Kings And Pioneers: February 2011

last notes before sabbatical

Rosa Bonheur

image courtesy of Women in the Arts
this is my favorite part of the text taken from Art History Archive.com
"Le Marché aux Chevaux (The Horse Fair) established Rosa’s international fame, and was sent to Ghent, Belgium where the important Belgian art dealer Ernest Gambart noticed and later purchased it. Gambart had an office in London and convinced Rosa and Nathalie into coming to London to tour with the painting, solidifying her prestige as an internationally acclaimed animalier. During this period, with her success in England and the United States, Rosa became fascinated with the United States, the “new world.” Her interest was first piqued in 1854 when the painter George Catlin and a group of Indians paraded through the streets of Paris. It was later solidified in 1889 when Buffalo Bill Cody came to the Exposition Universelle with his Wild West show and his band of Indians in their colorful costumes. She had a fondness for the United States and its perceived vast frontiers and wild animals. Her interest in the United States would later translate into an important and special relationship between her and Anna Klumpke, a young artist from California, who became Rosa's special companion until her death."

I had a really special moment with my uncle Hanibal while looking at this painting at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. He is a really amazing guy whom I had not met since I was very young. We had a great talk and the beginning of a real relationship which is pretty cool.
He is one of the Montana family, so it was interesting to look at this image of such a powerful manifestation of nature. The men are the afterthought, blurry in the background and the corners of this triangular force that is rushing out from the canvas.

this is another favorite I found in my research
image courtesy of rambles from my chair
.........

And also my cousin Louise recommended Eric Sloan(

)image courtesy of Eastern Barns
to me after I told her of my current fascination with barns. Old barns, worn and weathered, and also new barns which are still to this day structured much (based on my inexperienced eye) like the original design.
So I am looking into ordering several of his books, and I am looking forward to exploring how he might be able to help me in the exploration of my garment construction. And my desire to understand the smallest details of what must have been life in America: from its people to their tools.

image courtesy of New England Antiques Journal

image courtesy of artnet

Trendland

Cool new site, There is a lot of good content- have not explored too much yet, but will do so.

*My cousin is getting married Saturday and I can't wait to see her dress

Friday Music

Marianne Faithfull - Ballad of Lucy Jordan

Friday Music

Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By (1965)

Thursday Video

Wednesday Article

Ruth La Ferla on Joseph Altazurra:
An example of a young and promising designer- this article really dives into what makes the wheels turn smoothly- it's pretty cool. Sometimes it's nice to read about the people and their process- especially in this case I love the element of his parents and how real you feel their perception of him and his business is. Maybe a strange comment but this is a bit of a ramble. Anyway, the article is worth reading:

"Another Season, Another Show"

This Picasso Article as well:
"When Picasso Changed His Tune"

the never ending question of what is art and what is nonsense...the question itself is pretty nonsensical. But obviously someone who pulls some strings put enough value on the work of the man that he has become the legend he is today.
His style did change drastically over his career though- and that is kind of awesome, in my opinion. How else are you supposed to create for decades on end and not get bored? How else can you be an artist if you don't react to the changes going on around you and the changes you are experiencing personally?

Wednesday Article

This series from style.com is pretty interesting. I love reading interviews, more and more, especially when you take into consideration the format of the thing. I have had one phone interview myself, and felt that there were times when I was forcing answers to questions and I had to go out into the hallway while I was at the office in order to keep it private, but people kept walking by and I was enormously self conscious.
To do the interview by e-mail is pretty cool because you can actually phrase things the way you'd like and be thoughtful about it. However, the responsibility is on you more when anything gets misinterpreted later on. Which is pretty much bound to happen.
Interview with Hedi Slimane by Dirk Standen
"Is the commercial pressure on designers today too great?
I don’t know about this. I am concerned about the relevance of strategy.

Selling is a positive thing. Of course, the overhead of many global houses is so huge that the pressure is great. I don’t mind the pressure at all; it is stimulating. I mind the lack of a long-term vision, and the lack of sense. It has to make sense, no matter the size of a fashion house."

"Which designer or designers working today do you most admire, and why?
I have a great admiration and tenderness for Azzedine Alaïa. I haven’t seen him in a while, but I guess he must be still sewing some dresses at night."

"What effect do you think the rise of fast fashion has had on consumers and on high fashion?
The issue was pretty much when at the beginning of the 2000’s high fashion started to embrace (no question they had to) globalization. High fashion started to offer access to luxury and creativity. In a way it was dangerously closing the gap with fast fashion, which was incredibly effective in mimicking the style and standards (stores, merchandising, ad campaigns) of high fashion. It is mathematical. More means less rarity and less quality. This leads to the visual chaos of not exactly knowing what is what, if you forget your contact lenses and can’t read the label."

"How can or should luxury fashion stand out from fast fashion?
They have a duty to stay at the top of the game creatively and keep a distinctive voice. Luxury houses and brands are meant to be exceptional by any means and not settle for the average. They cannot run the precise wrong race, but rather [should] stick to a strict and dignified etiquette for their fashion developments, assets, and branding...Luxury brands did also become monuments, because of the public affection and care. In other prosaic words, it might be all about tightening up long-term strategies in order to keep the respect, influence, and credibility."

"One more: Is there anything else you would like to say about the “future of fashion” that I neglected to ask?
Oh, well, at the end of the day, the future is always the same story, minus the digital revolution and its collaterals. The future has to be bright. It is the nature of fashion to evolve, only this time it might evolve more than ever, with seat belts optional."

Tuesday Person

Pictures from puretrend along with a nice bio on the couple
The couple that started the concept store l'Eclaireur in Paris.
Genius concept of different universes all under the same name. Each address has a different feeling, a different personality, tells a different story.

I especially love the store on rue Sévigne. Although my favorite Eclaireur experience was walking into the store on Rue Harold and trying on this long, slightly deconstructed coat with the most amazing structural details and the total body consciousness of it which was reminiscent of a 19th century day costume whose edges had been worn a little thin.
My friend and once teacher was the one who finally got me to get over there. And it was she who was daring enough to start to analyze the coat while I tried it on. The sales person seemed to love exploring all of its intricacies with us. I loved that. It was about our experience, not about the sale. And of course, had I had the resources, I would have bought something from that wonderful sales girl.

I have realized that with these 'people' posts I introduce people who intrigue me, but whom I don't know- and thus no matter what I say will be a regurgitation of what I've read and seen elsewhere. All I know of them personally is what I have learned from going into the spaces they have created. And so far I like what I see, and I hope that I will be lucky enough to learn more.

"Is there a different example for these younger designers to follow? A more independent path?
You can’t do it in half measures. You have to make the clothes at a really high level. And I think a lot of designers now, they’re not committed to it. If you want to be an [Azzedine] Alaïa, you have to stay really committed to it and not spread out.
[Barneys fashion director] Julie Gilhart told me that Alaïa sold all through the recession; he’s selling now. He wasn’t affected by the ups and downs.
He’s [always] sold. When I went to see him in ‘99, he was having difficulty. But Barneys still would buy and Browns and a few other stores. And he still delivered, delivered late but delivered. He didn’t have a big name, the shoe business was a little dormant at that point, but Alaïa kept designing clothes. He kept designing things that nobody else was making. And that’s why Norma Kamali deserves support. She keeps designing things that are interesting. Sure, she does the bathing suits and the parkas, but she does other things, too. She keeps moving. And Azzedine is still working every night until three in the morning making something interesting. And I think the basis for it is a technique. It’s not a pretty dress. It’s a technique that interests Azzedine. He can figure out how to industrialize ruching or industrialize something else, so people who say technique is irrelevant are wrong. It isn’t. It motivates most of the serious designers. It motivates craftsmen. It was what motivated the most recent Jil Sander collection. It was what motivated Martin Margiela when he was first coming along. It’s funny, I saw Karl Lagerfeld during Couture and we were talking about these jackets and dresses he did that he said were seamless. They weren’t seamless, but they kind of look it. It’s really interesting how he did it. I said, how long have you been working on that? He said, well, we’ve been trying to do it for a while but I wasn’t happy with the results. He said, you know I don’t take vacations, I work all the time. That’s Karl’s spiel but it’s true. He and Azzedine, they don’t like each other, but they’re identical when it comes to the fact that they work all the time. And the proof is in the clothes. They come up with things that nobody else can."
-Dirk Standen interviews Cathy Horyn on the future of fashion

after

Monday Image

My favorite tommy ton shots thus far

and more favorites from Feb VOGUE ESPAÑA

various VOGUE ESPAÑA images: Feb 2011

Saturday Quote

This weeks quote comes from the magazine that I picked up on my way to meet a friend on Thursday: INDUSTRIE.

I bought it for the top 50 list: The most creative and inspiring people of 2010 ("We've all read those 'World's Richest...' and 'World's Most Powerful...' lists") with a giant photo of Sally Singer.
And for the interview with Didier Grumbach. I almost didn't buy it because the cover is a glossy image of Marc Jacbos in drag, titled Mrs. Jacobs...

"When communication is used as a substitute for action it is perverse: it is only an illusion of action. I am astonished to observe that for some professionals, announcement effects are used for action and their publishing is used as...results."

this is kind of an interesting post from style bubble about Vena Cava's fall 2011 show
intro with their zina cava magaznie that they had published for the event (the potluck was the same idea, and I am glad i had the sense to edit it out of my presentation, it was the not the right time, when DIY seems more unprofessional than creative)*
It is an interesting discussion that can develop about the different categories of blogers, why they blog, and what the experience is like for them. why do it? For me it gives me an outlet for the things I see and want to gather- I am always tempted to use it more analytically, like now, but feel kind of exposed. But then isn't part of the point to share what is posted with others who might come across the page? And maybe other people will agree and a similar dialogue might begin somewhere else- even far away. Anyway- Suzie bubble triggered this train of thought and I will continue to thing about it. And struggle with this blog thing. But I have some other writing to do.

*I have been realizing this for a while, when every time I tried to integrate any work done by hand, it always comes off looking amateur- and I couldn't figure out what it was except now I get that it is really just a question of refinement and editing. If there is something that makes sense together it should go in- and I will always be keeping my hands dirty- but I think that there is a part of the exploration that should stay in the piles on the desk and in the folders in the drawer, not published as a representation of what the collection is. Unless it stands alone, then maybe that is different.

Fiday Music

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness

I am a die hard strokes fan- and this new song, just released, is the first taste of their new album which will be released in March- maybe a tour soon???

inspiration for a groupie collection- that could be a fun distraction one afternoon: what bands are the most groupie worthy? And what would you wear if you were getting on that bus?

Thursday Video

love this Prada ad campaign

Thursday Video

my favorite opera-
Craving opera these days

Amos Lee - Windows Are Rolled Down (Live at Farm Aid 25)

this NPR clip about job searching is kind of awesome

a book I am curious to read- I have never read a celebrity autobiography .
image via coverspy

Washington Post Review

Wednesday Article

Tumblr sends their fashion bloggers to fashion week: WSJ article

It took several years for blogging to achieve the social relevance it now has- and it is pretty enormous- so what is next?

AOL makes an effort to predict that future: They bought the Huffington Post because of its huge and rapid success with hopes of riding its wave- but maybe in different hands it won't be so powerful or continue with same momentum. Or maybe it will.

And the Huffington Post's favorite tumblrs: (how did they choose the number 33?)
a couple that I also love:
Unofficial National Geographic
I can read

Lastly: The Financial Times discusses Online Platforms that are going the other direction- creating a tangible product that gives them some 'real world' existence: Online shopping paper publications

Tuesday Person

image: toocute

image: design2share

Some images from the Andre Putman exhibit that I am dying to see at the Hôtel de Ville
This blog posted some great ones: designboom

And a woman/designer who deserves much more time and attention for a proper mention- this will have to do for now. More after I have visited the site.

Monday Image

Lots of images today
These are works in progress

Monday Image

These are awesome- the colors and his intensity

images from the Huffington Post

and one last from Lab Daily

Monday Image

It is more about a word, but take a look at this suitcase from etsy (which I also just really leaned about)

which led to my discovery of the term 'upcycling'

This definition from the Sustainability Dictionary

Sunday Reflections

Also wanting to share this exploration of the question between
"if worst comes to worst"
"if worse comes to worst"
by New York times Columnist Ben Zimmer

makes me think of Megamind's version of
"Tom-ay-to/Tom-ah-to"
"Potato/Tomato"

Sunday Reflections

There is a lot to reflect on after this week- rather uneventful, but also very eventful. Some good and some of bad. Either progressing to a new step, or faced with a new problem to solve.

I guess that is what this week will be for.

Does that mean that the weekend is supposed to be spent planning the attack up to that next step? Finding ways to solve the new problems?
Or is it supposed to be a separation from all of those things so that you can be rested and rejuvenated to begin the process all over again on Monday?

Is it strange to think of it in terms of the weekly cycle? Does life really work that way?
Maybe we would all be better off if we could just live with a day or two of letting it go for minute.

Enjoy silence and laying in bed and the act of putting on shoes and going outside with no destination