Ick

Rant season

Link a la versión en español

Remember when I was saying that I sometimes feel disconnected from fashion? Well, this week had me going from rant to rant. The fashion industry has been pigeonholing itself to perfection and it does annoy me because to me -I’ve already said this-, fashion is so much more. Many years ago I wanted to create a magazine called We’re All Idiots, poking fun at the stereotype of fashion people. Today, I can only say that such a name feels less ironic than I intended in the first place.

I’m going to give you 5 things I cringe with and one to be put in the watch this space drawer, because we still have to see how it goes:

Diet Prada on the 1k Balenciaga Towel Skirt

Given the things that I’m summarising today, this is a relatively minor one, maybe since we are fairly used to Balenciaga selling overpriced regular stuff, in this case, it is a (pretty ugly) beige towel that doubles as a skirt for the very reasonable price of 1K euros, I hope at least it is one of those that dries immediately after use. Don’t tell me that’s not innovative! You wear it over your trousers for all those rainy days in Paris when a car passes by too close and drenches you with some puddle water from the curb.  Genius!

Image via Balenciaga

As Diet Prada pointed out, the thing is relevant because Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative Director pledged to stay away from publicity stunts like this after the children misstep. But hey, who remembers anymore? 

Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton One Million EUR bag

pwilliamsworld

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Another good one, please read all about it in

Fashion Roundtable

latest post. I’ll just summarise my thoughts, how is owning a million euros crocodile bag necessary? In what way does a wardrobe benefit from such a purchase? As my friend G. mentioned, maybe the appeal lies in it being a collector’s item. It might be, but isn’t it that when you have access to everything, you want the next crazy thing? Just because. Call me naive, but I find it excessive, unnecessary and quite ridiculous. It makes me sad for the people who will feel that they need, need, need it. I’ve got a suggestion, not maybe give that million to charity? They’ll feel much better afterwards.

Vogue US Lauren Sánchez - Jeff Bezos story

Image via Vogue

For the few who didn’t catch on to this story, Lauren Sanchez is Jeff Bezos' fiancée, he is the founder of Amazon and one of the richest men around, Vogue is currently in financial turmoil and the Met Gala is already showing on the horizon, so you can join the dots.

This article is cringe material from beginning to end, from Bezos saying he’s not dumb enough to be involved in the planning of his wedding to the hideous and quite stiff photo of Lauren Sanchez hanging from his neck as if she was a sloth. 

The interview, the pictures and the whole thing feels so outdated, airbrushed and totally irrelevant, that if it wasn’t for how much it sets Vogue back in time, we wouldn’t even be talking about it. For some insider commenting, I’m leaving you with Amy Odell’s post on ig.

Kylie Jenner wins WSJ innovation award for her new brand Khy.

All images via Khy website

This actually happened two weeks ago, but it had to go in this post. I mean, I’ll try to be brief. I do not doubt that Kylie Jenner loves her project and as Fashion Roadman says, giving her the award can hugely benefit Wall Street Journal’s event in terms of publicity, but there are so many things that are wrong here. For starters, Kylie Jenner’s new brand, Khy, first drop was going live on the very same day that she received the award. 

So please misfits, it begs asking: how did Khy innovate today? Do the people at Wall Street Journal know Balenciaga, Moncler or Rick Owens? Did Khy maybe use some sort of new material or innovative design for its clothing which might justify the award? If they did (let me doubt it) the info has been carefully hidden, the website doesn’t talk about any sustainability or material investigation -she mentions something quite vague about sustainability in Vogue- but nothing to give grounds for an innovation award. So I ask, with all my respect to her entrepreneurial zeal, did Kylie Jenner deserve it? 

When I think of all the brands and young designers that have really been investigating and innovating on textile repurposing, new materials, upcycling, even in branding and marketing, it’s outrageous, really. 

Karlie Kloss buys i-D magazine and stays as its CEO

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I’m leaving Karlie on the wait and see section because we’ll have to wait until what happens next. Initially, I thought: Great news! Karlie Kloss is a very cool and capable woman, who deeply cares about innovation and mentoring, so this could be the best thing that could happen to i-D after Vice Media filed for bankruptcy last summer.  

Unfortunately, independent magazines have been gradually losing much of their independence and many struggle to make it through with each issue. Having i-D survive is good news, but how much free thinking will the magazine tolerate from now on? The trick comes from the fact that a few days before the acquisition was finalised all signs of support for Palestine disappeared from the magazine. Speculation of the reasoning behind this is all over the place and social media is incensed with theories. Alastair McKimm will stay, which feels reassuring, but of course, time will tell.

Conclusion:

To summarise my feelings on this very intense week, I’m leaving you with Bliss Foster, one of my favourite fashion voices on a fantastic rant of his own about how Fashion plays silly to make even more money, alienating often itself and its creatives and professionals along the way. I couldn’t agree more with his views.

But of course, fashion being fashion, the silliness and the profound go hand in hand, maybe that’s the beauty of it, but as Gloria Steinem would say:

The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off

That’s all from me this week, my lovelies. As always, if you value the work I do here please like, share and comment.

Love,

Patty