Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Caricaturing History, Dramatising Haute Couture: Corrie Nielsen A/W 2011-12

Last year Florida-born but London-based Corrie Nielson won the Fashion Fringe competition.

A graduate of Central St Martins, Nielsen charmed John Galliano, honorary chair of the event, with her collection entitled “Georgian Satires”, inspired by the 18th Century illustrator James Gillray and British caricaturist George Cruickshank.

For the Autumn/Winter 2011 season, Nielsen moved from traditional men's tailoring, the Elizabethan period, English and Spanish paintings from the Renaissance, portraits by the Flemish masters (think for example about the silhouettes and cartwheel ruffs in Cornelis de Vos' portraits, View this photo to get an idea) and French Haute Couture from the '40s-'50s, and filtered these inspirations through her passion for caricatures and drama.

The final result of such different inspirations may have been a tragic hybrid, but Nielsen mastered her starting points well, coming up with costumy pieces with an emphasis on exaggerated and voluminous elements with a deconstructivist edge.

Based on a dark palette comprising black and grey with some splashes of blue, emerald and purple, the collection included garments with stiff high collars and pleated ruffs extending around the neck; structured shoulders; full curving sleeves; decorative knots and draped motifs and more extravagant pieces such as silk taffeta blouses and grand capes with voluminous silhouettes.

The collection revealed that Galliano was right in his judgement and that Nielsen - who spent six years at Vivienne Westwood working on the Gold Label - may reveal herself as one of the gems of the exuberant London fashion scene.

She is indeed one of the few contemporary designers able to inject a much needed dose of drama into our boring every day lives through wearable yet striking ready-to-wear pieces.

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Chiaroscuro Meditations from a Prairie: Rodarte A/W 2011-12

When you start looking at a collection that displays some cinematic connection, it’s often easy to wonder if maybe some costume designers, directors and directors of photography could actually reveal themselves as talented designers if they ever tried their hand at fashion. The question sprung to my mind once again after Rodarte’s catwalk show.

The Mulleavy sisters always showed interest for films, but for the next season they left behind their apocalyptic Amazons and horror inspirations to focus on a different time, the early 20th century and a different story set in the American prairie à la Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven.

While Malick’s film features a rather thin screenplay, it also display an interesting use of natural light, inspired by painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth.

The visual effects employed in a film always prove more inspiring from a fashion designer point of view and the Mulleavy sisters tried to take the best out of them, filtering images and inspirations through their own style.

Shots of the wheat fields must have provided the colours for most of the collection, including the high-waisted trousers, tops and dresses in creamy nuances, while the long shots of lilac and blue clouds and violet skies contrasting with the yellow wheat fields, provided the sisters with the inspiration for their blue, acid yellow and grey silk evening gowns featuring prints of ears of wheat moving in the wind along the hems.

Quite a few of the shapes and silhouettes called back to mind the previous collection: ankle-length coats proved a step forward, but tops with intersecting and criss-crossing panels and cut out motifs echoed previous designs by the Rodarte duo while frock dresses and A-line apron skirts in period colours such as brown and mahogany seemed to be more elaborate versions including appliquéd flowers, embroideries, lace and quilted inserts of Linda’s costumes in the film (though there didn’t seem to be too many cinematic echoes in the Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte pony hair boots with beads). 

Interestingly enough the collection also seemed to follow the rhythm of the film: the plot becomes more tragic as the story progresses and, from bucolic American plains and prairies, the collection moved instead towards darker inspirations with long evening dresses with grey clouds, see-through gowns covered in sparkling crystals and ruby red designs.

Were the latter references to the wonderful Wizard of Oz and Adrian’s iconic shoes or to the threshing machine, the motorcycle or the airplanes of the flying circus in Malick’s film? We will probably manage to decipher all this in the next few months.

According to most fashion critics this countrified urban collection is enough to move Kate and Laura Mulleavy forward in the fashion industry and to make us believe this is pure craft at its best (though, is it craft overcomplicating a pair of pants with cut out motifs/criss-crossing panels or is it a trick to hide the fact you can't come up with a well cut basic and flattering pair of trousers? The doubt remains).

Will the sisters find one day that perfect balance they need between post-apocalyptic Amazons and bucolic Holly Hobbies? Guess we will have to stay tuned and see what will happen next. The bets are open in the meantime to see which film they will pilfer - pardon, take inspiration from, as we say nowadays - for the next season.   

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Knitting Dropa Discs: Laura Theiss S/S 2011

German-born London-based knitwear designer Laura Theiss appeared on this blog a while back. I'm republishing today an interview I did with her for Zoot iMagazine n which she talks about her alien-inspired Spring/Summer collection. 

In the late ‘30s a team of archaeologists found in the mountains of BayanKara-Ula, on the borders of China and Tibet, lines of neatly arranged graves containing the remains of skeletons with an unusual bone configuration.

Next to them there were stone discs that looked exactly like records, with a hole in the centre and a series of grooves featuring lines of closely written characters.

Once deciphered, the grooves told the story of an alien race – the Dropas – that crash-landed in that area and, despite their peaceful intentions, were hunted down by local tribes and killed.

Knitwear designer Laura Theiss moved from this story of mysterious aliens landing on our planet for her Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

The latter includes both dresses and tops, some characterised by looser shapes, others by more sensual figure-hugging silhouettes, though all of them created with maximum visual impact in mind.

The sci-fi theme behind her S/S 11 designs also allowed Theiss to experiment further with colours, textures and the infinite structural and patterning potential offered by different knitting and crochet techniques. 

Can you tell me more about the story behind the Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
Laura Theiss: This collection is a continuing exploration of traditional hand knitting and crochet techniques. I tried to bring unusual colour combinations and texture in it injecting a futuristic and  feminine vision in the forms. Creating a collection for me is a bit like being a journalist or a writer and coming up with a feature or a story, though I don’t use words to tell my stories, but I use my designs. For this collection I was inspired by the legend of the Dropa Stone Discs. They say that the Dropa extraterrestrials landed near the Chinese-Tibetan border some twelve thousand years ago. The Dropa Disc translated by Dr. Tsum Um Nui states: “The Dropa came down from the clouds in their aircraft. Our men, women, and children hid in the caves ten times before sunrise. When at last they understood the sign language of the Dropa, they realized that the newcomers had peaceful intentions.” In my collection I conceived these visitors from the skies as creatures from other worlds who actually live aleady among us.

Which yarns did you use this time?
Laura Theiss: I used cotton yarn with some metallic Lurex in it. I mainly used hand knitting and crochet techniques, so the garments are much softer compared to when you use a knitting machine.

The collection seems to display a good balance between casual and elegant garments, but it also features a few showpieces, is this a new direction for you?
Laura Theiss: I love to create unusual showpieces as they allow me to find innovative ways to knit or display the patterns. A collection needs a balance between showpieces and something more wearable. You can be very creative when you’re showing in London, but in Paris things are a bit different and the buyers also want something more saleable. Luckily, also the crazier pieces sold this season. I enjoy seeing people wearing my designs and I think I will continue creating collections in which there is a good balance between the creative and the wearable.
 
One design has almost got a tribal look about it, what inspired it?
Laura Theiss: The trimmings are traditional Chinese ornaments I bought during my travelling. The dress is a combination of hand knitting and crochet in a very modern way inspired by the Far East costume skirts.

How did the collaboration with stylist Kabir happen?
Laura Theiss: I’ve known Kabir for quite a while now. We met at St. Martins and became friends since then. He was Fashion Editor at Drama while I was finishing my studies and we kept in touch and talked a lot about our mutual work. The lookbook for the S/S 11 season was the first time we worked together. As a stylist Kabir represents for me true London edginess, he is very professional and a real perfectionist. I worked with some other stylists who just did their job putting looks together, but Kabir puts all his energy into it and the results show it!

Do you feel your style changed and developed since you first started working on your collections?
Laura Theiss: The style didn’t change, but I think I became more professional and – most importantly – I learnt to translate better my ideas into my designs and present them as a collection.
 
Will you be again at On | Off in the next few days and which was the highlight about last season’s edition?
Laura Theiss: I have a very special relationship with On | Off. They discovered me after my graduation and took the risk of taking me on board. I will exhibit my Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection again with them both in London and Paris. Last seasons’ event was very exciting and I met influential press people and buyers and some surprise visitors as well, two members of the Missoni family! At first I didn’t recognise the girl telling me how much she liked my collection and that it reminded her of Missoni, but then I realised that was Rosita’s grand-daughter, Teresa Missoni and felt I had just received a huge compliment!

Where can we buy your designs?
Laura Theiss: At London’s Beyond the Valley, New York’s Debut and in Mexico at the Magistral Concept Store.

Would you like to release a book of knitting patterns one day?
Laura Theiss: That’s actually one of my future plans! One day I would like to do a book that includes knitting techniques, patterns and further useful information about the world of knitwear.
 
Future plans and ambitions?
Laura Theiss: As I said I will exhibit my Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection in the next few weeks in London and Paris. For the next season I would love to have a catwalk show and I would also be interested in some collaborations or in designing a collection for other brands. My 2011 horoscope promises lots of exciting things, let’s hope they will happen!

Photographs by Ellis Scott

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Dorian Gray (1936-2011), Parable of Success and Loneliness

Throughout the years I managed to rebuild a small personal archive of vintage Italian magazine from the ‘50s and ‘60s.

I bought some of them for the features they contained, while I got others because I was interested in the people (mainly actors, actresses and models) featured on the cover.

One of my favourite mags among the latter is an old issue of weekly Tempo (15th October 1953) with actress Dorian Gray on the cover.

I remember picking it because I simply loved the way she looked in that picture, with that glamorous yet bizarre green headdress and her perfect red lips, almost looking like one of those stylish Dior models.

Maria Luisa Mangini – better known in Italy as Dorian Gray – started her career working for popular variety theatre shows (the Italian “rivista”) alongside Erminio Macario and Wanda Osiris.

Between the ‘50s and the ‘60s she began working for the cinema, appearing in quite a few comedies and spy movies.

She played as Amedeo Nazzari’s lover Jessy in Federico Fellini’s Le notti di cabiria (Nights of Cabiria, 1957), and tough gas station owner Virginia in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Il grido (The Cry, 1957).

Gianni Franciolini’s Racconti d'estate (Love on the Riviera, 1958) and Frank Wysbar’s Commando (1962) followed and she was also Veronique in the “Sadik” episode of Gian Luigi Polidoro’s Thrilling (1965), the story of a bored wife who asks her husband to dress himself like a comic book character, a satire about the obsessive passion of many Italians for popular noir comics à la Diabolik.    

Success and fame are often fleeting though and, when she turned 30, Dorian Gray retired from the stage and the big screen and moved to Torcegno, in Trentino. Sadly she took her life yesterday, at 75.

I've been doing some researches on '50s and '60s films in the last few weeks and ended up re-watching some early movies featuring Dorian Gray. Her story made me sad, but I also think it can still teach us something about the loneliness that often hides behind glittering worlds such as the film or fashion industries.

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Cosmic Rays, Urban Bodies: threeASFOUR A/W 2011-12

Architectural bodies imply in depth studies about building materials and the effects that thicker or thinners surfaces can have on the final construction.

Avant-garde movements in architecture replaced more conventional stone or wood with materials characterised by a much more ethereal consistency and quality, eliminating in this way redundant decorations and ornaments from the façades.

Examples include glass and steel frames, but also materials based on solidified liquids and liquid substances, employed to create chiaroscuro effects when struck by the light.  

Russian architect Ivan Leonidov went further creating a project for the Columbus memorial in Santo Domingo (1929) in which he included a wall of gas based on a jet of air that provided the necessary insulation

Leonidov's Narkomtiazhprom (Commissariat of Heavy Industry) focused instead on verticality, consisting in a futuristic triple-towered project.

The sides of the towers - connected among them by walk-bridges - were defined by colonnades while their rear consisted of a long glass-walled office wing.

In this way, though the towers looked imposing, they also looked like beams of light rays condensing the space of the Red Square, a principle that Constructivist architect Leonidov reused for his project of the Lenin Institute with its glass sphere (the auditorium) set next to a vertical parallelepiped (the book depository) and to one-storey blocks (smaller auditoriums for research work).

This project was based on the cosmos: the way the different buildings were scattered on the ground resembled indeed the solar system.

Leonidov anchored his structures to the ground using strings, supports and braces that, symbolising a modern and futuristic network of communications, also gave the illusion to his architectural bodies of being weightless and of fluttering in the air.

In this way his structures achieved a sort of harmonic balance between celestial and earthly dimensions, while the materials employed for their surfaces also refracted the cosmic rays.

Leonidov and issues of cosmic space and the human body came back to my mind while looking at threeASFOUR’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection.

Though string instruments may have been a starting point (mind you, anchored to the ground with robust strings, Leonidov's structures would actually be seen as gigantic string instruments, able to produce vibrations when hit by the wind), geometrical figures (videos of platonic solids were actually projected during the show), circles and sculptures prevailed.

Red and white strings created intricate embroidered motifs on black or pinstriped dresses, crisscrossed and wrapped around the bodies of the models anchoring around their neck or kept the skirts decorated with snaking tube-like pleated ruffles suspended like Leonidov’s structures.

Spirograph drawings were also reproduced on dresses and quilted leather and neoprene coats and jackets.

Though the leather trousers/leggings that spliced along the knee area to reveal a pinstriped fabric were probably more practical (and commercial as well), I found the string designs more interesting for their architectural and structural configurations.

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The Story of an Anti-Postmodernist Futurist: Kei Kagami

A few weeks ago I did a post on Kei Kagami's window for Selfridges.

As a follow up I'm republishing today an interview I did with the designer for Zoot Magazine.

In the interview Kei Kagami takes stock of his career, talking about his designs and his iconic heroes from the worlds of fashion and architecture.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kei Kagami for his time since I know he's very busy working on his next collection.
  
In our times and society fashion is mainly considered as a disposable industry and rarely seen as an intriguing form of art. Yet there are some contemporary designers who have brought exciting developments into fashion. One of them is eclectic Kei Kagami who conceives himself as a genuine artisan and creator, working in a small studio with right-hand man Yoshi Yamakuwa.

In the last fifteen years, Kagami has created clothes, shoes and conceptual pieces characterised by striking forms and unusual materials.

Anatomy, biology, ecology and futurism combined in his more surreal designs in which glass tubes, vials and magnifying glasses were used to break the traditional boundaries and tackle themes of transformation and garments interaction with the wearer

Kagami graduated in architecture, worked with Japanese iconic architect Kenzo Tange, but then decided to pursue a career in fashion, enrolling at Tokyo’s Bunka Fashion College.

After moving to London he worked at John Galliano’s and then enrolled at Central Saint Martins, where he completed an MA in Fashion Design in 1992.

In the ‘90s Kagami launched his label, started his collaboration with YKK, a world leader in fastening products, creating for them also a collection of zip-inspired pieces, and showcased his work in exhibitions (remember also the "Dark Glamour" event?), museums and galleries all over the world, from Belgrade to Tokyo, Milan and New York.

His pieces were recently featured in the windows of department store Selfridges as part of the “Bright Young Things” project. The store also dedicated to him a retrospective exhibition in its gallery space.

This year your house celebrates its 10th anniversary, how do you feel about it?
Kei Kagami: I’ve actually been running my own label for 15 years, though I’ve been creating shoes for 10 years now. Nothing really has changed with myself as a designer since I started. My attitude and mentality are still the same for what regards fashion and creation, but also the financial side of my business is the same, since I’m still poor, though I work really hard. Yet I love having a creative job and would be happy to continue doing it for another decade. So there are definitely no complaints or regrets!

Your creative process begins with an idea that continues into production and ends only once the creation has come into being: what inspires this idea and what’s the first thing you do when you start working on a collection?
Kei Kagami: I just try to express my feelings or thoughts at the time of the creation. First of all I always analyse myself and try to understand what I’m interested in, what I think is beauty, what makes me angry or what impresses me at the moment. Then I find the themes, concepts and stories I would like to tackle and opt for the strongest ones, following them. I never look at trends or at what people wear and find fashionable while I’m creating. Yet I keep myself informed about what is happening around me when it comes to economy, politics and society. I enjoy a lot watching BBC News, in fact I think this is the only program I watch!

Do you sketch a lot while preparing your collection?
Kei Kagami: I usually spend more time deciding the theme, concept and story. That’s the most important moment because they set the mood for the entire collection and, if they are very strong, the collection is strong too. Once I decide about the themes I start sketching, then go back to the theme, concept and story. I repeat this process several times. Of course during this process I also do other things like researching materials and experimenting on a dummy. After this stage the creative phase becomes more real and I start making outfits, from the strongest or the most expressive one that usually decides the direction of the entire collection, gradually moving onto the other ones, toning down my creativity and looking for more commercial pieces. 

Is it truly possible to express emotions in fashion design, especially in our times when we seem to be more focused on fast trends that only last for a few months?
Kei Kagami: That’s a tough question to answer, but a good question nonetheless. I’m sorry to say this, but I think that people nowadays seem to be lazier. Even fashionable people do not make much of an effort to be genuinely fashionable or to be different from others. I am not sure if it is still possible to express emotions in fashion designs with them. In fact I think there would be no point in trying to make it work because probably those people wouldn’t really bother or care about fashion. Yet I personally believe it is still possible to do so and also think that there are people who truly understand genuine fashion creation. These are the people I have in mind when I create and I would be really happy if more people would understand that following a trend doesn’t mean being fashionable or stylish. If they don’t realise this, fashion will die and the same will happen to culture. 

When you create your pieces, do you feel more like an artist, an artisan or a fashion designer?
Kei Kagami: I would say I feel like a creator. But for me there are really no boundaries between such professions.

You have a degree in architecture and also worked with Kenzo Tange: would you ever collaborate with an architect or an interior designer?
Kei Kagami: As I said, I don’t see any boundaries between fashion and architecture – though I don’t think the two disciplines are the same. So I would like to work on such a collaboration one day.

Is architecture on your mind while you create and who are your favourite architects?
Kei Kagami: No, usually it's not on my mind since I approach the design challenge as a creator. But I still enjoy talking about architecture with my friends who are architects. Regarding my favourite architects – and please don’t say I’m conservative in my tastes! – I prefer Frank Lloyd Wright to Le Corbusier, but I also like Louis Kahn and Luis Barragán. I was also influenced by Team Zoo, a Japanese cooperative of architectural offices. I like their attitude and they were one of the few architectural groups who did not go for Postmodernism and I also love their use of materials and craftsmen. I’ve always liked Togo Murano, too. A lot of buildings he did were against Postmodernism and I’m not really that much into Postmodernism as you may have understood! He was probably the only architect who could do both traditional Japanese and modern architecture. Among the modern buildings he designed my favourite one is the Yatsugatake Art Museum which is not so far from my hometown. The traditional Japanese buildings he did are all fantastic with amazing craft works that not many carpenters can do anymore. I actually preferred Murano to Tange and I guess that if I had grown up in Osaka I would have worked for Murano. Mind you, then I may have not have gone into fashion!

Which is the most unusual material you ever employed for your creations?
Kei Kagami: Watercress! I simply grew watercress on cotton fabric and made a dress with it. What I liked about using this material was that the roots went through the weave of fabric and became part of the texture. Watercress only lasts for 7 days and has a nice fresh smell, but when it fades and becomes dry it’s still beautiful. I guess that was also the healthiest conceptual piece I have ever done!
    
What’s your favourite piece you did so far?
Kei Kagami: My favourite piece is “The Water Dress”, which is actually not wearable since it’s a fountain! It was an installation I was commissioned in 2009 by Arnhem Mode Biennale. I wanted to do something totally unwearable against commercial fashion. 

John Galliano has been your mentor, but who has been the greatest influence on your career?
Kei Kagami: In 1989 I came to London to work for Galliano: I adored his work, it looked like couture to me, though infused with a punk spirit. Yet I would say that Yohji Yamamoto was a great influence on my work. If he had not existed, I wouldn’t have been interested in clothes. He is my hero!

Will you be showcasing any of your designs at the next fashion weeks?
Kei Kagami: I present my collection every season at Paris’ Tranoï, but I haven’t done anything here in London for nearly 8 years. Yet this year I will be the creative director for an exhibition called ‘The Future of Fashion’ hosted by YKK. The event will showcase the works of ten London-based young creators and my new installation. The exhibition will be held from 18th February to 10th March in St Martins’ Courtyard, and I would like to invite all your readers to come and see it as the ten creators involved are very talented!

How do you feel about the retrospective exhibition recently organised in Selfridges and will there be any other exhibitions soon?
Kei Kagami: It was nice to see 10 years of my shoes together. A lot of memories and emotions were collected in the gallery space. I must thank Selfridges for giving me this opportunity. I must admit I was really surprised when they approached me as I never thought department stores would be interested in my work. Last October the creative director Sebastian Manes saw my collection by chance in Paris and he arranged a meeting with me in London. This summer I will be presenting my conceptual pieces at group exhibitions in galleries in London and New York.

Can you tell me more about the collaborative project “A decade of Kei Kagami creations”, what is it about?
Kei Kagami: Photographer Enamul Hoque has been taking photos of my work for a long time, almost 10 years. We are planning to publish a book about a decade of my shoes some time soon and there is a possible publisher who could do it, even though we may go for a self-published volume since we are aiming at a readership more focused on culture and education than on fashion.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? 
Kei Kagami: I would say that continuing to create in a sincere way is often the most challenging and difficult aspect of my job, physically, mentally and financially. I just hope I’ll be able to go on doing what I love and surviving for another decade. Having survived in this business for over a decade I have learnt that fashion is definitely not everything in my life!

What plans do you have for 2011?
Kei Kagami: I have got two more projects with Selfridges this year - a pop up store and a Christmas project. In March I will go to Japan to give a lecture at a college in Tokyo and then another lecture awaits me in May in Singapore. In July I will also be a member of the Jury at the ITS fashion competition that is currently in its tenth edition.

“The Future of Fashion”, hosted by YKK, kicks off tomorrow evening with a launch party. The event will be on from 18th February to 10th March in St Martins’ Courtyard, Covent Garden, London.

Credits: Images of Selfridges exhibition courtesy of Kei Kagami; “Water Dress” by Ernst Moritz; last image in this post by Enamul Hoque.

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Inspiring Costume Tricks by Colleen Atwood

Last Sunday Colleen Atwood won the BAFTA award for the best costumes in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. At the moment my mind is very focused on a project about films, costumes and fashion that I will unveil soon. So I'll leave you today with this short but very interesting (and very inspiring from a fashion point of view) video in which Atwood goes through some of the costumes for the main characters in Alice in Wonderland revealing the secrets they hide. Enjoy!

 

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Colourful Geometries: Preen A/W 2011-12

After my post on uniform polyhedra and Archimedean solids I’ve been on the lookout for geometrical figures in the collections showcased during New York Fashion Week.

So far I have found only one reference to geometry in Preen’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection.

Apparently designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi from British label Preen were trying to mix the Northern California Arts and Crafts movement with sci-fi moods à la Tron (definitely not new inspirations having been already exploited by other designers, though not in the same collection...), a rather interesting concept, though it must be said that none of the two inspirations was maybe immediately detectable in the collection.

The opening designs seemed to be more focused on multi-coloured geometrical figures mixed with floral motifs. 

The designers represented them in three different formats: embroidered (on blouses and tops and around the collar of shirts), printed (on dresses) and knitted (on tight fitting intarsia cashmere sweaters and twin sets).

In most cases the geometrical motifs generated almost three-dimensional optical illusions, though the main idea was probably to recreate a sort of patchwork that evoked the Arts and Crafts movement through a combination of hand-embroideries, tapestries and appliquéd elements.

The best effects where actually achieved when the embroidered pieces were mixed with the printed ones: interesting contrasts and effects were indeed generated by pairing different fabrics and materials together, while keeping the focus on a rather classic silhouette based on elegant blouses and slim three-quarter skirts split to the thigh or on tailored trousers suits matched with high collared shirts.

This trick also allowed the duo to create optical illusions: the ensemble that seemed to be formed by different parts, that is a crepe short skirt over-imposed on a mid-calf skirt, was actually just one dress.

The second part of the collection was probably less interesting from a strictly geometrical point of view since it featured abstract surface elaborations, encrusted beaded motifs, sparkling metalwork, Greek frets embroidered on sheer tops with salmon sleeves and curly-haired fur decorating the sleeves of jumpers.

In fact this part of the collection moved from a secondary inspiration, fashion editor and icon Diana Vreeland, and while there were sparkles of originality and elegance here and there, these designs made you wish Thornton and Bregazzi had kept their focus on the more interesting geometrical surface elaborations.

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Body Politic: Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister, Fashion Brand and Impenitent Pig

If you’ve been following this blog for a while or if you know me in person, you probably also know that I can’t suffer Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and everything he stands for.

The revelations of the last few weeks about his private orgies and despicable behaviour, his lies and denials have been covered by the international press and are by now all over the Internet. 

As an Italian and as a woman I have always found myself offended by being represented by Berlusconi, but now I feel even more depressed than usual.

Most of us have simply lost count of the women, models, showgirls, underage prostitutes and such likes gravitating around this redundantly useless man.

Engulfed in a major scandal and in his alleged "bunga bunga" nights of wild sex at his residences (masked as innocent dinners and fun events with Berlusconi singing…), rather than resigning and rushing to see the magistrates accusing him, Berlusconi stands in his place with “his flaccid arse” (not my words, but Nicole Minetti’s, one of his procurers, ex-showgirl and regional councillor for the People of Freedom Party) glued to his chair accusing the magistrates of corruption.

Videogame hero Super Mario jumps from one planet to the other in his “Galaxy” saga, collecting stars and travelling on a Mario-shaped spaceship; Viagra Silvio lives on a pig-shaped spaceship, jumps from one villa to the next – Arcore, Porto Rotondo, Palazzo Grazioli (the latter is actually the official residence of the Prime Minister and not his private villa, so technically it shouldn't be turned into a brothel…technically), collecting girls and leaving behind a trail of assorted presents and envelopes bursting with money.

Indeed egomaniac Berlusconi probably fancies himself as a sort of fashion brand or a kitsch department store: the girls who went to his parties or had sex with him received horrendous jewels, AC Milan watches with messages such as “Al Presidente Silvio Berlusconi campione del mondo” (To Chairman Silvio Berlusconi, World Champion), scarves exclusively produced for him and labelled “E. Marinella, Napoli, For Silvio Berlusconi” (Marinella is a Neapolitan tie-maker), money and free rent flats in a smart apartment complex.

In American Psycho, young and successful yuppie Patrick Bateman turned himself into a violent psycho at night, displaying a behaviour partially influenced by an out-of-control consumerism that generated greed, anger and aggression. Berlusconi is instead the product of a deranged power and, rather than turning into a psycho at night, he turns into a pervert.

Cattle owners make sure they mark their cattle to avoid it getting stolen; Berlusconi covers the women in his private harem in horrid souvenirs (mind you, now that I think about it he also gave rather horrid Belstaff jackets signed by himself to his G8 guests - a case of branding dementia?) and money to make sure they keep on having sex with him and keep on defending him. 

Today groups of women organised demos under the slogan "Se non ora quando?" (If not now, when?) all over Italy and in some cities in the rest of the world to protest against the Prime Minister and his use of the female body.

My heart has been with them, but I must admit I feel that this man has caused too much damage in Italy already and that women are often expected to prostitute themselves to get a proper job or to get even the same rights as men. Berlusconi has set a dangerous example, he has established an immoral morality that many are ready to embrace.

Despite the pages of wiretaps and depositions against him, many people still defend Berlusconi (among them also a few women in his own party - simply disgusting) saying that he has the right of doing whatever he wants in his own house and with his own money. Well, I don’t think so.

I do think that a public man must still preserve dignity and decorum (assuming he still knows what these words mean...) and I’m also sure that if a 74-year-old woman and Prime Minister had been accused of paying underage men to go to bed with her and had surrounded herself with rent boys who paraded half-naked past her during private dinners, she would have been obliged to resign and she would have been unanimously considered as a pervert by the entire society. 

I’m sick of seeing the legend of Casanova being replayed in Italy by a third rate elderly  playboy and Prime Minister who thinks a woman is just a second-class human being that can be bought with a bracelet, a necklace, a scarf or piles of money.

Not all Italian women want to be Berlusconi's prostitutes and toys. In fact most of us are too busy leading an ordinary and honest life, fighting for our rights and our jobs. Yes, we may not be as rich and powerful as Berlusconi, but we still have integrity, strong moral values and a brain. Besides, we also have something else that Berlusconi doesn't have (and will never have), we don't need to pay to have sex with somebody.

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Urban Renaissance: Wayne A/W 2011-12

Traditionally most designers showcasing their creations at New York Fashion Week are more focused on producing practical and functional garments.

This is easily explained with the fact that American style and fashion always embodied a sense of freedom that usually ends up informing most of the collections presented on the New York runways.

Functionality and saleability are therefore often favoured to craftsmanship and research.

It's indeed very easy to spot in New York a series of collections that look more or less all the same (though they are praised by the American fashion press as perfect examples of minimalism) or that look like updated versions of collections presented decades ago by other designers (but they are politely hailed by the American press as a “progression” in the career of that specific designer they are supporting).

As a consequence, many designers showcasing in New York rarely reference a painter or artist as the inspiration for their works, though, every now and then, the starting point of a collection is identified as a film, a visit to a museum or a book.

Wayne Lee was among the very few designers who showcased their collections at NYFW in the last few days that mentioned as the main inspiration for her collection art and, more specifically the oil portraits by German-born Flemish master Hans Memling who lived in the mid-1400s.

Memling was more famous for his works focused on sacred subjects and inspired by his master Rogier van der Weyden.

The artist also seemed to have a special talent for portraying little details such as miniature figures, landscapes and costumes.

In his portraits Memling also displayed great skills at choosing colours and creating graceful compositions (think about the "Portrait of Maria Portinari" or his "Mater Dolorosa").

Wayne Lee’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection moved from Memling but also looked at Renaissance interpreting the latter as a symbol of rebirth after the obscurantism of recession and the crisis.

The models with their heads covered in hoods called to mind Memling’s portraits of veiled ladies or of veiled nuns praying in the Saint John Altarpiece, but the main palette for the collection – moving from brown and black to black and white with some splashes of vivid red and therefore showing a transition from darkness to light – seemed to be lifted from the Flemish artist’s “Last Judgement” triptych.

A layered look, but an elongated silhouette prevailed throughout the collection with asymmetric mid-calf wool skirts, draped jersey tops and long vests matched with leather jackets and doublets recreating a sort of urban version of Renaissance garments, with a hint at empowerment and strength.

As a whole Wayne's collection didn't really display a complete lack of emotions, yet the designer seemed to commit the same mistakes critics spotted in Memling’s works.

Art historian Erwin Panofsky once wrote about Memling: “He occasionally enchants, never offends, and never overwhelms. His works give the impression of derivativeness."

In a way the same could be said about this collection: while it was interesting to see a young designer reinventing Renaissance in a modern key, at times the designs left you cold and it was possible to spot a certain derivation from other recent collections (such as Rick Owens'). The quest for genuine art inspired collections at New York Fashion Week continues.

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