Fashion, designers and I

Let’s be honest, I am a girl, probably a bit of a tomboy, but I am a girl ! So, yes, I do like fashion, clothing, makeup, hairdressers and jewels (well, mainly silver and not grandiose. I hate diamonds, by the way, if someone is ever interested into offer me an engagement ring !).

So, as for makeup or perfumes, my first introduction to fashion and clothing was my grandmothers, mother, aunts and older cousins. My grandmothers were from another century (early 20’s) and they were used to wear classic dresses, skirts and blouses. I seldom saw them in trousers apart from one when she was in the garden… But even gardening, she was wearing a blouse or a dress.

My mother was a bit of exception in clothing, because she didn’t care about getting fashionable clothing but she rose up in the 60’s and was wearing Mary QUANT’s kind of skirt. I have some photos of her wearing tiny skirts, short hairdo and high heels. She looked fantastic. She was quite fashionable without thinking about being it. One of my aunts loved colored clothing and was used to wear eccentric pieces, large hats, colored large skirts, etc. ; A bit of LACROIX in her choice, if you need to imagine her.

Accordingly, I’ve been a fashionable little girl, wearing lovely coats, sweet shoes, woolen scarves, eccentric dresses, and nice curly hair ! Moreover, one of my grandmothers had worked as a furrier in the early 30’s. Fur was a very important material at that time and she enjoyed creating coats and extras for people. Most of her family, both sides, were involved in clothing : furrier, tailor, designer, etc. So, it might be in my genes. Hence, my cousins and I love fashion.

One of my cousins is extremely gifted when it comes to sew a dress or mix the tendencies. She has her own style and she is trendy !

When I really got into fashion and clothing, I started to read any fashion magazine I could get at home and sketched a few dresses. The magazines I was reading were ELLE, L’Officiel, Vogue Paris and Jour de France (a very old magazine). I read and learnt. I did enjoy all the photos but some fashion designers were more attractive to me than others. The very first were Paul POIRET, Madame GRES, Madame CARVEN, Coco CHANEL and Yves SAINT LAURENT.

My own principle of fashion still goes to GRES and CARVEN and I am delighted to see CARVEN back to the top thanks to tremendous designer Guillaume HENRY.

I admire deeply those creators because they have a unique vision of the future and demand the best for women in general. Somehow, some pieces of clothing are not possible to wear but it is art, isn’t it ?

Years later, I’ve discovered Christian LACROIX creations and I was stunned. I am a woman in black type. I love this color (due to my admiration for Pierre SOULAGES ?) and I think this is elegant, classy and tiimeless. So, having a look at LACROIX’s clothing was a color stock. It was tremendously gorgeous. It was faultless and shimmering !

Then, came a brilliant and divine British citizen, Alexander Lee Mc QUEEN, from Central Saint Martin School (one of the most significant art school), who revolutionized the “fashion planet”. Well, basically, my fashion planet. I was again dazzled by such easiness of sketching, making dresses and his skills.

UK gave two more fashion designers I love : Christopher BAILEY and Christopher KANE. Those two stylists imposed fluid lines, elegant materials and a simplicity that capture my heart.

As well as France gave two more for the future of fashion : Guillaume HENRY, whom I worship, and Maxime SIMOENS, whom has been the It-designer lately.

As far as I’m concerned, and even though SIMOENS is extremely talented, I prefer the vision and the atmosphere of HENRY for CARVEN. I guess that the influence of Madame CARVEN might have been a help for him but he shall be the next YSL very soon. HENRY is just another “little Prince” in the fashion world. The more I watch his creations, the happier I am.

Talking about fashion without mentioning Coco CHANEL, Yves SAINT LAURENT and Christian DIOR (Monsieur DIOR) will be neither elegant nor truthful. They influenced and modernized the fashion and liberated woman’s body. Each of them imposed their views and their independence for women’s happiness. Without them, life would have been quite standardized and mind-numbing.

That is why I love fashion and sketching clothing. I like sewing my own creation and photographing them. Last thing I’ve done was for the June 2011 shooting about “Ode to Buster Keaton – Seven Chances” when I sewed four veils and a few weddings pieces. I really loved the time I spent on those veils (8 to 10 hours each). They were basic veils, but I was very proud to realize those without taking any classes. I learnt from aunts, books and my own ability to do so.

Apart from dreaming to be a forensic doctor when I was 10, I dreamt to be a fashion designer too. I am not but the admiration for fashion and clothing is still inside me.