The Wrecking Ball

Hey! Here is my current location. I am sitting comfortably on my chair at the beach. I am seated close to the water and have just completely enjoying every moment. I am truly away. Although I have my phone, the Internet is turned off and it is just my books, my sketch pad and my creativity. Well, I have just finished reading a novel, three or so weeks ago after picking it up, and so, naturally, I am here to share my opinions, questions ad thoughts. The novel is called "The Wrecking Ball", and is written by Chrsitiana Spens, a student currently enrolling in the elite Cambridge university. As for a quick, necessary, overview: London born and raised tens are on the constant go, traveling and partying and raising hell in the swanky streets of Kensington, bringing their gold encrusted flasks and their dirty Chanel pearls with them. It is an easy read. The light drama, typical drug scene and sex craved teens make to run at living in the real world for the first time. While most of them fail, one, character, Alice, seems to come up as a winner in the end. Horribly mistaken as a nice girl, Alice learns from her experiences. Does the mean spirited girl become an sober angel in the end? Of course not. However, she does learn a thing or two. She learns to give in to the things she cannot control and to accept responsibility for the things she can. She learns to live out her questions, as Rilke advises us to do, and she grows.

For a simple book, I was certainly found delighted to hear some influential statements and ideas stated by the characters.
"You don't see the fuel in the lighter- only the flame." (Pg. 209)

"The only fiction is the silence, the blank spaces on pages where certain confessions are not told. That is also part of the freedom. In silence the despair is put on mute, strangled to insignificance. And yet silence has a habit of haunting one." (Pg. 209)

An interesting detail I noticed, that serves as the foundation of the thematic development, is the differences and the similarities between the two generations. The parents and their children, the young adults. The parents in the novel are portrayed as the stereotypical rich-unhappy people. The wife that cheats on the husband while he is away on a business trip. Little does the wife know that he has been gambling their fortune away. The parents are playing the role of the children. They act young and immature, make mistakes and fail to lean from them. On the opposite spectrum, the children are often shown to learn from their mistakes, giving hope for their future. Although the novel ends with the teens still young, the reader is asked whether or not they will grow up to follow in their parents footsteps as unhappy, depressed and drunk parents, who are often not present forces in their children's lives. Do they follow on their current path or do they create their own destinies, their own lives?
Perhaps this quote will answer those questions.
"I have been feeling dizzy for a few days and sick from the withdrawal, have been feeling a bit out of it, but the general clarity with which I hear life is surprisingly immediate and gives me a new sort of high: a creative high, a clean breath, a new start." (Page 226)

So, without revealing to much, I want to give a brief overview. The book is an easy read and is written in a way that the reader can put down the book and pick it up at a later time without much confusion. I would recommend this if you like a dramatic story with light drama and if you are in the mood for some high fashion.
Well, I am off to my next book and a cup of fresh raspberry tea. I am reading the novel, "She's Gone Country, by Jane Porter. I'll be sure to let you know how it is.
Enjoy your day- William

Lake Michigan

Hey guys! How have you been? I am here, in a different location, and a different mind set. I am on vacation at my lake house in Lake Michigan (right across the lake from Chicago) I am in the woods with little cellphone service. I am surrounded by forest and nature and just simplicity. Beautiful simplicity. I am with my family and am having a great time! Fashionably, I feel, I am different. My outlook has changed, temporarily. The fresh air and wonderful, empty beach have left me feeling excited for color. This natural place is kept secret. The beaches are clear, empty of crowds. There is no old coke cans or cigarette buds, just clear sand and unique seashells. It is a jewel. This is what I want fashion to be. Your style is a secret. It sounds silly, but in a way it is true. We all follow the mainstream fashion and the rules, for the most part, but should prize our hidden style. We all have outfits that we want to wear and have our own desires to express ourselves through fashion. For example, a reader told me yesterday that he wished he could just walk around the streets of New York, his hometown, in his Diesel boxer briefs and a t-shirt. Perhaps that is too extreme. The garage glamour that the fashionable girl created would not dare wear her outfit to school. Thanks to the acceptance and boundaries being bushed by artists and musicians, the "mainstream" style is becoming more accepting. Powerful women like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, as well as TV shows such as "Glee", play parts and are responsible for the widening and acceptance of the garage glamour. Even in the professional world, women are beginning to wear more trendy and fashion forward outfits and are getting away with it. Stripes, patterns and prints are now being worn. This is good news. While people watching the other day in Bryant Park in Manhattan, I noticed the women who were on their lunch break. These professional women walked strongly in their flower skirts and animal print belts. I hope that the standard, the norm, the status quo continues to change and to become further full of acceptance. This vacation has taught me to walk out from the woods and into the water. The beach is bright and the water is warm. Break the rules and express yourself. And bring some color with you as well. It will make you happy. Enjoy your day!

I am off to read this book about a group of rebellious teens who live in London. I am almost done, any other suggestions? I have been searching for some good books. Any ideas!

Versace Men's 2012 Fall/Winter

What's with the Russian Red? I'm not sure, but I love it! A big, bold color perfect for autumn. Was Donatella channeling her in GI Jane? The rise and fall of the communist party? I have sensed a change in the Versace empire. The clothing has changed and the statements have as well. The futuristic man and woman have now become people of the past. They have been thrown into their own individual past, reliving memories and are having to deal with dark energy, regrets and mistakes. But have no fear, with the guidance of Donatella and her wondrous Fashion House, those memories can be lost forever.

Tuning into the overarching theme of my entire blog of mixing the old with the new, beginnings with endings, is it not obvious that Donatella has done so? Take a look at her clothing. She is telling a story. Notice the street fashion, punk rock influence in the cuts and designs and the leather! The bedazzles. Come on! She is giving us it all. This collection, just like Dolce & Gabbana is fighting for individual style and for people like you and I.

Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2012

For the 2012 Fall/ Winter collection, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana directed a focus to a romanticized baroque theme into their as always, high end fashion shows. The theme, dark, wicked and fantastical, tells the story of the clash between the past ad future woman. The woman is now modernized, bringing the new with the old. Opulence. We are seeing embroidery and precious lace, layers and layers of rich garments. If Lady Macbeth walked the catwalk in her days, or hosted an elegant wine party in her and Macbeth's castle, this what she would we wearing. The designs are impeccable. A new world has been introduced. Let's explore it!

What a dramatic entrance!

Notice everything. Take in every emotion and every vibe. I realized that while I was watching this, history was being rewritten. The past is not unfinished. It is not concrete. Nothing is concrete! As Rilke, my favorite poet of all time and my current spiritual leader (maybe emotional leader. He guides my thoughts) says, no feeling is final. The past is and forever will be continuous. The past is never finished. While looking at the garments, the see through (sheer?) lace dress a few pictures above, I was thinking about the difference between trash and high fashion, beginnings and ends and the old and the new. Here we are, looking at high end fashion, Dolce & Gabbana. These designers spend thousands and thousands of hours in order to make a statement. This statement, or statements, are their plea or pleas, their battle cry. As you know, I am obsessed with street fashion, combining the old with the new. I love rebellious, punk fashion. Soho, Brooklyn shit. You know. I love the leather and the bedazzlers and the fake pearls. I strongly support new, up and coming designers. For they are the ones with the new, open ideas. Or are they? Then I look at this beautiful model being captured by hundreds of photographers in a beautiful gown that represents much more than some expensive, Italian brand. To see this dress being displayed proudly by the exclusive brand solidifies my idea that the fashion world is changing, maturing. The world is becoming open and young and dare I say, hip? No longer will I or the other hipsters have to fight to prove that there is elegance within the ripped skinny jeans and cropped top or an own creation. "Garage glamour". This is what I mean by combining the new with the old. To be completely honest, I had no formed opinion or planned topic or theme to cover in this entry. I simply posted the pictures I selected and then began to write. I am sitting down on the couch, sipping on a warm earl gray tea and am listening to Florence & the Machine. And here I am, a true academic when it comes to the world of Fashion, and no matter how much I study or how much I write, I have doubts to as how much progress I have actually made. AM I a part of the fashion world? Do I have a seat at the dinner table, where Versace leather jackets and Burberry jackets are being served? I would like to think yes, but maybe no. Perhaps I will never know. This is what is good about Fashion. There are no questions, there are no answers. A good friend of mine, someone who I admire greatly, shared this quote with me this morning, by surprise. He sent me this quote via text message and I opened it while I was beginning writing this entry. 

“Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.”

The fact is that although I may never have all my questions about Fashion answered, they are always being asked. The questions themselves are the designs, the garments, the fabric, the lace, the dream, the hope. This collection, I have decided, was created to send a tidal wave throughout the oceans and lands of fashion. The world shook once the first model walked this catwalk. Dolce & Gabbana knew the rules and broke them. Stefano and Domenico and all of their designers, assistants and employees, knew that they were breaking the rules. They are fighting for the modern woman and man. They are examples to show that the past is undefined and that the future is open for change. They are shedding light onto the old and the new, paying respect to the fresh beginnings and bitter endings. For life itself is nothing but a cycle. These dresses, are more than just high class luxury. They are filthy glamour, street fashion. They are punk, rebellious dresses that were meticulously cut by mastered artisans. And this, this is why the world of Fashion is ours. Although we, yes me and you, may never sit front row at one of these events, we will still feel the shock of the tidal wave, the ripples of the disturbed ocean will still reach our feet. And to answer my own question, I do have a spot at the dinner table. And so do you. 

Chanel Men's RTW 2012/13

Hello hello! I'm here again. I am at the beach with my family, relaxing and happy to be spending quality time with them. On the way down to the beach I was inspired by Chanel. I am not sure why or what caused this, but my motivation was the French Fashion house that has been a titan in the world of fashion, for a long, long time. Perhaps what sparked this was ehm I was thinking about the custom (Hello Haute Couture!) Chanel dress Lady the Gaga wore to her Barney's TV interview, with Katie Couric. Not sure! Continuing on, the dress was a symbol. Karl Lagerfeld knows he is thee designer in the world. He, essentially, calls the shots. (In France, at least!) So I was inspired to rediscover the world of French fashion and of menswear. Chanel! Here we go. I want to show you some pictures from the recent 2012/2013 RTW collection. It's quite brilliant if you ask me. I heard a quote that I liked. It went something like this.: "You have to know the rules to break them". I am not sure who said this but this seems to apply directly to everything Fashion, especially this collection. I'm so excited!

We're talking bedazzlers, people. We're talking about the highest of glamour and elegance. We're talking class. Notice each and every detail! The beautiful black coat that Baptiste Giabiconi wears, Lagerfeld's prized possession, is something to be looked at and admired for a minute. Notice the arrow formed at the neckline! We are looking at some serious fashion. Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld. Paris meets India. Lagerfeld shared with the press that the collection was "The Paris version of the idea of India". As you analyze, notice in particular the shapes formed by the cuts of the clothing, the sharp and fitted cuts and the overall look created: elegance with a touch of promiscuity. The V-neck, strong and eye catching is the basis, the foundation of the outfit, the look, the illusion. Or am I mistaken, is the slim fitting pants and the high class tops the foundation and the V-Neck cuts the top layer? The cherry on top? Who knows. Perhaps Karl does. We will just have to form our own opinion. I know that I have only shred a few pictures, but just these few pictures capture the overarching feeling and vibe from the collection. I have little else to say and will leave the rest up to you. However, I have one question to ask: If you were to be wearing one (or all!) of these outfits, who would you be? What would your statement(s) be? We, the ones who really get, for a simple word, the fashion world, understand that an outfit says a lot about you. It tells who you are and who you want to be. Me? I will keep my answer to myself. Fashion, sometimes, is personal.


I will see you soon. Donatella is calling my name and Karl is demanding your attention. As they say in Paris- Bonne journée!