Just The Clothes Please.

Firstly, I sort of do want to apologise for ‘picking on’ Rick Owens. Whilst it’s true that I’m  not a fan, I do admire his candour and his earnest and egotistical belief in what he’s doing. Rick Owens is representative of some designers  from this generation, and because of that he serves my purpose well.  As yet, I’m not a front row regular at Press shows, although I should be as  I need to ask; is everyone sitting  tight on  their front seat thrones, scared of losing their footings? Will no one give an honest unbiased opinion. Why is no one pointing and laughing? Truly Mr Owens, whilst your furniture is fabulous ( and I definitely think that’s the way to go), your clothes are patronising, unwearable in their catwalk state ( you do amend these for people that go to the toilet right?) and are body binding. Don’t think Azzedine Alaia or Herve Leger, think more a Gladys Aylward scenario, and therefore tyrannical and not liberating. I am probably a Mastodon in so far that my model mates and I are largely extinct on the catwalks of today, however my memory of Yves Saint Laurent expounding the motivation behind his each and every collection is nil. Yes, that’s because he didn’t have to, his clothes did the talking, not his ego.

Yves Saint Laurent, vintage couture knitted wedding dress, knitwear, mannequin,

Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Knitted Wedding Dress 1965

I’m bored of being lectured by designers about their creations. I want their creations to wander freely in my imagination, to interpret them for myself, and to let my imagination ensnare the items that I will be wearing because they speak directly to me. I don’t need an interpreter to tell me why I like something. I also don’t need my conscience pricked by a couturier, I have all my other senses honed to that. Spare us the designer doctrines, editorialised despite any genuine responsibility to us the customer. What happened to clothes shopping being a treat, an escape or just fun? I don’t want to be beaten about the head by a banner waving designer. Please leave my body image and wardrobe aesthetics out of the political forum.  Another thing, where exactly does this fashion fawning stop? I don’t care which model ‘opened’ or ‘closed’ the show. Will we get to the point where the model is questioned about the angst or joy behind her interpretation of the clothes that she’s modelling, why she particularly paused before she snapped round and headed back up the runway, was that her statement on world peace, who cares? Certainly not themodeledit .Tell you what designers, you send out the clothes. Fashion editors, you report on them, honestly and then, given the above information, we your audience/clients, will make an informed choice. Not designers, because you felt the need to validate the existence of your clothes by sewing a metaphorical poem into them. We don’t need your poem, we need you to spread before us your collections, we’ll channel the rest. It goes like this; “does my bum look big in this?”  etc, etc, because if it does, I ain’t buying it. Even if it was inspired by a sonnet written by Shakespeare and dedicated to the travesty of Elizabethan  Plague deaths.

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London Fashion Week Groupie

 

J.JS Lee, press show, London Fashion Week, models, catwalk, high heels, trousers, audience, photographers, paparazzi
J.JS Lee, press show, London Fashion Week, catwalk, audience, fashion editors, paparazzi, models, clothes

Once I had surmounted the overwhelming feeling that ‘it should have been me’ as soon as the spotlight chose it’s victim, I totally assumed my role as Mrs V, style blogger. I was searching for anything that would congratulate and inhabit the woman whose wardrobe, isn’t  necessarily the target audience for this, that and the other designers showing at London Fashion Week. J.JS Lee sent out looks that I could disseminate and imprint on a variety of my target audience. I like the strident reds and blacks. I liked the dress over trousers suggestion, although the ‘trousers’ did turn out to be leg warmers. Donna Karan’s wrap dress 15 years ago, was the last time I really considered doing that, but it’s my favourite , a multi tasker; sexy and practical. You can seriously stress your Louboutins seeking that combo out. I also loved the big blousey tweed coats and dresses. There are many wearability miles in this collection, but standout next to the water-cooler looks too. If this is a label that you hadn’t previously considered and you’re looking for fabulousness in your work world, please investigate this beautiful, totally current collection.  Shout it out checks with big coats concealing body contouring tweed dresses. Nice juxtaposition. Plenty to inspire and more than plenty to covet. Nicely done and thank you for the permission J.JS Lee.

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Recycled Models

Mick Lindberg, model, model composite

I have toyed with the idea of giving you insights into former models and what they’re doing now, because I want you to know that there is life after modelling. As I pondered the viability and your curiosity in this subject, Mick Lindberg’s Stitched Stories exhibition invitation slithered through my letterbox. Mind made up. Currently housed at Anthony Hepworth Fine Art Dealers, in Bath, Stitched Stories is Mick’s latest exhibition. Mick was a model whose pictures were stuck to my bedroom walls long before I threw my hat into the modelling ring. She has modelled all around the world with everyone in the industry who was anyone in the industry.

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The Louis Vuitton Experience

Vanessa Voegele-Downing, Louis Vuitton, Exhibition, fashion, clothes, handbags

For your chance to be as close as possible for (non celebrity fashionistas), to a catwalk show, a luxury goods atelier and a glimpse into the inception of one of the worlds most covetable fashion houses, get your mere mortal butts over to 180, The Strand, London WC2.

The Louis Vuitton Series 3 Exhibition, will take you on a journey through white tunnels, Parisienne streets, a luxury goods workroom complete with humans, a laser pattern cutting scenario and you will have front row seats at Louis Vuitton’s AW ’15 Fashion show.

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