My obsession with these items is on another level. It has been a while since I last posted. I’ve been cleaning through my photos.
I found big. Coat. Energy.
Balmain, Sally Lapointe, Isabel Marant, Moschino.
Balmain trench coat/ dress
Since the pandemic, things in retail have changed and UAL may be a small business, but we have felt those affects. Our buyer regularly takes trips to New York to buy past season and liquidated fashion from designers directly, from luxury retailers and warehouses. Now, the traveling has slowed down the traffic of inventory. When we do get deliveries, it is that much more special.
These items are few and far between, so I always make sure to capture photos of the looks I really love. I even bought the purple Isabel Marant coat!
This cashmere and polymaide and wool coat by Isabel Marant is now mine! Me being extra and channeling Emily Cooper in my purple Isabel Marant coat.
The coat sat at the store for two months. A lot of shoppers loved the coat, but starting price for UAl was almost $500! Everyone was waiting for the right markdown to buy it. And everyday it sat on the rack, I got a little more attached. Then Netflix’s show Emily in Paris came out and the pilot episode has her styled in a similar soft, long wool coat in a hot pink tone, by Kenzo. It sparked major change in my decision making for buying this coat. The show even had some customers looking at the coat differently too! Then, I finally bought it when we had a coat sale one day. I’m so happy I did. I love it, and will have this item in my wardrobe forever.
If only I had the budget to buy everything I fell in love with. The Isabel was a special Christmas treat to myself, and it’s actually a lot more practical than one would think a purple coat could be. I wear it fairly often. It is light enough to wear in a 70 degree breezy day and heavy enough to wear on a 50 degree day. I love that I can layer with it or simply wear over a tank or tee with jeans.
Facebook always shows us memories, and when I checked mine a while back, I got a 6 year memory of me walking across the stage at my commencement ceremony. I graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in May 2014. WOW! Six years! Not quite a full decade, but still a large chunk of time. Pictured above, I was elated to be finished with college and being my journalism career. Robin Roberts was our commencement speaker, she was so motivating. Her battle with breast cancer, and how the chemo treatment led to her bone marrow disease gave us all the lift we needed to get out into the real working world!
‘Where has the time gone?!’ I thought.
It got me thinking about my old job as a reporter and social media analyst for the school paper, The Lion’s Roar. Most of the coverage was for Greek life, campus activities and sporting events, but there was always an opportunity to write a good feature story, or my particular favorite, opinions.
Opinions are like elbows. Literally, everyone has them. So why does writing an ‘opinion article’ mean anything? Well, an “Op-Ed” is the space for expressing your point of view, based on the facts of the situation. Sometimes the topics can be a little more lighthearted than current events. My favorite though, was my final article before graduation. My coworker drew this awesome graphic to go along side my words.
Try and guess which one is me! HA!
I used the article as a way of reflecting on my six year experience at SLU, and all the instructors I came to look up to, and the ones I didn’t. I saw so many faces come and go, sat in many uncomfortable desks and ate my fair share of campus Popeyes and Quiznos (yes, we had a Quiznos on campus!) Here is an excerpt from my article.
“Three years ago in my art history class, my instructor would come to class every morning, set up her power point and begin to lecture. It took two extra class periods to cover the chapter on Roman art because every few minutes she would begin talking about her honeymoon to Rome with her husband. The classroom was big, so nobody spoke up to move her along. We usually had a chunk of notes cut out of every test because we never covered them in class.“
This really happened. My art history teacher was one chatty Kathy, and it didn’t seem to bother her that she had to keep adjusting the test material to align with her personal stories. I also had many favorite professors, most of them in my major of Mass Communications and Journalism (Amber Narro, Joe Mirando, Joe Burns, Claire Procoppio). One of my favorite non-communication professors was my social psychology instructor, Gregory Abadie. He was very engaging and kept us all enthused in the class material. We may have heard a bit here or there about his personal life, but it always pertained to the material at hand.
Look at this photograph
A junk drive can be like a time capsule. I found my old one from college the other day and dug up some gems! This photo of our football stadium, peaceful and quiet, brings back so many good memories.
All photos courtesy of me, Nicole Koster 😉
Here are some old headshots I had taken for the newspaper.
I loved when I had the chance to cover shows at The Columbia Theatre, Hammond’s premier arena for live entertainment. Over the years I saw Bluegrass group The Travelin’ McCourys, local Pontchatoula native and New Orleans legendary singer Irma Thomas, comedian Larry Miller, The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Ricky and Gunnar Nelson. Randomly, I also got to meet Phil, Kay and Si Robertson from the then popular Duck Dynasty of A&E. They appeared at our University Center one summer for a philanthropic event. One of the most memorable lectures I attended was with Ruby Bridges. She was the first Black child to be integrated into schools in Louisiana in 1960. She spoke to children at the Southeastern Laboratory School (a school owned by Southeastern and used as a learning space for Education majors). That was a moving experience I’ll never forget.
Today was fun taking a trip back down memory lane. Follow links below to see some of my stories for The Lion’s Roar.
If you haven’t heard of Netflix’s new show Emily in Paris then I have to ask..
Where have you been?!?
On that note, this half-hour sitcom by Sex and the City creator Darren Star tells the cutesy story of marketing executive Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) as she embarks on a new journey of moving to Paris for her job, with no knowledge of the French language or culture. This should be funny, right? Or insensitive. Either way, Star stands by his show full of clichés as a “love letter to Paris through the eyes of this American girl who has never been there.”
My love for this show is like a coin. Heads, I love it. Tails, I loathe it. No matter what, I cannot stick with a side.
I love the costume the most. This is 100% a costume driven show. I love that it was filmed on location and you get to truly escape into Paris from the comfort of your own couch. I love Lily Collins and her full eyebrows. I love all the hot French Men, and yes that includes the 45 year old underdog with a full head of grey hair Bruno Gouery who plays one of Emily’s co-workers Luc. I love that it is light and cheesy, because let’s face it, we all need a little something to laugh about these days.
Above,Emily on her first day at French luxury goods marketing company Savoir. Costume designer Patricia Field stuck an Aldo bag with this contemporary look: Blouse by Alice & Olivia, skirt by Ronny Kobo and booties by Christian Louboutin. This look reflects the character and the moment perfectly. When I see tourists wearing New Orleans themed clothes and acting all ‘yay New Orleans is so amazing’ it makes my skin crawl. Imagine being from Paris and seeing your new American coworker showing up in this blouse to her first day of work! Photo courtesy of Netflix.
The show is terrible on the other side. The amount of French stereotypes are endless. The breakfast wine is my favorite.
-The use of “c’est la vie” -cigs for lunch -bitchy bosses -arriving late to work -sexually charged men -breakfast wine -middle aged women with tiny dogs -French despise Americans -French are rude, period.
The main character Emily has no emotional depth. We know nothing of the 20 something with a ‘masters in marketing’ as she toots her own horn to a client in one episode. Please, someone tell me WHY the writers thought it was okay to give that line to the character ?!? Also, the costume is grand, but please tell me WHY and HOW it is okay for Emily to be dripping in CHANEL in every scene ?!? A marketing executive from Chicago could maybe afford a bag, but realistically, that should be it! Leave it to the GenZ babies to scrounge up every detail of her fake wardrobe with their EIP (Emily in Paris) Instagram accounts.
Emily Cooper’s closet, coming to a phone near you
The other day I seriously got lost on Instagram scrolling through @Emilyinparis.closet. Literally, every outfit she wears is identified! One outfit is legit worth $15-20k of Chanel. Also, who JOGS in Chanel ?!
Legendary costume designer, and generally awesome figure of New York life, Patricia Field was in charge of creating this fantastical bold look that is Emily Cooper. What really gets me is just how fashion-ignorant Emily is, even though she is actually very stylish. The French may dislike her style, and even in America most would say it is too much, but I like that her style is very true to her personality. Bold, unapologetic and joyful. One scene even shows the inside of her apartment, and her closet is literally a rack of clothes hanging in the living room.
There is never any mention in the script of how she loves fashion, she just wears it. Also, a nod to current GenZ’s because they buy what they like, not for labels. So here she is prancing around Paris in Chanel on Chanel on Chanel, and then some Dolce & Gabbana with some Rag & Bone and Christian Louboutins and she doesn’t even show any appreciation for the fashion! However, I will say, Field did an outstanding job at mixing the high-end and contemporary style, as did Chanel agreeing to lend their clothes to the show. That move by the brand will definitely pay off, especially during this pandemic.
Quick trail-off anecdote: Working at Saks, I remember, I could barley get a lady to spend $225 on a pair of Mother jeans, but then I’d find out later in the day she went downstairs and dropped $6K on a Chanel North/South Boy bag!!! Everyone love the accessories, but its about high time that the clothes start to have a more approachable feel.
Chanel is a historic brand, and the company has done a good job maintaining the exclusivity, but yet their clothes are still a bit fussy and impractical. Fields really showed just how the ready-to-wear is actually READY TO WEAR. Its all about the styling. You actually can WEAR Chanel, if you can afford it, and apparently Emily Cooper can. *Eyes roll.*
Emily brings out the opinion in everyone
This boils it all down to my complete problem with this show. If something is ‘Netflix original’ then there should be a reason it is on the service.
There is no nudity, no sex scenes, no cursing, no raw energy and no reality what so fucking ever. When I first watched it, I kept waiting for something to jump out and tell me why this show was worthy of being a N.O. but it didn’t happen.
Oh wait, they say ‘pussy.’ Still, this whole show is tame.
What I find most interesting though, is just how vocal this show has made people, myself included. Even at work in the shop, I’ve talked with customers about the show. I even sold two coats, very similar to the blue metallic Chanel and hot pink Kenzo, to a woman who bought them because they reminded her of the show. IRONICALLY, her and I also had a love/loathe conversation about the show while she tried each one on. She bought the blue one on Friday, and came back on Saturday for the pink one! Even though she said the show is extremely ‘problematic.’
Emily wears a houndstooth beret, printed dress by Jean Paul Gaultier and a pink denim jacket by Ganni. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
No matter what anyone thinks of this show, what they think about Star for creating such a shallow cest pool of American narcissism, or what they think of Netflix for housing a wimpy fantasy-Ike sitcom that would be better off on The CW (the show was actually developed for ViacomCBS/ Paramount), people are TAL-KINGGG about this show. I’ve actually become obsessed. It has been a very long time since we’ve all been able to be obsessed with something joyous. It seems the past four years have been an obsession more related to how bad our political climate has become.
Or TikTok *eyes roll*
One of my favorite things was just reading all the different reviews of the show. People really, truly either love or hate this show. And what’s funnier, is that the people who hate it, actually love it and hate that they love it.
Linda Holmes wrote for NPRhow Darren Star’s tiny little creation may have a lot of flaws, but in the end, its a cute show to watch and very pleasing to the eye. Casting Lily Collins as Emily was a huge help.
“There’s a larger story here, in that there is something a little depressing about the glut of Netflix original content that feels like it’s … fine. It’s okay. It’s watchable — it’s certainly pandemic-watchable. It’s got pretty people, it’s got good visuals.”
“Netflix started its original programming with things like Orange Is The New Black — things that seemed like they weren’t happening everywhere. But now that they have your attention, they’re using it in many cases to go back to making (or showing) the same stuff you could have watched on basic cable 20 years ago.“
Emily wears OffWhite in the finale episode. Photo courtesy of Netflix.
I agree with this point about Netflix originals starting out as something truly “original” and “individual.” OTNB, Stranger Things and Grace and Frankie were all original shows created for the streaming service that would never be allowed on a network: lead female actors of a certain age, sex scenes, sexual content and in ST’s case, the leads were all kids who had potty mouths. And in walks Emily Cooper, as sweet as sweet can be. What’s the point?
Hadley Freeman at The Guardian UK made a lovely point. French are insulted by the show, but what did they expect from Star? A real-life docuseries of the French lifestyle? This is escapist television in its prime!
“Did the French think 90210 and SATC were searing documentaries about the United States? Honestly, being outraged that Star hasn’t done a gritty La Haine-esque take on Paris is a zillion times funnier than anything on the show itself.“
To this point, I will say that 90210 and SATC did tackle real life issues and, there was character development. So far, EIP does not, which is a bummer.
“But without human depth the audience may as well just scroll through Emily’s incessantly referenced Instagram feed. In 90210, Kelly (Jennie Garth) was ostensibly a mean girl, but vulnerable and likable; in SATC, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) was confused and often flat-out unhinged, and that’s what made her interesting. There are no such so-called risks in Emily In Paris: people are good or bad, pretty or not, French or American.“
Emily sits with new American friend Mindy (Ashley Park). Left, wearing Dolce & Gabanna and Rag & Bone belt. Right, wearing Ganni top and skirt set with same Rag & Bone belt. I also really love Mindy’s style and character. Saving her for another story!
Yes, the second time I watched the show it was like I was numbingly scrolling through Instagram. I was not paying attention and cared nothing for the characters. There is truly no connection between the characters and viewers in this show, except maybe the desire to want to go to Paris, which we cannot do! The show is very cut and dry.
Maria Fontoura layed it all out for Rolling Stone, claiming it as a bad show because no matter how hard Star tried not to offend people (Americans and French alike), he did just that by making Emily Cooper obnoxious and desperate for people to like her. She makes no effort to learn French or anything about the French culture.
“Naturally, as someone who is saddled with little to no stress, Emily is also averse to learning of any kind. She enrolls in a French language class but by around Episode Eight can say little more than “bonjour” and “vous.”
“It is tempting, actually, to view the entire series as a kind of avatar for Instagram (pretty to look at, vaguely numbing), and Emily an avatar for millennials (or at least the rap they get) — entitled and eager to believe that all of their ideas are genius, all of their opinions are right, success is granted.“
Fontoura I feel says it best. No matter how you may feel about this show and its insensitivities, it is a current reflection of the world of young people, and beyond. Instagram rules everything and Emily in Paris is the living embodiment of that.
Meet me under the Eifel Tower for Season Deux
I could go on and on, but I must stop. My obsession over this show is really a problem 😀
Check out some other interesting sources I have below. Emily Cooper has skyrocketed searches for Chanel and bucket hats are selling out wherever they are sold. Netflix has come up gold with this series, which was just greenlit for a second season!
The way of announcing the second season was very strategic. The cast and crew, and Netflix, all poked fun at themselves, telling everyone it is important to not take yourself too seriously in this life.
Cannot wait, and loving myself, as if I had an only child syndrome like Emily, for every second of it.
If you have not watched Bate’s Motel, this is fair warning that the A&E drama series will blow your mind. It will make you feel uncomfortable, make you squirm, but overall it is a gripping dramatic thriller that hooks you, slowly and surely. The prequel series to Psycho created by Anthony Cipriano, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin takes the viewer down the dark rabbit hole that is trauma, and what happens when, as people, we do not deal with our issues.
Photo courtesy of A&E. The cast of Bate’s Motel, from left: Nestor Carbonell, Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Olivia Cooke and Max Thieriot.
I turned on the show on Netflix a few months ago, looking for something new. Freddie Highmore and his strong brows and jawline caught my eye. That cutie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is all grown up in his first epic acting role as Norman Bates. Norman just moved to White Pine Bay, Oregon with his mother Norma as new owners of a local motel. Early on, we see how Norma is running from something bad she did. Also, she has been running from her past her entire life, and taking her sweet son Norman down with her. Buying the local motel, and the house atop the hill along with it, was her way of starting fresh.
This isn’t Psycho, but it sure damn looks like it
Shockingly enough, I have not seen the Hitchcock thriller Psycho in its entirety, but when I saw this show, I knew it was based on the film. Even though there are some obvious dots connected, like the house and motel, the fact that there is about to be a bypass road to divert traffic from the motel, etc.. (no spoilers here), Bate’s Motel stands on its own two feet. There are many other small quirks that relate to the film, but as you watch more into the first season, you’ll see things are not always what they seem.
The house atop the hill in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960’s hit film Psycho, based upon the book by Robert Bloch about serial killer Ed Gein.
The backdrop of the creepy old house and motel off the beaten path freaks the viewers out just as much as Norma and Norman’s clingy, sometimes very slightly incestual relationship. If you’ve never seen the show and still make assumptions to this day about that, know that the son and Mother do not ever have sex, but they do get a little too close every so often. As the show goes on, they get closer and things get weirder.
A look at the set of Bate’s Motel on A&E.
What starts off as a psycho twisted series, ends as a loves story, one between a son and his Mother. Even though the creators knew it was a love story at its birth.
From the get go, yes, we know Norman is going to turn out psychotic and his mother (always referred to as “Mother”) will be overbearing, shielding him from the outside world and his own mistakes. He has blackouts and cannot remember what he does. Norma’s older son Dylan (Max Theiriot) is always there to help, even though “Norma,” as Dylan refers to her as, is always getting in the way treating her 18 year old son like he is still 5 years old. Dylan eventually finds love even after he finds out his ground-shaking truth, a moment in the show I saw coming, but none-the-less still shocking as hell.
Ehrin and Cuse spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about their love story of a prequel ending the way they wanted, leaving viewers feeling at ease, that is, after they digest what just played out on screen.
“Our obligation at the end was to hopefully have this tragic love story come to a satisfying ending, Cuse said. “Sad can be satisfying. We knew it wouldn’t be happy, but we hoped it would be satisfying.“
Trust me, there were times I thought about quitting this show. It was actually much more than I expected. One scene with the Mother and Son really made my skin crawl. Just when I thought the show would take a turn down a normal road, somebody got killed, which ultimately ended whatever story line could have possibly come out of said situation. The writing had the show moving very fast. Or, Norma pulled Norman closer to her because of something terrible he did. In the third season, you see Norman get some help. He is admitted to an institution, but as most psychopaths with sociopathic tendencies have charm, Norman had a way of talking himself out of that institution so he can go home to be with Mother.
I’m trying not to spoil here, but really, it was spoiled from the start being it was a prequel series.
One thing that kept me going was the costume. Norma and Norman were so splendidly dressed in their traditional, old school wardrobe. Their aesthetic matched that of the quaint old house and motel perfectly. Dylan played the role of a brooding heart throb oh-so-well (*fans my face with hand, winking* ) in his dark jeans and leather jackets, and Alex Romero is the toughest Sherriff in town living in his brown on khaki suit straight out of the 1960s. Its Norma though who really is the star of the show.
When costumes come up roses
I started this show knowing nothing about the plot, actors or production. I like going into shows that way, it helps me see escape into the story easier. And when I first saw Norma on screen, I knew she had something to hide.
Vera Farmiga plays lead role Norma Bates. The complexity of her character was told not only through her acting, but through the costume, as any good show does. The two of them together brought Norma to life as a 0-100 spitfire, passionate woman who had everything to loose. She hid her truth from everyone around her, mainly her son Norman, which he also had his OWN truth. The stepford wife looking dresses, mini floral prints, crisp button-ups, cardigans, the cinched waist, the blonde curls all gave her that ‘I’m all green grass and roses and love my happy life’ look. Even Norman complimented her wearing his oxford shirts underneath the argyle sweaters, paired with khaki pants and dress shoes.
Vera Farmiga plays the role of Noma Bates, the quiet and unassuming motel owner and operator.
Farmiga tells HuffPost about her and Monique Prudhomme’s collaboration.
“One of the best things about the Vera-to-Norma morph is donning Mrs. Bates’ wardrobe — so ridiculously chic and enchanting,” said Farmiga. “On the outside? Cherubic golden curls and pristine garb. On the inside Norma Louise has a brittle spirit crushed by her sordid history. Her heart is in pieces, her gut wrenched, having to confront her son’s present darkness. I revel in this contradiction.”
Vera Farmiga embodies the character of Norma Bates, a woman who has been hiding her truth for far too long. Her crisp button-ups and floral prints allude to the idea she has everything together.
Five seasons the show ran (2013-2017) on A&E. Each season more disturbing than the one before, but I kept watching. I wasn’t going to give up on Norman. I really thought that his brother Dylan would get him help, and that Norma would find love and let go of her sexually abusive past. I was convinced that all the main characters would grow and find happiness. I also wanted to see writers expand on the weed industry side of things more, but that didn’t happen. And they killed off every love interest Norman had (except Emma), and not by Norman’s hands.
Even Rihanna guest starred! She played the role of Marion Crane. This few episode arch in the final season really brought the 1960s horror film into the show, but still, I won’t spoil, you’ll see how nothing happens with her character as one may have expected.
Rihanna plays the role of Marion Crane, above she is shown checking in to a closed Bate’s Motel. Her fate awaits her.
One would logically think a show about a psycho guy with mommy issues would be the one killing all the women he had sex with/ fantasized about. Wrong. And right. You just have to watch.
It may not have had the usual crowds, and people didn’t fly in from all over the world to peacock in the streets wearing their most coveted looks, but Paris Fashion week did happen. Despite the distance restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic Balmain came through with the fashion shows of all fashion shows. Weeks later, I am still obsessed.
Olivier Rousteing sits solo in the center of the runway for an old school couture presentation, reminiscent of post-war Paris fashion houses.
Balmain streamed their show live in Instagram, but also had an audience. This audience was half personal, half virtual. A selection of usual front-row gems were tuning in from their living rooms via Zoom. Cara Delevinge, Anna Wintour, Usher and Kris Jenner just to name a few. The first three rows were literally flat screen TVs (as seen in photo above) so the VIP guests could attend the show from the comfort of their own homes, while having a presence inside the arena.
Masked audience members were suddenly in a time warp and had no idea what was about to hit them. I would have loved to be at this show. It was very eighties, and very 2000’s, but in the very right way to be applicable to 2020, our new millennium.
The pomp and circumstance began with a slow parade of older models wearing archival Pierre Balmain, updated of course by Rousteing and his design team. The classic PB logo print fit perfectly with the logomania of the moment. Yet, it was classy. Not of hypebeast material. The models walked and sashayed around the current creative director, almost as if Rousteing himself was presenting to a small selection of editors and buyers, like the old couture days.
Then we started hearing a slow trance of a tune, over and over, one that was immediately familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. The build up of intensity made me curious about what was coming onto the runway next.
Cue Blinding Lights from The Weekend.
Cue blindingly bright neon pink and yellow suits for him and her. Pagoda shoulders in full affect. Rousteing was inspired by Zoom ready looks, since the video-call platform only shows us from the waist up why not go all out with the look? Balmain house codes have always had a camp-ness, so it is no surprise the shoulders were exaggerated in both the men’s and women’s looks.
Opening looks from Balmain Spring 2021. Exaggerated shoulders stick with house codes but are updated for the year 2020.
Women were stronger and sharper up top, while men were relaxed with a wideset and dropped wingspan. The men’s looks really played on the feel of menswear of the moment, a more relaxed approach to classic suit dressing. Pants were shorts, of the Bermuda length, but still tailored. Ties were looser, shoes were simple and sexy, either sneakers or sock booties.
Photos courtesy of Vpgue Runway.
This fashion show also got me wondering about the brand history. Who is Pierre Balmain? In the 1940’s he worked for Parisian couturier Lucien Lelong where he met Christian Dior. The two designers became fast friends, but somewhere along the way, they parted ways both personally and professionally.
He began his own house in 1954, and it was literary star Gertrude Stein who gave Balmain the ultimate publicity plug. Back then, couture was an intellectual experience and fashion shows were more like presentations of a concept from inside the designers mind. Balmain’s concept was one of celebration. He celebrated the female form with exaggerated embellishments, focusing on her best assets, but yet, his designs were subtle.
According to his Business of Fashion bio, he was a famous couturier in Paris post-world War II. Turns out, he lost popularity once he decided to start dressing an Asian diplomat. Queen Sirikit of Thailand requested Balmain design her tour wardrobe. He did it. She looked stunning. He was lowered on the couture pedestal in Paris. It’s really terrible that they viewed his association with a non-French woman as something shameful. Very small minded and sad. Even though he did great work, he was never once seen again on the same level as Dior, Saint Laurent, Chanel or Balenciaga.
Balmain was sold in 1970 and had some designers do some much needed work. The house used to be designed by Oscar de la Renta in the 2000’s, and then they hired Christophe Decarnin in 2005. He stayed with Balmain until 2011, and then French darling Olivier Rousteing (already on the design team) took the helm at the ripe age of 25. Ever since, Balmain was revived.
Photo courtesy of Vogue Runway.
This fashion show created by Rousteing and his team is very Pierre. They expressed their own ideas about the current social climate through the clothes, and the presentation of the clothes. They did things their own way. No other fashion brand had a fashion show like this.
Photos courtesy of Vogue Runway
Living for these three looks. The dress over jeans, and it being a denim dress….cannot handle all the Britney Spears and 2000’s vibes coming my way! Love how the shorts are almost like a capri pant meets a biker short. Everyone loves a good biker short.
With over 100 looks, the show was grand. Every detail came together to create a memorable experience, even if you were watching from home. It all kind of reminded me of a Yves Saint Laurent couture show.
Rousteing told the story of quarantine and how we’ve adapted. No, we don’t go out as much anymore, but that doesn’t mean we should neglect our desire to have fun with fashion. If you really love it, you’ll dress for yourself, not the outside world.
If this was the Spring show, imagine what’s next?? Little Olivier may even be the new Karl Lagerfeld (who also very briefly worked at Balmain). Only time will tell.
Gucci has now become the third highend fashion brand to partner with fashion reselling eCommerce business The RealReal. Gucci stands now with Stella McCartney and Burberry as a player in the ever changing game of fashion reselling, or the “circular economy.”
According to Fashionista.com, The RealReal will make donations to a reforestation effort for every Gucci item sold through their website. The popular reselling platform, which took off in 2011, is working with a non-profit One Tree Planted to raise awareness to the fashion industry’s carbon footprint.
Here’s to a lot more environmentally friendly Gucci 🙂
The virus pandemic has changed the way we live, but one thing hasn’t changed, and that is, we still have to get dressed for the day. All the more reason to make the best of every look you put on your body. UAL has casual to dressy, and everything in-between.
The time has come, and a replacement for Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi has finally been named. Kim Jones of Dior Homme has landed the job. The British designer is the new creative director for Fendi women’s RTW, Haute couture and fur collections. His first collection is set to debut during Milan Fashion Week, February 2021.
Photo courtesy of Brett Lloyd.
The designer’s resume stretches for miles with pit stops at Mulberry, Alexander McQueen and Hugo Boss, but it is his work at Louis Vuitton he is most known for. Jones presented his first LV offering for the Spring 2012 collections, bringing his streetwear aesthetic to a naturally proper and polished fashion house. He stayed with the brand until 2018, then he exited to be creative director for Dior Homme, his current gig, which he will also fulfill while working at Fendi. Both brands are housed under luxury conglomerate LVMH.
Jones is a Central Saint Martins graduate, taught by the late Louise Wilson, who also taught Christopher Kane, and the late Alexander McQueen. He graduated in 2002, and his final collection was bought personally by John Galliano. Jones joked withThe Guardian that he didn’t even get to keep his favorite piece.
“He bought half my graduate collection,” Jones told The Guardian. “It was a big deal, I guess, but I didn’t realise at the time. I was just upset because I wanted one of the jackets he bought for myself; it was hard to make and I didn’t get to keep it.”
His Business of Fashion bio reads that he started his own label soon after graduating CSM while also creatively heading London based menswear label Alfred Dunhill. It wasn’t until 2011 when Jones took helm at Louis Vuitton as a literal game changer in men’s luxury fashion. He is the designer responsible for ushering change in the typical menswear silhouette, which had been set 15 years prior by Hedi Slimane with skinny suit. The cookie cutter look was a skinny tie, skinny pant, slim jacket and lace-up oxford shoes.
Jones made the biggest fashion industry splash when he dropped a collaboration with New York based skatewear brand Supreme. Seeing that name with Louis Vuitton set a whole new tone in the menswear fashion crowd. Streetwear was finally accepted as luxury. One didn’t have to be dressed in a suit and tie to be considered presentable.
Jones’ inaugural LV collection, Spring 2012 Louis Vuttion.
When change really started to take form, Spring 2017 Louis Vuitton.
The moment menswear stopped and refocused, Fall 2017 Louis Vuitton.
Once he parted ways with LV, he turned up the flames with Dior in 2018. The vision of a man in a suit and tie was almost completely gone and what was left standing was a confident guy, traveling in comfort and individual style. He carries a bag, wears open toe sandals, crew socks, shorts, tennis shoes and loose coats. And still looks damn good.
Spring 2019 menswear Dior
Spring 2019 menswear Dior
Spring 2019 menswear Dior
Prefall 2020 menswear Dior
Prefall 2020 menswear Dior
Prefall 2020 menswear Dior
Fendi accessories, and the men’s collections, will remain under the care of Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of Anna Fendi, one of the five daughters of the house founders Edoardo and Adele Fendi. The couple began the leather goods company in 1925, with the fur business on the down-low because the selling of fur was not so acceptable during their genesis. When Edoardo passed, all five daughters began to take stronger rolls in the company and that eventually led to hiring German designer Karl Lagerfeld in 1965.
Lagerfeld’s partnership with the Italian fashion house is the longest on record, and it was he who reinvented the way people accepted and wore fur. More importantly, it was Silvia Fendi’s design of The Baguette in 1997 that really set the brand off into space. Jones has potential to do the same.
I’m excited to see how Jones does with the womenswear, especially the fur. He is such a forward thinking designer, and fur can still be a little antiquated, so it will be interesting to watch his mind unfold onto the clothes. Fendi is associated with luxury, quality and tradition. Bringing Jones into the family must have been a carefully calculated decision, one in the making for quite some time. Just like Karl awoke youthful spirits inside Fendi and Chanel, Jones has done the same with Louis Vuitton and Dior. These two have a lot in common.
When FedEx delivers, they de-liv-er !! We always get so excited when our designer shipments arrive at the shop, and when I unpacked this gorgeous Givenchy bag, I never knew I could be so enamored by a silly purse. But it is NOT silly!!
This calfskin bag is anything but silly. Zebra print with the classic gold Givenchy logo, this beauty is a great go-to bag for day or night. I love the gold chain that dangles along the front. You can also hide the shoulder strap and use the gold chain for a top handle.
Our inventory is very random, so sometimes it can take a minute to put together a fun look. Once we received the bag, I knew it would pair perfectly with the Givenchy platform shoes and these sleek dark denim crop flares by Ellery. The flare of the sleeves from the Carolina Herrera top adds just the right amount of drama, and mixing animal patterns is fun so I added this snakeskin belt from Isabel Marant.
This look brought to you by:
Top, Carolina Herrera
Denim, Ellery
Bag and shoes, Givenchy
Belt, Isabel Marant
Stop by the shop if you’re looking for some amazing designer finds at rock bottom prices.
The Highend 