Normcore: the next big fashion movement?
2014 February 28. | Szerző: shannon
Fashion, by its very nature, is a peacock of an industry – it is bright, extrovert and likes to show off. There is, however, always a minority that take a different approach to dressing – one that avoids the print-clashing, kerazy shades and artful poses of street-style photographer bait. They go for something that is – well, there’s no other way to put this – boring.
New York magazine ran an article this weekend defining the look as Normcore – clothes that are so anonymous that, as the article says, from the back their wearer could just as easily be “art kids or middle-aged, middle-American tourists.” Think unbranded jeans, plain sportswear, chunky white socks. With the increasing fame levels of fashion’s exponents of eccentricity – the likes of Anna Della Russo or blogger Bryanboy, both of whom wear full runway looks – this is the ultimate about-turn. Fashion insiders are rejecting the razzmatazz that has become a fashion norm and, instead, they’re blending into the crowd.
Clothes that were once dismissed as everyday or unremarkable have been touched by fashion’s stardust. The humble pool slide – the flip-flop cousin typically seen dangling off a bored lifeguard’s foot – is set to be the shoe of the summer. London designer Ashley Williams – part of a crowd that numbers Pixie Geldof and Harry Styles – is rarely out of them, and put them on her catwalk. New Balance trainers – a bit of a dad favourite – are enjoying a moment. Cult front-row style icon Veronika Heilbrunner, a buyer at mytheresa , regularly wears running tops, perhaps the ultimate in norm clothes, and Nike socks as part of her low-key look. For the latest round of shows, the Fisher-Price colour scheme of Air Max last season has been replaced by something discreet: Celine black satin skater shoes.
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With the once exclusive world of fashion now open to all through social media, this trend makes sense. Those in the inner circle are rebelling against a “fashion” look and, instead, are adopting a uniform, one that is a blank canvas without easy-to-read semaphores. Della Russo’s hot-off-the-runway Moschino look is a neon sign flashing “fashion” even to the uninitiated. A Normcore look of sweatshirt, jeans and trainers keeps people guessing. Only those truly in the know will get it – and even then they might confuse you with a tourist. What a sartorial lol that would be.
Normcore recalls the early 90s, when a mix of slacker and skater cool made white T-shirts, Birkenstocks and cut-off denim skirts a high-fashion look seen in shoots by Corinne Day. But this takes the anonymity to the next level. New York magazine namechecks Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Jobs as the unlikely icons of fashion’s latest look – and you might also add Larry David. With a wardrobe of khakis, black polo necks, polo shirts and classic Levi’s, there’s a gawkiness verging on the ugly. You could never call any of these men fashionable – their clothes are purely functional. This is an attribute of fashion that those working in it – who have spent the past 10 years at the bleeding edge of “fashion as art” – sometimes forget about. The flipside – function over art – feels new and a bit subversive.
Welcome to fashion, 2014 – where normal is the new cool. Good luck telling the tourists and top stylists apart.
Costume designers honor ’12 Years a Slave,’ ‘Behind the Candelabra’
2014 February 25. | Szerző: shannon
The Costume Designers Guild members honored their own at a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom on Saturday night, handing out awards for outstanding costume design in seven categories as well as a handful of honorary recognitions.
Among the high-profile attendees (many of them tapped to awards) included Mindy Kaling, Tony Hale, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Debra Winger, Kerry Washington, the evening’s host Joshua Malina (“The West Wing,” “Scandal”) and a va-va-voom Raquel Welch, who recognized the importance of costume design by quipping: “Face it, if [costume designer] Sir Carl Toms hadn’t put me in that fur bikini in ‘One Million Years B.C.,’ I wouldn’t be here — there wouldn’t be a Raquel Welch.”
In a possible preview of Oscar night, Patricia Norris won for excellence in period film for her efforts on “12 Years a Slave,” a category that included fellow 2014 Academy Award nominees Michael Wilkinson for “American Hustle” and Catherine Martin for “The Great Gatsby.”
Norris’ son took to the stage to accept the award on her behalf. “She said, ‘Go have a good time, I’m not going to win,’” Robert Norris said before reading a brief just-in-case list of thank-yous from his mother. “I can’t wait to give this to her. Thank you.”
The night’s other categories and winners included:
Excellence in Contemporary Film
Suzy Benzinger for “Blue Jasmine”
Excellence in Fantasy Film
Trish Summerville for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Outstanding Contemporary Television Series
Tom Broecker for “House of Cards”
Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series
Caroline McCall for “Downton Abbey”
Outstanding Made for TV Movie Or Miniseries
Ellen Mirojnick for “Behind the Candelabra”
Excellence in Commercial Costume Design
Nancy Steiner for “Call of Duty: Ghosts Masked Warriors”
April Ferry, whose costume design credits include “The Big Chill” and this year’s “RoboCop” remake, was the recipient of a career achievement award, Sharon Day received the distinguished service award and Judd Apatow was honored with the guild’s distinguished collaborator award.
After a montage of film stills and behind-the-scenes photos from his various movies and TV shows (“The Ben Stiller Show,” “Bridesmaids,” “Superbad” and “Girls” among them), Apatow noted that he had been wearing a Lacoste shirt “in every single shot.” “If that doesn’t get me a free box of [expletive] I don’t know what does,” he joked.
Amy Adams was the final honoree, receiving a crystal award in the shape of a crocodile (the iconic Lacoste logo), which was presented to her by “American Hustle” costar Jeremy Renner.
“My daughter’s obsessed with alligators right now,” Adams said, “so I’m going to put this in her room while she’s asleep and she’s going to freak out.”
Adams went on to share a light-hearted laundry list of things she’d learned from costume designers over the years, from “the actual start date of a movie” to “always wear undergarments to a fitting,” ending with profuse thanks to costume designers, costume house Western Costume “and [‘American Hustle’ key costumer] Honah Lee [Milne], who helped me keep my dignity when, at the end of the day,” Adams said, “there wasn’t a shred of it left.”
The Rules of Men’s Jewelry
2014 January 18. | Szerző: shannon
IT HAS BEEN said a man needs no more ornaments than a watch and wedding ring. Perhaps that’s because the idea of men wearing jewelry can evoke images of gold chains framed by a barely buttoned shirt. But there are many degrees of decoration between a strict limit of watch and wedding ring—with the occasional cuff links, of course—and the stuff of “Saturday Night Fever.”
A few old-school accent pieces have started to make their way back into the gentleman’s wardrobe—the signet ring, the tie clip and the lapel pin—thanks, in part, to the influence that the ’50s have been wielding on menswear runways.
But how to wear all this hardware? “There are a million ways to get it wrong and only a few to get it right,” said Tyler Thoreson, vice president of men’s editorial and creative at Gilt Groupe. “That’s part of the fun—it’s a little tricky, and more rewarding to pull off in a sophisticated way.”
As a general rule, it’s wise to err on the side of understatement. Employing a tie clip? Skip the lapel pin. Considering multiple rings? Leave that look to the likes of Johnny Depp.
With bracelets, too, less can be more. Let the Zoolanders flaunt coils of rope and leather that creep up their forearms. For laymen, one does the trick. Robert Bryan, author of the book “American Fashion Menswear,” is a proponent of the classic chain link ID bracelet. With men’s jewelry, generally, “silver is the safer choice,” said Mr. Bryan, who also advised caution when it comes to decorative stones. “They should be small and discreet, lest you be known as the Diamond Jim Brady of the office.”
It also helps to wear pieces that have a significance beyond sheer aesthetics—jewelry that has a history or was received as a gift. “I think for men, the key is that it have meaning,” said Lisa Salzer, who designs women’s jewelry for her own label, Lulu Frost, and recently spun off a men’s line called George Frost. Tom Kalenderian, executive vice president of menswear at Barneys New York, noted that bracelets are often bought as gifts since, unlike rings, they usually don’t need to be sized.
Casual wrist-wear—beads and bracelets made of worn leather and nautical-style rope, like those popularized by American brand Miansai—suggests a life of adventure, imagined or not. However, more sophisticated pieces can carry a compelling back story, too. Jewelry designer Monique Péan, who recently launched a men’s line, uses materials with notable past lives. Ms. Péan’s tie clip is made of 18-karat recycled white gold, and ivory from a wooly mammoth sourced from the Arctic Circle, as well as onyx. “Men gravitate toward fossils,” she noted.
Her distinctive clip brings a layer of intrigue to what can otherwise be a pragmatic accent. (The tie clip—also known as tie bar or tie clasp—does serve a function, unlike other pieces of jewelry: It keeps your tie straight, out of your face on a windy day and off of your plate.)
The clip should be narrower than the tie on which it’s worn, said Mr. Thoreson. The correct placement is between the third and fourth shirt buttons. It should also be perfectly horizontal, though Mr. Bryan suggested that daring men might try the downward-tilted “rakish angle” that flourished in the 1930s.
Hogan Gidley, a Republican consultant based in Columbia, S.C., and Washington, D.C., wears a sterling-silver tie clip from Tiffany’s that’s engraved with his initials. “I might be an outlier in the party for wearing a tie clip, but I have seen more Republican pundits on TV starting to dabble in [them],” he said.
Known in political circles for being a dapper dresser, Mr. Gidley also sports a signet ring; it’s engraved with a family crest that, he said, dates back hundreds of years. Signet rings are more prevalent in the South, he noted, and can also bear the crest or seal of the wearer’s alma mater.
The signet ring is an age-old emblem of aristocratic belonging, yet designer brands are reworking the look, if not also the underlying message, into fashion accessories. See: Eddie Borgo (inlaid rubber), Bottega Veneta (a crosshatch motif that mimics the brand’s signature woven leather) and Ms. Péan (fossilized walrus ivory). One savvy tactic is to wear the ring up against a wedding band, thereby confining digital decoration to a single finger.
Another badge that has become more of a style statement is the lapel pin. In the form of an American flag, it is de rigueur among politicians. But luxury labels have embraced pins as well. Several years ago, Italian brand Isaia created a mini-craze for the coral-shaped lapel pins that come with its jackets. And fashion houses that once tacked lapel pins onto suits as a bit of runway-only styling are now selling the accessories in stores. This spring, Louis Vuitton is offering pins shaped like pretzels and marijuana roach clips while Saint Laurent is selling one that looks like a surfer shooting the curl.
Lapel pins can add a hint of personality in more buttoned-up work environments. “A lot of guys in my line of work don’t want to draw attention to themselves. They’d rather just wear the uniform,” said Chris Schumacher, a 37-year-old Manhattan financier. He wasn’t speaking for himself—he’s partial to nautical rope bracelets, and wears an enamel fox-hunting pin on his overcoat. He added, “It’s nice to see people getting away from just the watch and ring.”
Swindon starts work on historic regeneration
2013 December 12. | Szerző: shannon
Swindon Designer Outlet in the UK began works on the regeneration of the historic Long Shop building, part of the Grade II-listed Great Western Railway Works.
The regeneration is part of a £35-million investment to incorporate the Long Shop as part of the extension of Swindon Designer Outlet, which will add 50,000 sq ft/4,700 sq m of new retail space, to bring the total to 250,000 sq ft/23,000 sq m.
The extension will also create around 350 new jobs once the works are finished in early 2015, increasing the total number of people employed at Swindon Designer Outlet to 1,100, making the centre a key employer in the town, which is just off the M4, west of London.
This will be the third extension of Swindon Designer Outlet since it opened in 1997, nearly 20 years ago. The centre was originally developed and is still managed by McArthurGlen. It is owned by Henderson Global Investors within the Outlet Mall Partnership – a fund for institutional investors, and one in which McArthurGlen itself invests.
Sven Gaede, McArthurGlen’s UK Managing Director, says: “The start of the refurbishment and expansion works today is great news for Swindon and for the South West. It marks the relaunch of the centre as the region’s must-visit fashion and shopping destination.
“As part of the extension, we will be bringing in new, exciting brands and improving the overall shopping experience. Shoppers will now also be able to experience and enjoy first-hand the refurbished Long Shop, with its conservation ensured for future generations.”
Andrew Rich, Fund Manager for the Henderson UK Outlet Mall Fund, adds: “Swindon is a very successful centre within our outlet mall portfolio, and the expansion is part of our investment strategy to continue to deliver strong performance for our investors in a fund that has returned almost 10% IRR in a difficult period for the UK economy and property market, demonstrating the resilience of the outlet mall sector.”
Ian Piper, CEO of Forward Swindon, the economic growth and regeneration company for Swindon, says: “We’re delighted to see this level of investment into Swindon, and the enhanced facility will offer more high-quality shopping and eating options for our residents and workers, as well as visitors from further afield.
“The challenge of creating a stronger connection between the Swindon Designer Outlet and the rest of the town centre, as identified in the Masterplan, is an important element of our work at Forward Swindon.”
Forever 21 Bohemian Dreams 2014 Lookbook
2014 March 11. | Szerző: shannon
Festival season is upon us! The Forever 21 Bohemian Dreams 2014 lookbook brings several chic options for the occasion and beyond, focusing on colorful, head-turning ensembles with a cool effortlessly chic flair. As usual, the label knows exactly what makes young fashionistas tick and the newest set of images beautifully prove it once again. The label focused extensively on cool tribal prints and brought many youthful pieces inspired by Morocco into the spotlight, making us more than willing to indulge in a little harmless daydreaming in the process, especially given the fab summer vacation themed background the label chose for the new ads.
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The new Forever 21 festival inspired lookbook has many cool affordable pieces with a huge statement making potential, which is why it can serve as a great source of inspiration for those looking to revamp their festival ensembles and experiment with a fresh style perspective. What can fashionistas indulge in for the new season? Lots of cool pieces: printed jumpsuits and chic rompers, cool maxi dresses and flirty short dresses, fringed cardigans, harem pants, ripped denim shorts and open knit vests are just some of the cool items the high street retailer suggests for the upcoming days.
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No less impressive are the accessories that the brand is highlighting in the new lookbook. Fun bangles, metallic rings, cool statement necklaces, floppy hats, flat gladiator sandals or funky round sunglasses are among the elements which can give a stunning allure to any casual look for spring or summer. The coolest thing about the new looks presented in the Forever 21 Bohemian Dreams 2014 lookbook is that they are remarkably easy to put together.
If there’s one style lesson the new Forever 21 bohemian inspired lookbook brings, it’s definitely having the courage to experiment with vibrant tones, conspicuous prints and contrasting textures as it is almost always a surefire recipe for memorable and attention-grabbing looks.
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