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Inside The Conceptual Gears of Machine-A

It was something less than a year ago when Dazed & Confused popped the question: "Is East London Dead?" . The time for the Olympics was almost there and the once talent-blooming district was weathering. Dazed, made a great attempt to keep this memory alive, and that stuck in my head for the next nine months. 

The magical thing I experience every time in London is that, without really knowing, the streets lead me where I need to be; so my walk on Brewer street led me to Machine-A. I got in. It was conceptual. It even smelled conceptual. I wandered around a bit. I saw Mugler, MCM, Simons. And then I saw the neoprene whisperer Peiran Gong & Tigran Avetisyan, Central Saint Martins' wunderkind among others. Machine-A was not just another urban shop; it was a boutique of a high-leveled sartorial curation.

Fun(ny) fact: While I was blabbing with my friends about how very, absolutely much I wanted to reside forever in Machine-A in greek, the owner & Creative Director Stavros Karelis joined the conversation: it turned out he was a compatriot. 

We had a small chat about the general fashion scene in Greece and the fact that he knew what was missing from it, made me understand a bit more deeply & instantly his passion for innovation that shares with his team: co-director & awesome stylist Anna Trevelyan, Ashley Smith & Ella Dror from Ella Dror PR.

What I also found out was that Machine-A counted only two days on Brewer street, since it relocated. So, relocation brought reinvention, along with fashion's most promising East talents.

What Karelis accomplished with Machine-A lies in the fact that it's a non-restricting platform that creates -not only gives- the stance to go against the flow. Innovation just for the sake of innovation is one of our generation's plague with no actual contribution. Agi & Sam, Sibling, Alex Mattson, Ashley Williams speak with their promising talent & their desire to make a statement, not just be fashion.

But not only the boutique's designers stimulate this conceptual interaction, but the boutique itself since it will be a host to other forms of art, so that the current perceptions of artistic expression will be expanded. 

I can't say that the Dazed review is stuck in my head anymore. East London's creative pulse has not stopped beating - in fact, it's more alive than ever. 

Take a walk to Machine-A to see for yourself.

13 Brewer Street London W1F ORH

Image collage: Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

Interview with a sartorial storyteller: Naomi Maaravi

One thing that people are constantly looking for -subconsciouly, most of the times- is something to relate to. A triggering of memory & senses every once in a while, when they know they need it and when they don't. Serendipity of emotional attachment, if you prefer.  While my visit in Tel Aviv, one autumnal evening, designer Naomi Maaravi & I met. Her boutique was a warm little place where it was evident that she'd personally put pieces of her life into it. I wanted to get to know the story behind. Little did I know that Naomi was a storyteller herself. Of the sartorial kind. She has the rare talent of redesigning old clothes that bare a story with them, into shiny & new ones. So, their story goes on & gets enriched by new adventures. After a couple of months & some more later, Naomi & I had a chat -some may call it an interview too-  about memory, style & stories so you can see into how many shades inspiration can be unfolded.  (Spoiler: Much more than Grey.) Take a look!

On the beginning & identity

I am a Dutch designer studied in the Netherlands fashion textile and theater costumes. I have an extensive experience in the world of clothes without boarders: in theater, dance (Bianca van Dillen), music (Candy Dulfer) and fashion from underwear (Delta for ck, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren etc.) to outerwear (NafNaf, Mexx etc.), from baby (Shilav) to wedding, from Holland to Israel through Milan & Paris with love and passion through work and through life.

The story began 12 years ago when I made my first piece for my daughter. It was a dress I created from a pair of jeans my husband had worn out. My father did that. He never threw anything away, never ever. He created a new world out of items the were considered having no value anymore. Milk bottles became lamps. Strings and ropes were made into carpets or seats. Combinations of old bikes, appliances and garments became interesting, new, useful or just lovable objects. My father taught me that every item has value, no matter how old or broken up, everything has a soul, an identity. Behind every object there is a story.

As a result of my father's teaching, I considered that every garment has a personality, something that makes it unique, individual and precious. Like the person to whom it belonged. I give the stories their continuation. I re-use my own collected high-end materials or the emotional & valuable personal materials given to me by my clients to create new stories, new garments, different & unique. I put my heart in every piece I create like a writer puts something of himself into the story he tells.

My memories, events, happiness, sadness are all parts of the material I use, blended to create unique garments with stories of their own. I worked in several companies but it was my husband who gave me my life present, to realize and fulfil my dream in all its facets, emotionally, technically & by belief. [The fact] that I have a store (laboratory) today is because of my husband who wanted so much to fulfill my dream - he was the one who said "quit your job"; he was the one who came home one day and said "I found you a place"; he is the one who made my dream tangible.

                                                                                    On the favourite story

The one from  Yael, now 67 but when she was (I believe) 10 years old her mother made a dress for her for a party Yael was afraid the dress will not finish on time, her mother calmed her down, but ...her mother died.Yael kept all the unfinished garments (sweaters yarns etc.) in a bag who her brother used in child hood for his marbles. On her 67 she came to me to make something out of it .. I used a blanket of the grand father of my kids, knitted sleeves from her left over yarns and started to tell her story by sewing .. it became a wonderful coat where mainly inside  the story is told. 

On memory

Memory is something you capture or suddenly remind you by some of your senses... It brings you back or it can capture something you don't want to loose.. For me, an essence and safety feeling.

On her photography wall

When i lived in Milan just when i finished fashion school i was 22; poor, hardworking and bit lonely .. So i started to hang pictures of my loved ones; I could see them, talk to them share  etc it was the time without Internet mobiles, faxes and a phone abroad was extremely expensive. From then on  photo wall moved with me it wherever I was wherever I am, also at home! I believe it started as a kind of Facebook page for that time and still is a memory communication platform (also my books are like that and my clothes too - collecting and communicating).

  On each story's creation I do not come up with a story, i listen to the people who have stories and i try to tell them further, or i get inspired from things like a camera and then try to see what are the possibilities to tell also another story then the purpose of the camera (they became jewelries).

On personal style & the plethora of fashion bloggers

To me personal style means personality  means, you express yourself via clothes; lots of people need clothes to belong to something .. Personal style is more expression of yourself. I personally like fashion bloggers - they use the new media and that is OK truly, I am personally more connected to the bloggers who have something to say than the ones who like to show themselves. But if I do not like to look at it there is a button. I like the Internet because "I can be everywhere in the world" if  I want to.

On future stories

Not really [longing for any particular one]. I get excited when suddenly someone comes in with stuff, tells the story and I feel like I need to do it. I wish for more time and more understanding of the value of the process and outcome in money. Maybe when I get wedding dresses from the mothers and I make a new one for the new wedding or I make a piece for my kids out of the story of me my husband and even generations before.

On sentiment & fashion and the danger of ending in the "trend pile"

[I find] the word "fashion" a difficult word . I am personally not connected to fashion as a look only. I find it unpleasant that fashion can manipulate people to feel that they are not beautiful as they are they have to look thin young and perfect. I like people and I like the in perfection because that makes us special. Further I like fusions, I  like morals, I like intelligence, I like emotions, I like feelings, I like that we care about what we have. Fashion is so often running; I like the part of slow fashion and awareness. Trends are moments, moments that are at time interested us. So if at the moment we are more attached to sentiment good for us! I do what I like, what I love with love, surrounded by a team that have the same values and I hope that people are connected to it and want to be part of it.

  To be a part of it, follow Naomi Maaravi's world here

Images by Naomi Maaravi

Edit by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

It's a printless world / Or, is it?

One of the things that bug me the most, is how my short stay in the geology department has accomplished the unthinkable: me, detecting elements of mother Earth every-fuckin’-where. Fresh example: my latest article for Twelv magazine. And even though I enjoyed writing it to the fullest, I knew I’d opened the Pandora’s box.

Yes, horizons ‘n all are broadened but you see, this post was originally intended to touch on the critical issue of“Prints, taking over the streets & runways –have we had enough?”

Then one day while having  a break from studying, my dear friend Alex dropped by, saw some (pretty cool I must admit) images of microscopic ore deposits and he uttered something that stuck in my head: “If I were you, I’d use them on the blog somehow”.

After I’ve killed off my intentions for a printless article; after the RTW F/W 2013-14 presentations are over and the break of the designers’ majority from massive prints was evident, here I am puzzled about  what’s next.

One of the collections that will be unlikely for me to forget is Pedro Lourenco’s  Pre-Fall 12;  a wonderful feeling of icy minimalism came through. Don’t know if it was the general icy white set or his prints, inspired by the spectacular landscapes of Patagonia. 

My memory of Alex & Lourenco (and a bit of Mary Katrantzou F/W 13) gave a possible answer to my above question:  since designers never get tired of infusing hints of nature into their creations, why not take full advantage of it & search beyond the obvious and beyond the images our eyes can meet anytime.

(That way, maybe geology will come in handy after all. You know, besides playing a critical part to our evolution, duh).

Collages edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

Fashion, Interrupted // A signature thing you wouldn't understand

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking. The overexposure to purely scientific knowledge has rapidly grown a need inside me for purely philosophical questions - from myself, answered by my schizophrenic self. You see, there's an exquisite confusion in trying to find answers in a non-practical way, that I can't help but allow myself to give into.

The first stimulus for this brainstorm was Eau de Style's new look & more precise perspective. The affair of fashion & art has always been triggering me, but things have got to start from somewhere to get in line. And I just didn't know where the hell this starting point was.

The answer came the oher night while I was scrolling down the I Love You magazine site & Ride of the Valkyries was on. Literally, it was a Holy-Dove-shits-on-my-head kinda moment when I finished an interview of the magazine with artist Ayse Erkmen, titled: 

"How deep should the artist penetrate the work with their identity — How important is the artist?"

Ayse Erkmen talked about the many egos that are required for an art piece to be perfect, about the importance of curators, about the art-fashion interweaving & of course her own works.

It was a real surprise to know that she, as a creator, is always open to suggestions & instructions from others in order for her work to be a perfect one, and therefore pleasing to the eyes of its viewers. Then creative directors popped in my mind. Artists, apparently are not afraid of losing their identity to the ego of a technician or the curator,and the final result ending as a hodgepodge of numerous contributions. But in fashion things work a little bit differently.

You see, designers have to have a signature to put out there for all the world to see. And preserve this signature that made them stand out in this ocean of designers we seem to be floating , for two or three collections per year, every year. That's a pretty damn hard task you know. But as the restless human beings that we are, we tend to answer this calling of re-defining ourselves every now & then, and if we're privilleged enough, we can have the luxury of doing so through our work. That's the point where, I conjecture, there is a notable turn in designers' signature and when the fashion world is torn. There have been reviews that even question  the designer's right to do so, therefore creating this dillema in my -and your- mind if it's a matter of a good thing or a bad thing to shake things up when it comes to branding oneself through their collections. The flexibility of re-building the image might actually be one of the dividing lines between designers & artists.

One thought that crossed my mind at this point was the lack of a collection's curator. The designer has a dual nature of both the creator and the curator at the same time. No outter egos are welcomed, the spotlight is always on one & only person. The dominant ego here covers all the others & the final result is affected by no one else. So Erkmen's point that "the curator is someone that can make the work perfect" is invalid in this world. Now if it would be a better outcome with a curator's help, is a question that, at least for now, will remain unanswered.

However the depth if identity penetration can be bargained? In the art world, there is time for this debate, since the frequency requirements for a project delivery might not be as demanding as those for collections' delivery. Thing that makes sense since the "Who you're wearing" became more important than "What are you wearing". Classic case of collection, interrupted.

Ayse Erkmen was also asked about the distance art should keep from the other creative fields, such as fashion. Martin Magiela's name came up saying:

I think Martin Margiela is a very important name in conceptual art. Perhaps, because he is a fashion designer, he may not think this but he uses the basis elements of conceptual art very well. He does not strive to make beautiful clothes — rather he uses elements of tailoring itself. Although the result may be fashion, in the end the important thing for him is to get to the center of things with questions such as

“What is fashion? What is art?”

So, for the relief of my soul, we are free to put the art sticker on creations as practical as clothes, and as long  as we're aesthetically stimulated, everything will be just fine.

Read the full interview here

Images of Ayse Erkmen as found on I Love You magazine Image collage by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

Modern Alchemist: Kostas Murkudis

It has been quite some time since the first time I felt the need to talk to you about  a man by the name Kostas Murkudis. Every time something would come up, more urgent in fashion time & this great designer was postponed among my drafts.

You see, Kostas Murkudis is timeless & his work is not in a hurry. So now it fell in the right time.

I'm not going to tire you over his bio details except that he started out as a scientist. A chemistry student whose artistic side took over & he followed. Ever since, his work is a constant inquiry of the new & of the unexpected. Without second thoughts, or even first thoughts & this kind of instinct has lead his to be a quite creative force. Qualities that I have the tendency to strongly admire.

The other fact that makes me appreciate Murkudis's long-lasting contribution to fashion is that the designs' & lookbooks' philosophy meet my favourite word of all times: aesthetics. When the idea behind the brand is to create for strong & fragile at the same time individuals, the outcome could be nothing but innovatively functional; that is making room for the personality to get unfolded around the garment.

The difference lies in the details - it's all about the fabric, which Murkudis hinds in the least expected places, such as the Italian police. Thick materials that disappear the actual body shape juxtaposed with tulle inserts that barely hide the skin that hosts us.

[At times, it even seems like small fractures of color are actually floating on the body] - and it's then when I'm convinced that modern poetry exists & it takes many forms, it hides in many places & is always discovered by the people who seek it.

            “Medieval alchemists and mystics believed they were justified in their search for the mythical elixir of life, a universal medicine supposedly containing a recipe for the renewal of youth. The search for this elixir and a quest to make gold became the grand goals of alchemy.”

-From Kostas Murkudis's intro passage for "This Long Century"  another great place that gathers the insights of creative minds of our times

Kostas Murkudis

[eaudestyle]

It's the end o' the world as we know it: The next day etiquette

Just because you're reading this, don't think we 're off the hook. Maybe the apocalypse has already swept everything up & you are the only survivor OR you are as heartbeat-less as the rest of us & one day a spooky child-actor will come to you with a "I see dead people" line. Ugh, so cliche.

And I wouldn't know, this is just a capsule post for the next new evil generations that are interested in how to dress well.

 "Metaphysica" story by Rene Habermacher /  A Rippling Tempest of Dance / Winston Chmielinksi

You see, there are unnumerable benefits in being the last human on earth: 

It's gonna be a HUGE "Bitch pah-lease" in Rihanna's face cause you are, umm, literally the Only Gurl in the World.

You can set up a Miss USA pageant and rightfully win the title.

And you'll probably be so badass by now that your story can be turned into a movie.

Not bad sistah.

But, besides that, all this commotion could turn out to be a benefit, you know, be done with our bucket list way sooner, find the courage to spit out the I-love-you's that we were such wooses to say in the first place & finally wear that spectacular piece of clothing that's been hiding in our closets.

Of course the latter is waaay more important than everything else so that's what I'm preaching today.

After some serious thinking of putting myself in this position, I fugured that you have to deal with this situation with a certain amount of humor &  educational purpose in a visual way:

Ok, so you're all alone, what if there are no more alive people around? You can still wear them in your pocket just like Akris SS '12 did. What if there are nothing but ruins of Burger King? Thank God for prints & shirts!

Same goes to technology. The next inhabitants of post-Earth won't know what Apple was so it's your job now to enlighten them; Suno SS '13 colection is very appropriate for that.

In addition to that, let's don't forget where you are now: on leveled, raw land. Make sure you blend with the enviroment's color palette - wear nudes, transparencies & mirrored surfaces whenever you have the chance. You can still be relevant, don't give your fashionable side up just like that!

And if all the above won't happen & we'll all be safe & sound on Saturday morning, make sure of two things: 

Think of how would Grace Kelly express her true feelings for others if the apocalypse was (supposedly) coming - you don't want to bite your tongue later, do ya. ("Dior, not War" remember?)

Don't wait for the Mayas to be proved right: TELL YOUR CLOTHES YOU LOVE THEM EVERY DAY.

Image collage edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

First, we take Israel: Pas Pour Toi

Second part of my adventures in the fashionland of Israel and the first designer we got to meet, spoke -or better yet, designed- directly to my heart. Three words for you my loyal readers & you'll get the point: black. and. gold.  The brand's name: Pas Pour Toi. Indicative, I must tell you, and the mastermind behind it -the sensational Dorit Bar Or, aka Dodo- is a multitalented woman: an actress whose killer style placed her repeatedly at the top of the best dressed & in 2009 established Pas Pour Toi. And it was a success.

So, what Pas Pour Toi is about? Representing a very specific kind of woman. A dramatic persona. Light fabrics, heavy embellishments, black transparencies. Dodo is not of the "reveal-all" philosophy. After going through her creations, I saw that Dodo is very aware of the female body design-wise & her goal was to highlight that through an essence of old glamor.

Dark & majestic, like the Dead Sea. Middle Eastern influence is diffuse but in such a way that the collection is not categorised as a purely ethic one.

In other words [and especially for my favourite pieces as you can see], pilgrim girls gone wild. Almost equally covered up, but the hint of sensuality, of seductions is passing through. Something like Elle Fanning would wear for her 18th birthday, entering adulthood n' all.

As the name indicates, it's not for you. Yes you, who don't know that charm lies under your skin, not on it. And it's not for you, either; you who still don't know that elegance doesn't consist of just putting on any new dress. 

It consists of putting on your Pas Pour Toi. Always with the right attitude,of course.

Just an insta-taste of our visit to Dodo's showroom & down down to the left, my polaroid portrait by Guy Kushi & Yariv Fein where, OF COURSE I wore Pas Pour Toi!

Pas Pour Toi

[eaudestyle]

First, we take Israel: the series of fashionable explorations

Sometimes, during the day, you'll see me getting distracted. That's when my mind wanders & wanders & can't help but thinking: this is one peculiar world we live in. You know, we 're trying to  grow up, make a plan, stick to it, build a life and, at night, water our desires & our dreams so they can grow stronger and we, can keep on going. This is the basic course for you, for me, for everyone. And some of us are dreaming from the Northern hemisphere. Some from the Southern. Some from the Amazon. Some from Sweden. Some, like myself, are dreaming from Greece. And when something like that happens, I always think of me as a unit and me, as part of the rest of the world which I so desperetely want to explore inch by inch so I can check it off my bucket list. So, long story-short [even though it's a bit late for that], visiting Middle East was on my list, but nowhere in the near future. 

Floor-capturing at Comme il faut

Entrance, the Neutra style

[This is where the 'peculiar world' & all start making sense, you see I was going somewhere with it!] And one day you unsuspiciously wake up to see an invitation for a trip to Israel. To get to know & explore the emerging fashion scene. 

Exploring. Images of me, digging diligently like a good fashion explorer under the layers & layers of Israel's heavy histrory in order to uncover the better part, the blooming one, popped up. Decisively I answered "YES!" to my amazing editor Ani who was kind enough to offer me this opportunity on behalf of Trendland.

Story-telling wall at Naomi Maaravi

At the Wailing Wall

I took the decision to cut down on my Eau de Style posts. Keep my mouth shut until I see something that truly amazes me. Something remarkable, significant to speak of or something thought-provoking. It's been quite long time since my last post, but now here I am again. Writing down my memories of the Israeli experience, because it was significant, it was thought-provoking & it was eye-opening in so many ways. Therefore, this isn't just another fashion post. It's the first from a series about a country's interaction with the rest of the world. 

Truth is, I got there with zero expectations. Of course I had basic knowledge of the what's-going-ons over there, but nothing more. Especially on the fashion industry. But since Greece & Israel fall into the same -more or less- cultural & geographic zone, and relatively being new entries to the modern histrory, I knew that the Israeli fashion industry would have some hidden gems but they'd need a respectful amount of exposure & time to uncover themselves on an international level. 

At Daniella Lehavi

And I was partly right. Expect that the hidden gems were, not just some but actually many. And not just in the fashion field but scattered throughout Tel Aviv's everyday life: the people, the streets, the architecture, the food [THE FOOD!], the music [hiii Efrat!], the nighlife & the kindness we experienced through the week. 

And by we, I mean [my new big brother!] Robb Young from ASVOF, Daniel P Dykes from Fashionising, Bryan from BryanBoy & Rumi Neely from Fashiontoast along with our amazing photographer & friend Noa Magger, our ninja/mommy-to-be & senior projects manager of Kinetis, Adi Kaplan & the whole Kinetis team that did their absolute very best for us to have an unforgettable experience. And unforgettable it was. 

Back to the fashion part now, what really surprised me was the dedication to the true art of handmade. Through my 23 years of age, oh I've seen & I've seen designers claiming the title of the true artisans of handmade products [sense the irony]. Inexplicably way too many. In Israel though, focus on the detail is the main characteristic. Small workshops & avoidance of mass production is exactly was keeps the quality on the high level that it is. Fine or raw materials meticulously processed, mixed textures & outstanding creations are trying to make way -not for an international change of scenery- but for a statement of a different market, for the ones who seek exactly that.

My introduction has ended along with my trip. One week was not enough with these guys that confirmed that life is all about experiences & experiences are the people you meet along the way. 

Comme il faut library

And now I'll shut it up again. Stay tuned.

[eaudestyle]

angels & hellhounds do fashion week

This fashion month [as well as the previous one, yeah] has come & gone with me in silence. Like a creepy -but well dressed- observer I've been watching the models playing dress-up for Spring/Summer 2013. Guess designers must not believe much in the Apocalypse. The envision of a summer in gossamer Etro gowns is far, far better.

Besides this lack of faith in this catastrophology, though, I couldn't help but notice two distinctive fashion phenomenons with my ingenious observatory skills. 

      1. Runways have turned white. All over fashion capitals it was like designers'd had some kind of a super secret arrangement and models 'd turned into messiahs. Super chic, see Gucci. Super weird, see Thom Browne & Comme de Garcons, or apostolic, see Balmain.

With a little, but significant tendency to risk-taking, and a massive fondness for all shades of white, it was almost like a purification rite. A try to rinse off any previous bad karma with the simple lines, with the intricate embellishments and the gentle foldings, all in blank background for the new start. And the women in them will be the guards of this cleansening movement.

    2. That was going on indoors. Outdoors, street stylers had a perspective of their own, taking a walk on the hardcore side where the Givenchy Rottweiler tees were having a seriously major moment. It was of course expected, it's freakin' Givenchy, but they were every-freakin'-where.

To match my little story above, I pronounced them, the Hellhounds. They, believe fashionably in the Apocalypse & waited patiently to break free. And free they broke, indeed.

This fact, along with the other star of the FW -the Balenciaga futuristic sweaters- also brought another issue in my mind: how easy is it for exclusivity to be lost in fashion landscape when strong designs by major houses become that saturated in a blink of an eye? And how much of a point is there when the "big players" are worn by everyone? Is personal style being swallowed up a sea of identical personal styles?

I will let you sleep on it.

[eaudestyle]

shock value & the eye of the beholder

Not sure why I initially had the urge to -not only comment- but present a whole article based on a Marylin Manson idea. Even though my musical wanderings were never limited, I never got involved with Marylin's music genre or persona. The idea struck me a couple of nights ago on the occasion of an incident where mr. Manson used the power of shock value.

As i read, he wrote "Fuck you" on his face in order to avoid the paparazzi taking his picture. And then it was the two things that seemed strange: how much of shock value is too much - especially coming from a man known for shocking his audience - and second, it seemed strange he was so apologetic to everyone else witnessing the incident. Was I missing something?

Things were a bit different than I thought, after a little research I did on him: apparently, it's not a case of shocking for the sake of shocking. I found that Marylin Manson is a rather well-spoken man, former journalist with comprehensive views on many matters & especially on publicity, role-modeling & all that goes with them. With a firm belief of the obligation to feel free to express ourselves. But the backlash in the 90's had different opinion: should the ways be that anorthodox or are we talking about corruption? I say it's a noble cause but how is one supposed to encourage authenticity & faith in oneself if we were the first to cover our own creativity to avoid the -let's face it- unavoidable attack?  

I did not intend to link it with fashion but it happened before I knew. The controversial ways, the doubting of the messages fashion tries to pass, the dissaproval. And then there was the admiration in front of everything jaw-dropping: of some who got the message designers had to pass & of some who admired in ignorance just because it rocked the waters.

First to put as an example, late Alexander McQueen: how radical was his work on Visionaire 1997 in collaboration with Nick Knight? Devon Aoki gave a masochistic image with the safety pin on the forehead. Rei Kawakubo whose work follows questions like "Is it brilliant just because it doesn't fit in?". Husseyn Chalayan and his Fall 2003 collection that symbolized Noahs Ark- hope for humanity after the deluge? Or even Viktor & Rolf's Fall 2011 which preached that fashion's ever-increasing speed reminds us how important it is to battle for our creativity.

After all this, I came to one conclusion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Value, on the other hand, is not.

"You are the only thing you can believe in.." ..Firstly, I'll add. You are the only thing you can believe in, firstly. Then there's the creative humanity, too. 

[eaudestyle]

impossible sales situations // a series of fortunate reductions

My precious children; I beg of you, cherish my words close to your heart & your wish-lists: Time spent on Net-a-Porter [and the rest of the gang] is never time lost. Always wonderful things come out of the endless navigation. It may always rarely be an actual purchase, but it'll always be a wild ride on the imagination train.

So, I was going through ths "Sales" section of many online shops for purely scientific purposes may I highlight, when I realised my jaw was touching floor before massive reductions of, say,5-numbered amount of dollahs 3.1 Philipp Lim gown to a 4-numbered one. While a respectable amount of money has been shaved off, we can't say it's transformed to a real bargain, can we?

That's how "Impossible Sales Situations" series were born.

Let's assume that we indeed find it a real bargain. And, let's even say we did make the goddamn purchase. And let's finally say the extravagantly priced  piece of clothing arrives at our door. Can we breath out with relief and say: "Phew! finally I will have something to wear at this ________?" [fill in the blank with the name of the Impossible Event].

If you have a non-realistic but yet existing answer to said question, then my friend this post is literally for you and I, by accident have just outdone myself. If you do not have a realistic or existing answer and I inspire you to create a certain situation in order to give an answer back, I have outdone myself, too. Which either way is great. Duh.

Oh and by the way, if you hear aaanything about a Matadors dinner convention, please save me a seat. I'll behave in my couture, promise.

1* Roberto Cavalli pants, Junya Watanabe shrug /2* Davidelfin biker jacket, Mulberry embellished pumps, Oscar de la Renta silk top / 3* Oscar de la Renta  sandals, Emilio Pucci print dress, Henry Vibskov hat / 4* Todd Lynn jacket, Missoni necklace, Marc by Marc Jacobs jumpsuit

images edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

refinement week // the unbearable lightness of couture

For many seasons up until now, I was convinced that designers had lost the ball with Couture Week. The target was miles out of sight. But with Fall 2012 CW I restored faith in those who earned the right to be titled as "Couturiers".

See, I always had in mind that Couture was all about refinement. And all about refinement it was. Great start for Raf Simons who got mixed reviews. But little attention did I pay to the malicious ones, because I became completely ecstatic. As Simons stated, his focus was to

"change the psychology of people who are interested in couture." 

What a better motive than that? Innovation was brought to Dior without losing its signature & Simos staying true to his designing identity the same time.

The second statement I have to make considers Alexis Mabile. One thing you may know if you followed my Twitter Couture stream, is that I'm not the biggest fan, despite I have big respect for his body of work. Last season's Couture was a disappoinment for me and this is why I anticipated his new collection more anxiously than the others'. And I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of his dresses made up for the previous -in my opinion-fiasco. Exquisitely made. I can go on with many discriptive adjectives but the images talk themselves & cannot imagine how much more bedazzling must be live. Kudos Mr. Mabile, you managed to grow my anticipation fonder.

It must have something to do with Paris. Everything is different there & this is the reason it was renowned Couture capital. There, chic is always the new chic & black will always be the new black, If you put these two together, you'll have a pretty good image of the latest creations PLUS my current mood imprinted on the catwalk. It may has to do with the fact that I'm done with the whole "hardcore" style. That my icons speak to me louder than ever. That the artistic side of fashion strongly overwhelms me & all I can think of is

                   "Art changes people and people change the world"

images from Style.com / Self Service magazine  edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

the big menswear mashup review // (or! BMMR)

the anticipation may as well be concidered over. brace yourselves because the Big Menswear Mashup Review has landed in the form of a fallen angel  fashion scrapbook. i really like the categorization & the feeling of still being a schoolgirl, so scrapbook was the best form to express my admiration to male sex men design.

since the soil was suitable due to this massive wave of creativity we experienced these past weeks, i found it unnecessary & honestly, kind of obsolete deviding the review by designers. almost everyone took a [more] daring turn this MFW, and focusing on the bigger picture, on the overall shift menswear is making, is what i'm trying to do. therefore, 6 were the sections i detected where the transformations was taking place:

the most anodyne way to create unisex garments. from what we've seen menswear has developed a huge impact on women wardrobes. so now designers gave us one more reason to dive in it without looking back. from the most classic [flowers, see Balenciaga] to total printed outfits [see amazing Thom Browne wales & Moschino that NAILED it], uni-print is the new monochromatic.

Molly Ringwald, there! your successors! at some point, i had the sense of "is it me or is it getting really pink?". i liked it. small doses, total doses, i liked it. the Versace version was my favourite, if you ask me. J.W Anderson on the other hand, i didn't get it that much. kudos for his daring, jaw-dropping concept, i'm always up for that but from all the internet-feedback it must have been the least.. understood. which is not the point. men of the world, making sense is not the point!

and now we reached the core of our philosophic wandering. the question that's troubling our minds. the roadmap in this fashion labyrnth: WHAT THE HECK ARE MENSWEAR DESIGNERS TRYING TO TELL US?! as mentioned above, unisex designs are going stronger than ever, but in a way that they're leaning more to the feminine side. Rick Owens for instance went with floor-length, monk-like, monastery-type of cloth. headbands, divided skirts, and other creations i'm a bit unsure if i should call them dresses, dude-dresses or woman-repellers. eitherway, i'm so digging it.

oh ma lord. the gentlemen are here. new, improved, more polished than ever. i bet my firstborn, Hamish Bowles proceeded immediately into a massive purchase. don't know where to start & where to end: for one, the fabrics are shinier than ever. more luxurious than ever. my beloved Walter van Beirendonck created serious fun. mad-hatter-like but it'll sound too cliche, to say that. and Walter isn't. Versace with the layered suit , Etro with the middle-East reference points & Saunders, so dapper it hurts.

it may not rain men that often, but when it does, a men-rainbow comes out & it includes all the colors of the iris. limit-less color palette with lots of emphasis on tangerine hues & the new blues. a bit more dusty, a bit more boyish. come on, pick a color for your walls!

we're back to the solid values, where boys will be tough boys, cool boys, hip boys & that is that. urbanism, man. loose lines of course, lots of denim, skate & one big ol' lobster from the rather incoherent John Gallliano show, which must be an homage to Elsa Schiaparelli- i hope. best of the gang: Katie-to-the-Eary [no i don't speak urban very well..] with gold, baroque & sporty.

and in case you haven't seen it yet, take a look at this amazing review of MFW on Fashionista. by real, everyday, hilarious dudes. just go!

images by Dazed Digital, Self Service magazine, NowFashion. collage edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

mfw // it's (gonna be) raining men

if fashion history has taught us one thing, it must be that god is surely a woman. or an extremely tasteful gay man. and in case you were wondering, THAT is the one & only reason of Men Fashion Week's existence. full of joy, i was scooping through London Collections, Pitti Uomo and Paris's MFW. and i wasn't surprised that in fact i was surprised by the majority of the designers who nailed.it. 

many thoughts, reviews, many images, many men & some great, appropriate to the theme news -the ones i was talking about in the previous post- to share with you: within the previous month, my fascination for menswear met with one very, very creative platform, deeply engaged to its vision. that is Menswear Style, with which a wonderful contributing collaboration started! so you can find me there too. [can't escape me. don't even try.]

Now take a deep breath, wear your comfortsble fancy outfit and wait for the Big Menswear Mashup Review. or, just BMMR. it's easier, no?

[eaudestyle]

from my satellite // aesthetics

the main goal i long to achieve through my blogging -and hopefully and eventually- my professional route in the world of fashion is to throw a piece of how glorious humankind can be; that is through a great text / collection / photograph / work of art. all products of human mind. all sum up to the meaning of aesthetics & poetry. today i'll keep it short for you. presenting the aesthetics in which my eyes react these days.

also i'm very glad to show you a bit of the amazing work of Thanasis Tsimpinis, an extremely promising young man; he writes, he directs and his last video, M I N E got me obsessed. you'll love it, i promise.

 "I learnt by heart the names of fifty different shades of blue. Wrote them neatly the one under the other in a notebook [robin egg blue]. Put in on my bare chest while lying on my back looking at a corner ofthe sky through the window [cornflower blue]. This is what I remember."

written directed edited by Thanasis Tsimpinis

performance // Konstantinos Georgalis hair, make-up, styling // Spiros Zanias cinematography // Smaro Papaevangelou executive producer, set designer // Evi Bokovou creative assistant // Socrates Vassilopoulos

always be a poet

[eaudestyle]

maison martin margiela // coming to an h&m near you

the whole universe earlier today -and probably as we speak right this moment- was doing the happy dance. some, even, like another Harvey Nichols ad, couldn't contain their excitement when the news broke in: Martin Margiela is collaborating with H&M for a collection that will be of the most anticipated. even though H&M is on fire with the continuous teaming-ups, we pretty much knew what to expect. but with this one..ahh with this one things can always be unexpected! 

so i was sitting and wondering how a hair-fur could get h&m-ed. how the campaign would look like. how wearable can this collection turn out without the house of MMM lowering it's creativity it's known for?

too many questions, too much time before November 15th. until then take a glimpse of my idea for the campaign.

pure extravaganza, no?

collage edited by Eau de Style

[eaudestyle]

it's human nature // baron magazine

science is a sneaky, sneaky thing. you see, besides all the evolution in every field crucial & important, scientists made sure to provide us with a bunch of little information. ah, such as this crazy one that says "man thinks of sex every seven seconds". jeez, where do they come up with these stuff? i mean, come on it's impossible. right? riiight

that's what i thought too until a publication like Baron magazine pops up and shamelessly spreads the sex everywhere! call it erotic, call it sensual, call it pornography, [i will call it as my middle name, aesthetics], you will be right. Baron tries to change the angle of your perpective, make it more mischievous & find that turn-on factor in every goddamn thing. 

in other words, Baron wishes you a nice day. a very nice one.

of course i would put a personal touch here, too. from David La Chapelle to 3DD of Henry Hargreaves to s&m  to fetish to -of course- Madonna. "Human nature" was always my favourite. [it must have something to do with all that latex, i think. shiny and all.]

image source: dazed digital / used magazine image mix & collage edited by Eau de Style