Hiroshi Hashiguchi

STYLED by Hiroshi Hashiguchi

for oki-ni

The oki-ni STYLED features can be a little hit-or-miss for me, so I was pleasantly surprised by the latest in their series, styled by Hiroshi Hashiguchi.  I rather enjoyed the intimacy of the spread, as well as the decision to shoot in black and white, because it really helped to focus in on the textures.  I also rather liked the model's hair, especially for the contrast it provided in terms of textures against the garments in the close-up shots.  Then again, it could just be a case of hair envy (I am growing mine out after all and it is slow going, or growing, as the case may be). 

I have had my eye on the Silent Jenolan jacket in the first photograph for a while now, but as always seems to be the case, my size sells out immediately, so I fear I may not be able to get it until one comes up for sale second hand.  I also really liked the look of the cold dyed hooded long coat by Boris Bidjan Saberi, particularly given how softly it was styled, as opposed to that slightly aggressive vibe that pervaded his latest collection.  Although admittedly with a collection that started off with an inspiration of blood, after Saberi cut himself, it is perhaps not all that surprising that the collection had such a sharp quality.  Let alone the fact that there were skaters on a ramp behind the models as they walked out.

I found the photographs below on Hashiguchi's blog, and was immediately taken by them.  Surprise, surprise, it could be because they remind me of Yohji, but there is certainly a beautiful simplicity to them.  And I really do love lace-ups on women.

Letting Go ft. Sarah Green - Lupe Fiasco

xxxx

290411

"Your mum would be proud of you"

Notre Dame de Paris - Edith Piaf

xxxx

From A Dark Place

Yohji Yamamoto, and daughter, Limi Feu

Yohji Yamamoto has been hitting the PR circuit hard these days - interviews, books, exhibitions and even another documentary (sorry, but the Wim Wenders film was the apex).  With such a sudden abundance of all things Yohji, it is all too easy to forget that just two years ago his situation was bleak.  His health was poor, his company was moving into bankruptcy, and the future of his various labels, let alone his own, was uncertain to say the least.  However, just as soon, a new financial partner stepped in and Yohji signed a new twenty year contract.  It is doubtful he will even complete the twenty years, but then again he does write that he would like to pass away without fanfare whilst working.

Fashion is by its nature a tumultuous and unpredictable industry, and so when for the Spring/Summer 2010 collections it was announced that Yohji Yamamoto had fallen victim to the recession, meaning that a catwalk presentation was not to take place, things looked bad but not lost.  What we saw was a classic and commercial collection, but also perhaps a glimpse into a future where Yohji is no longer at the helm of the YYPH label.  When it comes to the Parisian collections, Yohji makes creative decisions alone, the artist working his craft.  However when it comes to the Japanese collections, Yohji is surrounded by his team, the master and his pupils - teaching and demonstrating.  Perhaps it was that team that stepped in to help create and finish this collection.

Any great designer needs a great team, because although Yohji is one of the few from his generation that still works on his knees hemming dresses and helping to draft patterns, with a company as large as Yohji Yamamoto, it is impossible to do it alone.  Indeed what many suspected of the Spring/Summer 2010 collection was that Yohji had taken a back seat, as his team had worked around him to produce to the collection.  What we saw were classic Yohji silhouettes, executed to perfection, and in production, with the exact level of quality one has come to admire in his construction.  Knowing now the extent of his financial and health concerns at the time of this collection, it is unsurprising to have seen such a safe collection.  And yet, whilst many at the time were heralding it as the possible end for Yohji himself, I saw a reminder of why I love Yohji Yamamoto.

What you see is not simply a rehashing of past collections, but rather a celebration of Yohji's style and work.  The silhouettes, the shapes, the fabrics, the details - they are all classic Yohji.  It was not so much a lack of ideas, but rather a reminder of all the ideas that make me come back to Yohji again and again.  I agree with suspicions that Yohji did not have any great deal of involvement with this collection, however knowing the skill of his team, it was a nice, simple and clean collection.  Of course taking into account the financial situation of Yohji Yamamoto at the time, it is also a highly economically-minded and commercial collection.  These were classic Yohji looks that could be easily stocked, but more importantly, easily sold.  Sometimes you have to make compromises to stay in the game - you can't always present the collection you want.  But that is not always a bad thing, and I think this collection was a perfect example of that.  It was not one of the greats, but it is was nice for stocking up on the basics.

Yohji Yamamoto

Spring/Summer 2010

Stars And Boulevards - Augustana

xxxx

270411

"...riiiiight"

Why Won't You Talk About It? - The Radio Dept.

xxxx

Something Pretty

The Studio Sitting

Photographer: Paul Wetherell

Model: Guinevere Van Seenus

(via TFS)

Pretty and cosy - better than a little dress and high heels every time.

Monster Song - Psapp

xxxx

250411

A sleepy start

Take A Minute - K'Naan

xxxx

The Tennis Shoe

"I never wear trainers, the only ones I will wear are Spring Courts.  They are so comfortable.  But they have to be the low cut white ones...I have to keep them clean...I use nail polish remover on the stains."

- RA

(I would adopt her as my second mother if I could)

As you can probably tell from the photograph above, my footwear collection is currently rather spartan in its breadth (that photograph encompasses it in its entirety), so I thought I may need to invest in a pair of decent trainers.  I wanted something clean and classic, without any visible branding, with sufficient ankle support and a comfortable step.  Converses were immediately out of the question as I find them very painful to walk any great distance in.  On the other hand, although I find Vans comfortable, they are a little too busy in terms of stitching, and the visual dominance of such thick soles can be quite overpowering unless one wears a pair with colour-matched soles.  I was also tempted by Superga, however was put off by the highly visible tabs on the side of each shoe. 

Having been recommended them in the past, I finally settled for a pair of Spring Courts, whose functionality and clean design, combined with their famous comfort level, seemed to fit the bill quite nicely.  The famous 'soles with holes' provide a nice level of ventilation and comfort, whilst the rubber lined mint-scented insole stops water seeping in and helps keep the shoe smelling fresh.  Because I wanted a mid-cut pair I had to choose between the B1 and B2 models, and then decide on colour.  I already knew I wanted the Egyptian cotton, as opposed to leather or ponyskin, so fabric choice was a given. 

Unfortunately there are actually only a handful of stockists within the UK, and even then colour choice and models are highly limited.  Looking across the full range I settled on a pair of lead grey overdye, without the customary rubber ankle patch, because I wanted them to be as clean as possible in terms of design.  However as they were not available within the UK I had to get somebody to order them for me abroad, and then post them over (international shipping was not an option on the webstore I found).  Surprisingly, even including the additional shipping costs and (astronomical - thanks Parcelforce) customs charges, they actually set me back the same amount as a pair of B1 shoes would have done delivered to my door had I ordered from a UK website.      

As I mentioned before, I find Converses incredibly painful to wear, and for those who are in a similar position I would definitely recommend a pair of Spring Courts.  The soles are nice and spongy, yet provide sufficient arch support, and the toe box is relatively wide, whilst being highly structured thanks to the wraparound rubber reinforcement.  They fit snug without being too constrictive, and provide really good ankle and foot support.  Although the mint-scented insole may sound like a gimmick, when I first opened the box I was actually hit with a strong scent of mint and rubber.  I am not sure how long that scent will last, but it is a nice touch.  They are also fully machine-washable, so thankfully I should not have to break out the nail polish remover to keep them clean!  

Fatal - RZA

xxxx

240411

Kamairicha
(I need a new tea set)

Irene - Sofia Jannok

xxxx

Home, Sweet Home

Umit Benan

(photograph by Giovanni Giannoni)

"I'm Turkish.  My family has been living there all their lives.  And...I should feel Turkish, but [...] I don't feel I fully belong there."

Umit Benan
Spring/Summer 2011

Fashion is not created in a vacuum, it is created within a specific cultural and institutional framework.  If one looks at fashion as part of the sociological production of culture, its status as fashion relies heavily on the production of its value as such from external structures.  The modern fashion designer is usually seen as both manufacturer and trendsetter, however they require a specific institutional mechanism to transform their cultural good from design (or indeed, clothing) into fashion.  Describing the system of British fashion design, Angela McRobbie used the analogy of a dress held up between two pillars - the first is that of art schools, the second is that of fashion publications.  Clothes need to be legitimized and disseminated in order to constitute as fashion.

A designer may showcase a collection, however in that specific moment the clothes do not exist as fashion, but rather simply as design.  In order to become fashion, that is, as its definition of a cultural good, it needs to be transformed into that through acknowledgement and broadcast by a third party.  Of course where the idea gets complicated is when the public relation teams and press agents of designers get involved - would Hedi Slimane's collections at Dior Homme have had the cultural impact that they did without the cultivation of an image as produced by his press team?  Generally speaking however it is the fashion media which creates and promotes the idea of fashion to the public.  In an age where the majority of people relate to fashion through imagery rather than actual garments, the intermediary role of the media can make or break a designer.

Trends are implicit to our contemporary understanding of fashion, and indeed one notes that trends and fashion are terms that are often interchangeably used.  Trends are created, or at least formed, through a variety of channels, however are often formed from the catwalk.  Yet one has to take a few steps back to really get the full picture, and this is where trend forecasters and the textile syndicates play a huge role.  Textile tradeshows and certain high profile trend forecasters hold a huge sway over the fashion industry, although it is often not mentioned - perhaps to keep the untainted vision of the designer as auteur?  That is not to say that designers are not original or personal in their creativity, however outside influences certainly play a role within the wider framework, and it is has a noticeable effect on the work of a certain few larger houses that come to mind.

These days it seems that my posts are not complete without at least one reference to Yohji Yamamoto, and in this instance I find myself relating to his disdain for fashion in terms of surface decoration and material consumerism.  Trends and the cultural production of fashion in themselves are entirely vacuous and meaningless.  Specific to the moment however, within those, one can find examples of good design and clothes made with thought and meaning.  I seem to gravitate to that which is outside the mainstream, not out of conscious rebellion, but rather in search for something with that greater meaning, which many designers strive to create. 

I think one such example of this type of designer would be Umit Benan, who for his Spring/Summer 2011 collection returned home, finding inspiration in his Turkish roots, starting with the way his father used to dress.  Benan was not only exploring a facet of his own identity (as he does every season), but was trying to understand the identity of masculinity itself.  In interviews he says that the Umit Benan man is someone like himself, a global citizen, but also one entirely comfortable with their masculinity.  Although that idea sounds simple when one hears it, I think it is a complex and arguably intangible notion.  This collection was however Benan's interpretation of that notion, and one with which I could relate.

In terms of the dissemination of fashion, I do wonder where a collection such as this lies.  Being such a personal collection, and one that is highly localized in terms of geographical style, it is harder to package and broadcast as fashion into the mainstream.  Whilst a collection such as Damir Doma's Spring/Summer 2011 collection (click here for my review), which also had strong Turkish, as well as Ottoman, roots, is perhaps easy to classify as avant-garde by the media, and so sidestepped by the mainstream, Benan's collection was not exactly what you could classify as avant-garde.  It was traditional, it was personal, but I think it was new and exciting.

Collections that fall outside the Western canon are often problematic in terms of the legitimization and the institutional production of fashion.  However I think that is actually a strength.  It is not a collection which is hot for the moment then quickly forgotten and dated, but rather something that can be appreciated and in doing so, understood.  For me it is a clear personal expression from Benan, sincere in its vision, and one I both respect and can relate to.  You can keep your fashion and trends, I'd rather take this any day.

First In Line - James Yuill

xxxx