Which card for Pitti Uomo? I like them all but I think one is enough.
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Pitti Uomo Cards
Author: Editor
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Bling Lux Bulgari
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LUX BLING from Bulgari
During Fashion Week Milan Fashion Week Bulgari presented it latest collection. The womenswear bags are for women who want to be scene.
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The 2019 Embrace
Challenges, Oh YES!
As fashion continues to embrace diversity in 2019 I look back on my experiences wondering what took the business so long to recognize the world is made up of different people. As a person who never accepted roles I was suppose to play in life. Working in fashion presented me with challenges.
For an industry that seems cosmopolitan, it is actually very narrow minded in structural outlook. Once, at a well known brand presentation during Fashion Week, I was told, “in this city, labels will have a person of color as a receptionist or a runway model, but not in management.”
Many times I got the “What are you doing here looks” from door people or “positioned” by security. It is part of the routine. If I am in a good mood, I smile. If I am in a bad mood, I channel Flip Wilson for a quip comment, then a roll of the eyes. I am practicing the 3R’s. Relate. Relax. Release.
The Hard Part
The always present iconic model Naomi Campbell, Edward Enninful as head of Vogue, Virgil Abloh becoming the creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear are positive steps but more should be done. Recognizable faces from a higher world shuttled to VIP suites, then paraded before the media feels easy. Until 2017, the only voice of color in the fashion world was Andre Talley.
This is a business of affinity, a club. If the address on the resume does not contain a certain zip code in Milan, London, Paris, or New York the chances of getting a position are difficult. Fashion has been a business for the privileged class, the Coffee and Cake at the Ritz Carlton Society Set. Few voices from different communities means fewer opinions heard. More of different is good but on all levels not for the sake of press releases trumpeting, “look at us celebrating inclusivity in the 21stcentury because of social media outrage.
I appreciate little steps as well as big steps.
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A Healthy Start 2019
Do not think of Champagne as alcohol. Champagne can be a part of a healthy breakfast on January 1st. Vitamin C + Optimism is a way to start the New Year. Instead of a hangover remedy after December 31st. Traditionally, I start the year with a Mimosa in the morning. Why? Because a bright cocktail makes me feel good, optimistic.
Black and Paper wishes you a Great 2019!
Sponsored by Moet Chandon
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2019 Happy New Year
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Jean Paul Gaultier
France 24 gets a look at maverick fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s new show from Paris. Below is the video, check it out!
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Raf is gone from CK
It should have been easy,
Where did it go wrong?
When I read Raf Simons exited as head of Calvin Klein I was not shocked. After reviewing his first collection for the NY minimal brand. I felt relieved. Do not get me wrong. I am a fan of Mr. Simons. His looks for Jil Sander as well for his eponymous label were inspiring. The chic linear aesthetics are still personal favorites. However, after a brief stint at Dior, a mismatch in my opinion, Simons seemed a perfect fit to head Calvin Klein. Both designer and label embraced minimalism, clean lines. Sadly, the seemingly perfect couple never really bonded. Only after 2 years, 4 collections, the gig ended after broken promises lost in traslations cultural problems.
As I said, after seeing the first runway show, I asked myself, did Raf find inspiration in second hand stores of New York City? With a back log of creative references since the brand’s founding in 1968, there was a wealth of material to draw upon. “What comes between me and my Calvin’s? Absolutely nothing”, was the immortal slogan from Brook Shields. The 90’s were about Mark Wahlberg in his undies. CK has always been a brand about overt sexuality. Strangely, the Team Simons looks felt like a parody on the heritage, lacking elegance, a trashy commentary on modern style.
But,
The rebranding with “Calvin Klein” adorned on every piece of clothing in an attempt for the streetwear market felt out of place. As the designs reached out for one type of buyer, others left. Not even a Kardashian campaign helped, sales dropped. Having invested millions, parent company PVH experienced a conniption seeing sales fall for a once iconic brand. Emanuel ‘s experiment of a cerebral designer, together with an iconic American Ready to Wear House became a failed project.
I am sympathetic to Raf. He is the latest creative head to exit a major house. Designers are burning out at a faster pace than in the past. The bottom line focus raises questions concerning creative workloads. Are the pressures of the modern fashion business too much? Desiging 6 collections in one year, over seeing accessories, press conferences, could tax the most energetic person.
Raf Simons will bounce back. The exceptionally talented always do.
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Champagne Kraut
GLAM UP A Simple Dish
Traveling around Southern Germany from picturesque Christmas Market to market with friends, sampling stalls. It’s always a pleasure to have a glass of Gluwien with a Franconia Sausage.
There is a another culinary pleasure, the German staple, Sauerkraut. A simple cabbage dish served for dinner cooked with onions, caraway seeds, and soup stock cooked in water, basic. During a conversation around the stove, a change of recipe occurred. The result, inspiration meets holiday feelings.
Last night my cooking enthusiast hostess decided to “Glam Up” the traditional hot vegetable plate for us with a variation on a basic ingredient. She substituted Champagne in place of water. Cooked Sauerkraut with bubbly is a way to make a common meal more fun. Serve with sausages. Cheers!
Recipe:
Fermented Cabbage
Onion
Caraway Seeds
Bay Leaf
Moet Chandon or any sparking wine.
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Chat Cinema Episode 2
Our Real Feelings on the Fest.
If you ask film critics a question you will get an response. If you ask film critics for opinions, get the pen and paper ready for this Chat Cinema
We love the Berlinale but feel the time has come for major changes.
This is the space for hundreds of journalists, complete with 6 to 8 charging stations.
Chat Cinema is sponsored by Beyerdynamic.