Fashion Matters

In these confusing and challenging times, especially being a woman, it was most uplifting to go and see the photo exhibition ” Diverse Beauty ” this weekend.

The exhibition gave you a sneak preview of a coffee table book, of the same title, which the fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski recently launched.

His book applauds the beauty of women, no matter who they are or where they come from. For him, beauty comes in different shapes, sizes, colours and looks. As a model.

Whether you’re Black, White, Asian, Latino etc., whatever your age or religion is.

Your beauty inside will bring the best out of you. It’s a delight to flip through and see all those different women looking happy and relaxed in front of his camera. You can sense his respectful approach towards women in his fashion images. He made sure that all types of women were respected : Lesbian, Transgender, Albino, Ginger, Plus-size, Androgyn and Edgy.

Of course, it’s also sending a message out to the fashion world, his employer. In the introduction of the book, we read :

” I decided that I wanted to make a body of work that represented a more realistic spectrum of beauty than what the fashion industry typically presents to us. ”

I think this is very well put. He really wants to celebrate every type of beauty and I embrace this. It also makes you feel proud and united with the diversity of our female society.

Furthermore, casting agents and fashion houses should pick this up for their upcoming photo shoots and runway shows.We, the editor, the customer, the seller or the buyer will feel more naturally and realistically connected to the clothes when worn by pure beauty female models, each with their proper identity.

With the pictures in the post, I want to illustrate this. I choose my favourite ones.

You only can enjoy this book. It’s available on Amazon and all proceeds go to concernworldwide.com, another beautiful cause.

I’m grateful to Mr Lubomirski as he shared his views on ” Diverse Beauty ” with us.

May more follow.

To be continued.

TeDe

As winter is approching outside, which makes me stay more inside , it’s that time of the year to finish that frustrating pile of books still to read.

I hit off with Garance Dore’s first book launched in October.
Something new, vivid, human, lovely, and I have to say it was a delight to read !

It’s refreshing to read how it all started for her; her late teens, stepping into the fashion world, starting her blog , the ups and downs love stories , discovering NY, leaving Paris .
Its all explained in a very honest way for us,the reader.
I love the way she observed and discovered herself over all those years !
We all can learn from her ” fashion faux pas ” !
So we can find what suits us, for being elegantly ourselves, the clothes that will fit our personality , the make-up we choose ,  enjoying food & family-friends quality time , putting the right energy in the  right job.
Her advice, tips and comments are useful guidelines to feel  and accept ourselves the way we are.
All nicely documented with her gracefull illustrations and quotes.
Merci Garance !
If you ask me, I think this book is perfect festive reading, so put it on your wishlist or give to someone special this time of year.

To be continued.
TeDe.

They did it again.

The latest H&M collab with Balmain, or should I say Olivier Rousteing, took place last Thursday the 5 th of Nov.
If you haven’t noticed, you were on another planet.
Because they kept us repeating (remembering) the ‘save the date ‘ through any form of ( social) media.
Welcome to the ‘ Balmaination ‘ as Olivier Rousteing liked to put it.
With the familiar faces of Jourdan Dunn, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner who danced tot the music in the video.They even created their own movements.

Very cleverly done, a marketeer would say.

And then (fashion) reality hit.
We  all know we have to queue  , sometimes for hours and a night, take the day off, catch a plane , and be extremely patient to get that one-particular-affordable item or more.
I’ve  been there, done it before and the sense of solidarity in the queue club is huge .
So if then shortly before opening time, two gangs think they can skip the queue in Regent Street ,London, to get in on time, something is very wrong.

H&M did not open their doors at 9 and the police had to come…
Safety for staff and customers comes first, right but what wil/can H&M do when   it happens again next time ?
And what do we think about those customers leaving with soo (too) many bags one person can hardly carry ?
Hoping that the customers waiting for their time slot ,  still will be able to buy their favourite   Item of the collection ? If not sold out yet.
Should they put a maximum of items per Person ?
And for those who didn’t make it , and those who got frustrated with the internet crash, within minutes they still had a (last) chance on E -Bay .
Remember those with soo many bags .
I even heard that somebody was selling her/his items just around the corner , three times the actual price  !
What could/would H&M do with that ?
Nothing I suppose ; when you offer business, you create business on the side.
People love to buy and sell  .its the game of profit, getting something  out of it.
Because after all, I still think it’s a great concept they started years ago .
The bottom line is  , H&M wants their clients to be able to buy, afford that  particular. piece of a high fashion designer that otherwise for most of us not reachable is in life !

It will always be a unique  opportunity for us Fashionistas, with all the necessary challenges involved !

To be continued.
TeDe.

“The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart. ”

Well I can tell you, Audrey H , a true beauty, always opened her heart to us !

As I was strolling through her exhibition ” Audrey Hepburn : Portraits of an Icon ” at the National Portrait Gallery in London, it felt like walking through her life : born a young  girl in Belgium, trying to survive as a teenager with her aristocratic mother in the Netherlands, experiencing that last harsh winter of hunger before the Second World War ended , arriving in London for her first stage experience in ” Petite Sauce Tartare “, moving on to New York for ” Gigi ” at the Fulton Theatre…
And then her chapter of films we have watched again and again from ” Roman Holiday ” over ” Sabrina “, ” War and Peace “, and “Funny Face ” to the iconic ” Breakfast at Tiffany’s “.

As everybody started to discover her,  she flanked many (fashion) magazine covers and became the eternal muse for Hubert de Givenchy.
There’s only one recurring theme through her life as an actress, as a model and a Goodwill Ambassador  For UNICEF :
She was one of the purest, most stylish,  elegant women we ever knew !

Her gamine look , those gazelle-like eyes , her pure posture, healthy and sincere smile and her simple, respectful attitude towards life made her unique !
Natalia Vodianova – Supernova described her perfectly :
“She shone without out-shining others- a humble , fragile beauty who put people at ease.”
I think that’s the fundamental reason why we all love and adore her and maybe want to be like her. She will always be the example for femininity  in such an attractive way to all of us.

“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible!”

Audrey Hepburn

To be continued.
TeDe.

We had an early bird challenge today…but we knew it was going to be worth( every penny)it!Madame Marant was on today at H&M;very attractive collab.Once we got to Kens H Str at 7 am,the queue was to oversee.About 30 of us ( merely female)were patiently waiting with an exciting,modest smile on our face expressing we’re all in the same boat.Wet soy lattes in our hands to wake up and to stay warm,at about 8 we received a coloured wristband indicating our time slot.They opened the doors at 9 and we were allowed in at 9:30.Disappointment for my copine as she had( also,as one does)a working day ahead of her..Not to worry, I was going to do a double concentrated action in only 10 min time to fulfilhers and my wishlist??!!I love a fashion challenge like this and as I had her garderobe with the right sizes in my head,followed by mine,in no particular order,I was gonna go for it!!Our green group was about 20 of us and smoothly Mr bouncer(wearing the cheap appropriate suit for the occasion)let us in the reserved shop area.lots of H&M girls there to help us find the right sizes,models,colours,etc…as we didn’t have enough time to stroll sufficiently.I felt like father Xmas when I found my copine’s leather trousers in a very attractive red and cool black ,her fluffy jumper for sis and the dark grey boyish sweater.Tick it off.I also will have to send a very nice ‘thank you ‘ letter to Santa Claus  as in my basket I found everything  I cherished ;my six pack boyfriend cut coat dotted in white and black ,my jogging track very wearable even if you’re not doing a workout, my creamy cigarette sideways cowboy print pants and her so wearable organic cotton turned over sleeves T-Shirts. And more stock kept on arriving,the racks were never empty.Yes,mission accomplished!!Everyone could def find smth in this’ a la carte’presentation;the flower power dresses with a modern twist,her so recognisable print in trousers ,T-shirts,tops, jumpers and funky  jewellery to finish.I didnt  find her’pick me up’boots with the spiky heels,anymore that might have been the sell out record Nr 1…I left the store with 2mega Canvas shopping bags(great beach bag by the way) , listening to Daft Punks ” get lucky” at the back of my mind  ,realising that I wasn’t the only lucky bunny today!Merci Isa M!

to be continued.
TeDe

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” Fashion is dangerous territory, because it talks about yourself, and it’s very intimate.

it talks about body, the intellect.Flesh.Psychology.
it contains so much about what it is to be a human being.”
> Miuccia Prada in an interview for the UK Times Magazine with Sarah Mower.
Milan, 21.04.2012

To Be Continued
TeDe