The ‘Golden Age’ set a template for dress making and high fashion. Balenciaga, Balmain and Fath were some of the first Couture houses in Paris. Celebrating the end of war, Couture houses attracted worldwide interest. The prestige and economy of both France and Britain thrived on the production of Couture. While typically catering for a top end clientele, the Couture houses sought new markets. By the late 1950s, the leading Couture houses became global brands.
Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ plays a predominant part in marking the beginning of one of the most influencial decades of fashion history. For me the most significant piece exhibited is Hardy Amies’ 'New Look Suit'. Wartime style is present in the square shoulders, small waist and wide hips. Amies worked closely with clients to create custom garments, often changing the style to resist the New Look.
For me the major piece is the 'Evening Dress' by Bianchini Ferier. This 'jeune fille' summer dress has a boned petticoat, showing the care given even to the under-garments. Bianchini Férier had provided Parisian couturiers with luxurious silks since the late 19th century. The weight and textural qualities of this velvet construct the shape of the dress. Draped and bouffant style, this garment is the 'belle' of the Golden Age of Couture.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Saturday, 17 November 2007
From high street favourites to tiny boutiques, Edinburgh has its own way of playing with capital fashions.
'Armstrongs' is Edinburgh’s largest vintage clothes emporium - from elegant tea dresses of the 1940’s to funky flares of the 1970’s.
Boho boutique 'Arkangel' is an enchanting boutique selling eclectic, feminine clothes from London and Paris.
'Pam Jenkins' is the ultimate designer accessories and shoe shop. Nicole Farhi, Christian Louboutin, Rupert Sanderson and Jimmy Choos are to name but a few that you’ll want to delve into.
The French boudoir 'Boudiche' prides itself on making lingerie shopping a pleasurable experience. At Edinburgh's exquisite lingerie and gift boutique you’ll find designer brands Lise Charmel, Rigby & Peller, Lejaby, Chantelle, Spoylt, Marie Jo and Miss Mandalay.
'Conriche' was the first UK store to import Japanese designers like Issey Myake. Browse through a mix of Westwood, Gaultier, and Comme de Garcons.
'Harvey Nichols' opened its long-awaited Edinburgh store on the 15th August 2002. On the fashion front for women names such as Chloé, Dries Van Noten, Donna Karan, Prada, Jil Sander, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and the Harvey Nichols Collection, and for the men Comme des Garcons Homme Plus, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Smith, Jil Sander and Christian Dior will be on display.
Edinburgh is now a shopper's paradise, and the range of goods on offer is as diverse as the City of Edinburgh itself.
Boho boutique 'Arkangel' is an enchanting boutique selling eclectic, feminine clothes from London and Paris.
'Pam Jenkins' is the ultimate designer accessories and shoe shop. Nicole Farhi, Christian Louboutin, Rupert Sanderson and Jimmy Choos are to name but a few that you’ll want to delve into.
The French boudoir 'Boudiche' prides itself on making lingerie shopping a pleasurable experience. At Edinburgh's exquisite lingerie and gift boutique you’ll find designer brands Lise Charmel, Rigby & Peller, Lejaby, Chantelle, Spoylt, Marie Jo and Miss Mandalay.
'Conriche' was the first UK store to import Japanese designers like Issey Myake. Browse through a mix of Westwood, Gaultier, and Comme de Garcons.
'Harvey Nichols' opened its long-awaited Edinburgh store on the 15th August 2002. On the fashion front for women names such as Chloé, Dries Van Noten, Donna Karan, Prada, Jil Sander, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and the Harvey Nichols Collection, and for the men Comme des Garcons Homme Plus, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Smith, Jil Sander and Christian Dior will be on display.
Edinburgh is now a shopper's paradise, and the range of goods on offer is as diverse as the City of Edinburgh itself.
Thursday, 1 November 2007
Preview of St Trinian's 2007
by Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson
The new film St.Trinians brings you anything and everything - there's drugs, sex, tattoos, and piercings.
Based on the values of the old St Trinian's movies, the pupils save the school from getting closed down by using their genious naughty school-girl tactics.
Rupert Everett takes the dual role of the school headmistress and her brother. The Panto-Dame-like Miss Fritton is the perfect example of what we would all want in a headmistress.
Collin Firth, plays an MP planning to turn the school into a respectable institution when it nears bankruptcy. His battle with the schoolgirls over the fate of St Trinian's sees him humiliated in as many ways as possible.
Russell Brand practically plays himself - Flash Harry allies with the pupils in dodgy dealing whilst continuously trying to bed the headgirl, Kelly (played by Gemma Arterton).
The girls make the film. The First years, the Emos, the Chavs, the Geeks, and the Posh totties are all exaggerated versions of the subcultures within schools today. All of which use their unique abilities to be as rebellious as possible.
Steven Fry’s appearance as the game show host is the highlight. He delves into some narcotics just before going on air and it is absolutely hilarious!
It’s querky, it’s kooky, it’s so bad it’s good.
The new film St.Trinians brings you anything and everything - there's drugs, sex, tattoos, and piercings.
Based on the values of the old St Trinian's movies, the pupils save the school from getting closed down by using their genious naughty school-girl tactics.
Rupert Everett takes the dual role of the school headmistress and her brother. The Panto-Dame-like Miss Fritton is the perfect example of what we would all want in a headmistress.
Collin Firth, plays an MP planning to turn the school into a respectable institution when it nears bankruptcy. His battle with the schoolgirls over the fate of St Trinian's sees him humiliated in as many ways as possible.
Russell Brand practically plays himself - Flash Harry allies with the pupils in dodgy dealing whilst continuously trying to bed the headgirl, Kelly (played by Gemma Arterton).
The girls make the film. The First years, the Emos, the Chavs, the Geeks, and the Posh totties are all exaggerated versions of the subcultures within schools today. All of which use their unique abilities to be as rebellious as possible.
Steven Fry’s appearance as the game show host is the highlight. He delves into some narcotics just before going on air and it is absolutely hilarious!
It’s querky, it’s kooky, it’s so bad it’s good.
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Death Proof by Quentin Tarantino
A Failed Experiment?
Being a huge fan of Pulp Ficion and Kill Bill, I was expecting something miraculous. It pains me to say, but this is a disaster of a film! With impressive photography and effects work, this should have been a masterpiece.
The film is about Stuntman Mike (Russell) who is a scarred, weathered man picking up girls in his stunt car before subjecting them to a series of terrifying death ordeals. The car is only ‘Death Proof’ for the driver.
In the first half, Austin’s hottest DJ, Jungle Julia (Poitier) unwinds with two of her closest friends, Shanna and Arlene. The girls party from Guero’s to the Texas Chili Parlor - they seemingly charm Stuntman Mike only to end up in a mangled mess.
The second half consists of chat scenes with four new girls (Dawson, Bell, Thoms, Winstead) followed by carnage on the road, only this time, two of the girls happen to be stunt drivers themselves, giving as good as they get.
Although it is visually stunning in its 70s inspired pop culture, I was disappointed that the plot did not thicken. Tarantino tried too hard with the dialogue scenes and it was a million miles away from the heights of his previous work. Not nearly the caliber of Pulp Fiction - I really wanted to love it.
Being a huge fan of Pulp Ficion and Kill Bill, I was expecting something miraculous. It pains me to say, but this is a disaster of a film! With impressive photography and effects work, this should have been a masterpiece.
The film is about Stuntman Mike (Russell) who is a scarred, weathered man picking up girls in his stunt car before subjecting them to a series of terrifying death ordeals. The car is only ‘Death Proof’ for the driver.
In the first half, Austin’s hottest DJ, Jungle Julia (Poitier) unwinds with two of her closest friends, Shanna and Arlene. The girls party from Guero’s to the Texas Chili Parlor - they seemingly charm Stuntman Mike only to end up in a mangled mess.
The second half consists of chat scenes with four new girls (Dawson, Bell, Thoms, Winstead) followed by carnage on the road, only this time, two of the girls happen to be stunt drivers themselves, giving as good as they get.
Although it is visually stunning in its 70s inspired pop culture, I was disappointed that the plot did not thicken. Tarantino tried too hard with the dialogue scenes and it was a million miles away from the heights of his previous work. Not nearly the caliber of Pulp Fiction - I really wanted to love it.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Retro Bride
What’s old is new again...
Brides to be, why would you sport something new and mass produced when you can find one of a kind?
Shopping in Shoreditch could be the antidote to finding your signiture wedding dress. Choose your favourite era, whether it be 1920s flapper, mod '60s or all out rockabilly.
Browsing around Beyond Retro, a girl is spotted paying £35 for a vintage wedding dress. This eccentric, off-white dress with gigantic ruffles is one girl’s dream dress. With stunning red lipstick, vamped-up eyes and a killer hairdo, this look will undoubtedly put a little drama into her wedding day.
Brides to be, why would you sport something new and mass produced when you can find one of a kind?
Shopping in Shoreditch could be the antidote to finding your signiture wedding dress. Choose your favourite era, whether it be 1920s flapper, mod '60s or all out rockabilly.
Browsing around Beyond Retro, a girl is spotted paying £35 for a vintage wedding dress. This eccentric, off-white dress with gigantic ruffles is one girl’s dream dress. With stunning red lipstick, vamped-up eyes and a killer hairdo, this look will undoubtedly put a little drama into her wedding day.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Girls websites criticised for ‘lad mag’ tactics -the Daily Telegraph, Wed Sept 19
Websites aimed at girls from the age of 10 are asking them to rate their bodies.
Bliss website is asking girls between the ages 14-17 to rate themselves in the feature ‘How sexy am I’, ranging from ‘beautiful’ and ‘ewww’. Similarly, Mizz website, owned by the same company as Bliss targets girls between 10-14. Gary Cleland discusses how these websites are conveying messages to young girls by using rating methods in the same way that Nuts use rating programs such as ‘Rate my breasts’.
What interests me is the way that the media contradicts itself on all different levels. LFW have introduced a ban on under 16s, through fears of exploitation and eating disorders, yet Mizz and Bliss are undermining this rule. Women in journalism (WIJ) are attempting to change the perception of women in the media. And OK, I am not sure that all women are wanting to be perceived differently than they are but at least they are old enough to decide for themselves - naive teenagers are being told how they should look by their fave mags, and as young as 10, of course they will believe the media.
What baffles me is the fact that the editorial features in these websites encourage teenage girls to be happy with the way they look. Seemingly, these teenage mags do not know what they want to do which is unfair and undoubtedly confusing to their target readers who are at their most vulnerable stage.
Bliss website is asking girls between the ages 14-17 to rate themselves in the feature ‘How sexy am I’, ranging from ‘beautiful’ and ‘ewww’. Similarly, Mizz website, owned by the same company as Bliss targets girls between 10-14. Gary Cleland discusses how these websites are conveying messages to young girls by using rating methods in the same way that Nuts use rating programs such as ‘Rate my breasts’.
What interests me is the way that the media contradicts itself on all different levels. LFW have introduced a ban on under 16s, through fears of exploitation and eating disorders, yet Mizz and Bliss are undermining this rule. Women in journalism (WIJ) are attempting to change the perception of women in the media. And OK, I am not sure that all women are wanting to be perceived differently than they are but at least they are old enough to decide for themselves - naive teenagers are being told how they should look by their fave mags, and as young as 10, of course they will believe the media.
What baffles me is the fact that the editorial features in these websites encourage teenage girls to be happy with the way they look. Seemingly, these teenage mags do not know what they want to do which is unfair and undoubtedly confusing to their target readers who are at their most vulnerable stage.
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