Colorflip

This is seriously addictive!

New name to know: Sea New York

What is it about city types and fashion? After Osman Yousefzada (who started out as a city banker) comes financier-turned-fashion-designer Sean Monahan, whose label Sea New York is one to watch for AW 08. Just arrived in the UK, I especially love the two-in-ones which look like a top and skirt but are in fact a dress. Talk about no-brainer dressing!

www.sea-ny.com

Gap does a Uniqlo

In the war between Gap and Uniqlo, my allegience is strictly with Gap. I dunno why, I just like that they don't try too hard to court the hipster crowd. But now they're playing Uniqlo at their own game with an artist T-shirt hook-up featuring designs by Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger and Kenny Scharf among others. Wow, this I can't miss. I don't even know what they look like yet but I'm loving the idea of a Barbara Kruger or a Jeff Koons. I already have the Kenny Scharf Swatch watch so a T-shirt to go with it? Why, yes please! Which brings me neatly to this suggestion...Can Swatch please jump on the bandwagon and reinstate their Swatch-designer collabo's? I mean, a Luella Swatch, an Eley Kishimoto Swatch, a JC de Castelbajac Swatch... the list is surely endless?

Cruise control

This season sees the Resort/Cruise collections go mainstream. As customers are increasingly fashion-aware and exposed to newness 24/7, the onus is on designers to give them more fashion, more frequently. Whereas Cruise used to be something of an also-ran (see this article from 1988!), this season it's become an event in itself with proper celebs - witness Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron and Christina Aguilera at Dior - and coverage in the dailies.

This quote from Karl Lagerfeld on Style.com sums it up:
"It's not Resort anymore. It's another collection—in the story of Fall, pre-Fall, Paris/London, pre-Spring, Spring—called "cruise." It's like a code name, but the thing is that Chanel needs six ready-to-wear collections a year, every two months completely new things at the shops. There are hundreds of shops all over the world that have to have something new all the time or else there's no reason to go back. Or else you go to a place like Colette where they see 100 labels. If it's one label, this label needs to have something new all the time."

Pic: Style.com

More 'hair in the air'

Talking of 'hair in the air' I couldn't resist these Magnus Unnar pics. Enjoy!

Pop chinos

I totally love that Acne have brought back chinos and I'm sure that these ones are lovely but I wish they had photographed them better. For starters you can't even see the feet in these pics...it's important, no? And it would be nice to have different views of the trews as well as details. I know, I know, I'm a fusspot. I do however, like the 'hair in the air' poses. And the contrast-coloured lining. That's all.

Quote of the day

"My fear is that after I'm gone, something interesting is going to happen, and I'm going to miss it."
RIP Robert Rauschenberg who died on Tuesday

Too cool for school

APC's Jean Touitou has opened a private pre-school in Paris. The chairs are by Alvar Aalto, the nap-time blankets are cashmere and designer Jessica Ogden is a part time art teacher. Believe it!

Read more here.

(The rest of Touitou's blog is great if on the minimalist side. Shame there's not more writing or comments.)

Pic: W Magazine

What's the surprise?

I spent last weekend dipping in a out of the Stylist book I bought a couple of weeks ago and can I say it was money well spent. In particular, this quote from Allure creative director Paul Cavaco resonated with me:

"Richard Avedon would ask, 'What's the surprise?' And you'd go, 'It's the purple sock,' so he'd go 'Okay, move the pant leg up.' I worked with great visual people who would ask, 'Why am I looking at this? What is great about this girl? Yes, she's beautiful, but they're all beautiful. Show me what is different. Is it lipstick; is it not? What is that hand doing? Is it just shoved in the pocket? Should it be out or should it be showing a nail?' You have all these options; what are you going to choose? The world is that open; how do you make it yours? That's the editing process."

Wise words. The book seems to feature mostly Conde Nast stylists (W, Vogue, Allure) which isn't all that surprising as Style.com is behind it but Sarah Mover's writing is spot on and it's just so interesting to get a bit of an insight into these backstage creatives.

Berlin Bromley, a punk memoir

It's no secret that I'm a bookaholic and I love reading oral histories and biographies about underground movements, pop culture and subcultures. Off the top of my head I can enthusiastically recommend Please Kill Me by Legs McNeil, Edie an American Biography by Jean Stein, The Last Party by Anthony Haden Guest* and Days in the Life: Voices from the English Underground 1961-71 by Jonathon Green as fascinating, insightful reads. One I hadn't heard of is Berlin Bromley by Bertie Marshall, a book I read about on this blog.

Marshall was one of the Bromley Contingent, a group of suburbanites which included Siousie Sioux amongst their number who were key players in the early London punk movement. This book documents his growing up in gloomy seventies suburbia and the drug-addled years that followed. (Not a lighthearted read then...)

*Actually this one is rather hard work as the story (about the rise and fall of New York's nightlife in the 70s) does have so many twists, turns and characters but it's a worthwhile read to dip into and get a feel for the hedonistic goings-on of the era.

Pic: http://www.honeyee.com/blog/

Legs vs leggings

Out and about in sweltering London today (23 degrees!) I spotted three different girls in denim short shorts, skimpy vests and...sweaty black leggings. What gives? If it's hot enough for shorts (and it really was) then why spoil the effect with these party poopers? Come on girls, if you're going to wear shorts wear them with conviction. Don't be shy, own those legs!

Paul Smith

Paul Smith celebrates the tenth anniversary this week of his fabulous Portobello shop Westbourne House. Although I don't lust after his clothing - it's a bit too commercial for me - I do adore the aesthetic and the style of Paul Smith as a brand and I always find something to buy in his shops whether it's a photography book, an astronaut pen or a roll of novelty sellotape. When I was a student I found an LP in a second hand shop called Memories of Paris by (another) Paul Smith. Thinking its kitschness was totally Paul Smith I took it along to the shop in Floral Street. I don't know quite what I expected them to do with it but sure enough they loved it and thanked me with four rainbow-coloured Paul Smith toothbrushes. I'd like to think my little offering is still alive somewhere in his basement where he keeps his huge archive of knick knacks (think old books, toy cars, globes and other random bits and bobs that Smith has collected over time or been given or sent by his many fans). Apart from anything else, Smith always comes across as a lovely man who would be great fun to work for and learn from. My friend B once said she wishes he was her dad and I know exactly what she means! Paul Smith is also the only company I can think of that calls journalists to apologise for not being able to honour the request for a show invitation. Imagine! This is no random gesture, if you read Smith's book You Can Find Inspiration in Everything, you will find that everything about the company is thought through and huge attention is paid to detail and how to do things differently. I hadn't picked it up for years but reading it this weekend I realised that this book itself is hugely inspiring if you're having a creative block. It teaches you to look at things differently and think outside the box.