Spring/Summer 22

Selection in the digital era

In September and October, the designers show their new collections for the following season. We are now picking out our Spring/Summer 22 selection.

One of the most striking side effects of the pandemic is the acceleration towards the digital world. And when it comes to the research of brands, it can bring some positive outcomes.

Some brands opted for a mixed formula, physical and digital, while many others decided to present their new collections only through digital tools. So, like it or not, that’s the offer.
Obviously, companies in the fashion field lost a lot of money because of the pandemic. Digital is a strategy to recover. Also, they realized how few people they needed to make the workflow internationally. (This loss of jobs is its own problem).

Selection through social media

We are not satisfied with the trend of discovering new brands via Instagram only. First, the communication of many brands is oriented to push the image of a woman we do not want to endorse: plastic face, doughnut lips, tons of make-up. Furthermore, it’s easy to cover up poor quality clothing in an Instagram pic.

Scrolling down, you may see so many infinite offers of clothing that seem like beautiful quality. At first sight, at least. After a deeper analysis, you realize it was just a nice pic. Fast fashion brands know this trick very well.

Selection for Spring/Summer 22

However, a satisfying implication of digital fashion is that material is more accessible compared to the past. In fact, we are receiving many look books and line sheets. So that it’s easier to have an idea of what’s going on in terms of style.
Through accurate presentations and line sheets, you have the chance of knowing more about materials and fitting.

If it is true that nothing will ever change the experience of touching the fabrics, now we have the opportunity to make a selection without travelling the world.
Even though the integration is brilliant, we have to find the perfect balance.

Spring/Summer 22 Read More »

The decline of luxury

What happened to the fashion industry?

If you want to understand the events that caused the decline of luxury, we suggest you read ‘Deluxe: How luxury lost its luster’ – written by Dana Thomas.

You will discover how fashion from being a family-owned business became a corporate battlefield based on overproduction.
The growth of the new markets – China, Russia, and India. The explosion of counterfeiting goods and labour exploitation.
Then, the rise of fast fashion, internet retailers and the development of a fast-paced globalized system. How luxury products abandoned exclusivity and shifted to the masses. Creating the so-called democratic luxury. Which basically is nonsense. Indeed, it shows how far marketing rhetoric can go, playing with words to manipulate people.

The book is a brilliant analysis of the field, investigating the dynamics that led to an auto-implosion.
Also, it allowed us to relive the last 30 years of fashion. We assisted many of those events – not by accepting them but by moving more and more towards niche designers. Finding a kind of refuge in a tiny universe. A thoughtful research in dissonance with the average fashion consumer.

Though we agree with almost everything, we do not align with the devotion to some brands. We are afraid they have lost their luster too, so far. Except for Hermes and Cadolle.

Indeed, retracing the decline of luxury, it is now extremely difficult to find meaning in fashion Maisons. They seem like smoke and mirrors set up to sell perfumes, make-up and bags. Abundantly offered to masses that have no perception beyond the logo and the illusion of being considered rich.

If you still love fashion, you go beyond that fake facade and search for designers who dared to undertake an independent path, expressing an authentic creative vision. In this panorama, the ability to select the right clothing – from an aesthetic and ethical viewpoint – changes the game.

The decline of luxury Read More »

The Oversized Blouson

Unpacking new arrivals is always a happy moment. Indeed, we are taking this chance to introduce you to our Fall/Winter 21 pieces as soon as they come in.

As fashion news reports these days, fast fashion is booming, back to the pre-pandemic levels. Like nothing happened.
Overproduction and overconsumption are still ruling. Why question it!

However, we moved in the opposite direction, our worldview is different, and we believe in a more conscious way to live and work.
‘Consume less’ is the imperative, a lifestyle approach from now on. With these words written on a post-it in front of us, we made our selection for the coming season. And for the following ones too.
We only select clothing that makes a difference.

Discover our new arrivals: The Oversized Blouson

For the Fall/Winter season, we picked out a beautiful oversized blouson. It’s from ZUCCA – a Japanese brand known to a fashion-conscious audience for its unique cuts and design.

Mustard yellow oversized blouson • By Zucca
The Oversized Blouson

The material is sweatshirt – 100% cotton. Therefore you may expect a sporty garment. But, it is not. The hand of the fabric is shiny and stiff, providing a unique texture to the jacket. When we select a sweatshirt, it is never too casual. Surely, we do not renounce elegance.

Asymmetric side buttoned, it has a wide collar and a loose silhouette.
The line is stylish and comfortable. All the stitching details along the inside are made with special care. So it will look neat even when worn unbuttoned.

The colour? Mustard yellow. This season we need some bright hues to boost a sense of joy. You can match it with soft tones for an understated outfit or with bright colours to stand out. The final result is up to you, your personality or your mood.

Last but not least, you can wash it by hand.

We are happy to help you with style advice or any discussion that may arise about fashion and lifestyle.

The Oversized Blouson Read More »

Product placement vs consumer awareness

Among various methods corporations use to keep women hooked to their brands, product placement is on top. Yes, corporations. That’s what luxury conglomerates are. And it gives the pulse on their work.

During the 80s, Giorgio Armani was the first who started dressing Hollywood stars in order to sell to the American middle-class. In a perspective of massive overproduction and an ever-growing economy, perhaps that strategy made sense.
By the way, Armani, followed by all the other designers right away, started giving outfits for free to the stars, and women – the so-called middle class – promptly bought them.

Now the economy is not in good shape, and the middle class swiped away. Most importantly, we opened our eyes, so we are tired of being treated as fishing lures. Therefore we find some specific marketing techniques obsolete, if not meaningless.

What’s the point of stars wearing luxury designer’s clothes on the red carpets when it’s known they don’t pay for the clothes?
Does it still make sense?

Fashion & celebrities marketing

In fact, what makes it sound absurd is that they can afford to pay, but they don’t. In other words, those who can afford clothes don’t purchase them, while those who can’t are supposed to.

There’s no logic in this anymore. What if celebrities purchase their outfits and designers donate the proceeds to charity?

However, we should also dig deeper into those impressed by ‘the rich Milanese’ showing off her outfits on social media. And women promptly buy. Indeed we die a little for this lack of self-esteem.

Since we weren’t all born with good taste, looking for guidance is the right way to avoid weird outfits. But asking for advice is different from imitating someone else’s style.

Marketing has always targeted women because, traditionally, they are considered fragile and easy to influence or manipulate. And the sad thing is that we allowed them to do so.

Let’s evolve now.

Product placement vs consumer awareness Read More »

Not for all – Arrogance or honesty?

When we say that our work is not for everyone, it shouldn’t be seen as a sign of arrogance. On the contrary, if you ponder a little on the true meaning, you will perceive that it denotes a genuine and realistic approach.

Can we truly please everyone? No, obviously, we cannot.
To illustrate, if you usually buy fast fashion, you would never check out our selection. If you like to show off logo emblazoned garments, we are not for you. If you are a passive consumer, perhaps you will not interact with us.

Pleasing everyone is a naive goal, and though it’s impossible to accomplish, the downside of trying is that it generates a bazaar of elements. A fragmented and undefined proposal where everything is possible, but nothing stands out. Because there is no soul. No clarity.
The truth is that you have to be honest to say that what you do is not for everyone.

Over about twenty-five years in the fashion field, we saw the rise and fall of the system. A fast-paced environment in which profit and marketing took over creativity. And ultimately, it led to the exploitation of people and the planet. This system now needs a new air, something more, beyond that glossy facade. Creative visions supported by a conscious approach.

We are a drop in the ocean, but we are trying to bring a different viewpoint, providing a deeper meaning to fashion, and rediscovering its true beauty. And therefore evolve to the next level.

Our selection and thoughts are for those who appreciate the value of unconventional work that falls outside an imposed system. We aim to interact with individuals who are not passive consumers but active thinkers. Those who want to be informed because they are not stuck in the past or constrained by pointless rules but constantly evolving.

Not for all – Arrogance or honesty? Read More »