8.25.2011

All Hail Carine

ir·rev·er·ent/iˈrev(ə)rənt/
Adjective:
Showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

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The first time I laid eyes on Carine Roitfeld's beautiful style, was when I was about 10 years old. I was looking for the Style Network online, so I typed in "style.com" and instead I was taken away to a magical wonderland of fashion ecstasy. I browsed the site and ended up on the "people" section and I stumbled upon Carine's page. I looked for more information about this beautiful fashion creature and discovered she was the Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue. I was instantly captivated and ever since that day, Carine has been my fashion hero. I couldn't afford to buy French Vogue at 10 years old and my mother would have DIED if she caught me reading it, so whenever I had the chance to go to my local Barnes and Noble (my mother had always taken me there so she could teach me how to read when I was younger) I would sneak peeks at whatever issue they had when my mother wasn't paying attention. Of course I was shocked at how beautiful the clothes were and completely taken aback by the erotic nature of everything she did in that magazine, but I just couldn't look away. Years and years of this "sneak-peeking" ensued then I finally got a job and then BAM!!!- news broke one sad morning, that Carine is leaving French Vogue, a position that she has had for 10 years. I was floored. "Wow, this is unreal," I thought to my self. "I better get an issue before its too late!" So I rushed over to my faithful spot at Barnes and Noble and practically ran and grabbed the last issue they had on the stands of Carine's final French Vogue with Saskia de Brauw on the cover. I hugged my copy ( of course everyone around me was staring at me like I was crazy!) But I didn't care- I finally had my very own copy of French Vogue and no one could ever take it away from me. Then it was announced that Carine was going to release a book with Oliver Zahm about her career called "Irreverent" and of course I started shaking. The moment it came out on Amazon.com I ordered my copy. When it came in the mail I cried. The book was so beautiful. Carine's "lack of respect" for what my mother would call plain decency , is what has allowed her to give us some of the most powerful images that fashion has ever seen. So now I am here to give you little glimpses of the book and some of my favorite snaps of my dearest Carine.
Enjoy!
Love,
Ashley

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Images: upscalehype.com, iwanttobearoitfeld.com, whatsupflo.com, fashionistasworld.blogspot.com, hopehope.ch, www.thefyiblog.com, style.com

8.18.2011

Cool Weather Come Back Please ???

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Dress: Made in Ghana, Jacket: Walmart, Necklace and Bracelet: Walmart, Ring: Vintage, Earrings: Forever 21, Boots: Vintage

These are some old photos taken during the snowtastrophe that Delaware saw in February when the weather was much cooler. I'm not saying I enjoy the bone chilling cold of winter, but I need a relief from the smeltering heat that doesn't seem to go away. Cool weather come back please, so I can wear my cable knit sweater, colored tights, and comfy leather boots.

Love,
Ashley


8.12.2011

Orientalism: Eastern Probing into A Fascinating World

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I was going through some old papers I wrote freshman year of college and I found this one called: "Orientalism: Eastern Probing into a Fascinating World" and I was immediately taken back to Marc Jacobs work in Louis Vuitton's Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear Collection. Here are some snippets from the paper.

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“Consider the workings of other world cultures." In the video presentation “An Imaginary East”, the curators of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, proposed that this statement was the beginning of Western fascination with Eastern dress. From this, originated what we know now as “Orientalism”, the “exotic other”. The video examined our Western probing into the cultures so mystical and foreign to our own. An interesting point highlighted was that the easiest way to take a piece of anyone’s culture is to adopt their way of dress. In the beginning of the presentation, a letter written by Montague states that the principals of Islamic culture were “liberating” and that by wearing its garments in the form of Turkish dress, “admirably” supplanted a “need not fulfilled at home.” The video continued to stress that the Orientalist movement was “representation”, representation of the body and representation of how Eastern dress “changes the body." Changes in the body may result in fantasies of being a pasha, generated from wearing 19th century Turkish inspired smoking jackets, or women’s bodies being liberated by Poiret’s use of Eastern dress. The kimono, caftan, and sari were shown as staples of Eastern dress frequently borrowed and copied from Western dress.

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His “A Thousand and Second Nights” soiree captured the essence of Orientalism, by creating a replica of Aladdin’s palace, “projecting sensuality” with his “concubines lying at the steps of his throne,” with his wife Madame Poiret wearing lap shaped tunic. Another interesting point to be made about the video is that mixing cultures from different countries was common. One may find a Chinese pagoda under a Northern African Tent in a pattern on a garment.

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While one may praise the West’s fascination with the East, the excerpt from “China Chic: East Meets West” points out that there is not only love for the West, but critics of this love. When discussing chinoiserie and Oriental dress inspired and directly taken from the East, the excerpt notes that it is seen as somewhat stereotypical of the Eastern culture. The excerpt goes as far as saying that designers may not even be able to draw inspiration from the east because they may be engaging in “neoimperialistic appropriation”. It highlights the fact that when foreign objects are incorporated into Western dress these Eastern garments may be “stripped” of any cultural and historical links. Although the culture may be lost, the authors write that Western “society and culture has become more international and multicultural and yet, the prolific release of multiple images of the Eastern garments destroys the “mysticism” and fascination surrounding it. The article directs readers to the viewpoint that European imperialism works also to elevate critics’ view of the West taking on a deep and somewhat passionate love for clothes of the Orient, going as far as saying that this imperialism “demonized” the Orient.

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Continuing with the description of the West adoration for Eastern dress, the excerpt explains ways of adopting Oriental dress. Traditional Chinese dragon robes were being used as dressing gowns, while Chinese ladies jackets and Japanese kimonos in particular continued to heavily inspire Parisian designers. Paul Poiret was one such designer whose “Confucius” robe and “Mandchou” tunic served as an antenna of how to properly add in Eastern dress into the Western wardrobe. An interesting point to note is that after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the attitudes of “contempt” towards Asia that the West carried in the first half of the twentieth century, were released when Chinese ambassadors like Madame Chiang Kai-shek and her several speaking tours to America, help facilitate better feelings toward China with her style, class and grace.

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When asked to describe my feelings about the Orientalism movement and the West adoration and fascination to the Eastern way of dress, I began to think of how interesting it is to experience a piece of another culture. Recently I went to Ghana, West Africa and got to experience a deeper aspect of my own African culture. In the end of China Chic: East Meets West the author talks about how there is a feeling of ambivalence to the whole idea of Orientalism and how many Chinese people had a vague sense of their sartorial history. I completely understand this ambivalence from a situation such as this, because as I walked the streets of Accra and zigzagged my way through the crowded marketplaces, I saw beautiful works of art and clothing, yet I also understood how some of the creators of these beautiful pieces did not understand the power and beauty of what they made.

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To me, Orientalism is the adoption of the culture of the East being changed here and there to fit the lifestyle and dress of the Western citizen. It directly relates to cultural authentification and explains why some would have conflicting feeling towards the movement, because it is taking a piece of someone else’s culture and not directly representing your own.

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All Images: Style.com

The video “An Imaginary East” describes the Orientalist movement as the “exotic other”; a movement where one can change their identity if but for even a moment, liberate themselves and delve into exotic fantasies. Why wouldn’t designers fascinated with this? It is a designers job, in my opinion, to invoke the imaginative, to take people’s minds to another world and to ultimately inspire people to see the beauty of the world through sartorial creation, so if the appeal of Eastern dress, is supposed to be authentic and staying true to culture, then why have some in the past taken time to destroy it with condescending attitudes?

Love,
Ashley


You can find out more about orientalism, Eurocentrisim, chinoiserie by watching "An Imaginary East Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress" or reading "China Chic: East Meets West" by Valerie Steele and John S. Major

8.11.2011

At the MET

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Top: Delia's, Skirt: Vintage, Belt: Vintage, Earrings: H&M, Tote: Simply Julia Totes

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I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the McQueen exhibit a couple weeks ago ( glad I missed the massive line on the last day!) Can you believe 661,509 people went??? Alexander McQueen was a genius and I count it an honor to be one of the many people that got to experience his life's work at the MET.

Love,
Ashley

8.10.2011

Pamoja Sneak Peek

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Here is a sneak peek of one of the fashion spread shot by Max Stevens in Pamoja Magazine, University of Delaware's newest magazine that yours truly happens to edit and style. To view the whole magazine you can go here Enjoy!

Love,
Ashley

8.05.2011

Out of Africa

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I felt like I was back in Ghana when I wore this. Ooh what I would do to be back in the to be back in the beautiful Ghanian sun!

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Dress: Custom made in Ghana., Shoes: Rock & Candy by Zigi, Bag: Vintage, Belt: Vintage, Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Love,
Ashley