When the Recession Became Fashionable

BCBGMaxazria sends out about 1-5 e-mails a day I swear. They offer deals such as free shipping, and 30% off when you purchase online. These deals end up at 50-70% off eventually. They are REALLY struggling with this lagging economy.

Yet today, I get an e-mail telling me to rejoice:

"Recessionistas rejoice! Take an additional 30% all sale merchandise."

Since when did the recession become stylish? Suddenly, being fashionable means being frugal and somehow wearing that Louis bag just isn't cutting it anymore. Its not about brand or how we look, its how much we spend.

Recessionista Manifesto of Fashionistas:

We are anti-big business, anti-corporation, we don't live the lives of men who exploit the system. We live in the Salvation Armies and Goodwills of the world and you will always find us on the sale racks of once expensive designers. Moschino Cheap and Chic just isn't cheap enough! We are the real recessionistas and we'll kick your ass in the sale rack at TJ Maxx soon.

Ha. Oh I love my antics.

VANITY OF THE DAY

Let's go back to a prehistoric era of Wilma Flintstone, to days of simplicity. Flash forward to a recession era. To a time where things are slow again. To a time where we must be frugal.

BUT DON'T WANNA BE! So here you go, Moschino Cheap and Chic's pearl-neck dress. All yours for only $995!

"Fashion is a Form of Free Speech!" : A Parsons Grad Brings New Fashion to New Kosovo

When I think about the Balkans, I think of tacky disco-disco hot pants, hair dye, shoes stuck in the early 90s, and glitter adorning women who are all potential haute couture models. Lets face it--the Balkans are a bit of a time warp and some of the wedge platform shoes make me cringe a tad each time I see them. 

Yet take the Kosovo case. 70% of the population is under 30. There are more discos and clubs than supermarkets almost. It is the youngest country in the world (declaring independence in February of 2008). Kosovo is trying to work its way out of the "Former Republic of Yugoslavia" look and as more Kosovars are coming back to their country after years of living in New York, Austria, Turkey, or Germany, Fashion there is taking a turn for something new.

Take the beautiful case of an artist and activist, Krenare Rugova, a native Kosovar and Parsons graduate who lived in Maine, New York City, and Paris--working in the fashion industry. After years of work and study abroad, she dreamed of coming back to her country. After the '99 war with Serbia, she finally returned in December of 2003 to open her own fashion studio in Prishtina. 

Her story is one of great success. Six years later, she has four women working under her and partners with local graphic design and management companies to make sure her business thrives. She began to export her clothes to Vienna and Zurich--quite a feat for any designer, let alone one whose country still does not have a seat in the UN. She has designed clothes for Kosovar-Croatian movies and uses her fashion line as a means of promoting free speech, free industry, and democracy in a country she is proud of. She is a strong business woman, a mother of 1 and a half (one in the oven!) and an excellent designer. 

Getting to the important part: VANITY OF THE DAY

The Krenare Rugova fashion line has New York, Parisian, and traditional Albanian influences. More importantly though is the sentiment of freedom that her clothing offers the customers; a sort of freedom of movement, time, speech, design. Freedom to be a new woman who can choose what elements she wants to keep from her past and create something new for the future. 

Her designs express a love of moving fabrics, delicate and tasteful adornments (say goodbye to tacky "disco-disco party hard" wear), while still catering to some of the shimmery glamour that Kosovars ascribe to--because only they have the bodies to wear some of these clothes! Her work is not bringing high culture to Kosovo, but rather extracting and developing a high culture that has been boiling in the minds of Kosovars all over the world for the past 10-20 years. It is a fashion of bring back, putting together, and creating culture. 

Two of my favorites are shown here. 

Feminine, worldly, forming. Something about this design brings together not a timeless design, but rather a design conscious of time. Something like the original ready-made 40s dress, combined with the delicate leaves on the collar, with the pale maroon of many 50s fashions call forth a reference to history. Yet the sharpness and definition of the fabric and the design is far from frilly. It forms nicely around the body and outlines the shape of a woman to be reckoned with, from a nation that wants to be as well...

This evening gown, a la New York club scene, perhaps reminds us of the chintzy, and shimmery glamour Kosovars are so seemingly fond of. However, the daring drop of the fabric around the back and the excellent cut show respect for a well cut and well made dress that is anything but cheap or gauche. 

Visit: http://www.krenare-rugova.com/ for more information. 

Fashion Makes Boys 2 Men

The picture says it all. Welcome to Istanbul. 

In Turkey, it is not uncommon to see men linking arms and walking down the street as such. In fact, men here have a peculiar way of simultaneously trying to walk with a muscular swagger WHILE linking arms. Somehow they think it makes their pudgy little pectorals bulge---well kind of. I'm a little too distracted by the amount of hair grease. 

But that aside, I wanted to discuss the fashion: i.e. the tight (and fake) Diesel pants, the tight (and fake) Abercrombie and Fitch polos, the tighter button ups of various bright colors (think pastel orange in bright pink), the suits with glittery stripes, and lets not forget the graphic tees that say things like, "Love me" with a heart on them--things probably even some of the most flaming of men out there would not buy. 

Yet all of these guys take extra time to check me out. 

Today at work I was reading an article on masculinity in migrant and minority populations. To give you the short summary of a long article, young men who are marginalized (for ethnic/racial/socioeconomic reasons) will often tag this to their bodies and physical appearance--maybe why the workmen here wear collared shirts and leather shoes. Men in these populations will adhere to masculinity codes of their country or culture of origin as a way of asserting their equality as men. However, these codes are not necessarily what modern society wants--c'mon I don't need to see 10 guidos in tight pants to think they are men. In fact, women modern society in modern cities sometimes reward the more effeminate man. Plus, in their self-gender fashioning, men will tend to isolate themselves with only men--thus they don't really know how to approach a women (weird looks on the street). In the end, they marginalize themselves. 

So take this to fashion, at the "Boyz II Men" boutique near my house in the picture above. Maybe Istanbulers are isolating themselves from modernity because they don't quite know how to take high fashion magazines and water them down to livable fashion. The article also states all men (gay and straight) are trying to rediscover masculinity because of a lack of "rite of passage" rituals--but Istanbul has those. So essentially this self-fashioning is giving me a bunch of "men" when I just want a man with a boyish humility--who won't try to look at my ass SO OBVIOUSLY on the subway. 

Vanity of the Day

The Marc Jacobs Fall RTW 2009 collection. Looks like the effeminate male graduate student at the Yale Art and Architecture library: a mix between prepster (because they found out they were going to YALE c'mon, so they had to go to J Crew) and some remnants of their past lives as hipster/punksters. See the shoes and glasses. They could be eating an asparagus a day... Something about them is hot though. They give into the beauty without trying to be masculine--in doing so, they defy masculinity and become all the more tempting.

Maybe I'm bullshitting to prove a point. Fail. 

Regardless, the one on the far left has a nice face. 

Fashion Anthropology

Wandering around the Pera district of Istanbul, the last thing you may expect is to run into a Japanese/Turkish Fashion House. 

Expect the unexpected. 

Wander off of Istiklal Caddesi and into the heart of the the Pera and you will find "Edo Butik" a fashion store that prides itself on inviting Japanese, Brazilian, and Turkish Anthropologists to design clothes. Who knew I would find a kickass dress inspired by kimonos in Istanbul? 

My favorite line though, was "Jarna tribal" designed by anthropoligst Can Ozturk, who after years of anthropology research and tribal exploration in Vietnam, the Amazons, native American reserves, Maharaj, and Eskimo land, decided to make clothes. Jarna is "dedicated to the re-styling of the local accessories and outfits to urban life." All of the pieces are one of a kind and handmade. Jarna wants to "retell the world of a traveller" and demonstrate "its soul sometimes in the traditional pants of fishermen" or in 80 year old beads from Nagaland, or sandals a la Guatemala. 

I of course had to try everything on in the dressing rooms decked out in Japanese and Turkish fashion magazines.

 Now, paying 320 Turkish Lire for some of these things just wasn't happening for me. Especially when the Hippie District down the street sells similar styles for a third of the price in vintage clothing from the early Nationalist period or imports from India. But I will show you the raw silk skirt/pants with a Tibetan prayer chord attached that I fell in love with. Something about the uniqueness and branding of a line as "intellectual" and "anthropological" is enough to make any Yuppie like myself fall in love. 

After trying everything on, I chatted with the people working there and a published author who walked in. The English/Turkish barrier posed a problem, but we all appreciated the power of branding, fashion, and style-- even if the boho look isn't quite the season (more trashy 80's revival and geometric patterning.... the Japanese looks are more on than the tribal). 

VANITY OF THE DAY

Today's Vanity may not be an object, but rather a website, a lifestyle for Istanbulers like myself, who want a Guide to Modern Istanbul. Meet PukkaLiving (link embedded) for those of us who don't want to only bask in 500 year old mosques (as much as I LOVE that), but also enjoy the latest in culture, fashion, eating, and living. Pukka--even if it does sound a little cheesy and Japanese Anime for my taste-- offers articles about what is "It" in Istanbul. 

Hemline Theory Holding Water?

If Hegel's historical thesis-antithesis-synthesis holds water in fashion and fashion is repeatedly new, then I don't know where we stand: In Glamour-wood or in a Photograph of the Great Depression. 

The Resort 2010 lines are out now and while many American and British designers keep a monochrome, demure look about them, Chanel and Prada are, as per usual, living up to the luxury of Old Hollywood and Lido. 

Economists use the "Hemline Theory" to judge rough economic times; Last fall's looks converged on the funerary and skirts the length my Bubby would wear. Fashion does not die though and Resort 2010 provides some mixed evidence on the future of our economy. 

Take Marc by Marc Jacobs, who style.com describes as "Demure American" with plaid and terry dresses. Though hemlines rise about the knee, fabrics remain affordable. Are we rising out of hardship, but keeping an eye on the budget? I think we learned good living does not mean sacrificing style (or spending $800,000 on property that is worth $200,000). 

Calvin Klein too maintains a sense of pragmatism. No bikinis or shorts, but full length dresses that are packable and plain on first glance. The sheerness of the fabric though might be a little too economical and show a little what is only vaguely insured by the cloth. 

Burberry Prorsum's soft, gauzy, cloudy and seductive line experiments with new fabric technology--as sort of picture of a sexy depression. Yet that is exactly it: a picture of a time past, a luscious nostalgia that begs us to think of the future. UK?  Getting better? (Even if Gordon Brown is screwed). 

While Yves Saint Laurent may opt for large fabrics with bold shapes inspired by "seashells" (I don't see it...), the coverage is "less pretentious" according to the designers. 

Compare this to Chanel and Prada, of course coming out of depression and taking the initiative to adopt the luxury we secretly wish we had. Chanel's collection, inspired by the cafes of Lido, Venetian festivals, and the 1919 uppercrust--just beginning to explore the short hemlines of the roaring 20's (are we going back there Chanel? I hope). Prada too breaks from Fall 2009's Austerity and opts for big bows, short skirts, and colorful patterns. Sticking it to the man. 

VANITY OF THE DAY 

If we are going to be economical here, who better of a designer to look to than Moschino Cheap And Chic line and their Technical Satin Dress? On sale at Saks for $356.90, this dress can be yours too. The tie at the shoulder gives it a "just made-cheap and chic" look that the name promises. Technical enough to give it a vintage Gotham City chic, brought back by the cycle of modernity, it gains my vote for "Vanity of the Day." 

Moschino

Jesus Men in Istanbul, not Constantinople

Perhaps it is in times of economic hardship, men look to their savior for fashion advice. This might explain the "Jesus Man" trend here in Istanbul. 

 Or maybe it is because Istanbul (Constantinople) is home to a rich Christian tradition, and is today home to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (left), leader of the Orthodox Christian world. 

Yet I find it fascinating that the Jesus look is overcoming the streets of Istanbul in full force, not just amongst hipsters and gypsies, but men of means wearing nice suits and chatting on iPhones at the Four Seasons or the Ottoman. 

The buzzword in many fashion houses is "economy" in Fall Ready to Wear clothing this season. Lanvin for instance is priding itself on timeless classic clothing, bringing back the 1940s sobriety, sharp lines, black, and simple accessories (of course with a shimmer here or there). So how does this explain the religiosity of hair fashion here? Maybe everyone wants to look like a rock star and not the famed JC, but I would like to think that when the pocket is short of change, opting out of a haircut and going Christian in a Muslim land is not a bad look. Plus Madonna loves Jesus....  bringing me to....

VANITY OF THE DAY

As a practitioner of Kabbalah, Madonna has found herself a new object of worship, by the name of Jesus Luz. This sexy 22 year old model landed himself some work with D & G a way back and even did some steamy photoshoots in W with her. Not going to lie--who wouldn't worship that? In the photo below on the right, he is bringing universal love to mankind (or rather, womankind....). All I can say is DAMN. 

Scarves and Schooling

I apologize for the hiatus there. Two weeks without free internet access was killing me and I had so many stories to write on while in Brussels, Geneva, and now in Istanbul, where I will be living for the next two months. Forgive me if the writing is not as "fabulous" as it usually is--my birthday was last night = no sleep.

Today's post comes from the inspiration of old Hollywood Head Scarves and the Hijab (or Muslim headscarf). Now, I know all y'all love the allure of throwing on a scarf and riding in your convertible:
Come now though. When it comes to Hijab, the mystery is multiplied for many non-Muslim Americans. What is it? Why wear it? Is it oppressive or powerful?

From personal experience, I know man Muslim women who do not wear headscarves, but many choose to do so. Some women go years without veiling until they decide to make the commitment to do so--sometimes out of a sign of dedication to religion, sometimes out of culture, sometimes teens do it as a means seeming "older" (think of it as the first time you wear makeup to seem older). So long as a woman is free to choose what she puts on her head, I don't think there is much of an issue. Just think it through.

A lot of feminists find it "oppressive" and I guess if men are forcing women to wear it, of course it is. Also, if women are wearing it to just get men to stop looking at them--perhaps the issue isn't the scarf at all--there are deeper womens rights issues at hand. Marilyn Monroe didn't like it when Joe DiMaggio told her to not wear low cut shirts because he didn't want men looking at her. Women are humans, not objects to conceal.

Now, I'm in Turkey where wearing the headscarf was banned in the public arena (i.e. Universities, Government offices, etc.) in the early 1920s by Ataturk. Call it a method of modernization. Maybe it had a place and time there, but in today's modern world, CHOICE reign supreme.

Even so, I was reading a case that as early as 2005, in Sahin v. Turkey, a European Court of Human Rights Case. In 1998, young Leyla Sahin had to quit her studies at Istanbul University for wearing a headscarf-- still considered "illegal" in the public sphere. She ended up in Austria, but pursued the case in a Human Rights Court. The ultimate ruling 1) claimed the everyone has the right of freedom of thought or expression but 2) Manifestations of this can be limited in the interest of public safety. Basically, they upheld the fact banning the scarf was okay.

So I thought, hmmmm---no headscarves in Turkish Schools right?

Wrong. I walk into some of the universities on my summit (I am being intentionally vague here) and see plenty of veiled women. I gingerly brought it up in discussion. The women and the professor said basically that there are larger problems in the world than what a woman puts on her head. Go Universities.

Afterwards, I had the women come up to me and ask for my e-mail address. And by the way I really liked their scarves. Bringing me to:

VANITY OF THE DAY
BAD RESOLUTION, CHECK THE LINK!!!

I love to wrap Hermes scarves on my head, waist, neck, bag, body (in general). This one below is part of the La Femme aux Semelles de Vent collection. Though inspired by frenchwoman Alexandra David-Neel's exploration to Tibet, it reminded me of Istanbul and my own journeys in a way. Plus, it looks a little less "Lisa Frank" than Hermes scarves last summer did...
Remember, scarves should not be worn for the picture or motif, but rather the colors and patterns they offer when you fold them!


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