Zero + Maria Cornejo Tries To Break Through

Maria Cornejo is a designer from Chile that always seems just on the cusp of being the next "IT" designer.  She's a fantastic designer and she really has what it takes.  Or at least she does in my opinion.  I always like to watch her collections, hoping that she finally got over the last hump and is making dresses that will become cult items.  I think the world needs more designers that aren't American, Japanese or Western European and I think that she would help fill that void.  (maybe if I keep blogging about her someone will listen...)

Her Spring/Summer 2010 runway show really demonstrated why she's a fresh voice in fashion.  With this black dress, it appears that she's taking her draping sensibilities to a new level.  She reimagines the architectural/origami trends into something that is also soft and draped.  The side pockets are a less severe version of the ones that almost every designer is putting on their dresses, the kind that are meant to square off the hip and create a kind of art deco robot shape.  But, these pockets move and fall with the woman, still giving a new shape to the hips but in a way that is distinctly feminine.  I'm really curious about how the top of the dress looks when the model's arms are spread out and if the draped bust fabric moves with them.  While I'm generally not a fan of excessive fabric at the bust, this fabric is draped in so many directions that it doesn't seem to have saggy-boob syndrome.  That's hard to do.  The problem with this dress is that although it is nice, wearable and cute it isn't enough for Maria Cornejo to really step up and capture the fashion world's imagination and get to the next level.

In recent collections Maria Cornejo has also started including looks that aren't based on the draped sack dress concept.  She's starting to incorporated more seams and shapes and prints.  Let's face it--not everyone looks great in a sack dress.  That's why I really like this black and white dress from the SS 2010 runway show.  Its not a draped sack.  In fact...its kinda body-con.  It has seam detailing/structure, it is more shape-conscious and fitted and not a gather in sight.  I'm not sure how I feel about the black sash across the bust, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Maria is trying something else than her usual and she's taking risks.

I really hope that Maria Cornejo is able to finally take her work to the next level and really become an IT indie designer.  She's good, now she needs to create looks that achieve that cult status that makes women fight for her pieces.  I'm really looking forward to her next few collections!

Pictures from Style.

Chanel Accessories and The White Rabbit

With the release of Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, accessories with that theme are everywhere.  But, it isn't like its the first time that  such things have been available or popular.  I blogged about it in 2008 when I got my hands on the 2007 SS Printemps Chanel White Rabbit pin.  The thing is so overwhelmingly cute.  Its just adorable.  I bought it because when I was a teen I had a white rabbit as a pet and the pin reminded me of him.  Lately, whenever its left the house with me I get bombarded with "I want that, I need that and where can I get it?!"  I've been combing the net trying to find real ones for sale and I just haven't been able to do it.  I just can't find any to send to my friends so they'll quit plotting to steal mine.  But, I have had success with finding similar pieces!

One of my favorites is the White Concrete Rabbit by lulubugjewelry on Etsy.  Its high-grade silver with white concrete set into it and on a silver chain.  Its got the same cute vibe as the Chanel one, but instead of being a pin it is necklace.  I like it.  It looks like it would be fun to wear.  It is related to ALICE IN WONDERLAND, it isn't so clearly from it that it can't stand on its own.  I'm not a huge fan of the Disney Couture jewelry line and wearing referential pieces like this seems like a much better plan.  Once the hype of the movie is done and gone, no one's going to roll their eyes at this necklace.

Another favorite is the Silver Flying Rabbit from CosmicFirely.  Its so steampunk, I love it!  Okay, so "steampunk" is a style movement of stuff that is industrial looking combined with Victorian design elements.  So, like an alternate version of history where advanced technology is present in Victorian times.  A silver rabbit on flight wings is exactly that, plus being cheeky and fun.  Its not exactly ALICE IN WONDERLAND, but its got the white rabbit and the hype of the movie will die down but this pin will still be great to wear.  No one is going to point at it and ask "oh, you like the movie that just came out?", but instead "that's cute!  Tell me about it!"  Its not easy to find unusual pieces like this, so you'd probably also be the only person in the room with it.  Hey, a piece of jewelry that makes you smile is always in style.

Sure, finding the 2007 P Chanel White Rabbit pin may be pretty much impossible now, but there are similar options available.  While it ties in to a popular movie, the white rabbit is such a classic symbol (MATRIX, anyone?) that it won't go out of style any time soon.  And, its cute.  You can't beat cute.

Top picture is my own, other pictures are from Etsy

Narciss: An Emerging Talent

One of the most exciting things in fashion right now is that Eastern Europe is finally finding its feet in the fashion world.  Designers from all across former Soviet republics are starting to emerge are new voices and perspectives.  This is fantastic--the Eastern European sensibility towards clothing is refreshing and fairy tales seem to inspire so many of the new ideas.  (have I mentioned that I'm obsessed with fairy tales?)  One of the new designers that is really starting to make a mark is Narciss by Alise Trautmane.  

When did you start your label? When did you start designing or know that you wanted to be a fashion designer?

With an academic background in law and economics, there was every chance I would never been close to the catwalk.  However, after enjoying fast, successful career in business traveling half the world and with the enormous responsibility that the post of the Vice President embodies (at the age of 27), I left the asset management company I had been working for. During these years of my career the titles of the business card changed and the office space grew from mere cubicle to a spacious one, but the lack of satisfaction and creativity was making my life pretty dull. After the Fashion Design and Marketing course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London in 2008, and summer spent studying the craft at Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan I took off for a creative journey by establishing NARCISS.

How did you come to show at Russian Fashion Week for the last few seasons?

While working as business consultant in Moscow for almost almost two years I have travelled all over Russia, and am acquinted with the business culture and its specifics. Russia in an enormous market with great potential. Moreover, Russia is the biggest neighbour of my home country Latvia. Last, and not of least importance, Russian women are very involved in following the fashion trends and spend a lot of time and effort in taking care about their looks.

Russian Fashion week is the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe and ranks among top ten fashion weeks in the world according to the organizers. Moscow, as other big fashion metropolitans, has the spirit and dynamics necessary to become a true fashion capital in the future. This season, we will show Fall/ Winter 2010/2011 collection in Russian Fashion Week once again. We will also take part in Riga Fashion Week (in Latvia) with the show on 27 March.  Riga is an ideal place to work and create, but all the business potential and our PR efforts are focused first of all on Russia.

 What was the inspiration for your current collection?

Inspiration for SS2010 NARCISS collection GRACE:

I  derived the inspiration from the 50-ies movie legend and fashion icon Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly was not only a natural beauty and elegance, but also a sharp intellect. She showed how the seemingly incompatible can be combined both on the screen as well as in the private life. The SS2010  collection stresses the aspiration towards all that is natural, e.g. in the choice of materials and accessories, as well as towards the importance of fashion being comfortable. Although the collection is created for the always moving woman leading a busy life in the metropolis, nevertheless, the collection invites to move closer to the nature and seek a true harmony. As regards the fabrics of the collection, the glamorous silk is successfully combined with the more modest fabrics like linen. Accessories and trimmings are woven ropes, stone decorated traditional Latvian footwear pastalas and the jewelry made of semi-precious stone agate.

Inspiration for AW2010/ 2011 collection „LĀČPLĒSIS”

Lāčplēsis or "Bear-slayer" in English is the legendary hero of the 19th century Latvian epic. Lāčplēsis got his name after killing a bear by ripping its jaws apart with his hands. His strength was hidden in his ears, the ears of a bear, which represented the primeval forces of nature. 

According to the epic one of the principal tasks of Lāčplēsis was to fight the Black Knight. However, the outcome of the battle was inconclusive as both Lāčplēsis and his enemy fell in the river from a cliff and perished.

NARCISS turned the idea of the Latvian epic into the story of the heroine of our times who continues the fight with Black Knight, but this time it is not a physical but a spiritual fight. She embodies the strength and the wit of Lāčplēsis, but for her Lāčplēsis’ source of power – the ears of a bear – no longer embodies physical strength. Instead, it represents the ability to hear the voice of the heart and follow it. She is here to clear the minds of the people of ultra materialistic, individualistic and evil thoughts and propagate the spiritual knowledge and core human values.

Where are your pieces sold at and are you still based in Riga?

The design and production takes place in Riga, Latvia, which is a great location in terms of logistics (i.e. it is within European Union which give an easy access to other EU member states, as well as is neighbouring Russia, which is one of our main markets).

I, myself, spend one third of the time in Riga, the other third in Moscow, and the rest between London, Paris etc. With the AW2010/2011 collection we took part in the prestigious Pret-a-porter Paris trade show and currently the collection is in multi-label showroom AMAKA in London (www.amaka.co.uk ). This is our third collection, and with this collection we will try to explore the European market as well (with previous collections we only focused on Russia). 

Currently we sell in multi-brand boutiques in Latvia, Russia, Belgium and now are finalising orders for AW2010/2011, for which we hope we will expand our European client base.

What do you think is a must-have for this spring?

A dress with sheer details.  My favorite is the one pictured.  It is in keeping with Grace Kelly's aesthetics--its feminine, beautiful and smart.  Its graceful.  The color and the fabric are perfect for warmer weather while the cut makes women feel beautiful.  It is made of linen with silk charmeuse.

I'm always so excited to see new talent that seems like it is actually going somewhere and I think that Narciss falls into that category.  The clothes are wearable by just about any woman, they are interesting in their own right and they're pretty.  The dress that Alise recommends for spring is perfect.  I could see myself wearing it.  I really hope that the line starts to really expand across Europe so it becomes easier to find.  When a line in its first year gets picked up to show at one of the major fashion weeks of the world you know that its going to be something worth following.

Pictures from Narciss, special thanks to Alise for taking the time to be interviewed.

Have A Green Day With Terra Plana

I think the whole green movement thing is kind of cool.  I don't think it should matter what you think of global warming, instead the concept of living with less trash should be important.  Lots of trash seems like a real bother because, lets face it, trash sucks and no one wants to live in a pile of it.  One of the ways to have less trash is to buy things from recycled materials.  That's easy enough with recycled paper and such, but for fashion its a bit more difficult.

Okay, so it is a lot more difficult, especially if you don't want to wear some stranger's old clothes.  Trying to find cool reworked clothing is nearly impossible.  There's Libertine.  And, well, I can't think of anyone else.  But, for shoes there is Terra Plana.  They make footwear from recycled materials that doesn't look like a cut out from an old tire--imagine that!!!!  Their shoes actually look...fashionable.  One of my favorites is the Dionysia in grey.  It looks like an actual fashion item.  Not only does it not scream "OMG, look at me, I'm such a hippie!" but it is made of vegetable-dyed leather, eco-friendly memory foam, and a sole made out of recycled materials.  That's cool.  You could actually wear these out of the house and feel super stylin' while knowing that your shoes are not making the world more full of trash.  Awesome.

Another one of my favorite pairs is the Melito.  I actively want this shoe.  It has a covered front platform, stitching details, a stacked heel and a really cool print.  Turns out the print fabric portion is made out of old quilts from Pakistan.  Yes, really.  Traditional Pakistani quilts.  That's awesome.  Its pretty, fits with current tribal-inspired trends and is so unique looking but in an awesome way.  The kind of way where strangers stop you in the street and ask about your shoes because they want some too.  Plus, they have memory-foam insoles, so I suspect they're comfortable.  Not bad.

The only problem I see with these shoes is that for some reason they don't carry alternate-width shoes.  Someday, when sustainable shoes become more popular my wish is that they carry "narrow."  Until then I get to live vicariously through pictures.

Pictures from Terra Plana

You may also be interested in my post about another green designer, Deborah Lindquist

Marimekko And The Dress Of Many Colors

I have no idea why, but I'm obsessed with wearing print.  I own almost no solid colored clothing--I just poked my head in my closet and I literally only have 4 solid colored dresses.  If something is solid colored I usually have it just because I've got some outlandish print something and needed something to wear with it.  The problem with liking print so much is that good prints are hard to find.  It seems like most print fabric designers make stuff out of is an absolute snooze.  Stuff like polka dots and maybe some boring vintage-inspired flowers.  And then there is Marimekko.

Marimekko is a textile company based in Finland.  They started in 1951 as a clothing fabric maker and they started making simple dresses out of the fabric to show how it could be used.  These simple dresses became an absolute sensation in the 1960s starting when Jackie Kennedy started wearing them.  From then on, the vibrant prints became a clothing staple and companies the world over have attempted to emulate them.  Several companies have had long-standing partnerships with Marimekko, like Crate & Barrel and FinnAir.  In the 1980s and 1990s the company ran into financial trouble but was revived.  What really put it back on the map was Patricia Field started using Marimekko items in SEX AND THE CITY and so for the last 10 years Marimekko has once again become a household name and the rest is history!

And, I'm hooked on their prints.  While they do release dresses for Anthropologie, they also still have their own in-house fashion line that they still use to showcase their fabrics.  My favorite dress that they have available right now is the Tamir dress in black and white. The print is quintessential Marimekko--its got the folk art inspired print against a solid contrasting background.  Its classic, modern and cool looking.  The cut of the dress is great--it gives a flattering shape, is appropriate for pretty much everyone and is stylish.  I love the neck, that vintage style standing collar is fantastic.  Its a print dress that anyone could wear without looking like their grandparents drapes or like a snoozefest.  Love it!!

Marimekko still makes their fabrics for commercial and consumer use and in all kinds of prints.  Two of my favorite ones that are available right now are the Keisarinna Collection pictured above and the Kissanminttu Collection pictured below.  What I love is that they are classic looking florals reinterpreted in such a way to make them look unconventional.  Perfect for this spring!

Pictures from Marimekko

Body-Con Trend: It's Everywhere, Man!

Ever since I blogged about the body-con trend the other day, I keep noticing it everywhere!  This trend seems to be going in full-force for the next few seasons.  That's not a bad thing, as I consider it to be the exact opposite of looking like a dumpy bag lady.  These looks take effort--you've gotta either find some spanx or go to the gym a bunch.  You can't hide your shape with this trend, so it kinda surprises me that so many women are embracing it.  I don't know why, but it always seems to me that most women are trying to hide their shape, so it is refreshing that so many women are willing to actually show their shape.

I've noticed that most of the body-con looks seem to be made of knit fabric.  For instance, the Catherine Malandrino knit dress pictured is a kind of open-weave knit with a slip under.  What makes this particular dress really stand out is the knit--while most of the other dresses in this trend are knit too, this one has some serious texture going!  Its that extra element that really takes it from being just another cream colored body-con dress to being beyond the trend and a beautiful dress.  It looks like it isn't made just to satisfy the trend, but also to be a beautiful dress that is worth wearing.  One of the problems that I see with a lot of the body-con looks is that they look like they were specifically put together so that people can point at them and say "oh, that's Body-Con!  You're participating in the latest trend!" instead of making women look like they're dressed in a flattering, beautiful dress.



One of the over-arching themes in the body-con trend appears to be color-blocking.  For some reason, there doesn't seem to be a lot of looks made out of print fabric.  I have no idea why that is, but it seems to be the case.  Purposeful color-blocking is okay, I mean its good and basic and you aren't taking huge risks.  But, it gets a bit boring.  But, the reason that I really like this body-con Zac Posen monochrome color block dress is because while it is color-blocked, it is INTERESTING!!  It has shapes, details, stitching, things to look at other than large blobs of a single color!  I love it!  It looks like it would be very flattering on most shapes--the two little white triangles that point down and in at the waist seem to create an optical illusion slimming effect.  They give the eye something to do and make the woman look like something other than a box.  This dress actually makes me excited about body-con and color blocking!  Love it!

Pictures from Net-A-Porter

Thank The Heavens for Diane von Furstenberg!

I'm so tired of winter that I'm just not excited about all of the 2010 AW collections that have come out lately.  Thinking about them is a reminder that after 5 months of unpleasant cold it is now time to think about more unpleasant cold.  Blah.  Instead, its that time of year where I think most of us are looking out the window and thinking to ourselves "OMG, I MUST buy a new dress!!  Its almost the time of year where I get to wear cute stuff and be comfortable and this must be celebrated!"

Yes, indeed.  I just want to buy a cute, comfortable print dress that I can wear to work.  It needs to be flattering and I want it to be colorful.  Yet, it feels like every time I browse around to try and find something like that I fail--why is it that most designers are making solid and usually neutral colored dresses?  I don't want something solid, I don't want ruffles, I don't want a mini and I don't want sequins.  I want something normal.  I feel like the Princess and the Pea!  I was browsing around in my closet with a friend the other day and she pointed out that I must really like Diane von Furstenberg because I have tons of her dresses.  I've never really thought about it before, but it is true.  I LOVE DvF.  Pictured are my DvF dresses that aren't at the cleaners, that's a pretty good amount of stuff to have by just one designer.  The reason why I have so much of her stuff is simple.  She makes nice, normal, flattering dresses that I can wear to work and that's what I really want.  

After I thought about that, the dress that I want to buy now that I've got the spring shopping itch is quite straight forward. I want a print DvF wrap dress.  I've settled on the DvF Herringbone Wrap Dress--its flattering, work-friendly and the print makes me smile.  A close second is the Julian Leaf Print Dress for the exact same reason--its cute, flattering and I could wear it to work and feel great about it.  These dresses create a top, middle and bottom like Tim Gunn always stresses, they give you a defined waist, they're not boring and they are appropriate to wear to an office.  Home run!

 What I can't figure out is why Diane von Furstenberg is the only designer that really seems to get my memos I constantly send out asking "could you please make me a nice print dress I can wear while I sit at my desk?"  If you look at all of the high-profile designers that are always floundering, the one thing that they're always missing is a few dresses that their clients can buy and wear regularly.  Not everyone goes to parties everyday but most women need a normal, cute dress to leave the house in.  It isn't rocket science, folks.  And, it isn't a wonder that DvF reopened her studio--this is what women really want.

Top picture is my own and the other two are from Saks