Fashion inspiration: Viktor & Rolf, Autumn/Winter 2012-13

As I am in full swing developing my Spring/Summer collection and sewing like mad I got distracted looking at the dark beauties we may expect wearing next Winter. I must say, I'm excited. Lots of Dark Dark pieces! (and I'm not talking about plain black, I'm talking about opulent velvet and decadent gothic symbols as well as distressed textures and luxurious brocades and dramatic laces). I'm drooling just thinking of it. If you add Vintage to the mix, then you have grabbed all my attention, and that's what Viktor and Rolf's next Winter collection has done: a very dark glamorous collection depicting languid femme fatales dressed in misterious black outfits, trimmed with luxurious fur and vintage-style ruffles and tassels.

Love the description given on the Fashion Telegraph's website:
"Soft, feminine, and romantic - with a little bit of mystery. Luke Leitch on Viktor & Rolf's chic moonlight-bathe, film-noirish collection."

"The models had Rita Hayworth waves, almost consumptive pallors and the dark berry lips that have all been recurring themes in the film noir-tinted styling so popular this season."

Link to the article: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article/TMG9120979/754/Paris-Fashion-Week-Viktor-and-Rolf-autumnwinter-2012.html

Big pics taken from here: http://cltreanor.blogspot.com/2012/03/viktor-rolf-fall-2012.html

New clothing items!

Because of The Lpool Design show, I haven't had the time to update the blog with my new items, some of them finished just before the show. I will be posting them in the next following days. I hope you like them.

The first item is a over knee-length dress, with puffed long sleeves. Heavily inspired by the 1940s starlets such as Veronica Lake, this figure-hugging little dark number features a draped neckline and a pencil skirt with an interesting drape on the hip. It is made of two different shades of black crepe-like jersey to add more interest to the garment.




















The second item is another over knee-length dress, with puffed long sleeves. Very 1950s style, I designed this dress thinking of those funny pics of Marilyn Monroe with her do-I-look-smart? glasses and secretary style dresses. It features a square neckline trimmed in velvet with a bow on the side. The skirt is fitted with a slight godet, giving it a sleek A-line shaped, which I think fits better and looks less ridiculous than those very pronounced fish-tail skirts.

Click on the links to see more pics of my dresses.
http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/product/1940s-style-draped-dress-48
http://www.theblackwardrobe.com/product/1950s-inspired-tailored-dress-with-velvet-trims-49

Fashion inspiration: Interview mag, June-July issue

Very rarely I find inspiring editorials among the summer issues. Suddenly, everything is just pastels, pinks and bright/neon shades that could easily blind you if you are not careful!
Don't get me wrong, I like pastels and some bright but strong colours such as deep red (my favourite!), deep blues and greens but I am still fond of my black, even in the summer.
This editorial is very interesting, it has all the elements I like: gothic, a bit of fetishism (but not to the point of being pornographic and therefore, might get the ban from Blogger) and with a vintage twist.
It features an unrecognisable Megan Fox as a lady Vamp who is doing dirty tricks to her clone number #2, who is a mannequin.

I love the stylism, is quite summery - if we ignore the fur, unless you are living in Scotland or Iceland - the bob is stylish, simple but still keeps the vintage flair.
The make-up is beautiful, although I think it would only work if you are extremely pale. Otherwise, forget about achieving that soft gothic flair with a golden sun-tanned skin-tone. It just wouldn't work. But hey, if you think otherwise, comments are welcome. I do like debates...;)


Here is the link to the full editorial:
http://www.fashionising.com/pictures/p--Interview-magazine-June-July-2010-6759-101620.html

Film noir, what's that? - Part2

As I mentioned in the 1st part of this "multi-post", this post is about the concept of "femme fatale", specifically film noir femme fatale. A femme fatale is a villainous woman who uses her sexuality to achieve her (usually selfish and maquiavelic) own gains. The expression is obviously french, meaning "fatal woman".

She is often portrayed as a sort of sexual vampire; her dark appetites were thought to be able to leach away the virility and independence of her loves, leaving them shells of their forver selves. Only by escapign her embraces could the hero be rescued. On this account, in earlier american slang femme fatales were often called vamps, a word that is associated with the fashions of the 1920s. (this paragraph is taken from www.jahsonic.com)


As I said in the earlier post, the femme fatale is in my opinion one of the key elements of any film noir because she is usually the main trigger of the drama and as a consequence, the fatal ending of usually all main characters in the story. In short sentence we can describe the femme fatale as a selfish bitch who basically creates the whole mess and tries -unsuccessfuly- to get away with it when the whole plot is discovered.

Femme fatales are usually portrayed as independent strong individuals with brains (something socially unacceptable back in those times). This, combined with a strong attractivenes and beauty, configures a deadly weapon to use successfuly on any man.
Very often, the storyline is as follows:
She uses her strong sex appeal and beauty to seduce fragil and disillusioned main male character into committing a crime (usually murder). They fall in love (although I usually suspect that she usually pretends but you never know in those films as everything is done "subtly"). He loves her so much that he committs the crime. By doing so, he trapps himself into her diabolic persona. He can't get away from her now. He has become a criminal, like her. When they get caught, usually the consequences are fatal for either him or both. But mainly him.....(You usually feel sorry for him, at the end).