Fashion 2008 [The ZOO]
Fashion :: When We Left Earth
It was during the sixties that modernism trumped decadence. The ornate was discarded for the aesthetic of function and pre-fab manufacturing techniques made modernism's proliferation spread from block to block, until the American collective memory made it seem that every house was exactly like Kevin Arnold's home during his 'Wonder Years.. more...
The BUZZ
Fashion & Video :: Black Tie Optional
The feature 'Black Tie Optional' comes in two complimentary formats; video and stills. Of course you'll want to view both, the only question is, will it be the video feature or the photo story first?
'...people must be very distinguished to look well in black...' -Edward Bulwer-Lyttonn, 1828
One of our favorite (and omnipresent) trends on the Fall 2008 catwalk was menswear(ish) pieces for the girls, specifically, plays on the formal dress, such as the tuxedo and its sharp lapels.
The tuxedo was born in the 1920s; it was a double-breasted reincarnation of the 1880s dinner jacket tailored to the tastes of then Prince of Wales. When the fashion traveled from Europe to America, it landed in Tuxedo Park, the millionaire playground of New York, where the new double-breasted formal wear was sported at small dinner parties. Pierre Lorillard popularized the tailless dinner jacket and named it the 'tuxedo' at an autumn ball. more...
Fashion :: She's a Real Doll
I was having a television moment when I was first introduced to the cult of Agyness. Whilst staring at reruns of New York Fashion Week, some friends and I kept seeing this 'Whose That Girl' platinum blonde. Who is that girl?
British Agyness Deyn (born Laura Hollins) is part of a wave of young models who are morphing the old concept of '90s supermodel into something indie... Think of Coco and Irina (annointed by Kate Moss, the original indie supermodel.) Agyness is the newest 'it' girl. Magazines have dedicated entire issues to her (including pictures of the 'boy version' of Agyness Deyn.) Shiseido made her their new face after Angelina Jolie, and display mannequin institution Adel Rootstein made a mannequin in her likeness. more...
Fashion and Beauty :: You Are What You Wear
60% of ingredients put onto the skin penetrate into the bloodstream within 15 minutes.
Thank goodness for magazines like OKOTEST that advocate on behalf of the consumer by laboratory testing 1,800 cosmetic products to find out which of them have 'questionable' substances. The makers of Clinique, Chanel, and Nivea scored pretty poorly. Who was first? Lavera, founded by Ulrike Jacob-Dewor, a biochemist! more...
Fashion :: Heart and Soul
Professional hairstylist, beloved friend, and inspiring coworker, Rafael Jimenez graced the ZOOZOOM world with his presence during his last shoot here on earth. Rafael passed away shortly after the shooting of the following pictures. We dedicate these photographs to Rafael, whose love of creativity will surely be with us always. more...
Fashion :: An Android's Tale
When Hampton Fancher set out to write 'Blade Runner' he wanted to cross-pollinate strains of forties Film Noir with the science fiction canon of the early eighties (which was about to come into existence). 'Blade Runner' is both about the future and the past, specifically, about evolutionary and technological change in relation to memory. Rachael (Sean Young) exists in the undoubtedly turbulent intersection of these themes; aesthetically, she represents them.
Costume Designers Charles Knode and Michael Kaplan (under the direction of Ridley Scott), set to 'mix... the style of yesteryear with a look toward tomorrow.' Fine Arts Writer Francesca Myman wrote of Rachael's wardrobe ::
'Shoulder padding, stark straight lines, and lacquered hair make her proportions too perfect and slightly extreme. At the same time, they evoke... historicity... her clothing is closely based on a forties Film Noir model, and it evokes a sense of nostalgia... Her clothing instantaneously places her in relationship to history -- she is not purely modern, instead, she is classic.' more...
Fashion :: Fibonacci and Fashion :: Look Books We Love :: Steinunn
Steinunn Sigurd debuted her collection in the U.S. just last year. Unlike her native Iceland's dominant pop icon counterpart (hint, she had a baby with Matthew Barney...), Steinunn relishes restrained whimsy in her knit-heavy collections. But something these countrywomen have in common is a certain fetish for technical skill and a sense of gravity to their homeland. more...
Fashion :: Echo of the Dreamer & Mars and Valentine Designer Profile
Echo of the Dreamer and Mars and Valentine are jewelry lines that make treasure.
Margaret Thurman, who predominantly designs Echo, and Myoshin, her daughter and the creative behind Mars and Valentine both have intellects that can't be separated from their instincts.
'Margaret used to read me the Iliad and the Odyssey when I was three,' says Myoshin.
'Either that or Sherlock Holmes,' says Margaret. 'I'm not kidding.'
Both women and jewelry lines are as unpredictable as they are mysteriously familiar.
'When I look through your jewelry, I always feel like I'm really finding each piece,' I say to Myoshin.
'That's it. That's exactly what it's like. It's like you found it,' she says back.
Margaret knows stone miners who call her when they find unique quarries because they know she's the only one who will appreciate them. (She also hoards opals.) Myoshin is fluent in the language of history and thinks mistakes are part of the fun. And I'm glad we found both of them. more...
Fashion :: Eyes Like Laura Mars
There's something slippery about Chris Han's Fall 2008 collection.
It's not really evening wear, and its not really day wear; to blur the categorical lines even further, Han gives floor-length skirts industrial details. She turns tulle gothic.
Feminine fabrics with blood red lips and black nail polish stir up memories of Laura Mars portrayed by Faye Dunaway. Like the film and its characters, the collection uses devices of femininity to portray darkness. It's a sexy darkness, but it's still dark. Matched with short leather gloves, and Transylvanian makeup (as Han chose to during the collection's unveiling at New York Fashion Week), the collection in its highly stylized context brings out the beauty... and the beast.more...
Fashion :: Geek Chic, Carmen Marc Valvo Designer Profile
Carmen Marc Valvo, a New York-raised designer, dipped his toe into nerd-chic in his Fall 2008 runway show when he sent 'Butterfield 8' inspired dual-satin gowns down the runway with 'Revenge of the Nerds' glasses. And boy did we notice. The juxtaposition of Buddy Holly specs with his red carpet classic Hollywood design fused fashion classicism with the look of unorthodox intellectualism. more...
Fashion :: Kristen Lee Designer Profile
When Kristen Lee walks into at room you sit up and take notice. From head to toe she is effortlessly striking; youthful, fashion forward and funky. A native New Yorker, she studied fashion design at Parson's and after graduating in 2002 designed womenswear for clothing label Theory. In addition she multi-tasked as a freelance stylist. However a passion for customising vintage footwear led to her bravely going out on a limb and producing a compact, capsule shoe collection in 2003. "At the time there weren't that many New York shoe designers. I felt there was a gap in the market and an opportunity for a downtown vintage aesthetic." more...
Index [The ZOO]