The Dior Fantasy is of a handbag made with passion in a stylish factory.
The reality is very different. Dior’s handbags are made mass produced under sweatshop conditions.
Category: Feature
Features and opinions on a range of topics from politics to technology. Sometimes the features are serious, sometimes they are fun. Check them out.
A sad goodbye to Galerias Lafayette Berlin, the five floor department store gave the city a bit of affordable Parisian Chic. After 28 years in the Mitte District, the celebrated building housing French Cuisine, handbags and perfume closes the doors at the end of July. Once a staple for shopping in the city, the establishment fell on hard times before COVID, with the pandemic and slow moving economic challenges, the owners announced the location would shutter back in October 2023. I will miss the baguettes and cheese section.
The Empty Shelves
Spanish fashion designer Juana Martin themes for this year Paris Fashion Week Couture collection blended the age old conflict of Divinity and Sins. Fruits and fish motifs mixed with lace and gauze for the twenty four looks on the June runway show.
Black and Paper participated in the London editorial fashion production with designer Alan Scott featuring his eponymous label featured in “Cutting Edge” issue of High Volt Magazine. Actress, model Eugenia Kuzmina and photographer filmmaker Darren Vukasinovic captured the atmosphere of the dockside in the capital city.
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My First-The Champions Burger Berlin
I attended Berlin’s first The Champions Burger. The eleven day event ends May 19th at the RAW-Gelände Friedrichshain. Not knowing what to expect, I got more than I expected, a big choice of hamburgers. Tis the season in the German capital for outdoor events, a big communal BBQ is fun way to start.
The Champions Burger, sponsored by Ninja Appliances, moves to Hamburg on May 23rd.
A few questions to ask. Today it is hard to answer because of media overload and desperate attention seeking.
What is ELEGANCE in 2024?
Why does modern style lack NUANCE?
Has glamour become a CIRCUS?
Is fashion inspiring or SILLY?
What’s the definition of Celebrity OVEREXPOSURE?
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Going Green This Week
Many industries converge this week for Green Tech Berlin. Because the topic of sustainability is on everyone’s agenda, we decided to see what happens at this conference with topics on fashion, mobility, technology and travel.
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Pandabuy’s Open Secret
The Fake It Till You Make You culture took a hit on Wednesday. The Chinese fashion platform Pandabuy got raided by police. The popular app is known for selling clothing at low prices. The open secret, many fake luxury goods purchased find their way to global influencers. TikTok accounts littered with newly purchased designer labels displayed with so much glee, even Ryan Gosling would need sunglasses. Never mind the source of the clothing. That questionable Dior bag sales for $176 dollars. Why pay 1500 dollars for the real thing? Sixty dollars for a pair of Valentino Sneakers is a steal, no questions asked.
Talking to a professional colleague about the Pandabuy story, this reflects the modern zeitgeist. External validation not with a brand, but with an imitation. Striving for likes and clicks, openly flaunting faketry has no shame.
Recently, while attending some fashion press events, I noticed many Gen Z and Millennials attendees with emblazoned monograms on jackets, shirts and bags. Wondering how so many could afford wearing thousands of dollars on their back, questions answered. The e-commerce site understands its customers. Pandabuy targets young digital content creators who pitch what to buy.
Shutting down one fake site, “with demand comes sellers.”
The musical chairs continue in the fashion world as yet more creative heads have departed major houses. I was in a state of shock when Pierpaolo Piccioli exited as head of Rome brand house Valentino after twenty-five years. The couture label epitomized glamour with its monochromatic pink looks and feathered head pieces. All great rides come to an end. Piccioli’s clock rang. However, the clock was ticking. When powerhouse Kering bought 30% of the house in July 2023, changes were coming. As a media sweetheart, Valentino matched Louis Vuitton with celebrity filled fashion shows in Paris. As a major sales force, the numbers came up short. Enter the former Kering alumi and past darling Alessandro Michele. The once head of Gucci has been given the task make the sixty-four-year-old brand commercially relevant. It is a curious mix of bling meets classical style. It will be interesting to see the next evolution of the big V logo brand in Spring 2025 collection
