Picasso & Theories on Originality

Happy Birthday to me!  Yes, it's my birthday, and I'm 27...which means that I am now officially in my late 20's...  Oh well!  I've never been afraid of being 30.  If any of you reading this were an apparel student with me at RISD, you might still remember one of those 3 o'clock in the morning late night studio conversations when someone brought the subject up.  I think the conversation went something like this:

girl: "Uh, guys...how do you feel about being 30?"

me: "Fine...I guess.  Can't say that I've spent too much time thinking about it...why?"

girl: "Because, well, I really can't picture myself being older than 25, and I don't know that I want to, either."

me: [Pause] "...Well, honestly, I feel like I'm always doing something or other that's unnecessarily stupid, and I'm assuming that when I'm 30, I'll have it more together.  So, in other words, half the time I'd rather be 30 than 20."

girl: [Pause.] [Still pausing..] "You're an old soul."

Not too much has changed, other than my wishing that I felt a little more together about life in general.  They're saying that 30 is the new 20 these days, so maybe this on-going quarter life crisis* is perfectly normal.  I'm not going to worry about it, though.  Most things in life are relative, including one's status at 30.

Ok!  Enough about age.  Back to the point of this entry - which was that it's my birthday, and since birthdays are the only day allowed to us each year where it's both permissible and completely acceptable to be self-indulgent, I am going to talk about one of my favorite topics: fashion's anthropological implications.  (Nerd alert.)

I had this life-changing professor in school who opened up my eyes both to how amazing and relevant fashion history can be.  One of her sayings which has always stayed with me was that "we are all products of our era".  Initially, this was not something that students at an art and design school wanted to hear.  At that point, we were all still egotistical (and naïve) enough to believe that true originality was actually possible.  Unoriginality was considered the unpardonable sin.  To be honest, I'm not sure if that had more to do with our own insecurities, egos, or fear that we would be failed for plagiarism.  But, let's consider two things that Picasso has been oft quoted for saying:

"Bad artists copy.  Good artists steal."

and,

"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary."

So - it's bad to copy, but ok to steal?  And saying that art has to do with elimination implies that to be a good artist, one has to be a good curator.  Aren't curators the ones who arrange and edit what art is shown in a specific space and/or setting, rather than the ones who actually create the artwork being arranged?

Here's what I think he and my professor were trying to say: it is impossible to be completely objective and to create anything free from the influences to which we are daily subjected.  A good artist or designer is aware of this fact and not intimidated by it.  Rather, he or she soaks it all in, accepting what is good and ignoring or rejecting what is bad.  On a practical (and fashion-related) level, this is how people are able to predict trends.  It's a matter of being aware of what's going on in the world socially, economically, politically, artistically, etc.  We are all affected by our culture - whether we realize it or not - and since fashion is one of the most obvious forms of self expression, the way that we choose to dress will be influenced by our chosen response (albeit usually subconscious) to what's going on around us.
There are obvious examples in history of fashion reflecting the politics of the time**, but a more recent instance of pop culture's influence on design has been with Mad Men and our ensuing fascination with all things mid-century modern.  Notice how almost all of J. Crew's pants are cropped or ankle length?  And, how most modern, high-end furniture looks like something you saw at your grandparents' house once?

With all of this current hype about Gatsby*** and everyone's obsession with Downton Abbey (remember that the show has now entered the 20's), it's my assumption that it will affect fashion trends in this next year or two.  It's not that we'll all be dressed like flappers come September, but rather that it might become popular to have short hair again, or that dresses put out for the next holiday season will be over-the-top with embellishment.  Who knows.  But I can guarantee you that artists and designers alike will have these type of things in the back of their heads as they are sketching.  They might be designing a shirt and will think, I really liked something about the one Nick wore in that one scene when he, Gatsby, and Daisy were together at Gatsby's house.  I should figure out what it was that stood out to me.

Speaking of which, I have much to say about the movie (amazing!), but I think I might have to dedicate an entire post to it.

- Kathrine



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*Wait! - Am I too old to be having a quarter life crisis??  27 times 4 is...108.  Crap.

**I started to list out historical examples, but then I realized that you can basically take any period where there's a major social/political revolution or world war going on, and look at how much the fashion (especially for women) changed during those eras.

***I even received an email this morning from PureWow entitled "Gatsby-ed out already?"

J. Crew's Jenna Lyons

http://www.fastcompany.com/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/slideshow_large/slideshow/2013/04/3007843-slide-1920-feature-175-jcrew-devil-wears.jpg

OK, so - if you know me well at all you will know that I am mildly obsessed with J. Crew.  And, if you're following what's going on in fashion right now, you will probably have already read this article in Fast Company.  If you haven't, however, you're in for a treat!  I wish I was able to work in an office decorated like hers, lime-green plastic dinosaur and all.  How could one not be inspired to greatness?  Of course, having a partially hand-written thank you note from Anna Wintour pinned to my wall probably wouldn't hurt, either.

On a more serious note, though - the it almost seems too good to be true with the freedom that the designers are allowed to have.  For the sake of J. Crew's future, I do hope that Drexel and Lyon's current strategy is successful long-term.  When was the last time a major corporate company (at least, supposedly) has regularly allowed designers to use their creative instincts and to really take risks, sacrificing potential profits for better quality and design integrity?  Well, whether risky in business or only apparently so - I say keep it coming.

"Those awwwful Mexican maaan shoes"

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyiyyuX7rm1qzjol0.jpg

If you have read or watched the film version of The Help as many times as I have, then you will know about these shoes.  Skeeter's mother hates them, dubbing them "those awwwful Mexican maaan shoes".  And, despite all of my ranting yesterday about needing a new pair of loafers above anything else, I have secretly been coveting something akin to Skeeter's pair.  

Speaking of which - look what I found at Yargıcı today.  :)

At the Risk of Sounding Old & Practical

J. Crew's Biella tassel loafers, priced at $248

I have a complaint. I have been searching for MONTHS for a new pair of loafers or oxfords to replace my lovely, tan, handmade-in-Italy, make-my-feet-look-slim-and-my-legs-longer, dress-up any outfit, leather (not suede) J. Crew loafers that I wore (and wore) until I was too embarrassed to wear them out of the house anymore. Now they are in a landfill somewhere here in Turkey.*

I thought, Surely I could find a replacement pair.  How hard could it be? They're trending!  Apparently, very hard.  Loafers, slippers, and oxfords are all trending, but any in canvas, sparkles, or print should really be a secondary purchase.  Key word: secondary.  Meaning, one would think that any sensible buyer would ensure that their store or department had at least one pair of basic, wearable shoes which would enable the actual outfit to make the statement, rather than the shoes.  So far, the only ones fitting this description I've found (under, say $600) have been orthopedic.  Or suede.  Don't people know that you can't wear suede if it rains!?** 

This brings me to another thought that has also been bothering me every time I go shopping: What is with all of the transparent clothing?  Almost all of the nice (would-be) office-appropriate tops I saw at Zara this weekend were completely transparent, but cut in such a way that would make the addition of a camisole completely ridiculous looking.  And, at most work-places, the see-through top is not exactly appropriate.  This question doesn't just apply to tops, either.  I'm not one to have a problem with the pajama pant look - especially if the pants can be dressed up with some nice shoes - but nobody wants to see through them! 



*These are the best loafers found so far, but I'm not sold on the yellow's being so practical. 

**If you have any recommendations in regard to my shoe problem, please let me know!

New York, London, Milan, and Paris - oh my!

Source: style.com via Kathrine on Pinterest

I've discussed this with some of my designer friends, but seriously - it has become so difficult to keep up with the amount of designers that are showing at fashion week!  Was it only 3-4 years ago that I still felt capable of staying on top of everything??  Now, however, I give up.  While it's great exposure for the new designers, I admit it! - I can't look at all of your lines, because that would take up all of my time every September and February.

So!  I've been pinning things I like (from what I've looked at) thus far.  I'll probably do some type of review on here in the future, but since there are still things I'd like to post about my recent travels and current experiences, it might have to wait.

xx

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PS - The above image is from Diane von Furstenberg, one of my favorite shows this season so far.

And, this is why I blog

I have found so much of what inspires me through my favorite bloggers, that the creative person in me thought it might be appropriate to give it a try at some point - appropriate, like in the way that we say that we will eventually do something but never actually get around to doing it.  I don't even know how long I was talking with my friends about starting a blog before I finally had the courage to do so. 

And then... Pinterest came along.  If you've visited my boards, you will know that I am a bit excessive enthusiastic with my pinning at times.  After pinning some several thousand images (I'm not kidding), I realized that blogging is not necessarily that much more difficult.  It also allows you the freedom to express your thoughts and personal images a bit more clearly.  So - once I quit my job to figure out life, I no longer had any more excuses - et voilà!

I'm still very much in the experimental stages here, and I'm still figuring out what I'd like it to be - but everyone has to start somewhere, no?  Garance said it so clearly in her most recent post that I would like to share it with you here.  It's bloggers like her who encourage me to try something like this, even if it's not the most polished thing at first.  Maybe one day I will be the professional she has become, maybe not.*

So please, have patience with me.  I will never stop envying understand how people in their early twenties can already be so successful in their careers!  Of course it's easier if you're wealthy, but I'm talking more about having such clear vision that enables you to be determined enough to succeed at such a young age.  How does anyone know what they want at 22?  At 26, I'm realizing that the more I learn makes me realize how much much I don't know, that ignorance would obviously prevent me from making the wisest decisions, how I still have the whole world in front of me but don't know what I want, that I don't know what I want for lack of knowing what is worth my having - and it goes on and on.

Perhaps it's easier if you start your career earlier, but then I wouldn't have read all of that English and American literature, I wouldn't have studied as much history, or practiced as much French.**  I like to think that it will somehow inform my future creativity, haha!  Alexander McQueen was quite the academic, wasn't he?  Maybe I'll have a show organized for me at the Met someday??  OK, OK - I know that's enough; I'll stop being dramatic.

But, in short - I'm finding myself stuck somewhere in the middle between the day dreams I had in college and the disillusionment that came with working in the real world as a corporate designer.  Are my dreams merrily a symptom of my unfitness for the fashion industry of today?  Or, are they a hint of what might be to come?  To push for something different (and possibly better), one cannot simply be happy with the status quo.  Like Garance said in her post:

Everything still has to be invented, and to invent it we must try.

So! - I will keep trying.  Maybe if I keep posting irregular things as they come to me, it will be something like my approach to decorating a space.  If, instead of looking for something to furnish a space for the sake of it or being so concerned that everything you buy matches, rather focusing more to choose items that really speak to you in some way (minding of course that you don't get something like 12 rugs just because you like rugs), you will find that in the end, your eclectic assortment of odds and ends somehow speak to the different elements of your personality, consequently allowing your space to look more naturally furnished - and thankfully, without that contrived look that so many model homes have.

Maybe nothing will come of it, but then again - maybe something will.  :)

xx,
Kathrine



*I can tell you now that unless I can (1) get over my laziness to carry around a heavy camera with me in lieu of my iPhone, (2) learn how to be French in that je ne sais quoi kind of way, (3) hunker down long enough to improve my illustration skills, and (4) find a famous blogging/photographing/fashion editing boyfriend, I will never (ever) be in her league.

**I also wouldn't have learned so much about film history from Robert Osborne...any other TCM fans out there??

That Perfect Shade of Red

Why does it feel like fall already??  Where did my summer go?  No matter - fall is my favorite season.  I love the way the air feels so crisp and fresh; not fresh in a Springtime sense, more as a cleaner, less humid contrast to the heat of Summer that really just leaves you feeling greasy all the time.

Luckily, I have had the advantage to spend my last few weeks of Summer in Turkey. I came with my family for a cousin's wedding, and we stayed on for a couple weeks to see more of our friends and family.  We also (of course) took advantage of our proximity to the Aegean coast and visited some of my our favorite beaches.  Since I've been reproachfully lax in my postings since I left the US, I'll try to make up for it over the next several days by sharing some of what we were able to see, eat, and enjoy.

In the interim, I've not forgotten that it's Fashion Week in New York.  Wish I could be there(!), but I'm not bratty enough to complain that I'm only in Istanbul at the moment.  Is anybody else loving this darker shade of red for fall as much as I am?  I'm not even going to tell you how much time I spent* trying on different shades/types/brands of lipstick a couple of weeks back to find this EXACT shade, only to settle for one that's not matte like this.  (Matte is a good thing.)  Then(!), I found this image on Pinterest, but the link has gone bad so I can't figure out the color...any ideas?

Source: evilocean.tumblr.com via Kathrine on Pinterest

*Although I'm sure Cindy could, since she was gracious - or rather, patient! - enough to come along with me to almost every lipstick counter in the Houston Galleria..

Skinny Ties For Sale!

Even though Julia has instructed me to stop apologizing, I must.  Things have been terribly busy since I've been back in Houston.  I was trying to figure out how to set up an Etsy shop, but I really need to finish my packing get some rest, since the plane will leave tomorrow afternoon whether I make it or not!  Here are some beautiful photos, courtesy of Micah Sedmak.  Most are 100% cotton, and all of the florals are by Liberty of London.  Let me know if you're interested in purchasing one; all are priced at $68.  I can accept payments through PayPal.  Hope you like!

All Tied Up

As most of you (who would actually be reading this yet) know, I am having to raise money to go on my trip to Brussels.  One way that I am aiming to do this is through skinny neckties that I am making, inspired by the likes of - 

  

Source: havelessbemore.tumblr.com via Kathrine on Pinterest

Source: havelessbemore.tumblr.com via Kathrine on Pinterest

Source: havelessbemore.tumblr.com via Kathrine on Pinterest

I'm still working on them, so stay tuned - but there will be some available at a yard sale this Saturday that one of my dear friends is hosting to raise money for my trip.  If you are in the Columbus, OH area, you should check it out!  10am-4pm at 798 Bruck St. in German Village.