OverDressed for Life

How about trying to make an exercise where instead of walking into that shop once a week or more, we make the 30-wears-rule? Everyone should really think before they buy something and ask – will I wear it a minimum of 30 times? So, if you can’t answer – “Yes, I’ll wear it a minimum of 30 times.” –  don’t buy it. Who needs all these clothes? Who? 

– Livia Firth, sustainable fashion champion and founder of the Green Carpet Challenge. 

Sounds like a New Year’s resolution to me.

I have some clothes that go way past 30 wears. A cashmere sweater, several skirts, and long sleeve cotton tees that, truthfully, I bought at Target years ago. (Gotta give the Target store credit.)

So hey, let’s take up Ms. Firth’s challenge in 2016 and think before we buy – Will I wear this at least 30 times? If the answer is no or even I’m not sure, leave it in the store. You’ll feel good for doing so.

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Merry Merry!

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On these dark and chilly evenings I have been staying in and poring over the most fabulous of books, The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration by Julian Robinson and Gracie Calvey (Quarto Publishing, 2015).  A visual feast of fashion illustrations spanning 400 years from the Renaissance to the 1940s, The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration features over 350 fashion plates from the Julian Robinson Archive.

We tend to forget that studio photography wasn’t always around and for centuries fashion relied on artists to communicate the looks of the day. Even after the advent fashion photography in the early 1900s, it was awkward and time consuming and the preference was for illustrations up until the 1960s.

Hand-drawn and colored illustrations are artwork within themselves and offer an opportunity to study the details of design. Along with the images The Fine Art of Fashion Illustration discusses the history of fashion illustration, various artists, and differing artistic styles. This book makes a lovely gift for any fashion and/ or art enthusiast.

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I’m very scared sometimes that fashion might attack its own magic by the amount of exposure. Is this normal, the speed of fashion? 

– Raf Simons, fashion designer. Quoted from an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, September 2013.

Mr. Simons recently left his position as designer for Dior. He was hired in 2011 to replace John Galliano. (Remember that story?) Mr. Simons was a smash hit at Dior, responsible for a more romantic feel to the brand and an increase in sales by 60 percent.

So, why did he leave? Perhaps there’s a clue here in this quote. At Dior Mr. Simons created designs for six shows a year and two of those haute couture.  That’s a lot of exposure and a lot of pressure. Although he hasn’t commented specifically on the pressure, he has spoken about the lack of time for proper reflection and “incubation” time for new ideas. He has questioned the ability for fresh ideas and good design when producing fashions for so many shows. He has also questioned the purpose of all this.

I see a direct connection between the rise in production and corporate takeovers of fashion houses. In the past 15 to 20 years, investment companies such as LVMH, who happens to own Dior, Donna Karan, Fendi and a host of other brands, have ventured into the fashion industry buying up current design houses as well as old names (like Schiaparelli) hiring budding designers and re-branding. Simply put, the push is to make money and the more merchandise hitting the market, the more money will be made.

Such is the story of capitalism, but it seems that the fashion talents are pushing back. In 2015 Alber Elbaz quit Lanvin, Donna Karan left her own brand, and now Mr. Simons. Are they setting a trend?

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