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The Vivienne Westwood legacy

2 January, 2023 / Leave a Comment

What can we learn from the iconic fashion designer?

Our first post of the year is a tribute to Vivienne Westwood, one of the most revolutionary figures in the fashion system. Sadly, the iconic fashion designer passed away on December 29, aged 81.

Also known as the queen of punk because she started her career in the seventies with her punk designs, Westwood was consistent with her style throughout her life.

Rather than retracing her influential career, we prefer to pinpoint what made her unique, highlight her legacy and see what we can learn from it.

What is peculiar is that her fashion wasn’t the expression of finance but reflected her free creativity and values. Most importantly, she worked for something bigger than fashion. Indeed, she used her voice not only to make clothes but as a platform to raise awareness, fight climate change and support human rights.

Vivienne Westwood and sustainable fashion

“Buy less, choose well, make it last. Quality, non quantity. Everybody’s buying far too many clothes.”
Vivienne Westwood

The above quote is the base of sustainable fashion and the essence of an evolved style. But also, it is the guiding principle for a sustainable lifestyle.

First, “buy less!” – nothing is more sustainable than this! So, reject the obsession with novelties and become a selective, conscious consumer. Reducing the number of pieces we purchase means taking only meaningful garments.
Second, “choose well”: pay attention to quality and design. So, learn to discern good quality from the rubbish, which we don’t have to support necessarily.
Third, “make it last”: love your clothes, and learn to take care of them properly. Also learn to mix and match them, as beautiful pieces are never inappropriate.

However, here you can understand the inconsistency of the fashion industry. Indeed, fashion brands talk about sustainability but put into production tons of new items every season. Not to mention fast fashion brands, who release new clothing pieces every week!

A legacy to grasp

Being a political and environmental activist, Vivienne Westwood recently said: “Capitalism is a crime. It is the root cause of war, climate change and corruption.”

But, aren’t the same top brands part of that capitalistic game?

We can learn a lot from someone who worked with such a passion and has never conformed to the standards. Or to the logo obsession we see today. The Vivienne Westwood legacy shows that fashion without a vision is nothing. Therefore, sustainable fashion without ideas and without good design is just marketing. Another business added to the many other ones already existing.

Of course, the power of unpopular ideas stands out.
Will any young designer grasp this legacy?

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Happy 2023!

30 December, 2022 / Leave a Comment

New Year’s Eve-Eve celebration!

Happy 2023! As the new year approaches, let’s take a moment to share some thoughts.

Life taught us not to take things for granted. And that alone we do nothing, but we need the contribution of others, whatever we do. Even more for our small scale experiment about fashion and lifestyle, out of the beaten path.

So we’ll never stop expressing gratitude and thanking you for your support. We are fortunate to have wonderful humans inspiring us. And we are grateful for the friends we have made over the years.

When we find something interesting, something we love, or that leaves us perplexed, we share it with you. And so we cultivate common ground, constructive ideas, embracing a culture of change. That is the beauty of our connection, which we want to improve throughout the new year.

2023: New year’s resolution

For the year to come, we invite you to see things differently. Rather than confirming our beliefs, let’s try to challenge them. Observing things from different perspectives is a good exercise.

Perhaps it will help us be less self-centred, see other people more, and understand them. The world deserves something deeper, more careful, and a collective culture can help change for the better.
And, you know, we all play a part in this!

Thank you for reading and stay in touch!

Wishing you love! HAPPY 2023!

suite123 staff
Ro, Cri & Thami
❤️

Happy 2023! Read More »

2022: a year in fashion

28 December, 2022 / Leave a Comment

Looking back at 2022, it seems that this year in fashion went by without any tangible sign of change. Indeed, retracing the events and analysing how brands run their businesses, everyone went happily back to normal.

Fashion advertising

Advertising released catchy stories creating a bubble which depicted a universe disconnected from reality. Over the 80s and 90s, the context promoted superstars, but now the ostentation is pointless and not appealing.
As regards marketing, forget sustainability, it’s all about greenwashing.

2022 in fashion design

From a design viewpoint, less but better was supposed to be the guiding principle to help the industry move forward. A clean and more focused fresh restart after the pandemic. But it seems that message has not been taken seriously by fashion brands. Perhaps it was something nice to say during a tiring moment, a way to move with the flow. Indeed, we witnessed a setback during the last fashion shows.

Furthermore, now that celebrations and parties are back, sequins and cheap fabrics are everywhere, again. Just looking at the pictures on social media or advertising on tv, the poor quality of the materials is the first thing you notice!

There’s no escape! The imperative of cheap clothing, accessible products that give the illusion of richness, is still very strong.

Fashion industry in 2022

Likewise, fashion companies have set up no measures to reduce the impact on the environment. Also, considering working conditions, we are far from giving workers decent wages.

From luxury brands to fast fashion, the rules are almost the same. And the difference between one or the other segment is just a matter of spending power. By the way, fashion is in the hands of finance, big groups pursuing perpetual growth. Therefore, overproduction which in turn fosters overconsumption. And, this toxic practice is always at the heart of the fashion business.
The industry is immersed in a consumerist culture exploiting people and the planet without no understanding of the scale of destruction it carries around. And no will to change.

2022, has been another tough year in fashion.
Throughout the year, we wrote a lot about the need for a different way of operating the fashion business, but perhaps it was naive to expect it for real.

However, we’ll keep working in fashion, searching for quality, good design and uniqueness. Only what really counts, and in limited quantities.

#formodernhumans

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Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

23 December, 2022 / Leave a Comment

Thank you for being present!

Merry Christmas and much love! We take the opportunity of the Christmas festive season to thank you for being with us. Whatever Christmas means to you, we want to celebrate the positive energy of our connection.

On a journey of learning to live our lives in a different way, we are going through some challenging years. But we are here, connected, and we care about each other.

We are grateful to every single person that follows our activity (the blog, the boutique and private shopping) and supports us, keeping our community alive.

Making a change is difficult, but together we inspire each other.

We are proud to be connected with you. Thank you for being present.

Sending love your way.

Merry Christmas!

suite123 staff
Ro, Cri & Thami
❤️

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The Layered Mesh Skirt

21 December, 2022 / Leave a Comment

Marc Le Bihan: unique fashion beyond trends

Today we introduce The Layered Mesh Skirt by Marc Le Bihan.

It is a statement tulle skirt that will improve your Fall/ Winter style. The design inspiration goes from Degas dancers to a touch of gothic chic. It is a piece of impeccable tailoring, which is the expression of timeless fashion beyond any trend. Indeed, Marc Le Bihan‘s design refuses trends and their transience. Therefore, purchasing his clothing is a matter of choosing valuable pieces, beautifully unique and made to last. Indeed, you’ll wear them for a lifetime.

Don’t miss the interview with Marc Le Bihan here!

Discover The Layered Skirt

About the design
The handkerchief hemline of the skirt highlights the asymmetric silhouette. Also, three mesh layers overlap, plus lining. Tone-on-tone grosgrain ribbon emphasises the waistline. Back zip fastening. Thanks to the perfect design, the fit is absolutely flattering. Indeed the skirt falls with good fluidity, avoiding a puffy effect.

About the material
The mesh is polyamide. Lining 100% silk.
Most importantly, Marc Le Bihan dyes different colours by hand in his atelier in Paris.

About the colour
Dark red: a dark tone of red, intense and powerful. The image is sophisticated and chic. Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist painter, frequently used this colour.

Laundry
Dry clean only. Cool iron.

Styling tips
The Layered Mesh Skirt is a unique garment that will make you stand out. You can wear it with black leather ankle boots, a wool sweater and a coat for your day-to-evening outfits. Or with a leather jacket and Converse, too. Do you have any special occasions? A Christmas party or End of the Year’s Eve? Wear it with a silk top, a mannish blazer, and elegant shoes.

Order now: International shipping available

We are based in Milano, but we ship our niche fashion selection #formodernhumans everywhere.

Drop us an email or WhatsApp for any further information. Also, you can book your private shopping experience – physical or via video call. We’d love to help!

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