The fashion game

All the news we are reading from the fashion universe these days is about acquisitions, revealing, in essence, what the fashion game is about. Who bought who? The competition is open!

To this end, it seems like it’s a good time for doing great deals, playing the fashion game. This luxury group bought that brand, intending to launch other new labels. And so on, with lots of other news along the same lines. Nothing more than acquisitions, finance, and money.

How does the fashion game works?

The fashion game, explained in a few words, goes like this: take the “designer” of the moment, the one who is popular because of his social media buzz rather than his designing skills. Then throw out the bait to a young audience on social media, of course. There’s no better way to reach the mass market quickly. And so, the brand becomes popular and successful!

In other words, the game of exponential growth is not over yet. They act as if the lesson taught by the pandemic has left no trace at all.

Somehow those companies are still telling us that fashion belongs to finance more than creativity.

As a so-called designer now, you don’t need to have your own ideas, given that you can buy or steal them. Of course, the latter is the more frequent case.

And how weird it is to see emerging brands aiming to be acquired by luxury groups. But when they are acquired, very little remains of the original coolness.

What emerges is that no fashion group or designer has the courage to suggest new ideas. Perhaps, they do not even have the intention. No one takes the risk of disrupting the industry. The pattern is the old one. And, marketing seems to be on their side.

But aren’t you tired of DJs designing brands?

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Racism is not an option

In case we need to say it clearly, racism is not an option!
Every now and then, we feel the urge to step off the carved path of the trails. Please, allow us to do that. There are moments in which only talking about fashion is not enough. We do not live in a bubble, so it’s impossible not to look at what happens around us and not be affected.

Moreover, we have always been very open to discussions in our physical boutique, and the same is true in our online community.

Paola Egonu is a great Italian athlete chosen to carry the Olympic flag in Tokyo. She also became a testimonial for Armani.
But, forgetting the fact that she is a real champion, one of the strongest volley players in the world, a group of people have found reasons to complain. Why did they consider it compelling to bring their views to the table? First, she is black. And, second, she had no problem talking about being in love with a woman.
Neither of the points is relevant to her sports abilities or has any connection to sport values. Neither is any of our business.
We should be proud of the champion she is. And that’s final.

Meanwhile, we acknowledge that in Voghera, a League safety councillor has killed a Moroccan man. The immigrant punched him, he replied by shooting him dead. In his defence, he said that the gun fired accidentally. But why was he carrying a gun? And what if the aggressor was Italian?

The reason we address these realities is simple.
In short, that is not the world we want to live in.

We are promoting a community for modern humans – based on mutual respect, acceptance and understanding.

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental values.

It’s important to state it clearly.
If you are racist or homophobe, this is not the place for you.

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Details make the difference

Although it is easy to copy high-fashion items, the difference between designer pieces and fast fashion is tangible.

With fast fashion, you get low-quality materials and poor construction (not to mention labour exploitation). Those elements change the final result completely.

By the way, it is well-known that people don’t see details.

Designer collaborations with fast-fashion chains are a way to make money by reaching a broader audience, which otherwise wouldn’t approach the brand.

But what’s left of the original design?

We still remember the first collaboration Karl Lagerfeld did with H&M. There was a lot of hype, so we decided to try. We bought many pieces, also some lingerie-style reminiscent of Chanel. Whenever we had the occasion, we tried on one or the other, but there was always something wrong. Pull one side, pull the other, no way to make the top, or the dress, seem decent.
The fitting was terrible, stitchings and materials too. We ended up wearing some of those pieces as pyjamas.

Since we bought many items, the total amount was not small. Rethinking of it in terms of worth, did it make sense? Wasn’t it better to buy only one valuable piece, which we could wear for years? Rather than wasting money on several pieces we never wore?

Designer Vs fast fashion

Indeed, this is the trick: reproducing a similar shape doesn’t mean tailoring the same construction. It doesn’t imply the same stitching ability and, definitely, not the same materials.

The quality of materials, together with the knowledge in crafting, are what make a piece of clothing look beautiful. And only expert hands can shape the proper fitting.

Change those ingredients, take out the sartorial touch, and instead of a Chanel imitation, you get a rag. Instead of an oversized dress, you get a garbage bag.

Yes, details make a huge difference.

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Cannes and the new beauty statement

The latest edition of the Cannes Film Festival was a remarkable beauty statement. A real surprise! Indeed, it could not go unnoticed. And not for the red carpet outfits, but because this edition marked a turning point in beauty standards. A celebration of ageless beauty.

Most of the time, red carpet outfits have no sense of style or coolness. They send one clear message only: “Please, please, please! Notice me!”

Unexpectedly, and with a high dose of bravery, this time several actresses surprised us with their wrinkles or undyed hair. They chose to be who they really are, tired of compromising. They were fierce, beautiful and effortless.
What a pleasant surprise!

In one of our previous posts, we expressed the need for human faces. In an era dominated by plastic surgery, people completely lost their uniqueness, all having the same characteristics.

Et voilà, here it is, the sign of change! And it was so true. So impressive.

Cannes & the beauty statement

Hellen Mirren, a marvellous trailblazer, this time was not alone. Andie McDowell declared that during the pandemic, she decided not to dye her hair anymore. Jodie Foster – awarded an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievements – looked great with her grey strands.

Finally, we saw women feeling comfortable with their age and therefore having no problem showing it.

Free from usual schemes and self-confident concepts of beauty – this is the most important message they sent.
If men are free to age however they want, why shouldn’t we do it?

And so, a positive wave has started. We have done everything to deny ageing, while we have to embrace it and live it at our best.
They showed us that we can be beautiful anyway. Beautifully human.

This time, even more than their gowns, we appreciated their attitude. That was a beauty statement.

We applaud you, great women!

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The exception to the rule

They say every rule has its exception. And, of course, we couldn’t escape. A few days ago, we wrote that fashion Maisons whose original designer has left, lose their meaning.

Indeed, this is not the case with Valentino, the exception to the rule.
Since the duo Piccioli – Chiuri has split from co-designing the brand, Mr Pierpaolo Piccioli didn’t miss a single beat. Though, we cannot say the same about Chiuri’s work.

From the moment he went solo, Piccioli’s design has been a celebration of the Valentino codes. He carefully paid respect to the founder’s work, elaborating the brand DNA while adding a touch of modernity. Elegance has certainly not been lost.

On July 15, we saw the Fall/Winter 21-22 Valentino couture show, streamlined from Venice’s Gaggiandre, Arsenale. What better occasion to find a valid exception to the above rule. The show was a dialogue between fashion and art, presented from a magnificent set-up.

If fashion is not art, it is true that both forms of expression have many aspects in common: creativity, the vital and founding element that determines the whole process. But also time, experimentation, and skilled hands. All these are crucial elements needed to reach a perfect realization.

For the show, Pierpaolo Piccioli collaborated with 17 painters, and the final result was sublime. The overlapping of bold colours was a joy for the eye, a breath of fresh air. The fluid silhouettes and clean-cut lines, the game of form and colours, showed a modern way to make couture.

Impeccable tailoring and know-how. Effortless beauty and elegance.
An expression of art. And a real celebration of couture.

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