Glamour and Glitter

Dutch Wax Prints

Are African Wax Prints coming into high-fashion?  Both Balenciaga and Gucci showed batik-style prints in their Resort 2010 collections.

 

Balenciaga

 

Gucci

Here in Paris, we see these kind of prints on traditionally-dressed African women all the time.  The fabric is especially popular in West Africa.  It is not silkscreened but rather dyed using the batik technique.  The artisanal technique involves the application of melted wax to cloth before dyeing it.  The dye will not penetrate the waxed areas.  The highest quality fabrics come from Vlisco, the only remaining Real Dutch Wax producer.  Their fabric is so highly regarded that people do not cut off the fabric's selvage which displays the company's name, just like one would wear a designer logo on a t-shirt.  

 

Video Game Print

Congo Style

 

Table Fan Print

Nigeria Style

 

Shrimp Print

Ivory Coast Style

 

What is This?

Congo Style

We're not sure what makes a print in the style of a certain country... Maybe it's the background?

The success of Vlisco fabrics has lead to them developing a fashion brand in Africa, designing 4 collection a year, as well as fancier line of fabrics including silks and jacquards.

A Recent Vlisco Ad Campaign

Isaac Mizrahi circa 1991

Behold Isaac Mizrahi's "Totem Pole" Dress from his Fall 1991 collection.  This dress was famously worn by Naomi Campbell on the cover of TIME Magazine.  The totem pole motif is entirely embroidered.  We adore it and found it very suiting considering a recent post.  Found via 1st Dibs, sold by Lynn Ban.  

Auction Round-Up

The New York Times Online Art & Design Section has great slideshows.  They often have round-ups of art recently sold in auction.  We have a certain fascination with attainable art.  We love auctions and art fairs because there's the added thrill of the possibility to own.  This element also changes one's perspective on the art, forcing, we think, a more personal response - subjective not objective.  What is also exciting is that this privately owned art is so often unknown to us and these new discoveries excite and make for great inspiration.

From this week's Impressionist and Modern Art Sale at Christie's, we found these works in particular made us dream.

Hélène, Alexej von Jawlensky

Make-up Inspiration

Sold for £1,385,250

Watercolour on Paper work, Paul Klee, 1917

Print and Colour Inspiration

Sold for £385,250

Springende Pferde (Jumping Horses), Franz Marc, 1910

Print, Texture, and Colour Inspiration

Sold for £3,373,250

WTF

Perusing style.com party pictures and we came across Anouck Lepère in what we are assuming is a Prada Spring 2009 skirt/diaper.  While the lady is a great champion of forward fashion, we are left speechless with this ensemble.  WTF?

Siggi Odds

Illustrator Siggi Odds was born in Reykjavik and attended the Iceland Academy of the Arts.  In between those two events, he lived in Vancouver where he was exposed to Northwest Coast Native Art.  For his thesis, he learned the formal rules and traditions of the art style, including its symbolism.  He then applied his own twist on things and produced 'Nang Jàadaas' (The Women).

We too have a thing for native art.  We admire his courage to take on such an established style.  Found through ffffound

Wink, designed by Joy Cioci

F.I.T. graduate Joy Cioci is the designer of New York label Wink.  She previously designed the line Chelsea Flowers.  Wink is a contemporary line that is both romantic and modern.  Silhouettes are streamlined but feminine.  Joy has a way with cascading ruffles that feels so fresh and cool, never too sugary.  For a contemporary line, her fabric choices are very sophisticated: sand-washed silk and crepe de chine, for example.  A signature look for the line has become the two-piece dress: a trompe l'oeil effect of that looks like a separate top and skirt.  We love the Lourdes Dress available online.

Below are some looks from Holiday 2009:

Joy answered our Glamour & Glitter questionnaire.  We were excited to hear what our New York "It-girl" had to say.

City/Cities?  New York City

Breakfast?  This great hole in the wall diner across the street from my apartment called Landmark.

Lunch?  Whatever i can grab on the go.

Coffee?  Yes please!! hahaha..all the time, double espresso with milk.

Dinner?  Anything Mexican.

Drinks?  Johnny Black with a splash of soda... or wine.

Dancing?  Depends on how much i drink.... new favorite place is this brazilian salsa bar right under the Williamsburg Bridge called Bembe! So amazing.. it reminds me of Dirty Dancing.

What do you do for fun?  I had a conversation with my friends once that even-though we all live in New York, which is the city that has so many different activities to offer, we are all pretty low key. Since we work hard, we play hard... repetitious acts of restaurants, lounges, parks, and house parties. Just the basic atmosphere of the city and the company of friends is what makes it all worth it. Oh, and of course hanging with my dog Ace!

Where do you find inspiration?  I'm inspired from life around me:  my friends especially.  I name every piece from every collection after friends and family. The city itself is so creative that I am even inspired in my dreams.

Some inspirational images from Wink's Spring 2010 moodboard:

 

  

And we were very honoured to find out that Joy named a piece after Lily Bear's owner.  Check out the Calla Tee: