Costume vs. Fashion

Gentle Reader -


At one time in India, this might have been considered fashion. Now, however, it is costume. But with a pair of heels and a few accessories, could it once again be fashion?

Context, that is to say, time, setting and social codes, makes the difference.

A reminder for young designers that the literal approach is not nearly as exciting as the interpretive.

- AP

Native Couture (For Lesage, Part II)

No, this isn't the detail from a YSL cape, circa 1990. This feathered cape is an example of Maori handiwork from New Zealand.

If haute couture is (was?) the pinnacle of technique for Western fashion, let us remember that detailed handiwork is a human skill found across the globe.

We are not doomed to lifeless, mechanical precision unless we choose it.

For all those fashion brands that devote thousands to runway presentations that have little to do with the actual clothing they sell, why not do a small collection that celebrates the skill and desire to be beautiful - even in the face so many events that are simply depressing.

Just a thought for this Tuesday.

- AP

Back from the Future, Forward into the Present

Which direction to pursue?

What is relevant now?

Is fashion as we know it truly temporary?

Words to keep in mind: quick, essential, multipurpose, light

- AP

Vintage Jean Patou

Sometimes a beautiful dress transcends both time and trends, which is a lesson we all need to remember in the age of the hypernew. Please enjoy this dress on exhibit at the V&A.

- AP

Divine Fashion

LONDON SPECIAL REPORT: DAY 2

Brighter than a call box are the Asian elephants that have made their way to London. Painted by artists and in London to remind us of this noble animal's plight, they've been quite a hit around the city.

But here in detail is a look of divine fashion: the pose, the artifice, the grace of gesture.

This is the spirit of what fashion can be - free from cultural constraints while submitting to climatic conditions.

From Mumbai, Hong Kong or even Vienna...can you feel this new spirit approaching?

- AP

Note: This is "Heavenly Jewel" by Nilesh Mistry. For more about this exhibit, please go to www.elephantfamily.org.

The Sudden Rush: Alexander McQueen at the V&A

LONDON SPECIAL REPORT: DAY 1

This is a key example from the late (Lee) Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection - at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.

Has fashion reached the speed when we bypass the retailer and the wearer?

Consider that one can also buy a copy of the complete oeuvre of McQ at quite a few stores in London that carry the more experimental fashion magazines.

Is it a rush to Fashion's Pantheon?

Welcome to a new age in fashion, one that breaks the time barrier between new, vintage and art.

- AP

Fashion Star Gate: The Next Frontier

Gentle Reader -

Where do fashion ideas come from? A painting, the sea, or even the intense reds of of everyday objects?

The answer is of course that fashion ideas - like ideas in general - have this quantum quality: coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

I mention this because the now, this moment in the fashion continuum, just might see the big leap into either the future or the past. It really doesn't matter, as long as a designer can make it very now.

For the past few seasons, many designers have really pushed their ideas to reach some sublime moments, creating clothes that are immediately collectible, if not exactly wearable on everyday streets. This does not lessen the impact or directional quality - the mass market soon catches up.

Those designers caught up with the latest headlines in the news will miss the bigness of the moment. The gifted will be able to see beyond 2015 and before 1500.

The really gifted will know that it's really all about being beyond time and space, and putting that into their collections.