Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

Graham Tabor and Miguel Villalobos living their lives in snow...

Dear Shaded Viewers,

While I am enjoying the temperate weather in ROme...my friends in NYC are playing in the snow. Graham Tabor sent me these images today.

Miguel Villalobos in the snow

Tomorrow I go to Copenhagen....not sure what I'll find but I know it will be much colder than in Rome.
They actually shut down 9th avenue in the middle of the night and had earth
moving equipment and dump trucks packing up the snow.

Later,

Diane

Day 3 Alta Roma

Nunzia Garoffolo modeling her favourite necklace ty Myriam B  www.myriamb.it

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Nunzia is basically reporting on AltaRoma for me. Yesterday I had to exit the Gattinoni presentation suddenly before it ended and it caused a bit of a scandal as everyone took it as a personal reaction to the collection but the truth was I was really sick and in fear literally spilling my breakfast  or passing out and unfortunately had to leave before the show ended. After yesterdays show I came back to Leons Place hotel and never left my bed. 

Leitmotiv

Nunzia will file her report this is just a teaser

The designers behind the brand Leitmotiv

Next stop was Limited/Unlimited at the Biblioteca Casanatense with books dating back to 800. The exhibition was dimly lit in order not to cause unnecessary light penetration to more than 40,000 books. The artisans were asked to exhibit one limited edition piece representing their brand and of course putting a light on what Italy is known for....luxury craftsmanship. What is interesting about the couture market in Rome is that the selling of the couture garments is what sustains the business and not the bags, perfumes and make up.

Couture clients opened their closets and lent their treasures for the exhibition.

Bruce Hoeksema

Corto Moltedo

All Diane's photos taken with SAMSUNG NX10

What is of particular interest about this dress is that it was designed for a client that was bound to a wheel chair and it was created with that in mind.

Later,

Diane

All DIane's photos taken with SAMSUNG NX10

Alta Roma and Fashion on Paper

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I am in Rome for ALta Moda and Fashion on Paper. Angelo Flaccavento curated a group of editors and directed a discussion about the state of independent publishing at the moment and the need for editing.

Later,

Diane

GEORGETTE KONING ON ELSIEN GRINGHUIS F/W 2011 AMSTERDAM

 

Elsien Gringhuis

ELLUS - SPFW F/W 2011

The haute jeans brand, Ellus, chose to present a film this season instead of a runway show, but the results weren't any less dramatic than usual. The label typically hires a boldface name to attract paparazzi attention (Agness Deyn and Chloe Sevigny in years past), who goes on to star in their campaign, but this season they jumped on the high-tech bandwagon, producing a 3-D film starring Brazilian supermodel Aline Weber as all of the female models. Guests entered a blacked-out small screening room with tiers of seating, custom-made glasses and small boxes of popcorn to snack on while enjoying the show. The film had a great soundtrack and some interesting slowed-down-then-sped-up effects, but the production values weren't on par with the effort a major European brand would have made. And the quality of the 3-D wasn't as good as it could have been - you're not supposed to get a headache when you're watching with the glasses ON. Still, it was another example of Brazilian fashion making an attempt to stay ahead of the curve, something they're very good at.

Here's the film below - the quality isn't perfect and, of course, i'ts meant to be seen in 3-D, but you get the general idea. Alternately you can also see the clip more clearly, in a normal format at

http://www.ellus-spfw.com/desfile.aspx

TEASER: HOME ALONE

GEORGETTE KONING ON SAGE & IVY F/W 2011 AMSTERDAM

Only one year ago Alexia van Engelen started her femine and romantic label Sage and Ivy. Van Engelen studied at Instituto Marangoni in Milan. She inspired her collection on Russian folklore. Sage and Ivy is nature friendly, most of the fabric are ECO certificated.

 

 

GEORGETTE KONING ON MARLOES BLAAS F/W 2011 AMSTERDAM

 

 

  Redheads and brunettes chez Marloes Blaas and a lot of khaki, checks and a leather jumpsuit.    

DISCOVERING FERRY VAN DER NAT'S VINTAGE COLLECTION IN AMSTERDAM - TEXT BY PHILIPPE POURHASHEMI

Dear Shaded Viewers,

We stopped at Kabinet yesterday, Ferry van der Nat's lovely store in Amsterdam. Stocking upcoming Dutch designers -as well as great accessories and unusual perfumes- the store specialises in vintage frocks and unique pieces. Ferry has an extensive collection of vintage Couture and ready-to-wear, including prestigious names, such as Cardin, Saint Laurent, Dior and Ungaro. I was impressed with Fong-Leng's clothes, a famous 70s Dutch designer with a larger-than-life personality. Her creations were over the top and beautifully made. It was fun listening to Ferry talk about her life and his passion for her work.

I loved a red pleated two-piece ensemble that looked incredibly chic. Ferry told us Fong-Leng did not wear any underwear and could not stand being underdressed. She was always impeccably turned out and her style was pure theatre. In other words, these were the clothes of a true icon.

Ferry told me he wants to have more vintage in the store and I think it's a smart move. You don't see pieces like that anywhere else.

Best,

Philippe

http://www.kabinet-amsterdam.nl/

REST IN PEACE MILTON BABBITT - AVANT-GARDE COMPOSER DIES AT 94

Milton Babbitt, Professor of Music at Princeton University, also has been a member of the faculties of the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies, The Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood), and the Princeton Seminar in Advanced Musical Studies. His honors include a Joseph Barnes Prize, a New York Music Critics' Circle Citation, an Award of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a member of the Committee of Direction of the Electronic Music Center of Columbia and Princeton Universities.

MORE ABOUT BABBITT HERE

  

MORE ABOUT COMPOSITION FOR 12 INSTRUMENTS

Completed in 1948, this is one of Babbitt's earliest works in which the formation and transformation principles of the 12-tone pitch class system were applied to other musical dimensions, particularly the temporal. Other pieces notable for the same reason are his "Three Compositions for Piano" and "Composition for Four Instruments." Although in a single movement, "Composition for 12 instruments" divides obviously and externally into two sections, which are complimentary insofar as the explicitly presented materials of one function as the source material for the other.


[Notes adapted from the son-nova LP release]

 

- GRIFFIN