Stringate Church’s f/w 2014/15 con calze Bresciani

Le Shanghai di Church’s, simbolo dello storico marco inglese di calzature di lusso, si rieditano per la stagione f/w 2014/15 con nuovi dettagli: la classica fibbia cede il posto alle stringhe in pelle con nappina. I materiali sempre iperpreziosi: coccodrillo e nabuk. A cura di Angelica Pianarosa, Foto Michele Gastl.

Church’s Shanghai, … Continua a leggere →

(Revisited) Icons. Is there a way to update an iconic style? It’s difficult, because the icon has a precise symbolic meaning, which is “untouchable”. The English poet Thom Gunn (1929-2004) chose to move to San Francisco to come out. In those years, the Sixties, even in the States this matter was a taboo (it doesn’t mean that now it’s a bed of roses…). In the picture on the right we see Gunn in a biker-casual outfit: checked shirt, gun belt and jeans. An iconic attire, in fact, adopted by many Hollywood stars, from Steve McQueen to Jude Law (when he’s far from the red carpet, of course). It reminds us the costumes of Brokeback Mountain, just to stay on the topic. Well, this week I throw down the guantlet: I try to “debunk” that old-fashioned image with a base close to the original, but with a modern styling. Look at the pictures, and tell me if I’m wrong. The English poet Thom Gunn

The new leather. Leather, napa leather, suede. Treated, hammered. Black, coloured and white, “off white” in fashion language. In other words, leather is one of the main trends of this season, the real protagonist of s/s collections. But the most interesting note is its metamorphosis in fashion culture: leather lose a big part of its sporty appeal and, above all, a big part of that erotic unconscious celebrated by thousands of fashion shoots, from Newton to Testino, and as many drawings by the most famous illustrators in the world, like Thierry Perez or Touko Laaksonen, known as Tom of Finland. So leather soften his feature, goes far from sexual allusions that relegated it to a strong and bold sphere, and come in our wardrobes in new shapes and volumes. The “new leather” is one of the most clear signs of a fashion that never stops. Above, drawing by Thierry Perez for Gianni Versace.

Revival. Chinatown is one of the best American movies of the 70s. It won the Oscar Award for the screenplay by Robert Towne but it should have deserved to win also for the direction by Roman Polanski and for the performances by Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, the two main actors, and by John Huston as actor in a supporting role. This movie is 40 years old but it looks more recent: the rhythm is fast, the plot is engaging, the end leaves breathless. The love story between Evelyn and Noah takes shape in the middle of a mistery that is disclosed in the end, leaving the spectator with a bad taste and upset for a irreversible damage, that has no way out. “When it was released it was considered a new-noir; now, many years later, it could be included in the original noir movies” we read on the Chicago Sun-Times, highlighting its modernity. Even the costumes, that trace fashion of the late 30s, are up-to-date: the sunglasses with round lenses, the wide-brimmed hat, light colours in the shades of beige for the outerwear and printed ties. If you’ve never watched it, you have to. If you know it, it’s a masterpiece to rediscover. Jack Nicholson in “Chinatown”

Alfie (and the pleasures of Bacchus). Alcoholic drinks’ adv pictures are charming; the subject is often a man wearing clothes so elegant to be the envy of Alfie (you can choose the first Alfie interpreted by Michael Caine or the remake one by Jude Law). The man in question is self-confident, serious, calm, done up. Spirits manufacturers clearly “represent” the alcohol addicteds before the bender: flawless appearance, persuasive and resolute gaze. No references to crushing effects on metabolism, organs and psyche. The popular adage “A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away” is unfounded, while the fact that alcohol hurts everything is demonstrated. I dare an advice: alcohol campaigns should be accompanied by the same phrase that we read on packs of cigarettes: “dangerous for the health, consult your doctor”. On the right, the artist Geoffrey Holder in a vodka adv campaign (1958).