A lot of hoopla surrounded Kim Jones’s first couture collection for Fendi. Filling the shoes of Karl Lagerfeld is a big order to fill for even the most talented designer. After viewing the star studded runway show in the Covid era virtual platform, I saw a few glimmers of hope mixed with an overdose of gimmicks.
Actress Demi Moore kicked off the catwalk, the preview image of an all star cast. Kate Moss and daughter, Christy Turlington, Hadid and Naomi Campbell all made appearances for the creative directors new designs. My cynical side sent off waring bells. Too much high wattage packaging could mean a cover up. Even having male models in a couture show walking on the runway wearing heavy lipstick had a scent of pleading for gender fashion relevance.
The fashion press coverage heaped much coverage on the celebrity walk. More journalist spoke about the models than the fashion pieces. Why? Perhaps the designs were average. No spectacular looks, richly crafted, but on the right side of dull, gloomy. Moss’ gray dress was “Operatically Grim.”
As the head of Dior menswear, Jones designed a dreamy aesthetic but also embraced streetwear looks into the French House. Yet for this couture season, Kim’s first collection felt uncentered.
I usually wait for a second collection by a new designer before passing judgement. I hope Kim Jones doesn’t disappoint me.
While going over looks from Tokyo Fashion Week I came across Fashion Designer Apocrypha. The color combinations and lace materials grabbed my attention. I sent him an email. Happily, Creative Head Reiji Harimoto responded to grant Black and Paper an interview.
What does the white represent in the collection?
It has several meanings. First, the white must be a standard color in the style of the historical background, imagined the situation in Europe during the regent era. Second, this collection is inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s collection of poems. It only has the information of black ink visually dropped on white paper. However, there are an infinite number of colors that can be imagined from that information. Black ink on paper is generally colored by subtractive mixing, but by reading this as letters, one can imagine a scene that is colored by additive mixing from a dark state with nothing in the head. In this collection, white is the imagination of color, which is the basis of subtractive mixing. His poems are colored based on the experience of the reader, who must have fallen in love once.
DANDY
Lace is more of a feminine material but you have incorporated the material in the menswear looks, why?
I think Baudelaire’s poetry is an objective and abstract depiction of Baudelaire’s own life, which always depends on women. I also wanted to express such a view of the world. It may be “feminine” by being worn by women. However, when men wear it, it has some kind of matured ”masculinity”. Maybe I wanted to get rid of the peculiarity. Also, during the time of George Brian Brummell’s life, which is the origin of “Dandy”, the way of life of Baudelaire, mechanical lace knitting machines were born in England. It is a technology that has survived the Luddite movement and continues to evolve to the present day. Isn’t that too wasteful to categorize by gender?
DANDY Lace is more of a feminine material but you have incorporated the material in the menswear looks, why?I think Baudelaire’s poetry is an objective and abstract depiction of Baudelaire’s own life, which always depends on women. I also wanted to express such a view of the world. It may be “feminine” by being worn by women. However, when men wear it, it has some kind of matured ”masculinity”. Maybe I wanted to get rid of the peculiarity. Also, during the time of George Brian Brummell’s life, which is the origin of “Dandy”, the way of life of Baudelaire, mechanical lace knitting machines were born in England. It is a technology that has survived the Luddite movement and continues to evolve to the present day. Isn’t that too wasteful to categorize by gender?
Gothic Chic
What is the Gothic link to the Spring 21 designs?
The answer depends on what you mean by “Gothic” in the question. If I dare to answer in the first place, if you see this collection and feel the Gothic element, it is a scene that you can see from the background of the times, as answered in the first question. If so, I think I have succeeded in expressing my most important “collection should be a literary art drawn with clothes”.
Lace
Are you making a gender statement about modern fashion?
In Japan, it seems that gender controversy is often going in the wrong direction. For example, regarding feminism, misandry ideas are strongly felt, and relatively aggressive claims are becoming mainstream in SNS and social media. Many are neither calm nor academic. I don’t think it is desirable to have a conflict with a principle. Also, there are many women with strong social status around me in the fashion industry. When I listen to their opinions, I think that the stronger those claims are, the more isolated they are, and the more the conflict of principles is just creating a groove. I think the same can be said from liberalism and other ideas. That’s why I wanted to create a categorized creation.
Oversized
Where would a guy wear your pieces?
The image of a man I imagine exists in a twilight space between morning and night at dawn, between daily and extraordinary. It’s just an imagination, and in reality, I’d like you to put it into your own identity and wear it as your own in every scene of everyday life. Because the person who wears it in every scene is the main character. If you’re in Hollywood and your main character is a profession, maybe it’s only when you’re on the red carpet.
Oversized with Color
I noticed the A/W collection was oversized with layers combined with streetwear style, what influenced this?
Reproduced relatively faithfully to the historical background. I create all the patterns myself, so every season there is a theme in pattern making as well as design. In the theme of the collection, we analyze the social situation and trends of the historical background and calculate back from the one at that time to create a pattern. You cannot create an atmosphere that feels “somehow” just by adding details to the existing body. This is also the theme of life, which is always in conflict between commercial design and authorship.
Stay Tuned for Before Tacky Podcast. Interviews with Fashion Professionals.
After Christmas, the sales season starts. This year many local stores and independent fashion brand/designers face challenges. Please show them your support with your purchases.
Normally, the last weekend before Christmas stores bustle. During this season retailers earn as much as 50% of their yearly income. Not this year, all is closed because of the latest lock down. I visited a neighborhood mall. Three more stores have permanently closed. Brick and mortar retail will have fewer and fewer locales after this season.
Saint Laaurent Creative Anthony Vaccarello took the brand off the Paris Fashion Week schedule in April 2020, announcing it would create its own calendar. Two days ago the brand unveiled the Spring/Summer 21 collection. What can I say? Yes. I really loved the looks.
A throwback to the fun days of going out. A celebration of just being wonderful and fabulous without guilt. The attention getting halter neck and sleeveless silhouettes are for a woman not afraid of chic attention.
Vaccarello designed sixty six looks for going out to Studio 54 to meet Liza and Marisa Berenson.
Biker or exercise shorts styles were not my favourites, Chic Cheap.
Saint Laurent does not need my review. But, I had to give credit where credit is due. It is good to see a fashion megabrand still rooted it its historical sophistication.
Boy, did I get this wrong. Anna Wintour is the Great Survivor. The ultimate editor in chief had a hard 2020. Not only are magazine sales plummeting, Black Lives Matter has placed a spot light on company policies. By her own admittance, Vogue was not a friendly work place for people of color with a lack of diversity. Then came the remarks from ex bff Andre Talley. Speculation was rife, those sunglasses would be packing up, leaving the New York Conde Nast headquarters at the right time.
The past few weeks have major exits of international Vogue editors. Chinese founding head Angelica Cheung departed in November. It was last week, when I got a sudden message, German Vogue chief Christian Arp would leave her position at Conde Nast in December citing personal reasons after 17 years at the magazine. Business of Fashion reported Arp was pushed out. Vogue Spain editor Eugenia de la Torriente resigned last month. What is going on at the publishing house?
Talk About Being WRONG!! Wintour from Vogue
Not All On One Card
Conde Nast honcho Roger Lynch has decided to streamline operations as well as have one voice over all 30 titles. Ms. Wintour’s new titles are Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director of Vogue. Thankfully, I do not think she needs to worry about putting all that on a business card. Lynch states, “Anna’s appointment represents a pivotal moment for Condé Nast as her ability to stay ahead in connecting with new audiences.” An interesting comment given the realities of the past year.
The Statement
The more interesting variable is the rise of Vogue UK chief Edward Einnful. His approach has made the title relevant. Mr. Einnful will oversee France, Germany, Spain and Italy Vogue editions.
It is no secret magazines have struggled over the past years. Vogue and Conde Nast have not kept up with the times. Ad budgets have spread across different platforms. Print sales have declined. Titles have closed. Staff layoffs. How does this new deck chair arrangement change the present landscape for Conde Nast? Instagram and Tik Tok have become the place for instant fashion influence and inspiration. I see cost savings in this revamp, but no fresh ideas. That could be a continuing problem for the Vogue team.
