In fashion circles shopping at vintage stores has been on trend for awhile now. And, as noted, Prada and Louis Vuitton did an actual return to a MadMen style garmento for FW 2010. Fortunately, for a lot of us, the quest for vintage is showing up even in music and on websites. It’s a movement that brings warmth to the heart because it conjurs up a past that is innocent in a present that is anything but. So, it’s reassuring, and the times, they call for a little reassurance don’t you think?

Here are two of my personal faves:

For many on Twitter we’ve had the honor of getting to know this indie rocker and his talents personally, over time, over Twitter. He shares moments in his life, with his son, and his music, which speaks for itself. You too can find him on twitter @chrisblake or hear more of his music at chrisblakemusic.

The London Tea Room brings authentic Brit into the heart of St. Louis. You can even order their special tea leaves straight from the website, or if you want the whole deal visit the shop, it’ll take you a step back in time, too. I heart the London TeaRoom.

So, it’s a nice combo, been a rough day. I think I’ll just sip a little tea and listen to “Lullaby” by Chris Blake. That should pretty much take care of whatever ails me ;)

Enjoy!

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The line previewed at Bates College last week before anyone else got a chance to see it and it’s slated to get reviewed at five other colleges w/students as its brand ambassadors. (sunjournal 3/11)

If the university crowd is your target market, then this is a great way to reach them: on their turf and exclusively. This is really one of those counter trends in response to the overwhelming churn of social media. How better to get someone’s attention and to put them in the mood than to first pick a spot that conveys the mood of the line (a coffee shop in a New England college….)
and make it a trunk show!

Trunk shows have been being done since the beginning of the fashion industry but to an audience who was loaded and generally something on the level of a socialite. Bates College, et al, doesn’t exactly meet the usual trunk show crowd definition but I give it an A+ for the times we are living in. Set’s the tone, the mood, the buzz….will the line stand up to the hype?

It’s open for all to view and buy at it’s website, LL Bean Signature.com, so you can form your own opinion. But I’d suggest you hit the men’s site first and go for the Mariner’s tee (that’ll last you well into the next decade), and then onto the shoes. I already own one of the Ranger moc’s from back in the 80’s (were they even called that then?) and I’ll tell you, it’s a great shoe. I want it in the darker color now. My daughter saw me wearing it the other day and I thought they were gonna be snapped off my feet.

Then there is the L.L. Bean classic hunting boot that has been modernized. Again I own that hunting boot from the 80’s and that’s probably the best boot made on earth. It will last me into the next century (in other words, longer than I will live) but I’d buy the more modern version, the Waxed Canvas Maine Hunting Shoe, cause it’s cool…that one I could wear into any restaurant and not feel over booted. (watch the vid while you’re at the site, I am a sucker for nostalgia, and it’s Americana personified, A++)

Yeah. There are some pretty cool updated Bean classics that the well heeled college crowd will love and adore. I might work a little on the women’s line but they’ve got some great sweaters, and again, shoes, ooh and totes.

Well on it’s way to becoming a classic, L.L. Bean’s Signature Line is worth the hype. But don’t take my word for it….

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Louis Vuitton FW 2010 va va voom

Shows are over for now. Funny, they seemed to go on and on. Weird season. For all the incredible imagery and coverage, I am hard pressed to know entirely what the take away is. Not because the industry experts didn’t cover it well along with the fashionista blogger/press but, hmmm, upon reflection, if there is one really strong takeaway besides a return to curves it would be that leather and faux fur have infinite possibilities, all kinda good news, I think.

Chanel used lotsa fur for the fall season, but all faux. Gaultier went for 101 ways to do leather for Hermes and inspired by the legendery Emma Peel, the female protagonist of the 60’s hit tv program “Avengers.”

It’s just no one really had a to die for collection. I can think of some stand outs like Haider Ackermann, Balenciaga and Rick Owens but as much for their imagery and extremes as anything else so don’t know how well those will play out in retail.

Illustration from Legwork Studio (found it on the Takeover blog which documents good design) Legwork Studio’s site happens to be a finalist at SXSW this week in Austin. For the full list of finalists and their categories check here.

That’s the sweet spot isn’t it? What happens between now and showing up in the stores? It’s where I would want to be at any rate.

That said, there was so much exciting happening with the technology of the coverage that for me the collections almost got lost in it. I mean there were so many gooooood videos, and the very interesting interview industry experts like NYT’s critic Cathy Horyn along with others had with Charlie Rose (see Trendbites post on the past present and immediate future of the fashion industry), the live streaming which verged on filmmaking held its own marvels and then the Oscar coverage in the middle of it and twitter keeping us really up close and personal. This season more than any other I almost felt as if I were living a second life. So, kudos, industry. If you wanted to engage us, mission accomplished!

I’m not sure really what this all means for fashion in the long run. Maybe it means a second life for the fashion industry. It lends itself to a visual medium but there are practicalities to it. For instance, if you bring in images of the backs of the silhouettes from the runway as well as the front by the likes of the New York Times, Style.com, New York Mag TheCut, SHOWStudio, WWD, and Elle Magazine then the next thing we need to ask of them or someone is the ability to place ourselves in the outfits digitally (thank you Avatar), make adjustments digitally, and voila! order it, right there, right then, right now.

Garcon! Can you get on that please?

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See L.L. Bean Signature’s facebook fan page here.

Never thought I’d see the day, but finally we are here. A hip L.L. Bean line of clothes and accessories for both men and women. And their website says the precollection is already sold out.

Some twenty years ago I bought a pair of their wellies, and wellie, they’re still totally intact. However, they’ve been restyled so they’re much hipper than when I bought mine 20 years or so ago. On top of that, they’ve got some leather totes to die for. So, I’m thinking they know what they’re doing. Maybe Cathy Horyn, the New York Times fashion critic, will be able to update those paddock boots she gave up on a long time ago, but paddock boots w/style this time. Seems perfectly appropo.

For a preview of their preview check out a facebook group Bean has partnered with, Tremor Effect, who get to have a first peek at the collection being shown in limited release on 3/15/10 at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

Meantime they’ve got a pretty sweet video on the www.llbeansignaturesite.com
that’ll have you coming back for more.

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The lines are heating up on Twitter about the Housewares Industry, so it’s time for me to do a post. The industry’s association lays claim to the housewares show growing by 500 exhibitors this year. And it does attract a fairly large audience, but I believe this is all about to change.

With Wal-Mart’s announcement that it plans to go direct with 80% of it’s products and the Housewares Show making up at least half of Wal-Mart’s vendor base, do we really think this is the show they will continue to display their wares at? From having worked this show for some 30 years, and being in that industry, I also know, have felt, and been keenly aware of how much has changed since the early heydays of the Housewares Industry in the 80’s. This show, traditionally held at McCormack Place in Chicago since it’s inception, used to have a building that we all knew to be where the start-up creative companies were. That building died out and got replaced by a larger segmented Housewares Show based on big business deals years ago. The little guy, if noticed at all, was shoved in a corner.

Now, international exhibitors are there in the back, the very back,(read Asian manufacturers) so if you need to source something just bypass your vendor and go straight to the back to make your deals. All very messy, but in the name of progress.

Still, as early as 8 years ago the industry also understood that it was putting on a show for about 5 accounts…Wal Mart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club and maybe Container Store? The association was smart to start focusing on the kitchen and on the cooking side…more gourmet which nearly got wiped out in the 90’s but is now seeing a comeback. But is it wise to maintain this show on the basis that the merchandising team, product development team, and buyers of Wal-Mart along with Li & Fung can walk the halls (hiding badges) to copy what the vendors are doing instead of doing business with them?

My recommendation is that the show splits itself off into three parts, the cooking and tabletop guys go to the Gourmet Show held in San Francisco at Moscone Center, the creatives head for the gift shows especially the New York Gift Show in January or the Atlanta Gift Show held in July, and the housewares/hardlines guys head for Las Vegas for the Hardware and Lawn & Garden Show. There is also the craft show for those who were smart enough to forge into that market early on.

For the past three years I have been live blogging the Housewares Show, and industry since sustainability became the Hot Topic. With Wal-Mart both co-opting the subject and the industry by last May creating their Sustainability Index and the maxim that all vendors jump on board, I have moved on and recommend others in the space do the same. Target will be able to soak up only so many of the vendors that will depart Wal-Mart. Hopefully they’ve already seen the writing on the wall and have begun their exodus. This morning’s article from AdAge on Wal-Mart losing market share highlights the problems going on in this sector as well as some of the opportunities for vendors, and Warren Shoulberg, HFN’s editor, who is as honest as I am and equally if not more so knowledgeable about the industry, released both a video and a statement with the same recommendations I have. Kids, it’s time to diversify.

In the meantime, don’t believe everything you read or hear about the Housewares Industry especially if it is coming from the Housewares Association. It is very possible it has passed it’s prime. I still have not decided whether I’ll be attending this year as I have mostly moved my cheese already, but the show is next week. If for no other reason, the show will be good for color palettes which is a pretty sad state of affairs don’t you think? Whatever is being prognosticated and held up as trend worthy has already been presented to Wal-Mart and Target and maybe even mostly decided upon. Half the industry is going the route of supply chain to create a more sustainable company and most of us all already know about the 85-95% post consumer waste. I already know about the company in Brazil who has done some great product but it’s from food sources and people are reluctant to place this kind of demand onto farmers. Tabletop has been the most progressive with even that slowing up in recent years.
I covered some innovative companies last year, bodum and fusion brands, on 2modern’s design blog, and still consider them to be innovative companies, but really not much else is happening. Last year the show’s producers pushed color in countertop to be the thing that would make people buy. Color helps, but in this economy, I think real innovation is what is called for not half measures. This industry can run on some pretty low margins (thanks once again to Wal-Mart and Target) so innovation is not always what these manufacturers can afford. Aside from the mentions I’ve already written about here on my blog and 2modern’s, not much has changed, other than their color palettes and if I may say so, the color marketers may have been having their day in the sun as a result.

The only hope is if Rubbermaid or Sterilite licenses some of the innovations made in biodegradable plastics and those get placed in Wal-Mart and Target and then the pricing comes down so everyone can start to do the same. And if this is the case, I have not heard about it. I know it’s been being discussed, but I think we are still a few years from this kind of progress being made.

Info on show dates and exhibitors for 2010 is here. For more past article I’ve written on the Housewares Show visit this link here.

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It’s taking too long for the government to get a decent jobs bill out and if banks are only investing in sure things, where will the real innovation come from?

Seems to me putting people back to work is the fastest way to getting the economy back on track, and small business creates some 60% of the jobs, not to mention the innovations that tend to drive growth.

As much as I appreciate all three of these individuals, their soap boxes are getting tiresome to me. Actions speak louder than words. All three of these people and more are putting vast sums of money into third world countries. And while I applaud those efforts, we’ve got some work to do at home on our own shores right now.

So, Oprah, Bill, Warren, et al, let’s get to it. The dithering that is going on in Washington over how to spend the taxpayer’s money on programs that aren’t working for the country is scary. I’m thinking we shouldn’t wait for the government to make the difference. But that will require the private sector step up to the plate.

Above all, I believe in small business-now more than ever. And big biz, well, they’re showing their true colors, and it’s not pretty.

What say you?

For further reading on the impact this expanded period of unemployment will have read this sobering and indepth analysis of How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America from the March 2010 Atlantic.

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Tavi Gevenson, 14 year old internet fashion blogging sensation (image British Vogue).

When I put this piece together, I was watching Law & Order, the one where the Mom of a family of 10 adopted special needs children is murdered and the Dad, the day after, puts the family on a reality show. It ends with a dead locked jury so the suit is thrown out and the reality show host creates a new format with a new judge he has picked to decide on a whole other set of criteria (that the reality show host set forth), which didn’t have much to do with the mom who got murdered in the first place.

Burberry Prosum streamed their collection live as did others. I hope this trend continues.

It’s a seemingly far fetched possibility, yet the lines are getting pretty blurred in most everything, on an everyday basis between truth and fiction. Thank you cyberspace, cable television, Judge Judy and American Idol. The old adage believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see is never more true than this moment in history. With fashion, live streaming a runway collection has brought fashion so close to the masses that the mystique of the shows is gone with some designers making their clothing available, on the spot, straight from the runways. As a consequence how fashion is getting covered during these shows has changed too. It’s big business for the publications and all of them are all over it. Twitter has added a great element to following the shows so you’re never very far out of the loop. The fashion folks have been great about announcing the live streaming collections so if you can make it, you’ve got a front row seat, complete w/ 140 character tweets describing insiderey elements to a designer’s collection. Better than being there, almost.

In the process some fashion bloggers have become the latest internet sensation…deserved or not, it’s the novelty they offer and the demographic they speak to the industry is after (Tavi, above). Nonetheless, they are all the rage. Fashion itself was the least of the news, and in some cases rose to that level only. Where the medium became the sole message.

Balenciaga, left, Vivienne Westwood Red, center, Rodarte, right

That said designers at first blush were all over the place for fall 2010 (of course with the massive amount of coverage, most bad some good, what else is going to be your takeaway?). Taking a closer look myself, I was able to determine there were two significant profiles to emerge, a more feminine, almost girly one vs a more severe serious minimalist female with a third, and oddly enough lesser, one based solely on a creative expression serving to feed the sensationalism that speaks to a visual medium vs the female body.

Haider Ackermann, left, Lanvin, center, Prada, right

Beyond that, you will have lots of fab coats to choose from, fashioned leather to die for, fur (faux and real), velvet, feathers and, ladies, get ready, the waist is back. While the controversy over models on the catwalk being too thin has the industry putting models with slightly more meat on their bodies on the runway this season (thankfully) the designers have created overall collections that are more body conscious. The heavy layers of the past, while still there in some collections, focus more on the fact that women have waists and curves whether a more feminine or severe look. Turns out we’ve all got curves.

Well, you don’t say. And high time designers you figured that out. Of course some managed this obvious reality better than others. John Galliano for instance for Dior is apparently being criticized for an overtly romantic collection yet women love it. And Lanvin, who doesn’t do anything for the sake of sensationalism, turned out a unique body conscious yet easy collection for women. It combined successfully the best of both worlds, tailoring and draping. So you have a professional look that is feminine. He worked at that. Then you have Balenciaga who turned out a tremendously creative collection inspired by artists (and packing materials) but it has nothing to do probably with what women want. No matter, it makes a statement, if that is what you want and will be worth something in the aftermarket collectors have discovered on ebay and in vintage shops. Rodarte falls into this category as does Issey Miyake and Prada.

It’ll be interesting to see what the retailers do with what’s been handed them. Hopefully they’ve learned something from the past few years….worst thing they could do is badly knock off what they’ve seen on the runways using some unknown factory in India. With so much talent unemployed, it’s not necessary to use half measures. I guess we’ll see.

3/09/10 12/:53 p.m. Update:

Raf Simons for Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo for Celine, and Stella McCartney have all turned out highly minimalist collections, which most definitely has strength and I for one love the simplicity and strictness (tends to be more my style of dress); however, I see this as being specific to their design aesthetic vs a strong trend; infact, I will stick by what I’d alluded to above: that there is some nice combo of feminine and minimalist which Lanvin and Haider Ackermann as well as in New York Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Michael Kors spoke (did not forget you New York). (images to come).

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