random fashion thoughts

[zamb]

On a more serious note, I'm just happy the "SZ normcore" wave is over in WAYWT. That was the worst

I admit that I have not bought a piece of Ann in a while. I don't know why - it just does not grab me the way it used to. Yohji is too precious for my tastes - all that gabardine.

But I bought two coats for this winter and wore them a lot - both Rick and Forme. Rick's coats were a serious winner and no one that I know of has bought one. But what can he do if the kids want geobaskets? How much can you really influence the final consumer short of stopping to produce the product?

But, yeah, a goth dandy is an amazing thing. I wish mrbeuys would post more - he does RO tailoring justice.

This......


A lot have things have been said here that i haven't had time to respond to some of them as i would have liked

Albert touched on something very important about the issue of taped seams and all.
The truth is that there is very little experiment and innovation going on in the "artisanal" niche. there is an endless regurgitation of stale ideas and very few people are doing any kind of real research and true design. Neither in fabric development, In pattern cutting or construction techniques. The truth of the matter is that I am beginning to find that most of the designers are either lazy or lack ideas and are comfortable coasting on relationships formed that guarantees a certain level of support rather than pressing on to developing new works. I hate to make those kind of statements because as a designer I do not want to offend my peers or come across as taking a swipe at anyone as i find such things to be of poor taste. What Thom Browne is doing and what Junya did this season way more interesting than anything (place artisanal designer name here) has done over the last several seasons.
Other than LEB, I do not see any of the newer designers bringing anything remotely interesting to the table.

Of course I do not want to see taped seams for the sake to taped seams or because I think its cool and will get me some sales and cred among certain people. What I see happening is that designers is some of them are more concerned about instagram, Twitter and promoting the Cult of the designer than building up a body of work that is unique and stand apart from their peers.

Geoffrey B Small is on a path to doing something really special and meaningful and i really don't see it getting the kind of support that i would love to see. HIs working techniques and ideas are not New but on a world where true craftsmanship and the skill of a great tailor is a dying entity, he has become a true champion for real handmade designer menswear that is not boring, stiff and uninteresting.....Which reminds me of something i knew already and always concerned me. A lot of customers do not buy clothing for the quality of the item, the aesthetic refinement and the philosophical underpinnings represented in the integrity of the clothes. Now we have created a system through mediums like SZ where clothing is bought based on the credibility it brings among or peers, based on the resale value it has if we ever get bored of it or see something more desirable that we can spin currently owned clothing to acquire. All of these factors seemed to have become major considerations o clothing choices for many consumers.


Faust, on not buying Ann. I have kept quiet about my speculations for a while, but what i think what has happened is that the label Ann not longer represents the philosophy and ideas of the Woman Ann. This is something i saw from several seasons before she stepped away, both in the work itself and some of the things she said in her interviews. I think one of the reasons she left the company was because she had true integrity as a designer and a person and possibly could not feel comfortable to stand behind a brand whose products no longer lived up to the standards she believed in. for someone like you who know what the clothes were in the early 2000's its hard to accept buying now when there is a clear and obvious decline in the quality of what is produced now under her name.

the truth is that running a design business is NOT EASY and in many instances its a money losing venture. Customer often look at the prices and say the designers are ridiculous or they are ripping people off, but then if designers we making so much money of of the work, how do we see so many designers clothing their companies, hiring themselves out to other brands to keep afloat and selling out to large conglomerates in order to survive??

things to consider.......

[Nomadic Planet]

Very interesting observations and thoughts.... "normcore SZ", geobasket/streewear vs tailoring, or the reasons why we buy these clothes...

I don't usually really chime in and have mostly been a lurker around SZ since I discovered it. This was mostly due to the fact I was (and still am) a beginner in this particular universe of the brands / designers discussed here - and also beginner in fashion in general terms.

I can only speak for myself but it takes a lot of time of "education" to really get to know, value, understand these universes, educate the eye, the taste, know how to identify styles, combinations, know how to judge, follow an aesthetic but also having the confidence enough to take distance from it (vs the "norm" - core) without committing "horrible taste faults" and getting blasted on the WAYWT thread.

After seeing all post about the recent Paris Fashion Week, I can only measure the extension of my ignorance when it comes to being able to understand, value and "judge" what I see (beginning by knowing that what we see on the runway has not the same purpose as what gets to the showrooms, then to the stores, etc....)

A lot of customers do not buy clothing for the quality of the item, the aesthetic refinement and the philosophical underpinnings represented in the integrity of the clothes. Now we have created a system through mediums like SZ where clothing is bought based on the credibility it brings among or peers, based on the resale value it has if we ever get bored of it or see something more desirable that we can spin currently owned clothing to acquire. All of these factors seemed to have become major considerations o clothing choices for many consumers.

As many (some?) people around here, I was a regular tshirt-jeans-sneakers Zara-H&M-Uniqlo kind of guy before, with no interest whatsoever in fashion, a world I didn't understand at all, with all the incomprehensions linked to the high prices that go with it. (well that's not totally accurate, I have a hippy-wannabe past, which explains my predisposition for liking everything with an oriental aesthetics, from dropcrotches to whatever "ninja" / samurai stuff, along with the "spirituality" often implied by the "drapi-ness" of garnments)
When I stumbled upon SZ and the world of the designers it contains, I was blown away by the aesthetics and the artisanal dimension. Again, I can only speak for myself, but I mostly buy when I have a striking crush with the aesthetics... at all levels: execution, intention of the creator, textures, explicit, implicit... It was like where had always been this universe before? why didn't I know of it earlier? I felt I finally had found clothes that really matched what I liked, what I wanted, and in a luxurious form, which made it even more appealing, as an expression of sophistication and refinement for personal reasons, not for the sake of showing-off logo-branded fashionable signs of wealth.

I don't have the pretension of thinking I totally understand the philosophical aspects that might be inherent to the aesthetical propositions of these designers (nor I'm implying anyone here has this pretension), although I feel some of them are really dense in that sense (GBS is a very interesting example, in a "good" way, as many of his posts illustrate and explain his intention and work). Designers such as CCP have always appeared too intimidating to me. I feel I don't understand his aesthetics, so I stay away from it, even when I do like some of his stuff (if pricing was different, maybe I would see it differently, who knows...?)

I totally get the fact that running a design business is not easy, as it is at the border between artistic creation and marketing replication. That distinction can be translated into buying reasons => buying for the aesthetic refinement, which is a personal reason, and buying because of credibility reasons in a given community.

My point is they are both inseparable, as they are the two sides of the same phenomenon. I mostly buy for personal reasons, and that is also why I never post fit pics on the WAYWT thread (nor in the recent purchase thread) ... but I do understand that with the maturity of my taste in fashion, posting WAYWT or recent purchases becomes a different experience... sharing something I / we like, asking for advice, opinions, "education" by the community, whatever... Nonetheless, it necessarily implies credibility.
My point again is, as far as I'm concerned, SZ has been a catalyst for maturation in my taste, and not a system for "internet cred" and source of business / reselling value. Maybe I'm super naive, and don't realize that at all, and it is happening, but in that case it is a collateral effect of the world of fashion being amplificated by the internet and the "imaginary" democratization of luxury and fashion it carries.

[Shucks]

But I bought two coats for this winter and wore them a lot - both Rick and Forme. Rick's coats were a serious winner and no one that I know of has bought one. But what can he do if the kids want geobaskets? How much can you really influence the final consumer short of stopping to produce the product?

yo. i did.

I wish mrbeuys would post more - he does RO tailoring justice.

second this.

[casem]

I'm slowly getting into some Rick tailoring, I'm really loving the long lean line of some of the Faun blazers, I'll definitely get one if I can afford. The super short blazers are much trickier to style.

[guardimp]

Did anyone else get the reopening email from atelier?

[Faust]

yo. i did.

Let's see it in action!

[mrbeuys]

I wish mrbeuys would post more - he does RO tailoring justice.

OK, will post something soon. Basically wearing tailored Rick all day every day at the moment.

[Nickefuge]

I don´t know where to post this as it contains fashion, graphic design, furniture design, product design and architecture, so please move my post if I chose the wrong thread.

My girlfriend and I watched the (Massimo) Vignelli documentary last night and I wanna recommend it to you. Massimo's and his wife Lella's view on partnership and collaboration is inspiring and they are just fun all around. They also talk about working with different materials, about proportions, typography, pragmatism etc., Massimo even had a fashion line back in the days. You see, it got me blabbering like a fanboy, so just watch it yourselves.

You can currently rent it at Vimeo for 13$.
This is the trailer.

[gregor]

"unavailable in canada"

story of my life

[guardimp]

Just get a proxy, of if you are willing to put in a bit more work get a VPN.

[gregor]

i really should at this point, but i can find most of the stuff i need on the less salubrious sites that i frequent, though, sometimes it is a bit of an annoyance

might as well, though

[Shucks]

Let's see it in action!

u saw it already. wearing it in my recent waywt post.

OK, will post something soon. Basically wearing tailored Rick all day every day at the moment.

[dji]

DRKSHDW SS15 FAUN VEGAN SNEAKERS IN BLACK HAVE EIGHT-EYELET LACING, A SIDE ZIPPER AND SHARK-TOOTH SOLES. * COLOR: BLACK. * BODY: 100% COTTON CANVAS. * SOLE: 100% RUBBER. * INSIDE ZIP DETAIL: 100% LEATHER.

well I guess it's more vegan than his other options.

[delicious_not]

the idea of all black is starting to feel restricting to me. 3 years i've been buying only black clothes, not even grey, and now i feel like i'm getting tired of it. my need for color is getting stronger and stronger each time i see something from ro/drkshdw done in a beautiful shade of grey, brown, red... i mean, black is still my favorite, but browsing new arrivals i'm asking myself, do i really need another drkshdw tee in black? or another pods with the only difference is that the new pair will be in a lighter fabric?

[Senpai]

It sounds like you've already answered your question. If you feel the "need" to include color there's no reason not to. If anything it will just open you up to more styling possibilities and a new wardrobe. Besides, most of the "sz" designers offer really rich and interesting color options such as M.A+ and LUC, among many others. Give a try, I think you'll enjoy it.