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WHAT’S THE SCENE AT SAO PAULO FASHION WEEK ?

This season, I regrettably did not make it to Sao Paulo Fashion Week which took place last week. But my good friend Misha Janette, who’s an esteemed Tokyo based fashion journalist (The Japan Times) and stylist, did. En route from Sao Paulo to Tokyo, she had 20 minutes to kill at Zurich airport transfer zone. Thanks Misha for spending it on this roundup:

Fashion Highs:
Jesus Luz walking in a show and NO ONE cares. Seriously me and another journalist were google imaging him during the Ellus show because it was so quiet when he appeared we weren’t even sure it was him.

Cecilia Dean from Visionaire was at SP. ¨Whaaaaaa.¨

Great texture on the fabrics all week, from Osklen to Animale. Osklen was all cubism. Animale was…spiky. At Neon. Two words: TOUCAN DRESS

via flickr

Bienniale building (the venue, ed.) decked out in tons of little graphics for their “language” theme. The most OBSCENE graphics ever (threesome, doggy style, stripper, puking into a garbage can, 69, etc.). Love them Brazilians.

Model news:
Vivi Orth was the breakout this season, I thought…she was in every show (basically). Lara Stone (Animale), Isabeli Fontana, Caroline Trentini (at Herchcovitch), Raquel Zimmerman, Alessandra Ambrosio, Cyntia Dixon were there. Low: Raquel Zimmerman press conference. A model needs a press conference? Alessandra Ambrosio is looking orange.

Club scene:
New club The Lions Den is all the rage. Doesn’t open until March but Ellus and Neon had their afterparties there

Off scene:
SP has the second largest fleet of helicopters in the world behind NY. I swear we had 10 people arrive to the Hotel Tivoli by helicopter while I was there.

How about the weather?
Weather SUCKS. period.

Dumbo the elephant has landed on the catwalk / Neon

Animal Kingdom rules ok at Neon / via flickr

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WEEK IN FASHION NO 3: GET WELL SOON (OR DIE)

The fashion hots and nots which got tweeted and blogged about this week.
Jan 18-Jan 24 (Well, this week it’s been about MEN & FASHION)

Let’s start with the end. Last night, I attended a gig by Germany’s new indie hype-boy Konstantin Gropper at Mascotte club in Zurich. Verdict: All hype ist justified. Get Well Soon, Gropper’s music and band project, delivers the soundtrack du jour, a kind of dark collection of Brothers Grimm lullabies playing on the revenge of nature over man. Gropper performed in a suit and barefoot, to a full, enthusiastic house. His bambi-stickered e-guitar hinted at an angry young nature boy who’s heavily into stoicist philosophy, but, reassuringly, not full time. A request for a backstage picture was turned down by the management with an unphilosophical ‘no-way’. Fair enough. But in a week in which it emerged even the Pope is giving his blessing to blogging & social networking, such dinausor attitude does irritate a little. Come down and get well soon indeed.

Davos Man is dead Business Week, a must-read for the U.S economic elite, trumpets, somewhat optimistically. It refers to that quintessential pan-national, pro-market, global leader of finance and business who attends The World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain town of Davos, for philosophical talks (in the past ie with Hollywood A-listers such as Angelina Jolie). Alas, WEF kicks off on Wednesday, and casino capitalists were alive and kicking at Adam Kimmel’s AW 10/11 presentation in Paris:

via NYT

Luckily for Davos Man (and his cash-strapped victims), luxury menswear fashion labels have taken that rough out-in-the-cold vibe to their hearts. Heritage and going-back-to-the roots emerged as the standout trends slumming down the mens catwalks in both Paris and Milan. In 2011, indulgences will be strictly kept under the wraps of sensible down jackets, military coats, and sharp but save tailoring in manner of Mad Men. The dilemma of course is: does dress to unimpress need a luxury label when there is Topman and Zara Man? That’s why, like the Pope, every self-respecting fashion house is now jumping on the social networking bandwagon. Ubertrend: video, video, video.

On to hard news: that international superstar journalist look so beloved by CNN correspondents has come under fire. Gone are the days of the belted trench or bulletproof vest. Now tight Haiti coverage is proving just a little bit too, er, tight: Jason Carroll, reporting on Wednesday’s aftershock and looking like a guy who had done 20 quick pushups before going on air, wore a T-shirt so snugly revealing it called into question whether a disaster zone is the place to flaunt one’s gym physique. The New York Times tut-tuted. It then scathingly likened their TV colleagues to bendable action figures. Ouch.

Tweet of the week comes courtesy of iA from Tokyo: Shibuya. Shopping. Most men’s shoes are designed by man hating ultra feminists that just want us to look like jerks. Now that’s what I call an emancipated leap forward from the old women loathing gay fashion designer cliché.

Always remember: with fashion, it’s important to never judge a book by its cover. Take Hot Chip. Granddad on the outside, delirious dancefloor on the inside.

© Hot Chip

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SCARY MONSTER

Note to self: if another menswear label comes up with another identikit military or granddad inspired look in conjunction with the words ‘heritage’, or ‘back to the roots’ must put on me trench and declare war on fashion designers fighting for dead empires. Men, if you want to dress to kill, get a killer outfit. Think Tom Ford.

While on the subject… I just remember the v scary looking cage dress by New Zealand label Jimmy D.. I’d love to send out an army of those to Milan and Paris right now.

Front:

Back:

© PLAY HUNTER

Just how lethal this elastic suit of armour will be once you put it on I dare not imagine. But I highly commend you listen to boudoir protest song Underwear / FM Belfast. Everybody now: we’re running down the street in our underwear because nothing ever happens here…
Trench boys beware.

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FROZEN SUNSETS

Imagine this: sun-bleached surfer babe collides with abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Out leaps Kristof Strozyna’s SS10 collection. For which, I suspect, he freeze-framed riotous sunsets and cut them into a cool contemporary silhouette with the aid of a scalpel.

© PLAY HUNTER

It’s only logical Strozyna chose Daul Kim to be his non-bubbly surfer girl. But who could possibly imagine the lookbook would turn into a tribute to the late model.

© Patrick Lindblom

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DEJA VU

I stumbled on a great streetstyle-spread, titled Die Mode auf der Strasse (Fashion On The Street) in Das Magazin, a kind of sharp, Swiss version of The New Yorker plus ambitious photography. The opening lines run: ‘Pictures from New York. Though they could also be from London, Zurich, Amsterdam, Munich, or Paris. Today, fashion happens independently of fashion magazines’ Sounds old-hat? Well, that’s because it is. The article was published in March 1971.

Three things I find striking. We’re looking at one of the very first streetstyle-articles published in a Swiss mainstream magazine. Having in mind all that buzz’n'fuss about streetstyle-blogs in recent years, I wonder what effect it must have had on the common Swiss reader when it landed on their breakfast table back in ‘71. Were they thinking what freaks? Did it prompt the housewife to ditch her couturier? Did it lead to an increase in the sale of sheepskin coats? Picture the moment in time: ready-to-wear fashion was finally liberating itself from the diktats of haute couture designers. In the words of a journalist quoted in the article: “Only a decade earlier, a well-dressed woman could be defined in 7 sentences. These days, even 10 encyclopedias wouldn’t be enough.” Individuality and the concept of streetstyle were literally hitting the (main)street for the first time.

Still, our prototype-spread’s already got all the essentials of today’s (stereo)typical streetstyle look right: the hipster couple, the uptown fashionista, the big shades, the poses, even the signature effortless, caught-off-guard visual style. The images look timeless, fresh, and now, so Sartorialist or Jak&Jil.

Thirdly, and this is somewhat of a blow: a quick stroll down Zurich Bahnhofstrasse on a wintery Wednesday morning on January 20, 2010 confirms fashion-wise, the street hasn’t terribly moved on from 1971. I look around, and guess what I see: sheepskin/shearling vests, big-knits, fur, skinny-jeans tucked into boots (btw: was as unflattering then as it is now on the unskinny leg) still rule the sidewalks. The only real innovation I can spot is block-heels got replaced with Ugg-boots and fierce platforms. And I doubt Moncler down jackets were seen much off-piste 39 years ago.

© Das Magazin/TAM 12, March 27 1971

Note to self: today’s street is too obsessed with retro. We can find proof winter is not about fashion, it’s about surviving the cold. Individuality doesn’t necessarily equal innovation. Dressing up and dressing well will pay out though. Good streetstyle-looks don’t age. Actually, they get better over time. I’m secretly waiting to read the line: today, fashion happens independendly of streetstyle-blogs.

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AFROBEAT THE BLUES

Note to self: put on your guitar shoes and afrobeat the blues.

© PLAY HUNTER

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FEROSH

the scene: Brick Lane, London. Wrong. Löwenbräu, Zurich, actually.

It’s Affa, a boy from Berne turned model. In the fashion world, his ferosh look is making people oooohhhing and aaaahhhing. In Switzerland, this must be exactly the kind of look people who are not into fashion must have in mind when arguing fashion people are bizarre freaks / attention-seeking narcissists / pretentious posers. Fair enough. Making people who expose themselves feel small is a national hobby over here. On the other hand, pursuing your passion for fashion regardless, will pay off eventually. In case of Affa, his ‘freak’ look landed him the cover of the international edition of the forthcoming Facehunter book. Enough said.

© PLAY HUNTER

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WEEK IN FASHION NO 2

The fashion hots and nots which got tweeted and blogged about this week.
Jan 11-Jan 17 (Well, this week it’s just one SCREAMING FASHION HEADLINE)

+++ ANNA DELLO RUSSO WEARS PANTS!

Yesterday, The Sartorialist posted a picture showing the Vogue Nippon fashion director at PITTI UOMO in a PARED DOWN PAIR OF BLACK PANTS (see also Stil in Berlin) . Even more shockingly, her outfit is so black&white, it actually makes her friends stand out! Let’s remember, we’re talking QUEEEN of flamboyant cocktail dresses.

Remember also, when Vogue Nippon dedicated their July 2009 issue on fashion and manga comics, they actually featured a manga based on Anna’s life, called Anna’s Story. Dialogue is Pullitzer-prize worthy. Take this nugget from primary school kid Anna (via Superqueen):

Anna:”Today I’d love to wear an all-pink outfit. Mum, can I borrow your bag?”.
Anna:”Tomorrow I’ll wear the yellow dress, so I need matching gold jewellery”.
Mum:”Oh, Anna. Why don’t you juust wear tees and jeans, like anybody else?”.
Anna:”Mum, I don’t like child clothes”.
Anna:”I like clothes with an inspirational design”.

Oh. Surely, this must count as one of the most candid lines ever said on what fashion is all about. Made me weep. That’s why the sight of Anna Dello Russo in pants makes me shitting mine. Fashion really must be in a deep deep crisis.

Compare: this is what Anna wore last season in Paris:


© PLAY HUNTER

Anna in the July 09 manga version published in Vogue Nippon:


© Riyoko Ikeda

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TWO TONE

Note to self: Start messing with your tights.

© PLAY HUNTER

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PLAYLUST KOMPAKT NO 7

+++Must-have Accessoire des Moments: Das Minarett Am Samstag trat der deutsche Musiker Jan Delay an der Swiss Award Gala auf, eine Art Schweizer Oskar-Veranstaltung. Er trug: einen überscharfen Anzug. Dazu ein Minarett um den Hals. Ein Skandal im Land des Minarettverbots. Aber die Moderatorin fragte bloss: Warum heissen Sie Jan Verspätung? Dafür kriegt Sandra Studer von mir den Swiss Award für bescheuertste Moderation.

Minarets have become a must-have accessory in Switzerland, after German Jan Delay (pictured) wore one at last week’s Swiss Award ceremony.
© Blick Online

+++ Voll Fett oder voll vulgär? Die Februar-Ausgabe des V Magazine setzt auf Übergrösse, also Mädels mit normalviel Fett auf den Hüften. Das wirft hohe Wellen in der Blogger-Szene. Terry Richardsons One Size Fits All Strecke finden alle toll. Bei Karl Lagerfelds Versuch hingegen gehen die Meinungen auseinander, ob das jetzt voll fett oder voll vulgär ist.

Was mich brennend interessiert: Liebt uns V Mag auch noch in der März-Ausgabe?

+++ Wenn der Hype so will, wird 2010 Total das Jahr von uns Fashion Bloggern. Während es 2009 noch um die Eroberung der Ersten Reihe ging, reden wir dieses Jahr Modekampagnen, Feature in der U.S Vogue oder kreative Allianzen mit Top-Label. Auch unser Einfluss auf Fashion-Advertisung und Verkauf nimmt zu. Warum? Das Blogger Panel an der Berliner Fashion Week wird uns hoffenlich wertvolle Einsichten bringen. Es wird moderiert von der reizenden Mary Scherpe von Stil in Berlin. Und im Panel sitzen u.a. Suzy Menkes (via Video) and Imran Amed vom Business of Fashion Blog.

+++ H&M musste schmerzhaft erfahren, dass Going Green kein Rose Garden ist.
.
+++ Nicht verpassen: PLAYWATCH-KOLUMNE Diesen Sonntag, 17. Januar in SonntagsZeitung/Trend.

A completely unrelated, but very dandy looking Paris rooster
© PLAY HUNTER

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WEEK IN FASHION NO #1

The fashion hots and nots which got tweeted and blogged about this week.
Jan 1-Jan 10

+++ Ab fab or ab flab? V mag’s february issue dedicated to the plus size zero figure, aka real women, is making big waves in the blogging world. The consensus is Terry Richardson’s One Size Fits All shoot looks ab fab. But opinions as to whether Chanel’s take looks simply ab flab or v vulgar remain divided. My pressing question is: will V still love us the way we are in their march-issue?

+++ Meanwhile, over at Céline heads are rolling in the first campaign in a year. Shot by Jurgen Teller, it is modelled by beheaded top models, like Karmen Kass. Officially, this is a move to focus on the understated luxury of Phoebe Philo’s intricate creations. Inofficially, it stands for the headless chicken attitude, Céline and fellow labels Balenciaga, Prada or Dior displayed when their SS10 campaigns got leaked on fashion blogs, notably Fashionologie, and LOVE’s blog prior to their publication in the February magazines. Oh the dinosaurs. Like it or not, we live in the age of social networks. Gatekeeper mentality is not working anymore. Adapt or die. Or better: get your own smart app. Thus you keep content control And kiss the bloggers.

+++ Still, if hype is to believed, 2010 will be the year of the fashion bloggers. When 2009 was about the conquering of front row, this year will be about modelling in fashion campaigns, starring in a photo shoot for U.S Vogue in spring, or creative-consulting major fashion labels. Hype aside, our influence on fashion advertising, and retail certainly is mounting. Why? Hopefully, Berlin Fashion Week’s Blogger Panel , will offer insightful answers. It’s hosted by the fabulous Mary Scherpe of Stil in Berlin, and participants include Suzy Menkes (via video) and Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed.

+++ Going green is not a rose garden H&M learned this week. Their cool new organic line, called Garden Collection, certainly is full of H&M green feelgood factor: ‘By choosing these garments, you contribute to a more sustainable world’, the Garden Collection micro site chirps. Shame though, the garments don’t appear to be sourced from H&M’s own textile waste.

A new decade, a new dawn, a new fashion world order? Will fashion bloggers take over the front row? Runway at Fashion Rio
© PLAY HUNTER

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BEATING SNOWMAGGEDON BLUES

Stay cool, keep warm, kill the chill.

© PLAY HUNTER

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THE RECONSIDERED ENSEMBLE

Yesterday, I got invited to be part of The Considered Ensemble collection. Fear not, I’m not entering the business of blogger fashion. Rather, The Considered Ensemble is a new style blog ‘showcasing meticulous outfit choices from individuals around the world‘. Participants are asked to give detailed descriptions of what they’re wearing, plus date and location. Crucially however, they’re NOT asked to provide a picture. By collecting snapshots of individual style sans camera, The Considered Ensemble team aim to ‘give insight into the creativity, coordination and thought behind each unique ensemble.‘

What a relief from streetstyle blogs. Yes, that’s right, I feel ever so slightly fed up with them. There’s still a couple I follow almost religiously, but there’s lots I simply de-followed. Before you accuse me of heresy: streetstyle blogs are here for a good reason. But what started out as as a celebration of the imperfect but authentic and style-savvy girl on the street rebelling against the glossy world of fashion magazines, has in turn become more and more about perfection: perfect outfit, perfect pose, perfect smile, perfect copy of The Sartorialist blog (which is still part of my breakfast).

Farewell innocence, streetstyle has come of age. Competitive conformity, it seems, is the new individuality. Streetstyle is the new glossy. The faux-thenticity of the street pic is fine by me, but personally, I find myself looking elsewhere for artistic and stylistic inspiration.

In comes this simple but superbly edited text blog.

What a joy to read about individuals from all walks of life, be that Vogue people, artists or designers describing en detail their look of the moment for you to picture. You can’t get any more individual.

Now, let’s read my (not so considered) look:

© The Considered Ensemble

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POVERTY IS NOT A CRIME

Some people, apparently need a little reminder. So just to get the record straight: poverty is not a crime, full stop.

© PLAY HUNTER

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FLASHBACKS OF COOL

Just when I was wondering whether I should do a Best of 2009 post, I received an email from blogging colleagues Les Mads, asking me for three highlights and three resolutions for 2010. So here we go.

The entire year turned out to be one big highlight, really. But curiously, all my best 2009 moments involved Bryan Ferry, flying, and Brazil.

Let’s begin with a song, no my personal Übersong of the year, my sound DNA: U Can Dance by DJ Hell featuring vocals by Bryan Ferry.

Took it along wherever I went. Played it on autorepeat on those night flights to Brazil. Helped me kill the 8 hrs or so extra time at Sao Paulo’s Guarulous airport due to missed connecting flights on two occasions.

Bryan Ferry moment number two happened on the flight to Fashion Rio back in June. The Swiss inflight entertainment featured Flashbacks of a Fool starring Daniel Craig as a has-been Hollywood actor caught up with his English childhood. There’s a key flashback scene set in ’70s England featuring Roxy Music’s If There Is Something. It’s got everything I love about English style and music, which is so often about failing glamorously:

How fantastic is this song? How could you choose between Bryan Ferry and David Bowie? They’re gods.

Moment number three happened in Ipanema. After an epic 20-hrs journey (that missed flight) I finally hit the beach. It was already dark. I walked to the surf, taking in the salty breeze, imagining the horizon, wondering what it would have in store for me. Next, I sat down and put on Your Painted Smile feeling happy beyond words.

The morning after
© PLAY HUNTER

Oh, my three resolutions for 2010 are:
1. NYC. I no longer want to say ‘I’ve never been to New York’.
2. Read a book, after a decade long abstinence. Apple, hurry up with iSlate.
3. Not joining Fashion Bloggers Anonymous.

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WALKING INTO HAPPINESS

Good morning 2010. Let’s stride into the new decade with a look fit and ready for a rollercoaster-ride of surprises.

Laquered mussel wig headpiece by London-based milliner Noel Stewart whom I met at a swimming pool party in Sao Paulo last January. A chance encounter which evolved into an instant fashion shoot on Halloween. I love fashion stories like that.

© PLAY HUNTER

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LET’S PUT OUR EYELINER ON AND SCREAM

One of the finest hours ever in the history of Swiss Music Charts took place on Sunday, December 23, 1984:

1. WHEN THE RAIN BEGINS TO FALL I JERMAINE JACKSON/PIA ZADORA
2. THE WILD BOYS I DURAN DURAN
3. STILL LOVING YOU I SCORPIONS
4. EUROPEAN QUEEN (NO MORE LOVE ON THE RUN) I BILLY OCEAN
5. WE BELONG I PAT BENATAR
6. I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU I STEVIE WONDER
7. DO THEY KNOW IT’S CHRISTMAS I BAND AID
8. PURPLE RAIN I PRINCE
9. I FEEL FOR YOU I CHAKA KHAN
10. THE POWER OF LOVE I FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

(Listen here)

Winds of Change wasn’t the only crime The Scorpions committed, as this still from Still Loving You proves.

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MAGIC XS-MAS: A BAG WITH A DATE ATTACHED

The impossible happened. Yesterday, I got a personal message from Finn Canonica. All I can reveal is, it’s slightly macho, and yesss, it’s a date. Oh, and here’s the bag:

© PLAY HUNTER

Got another x-mas email. From major international fashion mag threatening with high profile exposure.

In other words, this x-mas is leaving me in a pretty xxxl-mess. Time to put all detox products amassed over the year to the test.

© PLAY HUNTER / Dawn Mellor, seen at Karma International, Zurich

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PLAYLUST KOMPAKT NO 6

+++ Stürmt den Christbaum! Gute Nachrichten für Sparfüchse und Tanzmiezen: Diese Saison sind Accessoires angesagt, die durchaus auch als Christbaumschmuck durchgehen können. Auch Pyrotechnik sorgt für allerhand Knall-Effekte. Stichwort: Lady Gagas funkensprühender BH. Das wäre doch ein Silvester-Outfit, das garantiert abgeht wie eine Rakete mehr

© PLAY HUNTER
Feathered headpiece by Zurich-based designer Monika Milakovich

+++ FREITAG I’m In Love II Freitag-Taschen standen bislang nicht auf meiner Wunschliste. Seit der Magazin Edition in puristischem Weiss ist alles anders. Sagte den Brüdern Freitag an der Launch-Party, diese Tasche würde ich sofort tragen. Aber nur, falls persönlich von Magazin-Chefredaktor Finn Canonica signiert und gehuggt. Heute ist das Paket eingetroffen. Geht mein Wunsch in Erfüllung? An Weihnachten wissen wir mehr.

© PLAY HUNTER
A parcel from Freitag Bags arrived. Does it contain a happy ending? We’ll find out on Christmas Day.

+++ Anonyme Alkoholiker war gestern Heute vergass ich mein iPhone zuhause. Vier Stunden offline gingen nicht ohne Entzugserscheinungen vorbei. Ja, es ist verdammt hart, nüchtern unterwegs zu sein. Wenn das so weitergeht, erzähle ich meine Sucht-Bekenntnisse am nächsten
Jahrestreffen der Anonymen Blogger.

© Spiegel online
Annual meeting of Bloggers Anonymous, aka leading journalists & Editors-in-Chief of Germany’s leading papers and magazines. While on the subject, I find the time is now for the first meeting of Fashion Bloggers Anonymous

FROHE FESTTAGE / HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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SOLSTICE SOLITAIRE

Winter solstice today took place at 6:47 local time. For optimistic me, this marks the beginning of S-U-M-M-E-R. Even though the start may be a frosty one. Let’s close our eyes for a sec or two and fast forward to June 21 2010. I predict, we’ll be seeing geometric jewellery clashing beautifully with blurry florals.

© PLAY HUNTER

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