genius, no?

hey you...soooo paris fashion week has begun...i'm a bit behind in my "research" but only because things have been busy at work (tech packs, waxing overseas poetic, pleading the patternmaker to "make it work!!"). anywho, it's really inspiring to be inspired by designers out there who flirt on this side of wearable, but push the boundary more than two steps ahead to be plopped in the visionary bucket.

case in point: ann demeulemeester, spring '09.

fashion shows are a delicate balancing act between fantasy and reality...from my knowledge, buyers and editors attend these shows to, well, select what the trends are and where they are going...sometimes designers are critiqued negatively for not being commercial enough, while others are critiqued for being too commercial and not moving forward. also, it's a fine line to design according to the public (without compromising/watering down the designs) yet fulfill the high expectations of said critiques...and to make a personal statement.

also, relatively speaking, newyork shows tend to be more commercial (hence "american" sportswear...wearable but sometimes too safe, therefore boring); london shows can be really out there, art-school-esque, to the point of wtf?? milan is more...streamline yet sophisticated, my fave is prada because she's reviewed as if she's royalty, she can do no wrong, and yet if you look at it you're also like "wtf" followed by "ah, genius" ; paris is just breathtaking and it's a bit more controversial, stimulating a fashion dialogue that brings the idea of fashion to a philosophical level (ie stefano pilati of ysl. fall 2008...bowl haircuts + black gloss lipstick + beauuuuutiful tailoring + directional sequinned drop crotch pants = unavoidable discussion of his undeniable genius and power to dictate trends and seduce).

when you hear stefano speak during his interviews, you can't help but pay attention to this man and the way he owns the responsibility of being a fashion designer (that's kind of an understatement...he's only the creative director of the house of YSL...a lot to live up to). He is all around romantic and seriously, every word and motion that comes out of him breathes a love of beautiful things, people, clothes, style...a person's cool romantic essence is what seduces certain designers and vice versa...making them so relatable and untouchable at the same time. they are the most insecure divas you will ever meet....i speak from experience, heh.

anywho, what makes fashion so teetering between sane and insane is that 1) sooo many people LIVE it, even if they don't want to admit it; 2) it can be so vain and frivolous, and is not helped by "those in the industry" who talk like teenagers who speak the fashion gossip language that you wonder if it's at all serious or just gossipy (but it's kind of funny...read fashionista.com and you'll know what i mean); 3) it is of the moment, can be inspiring for just that moment for a bit longer, but it shows you how 1 moment can be so uplifting, magical, illusional, and how so many people have lived off, and make livings of, that fleeting moment...it's quite masochistic, really. and yet fashion design itself is such a logical process, of business, of dressmaking, that it's mandatory to have clothing technicians (patternmakers, drapers, sewers) to make all of that momentary illusion exist and render possible. this psychotic and bi-polar dichotomy is what makes the fashion industry sane. it somehow, still makes money. because not everyone designs for illusion....as in any creative industry you will have your dreamers and your realists. but i shall save that rambling for another post...

alas, some more pretty pics...soak it in and enjoy the frivolity of fashion.