have no purpose, I never shared this opinion. Also, I sometimes get the impression that modern artists don’t seem to care very much about how their art is received or if it’s accessible. But that’s another chapter. What I initially wanted to express with this rather huge parenthesis is, that even though I’ve given some thought to the possible reactions of potential readers and to the question if I could make an impact with my texts (probably not), I have no answer to that at all. And so I’m satisfied that a blog isn’t a piece of art.

Anyway, I hope I will succeed in sticking to my New Year’s resolutions and maybe, some interesting texts will come out.

Happy New Year!

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Culture, Fashion

Le parfum du voyage

Une impression de mes vacances qui m’a accompagné dans presque tous mes voyages, c’est un parfum particulier. Je ne peux même pas citer le nom ou la marque de ce parfum, mais je suppose qu’il s’agit d’un des grands classiques comme Dior ou Chanel. C’est un parfum très élégant, assez prononcé quand même. Il est parfait pour les grandes dames, et je l’associe toujours aux actrices fabuleuses des années 50 ou bien aux personnages féminins dans les films de Woody Allen. C’est un parfum qui inspire la mondanité, l’extravagance et l’allure. Mais surtout, c’est un parfum incroyablement féminin.
Je me souviens du jour quand j’ai senti cette odeur délicieuse pour la toute première fois. Je passais mes vacances d’été quelque part à la côte méditerranée et je passais des heures à lire les magazines qui trainaient au lobby de l’hôtel. J’avais peut-être treize ans, et c’était à cet âge-là que je découvrais le monde fascinant des magazines de mode, Vogue en particulier.
Le premier exemplaire du magazine mythique que je tenais entre mes mains avait beau être tout abîmé, avec des milliers des graines de sable entre ses pages, je l’adorais. Et pendant les deux semaines qui suivaient, je le reprenais régulièrement juste pour le feuilleter et ingurgiter même le moindre détail de cet univers magnifique qui venait de s’ouvrir à moi.
Quant à son contenu, cette édition n’était même pas extraordinaire. Mais ce qui la rendait tellement fascinante pour moi, ce qui m’attirait autant, c’était l’empreinte de ce parfum remarquable que sa lectrice précédente lui avait donnée. Je l’imaginais d’être une femme extraordinaire qui avait la finesse d’une ballerine, l’élégance de Grace Kelly, l’allure de Sophia Loren et l’esprit de Deborah Kerr. J’imaginais une femme accomplie, féminine, intelligente, audacieuse. Et je voulais être comme elle. Plus, je voulais devenir cette femme.
Ce numéro de Vogue, je l’ai gardé pendant des années, même que ce parfum qui donnait de la vie à ses pages brillantes n’était plus qu’une trace à deviner.
Depuis, en plus d’avoir un souvenir d’été qui m’accompagnera lors de tous mes voyages, je n’ai jamais perdu le goût pour les belles choses.

PS: I wrote this post in French because it seems natural to me, since France is the native country of great perfums and also of fashion and big designers. But very soon, this post will be available in English, too.

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Fashion

Miss Dior exposition

It’s been a while that I haven’t done anything against the intellectual decline which is haunting me since the day I graduated from school and so I decided that it would probably be a good idea to spend a couple of my evenings going to some expositions instead of watching a whole season of Pretty Little Liars in only one week. Still, despite of all my good will, I’ve never been a fan of classic museums and to be honest, I can’t imagine any place which gets me bored out faster than the world famous Louvre. So I have to start light. That’s why, when I read an article about the new Miss Dior exhibition which opened today at the Grand Palais in Paris, I thought I should give it a try. Also, I already was very cultural last Sunday when I went to the new exposition of Brassaï : pour l’amour de Paris which I enjoyed very much and which gave me the courage to do more cultural stuff. And so today, right after work, I went to see Miss Dior. Actually, I was expecting that it would be crowded. Brassaï was. And I was also expecting many many teenage girls, the kind of girls who are subscribed to Glamour magazine and who always tie their long sleek hair to a pony tail. You can spot them in the 17th arrondissement of Paris or around La Sorbonne. In summer, it’s even easier to recognize them because they also wear those huge sunglasses which became famous thanks to the wonderful Audrey Hepburn, and they usually wear ballet pumps. But not any kind, Repetto, please! Since this is Kate Moss’ favourite brand. Maybe it was the thought of the perfume Miss Dior which made me think that, maybe it was its name. It’s very fresh and flowery, notes that I used to wear when I was fifteen. I remember that Riley Keough used to be the ambassador of Miss Dior Chérie in 2008, she was nineteen at that time but looked much younger. I also always had the conception of the perfume Miss Dior being a very young fragrance. Furthermore, the word “miss” never made me think of a grown up woman, although I know that it just indicates a woman’s marital status but not her age. All in all, I was almost sure that the tonight’s exposition would be very girly, from its content to the people who would go and see it. Fortunately, none of my expectations were fulfilled. The first thing I saw when I came in was this huge, typical flacon of Miss Dior which was in the middle of a beautiful entry hall. The stairs, which then led to the exposition, were bathed in very bright, white and light pink light which made the ugliness of the industrial looking staircase fade away. When I finally arrived in the hall were the exposition takes place, I felt like being in a perfumery. Not only it smelled really nice there, the fact that I got one of those paper strips for perfume which was impregnated with the Miss Dior fragrance increased that feeling. And the place was simply beautiful. I didn’t even know where to start, there were light installations, pictures, paintings, dresses and of course flacons everywhere. And everything is set in the way that permits visitors to circulate as they want. There’s not the typical entry and exit you can mostly see in classic museums, and I really appreciated that. The exposition itself is very fresh, very modern. I think it’s fair to say that it represents the idea of the Miss Dior universe in the best way it could. There are a lot of facts about Christian Dior as a person and as a designer and you can get quite a good idea of his inspiration, his muses and of course, the history of Miss Dior. In addition to that, there are many works of art which are as varied as the different conceptions every one of the artists has to the theme of the exposition. And I have to ad that the different interpretations are really worth to be seen. Anyway, I guess it’s quite obvious that I had a great time. For everyone who is interested, the exposition is still on until the 25th of November 2013.

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Paris

Autumn in Paris

Now that November arrived, it already becomes less easy to find eccentrically or very well dressed people in Paris, mostly because they are all covered in black winter coats. That’s something very Parisian, by the way. As soon as summer is over, people change their (sometimes overly) coloured clothes against much darker items. Especially when it starts raining, the national grief about the end of those two weeks of summer, which nature gives to Paris every year, can be particularly well observed. There is no single umbrella which isn’t black, except the transparent ones which mark a new trend, and except the funny umbrellas tourists use when they’re not wearing one of those bin-bag-like raincoats. And it’s not only the dark colours which make the city look like a grieving widow, but people suddenly also start to walk with their heads down, and not only when it’s raining. And besides of being very annoying, making a slalom run through all those people who might or might not bump into you can also be very entertaining. What I personally also find very funny is when people approach till a few centimetres close until they finally see your feet and stop walking. The look they give you then, as if you were Albus Dumbledore who just appeared out of nowhere, is priceless. I have to admit that I sometimes force this situation, just for my own amusement.
But I’m getting carried away, because I actually would like to present you two styles which I like a lot.
On the first picture, you see a very good friend of mine who is wearing a cool combination of jeans and leather. Black leather jackets by the way happen to be of my favourite items, amongst others. Except for very few people, they immediately give you the coolness of James Dean. And even dorky girls like me suddenly look like some hot biker chick that could also be in some calendar for guys (except that we keep our t-shirts on, and also our pants). Usually, people combine leather jackets with jeans. My friend also does that, but she’s wearing a jeans shirt. And you don’t see that very often. That’s why I like her look.
The second picture was taken in the Marais. This girl walked by and it was a coincidence that I noticed her amazing coat. So I, crazy person as I am, started running after her, telling her to wait in French. When I finally reached her, I found out that she was American and that she wasn’t afraid of me, but that she just didn’t speak French. She also told me that she had made the coat herself.
I just love the simple elegancy of her outfit and the little golden details on her shoes and her bag that match perfectly. I’m still happy about having run after her.

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Fashion

PS Paris Fashion Week

Since I kind of announced it in y last post, I think I should actually share the few pictures I did mention. So here they are: One picture showing André Leon Talley after the show of Maison Rabih Kayrouz, and three more pictures of bloggers whose style I highly appreciate.

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Fashion

Paris Fashion Week – thoughts & weird situations II

It’s been a while since Paris Fashion Week is definitely over, but still I haven’t shared all my thoughts, yet, which is mostly because of my very down-to-earth job that unfortunately takes way too much of my time and which has nothing of the eccentricity of the sparkling and exciting world of fashion. So I’m a little late on my report, but I start to recognize that this might not be too bad, since there are maybe not as many competing texts circulating than only two weeks ago. By the way, this actually brings me right to the topic I want to discuss, because quite a huge part is about the competition which is related to blogging. Although I didn’t believe it, I gave in to this competition much faster than I thought. And so, I did the exact opposite of what I announced in my last post just a couple of days later: I actually took pictures of other bloggers. Even worse, I became one of those celebrity stalkers who were running from fashion show to fashion show, hoping to get a glimpse and maybe a picture of some famous person who would attend. The only defense I have is that I really liked the outfits you can now see on my pictures. And since I was already there, why not taking a picture of some celebrities as well? Thinking about it, it also seems rather stupid to me not to take this or that kind of pictures just as a matter of principle. But even though it still feels as if I somehow betrayed myself, I could also notice a clear difference between my behavior and the conduct of other bloggers and photographers and I suddenly realized, how hard it is to make people notice you as a blogger, photographer or even as a journalist. There are just so many blogs, articles, fashion magazines, and every single one comes up with a huge special about Paris Fashion Week. The only way to survive in this struggle is to get as many likes and re-posts as possible. And unfortunately, all it needs to get there is a bunch of pictures; they don’t even necessarily need to be good, more important is that a famous name is tagged to them. And it perfectly makes sense: why shouldn’t people get excited about Iggy Azalea’s see-through top she was wearing at the Maison Martin Margiela show and that gave a very explicit Idea of her nipples? And so, star hunting seems to be one of the main occupation of photographers and bloggers, and it couldn’t have been more obvious than on that Sunday, 29 September. It was actually a very quiet day, compared to Friday and Saturday. Probably this was due to the fact that the venues were scattered all over Paris instead of being all in the same area and since it took more time to get from one show to another, I guess that star hunters were more selective by choosing the places they wanted to go. But still, when Olivia Palermo was spotted after the Chloé runway show, she caused a huge traffic jam. People went totally crazy and started to scream her name, chasing her, trying to get a picture. It was ridiculous. In contrast to that, when André Léon Talley showed up at the exit of the Maison Rabih Kayrouz show at Palais de Tokyo, people almost overlooked him. No screaming, no hysteria. It was as if there was a kind of disconnection: every one of the present crowd seemed as if they wanted to belong to the fashion scene really bad. But I got the impression that it was just a shallow behavior because those bloggers and photographers clearly were much more interested in the hype about Paris Fashion Week, and so, a few powerful personalities, who maybe don’t have the same notoriety as people who regularly appear in the yellow press, were slightly ignored. And this made me think of something else: How do all the people who are actually invited to the fashion shows actually experience this whole craziness? I’m really wondering if it’s not awful at some moments. Imagine, you get your invitation, which is awesome, and you already think about being part of an exclusive crowd who has the great chance to see one of the most beautiful spectacles of the year. You dress up as it befits a rich, important and elegant person, you take your beautifully designed invitation which was sent to you by post, not by e-mail, and you’re ready to go to the biggest event there is in the glamorous fashion scene. But then, when you get out of the luxury car which happens to be your personal taxi, you have to face the humongous crowd of hungry photographers and bloggers who are craving stardust, not hesitating attacking their prey and shoot as many photos as they can.
I used to work with a guy who had an invitation to a few Paris Fashion Week shows in 2012 and he was hesitating going there. Of course I told him he should go, and I nagged him about taking me there, too. In the end, he told me he was too tired and that he just wanted to spend a quiet night at home instead of being surrounded by hundreds of people. At that time, I thought that this was the craziest thing he could have ever said and I didn’t understand at all why he didn’t want to go to splendid Paris Fashion Week. Now I do understand.

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Fashion

Paris Fashion Week – thoughts & weird situations

Before you start reading my today’s article, you should be aware that this one might contain a lot more criticism than everything that I’ve posted before. After having read it, you might even say that this is a text of some frustrated wannabe girl, and maybe that’s even right, but I still want to underline that what I’m writing is nothing more than my personal opinion and that I’m not trying to discredit anybody or anything. But mimosas should abstain.

It’s the climax of Paris Fashion Week and it feels as if people go crazier than the days before. Having received a last minute invitation to a runway show today, I was rather looking forward to it and I even got up unusually early for a Saturday, which means 11 am. The show was scheduled for 12:30 at Place de la Concorde, and although I wanted to be there earlier, I was running late because I hadn’t been able to decide what to wear earlier this morning and so I had to change at least three times before I was finally ready to leave my apartment. (The fact that I changed a several times probably seems unnecessary, but you will shortly see that it’s actually important for my story.)
I arrived at Concorde slightly after 12:30 and went straight to the building where the runway show took place. Unfortunately, the only impression I got from the show was an incredibly huge crowd. I’m still wondering how I managed to get in this place which was packed with people. I think there were about 200, maybe even 300 people in a room where only half of this number would have been comfortable. Of course, every single person was there on invitation and I should also add that it was more than just a few people who left before even trying to get in, just because of the sight of the enormous crowd who was already inside. Anyway, since I got up early just to go to that show, I was determined to stay and to get in, and so I did. And there were so many people. I’m really tall and I was also wearing heels, but still, I saw nothing except rows and rows of heads in this ocean of people. And it was a completely useless attempt only to try to get some pictures – the runway seemed to be way too far away and completely out of reach. I was lucky though. I was standing next to the DJ set and the music was great.
Since I was only able to catch a few glimpses on the models, I was mostly people watching, which was very enjoyable. There was a very particular crowd where any kind of character or style was represented. There were the nouveau riches with injected lips, who had just arrived from Monaco or Biarritz. Then there were people from Germany or Switzerland who were dressed in very casual sports trousers, wearing white trainers and looking as if they wanted to head to the gym right after the show. There were also girls who made it quite obvious that they wanted to become the next fashion icon; tourists who just stopped by right in the middle of their shopping tour in Paris and who had probably received their invitations by pure coincidence. And of course, there were bloggers, many, many of them. It’s funny that it didn’t strike me before, but when I was standing there, I suddenly realized how vain this whole fashion environment is. People don’t mind standing in line for I don’t know how long, just to find themselves in a packed full room where it’s almost impossible to breathe, hoping to catch a look at the latest collection by this or that designer. And that’s just the frustrating scenario you’re experiencing if you actually are lucky enough to get in. Still, people aren’t scared off by the prospect of being treated like animals in a slaughterhouse, because being to some exclusive place, even under the worst conditions, still feels like a great achievement. And in fact, everything that counts is being there and being seen, to the extent, that the actual runway show suddenly doesn’t seem important at all. The fact that runway shows usually aren’t longer than only twenty minutes doesn’t help there, either. The real show takes place when the runway is empty.

When I stepped out of the building, there was this very peculiar spectacle in front of me. All the bloggers gathered around, taking pictures of each other, complimenting each other on their extremely creative outfits. It seemed as if it’s not even about good taste or about any sense of fashion in general. What I saw today were people who would take pictures of anybody who didn’t look ordinary, in the good or in the bad way. If maybe I had walked around there in a bunny costume, they would have gone crazy just because this would be a non-conformist outfit, no matter if it has anything to do with fashion.
By the way, I’m pretty sure that it’s the behavior of this kind of people which creates all the fuzz about the Fashion Week, and I have to admit that I started to feel a little sad while I was watching this funny scene, which was nothing but a vanity fair where the event itself is pushed in the background while people try to draw attention to themselves, taking far too serious what they’re doing. But in my opinion, and contrary to the fuzz that turns the Fashion Week into a myth, this kind of circus is not what fashion is about. Fashion is not an absurd kind of self-marketing, but an art form which stays accessible in order to make your everyday life more enjoyable.
Still, I wanted to soak in more of the Fashion Week atmosphere, because here’s the crazy thing, all the artificiality and all the superficiality makes me throw up as much as it fascinates me and so I decided to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries.

It’s incredible, there’s no other event than the Fashion Week I can imagine which can first make you feel really bad, but one second later, it makes you feel great. Anyway, it happened to me when I was walking through the Jardin des Tuileries. Since most of the biggest runway shows take place over there, the place is full with photographers who are waiting for the celebrities (like Iggy Azalea and Anna Dello Russo, who also were there today) and models to come out after a show is finished. It’s the best place for people watching. So I was just walking around when suddenly, a girl stopped me and asked me if she could take a picture of me. I agreed, ready to continue my walk and people watching after that, but then more and more people wanted to take pictures of me as well until I had this huge crowd around me. I felt really weird and I was wondering if they knew that I was nobody who, in addition to that, was all dressed in H&M. But I guess that this is the thing about bloggers and about human nature in general: if you show a special interest in something or somebody, then you also suggest to other people that your object of interest must have something desirable, which, of course, makes it also appealing to others. By the way, that is exactly the reason why I decided not to take pictures of other bloggers, no matter how fashionable they are, because I find it highly annoying that, while having a look at a couple of different blogs, you see the same pictures. There’s nothing interesting about that. Even worse, the person, the outfit, whatever, loses its original charm because it suddenly becomes banal. All exclusiveness is taken away. So I’m sorry that I have no pictures at all of today’s events. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this text. As for me, I totally can say that I had a lot of fun during my five shallow minutes of fame!

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Fashion

Paris Fashion Week – Pre Helsinki

Today, I went to another event which took place within the context of the Paris Fashion Week. It was very exciting, because today, I went to the Pre Helsinki Showroom where Finland’s promising fashion talents were presented. I love Scandinavian design because it combines clear lines with interesting cuts and colours. And my expectations were fulfilled. There were so many different and inspiring collections, and people even had the chance to talk to the designers. When I entered the place, the first thing that hit me was a flash of all the bright and intense colours the gamut could offer. When I later asked the designers what their inspiration was, I found out that many of them were fascinated by foreign cultures, mostly Asia and Russia, and so they modelled their clothes on traditional uniforms of foreign countries. As another source of inspiration they also mentioned nature, landscapes and camouflage. As a result, they used almost every kind of material in combination with all kind of forms and colours. The most original piece I have seen today was a jacket which was made of some rubbery material which reminded me of the Michelin mascot. The shape of the jacket also slightly looked like the Michelin mascot. And instead of an ordinary belt, there was a security belt fixed to the jacket. Yes, I think I can say that this jacket definitely was my favourite piece, today. I have rarely seen something so original. This jacket had so many different details which weren’t connected at all, but which still strangely fit together and created a unique piece of clothing. And since every single piece was as fascinating as the jacket I just described, I will better let the photos talk.

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And here’s the link list:

ensaemble
Leppokorpi
Sasu Kauppi
Siloa&Mook

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