j'ADoRe!

Now and then, some people come along who just captivate you. Anna Dello Russo is my newest crush. She's in good company: Past obsessions have included the 'original' Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana (yes, before the Kiera Knightley film), Diana Vreeland, Tilda Swinton, Grace Coddington, Andy Warhol, Isabella Blow, Daphne Guinness, Frida Kahlo, Tracey Emin, Nigella Lawson, Anna Piaggi... all fairly high profile, all fabulous, all wonderfully creative and original but none of them particularly beautiful in the conventional sense. Their minds, their talents, their actions and their words go before them - the way they look is key to their personality but their looks are something they have masterminded. They haven't exactly won the gene pool lottery and they compete within a highly body concsious arena but their face is not important.

They possess a supreme confidence that is noticeable when you realise that they don't employ make up artists or excruciate time over getting the best out of their face - they are part of a masquerade of clothes and imagery. Anna Dello Russo (ADR) is a dedicated clothes-horse and will never mix and match different designers, always opting to wear a catwalk look from head to toe out of respect and honour for the designer themselves.

Her first appearance on The Sartorialist was the picture to the left on 20th January 2007 at the Neil Barret show wearing a Balenciaga look. It appeared alongside another photo of a very cheerful albeit boringly dressed lady and received comments criticising how unflattering ADR's outfit and expression was. At this time, ADR was editor in chief  l'Uomo Vogue. One comment on the picture was:

"The lady in the first picture is an example of someone who proves that truly original runway looks can translate well into real life. I personally think she makes the Balenciaga work very well, I guess because she's keeping the rest of her outfit - and her hair - understated."

The next few times I saw ADR on The Sartorialist she seemed much calmer and although I liked the Balenciaga look, it's very sombre compared to more recent outfit-outings... this is a woman who really knows how to let rip with fashion!!

Anna Piaggi

Isabella Blow

Diana Vreeland

Grace Coddington

Frida Kahlo

Duchess of Devonshire

Daphne Guinness

Double whammy, Tracey Emin & Vivienne Westwood!

Nigella Lawson

Tilda Swinton

REPRESENT!

Joyce in Exhibitions

The interface between fashion and museum exhibition is an area that continues to fascinate and inspire me. Fashion is all about exhibiting the garments and the self. The 'self' could be the body or the mind. (Cue future blog post on the fascinating Anna Dello Russo!) As museums become more business savyy and start to operate as more than preservations in time and aspic, you could be forgiven for mistaking the exhibtion vitrine for the window at Selfridges.

So imagine the quickening of my heart rate as I came across an article through http://www.businessoffashion.com/ about Hong Kong purveyor of fine fashion, Joyce; and their spectacular landmark exhibtion.
That Joyce is going to town so much as to launch a multi sensory exhibition to me speaks volumes about the progress of fashion/exhibition and I hope that this means museums and galleries are taking note and looking into the level of experience in their forthcoming programmes.

I will be hunting for more information and images on this but for now here is the Dazed and Confused article:


"Joyce 40th anniversary multi-sensory exhibition

Source: Dazed Digital"


Fashion
The Joys of Joyce
Published on Friday
"We speak to the CEO of the legendary Hong Kong department store Joyce before it hits its 40th anniversary
Text by Isabella Burley
Having first opened in 1970 with an innovative boutique at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Central region of Hong Kong before expanding to Tsim Sha Tsui in 1972, Joyce was a pioneer which was the first to bring international designers such as Givenchy, Lanvin, Margiela, and Fendi, amongst other luxury names, to Asia. To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Joyce has specially commissioned works of over 50 designers for a multi-sensory exhibition and special installations from the likes of Alber Elbaz, Yohji Yamamoto, Prada, and Yves Saint Laurent, premiered this December in Hong Kong and will then also travel to Paris and open during fashion week in March.

Dazed Digital: How do you feel luxury fashion retail has changed over the last 40 years?
Andrew Keith: Luxury has changed so much over the past 40 years. When JOYCE first opened in 1970 many of today’s luxury brands did not exist or at least were not brands as we now know them. It wasn’t really until the mid 70s when Krizia and Armani started that the branding became a key factor in fashion retailing. Now four decades later it is a very different landscape and luxury fashion has become accessible and recognizable to so many people. But throughout the past 40 years Joyce has stayed true to our pioneering spirit, supporting new designers and creativity, pushing boundaries and innovation and providing our customers with a unique edit of the best of luxury fashion from around the world.

DD: The exhibition seems a great way to celebrate the anniversary. How did you go about selecting the 50 runway looks and designers that will be exhibited?

Andrew Keith: We invited every designer to select a key piece from the year that we first introduced their collection to Hong Kong. We are honoured that so many of our partners over the past 40 years have gone to such incredible lengths to find these archive pieces. Some designers have actually remade pieces from their first collection specially for this exhibition.

DD: The show is presents a variety of media, what can we expect aside from the garments themselves?

Andrew Keith: Apart from the garments themselves you can expect interactive media tables with unique archive footage from our past, a series of interviews hosted by Diane Pernet with designers from our past, present and future, a virtual tour of the exhibition on joyce.com and an augmented reality book to support the exhibition.

DD: What is your personal highlight of the show?

Andrew Keith: My personal highlight of the show is the way in which every look which is so unique and individual work together to tell the story of a remarkable journey. Not only for our company, but the fact that it is a reflection of the fashion development of Asia.

DD: Finally, why did you choose to collaborate with Hermes to mark the anniversary?

Andrew Keith: We have a long history of working together with Hermes over the years, both companies have an uncompromised approach to luxury, craftsmanship and quality. We were honoured when they very kindly offered to produce this very special scarf for us in celebration of our Anniversary2."

Collar collar bill y'all

The new episode of Downton Abbey tonight was such a welcome change of pace and visuality from the nausesously high octane, emotionally manipulative X Factor with it's sci-fi punctuative effects - ITV's new period drama offered a kind of rich visual feast for the eyes to really be enjoyed, especially after the characteristly ADHD style film set up of the previous programme. For its credit, the directors of X Factor sure know what they're doing and damn they have almost complete control of my tear ducts for the time being, this show is best enjoyed alone and my snotty blubbering every time some babydaddy's dream is crushed in front of the cameras on some exotic isle is just too much to handle!
Sartorially I am in love with this new perios drama series. ITV last attacked Sense and Sensibilty with real fervour and seriously pulled off  a fantastic series, squaring right up the the BBC's reputation nd territory over the likes of Pride and Prejudice.
Of course the backdrop of stately home and countryside the strain of which only England can effectively deliver is sumptuous but the particular black autserity offered by the servants and mourning clothes is delicious. The buttoned-up beauty of the costume really got me dreaming. I love the detail like pin tucks and pleating on the servants uniform and the reflection in the upstairs lot's riding and evenign clothes. There was some yummy mesh elements on the gowns tonight paired with prim high necked collars with delicate trim. Also the shimmer of neatly beaded gowns in black glass, catching the light with the smoothness of shark skin. But particularly the collars.
I have always loved a good collar, and I am now even more searching after a way to make myself the Carven at Joseph detachable white silk collar I've seen in last months Vogue. If I could just find out how to do it I'm sure having a range of collars would add the prim element that a collar can add to a look.
My friends new coat from Topshop with a furn collar trim reminded me of the coats my mother had me wear, dressed up like some Victorian postcard child, with a black velvet round collar, matching covered buttons and lined muff. Kind of ridiculous for a girl who wanted to play making mud patties under a tree but none the less, these things do stay in your subconcious.
I guess there's the school uniform element as well, then the Twiggy style minidresses with big peter pan collars, accentuating the juvenility of the trend. Something a bit taboo about the overtly shocking and sexual new heights of the hem twinned with the child like neckline of course, adding intrigue.
Downton Abbey manages to showcase some lovely big low necked collars too, shawl style, sailor style in silks and coloured cottons. mm delightful.
Looking up Carven, a brand bio on fashionencyclopedia.com indicates tendencies that I realise I completely sympathise with!
"Carven's designs from the late 1940s through the early 1960s, while conforming to the prevailing stylistic tendencies of the period, are distinguished by the delicate decorative detail that flatters the wearer without overwhelming her. Trims at collar and cuff are frequently executed in all variations of white lace and embroidery. Occasionally, coolly plain white linen collar and cuffs assert the propriety of the wearer while enhancing an image of chic self-assurance."

Read more: Carven - Fashion Designer Encyclopedia - century, women, ancient, men, dress, style, new, body, history, collection, dresses, designs, jewelry, world http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/Bo-Ch/Carven.html#ixzz11KnIgmD2

So there!

Some research will follow, now becasue collars are on my radar so I'll post soon with the goods!

It haunts me so, those summer nights, in dim lit homes...

where music flows...and tempers flare...and lullabies fill the air... (Mary Hamrick)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LYrT0R89V4

Chez Chanel by Alexandre Desplat from the film score for Coco Avant Chanel, this music fits the mood board and was in my head when I put it together. The entire soundtrack is divine and for me really is one of those pieces of music that carry you away somewhere else.