The continuing saga of the Lady Dior ad campaign

I posted awhile back about 'Bag Royalty'. I considered the Lady Dior bag to be one of the three timeless, investment bags. A few weeks ago, Dior started a massive ad campaign to promote the Lady Dior handbag. I'm guessing Dior wanted to revamp their image of prim ladylike couture to something a bit more edgy. The first installment of the campaign was a short film noir featuring  Marion Cotillard as Lady Noire. You can see it on youtube:

The film looked like it was going nowhere, and frankly, a bit pointless. I felt  it lacked any sort of real concept and only tied together some indulgent Dior imagery. But anyhow, I was interested to see where the next installment was heading.

The next installment, I knew, was going to be about Marion Cotillard as Lady Rouge. I expected another short film, but it turns out so far that it's just Marion Cotillard singing 'The eyes of Mars' by Franz Ferdinand. I received in my inbox today notification of the music video. You can see it on youtube or go directly to the Dior website.

I was sitting on the fence for the first installment, and this second one doesn't really change my feelings about it. The song is OK. Marion's voice is, of course, beautiful. But once again, the whole direction and concept of this very expensive ad campaign baffles me. Dialogue seems out of context, what has the song got to do with the bag, and most importantly, is this strange new image reflective of we love about Dior? You'll notice throughout the video, the Dior trademark cannage pattern stitching appears awkwardly superimposed on the eye, fades on and off in red leather stitching, and forms prison-like bars for Marion to hold onto. And I find this logo-marketing very forced and ineffective.

The epic, short film, big-budget ad campaigns started long ago with Chanel employing Nicole Kidman for marketing the Chanel No.5 perfume. We all remember that video. I loved that video. Beautiful music by Debussy, the breath-taking feather dress by Karl Lagerfeld, a very Baz Luhrmann storyline of star-crossed lovers and ultimately, it made sense. Perfume is about the sense of smell and the memories that it invokes in us. That video was about a common man who remembers his love affair with a tortured, untouchable celebrity by the perfume she used. It was all very romantic and sad.

But this Dior ad campaign, at least so far, seems lost on me. I love the handbag. It just seems like with all the money they've spent, the very talented actress, director, and photographer they've procured, that they could have done something spectacular with it. It's such a shame and I hope there's more to come that will change my mind.

Objet d'Art: the intoxicating world of fashion illustration

It's Saturday night and I am busy doing nothing. I somehow stumble onto sketches of Manolo Blahnik shoes by the man himself. While the craze around Manolos is waning, his fantastical sketches of stilettos will always been admired by shoe aficionados.

I know of fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo from the book The One Hundred by Nina Garcia. I loved that book because of the divine illustrations on every page. He also did the whimsical Nordstrom ads and is married to fashion designer Isabel Toledo.

David Downton is not so much whimsy and surrealism as monochrome sophistication with a dash of colour. His portraits are good examples:

I love looking at fashion illustration. I love the silhouettes, the textures, the exuberance, the fantasy, the intense emotion. And now, excuse me while I google some more...

Bag Royalty

Towards the end of the noughties, there was a distinct fashion trend of going back to tried-and-trusted classics. You could blame it on the financial crisis - people wanted to spend their money on items they knew were going to last. I would simply call it good taste.

It bags have their moment on stage, but how many times have we gone crazy for the lastest arm candy, only to find it completely disgusting and unacceptable to wear in public 6 months later? Maybe it's time to do away with the fickle, impulsive 'It' bag and rediscover the pieces that continue to take our breaths away decade after decade.

The classics are truly investment bags. Not only do their retail values rise by 10-20% every year, but they also retain good resale values. In some cases, like the Chanel classic flap and the Hermes Birkin, people often buy them at higher than retail value from resalers due to the rarity of some colours and styles (beware eBay scalpers!). If you can save up the money to buy one, this is one purchase you should not feel guilty about: true style and a financially sound investment.

Hermès Birkin

The UHG (ultimate holy grail) of bag collectors. Reportedly conceived after Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas had a chance encounter with Jane Birkin on a Paris-London flight, and as you do when you are seated next to the Hermès CEO, Jane Birkin described to him her ideal bag that she woefully could not find anywhere. Next thing she knew, a bag was made according to her specifications and sent to her (now that is good customer service!). The rest is history.

Chanel flap

Available in two styles: the reissue (aka 2.55) and the classic. The reissue is the original, unchanged design from way back when Coco Chanel wanted a bag that would leave women's hands free for other things. Amen to that! It has the plain, rectangular mademoiselle turnlock and metal chains. The classic is a modified, yet arguably even more popular design with the CC turnlock and interwoven leather chains.

Lady Dior

This isn't widely regarded as bag royalty, but in my opinion, it is timeless and stylish. Princess Diana was widely photographed with it. Apparently, she liked it so much she got it in every style and size. It is more youthful than the Hermès Birkin and the Chanel classic flap, so if you think you're still too young to own the previous two bags, this is the the one for you!

And if you are a ghost, I'll call your name again

M83 - Too Late

A beautiful, haunting song from a little known band. Thanks to Gossip Girl for featuring it in their latest episode.

DIY eyebrow waxing success!

I arrived rather late at the eyebrow waxing scene. I remember my friends telling me about their waxes in 10th grade. I wasn't very observant and couldn't really see the difference it made. Then came the formal - the equivalent of the prom - in 12th grade. I got my nails done (for the first time), I was going to get professional hair & makeup on the day (for the first time), and for the first time, I wanted to try out this eyebrow waxing.

I was quite anxious when I told mum about it. Mum was very (very) traditional and said, "In my day, only girls getting ready to get married waxed their eyebrows. Waxing eyebrows is a sign that you are getting married." But she was liberal enough to take me to a beauty salon and we paid the $12 for me to get an eyebrow wax.

"...WOW...", I remember saying over and over again on the car on the way back. I could see a HUGE difference. My eyebrows were arched and defined for once. They actually enhanced the overall look of my face. Of course, I had to quash the slight guilt I was feeling for having done something that I was traditionally not supposed to do (what can I say, I was very impressionable back then).

Over the years since, I have always loved getting an eyebrow wax. Almost everytime, I am amazed at the result. Eyebrows frame your eyes and face. I would say second to clear, smooth skin, eyebrows make the most difference to enhancing the beauty of your face.

There was only one problem: professional salon waxes were expensive. $15 to $25 is the price range where I live. So, I only got my eyebrows done once or twice a year. For special occasions. Please don't cringe.

If only there was a way to achieve salon results at home. Tweezing is only useful for tidying up of waxed eyebrows. There is no way I can tweeze a clean, defined line. I've seen this product on TV that claims to allow eyebrow waxing at home. So I waited for the product to go on sale at my local supermarket, and finally bought one.

It's called "Nad's natural hair removal facial wand". (RRP US$9.99)

I also bought a tub of "Nad's natural hair removal gel". The gel wax in both products is identical. The facial wand just contains the gel in a lip-gloss-like applicator for precise shaping. (RRP US$19.99)

I was very hopeful about this product - it is a unique gel wax that improves upon the disadvantages of conventional wax. It exists as a gel at room temperature, so no heating is needed. I never liked the conventional wax that needed microwave heating, because it meant you had to work quickly before the wax set solid. Also, once conventional wax is applied to the skin, there's no return. You pretty much have to wax the area (you can use baby oil to try to rub it off, but it's very slow and mineral oil is bad for your skin). Any mess you make on the table, on your hands, also need to be rubbed off with baby oil.

Nad's gel wax, however, is water soluble. It felt like honey, and rinses off very easily with warm water. This was absolutely necessary for my eyebrows, as I could just rinse off the gel if I wasn't happy with the shape  and try again. A strip of fabric is pressed over the gel and then ripped off along with gel and unwanted hair. The gel never solidifies and is still soft after removal. I don't know if that's the reason, but this was the most painless wax I've ever had.

So I took my time, consulted a beauty manual for the ideal eyebrow shape, and drew a precise shape with the facial wand. Then, I took a deep breathe and stripped away the wax. The wax removed all the hair I wanted to remove. I looked in the mirror, and lo and behold, there were the shaped, defined eyebrows I wanted. Because I took such painstaking care, the shape and thickness was better than any salon results I've ever had! I was so impressed with myself and with the product. Then, I trimmed some of my longer hairs with a pair of small scissors (I used cuticle scissors) and the process was complete. My eyebrows were groomed once again, and best of all, I knew I could do it regularly with minimal cost.

So if you're looking to save a decent amount of money or you never got what you wanted at beauty salons, then I highly recommend this product and some DIY. It takes a lot of courage, but I am so glad I did it!

Just a final tip for additional savings: when you run out of gel in the facial wand, don't buy another new one. The facial wand is quite expensive considering you get much more gel in the tub (12 oz in the tub vs 0.2 oz in the wand). You only need the applicator tip on the facial wand anyway, so just use a popsicle stick and dab some gel from the tub onto the applicator tip. I tried it and it works just as well.

Product website: http://www.nads.com.au/ (select your country in the pull down tab)


This is the applicator tip:

And the gel in the tub:

Christian Lacroix: the ugly side of fashion

Looking into the fashion industry, we see luxury and beauty: caviar and champagne under white marquees, yards of silk dispensed for one breathtaking gown, fashion pilgrims travelling to the ends of the earth looking for the perfect place for a photo shoot, scrupulous attention paid to makeup, figure, dress and manner. Designers work to create the illusion of perfection - nothing you see comes by accident. Beauty and richness abound.

It came as a great shock to many, then, when word was out that the venerable house of Christian Lacroix filed for bankruptcy, and now, is effectively dead. The fashion house has really always been in financial trouble. From its beginnings in 1987, it has never turned a profit. In 2005, LVMH (Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton), the world's leading luxury goods owner and an astute business operation, sold the house to US duty free giant Falic so as to pass off a consistent underperformer. In 2008, the label reported a €10 million loss. When hit by the global financial crisis in 2009, the house had to lay off all but 12 workers. Lacroix's A/W 2009 Haute Couture show would not have happened if it had not been privately financed by Lacroix himself, along with the generosity of many unpaid workers and models who were paid €50 each (the minimum wage according to law). It was an emotional show. Tears flowed and respects were paid. There was hope, however, that all was not lost: potential buyers were lined up to rescue the house from foreclosure.

It seems now, however, that Christian Lacroix may have taken his final bow. Despite interest from several bidders, including the favourite Sheikh Hassan bin Ali al-Naimi, financing could not be guaranteed for the expected rescue package. Today, with no saviour in sight, the Paris commercial court approved a plan that effectively spells out the death of the fashion house. The restructuring involves the closure of the celebrated haute couture and ready-to-wear lines, with the revered name of Christian Lacroix now limited to licensing deals for perfumes and accessories. The 'turnaround' plan, as it's being called by the owners, is hoped to dig the label out of its debts, which is estimated at €44 million. Yet, for all intents and purposes, there is little doubt that today is the sad end of the Lacroix fantasy.

For outsiders looking in, it may seem surprising that designers with overpriced clothing could ever turn losses, let alone file for bankruptcy. Yet, Christian Lacroix's story illustrates the uglier, grittier side of fashion. For all the praises, applause and standing ovations given onto him season after season, the house was finally brought down by the grim financial reality that fashion must, after all, be a viable business operation.

Lacroix was a designer of great artistic vision. Even by the decadent standards of haute couture, his collections were opulent, always featuring outlandish, over-the-top colours and shapes. He was the darling of the fashion world, and the press hailed him as the new star of couture. So everyone overlooked the fact that not many people were actually buying his clothes. After all, Lacroix liked to design extravagant pieces with no expenses spared, and didn't really care that they would not be worn. Sunday Times fashion editor Colin McDowell in 1994 commented that his clothes were "something to gape at rather than buy" - a problem that would later land the house in bankruptcy.

Sadly, the glamorous journey of one of fashion's greatest talents ends due to poor business management. So what does this mean for the future of couture? Couture is increasingly being seen as a relic of the past when aristocrat ladies used to custom order one-of-a-kind gowns. Nowadays, couture has really become an expensive extravanganza put on for the sole purpose of exhibiting beauty and art. Couture craftsmanship, material and design are impeccable and second to none, but it has become impractical in modern times to wear over-the-top dresses or pay the hundred thousand dollars needed for the 'average' gown. The fashion needs of modern generations are answered by the ready-to-wear lines: the designs may be from the designers themselves or assistant designers, the clothes are mass-produced in various sizes, there is no custom fitting, and craftsmanship and materials used are of lower quality due to the lower price points. In large design houses like Dior and Chanel, profit mainly comes from beauty lines, accessories, and ready-to-wear. I suppose the only business incentive for designers to keep putting out couture collections is the tradition and prestige of being known as a couture house, and the marketing benefits that come from it. Designers never recoup the money from their couture lines, because only a handful of women around the world actually buy it. Sadly, all this points to a future where haute couture, the only pure expression of art in fashion,  has finally had its last day. Is the fall of Christian Lacroix the start of the end of couture?

Autumn/Winter 2009 Couture

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of Style.com

 

How the French do it

How do I tie a scarf? Let me count the ways.

If you, like me, have no idea what to do with a scarf except wrangle it around your neck for warmth, but have often admired Parisian women who seem so put together and chic with the thousand different ways they accessorise with scarves, then you're in for a treat!

I have heard of the legend that Hermes, the maker of the most coveted scarves in fashion, once drew up a manual showing the ways one could play around with their scarves. I heard it was an awesome manual, something to cherish if ever one was found. Well, today, I incidentally came across a series of illustrations from Hermes showing how to tie the scarves! I'm not sure if this is The Manual, but there is a lot to take away from these instructions. Now you can finally splurge on a square-cut silk scarf armed with the knowledge of how to make it 'work' without looking like an air hostess on the job.

For your education and enjoyment: (click on the images to get a better view of the illustrations)

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, it is definitely not necessary to buy a Hermes scarf to achieve these looks. Go to flee markets, local boutiques, even other designers, to find the perfect scarf for you. The above 8 ways are really just the basics. Play around with them to see if you can come up with your own looks. After all, one of the obsessions of French women is finding new ways to tie their scarves.