Cosmic Love

Untainted colors, geometric figures and voluminous structures: a woman becomes an elegant astronaut to revitalize the scenes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film by Stanley Kubrick.

The clothes evoke a 60s spacesuit: oversized volumes like in the jacket showcased by Peter Pilotto in London for A/W 2012/2013, with a more space-age spirit provided by the lame-effect fabric.

Mary Katrantzou chooses a dress with a geometric patterned mini-breast-plate, enhanced by an extremely rigid material.

Patterns are conceptual, like the wrap skirt by Leitmotiv or the jumpsuit with Korean collar, by Erdem.

An ample and capacious skirt for the metallic blue dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs and for the dress by Stella McCartney with patterns inspired by Starry Night, the painting by Van Gogh.

Starry Night

Effortless cuts adorned with jewel-like detailing, textures that redesign star maps. For  evening Autumn Winter 2012-13 women's wear dresses up, in a magical mood of starry nights.

John Galliano's multi-
layered silk chiffon dress

The color palette includes all nuances of blue: Chanel makes a shirt with a reflecting-effect, 3D appliqué along the seams, while John Galliano dresses an ethereal and feminine woman with a long, multi-layered silk chiffon dress. An ensemble inspired bymen’s pyjamas with micro-dot pattern by Paul and Joe worn with a blue velvet blazer.

Diane Von Furstenberg's
all total black outfit.

Diane Von Furstenberg was inspired by the night of San Lorenzo, the night of the shooting stars, with her all black ensemble with white micro-dot pattern. A modern interpretation by  Antonio Berardi for his ensemble, jacket plus mini-skirt added with bronze sequins.

Python Heel by
Pollini for Manish

Focusing on glittering accessories: flat shoes by Bloch, black and gold peep-toe shoe-boots with python heel by Pollini for Manish.

the Runaways

The Runaways’ outrageous fashion did not appeal to many fans. Jett chose clothes in an androgynous wardrobe, like her red jumpsuit, whereas other members wore lingerie. They were a band, sound, and style way ahead of their generation and the mass market just wasn’t ready to receive them.

Cutrone added that the look, which was more masculine than what women had worn in past decades, came from the freedom women established in that decade. "All of a sudden, you can get a job and make your own money. This was a happening time, because they were free," she said. "They were empowered. They were the band; they weren't with the band."

Robert Verdi, a celebrity styist said that while the look might feel fresh to the actresses' fans, their parents will unquestionably remember wearing many of these styles. "I think what's interesting when you look at the Runaways' style is that it's new to a generation but old to some people," he said. "The entire sort of shaggy haircut ... it's sort of punk rock, kind of intellectual, but still grungy”.

"What stands out is the shaggy hair. The mullet. That look will become popular again with young girls, because anyone who's done it before won't do it again," he added, pointing out a few other trends that will take off. "The cork shoes. The big, chunky kind of hippie shoe. The faded, light-blue jeans. The fitted military shirts with big collars. Nothing's loose. ... All those things will be things girls like to wear."

Heatherette designer Richie Rich said it is all about the T-shirts. "I love '70s fashion. I love that whole hippie-dippy feeling ... that vibe of being cooler than school," he said. "It can translate into the streets. People wearing rock-and-roll T-shirts, real chopped-up hair. I'm not so certain about the whole bootleg jeans. It's something fun, something different."

Richie described the style as cool tomboy and said the aesthetic can surely be very modern. "It will give us that aesthetic, like cool T-shirts and accessories and lots of eyeliner ... versions of the hair, like, fun and punky," he said, adding that "cool leather jackets and T-shirts" will come back in style. "It's street fashion. They almost revolutionized that in so many ways."

Welcome to the Tea Party

An Edwardian Fashion Movement

It was the start of something new, a wind of freedom in the early 1950's in England. Teenage gangs appeared in the East End of London; they were called the Cosh boys. These Cosh boys horrified English society: razor attacks, robberies, fights among gangs and also against law enforcers. 

After the Second World War England woke up with a headache!The Press looked-for a new term to call these gangs with their numbers escalating each day. The word selected was Teddy Boys.It seemed that the 1^st  newspaper that used the name Teddy Boy was the Daily Express on September 23rd 1953. 

The teddy boys in their "uniforms"

The teddy boy uniform was initially copied from the stylish Edwardian gentleman like those under the control of Edward VII (1901-1910) - their 'social superiors'. This fashion trend was tailored, and featured stretched high necked jackets, at times of velvet, or velvet trimmed collar and cuffs, and were ruled in either flowery or intense colors. This was paired with brocade waistcoats, bootlace or slim jim tie, narrow 'drainpipe' pants,a wing-collared top and suede shoes, which were formerly regarded as 'gay men's shoes' or 'nancy boy shoes'. A crucial fashion accessory, along with the cycle chain was the comb.

The Teddygirls adopted American fashions like toreador pants and circle skirts, though they tend to wear low cut tops to make themselves look less prissy.

All teddy boys went to immense lengths to keep their hair in place. Fighting messed up the hair - hence the ever at hand metal comb. The DA was the main style while there were many kinds like 'the bop', 'the Tony Curtis', 'the be-bop', 'the tevee', 'the panama' or the 'back sweep and crest'. It was greased and usually with sideboards.

The new generation of teddy boys

The British pop boom of the 1960s brought with it fresh music and new youth culture.The original Rock and Roll pubs appeared as do Rockers who liked the same tune and rode great British motorcycles. Teds and Rockers went well among each other and the leather motorbike jacket became the standard wear for many Teddyboys and Teddygirls for day-to-day use and for rough pubs. The bike jacket could guard against motorcycle accidents, razor attacks and spilled beer in a way that the drape jacket by no means can. 

The 1970's saw Glam Rock and Rockabilly styled bands in Britain and, while the Teds loathed most of this music, it brought a resurgence of interest in Rock and Roll. Many young people bought second hand wrap jackets, hid holes with badges and became a new generation for Teddyboys and girls.The new generation of Teds developed a tough personality: hair lacquer happened to change grease, the drapes were brighter and, occasionally, the drain-pipes were tighter. Steadily, the new generation were exposed to one of the roots of R'N'R : Rockabilly and Country Music. 

As the time went on, the urban working class association with the 'Teddy Boy' dress spread further and with the commercial hits of movies like 'Rock Around The Clock' and resultant media attention. a person causing nuisance of any kind was blamed on Teddy Boys. Just as all health problems today are held responsible on 'smokers', it became almost fashionable (and it sold papers) to blame any unsocial crime on 'Teddy Boys'. A youth only had to have a Tony Curtis haircut and he was instantly labeled 'a Teddy Boy'.

Mix-n-Match

Playing with styles, mixing and combining different clothes and accessories from different eras and cultures, has been a hugely successful trend since the seventeenth century.

Bloomers

The fun of variety runs through the world of fashion, and you can often express your personality best with a mix of different styles.The taste for mix and match started at the end of the seventeenth century when exotic Chinese silks printed with birds, leaves and flowers were imported in Europe. Bringing together the flamboyance of the Baroque and fabrics with Eastern cuts, the fashion of the time created a cultural fusion between the two worlds. With the French Revolution, exoticism lost its hold – but it returned into fashion with Elizabeth Smith Miller and her “bloomer” movement. In her magazine The Lily, she promoted a new way of dressing, pairing knee-length dresses and belts with wide Oriental trousers and boots.

Teddy Boys

The style was criticized by contemporaries, and Amelia Jenks Bloomer – one of its main exponents – abandoned it in 1853. The idea of combining different cultures was taken up some decades later by Paul Poiret. Influenced by Diaghilev’s ballet, he brought together the Japanese kimono and the shapes of the Greek tunic and the kaftan, combining strong colours like orange, plum and black with the pastel shades of the Belle Époque. Later, in the 20s,Coco Chanel created the idea of “simple luxury” and by mixing basic pieces like cardigans, white sweaters and skirts above the knee, defended a straightforward take on luxury. Thanks to collaborations between artists like Jean Cocteau and Dalí with designers like Elsa Schiaparelli, Surrealism created a way of dressing freely, and in a way that was ironic and fun. After World War II, the Teddy Boys in Britain reinterpreted the American look, rock ‘n’ roll and the Edwardian era. They mixed jackets, velvet shirts, skinny pants, narrow ties and Slim Jim shoes, expressing their opposition to the values of the 50s. In the 70s, punk appeared as an anti-conformist movement that ran against the reigning ideology of the time.

It paired necklaces with ripped clothes, completing the look with shaved heads, Mohicans and piercings. Its main driving-forces were Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who opened a punk shop in London’s King’s Road. During the 80s, cultural diversity and contact with African and Asian cultures party influenced ways of dressing. According to the work of the sociologist Gilles Lipovetsky, the continual need for reinvention has created sub-cultures in our hyper-modern age which use mix and match to bring individuals together in shared ideologies or lifestyles. One current designer who combines contrasting elements is John Galliano. As German designer Lutz, who is fascinated by blending different styles, said in Fashion Now 2: “I take things that are basic, integral parts of everyday life, and mix  them all together so in turn they stay familiar but at the same time become something completely different.”

Neptune's Great Grand Daughters

Pumped Up Kicks

The best selling item in the whole world and every person on earth has at least a pair of them. No one knows from where they came from, but everyone wants them and will be wanting them forever. 

No surprise,we’re only talking about shoes.Call them what you like: Trainers, sneakers,or Tennis shoes, but the concept is all the same for them,a rubber sole and uppers available in various kinds of material and color. Even in Ancient Greece, athletes were already wearing special shoes to help them during the Olympic Games. Indians used to cover the soles of their feet with latex from carving rubber’s barks. We would have to wait until the XIX century before a sneaker-like model was created. In that period, thanks to a clay mold, the shape of a foot sole was created with a rubber, the sole was put to the upper part of the shoe. Attracted by this  new experiment, Charles Goodyear  worked on rubber, until he would create a series of shoes.The very first people who benefited from this new type of shoe were tennis players, who swiftly embraced these shoes to play with.

1986 Olympic Games in Athens

That's why, they were called "tennis shoes" at first. Before long, the World Cup and the Olympic Games in 1986 in Athens would help in the spread of sneakers in the sporting world. But when the first basketball shoes came out in 1919, no one could ever have guessed their great success, even in time. Between teenagers and sneakers it was really love at first sight, and soon enough they became the symbol of young rebels. 

James Jean wearing All Star

James Dean used to wear All Stars, many rock bands were then photographed wearing sneakers from different brands and models, a symbol for emancipation which would become a mass phenomenon. As time went by, sneakers were used to match elegant office suits,showing an easy chic taste. Giorgio Armani himself, was the forerunner of this trend. 

In the US, the market was booming thanks to the overwelhming love American's have for a healthy lifestyle.Only in the 80's, over 30 million people have used them to run. That’s why in time studies have been carried out on sneakers, applying new and advanced technologies to make them even more fitting to every sport.

      

"I run with 600 Million Legs" Adidas Ad

In 1978, Nike introduced the Air technology that featured pressurized gas capsulated  in a cushioning between the sole and the upper of the shoe. Thanks to this innovation, and more, Nike’s annual sales are up to 10 billion dollars! If you love technology, this is exactly what you need: in 2005,Adidas started to the market Adidas One, a smart shoe capable to compress and decompress its sole every four steps you make, controlled by a small computer which is able to automatically calculate algorithms and adjust the soles of the shoe! Trainers at present not only belong to the sporting world, but are invading street fashions all over the world, and many shoe brands are born beside the most popular ones. 

Vintage fashion is showing a revised model of the past; new sneakers suggest a retro taste, but they will never be out of fashion.

A Celestial Apotheosis

After the techno futuristic extravaganza that was the spring blockbuster,it's impossible to guess what new twists Alexander McQueen would come up with for his second show in the medieval palace of the Conciergerie in Paris. Where exactly eight years earlier he had dared bring a pack of real wolves.

Byzantine and medieval ecclesiastical and regal splendor, hints of an afterlife, couture finish with a touch of British provocation. So the latest breathtaking creations by Alexander McQueen appeared posthumously. An unfinished collection presented in private as requiem.Boldly sailing between past and future, with fashion, Alexander McQueen ended up landing in another dimension where the two meet.With the epitaph-like comment of the design studio: "Each piece is unique, as was he". 

Models having winged feet with angels sculpted into the heel

There is an angelic theme with wings and golden feathers that also transform themselves into a anarchic mohican crest on a bandaged head. Winged feet with angels sculpted into the heel in the manner of Grinling Gibbons. Gold splendour from the Empress Theodora and digital processing of paintings by great masters. 

Gold and embroidery and ankle-boots with angel sculpted in the heel. High collars like the stained glass windows of a cathedral.

A new silhouette for the skirt with cartridge folds, silk and brocade bustier with demonic-images digitally extrapolated from works of Bosch. "Angels from hell and prolific demons!", said one of the last messages sent by McQueen on Twitter.

Celestial symbolism for the finale, apotheosis of handwork with feathers covered with gold leaf one by one, and dove-white tulle dotted with embroidery. 

Truly the latest creations of the incomparable image maker, Alexander McQueen has written a page of history combining both Byzantine and medieval ecclesiastical and regal splendor.

Metal Polka Dots

To tiny metal “polka dots” to golden cones, they come in many shapes and sizes and had come a long way from a mere decoration

The Sex Pistols wearing Vivienne Westwood

The stud is a tiny metal, disc or square, used as an ornament on leather accessories, but also suits, shirts and trousers.They add instant flair to everything from jeans to sandals, and lend a slight edginess to even the fussiest of fabrics. They were first used in the seventies and they were associated with the punk movement, which saw the light in the States but thrived in the UK, especially in London, where various elements of the movement were in fact institutionalized.

Alexander Wang's Brass Studs Duffle Bag 

In the 70's and 80's studs were spiky ornaments that defined a deliberately tough look which was meant to shock society. Among the designers that used them  was Versace, who use studs to decorate suits and jackets which then became one of the symbols of his maison; and Alexander McQueen, who used various elements of the punk style in his ’95 and ’96 autumn/winter collections titled "Highland Rape". In the early 2000 other designers added studs to their collections, like the Chanel jacket decorated with small round silver studs, or the black leather belts that resembled a studded fabric. Alexander Wang created the Brass studs duffle, a bag that has become a cult item ever since it came out and it is now produced in various models with studs and different materials. But the real studs explosion was in the 2010/2011 season, when many designers brought on the catwalk not only some studded accessories, but also clothing.

Versace’s woman is a siren, 

with studs replacing the scales” 

The trend continued on the spring 2012 shows, where studs made an appearance on various items: Donatella Versace’s woman is “a siren in neoprene with studs replacing the scales”; and Valentino presented new versions of his famous Rockstud bags. For the studs, Shoes became the accessory where they create the most original effects, which reflect Westwood’s motto: “when in doubt, exaggerate”.