Magazine Madness: VOGUE Holiday with Kate Moss June 2013

VOGUE British June 2013

YES! Kate Moss is the cover girl again, which, several euros must be spent, and bookshelf needs to be spaced! 2013 is the year marks 2 decades of Kate’s first VOGUE British cover, and June issue is Moss’s 33 rd appearance on the front. Comparing to other runway super giants, Kate looks like a petite kitten, but quite on the contrary, her anti-model-industry-regulation figure makes her styles much more down-to-earth to we usual females, since it’s quite a rare chance owning 6 feet plus size 0. Haute couture, high street, rock ‘n’ roll or beach chic, Kate nails them effortlessly yet sexually.

Icon model teaming up with professional photographer is an art asset. Totally 21 campaign pages at St. Barthes, PatrickDemarchelier invites Kate on his yacht for summer fashion shoots. Cat-eyed sunglasses, nostalgic flora dress, white stripes, leopard-print bikini, straw hats, fuchsia shorts and exotic earrings, with up-close fuzzy focus, the rich colours through Demarchelier’s lens just never hide, even the mode is black-and-white. 

Susie Harris on June issue article ‘What Makes a Model?’ points out that older models, like male ones, really have more values nowadays, which is, ‘a backlash against a raft of new models without life experiences’ (p.204). Since youth may be clueless and hollow, gazers want to see the soul of life out of the pictures; furthermore, social media drastically push the used-to-be-tiny-circle fashion industry under the public spotlight, and turn the exclusive into inclusive. Clients, photographers and viewers stress on attitude more than juvenile. 

Indeed model agencies around the world also try their best to search the ‘next new face’, while suddenly Cara Delevingne appears almost everywhere: on the catwalks from Burberry to Fendi, on the front of British VOGUE to i-D. She is comic with thick eyebrows, but she is also bizarre with wide nasal alas, that makes her every photo shot like a camera shock.

A model is very much like an artist: their existence becomes an overrated mania due to being both ecstatically and elaborately flattered by PR, agents, journalists, designers or photographers. Although sudden fame may be abruptly hot, true grace can last permanently.

Works Cited and Photography: British VOGUE

http://www.vogue.co.uk

Harris, Sarah. ‘What Makes a Model?’. VOGUE UK, June 2013. London: Condé Nast, 2013. 

Summer Salute: Summer Concerts Kick Off: At Kaisaniemi Park

12 of June from 16:00-20:00

6 of December is Independence Day of Finland, easily enough, 12 of June is its Capital Day, so called Helsinkin Päivä! Since the beginning of June, from independent zine Sue, tri-day concerts or pub gigs are promoting page by page; JES! Because music festival season in Finland counts down now, it’s about time to have a very Finnish one to warm up (and the fast way to advance Finnish)!!!

Mainly sponsored by Aalto Radio Station, Kesäkonsertti, at Kaisaniemi Park, right next to Helsinki Central Railway Station, from 15:40-22:00, lists Laura Närhi, Haloo Helsinki, Tuure Kilpeläinen, Irina, Anssi Kela, Anna Puu, Sunrise Avenue and J. Karjalainen as guests for public. Due to the sight and safety concerns, umbrellas are not allowed, while the sky turns cloudy and grey quite swiftly. Luckily when one of my favourite pop rock bands Haloo Helsinki starting, the sky becomes a combination of silver and blue. Haloo Helsinki lead singer Elli sings 2013 single ‘Vapaus Käteen Jää’ (Icy Free hands), the live mood has a slight melancholy, while hits ‘Huuda!’(Scream!) pops up, the whole rock ‘n’ roll spirit transforms the worries of the unpredictable weather of the day.

Alas, the raindrops just fall as its wish, so I skip Tuure Kilpeläinen and rush into Hesburger for a cup of hot chocolate, a chicken burger and French fries to warm my stomach and body, and afterwards my mate joins me from 18:00-20:00. Irina is very much like Janis Joplin, her voice also has a deep potential of grunge singing skills; Anssi Kela performs as powerful as I saw him at IVANAhelsinki event (April 5 th), unfortunately the stereo speakers mute for around 30 seconds due to the unknown reason, but Anssi and the band stay calm and carry on.

 Anna Puu’s music is lovely, the stage image is romantic, her voice is fresh and her attitude is cute but pretentious, it’s so nice I can watch her play guitar and sing alive. My recent favourite ‘Säännöt Rakkaudelle’(The Rules of Love) conveys fragile but poetic feeling, when Anna croons the lyrics, quite many female audiences chant chorally (me inclusive!); at the moment, the heaven tears drizzly, but the gig just ends amorously perfectly.

More info about Kesäkonsertti, please go to:

http://www.radioaalto.fi/kesakonsertti/

http://www.sue.fi/

Photography: Haloo Helsinki, Mindy Yuan 

Special Thanks: JMH

How can this happen?
Well, you just have to deal with it.

Magazine Madness: COSTUME Finland June 2013

COSTUME Finland June 2013

Why Finnish Fashion Doesn’t Sell?? A Very Oriental Points of View

Talking about female high fashion, what occurs most of us might be Chanel or Dolce & Gabbana; going shopping at female fast fashion, BIK BOK, Forever 21, H&M, TOPSHOP, Uniqlo and ZARA are wide choices to consider, but none of those concerns the final piece of land, Finland. Nevertheless, its major city, Helsinki, just having been World Design Capital in 2012, but how do Finnish designers take care of the silhouette of citizens and promote the marketing in a country with extremely swiftly-changed climate??

The question is also the main theme of Finnish fashion magazine COSTUME June discussion forum. As the fact, from accessories to women’s wear, Finland never lacks of amazing fashion designers’ brands, such as IVANAHelsinki, jaana haaksiluoto, Minna Parikka, miun, R/H or TYRA THERMAN. Finnish female fashion designers mostly have their very own spirits, their collection/idea is more like the independent house rather than a mass production merely; therefore, each season’s circulation is limited, and accordingly, the charge of the production would be definitely higher.

Finnish fashion insists on ‘design in Finland, made in either Estonia or Finland’ policy; without relying on sweatshop manufacturing, the high cost of laboring results in the high retail price, more or less, the numbers on the price tag reduces the of shoppers’ impulse of purchasing behavior.

For fast fashion market, Finnish local brand Seppälä only spreads along Baltic territories. Its office wear design is less formal than ZARA, nor the collaboration is highly intriguing as H&M, even the price is less amusing than Uniqlo.

Perhaps due to the small amount of population operating one of the most difficult languages on earth, Finland has never been a leading role on colonisation, industrialisation nor globalisation. On European marketing, French houses and Italian family having been providing luxurious and sufficient choices to buyers for centuries, while Finnish designers being forced to step aside; on Oriental views, most Asians know Finnish fashion through Japanese’ magazines or programmes, but unfortunately, knowing is one thing, buying power is yet another issue. Particularly, Finnish brands have not opened chain stores in the far-eastern regions since a lot of Asians convince that ‘seeing is believing’. Visibility is the key to sell successfully.

Finnish designers do not have to drift with the waves. Finnish fashion does sell, but it needs a little bit more time to appreciate the concept of design and pride of insistence; once you realise Finnish, there is almost no way back.

Photography & works cited:

www.costume.fi

Summer Salute: Vermo Flea Market & Vantaa Picnic

2nd of June from 10:00-16:00

What’s the solution to have shopping bargains when living in a country without night market nor running Sunday business hours?? Yes, morning flea market!!!Not far from Leppävaara, on Majurinkatu, Vermo flea market is more alike a parking lot family sales than market square, while the choices can be from children’s toys, electronics devices, ladies wears to comics out-of-printed.

I love garments, but at flea market I like to search accessories or kitchenware. Luckily, first I found this combing baby pink, shining golden and carbon black vintage earrings from an elegant lady’s stall, then Avène skin recovery cream and cleansing gel at middle-aged mother’s basket, finally 6-pack hand-knitted Tiffany blue handkerchief at elder madam’s table. I was wondering about Made in Germany golden-platted tea cups, 3 euros per set, but unfortunately we folks have to drive to Kimo’s mansion for late lunch.

KH's place locates near Vantaa, an old-schooled Finnish house, equipped with sauna and wooden dining tables, while the main living room deco is very 90’s modern style; the major colours of the mansion are pale white, mustard yellow and Finnish blue. Kimmo has WW2 military souvenirs, amazing Arabia Muumin mugs collection, numerous George Jensen tea kettles and not to mention his rare wine storage in a secret closet.

Therefore, we sit relaxingly under the sunshine at the blossom garden, enjoying Spanish strawberries, honey cake, Mövenpick ice cream, Finnish salad and just-grilled sausage. Surely, it’s yet another perfect way to spend at temperate summer’s day. 

Special Thanks: PH

Photography: Mindy Yuan 

Summer Salute: French Champagne and Baltic Sea

1 of June From 13:00-17:00

Hyvää Kesäkuussa!!Since Finnish convinces June as the ‘summer month’, surely the party season has just begun, and the Nordic night is still young!

Invited by Jade, the newly high school graduate, I joined the very warm and welcoming afternoon home party with dear members. Though the atmosphere is relaxing, still the dressing code is cocktail banquet like: Men in black and ladies in dresses. On Friday I went to hair salon asking for a temperate-perm one-side style, on the party I try this new little black dress from the bargain sales at Weekday, 20e, the viscose fabric is soft to feel, yet still reveals some attractiveness.

Party starts at 14:00, French champagne in tall glass greets guests. After graduation short speech and toasting, buffet snacks and free chatting become the major activities around every corner at indoors, terrace and backyard. The first serve are wheat bread and blue cheese, smoked salmon, cold shrimp, watermelon/olive salad with pork/goat cheese. 

Desserts treat: mango strawberry cake, home-baked cookies, domino+ chocolate cookies and a bowl of salamiakki candy, and drinks are red wine, aqua con gas, coca cola, coffee and tea. Notice: food is visual-pleasurably ladled at Arabia kitchenware collection! Drinking under the parasol, laughing together with small talks, viewing the books collection on the second floor, taking pictures along the Baltic Sea after shortcut from the mansion, C’est la vie!!!!

Jade’s little sister visits through Heathrow Airport, after her arrival and brief meeting, we thank the hosts and drive back to Sokos Hotel for a cider rest. First time surrounded by big Finns family, deep impact but truly lovely!!!

Specials Thanks: Téa, Jade, Eija, Jukka & Heikkinen

Photography: Mindy Yuan