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Designers Are People Too

09.15.2011 by Catherine Jane //


Celebrity magazines go out of their way to impress upon us, the reader, that celebrities are people too. There are pictures showing them buying coffee, taking out the garbage and licking ice cream cones—pretty boring stuff. But this made me think about the lives of designers. The ones we know so well as their lives have been documented in endless biographies. I did a little digging and found some interesting facts about a few of our iconic designers—something a little more interesting than a picture of them taking a drag from a cigarette.

Christian Dior was an heir to a fertilizer fortune. Were it not for the stock market crash of 1929, he would had never become a great designer. It was not until his family lost everything that he got his first paid job as an illustrator at the age of 30. Prior to this he had an art gallery which was funded by his mother who disapproved of his bohemian lifestyle. He did not have his own label until he was 41 when he became an overnight success, but unfortunately died at 52.
Other little tidbit: he had an on-going rivalry with Chanel.

Coco Chanel had more lovers than Liz Taylor some of which were Nazi officers. Accusations of Coco’s involvement with the Third Reich went beyond a lace negligee and satin sheets. It is alleged she spied for her Nazi lovers. After the war the English Royal Family shipped her off to Switzerland where she avoided trail.
Other little tidbit: when she returned to Paris she lived out her life at the Ritz Hotel,and she despised Christian Dior.

Yves Saint Laurent served in the military for 20 days until he suffered a nervous breakdown. This would be one of many in his life. He began designing for Dior at the age of 17 and at 21 was named head designer when Dior passed away. He was given the boot four years later in 1962. A few days before his death, he married his long time partner, Pierre Berge, in a civil ceremony.
Other little tidbit: he was the first designer to use minorities as models on the runway, and Karl Lagerfeld rubbed him the wrong way.

The Pink Elephant In The Room Is Wearing Polka Dots

09.08.2011 by Catherine Jane //

There are so many reasons to love September. The weather begins to change, figs are in season and all the Fashion magazines are fat with Fall Fashion Forecasts. I even enjoy perusing the ads. Clever and lively they can evoke a spirited take on a richly colored season. I was thrilled to see pencil-line skirts are still considered relevant as they have been a staple in my wardrobe. Lace too has made a comeback. I turn each page looking forward to the next. Then suddenly I see spots–that’s right spots. Everything was going great until I turned to page 246. The editorial, Seeing Spots, had me evoking Bozo the Clown not a richly colored season. So here is the problem with fashion editorials and trend forecasts—they, the writers, are invested in the product that they are pushing on us, the reader. Did someone at unnamed magazine really look at this lay-out and say, “Wow, definitely a ‘must have’ for the season!” I happen to love polka dots, but unfortunately this editorial has only inspired me to burn everything I own adorned with polka dots. This brings to mind another question, do editors really believe that women wish to look foolish or do editors just believe we are foolish enough to wear whatever they deem to be “in style?”
My advice, focus on page 264 where the pink elephant is no where to be seen.

You Are What You Wear

09.02.2011 by Catherine Jane //

What do people see when you walk into a room? As much as we don’t mean to judge, we do. We walk into a job interview and we are not only assessed in terms of how well we articulated ourselves in that hour but we are evaluated on our appearance (like it or not). We are constantly being judged by others and we judge others as well. What has happened to our expectations of ourselves and others as we turn our weekdays into “dress casual days?” It used to be low-slung, boot-cut jeans and heels that populated the streets. But today leggings, ballet flats and tunic tops have become the uniform du jour. Do we dress in this manner because we want to fit in or is it because it looks so fabulous on? We are all so different. From body types to personality, yet we gravitate toward the same look. There are always the “dos” and “don’ts” of fashion we look to in order to navigate our wardrobe–however, those rules are always in flux. Heaven forbid you pick up last seasons In Style and follow those guidelines. Remember, sometimes you are only a season away from looking ridiculous. Need I mention harem pants?
Be yourself. Everyone else is taken–Oscar Wilde

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