An organic cotton shirt from People Tree with cute little birds
Click HERE for the People Tree site and HERE for my Pinterest board for sustainable alternatives to Spring/Summer fashion.
I am not much of a jewellery wearer. When I do wear something, though, I like it to be special, with a character, made by an artist and expressing their fantasy. Just recently I happened upon a little treasure trove called Dazzle.
I put together a little collection of the items I found the most captivating.
I’ve been seeing this bag a lot. A lot. I’m reading Stylist on the tube Wednesday mornings and it’s always there, among the editorial. That turned my thoughts to the promotion in fashion, or in style.
It’s not the same as selling a washing powder, is it? Or a cereal bar. Or a mobile phone. In those cases, repetition is generally a good thing. What surrounds you becomes familiar and feels trustworthy.
When I saw this bag in a magazine for the first time, I didn’t exactly think: “Oh, wow, that’s a really cool bag, I must have it”, because I generally don’t get excited about mass produced objects with unclear origin. But I definitely thought: “This bag has a cool design that’s sort of bold in this world, where fashion approaches safe blandness, and I appreciate that”.
So what happens when I see the same bag again the next week? And the next? And the next? I will definitely recognize it, it will be familiar to me. But I’m also feeling like ever owning this bag would resemble wearing a silly uniform and making myself a message carrier for a brand, not the expression of me. And I am no slave to a brand! We all want to be unique, don’t we.
& other stories
Went to H&M the other day to try on their Conscious collection. I do applaud them for bringing more sustainability to mainstream fashion, but did not purchase anything. Yet. I feel like I need more information on what have they actually done to have these collection be more sustainable. I don’t want to just jump on a label and cheer on the mention of the word “conscious”. (Don’t get me wrong, I do see they have published plenty of information on their website. I just need to read it and the fact that I haven’t yet is solely due to my extra busy life).
I believe one important aspect of sustainable fashion is to provide information to the consumers about how exactly the clothes were made and where they come from. I will dig myself into their website soon – expect more posts on this topic!
I am happy they have taken a step towards sustainability and I want them to keep pushing themselves and keep the values that should have been in the core of all fashion production a while ago already.
Every now and then an artist comes along that is so unique and free that you just know – the world is going to be just fine.
A style moment? I have always had a special place in my heart for earmuffs.
One thing I noticed in London right away were rubber shoes and I thought they were weird. Why would someone want shoes made of rubber? How come even the most famous designers put out these absolutely non-glamorous things? (Vivienne Westwood, looking at you)
After a couple of months I realised why…
I want to share one of the most aesthetically pleasing music videos out there. I know it’s a few years old, but beauty is universal and timeless (Plus, I want to look as good as Ms Farmer when I’m 40+ years old).
And since this is a fashion blog, let’s point out a style moment: the black-and-white shorts.
Dress by PaulaK
“We walked through a high hallway into a bright rosy-colored space, fragilely bound into the house by French windows at either end. The windows were ajar and gleaming white against the fresh grass outside that seemed to grow a little way into the house. A breeze blew through the room, blew curtains in at one end and out the other like pale flags, twisting them up toward the frosted wedding-cake of the ceiling, and then rippled over the wine-colored rug, making a shadow on it as wind does on the sea.” – The Great Gatsby
Another little piece from Antwerp. About ten years ago I wondered, possibly aimlessly, around central Antwerp and happened upon a clothing store that quite literally blew my mind (and I am not exaggerating). This post is not about the clothes, but about the interior.
The shop is called America Today and it sells classic American casual and sports wear. The room around the clothes is an old theater with wood works and frescoes on the walls. It is that contrast that staggers me and offers subject matter for endless fantasies. And this is the reason this shop is in my ‘must visit’ list for every time I’m in Antwerp.
Recently I walked around in Antwerp and did some window shopping. Antwerp does have a place on the world’s fashion map – mostly thanks to the famous Antwerp Six and Belgian government’s support for fashion designers. I just stepped off Meir, the main shopping street, and found little shops with unique clothes and inspired window displays. I am not going to introduce any brands, I would just like to bring you the atmosphere from those little streets. Enjoy the pictures!
zestandfrenzy 