What goes around...

This time I have to draw attention to another designer whose spread in the Vogue Spring/Summer 2010 lookbook was even smaller than that of Tsumori Chisato. I usually glaze over the collections that are at the very end of their section. The quarter-page spread only showcases about 10 looks and has no information about the designer or their inspiration. Luella Bartley's collection, however, caught my eye and, at the risk of being presumptuous, I find her inspiration to be more than apparent.

Luella Bartley's world this season is a veritable 1960s paradise and I think it's simply wonderful. I can't wait to bust out my 6 euro polka dot top and have a go at it myself. And just look at that black dress with the heart cut-out detail...I'm in love. Check out the rest of her collection here -- it's a treasure trove for those who are feeling nostalgic and lighthearted.

More Idealism and a New Favorite

I absolutely adore the Vogue Collections lookbook. My first year of college one of my roommates had one and fawned over it as though it was a volume of Biblical proportions. She was wealthy, had articles of clothing that would have devastated my bank account, and flaunted her fashion knowledge as often as someone was around to listen. I saw that glossy Fashion Eden then as something completely foreign. I know that if I had browsed its pages with her I would not have seen the clothes, but the names -- Chanel, Chloe, Balmain, YSL -- in other words, "don't even think about it, Rachel."

What I realize now is that my former roommate used fashion as a way to distinguish herself from others as so many girls of means do. This is what I'm working to fight against. Fashion should not be used as a way to suggest superiority over others because of a lack in self confidence. It should be, rather, an extension of your personality. Properly wielded, fashion is a weapon to make one feel secure and confident. It is not a tool to make others feel small and excluded.

When I study the collections in the Vogue lookbook now, I see them tools for inspiration, ideas that can translate to my daily life despite my inability to throw down 600 dollars on a summer frock. The next few posts will be dedicated to my new favorite designers as discovered in the Spring/Summer 2010 Vogue Collections. The first is Tsumori Chisato.

I find her charming for several reasons, one of them being that her Wikipedia page is strikingly brief, as is her spread in the Vogue lookbook. While other designers received a large paragraph dripping with detail, they succinctly describe the Japanese designer's collection as "both charming and witty, with myriad free colour combinations, motifs and flounces, pleasingly rounded volumes and draping for a relaxed and relaxing season." I want to draw attention, however, to what is possibly one of my favorite pieces and would be easy to overlook amongst its big name peers.This dress is just a dream. The print is gorgeous, the silhouette is flirty and feminine, and it looks like it would be remarkably comfortable. I adore it and hope that I can replicate it when the temperature rises in a few months. Moral of the story is: Check out Tsumori Chisato's collection here.

Today

Today I begin something again. I have a nasty habit, like many others, of never finishing what I start -- books, blogs, journals, etc. The only way I can continue writing, I think, is if I write exclusively for myself. I will no longer haunt the pages of Google Analytics wondering how many people are reading my musings. It would be naive of me to say that I don't care if people read; I do. I can, however, only write about that which I care about or the endeavor is pointless.

I've been fascinated by fashion for a small time all things considered. I grew up in the country where camouflage and sports team sweatshirts were chic. Studying abroad in Florence, Italy fanned the small flame, I suppose, and here I am. Armed with The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers and the last two Vogue Collections (Fall/Winter 2010 and Spring/Summer 2010), I plan to learn about fashion and document it for myself along the way.

I have to confess that this is not just some frivolous occupation. I am determined to prove something. Some are born into the world of fashion, or, at least into a world in which high fashion is within reach. I would like to prove that however genius designers are, their creations are born from imagination. Thus, wearing labels, or not wearing them, does not dictate anything since imagination is something afforded to all. I would love to own a Dior gown or a Chanel knit suit, but I don't have the means. Does this ban me, or others like me, from being fashionable or respectable? No it does not. So begins my mission.

(Photo courtesy of The Satorialist)

It's time...

for something new. I want to release my thoughts in to the great beyond of cyberspace once more. When I came back from Italy the first time, there was nothing to write about. Charlottesville, Virginia, while beautiful, isn't terribly interesting. It's home. I don't come across situations that challenge me every day.

But am I just going to stop writing? Moral of the story is, I miss writing -- however out-of-practice I may be. This time, it's going to be something different. I'm not going to write about things I encounter during my day, or it won't be the centerpiece. I want to have a purpose and since I'm not sure if anyone reads this thing, especially since I haven't posted in a millennium, I have to write for myself.

So I'm going to do a little remodeling, then it'll all begin again.