FASHIONOSOPHY

THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

This post comes a little delayed but so be it. I wore this dress when out clubbing last Friday night. I absolutely love dancing (hence the nickname - tinydancer) yet for some inexplicable reason I don't seem to be able to move my body properly in a dress. I feel completely disorientated!

Still, I felt like really dressing up for the night so I had to wear this, even though it could have cost me a night's dance. The black jersey bubble dress was matched with a vintage pearl necklace, a raid from my grandmother's wardrobe, a pair of metalic silver-green peep-toe shoes, and my newly purchased and loved-a-plently red digital DKNY watch to funk it up. I really can't tell what happened this time though, because despite the dress I could not sit my butt still for one second. This eventually happened though after I felt terrible pains in my knees on the very late hours of the night. Must have been the dancing!

"FABRIC-ATING"

I 've been doing extensive shopping lately and even though I made tons of new purchases I could feel there was a piece in the puzzle missing. Personally, I love colour and as the summer is coming I 'd like to give my wardrobe a twist by adding colourful and unique garments to it. Unfortunately major highstreet brands don't seem to share the same taste with me and the colour palette for spring / summer 2007 doesn't really trigger my senses. There's a lot of black and white, and cheap-looking jersey garments in bold colours like green and yellow, nothing that works for me really.

Quite often, when browsing magazines or looking at pictures on the web, I get some kind of flashes of a slightly different version of a designer or even highstreet garment that I think would look good on me. But as these images only exist in my head, a bit of DIY would help me to make all those things I want but can't find. So this morning I took a walk around the old alleys of the town and managed to get these colourful cotton fabrics as well as a beautiful chiffon white one. I am actually quite proud of my clearance-shop purchases as they only cost me the very small bank balance-reduction of 5 CY pounds.

Right now, I am looking for inspiration, and the first (in quite a while) DIY project I've got in my mind is to use the purple linen fabric to make a top based on the idea proposed by designer Doo-Ri Chung for TeenVogue in the February 2007 issue. Doo-Ri gave a fresh spin to a plain tank by adding a bunch of handmade rosettes, only I will be doing a "primitive" beginning and make the tank as well. So I was thinking of using the purple fabric for the main garment and add the flowery bits in purple and the white chiffon. I 'll be asking the advice of sewing-expert grannie though, just to make sure the fabric will work for the effect I want, so watch this space for more updates. For those that would like to give the TeenVogue project a go, I am posting the magazine bit to take a look at.

BOUZOUKI BY NIGHT

This is the outfit I wore last night, at the bouzouki, where I probably burnt around a thousand calories dancing like a maniac. It is nothing special really, just a pair of black skinny jeans with a black and white patent-detailed top, my favourite brown belt, and a pair of brown-leather beaded shoes I bought in the UK last year and rediscovered recently after some closet excavations. You can't see the details (mobile phone picture again!) so I took some closest shots of the belt and shoes afterwards.

As for this picture, well that's just me and Costas, my best friend, whom I love dearly. Clearly it has nothing to do with fashion but I just wanted to get it out as a reminescent of a simply wonderful, full of surprises night.

STUDYING

This is the outfit I wore for a project meeting today (I am helping a friend with his dissertation), rather laid back and a bit scruffy really but really suited my mood. Here, I am wearing black leggings with a super cheap dress I got from Primark six months ago right before I left the UK. It is three sizes too big, originally functioned as a top really but I use it as a dress now. I 've also got a thick coined brown belt, a beige cropped wooly cardigan on top, and a lovely pair of cream/black ballet flats.

WHO IS..TIFFANY CAWELL

Every springs sees the return of florals in different forms. Coloured dresses, chiffon skirts stuffed with roses, lily arrangements on the hem of t-shirts, flowered accessories and patterned bags, everyone seems to want a piece of that little magic.

Spring may come once, but Tifanny Cawell seems to be in a constant spring mode all year round. Probably one of the freshed and most unique talents to come out fo Cyprus, Tiffany Cawell mixes together colourful wool and ribbon, and makes some of the happiest, most magical and beautiful bags I have ever seen.

On returning from the UK where she was studying, she turned to bag-making to express the most creative part of herself. Her friends were thrilled and encouraged her to continue with her work. Her bag collection features mainly two types of bags: the small ribbon-pleated clutch bags, the T-bags as they are pronounced, and the larger-sized wooly ones' customized with colourful petal-like ribbons (featured in the photo).

A big fan of John Galliano's strong fashion proposals, Tiffany makes a strong statement herself, and certainly has a lot of future in front of her. I 've also been to her bag exhibition a while ago, but I can't find the pictures I took, and when I do, a big and colourful coverage is coming.

OUTFIT REPORT 1

I wore this outfit for coffee a couple of nights ago. I really like the white chiffon shirt as it clips at the bottom and you can pull it inside the waist of your jeans or whatever you are wearing. For this picture though I let the shirt loose and because of the elasticated bottom it sort of came up around my waist, which makes it more sexy I think. I' m also waring a lovely necklace made of leather and crystals (and some "serious smooching action") which you can't see from the first pic so I got another pic. The pictures are not very clear, the light is just so bad in my bedroom and for some reason I never use my digital cam but always my cell phone.

Hmm..maybe I 'll start doing outfit posts, at least of the most intriguing ones. I suppose you wouldn't call me particularly innovative but I can put together really crazy outfits if I want. I 've got the imagination yet I almost never wear all these I got in my head, I' m such a chicken.

ROCK THIS PARTY

The treadmill is certainly not the most exciting place to spend your thursday morning on, yet I had to make an attempt and bear the boredom in thought of the summer "beachy" days to come. However, things spiced up when I started browsing through several magazines, just to get time flying as painlessly as possible. This time, my bell rang for a contemporary-rock/punk themed photoshoot from a greek magazine lying around (whose title I don't seem to be able to recall), compiled of all the punky regulars: denim, waistcoats,stripy tops, skull-print scarves and fingerless gloves, leather, pvc, dark nail varnish, and some fantastic brightly coloured electric quitars! The colour combinations with the black and white theme, and the bright "accessorizing" details is my thing, something that I often apply to my wardrobe. I am way past my student (glam) rock days, in fact nothing on me reminds of that era, but I enjoy putting together outfits avec le oddly-coloured accessory. Maybe, the little punk lives somewhere inside, sans the crop (my tried and tested style disaster during the 90s)!

NATAR/YASTROBNIK: THE COLOUR OF GLAMOUR

I am quite thrilled to announce that Natar/Yastrobnik have just set up their own internet site, at last! The website gives you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their latest creations, get loads of personal info on the designer duo, riffle through several magazine editorials, and get a fine taste of their work, the epitome of luxury for me. I remember trying on one of their dresses, on a hot October day (yes, hot!) when I popped to their shop looking like a state, with messy tangly hair and less than shaved legs, but still putting on the short, multi-coloured, woven number instantly made me feel like a million dollars.

The website gives you the opportunity to get drifted in a world of theatrical drama and the baroque glamour of Natar/Yastrobnik.

The only thing that gives me a bit of a cringe is the "Society Girls" campaign the designer duo did a couple of months ago, a promo photoshoot where four young and very rich women out of the supposedly "elite" of Cyprus, are wearing pieces from their Autumn Winter collection. Definitely a red card, yet I can see why they did this, probably to promote the brand within the "right" circles, among those that can actually afford it, and enhance the element of luxury and glamour. This has sort of put me off, but for the sake of the wonderful dresses I 'll just hush and observe (for the time being, purchases seem rather distant for my poor and battered wallet at the moment) and hopefully my dear eyes wont have to put up with something similar in the future.

THAT DISCO EPISODE

Hey everybody! I haven't been writing in my blog for a while since I have been super busy, which is so sad as I keep having all these flashes of things that I 'd like to do for my blog. Still, I am quite determined that after my latest venture comes to an end in the next few days, I 'll be free to do some intense fashion-blogging. Meanwhile, I have been riffling through the pages of Vogue Hellas and came across this photo of Georgian - Greek pop singer Tampta (quite popular in our country), and her fabulous, beaded, chiffon and lace sparkly number, by Greek designer Laskaris. The elements of the whole picture actually bond together and the dress works really well with Tampta's curly voluminous hair, slightly tanned skin-tone and make-up. This photo is part of a bigger photoshoot featured in the magazine that is inspired by the legendary New York Studio 54 disco-days of glitter and glamour. As with Studio 54 and its celebrity clientele, the rest of the photoshoot features the cream of greek celebrities dressed up in glamorous gear and enjoying the disco fever. Compared to some of the original Studio 54 pictures I have seen though, I 'd say you get more of contemporary glamour here yet infused with the same attitude and vibrations of the golden 80s Studio 54 era.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC JACOBS

While browsing the net i discovered this very interesting info on designer Marc Jacobs. It actually comes from a recent interview conducted by Laura Craik (the Evening Standard's fashion editor) on 16/02/07 several hours before his first London show, and several days before he admitted himself to rehab, which I thought was interesting enough to get here.

"THE SCENE: a top floor drawing room in Claridges. A large oak table, set with a large water jug and six glasses at evenly spaced intervals. MARC JACOBS dressed in a T-shirt and leather jacket, combat pants and sneakers. He orders an espresso and sparks up a Marlboro Light.

On his health:
“I had this condition, osteocolitis, bothering me for years, and I treated it with hydrocortisone, and through herbs, and being careful with what I eat, but along with the diet was exercising every day, perspiring every day, cardio, yoga, meditation, sunlight, laughter – all these anti stress kinds of things. I lost 20- something pounds in 8 months. Physically, I’m more fit than ever. If I could get rid of the cigarettes I’d be really healthy."

On Top Shop:
"Everybody always asks me that question [whether he has been] but I don’t really see the point of going to the Top Shop" (sic)

On Top Shop being so “inspired” by him:
“Well, again I think it’s totally flattering. Robert and I have always thought that if we could do it for the price that they do, we would, but we can’t, so we don’t.”

On success:
“I define success by being able to continue doing the things that I love to do. I don’t think success is a completed act. It’s not like the destination. Success isn’t a final thing. I don’t think I am successful, I am more successful than I was 20 years ago. It’s a continuous daily thing”

On his last show (a/w 07)
“I was so happy, and I very rarely say that. I mean, I was happy with the execution of that show.”

On his Marc line
“We’ve over the years established a style and it’s a wardrobe for boys and girls or men and women, its clothes that people actually use every day – in the street, in restaurants… there can be a shift in the style from season to season as there usually is,but they just seem like clothes people actually wear as opposed to a seasonal fashion statement. They’re usable, not just a special occasion thing, people really do use those clothes. Even though it is more affordable we try to maintain some integrity.”

On his favourite bag for this season
“ I loved all the patchwork bags we did – pieces of metallic kangaroo or pieced together in a of degrade crocodile, and they had a funny kind of chain. There were several different shapes,  but I just liked any of the things  that were pieced and seamed.”

On the Stam
They’re always named after someone. I don’t usually name them and I don’t know whose ultimate decision it is to name them as they do, but Jessica’s  very happy that the bag is called the Stam

On the size zero debate:
“Well I’ve avoided really contributing to this conversation only because I think its so ridiculous. I think any kind of eating disorder – any kind of addiction or disorder is serious, and it’s not something that’s unique to the fashion industry. And I think when something happens, like when someone is so severely sick like some model dies of an eating disorder, and there’s this ridiculous thunderous response by the fashion industry and I think its all such hypocrisy. Eating disorders are a huge problem but it’s certainly not unique to the fashion industry. And because one or two girls suffer from it that are models, it doesn’t mean all models… some girls are naturally skinny and they’re healthy skinny. I mean I feel like I’m healthy skinny right now.”

On obesity and addiction:
“In the states, obesity seems to be a bigger problem than under eating. How is this helpful? I think of that thing in Bowling for Columbine; that moment where they ask Marilyn Manson what he would have told the kids,  and he said ‘I would have listened to them. I wouldn’t have told them anything’. And having had some experience myself, not with eating disorders but with other things, if you don’t have a parent who is watching or opening up to their kids or allowing them to open up to them, …One can care and one can be open to listen to someone who is trying to say something, but you can’t stop people from doing what they do. So much of what I know about eating disorders is hidden, so I think the best thing to do, from my experience is to listen. Instead of a bunch of people who don’t really understand and maybe can’t really relate on a first hand basis imposing or telling people what to do, like put carrot sticks out for models if they work past eight o clock.”

On blame:
“I don’t think we can blame anyone. You can blame their parents, blame their environment… you can’t argue but you can listen. Anybody with any kind of disorder, like with an alcohol problem or a drug problem, needs to talk to other people who have the same thing about overcoming it. There are so many ways to get help when one is ready, and when one is not ready, well, you just cant force anybody to do something they don’t want to do. You just cant. And blaming anyone for anything is pointless.”

On his health:
“I had this condition, osteocolitis, bothering me for years, and I treated it with hydrocortisone, and through herbs, and being careful with what I eat, but along with the diet was exercising every day, perspiring every day, cardio, yoga, meditation, sunlight, laughter – all these anti stress kinds of things. I lost 20- something pounds in 8 months. Physically, I’m more fit than ever. If I could get rid of the cigarettes I’d be really healthy."

On Top Shop:
"Everybody always asks me that question [whether he has been] but I don’t really see the point of going to the Top Shop" (sic)

On Top Shop being so “inspired” by him:
“Well, again I think it’s totally flattering. Robert and I have always thought that if we could do it for the price that they do, we would, but we can’t, so we don’t.”

On success:
“I define success by being able to continue doing the things that I love to do. I don’t think success is a completed act. It’s not like the destination. Success isn’t a final thing. I don’t think I am successful, I am more successful than I was 20 years ago. It’s a continuous daily thing”

On his last show (a/w 07)
“I was so happy, and I very rarely say that. I mean, I was happy with the execution of that show.”

On his Marc line
“We’ve over the years established a style and it’s a wardrobe for boys and girls or men and women, its clothes that people actually use every day – in the street, in restaurants… there can be a shift in the style from season to season as there usually is,but they just seem like clothes people actually wear as opposed to a seasonal fashion statement. They’re usable, not just a special occasion thing, people really do use those clothes. Even though it is more affordable we try to maintain some integrity.”

On his favourite bag for this season
“ I loved all the patchwork bags we did – pieces of metallic kangaroo or pieced together in a of degrade crocodile, and they had a funny kind of chain. There were several different shapes,  but I just liked any of the things  that were pieced and seamed.”

On the Stam
They’re always named after someone. I don’t usually name them and I don’t know whose ultimate decision it is to name them as they do, but Jessica’s  very happy that the bag is called the Stam

On the size zero debate:
“Well I’ve avoided really contributing to this conversation only because I think its so ridiculous. I think any kind of eating disorder – any kind of addiction or disorder is serious, and it’s not something that’s unique to the fashion industry. And I think when something happens, like when someone is so severely sick like some model dies of an eating disorder, and there’s this ridiculous thunderous response by the fashion industry and I think its all such hypocrisy. Eating disorders are a huge problem but it’s certainly not unique to the fashion industry. And because one or two girls suffer from it that are models, it doesn’t mean all models… some girls are naturally skinny and they’re healthy skinny. I mean I feel like I’m healthy skinny right now.”