Fashion Lineage
As we hit the early years of the 21st century, creative thinking and design start to become recycled, blended, regurgitated and influenced from past artists. Originality starts to become extremely rare as the creative field becomes more and more competitive and the ability to start your own business is a mouse click away. For example, Chris Benz line (shown above) is a great example of using 50s, 60s and 70s inspired trends to create a style of his own. In an article by Christine Barberich on Refinery29.com, her interview displays his thought process on how he came to create his first line–adding pictures, photos, and collection of items he finds in his spare time on a wall.
From this visual example of his inspirations, we can see that there are a lot of inspirations that spring from past trends and/or advertisements.
Looking at fashion, we begin to see the same recycled images we see in art. At times it is done well and at most times it is not. However, what is interesting about todays Fashion is that just because the price of a shirt is high, doesn’t mean that it is a high-fashion commodity. The birth of expensive streetwear is becoming very prominent in the fashion world. A simple Nike limited edition sneaker could cost just as much as a Versace dress made for Nicole Kidman. Street fashion has now become a growing economy-feeding culture next to the sophisticated fashion pioneers of haute couture.
I recently visited the RIF sneaker store in Little Tokyo and was in awe by the prices labeled on their limited edition shoes. These Air Jordan VII are going for $600 next to many other collectable Air Jordans in the store. This item next to the other 22 Michael Jordan shoe releases that come out every blue moon. You must be thinking $600 for shoes? Well, to parallel, I wouldn’t pay $600 for a Louis Vuitton bag either. However, this is a very common trend rapidly rising in our youth culture.
And as I read more blogs, I realize that there is a huge crossover with high-fashion designers with streetwear brands, high-fashion designers with big retailers like H&M, and corporate designers producing more personal independent lines to match the current street fashion buzz.
Fashion, Food | Comment (0)Totally Living Book
The book Total Living by Maria Luisa Frisa completely excited me when I discovered its content. This is exactly the type of book I want to be making when I’m sufficiently older and experienced.
I’ve searched this book on Amazon and found it covers many aspects of art that I cover for my blog. This is a fairly recent book published in 2002 displaying and discussing lifestyles, fashion, industry and culture,
“A fabulously rich and interconnected iconographic passage visually narrates the various forms and ramifications of total living today and in the recent past through a succession of utopias, life-projects, urban visions, architecture, special homes, stores, art galleries, museums, and editorial pages and ads from fashion and lifestyle magazines.”
Since it’s 488 pages, I believe I would find endless material to write on or to choose a specific subject to focus on. What was interesting is that this was the single book that popped up when I searched “consumerism”. This is a perfect match for what I want to do. The book is a more detailed examination into the art and culture and influence of all things art and design. Unlike blogs, Total Living is more permanent and academic based that could aid me in researching a higher understanding of culture and art.
Culture, Fashion, Street, Uncategorized | Comment (0)Louis Vuitton x Fred de Garilhe concept
This is a big change from my post talking about the toy and USB-stylist, Friends with You, switching now from playful collectable USB’s to USB’s with a fashion statement. Sometimes we have secretive and important files we’d like to keep locked and this USB makes it possible to lock away files from people we’d like to keep away from. The addition of the clock makes it a more useful accessory to put on a keychain like most people do with their USB drives.
I’ve always loved when major designers or fashion brands open their minds to create more accessories for their line — partly because I can’t afford the other big items they have on sale.
Fred de Garilhe, a French professional luxury accessory designer, produced concepts for big brands such as Chanel, Kappa, Chloe and Le Coq Sportif. Aside from accessories, he also makes fashion and apparel, industrial design and exhibition design. His most recent and prominent concept was the Chanel Choco Phone that has been hitting all the high fashion to street fashion blogs. His designs are original and push the envelope for new ways for looking at technology. The curves in the USB make it distinctively unique from other straight sided USB drives. Even if we look at the Chanel phone, his ideas are unconventional and create something that geeks and girls can drool over. Continue reading »
Culture, Fashion | Comment (1)James Jean x Prada
Whoever thinks that fashion is purely superficial, here is my chance to convince you otherwise. Taking fashion to another level, James Jean collaborates with Prada for their Spring/Summer 2008 campaign. His fable-like, illustrious designs inspire the dynamic looks of such a prominent fashion mogul.James Jean’s art work displays romantic imagery of an imagining world we all wish to live in. In his collaboration with Prada, he takes his style and embodies it with the feminine mystique. His elaborate curves, patterns, and characters personify Prada’s Spring/Summer 2008 line.
