@dd it: armani

Giorgio Armani

yup, rub your eyes! i am doing an 'advertorial'... well, not really since i am not paid or stand nothing to gain in this. for this week's '@dd it', i am asking you to go into an armani store and pick up something for yourself. 

Adele in Armani couture

yes, you did not read it wrongly, i am throwing my weight behind a brand. my love for armani is no secret anyway. whether it is armani exchange, emporio armani or giorgio armani, shopping in an armani store is always a pleasure. for as well as my memories serve me, i've never walked out of their stores empty-handed. 

Lady Gaga

like i once remairked, 'i have an insane amount of armani. his work is crisp, clean, elegant and tailored. armani's designs have changed the look and feel of contemporary fashion in business, entertainment and the fashion industry itself. 

Milan's Men's Fashion Week 2012

giorgio armani himself can sum up his design philosophy, which has proven to be so successful, best, 'i design for real people. i think of our customers all the time. there is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothing or accessories or clothing that are not practical.' hence as we approach the end of another week, we should never forget that every piece of garment remains fabric until someone buys it and wears it.

fash'on... BAM!

massaro

after much extensive coverage on haute couture clothes and jewellery, there is one aspect left to share before we bid farewell to our 'haute couture week': shoes. of course, we did feature some pretty interesting shoes last week but this feature of shoes is in a different league.

Raymond Massaro

beautiful shoes are the details that create a distinctive allure and silhouette. this is even more so when they complement haute couture labels. for decades, massaro has been accentuating couturier collections and every season’s shows by creating unique accessories, the perfect final touch to the fashion message that the designers wish to convey. 

Chanel two-tone sandals

when raymond massaro met gabrielle chanel, she took great pleasure in telling him about the incredible working relationship she had built up with his father. so it was perfectly natural for coco to continue her association with the firm that created her famous two-tone sandals at the end of the 1950s.

Spring Summer 2010

Se'bastien Massaro for Chanel, 1957

since then, massaro has become the exclusive supplier for chanel haute couture. in the run-up to the fashion shows, a certain intensity fills the workshops: the first sketches arrive from the studios on rue cambon which need to be worked up. and, as for any other customer, a model is created, examined, revised and approved, in this case by karl lagerfeld.the talents of the massaro workshops are sought after by other couture houses and many designers: the order books are filled each season with prestigious names. when the fashion show season is over, the same names send their special customers, knowing they will find the ideal accessory to perfect a suit, a cocktail outfit, an evening gown or wedding gown.

fash'on... BAM!

loulou de la falaise

loulou de la falaise was a fashion muse and designer of fashion, accessories, and jewellery associated with yves saint-laurent. author judith thurman, writing in the new yorker magazine, called la falaise 'the quintessential rive gauche haute bohémienne'.

Loulou de la Falaise

Loulou de la Falaise (right) with Yves Saint Laurent

daughter of an anglo-irish fashion model and a french marquis, la falaise was a close friend and creative partner of yves saint laurent. she apparently helped inspire his 1966 women's tuxedo le smoking and his see-through blouses. after more than three decades designing jewelry and accessories for saint laurent, la falaise launched her own fashion business, designing ready-to-wear, costume-jewellery and accessories.

responding to a description of her as a saint laurent muse in 2010, la falaise responded, 'for me, a muse is someone who looks glamorous but is quite passive, whereas i was very hard-working. i worked from 9am to sometimes 9pm, or even 2am. i certainly wasn't passive.' 

'freehand' necklace

'her official task was to bring her eccentric style to accessories and jewellery, and she duly came up with often-chunky designs incorporating large colourful stones, enamel work or rock crystal'. la falaise also inspired saint laurent with her inventive wardrobe: 'one week she was desdemona in purple velvet flares and a crown of flowers, the next marlene [dietrich] with plucked crescent-shaped eyebrows'. 

Jewellery for Oscar de la Renta

in 2002, when saint laurent retired, la falaise began producing her own clothing and jewellery designs. she also designed cloisonné boxes and porcelain vases for asiatides, as well as jewellery for the boutique of the majorelle gardens in marrakech, morocco. she sold simplified versions of her jewellery designs in a line created for the home shopping network and created costume jewellery for oscar de la renta.

fash'on... BAM!

chaumet

House of Chaumet

the house of chaumet founded in 1780, is a high end jeweler based in paris.

Joseph Chaumet

historic diadems

managed by the chaumet brothers jacques and pierre, chaumet filed for bankruptcy in 1987 with an outstanding debt of 1.4 billion francs (us$200 million at the time), representing 8 years of revenue. most of the debts resulted from their speculation on the price of diamonds, after the sudden drop of market spot prices. 

the two brothers are convicted of illegal banking activities because they opened banking accounts for clients at their company, while promising high return on capital. one of their prominent clients was the french justice minister at the time, albin chalandon. they were found guilty in french penal law of 'bankruptcy, fraud, breach of trust and illegal exercise of banking activities' and were respectively condemned to five and four years of prison in a december 1991 verdict. their sentence was later commuted to six months in prison each, raising concerns in french newspapers about the impartiality of judges in an affair in which high-ranked politicians were involved.

Josephine rings

image from white elephant

after their fraudulous bankruptcy, chaumet was bought in 1987 by investcorp, a leading bahrain based investment bank. the company lost 10 million francs in 1995–1997, but became profitable again in 1998, with a revenue of 280 millions de francs, and was bought by lvmh in October 1999. after an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the american market in the end of the 1990s, the company opens stores in asia to fuel growth.

fash'on... BAM!

boucheron

Frederic Boucheron

boucheron is a french jewellery house located in paris, 26 place vendôme. the house of boucheron is a french family dynasty founded by frederic boucheron in 1858, with the opening of his first store in the galerie de valois, at palais-royal, during the heyday of the second french empire. he created his atelier in 1866 and a year later won the gold medal during the exposition universelle (1867).

Boucheron in Paris

in 1893, frédéric boucheron became the first jeweller to move to place vendôme. legend has it that he chose 26 place vendôme, where boucheron remains to this day, because it was the sunniest corner of the square. he believed that the diamonds in the windows would sparkle all the more brilliantly.

Tamara Nyman

in 1989, boucheron opened a store in moscow, later transferred to saint petersburg in 1911. more store openings followed in japan in 1973, shanghai, dubai in 2005, and finally hong kong and kuala lumpur in 2006.

courtesy of aaronm

boucheron was a family business: after the death of its founder frédéric boucheron in 1902, his descendants took over the business. in 1994, the family business shifted to a more global approach with its selling out to schweizerhall. the house of boucheron was then acquired by former gucci group in 2000, which was bought by ppr in 2004. pierre bouissou was appointed ceo in april 2011.

Dita von Teese

one of the first line created was the symbolic snake line in the 1970s.

Marc Nelson

in 2011, the 'cabinet of curiosities' line was launched.

fash'on... BAM!

julien fournié

julien fournié is a french fashion designer and ceo of his own eponymous haute couture company founded in the summer of 2009. previously, he was the last creative director of the paris-based haute couture fashion house torrente. in 2008, he was named creative director for womenswear, menswear and accessories at ramosport.

Julien Fournie

fournié initially decided to study medicine and took a degree in biology. after two years he changed career to study fashion, continuing his studies at the ecole de la chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne graduating in 2000. on his graduation day, paris fashion 2000 awarded him with the moet & chandon prize for best accessories. during those three years of study and the apprenticeship, he worked at fashion houses to develop his skills. after experience at nina ricci, he moved to christian dior, where he worked on accessories with jean mouclier, then at givenchy haute couture.

Couture Fall 2010

in late summer 2003, at the age of 28, he was recruited by torrente as style director for their ready-to-wear collections. in early september, before his first show for the torrente had even taken place, the management committee voted to appoint him creative director. he has since taken over the duties of madame rose torrente-mett. after advising several ready-to-wear brands in asia, and particularly in south korea, as well as in the fields of accessories in france (charles jourdan), he was appointed in early 2008 creative director at another french house, ramosport, a parisian brand specializing in 'casual chic' for womenswear and menswear. when ramosport was bought as a company by the groupe georges rech in september 2008, julien fournié decided it was time to create his own brand, bearing his own name.

Haute Couture Week 2012 Singapore

Eliza Fraser

the chambre syndicale de la haute couture française, the governing body of the french fashion industry, granted julien fournié in january 2011 the guest member status, which allows the julien fournié brand to bear the 'haute couture' label and participate in the paris haute couture fashion week.

fash'on... BAM!

maxime simoëns

maxime simoens is a French designer. he is an 'invited member' of the chamber of parisian couture union.

Maxime Simoens

at first inclined to pursue after filmmaking he deemed it too technical, it was at a madonna concert in june 2001, the drowned world tour, he decided to make sewing his profession as he was profoundly inspired by the sketches of the great couturier jean paul gaultier, displayed in the program. his degree in hand, maxime went to study applied arts at the school of conde de lyon, then joined the paris union chamber of couture. he came first in several fashion contests. 

Singapore Fashion Week 2011

Couture AW 2011

nourishing inspiration in art, music and movies from all eras and styles, maxime simoens creates narrative collections each season, telling a new story full of icons and strong visuals. the identity of his style is marked by the structure refining the silhouette, cuts, contrasts, embroidery, incorporating printed and put into abyss of optical illusions, organza leaves miles to be desired. 

Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

on several occasions, maxime simoens dressed melanie laurent or astrid berges-frisbey. on the fourth season of gossip girl, maxime simoens dressed the two main heroines, blake lively and leighton meester. 

Rachel McAdams

in search of creative independence, the desire to create his own house was quickly born. he strives to create his world free of influence and create its logo, a barcode, a nod to the consumer society. in february 2009 he was selected to hyères fashion festival in april and thus presented the first 10 pieces of his first collection, an innovative vision, combining graphic design at the architectural level of the garment. his silhouettes combine structure and fluidity and he's often compared in the press to the younger yves saint laurent. the last quarter of 2011, maxime simoens became creative director of french fashion house's ready-to-wear léonard. in the grand palais of paris, he presented his first collection for leonard the 5th of march 2012. 

Beyonce in Maxime Simoens

in 2011, he dressed the singer beyoncé on the cover of her album '4' the deluxe version, with one of his creations for spring-summer 2011-12. as always, a look at the designer's haute couture collection.

fash'on... BAM!

iris van herpen

iris van herpen is a dutch fashion designer. she studied fashion design at artez institute of the arts arnhem and interned at alexander mcqueen in london and claudy jongstra in Amsterdam. in 2007, she started her own label. since july 2011, iris is a guest member of the prestigious parisian chambre syndicale de la haute couture, which is part of the fédération française de la couture. 

Iris van Herpen

iris van herpen had an intuitive appreciation of fashion and art as a youth. her first passion was actually dance. it was when she attended the preparatory course art and design at artez during her high school years that she became particularly interested in designing clothes.

she graduated in 2006 from the fashion design department of artez. her graduation collection machine jewellery already bears van herpen’s characteristic interest in the visualization of elusive concepts and intangible elements. in this case ‘time’ and inventiveness in material use and treatment.

Amsterdam International Fashion Week

from the beginning of her career, iris van herpen’s talent has been singled out as very promising and it has grown strong over the years. it has been recognized through awards, exhibitions, publications and her guest membership of the chambre syndicale de la haute couture.

Bjork in Iris van Herpen

singer-songwriter björk wore dresses from several iris van herpen collections. additionally, singer-songwriter lady gaga, artist and style icon daphne guinness have worn dresses by iris van herpen. van herpen’s designs follow, complete and change the body and the emotions that accompany it, when simultaneously the body adapts and adopts the new forms. movement is key. it is of decisive importance for the ultimate design how a moving body reacts on a piece of clothing and vice versa, how a piece of clothing behaves when worn.

Lady Gaga

van herpen’s decision to explore the rapid prototyping technology of 3d printing allowed her to be the first to introduce this technology in fashion and to create astonishing designs with it. van herpen became fascinated with the endless design potential of 3d printing. in recent collections she further developed her prints by adding detailed handwork. the 3d prints only added to that other much-heard term to describe van herpen’s style: futuristic. 

would you wear this?

besides the use of new technologies, the term mostly refers to the appearance of her looks. what is very important to realize, though, is that her designs combine new technologies and diligent handwork. in fact, this is characteristic for all van herpen’s collections. exactly this combination of handwork and innovative technologies brings van herpen to her edgy designs. she equally values techniques from the past with techniques and technologies of the future because they have their own power and beauty that, when rightly combined, can be enhanced instead of being substituted by one another.

fash'on... BAM!