Magazine Madness: ELLE Collection Autumn/Winter 2014

ELLE Collection Autumn/Winter 2014

The brand-spanking ELLE Collections features the edit of the best shows in New York, Paris, London and Milano, with lovely stickers, news, shoots and unrivalled scoops of Fashion industry. A good to read during the long, bleak and dark New Year holidays in Helsinki.

ELLE Collections, inevitably, follows the trend by adapting lemon yellow rosy pink hues, with the hottest model in 2014, Cara Delevingne, who wearing Chanel pinky ragged sporty suit occupying the 1/5 of the front cover of Autumn/Winter 2014. Unfortunately, the oriental faces are still as usual, missing and absent.

The first 32 pages are filled with high-end brand advertisements, while the contents are eventfully satisfying: ‘This is A/W 2014’ introduces the new season snapshots, ‘The Best Shows in the World’ is ELLE Collections’ edit of the most creative design from Chanel to Dolce & Gabbana, ‘Backstage Scrapbook’ brings us all the behind-the-scenes to see how many hands make fashion work, and ‘The World According to Vanessa Friedman’ interviews this fashion criticism’s most influential voices shares her thoughts, while she thinks that ‘fashion is identity politics’, clothes are communication devices, and bloggers are ‘little media business’ but more of enthusiasts rather than critics’ (Lowthorpe, 189). Being also as a fashion-oriented blogger, I couldn’t agree more that having curiosity and ability of removed is the key to provide another perspective of la mode, and this vision needs a plenty of time of build up.

The most exciting content of AW14 ELLE Collections, is that journalist Rebecca Lowthorpe interviews Chanel’s Holy Trinity: Bruno Pavlovsky, Virginie Viard and Karl Lagerfeld. Very luckily, Lowthorpe has the chance to tell us that M Lagerfeld is scared to have become so big because he might turn to be a ‘dangerous monster’, and he is less horrible than he seems, but born to be alone. About the teamwork, like Pavlovsky says, that there “never only five essential people building up Chanel, it is 200!” (177). M Lagerfeld admits, that “I need their strengths, they need my ideas; everybody needs everybody” (179).

For spending 15,90 EUR (or 7£), the backstage working process is decrypted into a lovely illustration, a model casting directors’ duties perform into handwritten charts, snapshots include both haute couture and high street, mixed using papers from glossy and acid-free, glossary of textile plus instagram guide to follow those favourite models, knowledgeable and pleasurable. Unless Cara face continuously appearing on the covers (seriously I found her temperament unbearable; perhaps her piggy nose makes her girl-next-door feel, still she has only youth but 0 elegance), ELLE Collections, I would surely collect you, non-stop, no doubt.

#ELLECOLLECTIONS ELLEUK

Magazine Madness: Lula Issue 19, 2014 Felicity

Felicity! LULA 19 2014

Former Editor-in-Chief Leith Clark left but Lula still stays. While Clark points out via her tumblr post, that ‘Lula has been changing…and I don’t want her to change too much’, Issue 19, featuring British actress Felicity Jones two-thirds of her visage, grey eyes revealing a sense of curiosity and beauty, a layering hue of cover, only printing in white font ‘ISSUE 19’, ‘Lula’ and ‘Felicity’; indeed it changes, but at the same time, it as well preserves the best of Lula.

Issue 19, under Editor-in-Chief Sheila Single and Creative Director Maja Kölqvists’ co-directory, still, Lula carefully chooses the advertising partners, such as A.P.C, Vanessa Bruno and Chanel, which perfectly matches the style of the magazine. Issue 19 inherits Lula’s multi-cover tradition, presenting different young faces—Actress Felicity Jones, blogger Tavi Gavinson and artist Angel Haze—to express its theme: ‘Revolution’. Since I like Jones’ performance at movie director Niall Maccormick’s Albatross, plus the strong graphic design of the cover, I easily choose my personal copy among the three cover girls.

The interior design of the magazine echoes the layering-hue cover, on the introduction page, on the fashion campaign pages of Felicity Jones’ and ‘Lula Likes’ accessories by photographer Arvida Byström. Without any editor’s letter, yet readers can sense the feminine photography and sensual interview within Lula. Note that the bold-font captions between the paragraphs, such as ‘it’s good to do things in life that you’re scared of, you’ve got to be brave’ by Jones (Brandes, 134), or ‘I definitely consider myself a feminist and I have basically since I learned what the word really meant’ by Gavinson (Bumpus, 74), are projecting its core concept of the editorial team.

Viewing page by page, Lula is a beautiful fashion photography album with appropriate amount of writing. Perhaps new Lula will not be able to present the highly literary report such as ‘Shakespeare & Co.’(Lula issue. 15, 2012), still issue 19 includes poetry ‘Delta Aeroplanes in Twilight’ by Greta Bellamacina, a rare act among any female magazine nowadays.

The true reasons for Leith Clark’s abandon of Lula could be various, but from my review of issue 19, the direction of the art, the quality of writing, the use of the papers and the voice from the inner side are not changing that much, continuously very Lula, very dreamy, very girly yet strongly independent. Year by year on purchasing fashion magazine, I prefer choosing less commercial and more sophisticated photography, and Lula is ‘it mag’. Lula Issue 20 will be launched in January-February 2015, and I am looking forward to it already.

For the tumblr post by Leith Clark:

http://ileithclark.tumblr.com

Helsinki Design Market December 7, 2014

At Kaapelitehdas, Ruoholahti

After Helsinki Design Week in September, Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory in English) again gathers over 70 original Finnish artists, designers, studios and brands to allure design lovers’ vision, inspiration and no doubt, cash cash.

On the South Wall avenue of main building, Finnish artist Teemu Järvi Illustrations on bear, hare, fox and deer by using oriental ink capture my sights. Mainly exhibiting and selling his paintings, but also with cotton tote bags, postcards and tattoo stickers at stall, Teemu combines his love of Finnish nature and sketch skills, alternatively snapshots the black & white silhouette of Finland. Coincidentally, Finnish ethical fur designer Marita Huurinainen’s flagship boutique, parts of the interior design is collaborating with Teemu Järvi Illustrations, in which echo between eco, fashion and design.

 

Japanese animal lover and art craftsman Yasushi Koyama, graduated from Aalto University, now distributes the most cutest panda, doggy, kitty and mushroom collection to make us wow ‘kawaii’. I especially admire the ‘Panda with Pinky Balloon’, alas it is a great pity that budget is budget, still I take mini kitty tote bag and micro doggy statue to express my support. I truly believe these 2 will be extremely lovely adding up the atmosphere of my bedroom deco and photo shooting projects.

Founded in 2002, Designer Ilona Hyötyläinen launched Miun, a Finnish family run design house in 2004. The design in Miun women’s clothing is clean and sleek with romantic touch. After Hyötyläinen giving birth of a baby girl, Miun now owns children’s wear, Mini Miun. Each Miun piece is designed, sewn and knitted ethically either in Finland or Estonia, and the story behind each collection can be seen in the prints as well as the cuts of the garments.

Finnish design never lacks any international market potential. The most designers need to be aware of, is that being so satisfied and extremely positive about ‘Made in Finland’ products is a killing trap stone of its brighter future, Design and Fashion is highly competitive around the world, no matter what kind of nationality you hold on to. Since there are still quite some Finnish women’s wear brands, selling a ‘made in Estonia’ 100% polyester black top at 100 EUR, only being naively proud that the designer is Finnish native, or a design studio is short of appropriate investment, still would like to leap into a category called High Fashion; both above are simply a dangerous child play. By year 2014, Kaapelitehdas Design Market brings up the best, the doubts and somehow highly provocative, no doubt a great chance to observe the future of Finnish design.

Alexander Wang x H&M 2014--Rethink Designer Collaboration x Fast Fashion

Alexander Wang x H&M 2014

In the summer of 2014, fast fashion megastore H&M announced plans to collaborate with the hottest kid of New York---Alexander Wang (a.k.a王大仁)—and launch the exclusively seasonal line in November 2014. Already known the low prices, such as H&M offers a 9,99 EUR women’s sports tank (without support), with the additional label and AW fonts (abbreviation for Alexander Wang) and the numbers go up to 29,99 EUR (without support). H&M has been accused for exploiting overseas workers’ benefits and wages, and the serious collaborations with high fashion designers (such as 2012 Masion Martin Margiela x H&M and 2013 Isabel Marant x H&M) may lead to the further issues on sweatshop labour and environmental disaster.

At the beginning of September, 2014, H&M has already displayed 7^_storey high advertisement on the wall of Forum (one of the major shopping malls in Helsinki Centre); in the middle week of October, 2014, a 15-second TV commercial  ‘Alexander Wang x H&M’ broadcast every day, showcasing top models such as Joan Smalls or Anna Ewes. Imaging how much advertising campaign H&M spends on this fast, chic and quick line, only for the making of hot money. 

On November 6 th, 2014, -1’c in Helsinki, fast fashion fashionista line up outside of H&M along Aleksanterinkatu (major shopping street in Helsinki), after the door opens at 08:00AM, the cluttered store is packed with wowing, yaying and cashier clicking. I like Alexander Wang’s clean and sleek cutting design, no doubt, and I have 0 sports tank for my yoga practice, so I take over 40 minutes to select a grey/black one with AW symbols, Made in Italy (which is good), 68% Polypropylene, 24% polyamide and 8% elastane (which is not meet up my expectation, since I wish there shall be at least 25% of cotton), 29,99 EUR. I also choose sports towel set (a 140cm x 70 cm and a 30cm x 50cm, plus a backpack), Made in Turkey, 100% cotton (which is nice), 29,99 EUR. Finally I spot a well-designed AW-font carved whistle wrapped inside a delicate giftbox, 100% plastic, Made in China, 9,99 EUR. At first I thought this price is not that bad for a cute item, unfortunately I found out that the whistle is quite hard to blow any sound.

H&M on season-limited campaign always does a good trick, not just for the sake of the name, but also on the timing. While loads of customers would like to wake up before office hour to line up outside of the store, it proves the facts that, not just the high popularity of the designer, but also the great success of the marketing strategy, which, also slyly grasps humans’ psychological weakness: It’s a shame not gaining any worms back when being an early bird. For the sales, H&M does really well. But for the sense of clothing value, year after year H&M drags down how we think about clothes. According to Dana Thomas, author of ‘Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster’, points out that the collaboration line are designed to do almost one thing—push shoppers into a purchasing frenzy while they only know they’re owning some items with the designer’s name labels on, with expectation on ‘clothing cost virtually none.’

I haven’t done any laundry on my Alexander Wang x HM sports tank and towels yet. Once I do, I definitely report the result on Art Accede. 

Works Cited & Photography:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/8-reasons-rethink-fast-fashion.html

www.hm.com

Magazine Madness: Frankie Issue 62, 2014/ From Design to Life

Issue 62, From Design to Life

From Australia, Frankie magazine is a bi-monthly printed press about design, art, photography, fashion, travel, music, craft, home and life. It has been always standing as a beautiful mini window on my working desk. From Issue 50 Frankie abandons having cover girl shots, and since Issue 55, there is no extra subtitle or line on the front page, only amazingly expressive illustrations to judge its appearance.

When I was living in Taiwan, it’s unpredictable to know when Frankie arriving at Eslite bookstore but still, the chance is a lot higher to get than in Helsinki. Frankie Issue 62, 35 swimmers/divers/yoga goers wearing tropical plants as deco-hats, Illustrator Carla Fuentes’ pastel tone catches my gaze, totally. Frankie’s Editor-in-Chief, Jo Walker’s words declare the voice of this Aussie indie mag: ’What world needs now, clearly, is more normality, more fabric, more vom-in-mouth moments and either or less love or work, depending on who you talk to.’ 

On photography part, Swiss photographer Joel Tettamanti documents Lesotho’s collective kobo blanket obsession, that those beautifully knitted pieces are given at various points in Basotho life: birth, graduation or weddings. Via capturing the local nature as background and adapting ‘CREMA’ filter, Tettamanti creates a mystic but yet natural reality of African kingdom. 

On Fashion, Photographer Natalie Mccomas and Stylist Stefanie Ingram on ‘Totally Cactus’, exhibiting those cute accessories on spiky and succulent cactus, echoing the cover art of Frankie Issue 62. Furthermore, on page 74 & 75, Lenka Clayton and Michael Crowe sign, seal and deliver to every household mysterious letters as their lifelong project. I like the note the most, is:

‘Dear Erwin, I believe that after reading this small, simple letter, you will go on to have not just the best week of your life, but one of the single best weeks in human history.

With Love, 

Lenka & Michael’

And that's not the only reason to start doing backflips, Issue 62.

Works Cited & Photography: 

more info and photos of Joel Tettamanti is on: 

http://www.tettamanti.ch/pages/tettamanti.html

www.frankie.com.au

On the Road: Tokyo Trip—Asakusa Shrine, EBiS Exhibition & Gotemba Outlet

October 23-25, 2014

Senso-ji(金龍山浅草寺) is the oldest and most significant Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after 1945. Japanese legend shows that a statue of the Kannon was found in Sumida River in year 628 by two fishermen brothers. The chief of their village, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined it by remodeling his own house into a small temple in Asakusa for the worshiping of Kannon statue.

While travelling, I always prefer ancient churches, castles, temples or houses than modern architecture. Additionally, Nakamise-dori (仲見世通り) is a street market approximately 250 meters on the approach to the temple, there is no way I would like to miss this path packed with Japanese traditional handicraft shops and food stalls.

From Omotesando, Gate Kaminarimon, on the left side performs the God of Wind, on the right, stands the God of Thunder, which is commonly known as the ‘Thunder gate’. The enormous red lantern ‘Thunder Gate’ was a gift from Panasonic industrialist Knontsuke Matsushita (松下幸之助) after his health-wishes was rewarded at Senso-ji.

Before entering the temple, it is a traditional etiquette to wash hands at the fountain. The Kannon is behind the barbed wire, surely it is a necessarily protection measure, still the Kannon is grounded at certain level in my opinion. I would like to test and pray for my luck for the up-coming year, so I put a hundred Yen coin to the donation box, shake the lots a bit, upside down the kettle and I get a bamboo stick written 86 in kanji. Following the number and pull the tiny wooden drawer, Oh! What the best fortune!

The last two lines of the poem on lucky charm paper go as follow:

You will become virtuous with learning; your wishes will be realized;

While riding horse in spirit, all will praise you high.

After the temple trip, I go to Pro1 Fashion Trade Show with friends from Hong Kong. Held in EBiS 303, though only 31 exhibitors in total, still there all quite some young impressive designers full of creativities and passion. Though due to the no photo policy, I can show very a few glimpses of the show, still I recommend CHEEKLDN by Charlotte Yamada, Mink Pink from Australia, Primitive Action Shiroma and hactin from Tokyo.

On Friday I decide to relax myself, away from the hustle bustle Tokyo City, I take JR bus to Gotemba Premium Outlets. Located in Fukasawa, the outlet is also where Fujiyama in the neighbourhood. I choose to travel at least 3 hours on transportation, because I bet on chances to take photos of Fuji Mt. while doing shopping. Furthermore, the design of the outlet is American village style, walking between bridges and stores is very fun as well.

Alas Fuji is still hidden behind the clouds, even the sky is clearly blue. Surrounding among Chloé, Dior, Kate Spade, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Prada, Vivienne Westwood, Tsumori Chisato, or even Godiva, though most of the collection apparently too pricy to go crazy buy, I still treat myself a Chloé lambskin cosmetic bag (I would treat it as a long wallet) and a pair of sophisticated stockings by Tsumori Chisato. It is not a super bargain to buy luxurious goods in Japan, but adoring the styles and materials of my new purchase, plus the nice service with tax free, it’s definitely one of my best outlet hunting experiences.

I am very grateful for whom I met, where I have been, what I have taken responsibilities and eaten during these 10 days. To me, Tokyo trip is no doubt beautiful, eventful and inspirational.  

Special Thanks: Team MH, Team MINGO, Iwasaki and those great people I meet during my Tokyo Trip October, 2014.