Bulletproof Stilettos by WILLIAM MG

Damir Doma, Next level.

2011-08-02T15:45:00.001+02:00

Damir Doma's universe is currently taking a whole new dimension.

From new comer from Eastern Europe to internationally aknowledged designer, there's one huge step that Damir Doma crossed with a blinding success.

Mens SS12 and Women FW11 are his most achieved collections to date, both grown up and daring.

Even though the beautiful, though discreet showroom in the Haut Marais closed in July, a new shop will open this Fall 54 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, in a backyard of course, and a flagship will open in the new building of Paper Rain, which will also be the home to Damir's workshop.

Meanwhile, a pop-up shop, opened in partnership with the talented Armand Hadida, owner of L'éclaireur, will be the temporary house for the Fall Winter collection.

So proud and happy for Damir Doma!

DAMIR DOMA x L'ECLAIREUR

July - December 2011

40 Rue de Sévigné 75003 Paris

Villa Savoye, Part 2: Interiors, Colors

2011-07-13T00:06:00.000+02:00

View Part One here.

Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier, Paris, July 2011.

Villa Savoye, Part 1: Interiors

2011-07-10T15:34:00.000+02:00

Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier, Paris, July 2011.

The Passenger of the Summer Breeze

2011-06-29T14:47:00.000+02:00

Paris, Quai Branly, 2011.

Thrashin

2011-06-27T14:26:00.001+02:00

RICK OWENS F_W 2011/12

2011-03-05T10:46:00.000+01:00

Balmain Love

2011-02-14T20:14:00.000+01:00

In this time of body (dys)morphia, of modifying,altering,transforming,hiding,exaggerating parts (or the whole) of the human, Balmain is, like Rick Owens, one of my favorite brands. The extra large padded shoulders, the shortness and the asymmetry of their jackets is absolutely beautiful.

Love Balmain.

Rick Owens F/W 2011

2011-01-20T16:41:00.000+01:00

Rick Owens is, every season - men or women - the most amazing show of Paris Fashion Week.

Rick Owens Fall Winter 2011/2012 is no exception and was absolutely amazing.

Breathe, Live and Love Rick Owens & Michele Lamy.

---

The Shoes.

2011-01-18T19:44:00.001+01:00

Perfection.

Rick Owens SS 2011.

January: State of Mind

2011-01-05T11:10:00.000+01:00

Favorite item : Givenchy Pandora bag

Amazing leather. Light as feather. No "G" logo all over the bag handles. Enough said.

Favorite book : Allure by Diana Vreeland and Christopher Hemphill

Beautiful book, really inspiring photos, carefully curated by one of the most talented woman of the 20th century.

Favorite art movement: Orientalist art

Winter months always make me think of warmer ones...

From Delacroix to Kandinsky, Orientalism in Europe

Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels

Until January 9th, then in Munich.

Favorite Accessory: Gavilane jewelry

Gavilane, based in the Marais, might well be the only designer who still creates all his pieces in Paris.

He used to work for Christian Lacroix, but he's also a musician.

His jewelry is all made of Swarovski crystals, and it's truly amazing.

Favorite Place: Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo

*sight*

The Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo is the kind of places where you feel just right. Once you're inside, it feels like time has stopped in the 1930s, everyone is polite and elegantly dressed (from fur coats to Hermes' Birkin) for pre dinner drinks.

Monte Carlo is a place out of time, where everyone is safe & secure, there's almost no criminality, and every sidewalk is immaculate.

* *

Happy 2011!

. . .

2010-12-24T15:16:00.000+01:00

Versailles.

2010-12-09T23:56:00.000+01:00

Exaltation & Celebration: Viktor & Rolf

2010-11-15T13:14:00.000+01:00

Viktor & Rolf FW 2010 shoes are absolutely mind-blowing. If I had to choose shoes for this Fall/Winter 2010 these wedge boots would be the ones and only.

Black, plain, pure and sophisticated, they're perfect.

Available online from La Garçonne

Japanese Influence

2010-11-07T12:28:00.000+01:00

The exhibition currently taking place in Paris at the Japan Foundation for Art & Culture in Paris is, even though quite small, really inspiring. Most of the pieces come from Tokyo's National Museum of Modern Art, but if you happen to be in Paris before December 23rd, go see it.

The kimonos and the patterns painted on the pieces exposed are definitely refreshing, compared to occidental Art Déco, which is abundantly ornamented -- and consequently redundant and heavy.

Here are a few sketches that were inspired by the exhibition.

Maison La Roche

2010-11-03T11:17:00.002+01:00

"The Man (this man, standing in front of me, with his own dimensions, feelings, and affectivity) is at a table, looking at the objects surrounding him: furniture, carpet, curtains, paintings or photographs, and many stuffs which have a peculiar meaning to him.

Illuminated by a lamp, or by the sunlight coming through the window, dividing the shadow from the light, putting up these two extremities which have a lot of impact on our body and our mind: the Light and the Dark."

- Le Corbusier, The Construction of Dwellings, 1943.

_______________

Maison La Roche

Architect: Le Corbusier

FIAC 2010

2010-10-31T17:33:00.000+01:00

The FIAC this year was really one of the best so far.

With the opening of Gagosian in Paris last month, I hope the city is gonna get a little more interesting in the contemporary art field...

Here are some of my favorites artworks from this year. For more, check out my post on LURVE's tumblr.

Yayoi Kusama

Roy Lichtenstein

Farhad Moshiri

Moments.

2010-10-14T22:37:00.000+02:00

Rick Owens hooded sweater.

More photos on Tumblr.

DAMIR DOMA, king in his kingdom.

2010-10-10T19:29:00.000+02:00

Damir Doma is now famous as a menswear designer. His first womens collection, shown last season, was an exciting preview of his creative capacity.

This second womens collection was a graceful slip towards a more feminine look (high heels, proportions of the jackets, mid-thigh skirts), but nonetheless more poetical than ever.

Damir Doma is a king in the kingdom he created, a place where everything is cautiously balanced, peaceful, smooth, precise and elegant.

The Empire Yellow was unexpectedly delightful and the all the shades of green were wonderfully chosen.

Damir Doma keeps amazing me one season after another!

Photos: Marcus Tondo

Rick Owens S/S 2011

2010-10-02T11:51:00.001+02:00

Rick Owens gave the best of himself for this Spring Summer 2011 collection.

He went far beyond any influence you could think of and produced something different, new, brighter -- and yet very Rick Owens.

The white shades were not too bright - think ghost white - and the green - Cal Poly Pomona green - was a perfect choice.
And who could embody those elongated silouhettes better than the awesome Karlie Kloss...?

Rick Owens moves season after season toward something unseen and original, beautiful and magnetic.

Imitated by a lot of designers -- there's no doubt this collection will, once again, inspire a lot of them -- but no one will never reach that perfect symbiosis between creation and commerciality.

BOOKMARC

2010-09-19T12:33:00.000+02:00

The new BOOKMARC Store by Marc Jacobs, in the West Village, NYC, is now officially one of my favorite bookstore.

The choice of books -- from old, out of print essays to fascinating illustration books -- is, even though limited by the small surface of the shop, carefully curated and such a pleasure to browse through that anytime you go there, you find yourself buying something -- Sometimes only for the elegantly aged cover of a vintage book.

The branding of the store is also meticulously studied, in a way that made me think of my favorite advert-media agency, Winkreative.

The shopping bag is actually an envelope...!

Located on Bleecker Street, in the former Biography Bookshop facing Magnolia Bakery.

RAD HOURANI SS11

2010-09-13T23:29:00.000+02:00

Rad by Rad Hourani and Rad Hourani S pring Summer 2011 show, at the Milk Studios and streamed online, was of the kind of show that reminds me why I love fashion.

I venerate Rad Hourani's capacity to create a pure, beautiful, sculpturesque aesthetic.

The lines of the clothes -- and the accessories as well -- are some of the most exquisite I've ever seen.

Rad Hourani creates unpolluted garments - unpolluted by our milieu, by the current ambiance, and the common triviality.

He shapes a new beauty from emptiness; develops a new gender; questions the lowest foundation.

That is a kind of genius a very limited amount of people are gifted with.

RADHOURANI.COM

FASHIONARY!

2010-09-09T20:30:00.000+02:00

Fashionary sketchbooks were launched a few months ago and it's been a huge success. They're sold at Colette since the first edition, and they introduced their second one a few weeks ago along with a mens version!

Hard work pays off and this second edition is even better than the first one.

I really love all the visual dictionary, displaying every shape of shoes, trousers, sleeves, or fabrics one could think of.

The other thing I really appreciate is that the templates are barely visible: it can be used as a simple, blank page if you don't have any other sketchbook within reach.

Also make sure to check out their website, which is incredibly resourceful.

Congrats Penter, Ronnie, Karmuel and Vikkie Yau for all the ideas you had and the great way you managed them!

And look at those stamps coming directly from Hong-Kong... Sweet!

FASHIONARY

Available at Colette, and online.

Favorite Covers

2010-08-26T13:51:00.000+02:00

Here's a quite different post, showing my favorite covers from upcoming Fall magazines, designed more like a magazine than a simple post with plain text and clickable links.

Do share your thoughts!

__________

Numero China #1

Choosing to display Chinese model Liu Wen for the launch of their first issue in China is genius.

Who wants another Kate Moss cover anyway? Adapt to your market.

W Magazine September 2010

I love that cover particularly amongst the 3 other.

The hair of Jessica Chastain look beautiful, and the colors warm grey-black-red are perfect together.

The typography of the new logo is also amazing -- probably some kind of Bodoni font.

Vogue Nippon October 2010

Even though the cover is (over)loaded with text, the colors are pretty nice together, and the Dior dress worn by Zimmermann is exactly what one would expect from this autumn (logical when you know it's from F/W 2010-11).

LOVE #4

LOVE "collectible" covers were all beautifully shot by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, with an ironic/funny twist on each of them.

I really enjoy Buela doll and the Lauren Hutton covers, in those grey and pink shades.

By the way, I L*O*V*E their website, check it out! (and you know how important a website is today, especially for printed publications...)

http://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/

__________

Download the high-resolution PDF

__________

Favorite: Songzio S/S 2011

2010-08-12T21:52:00.000+02:00

Seoul-based designer Songzio's garments are always a real achievement.

The blurred, thin silhouette created by the jackets and shirts is scattered with perfectly cut trousers.

The most difficult thing about Spring / Summer is colors -- often too bright -- or -- worse -- the lack of colors (white is no color... But don't get me wrong, Black is a color...! ).

Songzio succeeds in coloring his designs in a perfect camel/beige shade, and even in inserting black sometimes.

Available at OAK NY.

Fashion Moment: Kenzo Mens S/S 2011

2010-08-11T22:27:00.001+02:00

Kenzo Mens Spring/Summer 2011 was one of the best show of the season -- it reached perfection from the invitations, beautifully designed travel diaries, to the models, featuring actress Joana Preiss; and the Fifties/japanese inspirations.

Congrats Antonio Marras!

August Favorites

2010-08-05T16:37:00.000+02:00

1. New-York City

I'll be in town from September 3rd... See you there!

2. Fall 2010 Ad Campaigns

Yves Saint Laurent - Daria Werbowy by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Hermes - Constance Jablonski by Paolo Roversi

Stella McCartney - Natalia Vodianova by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Fall/Winter collections and ad campaigns are always - always - my favorites.

3. Jan Van Eyck & Frederic Edwin Church

The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck, 1434, National Gallery London.

Look at the details of the dress, on the right... Genius.

Aurora Borealis by Frederic Edwin Church, 1865, Smithsonian American Art Museum Washington DC.

4. Philipp Klinger's photos

New York City by Philipp Klinger.

Beautiful colors and street scenes. Make sure to check out his portfolio.

Fragments of Monaco

2010-07-30T23:50:00.000+02:00

Even though the shopping on the French riviera is more or less identical in every city, from Saint Tropez to Nice -- i.e. LVMH & PPR & LVMH & PPR -- Monaco still has a little something more that makes the city shinier and more enjoyable than anything else on the french Riviera.

And make sure to check Damien Hirst's Cornucopia exhibition -- a must see this summer.

Cartier

Chanel

Lanvin

Celine

Gucci

A few sketches . . .

2010-07-26T23:04:00.000+02:00

Here are some sketches I've done in the last weeks, at different airports, hotels in Germany, Italy, UK, and cafés...

Soundtrack:

Have a great week!

W.

Vika Gazinskaya's Russian Winter

2010-07-26T11:55:00.000+02:00

Vika Gazinskaya (Courtesy of CitizenCouture.com)

Russian designer Vika Gazinskaya is one of my favorite designer for this Fall/Winter 2010-11.

Her clothes are inspired by the works of Rem Koolhaas, Alberto Giacometti, Konstantin Melnikov and Cristobal Balenciaga. In a nutshell, the best artists from the art, architecture and fashion world.

So it's no surprise that her latest collection -- which has the quality of a Haute Couture parisian house -- is a real gem.

Available at Colette.

Berlin Bits & Bobs

2010-07-19T10:46:00.000+02:00

Berlin is definitely an interesting city, and, as tough as the city looks at first sights - it requires a lot to be appreciated at its real value - after a week wandering through the city, you start to feel how things work there.

The most enjoyable thing there, to my mind, is the architecture, which seems to be one of the most creative in Europe as it is not really restricted.

Subway wall.

Painted wall.

The Hamburger Bahnhof Museum...

I was rather disappointed by the artworks chosen for the temporary exhibition.

Romero Britto at the Mensing Gallery.

The lovely restaurant 1900 located in the Prenzlauer Berg.

A bag in the park, Episode 2... In the Tiergarten this time.

Berlin Architecture

2010-07-16T14:52:00.002+02:00

What Makes Summer

2010-07-16T10:21:00.001+02:00

What makes Summer feel like "Summer"?

First of all, finding the right sunglasses...

Which is no easy task: Would you rather choose fashionable ones or classic sunglasses...?

The RayBan Wayfarer, even though we've seen it a lot, seem to suit my mood nowadays. Black, quite discrete,...

Nonetheless, the Prada Postcard sunglasses are my second favorites this season.

Classic and fashion, all the same eventually...

The Devout Manner of Making the Right Pair of Shoes

2010-07-13T22:50:00.002+02:00

When I was in London, I saw some of the most amazing shoes in a pop-up store near Carnaby Street that was unfortunately just closing down...

The photos speak for themselves, the shoes are really beautiful, original, and... Attractive!

Stephane Rolland Couture Fall 2011

2010-07-08T10:18:00.000+02:00

Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall 2011 is just too perfect for words.

First of all, even though it might sound strange, it definitely looks and feels like a winter collection. So many Couture shows just looked like... Spring ready to wear.

Then, the quality of the fabrics is beyond -- photos don't make it justice.

The dresses, the colors, and even the shoes were magical.

Congratulations to Stephane Rolland for that.

Can you imagine if this winter, in an all-white Paris, everyone wore those dresses? That would be worthy of any fairytale.

Architecture Resonance

2010-07-05T14:24:00.000+02:00

London is one of my favorite city, architecture-wise as well.

It is daring, modern and yet it respects perfectly its inheritance from the past.

If you love architecture, I can only recommend you to read the amazing The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs, it is fascinating.

___

The Great London Food Post

2010-07-04T10:57:00.000+02:00

London is, like New York, a place where original, fresh restaurants and mass or high-end fast food services are greatly developed.

London has some of the most amazing vegetarian restaurants, and the cakes' decorations are to die for . . .

Now, that is an addictive city.

Leon is one of my favorite "eat fast, fresh and light" stop in London.

Saf is one of the best vegan restaurant in London.

Itsu, a great japanese fast food chain. Veggie sushi!

London Bits & Bobs

2010-07-03T11:06:00.000+02:00

Liberty Of London

Grace Kelly Style Icon, Victoria & Albert Museum

A Vuitton bag wandering through Hyde Park. . .

A lot more to come. . . Stay tuned!

Architects Build Small Spaces

2010-07-02T14:57:00.000+02:00

What, where and for how long is something "home"?

What is it made of?

Where is Individuality in a community and why is individuality a kind of community in itself?

To what extent is architecture limited to a physical building?

Quality VS. quantity?

"In order to enhance a fully embodied experience of architecture, beyond the mere concerns of ‘visual likeness’, one has to be concerned with the true presence of architecture—the complex wired experience of visual, tactile, olfactory and aural stimuli" - Federica Goffi

* * *

1:1 ARCHITECTS BUILD SMALL SPACES at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Until August 30th.

In-Between Architecture by Studio Mumbai Architects

Beetle's House by Sou Fujimoto Architects

Ratatosk by Helen & Hard Architects

Damir Doma S/S 2011

2010-06-27T19:42:00.005+02:00

Pantheon, near the place where the show took place.

Damir Doma Spring / Summer 2011 colletion is flawless.

I think he nearly reached perfection in its doing something totally different, poetical, lyrical, impeccable.

This collection was an assertion of its genius -- and a confirmation of his commercial viability as well.

Rad Hourani Tranclassic

2010-06-27T17:32:00.000+02:00

I love Rad Hourani's clothes. His vision is truly original and amazing.

Unfortunately the shoes are not exposed...

Galerie Joyce Paris

Until July 22nd.

Juun J. Spring / Summer 2011

2010-06-26T22:52:00.003+02:00

I'm always amazed by Juun J. designer's capacity to make something different with almost nothing new.

Maybe it comes from his korean origins and/or education at ESMOD Korea, but I feel that Julius is on its way to become really important -- a move that could be helped thanks to some less expensive pieces than the runway collection (think Rick Owens' Drk Shdw).

Milan Mens Spring 2011: Favorites

2010-06-21T10:41:00.001+02:00

1 . BURBERRY

I was totally amazed by Burberry's show. The leather jackets are perfect, the leather trousers are amazing.

2 . PRADA

Surprisingly Miuccia's collection was one of the best so far.

All the collars results of a redesign of the traditional ones, and it looks really modern.

And, obviously, the skirts!

3 . ALEXANDER MCQUEEN by Sarah Burton

I am really glad that Sarah Burton took the creative head of the brand.
She's an incredible artist, and follows McQueen's flawless spectacular designs.
Congrats.

The Considered Ensemble

2010-06-20T14:04:00.000+02:00

I was contacted by the website The Considered Ensemble last week.

To be honest I did not know it, but gave it a look, and I thought it was pretty interesting: Today, there are thousands of streetstyle blogs, and the text is often let apart.

The Considered Ensemble chose to create a fashion website totally focused on text.

It is made of "textual photographs"...

Here's mine, and, whether we like the concept or not, it is always interesting to see different ideas popping on the web.

_____

What I am doing:

Working on a cold June afternoon at the Rose Bakery remembering the why and how of an outfit for The Considered Ensemble.

What I was wearing:

Back in february, the days were short, the weather chilling and the sky had the shade of a black black bird not brushed by the sun since several months. That was the very first morning of a week of excitement, emotions and beauty: this morning was the beginning of mens fashion week Fall 2011 in Paris.

The first show I attended this season was based in a garage in the hip and arty neighbourhood Le Marais, and was given by a Japanese designer. I love fashion, but I love it even better when it is thought after and not in the immediate consumption: my passion for modern architecture, which I had the time to enhance during these long winter days, lead me to like structured garments, making a long a thin looking silouhette.

I chose a top both architectural and blurry by KAI AAKMANN.

It was a black cape, in cotton and wool. They say that Parisians love black. I must say this is one of the few sayings that is still true.

I put on black slim jeans by MARC JACOBS – don’t get me wrong, the brand did not made me buy those trousers.

It was rather that specific look the cotton had – unusually tightened. As much as I love new designers, much more daring than the established Parisian houses, I enjoy having some timeless – and yet modern looking – pieces.

I decided to accessorise the clothes with a black and silver HERMES Kelly bracelet.

Eventually, let’s be honest and practical: Big bags are too large to be carried at shows, however I had to carry many show tickets for that day.

I chose an YVES SAINT LAURENT black pouch from Fall 2010. However I carried it by the top… Not by the wrist strap, that I hid into the bag.

Boots, black boots, then I was ready to go.

As I arrived to the garage for the show, the wind was blowing, and I loved that feeling the KAI AAKMANN jacket gave me, that of a perfect unity between the concrete, harsh environment that was the courtyard in front of the garage, the wind and the urban landscape.

Paris, February 2010.

Firenze 4Ever . . .

2010-06-16T21:12:00.001+02:00

I thought my last message about Florence would be a good way to end my LuisaViaRoma posts, but looking once again at all my photos from this amazing week, I found a few ones I really liked and haven't posted yet...

So there you are; consider it as a "LuisaViaRoma Bonus"!

David Koma - can't get those dresses out of my mind!

Etro

LuisaViaRoma : The Shooting

2010-06-15T09:32:00.002+02:00

We were able to style a model with the store's selection of Fall 2011 clothes, and to photograph her. And, of course, I went straight into the Rick Owens and Rad Hourani garments...

Thank you LuisaViaRoma for the lovely time I had in Firenze!

________

Image 1 - Rick Owens tee + leather coat + trousers / Cavalli suede boots

Image 2 - Rick Owens tee + top + boots / Rad Hourani trousers

Image 3 - Rad Hourani trousers / Rick Owens boots

Image 4 - David Koma dress

________

I bought some of the most amazing leggings while I was at LuisaViaRoma!
They are by Jo No Fui and available
here.

LuisaViaRoma, Day 2, Part 2!

2010-06-14T22:08:00.001+02:00

I love those Rick Owens boots so much, and the way they are worn, with the tattoos, makes it so interesting.

The lovely Wendy from Nitrolicious! Kirkwood heels.

Make-up for my shooting... Photos in the upcoming post!

LuisaViaRoma, Day 2, Part One

2010-06-14T09:29:00.000+02:00

The light on the Duomo this morning was so nice.

I'm definitely not into the Converse style, but those Mens Louboutin could easily make me change my mind...

Artist engraving a Keith Haring x Tommy Hilfiger shoe.

* * *

More later!

LuisaViaRoma Day 1 - Part 2

2010-06-13T11:03:00.000+02:00

Bryan wearing those awesome Dsquared heels. He is so lucky to be able to wear women's shoes...

the lovely team <3 (Ingrid, Bryan, Jane and Tommy)

To be continued...

LuisaViaRoma Day 1

2010-06-12T18:24:00.003+02:00

I'm in Florence with Jane, BryanBoy, Wendy, Tommy, and Ingrid for the LusiaViaRoma event. They are all so nice and lovely!

Italy is such a beautiful contry, and the LuisaViaRoma store has such a gorgeous selection of Rick Owens, Garteh Pugh and Rad Hourani clothes!

Unbelievable insane lovely gorgeous fabulous amazing Dsquared shoes!

David Koma

Versace

More photos soon!

Florence Per Se... Before LuisaViaRoma

2010-06-12T11:19:00.000+02:00

Steadfastness, Dependability, Wisdom and Loyalty

2010-06-08T13:56:00.001+02:00

All artworks by Yves Klein

S/S 2010 by L'Officiel Greece

2010-06-08T11:13:00.001+02:00

1 - Hugo / Dsquared² / Ralph Lauren

2 - Louis Vuitton / Ralph Lauren

3 - Burberry Prorsum / Hugo / Neil Barrett

S / S 2010 in L'OFFICIEL HOMMES GREECE

Styling by CYNTHIA LAWRENCE-JOHN

Model LARS H @ AREIA

The slow motion of perfection

2010-06-06T14:42:00.001+02:00

Hideki Inaba's work is a work of perfection and that of an old inheritance from Japan's knowledge of ink and printing - It combines modernity and experience.

Conceived with a computer, those shapes really become art pieces only when printed with the most advanced and precise ink. The final print in itself becomes the artwork.

His artworks look both so tangible and impalpable - I think it reflects the world we live in today.

Displayed recently at Kuala Lumpur Design Week.

Hideki Inaba

Japan - Paris.

2010-06-03T18:16:00.000+02:00

Jardins Albert Kahn.

"How can I help you?"

2010-06-03T00:01:00.000+02:00

The issue a lot of people have in store today, at least here in Paris, are the salesmen. I'm not being discornful, but:
A. They do not known how to welcome a customer without making him ill at ease because 1)they make him realize he's not home and 2)they make him feel he's disturbing more than anything else.
B. Salespersons are often looking down upon the customer.

What customers want is, if not a warm welcome, a discreet and/or original one. Salesmen dancing over the music, or complimenting someone about his outfit is much better and secure for a customer than getting the usual, disturbing, upsetting, "How can I help you?".

People, even when shopping in the hippest shop of the moment and therefore expecting cold greetings, will be happier and then more relaxed, i.e. more willingful to spending money, if the salespersons are taking it easy rather than being the most disdainful one can think of. Often being uncool is actually really just uncool, and that's it.

Of course salespersons are an aspect of the brand identity as much as anything else, and consequently must match it. In any way, when the retailer seems unpleasant for any reason, it's often that he doesn't match the brand's identity.

Well, Paris has to cultivate this idea of the Garçon de Café being grouchy and always bad-tempered, but still, French luxury brands or some concept stores should be go learn goodwill and kindness the other side of the Atlantic...!

Creativity and cleverness: Junko Shimada

2010-05-31T21:52:00.001+02:00

Junko Shimada is of the designers you can't miss. Only walking by her shop near the Rue Cambon makes your eyes instantly stare for long minutes at the gorgeous dresses displayed in the tall windows.

She was one of the first Japanese designer to come in France after studying at the Sujino Gajen Dressmaker institute of Tokyo in the sixties.
She works for trend office MAFIA and then for Cacharel.
She now has more than 20 shops in Tokyo and two in Paris.

Her designs are real visual poems and look so modern you could mistake her style with that of Pugh, Rick Owens and all the other designers in that minimalist and deconstructed - but perfectly cut - movement.
Think Rick Owens meet Issey Miyake.
The black clothes look oddly enough colorful while the fluorescent colored garments appear more than serious and not tacky at all.

I envy her the capacity she has to make happiness look so serious - and yet not austere.
I definitely think that her designs are those of a visual genius.

Junko Shimada Paris 13 Rue Saint Florentin 75008 Paris
http://www.junkoshimada.com

I love you but you're betraying me.

2010-05-28T23:18:00.001+02:00

Richard Prince

Richard Prince x Louis Vuitton

Nowadays I've got the feeling that I'm a little bit betrayed.

Of course, that's life, and everyone needs to make a living. But, still...

This feeling I've had for some months now deals with contemporary art. Today, those who haven't heard of Jeff Koons or Takashi Murakami are undoubtedly the same that don't know we're in 2010....

And I must say that I still enjoy wandering thru the galleries of Le Marais in Paris, but the feeling is just not the same.

From a Kris Van Assche exhibit to a Louis Vuitton bag by Richard Prince, thousands of articles in famous fashion magazines throughout the world help spreading a culture that a few people previously owned, created and supported, and, once everyone knows about the artist and the exhibit, as much interesting as it could be, to my own mind it has lost its sheer origin and spirit.

I'm not being discornful, but do you think every single people coming into a Louis Vuitton store and seeing this Murakami or Prince bag could understand and judge at it's real value a painting of the same artists if exposed in a gallery?

Maybe the 150,00 readers of French Vogue's contemporary art section can estimate the true meaning of those masterpieces - even though one can argue that we might not have the hindsight required to judge it yet, but look at what this mainstreaming effect had on poor Pop Art.

Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami x Louis Vuitton

I did not even mentioned Pinault's Punta Della dogana and Palazzo Grassi; or Bernard Arnault's contemporary foundation designed by Frank O. Gehry...

However I gained back some respect for Pinault since he made the choice to put sarah Burton creative director of McQueen and not some uber famous designer.

Kris Van Assche installation

And what about the skull by Damien Hirst sold thousands of dollars? What will become of art, then? What will be the real goal of the artists at the very beginning of an artwork? Will they be seeking for the most important revenues or will they still express their inner vision?

Fortunately, today, some people and some magazines still support those "real" artists (I'm not doing any advertising here but have a look at http://lurvemag.com/notes.php ). But who will support those magazines supporting those artists? In the end, is there any other choice than that of going mainstream...?

Y-3 Temporary Store in Cannes

2010-05-26T11:00:00.000+02:00

Even though I'm not fond of Yamamoto's Y-3 collection, I must say it's a pretty good idea to open a store in the temporary space of Cannes' Croisette.

The target is pretty clever, and the minimalist black and white store is smart enough for a luxury sportswear brand.

Moreover, it is only the second stand-alone store in France.

However I'm a little disappointed that they did not open and received the whole collection in time for the Film Festival...

From April 28th to June 29th, 2010.

94 Boulevard de la Croisette

06400 Cannes - France

Y-3.COM

The Night Hunter

2010-05-25T10:03:00.000+02:00

Paris summer nights are warm and everyone is living it easy.

It's undoubtedly at night that you understand why Paris is called "The City of Light".

Leong Leong's Phillip Lim Flagship store

2010-05-24T16:56:00.000+02:00

Seoul is undoubtedly a rising fashion hotspot, and I believe that Leong Leong's building for 3.1 Phillip Lim in the fashion neighborhood of Cheongdam-Dong, is of that kind of event that gives a city even more credibility and greatness on the fashion scene.

When shopping, the store is as important as the clothes - let's even say that you like a band before the clothes it makes. Made of concrete, 3.1 Phillip Lim's flagship looks both imposing and very light; and quickly makes one curious about what's inside.

I think a lot of brands should take it as an example that you don't always have to be the biggest and the more branded store on earth to be interesting and engaging.

A Parisian tourist in Paris

2010-05-21T22:39:00.000+02:00

This week was really the beginning of the summer in Paris.

Summer feels and looks so much better; it makes you see the city in a totally different way - you feel like a tourist in you own city.

You enjoy discovering back things you had almost forgotten.

Even the rust color of the Eiffel tower appears somewhat clearer.

People reading on the benches, saxophone players repeating in the parks...

Well, that's summertime!

Colette Day at Cannes

2010-05-17T10:02:00.003+02:00

One word: Branding.

One question: Does over-branding kills branding...?

The Colette ephemeral space was sponsored by Schweppes, which adds one more level of co-branding. Given that Colette already has a very strong identity, which was quite well displayed here in Cannes, was it really necessary to add all the Schweppes stuff?

Last year, Colette settled in Cannes with Glaceau's Vitamin Water. At least it had the advantage of being right in the centre of Cannes and more appropriate with the idea everyone has of the concept store: You don't party all night with Schweppes, right?

Even though they had several shuttles going from Cannes to the Hotel where it took place, it felt more like it was a Colette-ish beach than a real Colette space.

Sure, that was cute. But is it cute that we're expecting from it?

The pace in the day was quite slow, but it was more lively in the night... Then why not opening an ephemeral club in Cannes? And, even though it would be more expensive, a small shop on the Croisette?

Anyway, Colette is a success in Paris, and the Paris shop is a place I like going to.

However I don't think it can have such a great success outside the Capital, and moreover far from the centre of the Film Festival.

But don't blame it on Colette, I guess it was first more or less Schweppes' idea to settle here...

Arty Saint Tropez

2010-05-15T11:22:00.000+02:00

The Senequier menu... With Karl Lagerfeld's drawing from this year Chanel Resort show.

I found an amazing gallery near Place des Lices, which carried several famous artists, and others to discover.

' Horse' by Stephan Cipre

' Royalty ' by Romero Britto

' Bonbon Vuitton ' by Laurence Jenkell

Detail from ' Inclusion de Tubes de Peinture ' by Arman

by Niki de Saint Phale . . .

. . . Former french model.

The gallery also usually displays some Yves Klein, but unfortunately they hadn't any of his artwork when I was there...

_________

Galerie des Lices, Saint Tropez

The Chanel Jacket

2010-05-12T12:06:00.001+02:00

Even though I loved Chanel's show in Saint Tropez yesterday -- at least the idea of it, the Pétanque game on the Place des Lys and the show on the harbor -- there's one garment I love more than the other at Chanel: the (über-)famous tweed jacket.

Created in 1936 with a then cheap fabric, it becomes a classic in the Sixties with model Marisa Berenson.
Catherine Deneuve was hired in the Seventies after Coco Chanel's death to give the jacket a fresher look but things don't work: the real rescuer will be Lagerfeld in the Eighties, and nowadays, since 25 years Lagerfeld is at the creative head of the fashion house, you know how strong the Chanel brand is!

I think today fashion tries to go pretty fast, and I'd definitely like to see the Jacket worn by more men.
I trust Lagerfeld's cleverness and originality to make it look different each season, and, as iconic as this clothing is, it can still look somehow old Lady-ish; and it works more or less depending on the trends of the season.

So... What's next?

Rick Owens' Pavane for a Dead Princess

2010-05-10T13:48:00.000+02:00

Rick Owens furniture is the same kind of genius he did for menswear ten years ago.

Codes and habits are totally turned upside down.

Majesty, austerity, linearity and creativity make this collection that of an unmatched genius until then.

Daybed

Lamp

________________________________
Rick Owens 'Pavane for a Dead Princess'
Salon 94

Colette Lunch Box

2010-05-06T11:16:00.000+02:00

To my mind a great achievement of branding.

Even though the partnerships are not surprising (the best and the hip brands & chefs in their fields), the result is definitely interesting.

And every veggie will agree that the Zucchini Tofu burger is one of the tastier ever made.

.... Gift.

__________

Zucchini Tofu Burger by Gontran Cherrier

Asparagus-Broccoli and Crunchy vegetables by CZon

Almond and Chocolate cake "Quito" by Jean-Paul Hévin

Vitamin Water and Lipstick by Glaceau

Order here... Only if you live around Colette, of course.

Reshaping the Garment

2010-05-05T13:56:00.000+02:00

"Evacuation Skirt" by Yael Mer, 2006. Holon Design Museum.

"Thinner Than You" by Maureen O'Connor, 1990. Katonah Museum of Art (2009).