Classic, always. A summer, many years ago, my mother – who was close to her eighties – was invited for dinner by a couple. One of them showed up at the restaurant with combat boots, ripped jeans and tank top; as I recall he wore around his wrist a nice series of studded black leather bracelets. The day after my mother, who was very open minded but there’s a line, with her quiet tone of voice told me that she had found a little inappropriate inviting an elderly lady and showing up dressed like Tom of Finland (this is mine, it goes without saying that mum didn’t know the character by Touko Laaksonen). She stuck to the most classic of the classics: “In the end, what does it take? I didn’t expect the jacket: a nice white shirt with dark trousers and you never go wrong”. Maybe even mum knew that in addition to not making you look bad ever, a simple white shirt with a barely starched collar can be even sexy.

The art of matching. Selecting the proper accessories that matches your look seems easy, but even a little detail can ruin everything. To reduce the risks, respect the rule that want every accessory, from hat to socks, to be in pendant with the outfit; and no mistakes allowed even concerning the fabrics: there are also rules about matching different materials in the proper way. For example: don’t match cashmere with shearling, yes to shearling with tweed. Rather is better to opt for a complete change of fabric: nylon hat with camelhair coat. But personality is required, as well as for wearing red socks with a blue suit or sneakers with jeans: this is so obvious that the sneakers have to be really, really special. But if you have classic tastes, stay classic: blue with blue and denim only with desert boots.

“Clothes with emotion”, this is what Lucas Ossendrijver was seeking in this collection. So, for the s/s 2009, he played with volumes and genders (yes, he did it in 2009 – even though the ambiguous vein was already a signature of Lanvin’s menswear): pleates, ruches, elastics, sinuous fabrics, big vs. narrow volumes, beaded tees.

Italy-France 1-1. France/Italy: the eternal conflict between two very similar cultures, between two countries that, after all, respect each other but often understand each other. In spite of the intellectual inclinations that we have in common, the love for art, gardening, food, design and fashion, just to mention a part of them, we think that french people are too snobbish and they think that we are too rowdy. There’s a little bit of truth in both cases, indeed…But their “snobbery” comes from the awareness of a sense of national union and cohesion that we – unfortunately – don’t feel so much. In this column we usually talk about fashion; let’s stay on the topic. Feminine fashion comes from them. The pret-à-porter from us. Fabrics are italian, but the skill and the genius of Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior are a milestone and, to this day, a model. The haute couture in french, while mensfashion comes from Italy. Nobody wins, nobody loses. But the natural elegance of our cousins has no equals in the world. They have a natural, almost unaware, style. They don’t show off like us, but you can notice them at a long distance. Maybe it means something. Ph. by William Klein from the book Paris+Klein (Contrasto Due).

The “damned” charm of Lucas Ossendrijver. This is … Continua a leggere →