Balenciaga Beckons

We have touch down in Paris! After a disappointing absence at Dries Van Noten yesterday, Freja finally made her first runway appearance in Paris at the Balenciaga show, walking in the second to last look before Gisele. Not too shabby. And with two looks at Balmain already under her belt as well, Paris is turning out to be as we expected.

What I didn't expect from Paris is the general lackluster feel of the collections so far. After a brilliantly colorful week in Milan, rocker chicks, leather, and studs all seem kind of passe to me. Even Dries didn't bring the usual eccentricity that I've come to love and expect from him. What gives? Have Milan and Paris traded places this season? I guess it's too early to tell, but I hope the rest of the designers step it up a bit.

Image Credits: style.it

Think Punk, Think Again

Oh boy. I'm going to try and make this short and to the point. Seeing that Paris Fashion Week just started, I think we'd all rather dwell on that than this.....

Think Punk
Vogue Paris October 2010
Ph: Mario Sorrenti
Styling: Emmanuelle Alt

This editorial challenges me for sure. It challenges my tastes, it challenges my notions of beauty, it challenges my ideas of Freja. I never thought it would be possible to make her look so unattractive and harsh. I'm trying really hard to find some redeeming qualities in this, and not to let my own personal notions of beauty determine whether this editorial is good or bad. But it's really difficult for me to get past the way Freja looks. Call me shallow...I don't care.

I get the impetus behind the editorial concept. I'm familiar with the whole punk scene and it's history, but I'm just disappointed that we get this in the 90th Anniversary Issue of Vogue Paris. My expectations were raised so high....maybe too high. On the other hand, I know I should just be happy that Freja is included in the issue (twice!). And I suppose that she is even further expanding the range and testing the limits of her look and portfolio. Love it or hate it, it's most definitely something that pushes the boundaries of her modeling work. And it contributes to the notion that she's one of the most versatile models working today. Not many can go from this, to this so easily and effortlessly.

Despite the harshness of Freja's look, her hair, the styling, and everything; I admit that I am impressed with the little moments of softness in the last shot above and the first shot below. Maybe I'm just reaching for anything good, but I see a tenderness there that's actually quite alluring, and not always present in Freja's other work.

Sigh. What do you guys think? Maybe some of you are better at looking past the obvious and finding the beauty beneath. For as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although, one thing I cannot and will not stand about this editorial is that it further entrenches Freja within certain stereotypes that have followed her around for the past two years. Yes she's tough. Yes she's cool. Yes she can be androgynous. Yes she has tattoos. We get it already. Now it's time to move on and show us other sides to her modeling persona, instead of repetitively highlighting this one. But I guess all models have a shtick they can't get away from....Lara and her boobs immediately come to my mind. And maybe that's a good thing because it means the model is memorable and the model is known. In such a fickle industry, I guess that's all that matters....or is it??

Image Credits: Scans by Carla-A at tFS

Milan - Season's Favourites

Seasons Favourites

Giorgio Armani       Julien Fournié

    Andrea Janke   and ...
                           Dolce &Gabbana

AJMy Favourites of 

                              The Sicilian Sensuality by D&G

The tailoring tradition of the collection is developed with the usage of bed linens, bedspreads, towels and tablecloths. Chiffon and stretch chiffon, brocade charming stretch, jersey lace, macramé, extra light linen and linen organza ... The whole collection turns around the concepts of a more relaxed and sensual kind of elegance and tradition, that characterize the typical trousseau of Southern Italy.

 

"The need and desire to slow down from the hectic rythm of life thus taking back one's own time."

Dolce&Gabbana
http://www.dolcegabbana.com 

The Blue by Armani        

         

"The focal point was the night sky over the Sahara:

warm, velvety blue, scattered with stars. ...

Giorgio Armani

http://www.giorgioarmani.com

AJANDREA JANKE Finest Accessories -
                                        Handbag Haute Couture

Collections entitled 'Attaché Bag Super Sheared Mink', 'Beyond Vintage Zebra Brilliant', or 'Pochette Purse Lupo Macchiato D'oré' refined with fabulous (re-mouvable) fur capes in Broadtail, Silver Fox, SAGA Scanglow Mink and russian Barguzinsky Sable embodies an elegant and desirable vision of fashion accessories in creating high-stylish manufactured handbags and wallets evoking emotional enchantments in selecting only the noblest, most outrageous fine Calf leathers, Alligator mississipiensis, Lupo macchiato and, - precious Fur.              

 

Attended to a subtle detailed handcraft with exceptional colour compositions embellished with delicate elaborated hand-stitched embroideries ...   Handbag Haute Couture 

                                   by  Andrea Janke

   

                                by AndreaJanke  

                                         andrea.janke@andreajanke.de

AJANDREA JANKE presents Julien Fournié    Haute Couture Fall 2010 -

the new generation of the Paris Haute Couture. A fabulous collection including sophisticated fur details like mink and fox-intarsias. 

"Inspired by martyrdrom, Julien Fournié elicited beauty from darkness and sadness usually associated with the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause, especially to one's religious faith.

Using blood red crystals on embroideries and handpainted inked shadows to represent the scene of the slaughter, Julien Fournié did not include any references to religion but blended street culture with the use of big zippers strategically placed as perpendicular or diagonal slashes. 

Whether by choice or by accident, Julien Fournié has become a harbinger of the new generation of designers in the Paris haute couture scene who emerged post the Great Recession." (Source: Fashionwindows.net)

"Un nouveau défilé parisien en quasi plein air, Julien Fournié a pris ses quartiers á la Cité de la Mode et du Design, pour présenter á la lumiére du jour et en bord de Seine les premiéres pieces Haute Couture de sa marque éponyme. Une collection sous le signe de la vulnérabilité, toute en transparence, délicatesse et sur fond d'opera."  (Source: Puretrend.com; Editorial by Mélody Kandyoli)

Julien Fournié Haute Couture