History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition: 1990-2010 (Paris, France)

As some may remember, a while ago I blogged about the first part of the History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibition (aka 'Histoire idéale de la mode contemporaine'), which covered the 70s and 80s. Hosted by the 'Musée des Arts Décoratifs', the showcase featured the more iconic styles of eras long forgotten by some. The second part of this installation, which was presented this Spring, might be a little closer to heart for most though, considering the pieces presented, stem from very recent history. Curated once again by Olivier Saillard, the journey through the 90s and 2000s took a look at key designers who revolutionized the fashion world and runway shows with their unique voice, whether it was the Japanese heavyweights Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo - or subsequently the Belgian designers who followed in their footsteps: Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester or Veronique Branquinho. Then there were the newcomers such as Alexander McQueen or Hussein Chalayan, not to mention the designers who gave established fashion houses a breath of fresh air: Galliano for Dior, Ford for Gucci, Lagerfeld for Chanel, Elbaz for Lanvin and Ghesquière for Balenciaga.

The key look from the exhibition poster: Maison Martin Margiela blazer.

As with all exhibitions, it was impossible for the curator to feature every designer from recent history. So while some may question the lack of American talent (with the exception of Tom Ford) or omissions which included Jil Sander, who ruled 90s minimalism, - or fellow female creatives such as Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo to name a few - it was definitely still a very well laid-out and expansive presentation. At times it was a bit odd to see pieces, which had so recently graced the runway or appeared in boutique windows, displayed in a museum setting. But if anything, it's a nice reminder that even collections of the recent past, already deserve a place in fashion history.

Apologies if some of the images aren't of the best quality. The lighting wasn't ideal for photography.


Maison Martin Margiela

Veronique Branquinho

Ann Demeulemeester


Dries van Noten


Junya Watanabe / Issey Miyake


Comme des Garçons


Yohji Yamamoto


Azzedine Alaïa


Helmut Lang


Prada


Lanvin par Claude Montana


Hussein Chalayan


Alexander McQueen

A dress from SS04, which was almost impossible to capture.

Christian Dior par John Galliano

Click here to see the rest of the exhibit, which includes Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Lanvin, Balenciaga and more.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon - Exhibition (London, UK)

Dress by Maggie Rouff - on the the steps of the Princely Palace of Monaco in 1956 (top image: V&A).

As this past weekend (Nov 12) would have marked Grace Kelly's 81st birthday, I realized I hadn't gotten around to posting about this exhibition. I had planned on seeing it back in April, but couldn't make it and ended up postponing subsequent visits until I finally dragged myself to the V&A museum - two days before closing. While the presentation was relatively small, the moderate selection of her surviving clothes aptly explored the story of her transformation from Hollywood actress to a princess of one of Europe's oldest royal families. It's no secret that Grace Kelly, one of the most photographed women of the 20th century, had an impeccable style: a kind of low-key glamour that inspired millions of women around the world. Yet apart from simply showcasing pretty clothes that once belonged to someone famous, the one thing I got out of this exhibition was a distinct feel for what made Grace Kelly so classy and chic.

That 'something' wasn't her selection of designer gear which she amassed after she became a princess. In fact, it's the exact opposite. If there's one thing I realized during my visit, it was just how thrifty Princess Grace actually was. This might be rare for someone who's not just famous but a member of royalty. Yet considering how most regular people these days seem to embrace throwaway fashion (let's not even talk about today's celebrities), I think Grace Kelly's view on style is aspirational and more relevant than ever. So instead of just taking this as a presentation of all things beautiful, I'd like to think this exhibition was something most people could learn from.

V&A had split the exhibition into four categories, each representing a period in Kelly's life or career. Every outfit was accompanied by photographs of her wearing that specific piece, while video footage of her wedding, movies and other events played in the background - bringing her style to life.

Actress

Most of Grace Kelly's dresses during her movie career were created by costume designers, with whom she worked closely with - notably MGM's Helen Rose and Paramount's Edith Head. The gown she wore to accept her Oscar for 'The Country Girl' in 1955 had previously been worn to the movie's premiere and made another appearance on the cover of Life magazine. Likewise, a pale pink dress by Oleg Cassini was worn by Kelly in Cannes (1955) and on several other occasions including her journey from NYC to her new home in Monaco a year later.

Grace Kelly's Oscar gown by Edith Head (lower left) and another favorite dress by Oleg Cassini (top right) were worn during several public appearances. Other items on display: a no-name dress from NYC (lower center) and her Academy Award (top left image: V&A).

Some of the movie gowns, incl. dresses from 'High Society' by Helen Rose (left and lower right), 'Rear View' by Edith Head (center) and a simple cotton number from 'The Swan'.

Bride

Grace Kelly first met Prince Rainier III during her trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 when French magazine 'Paris Match' organized a photo shoot between the two. The famous floral dress Kelly wore for the first meeting was labeled by the press as 'Dior inspired', though it was merely an 'easy to sew' garment from a McCall's Pattern Book - a last minute solution after a power cut in her hotel forced her to select the only item that didn't require ironing. This dress had also been previously worn by her, when she modeled it for the magazine. Kelly's love for simple classic American style was also evident from her choice of shirtwaist dresses and jacket-skirt ensembles. Many such outfits were worn throughout her engagement and formed part of her wedding trousseau. Helen Rose ended up designing dresses for both the civil and church ceremony.

The silk taffeta McCall dress worn to the first meeting - Grace Kelly had previously modeled it for McCall (top right image: V&A).

Above: Bodice & skirt worn during the civil wedding ceremony (stock image: SNAP/Rex Features).
Below: shirtwaist dress from Branell, worn during the official engagement announcement (stock image: Bettman/Corbis).

More outfits from the trousseau from mainly American designers. The Dior suit, which Kelly wore when departing for her honeymoon (above right) was an exception.

Princess

In her new role as princess, Grace Kelly, like other members of European royal families, started patronizing the grand couture houses of Paris. Her approach: "Our life dictates a certain kind of wardrobe", but also "I think it is important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards". Though more extravagant, many of her designer outfits were still classy and elegant. During this time she became especially associated with the fashion house of Christian Dior, who supplied her with an array of formal but eye-catching clothes. Once again, it needs to be noted that various outfits were worn to more than one public occasion, whether it was the green Givenchy number, the polka-dot Dior gown, the Chanel suits or dazzling Balenciaga outfits.

Dresses by Hubert de Givenchy (top left, lower center) and Cristobal Balenciaga. The green dress was worn to a White House lunch with JFK/Jackie Kennedy and several times more, incl. a trip to Dublin (top right image: V&A).

Other favorite pieces included a beaded Balenciaga outfit (center), a Dior gown worn for the cover of a magazine and other occasions (left) and two Chanel pieces worn throughout her role as princess (right).

Kelly owned several dresses by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior (top left image: V&A). Also on display: a selection of gloves and shoes (lower right).

More Dior dresses. The polka dot gown (top left) was another favorite: Grace wore it at Cannes in 1970 and again in 1972 for the cover of Vogue.

Enduring Icon

Even as fashion and silhouettes changed in the 60s and 70s, Grace Kelly remained true to the classic, streamlined style she had favored as an actress, adapting her look only slightly to include fine jewelry and elaborate hairstyles for parties or balls. She disliked many of the new fads, such as short skirts, commenting: "After all, who has pretty knees?" further stating that she avoided ‘too blatant curves, too tight dresses, too lavish furs’. Despite other women taking the fashion lead during this time, the media never stopped paying attention to her and she was frequently featured on magazine covers. Her savvy accessorizing skills were adopted by women around the world, whether it was her love of sunglasses, the use of bright scarves and hats (to draw attention away from her pregnant belly) or the famous Hermès bag which was later named after her.

Fancy dress ball gown by Andre Levasseur (left). Sequined silk gown by Dior with a pretty incredible head piece (center, lower right). Sketches of various Grace Kelly hairstyles (top).

More dresses, incl. a black/white shirtwaist dress (top), a Dior gown (lower left), the purple Yves Saint Laurent dress she wore to a benefit gala in 1981 where she first met Princess Diana (center) and the famous 'Mondrian' dress by YSL. Small images showed Grace wearing the dresses (lower right).

Draped gowns by Madame Grès. The middle dress seemed to be rather boring, but looked spectacular on Grace herself (top right; image: Camera Press Digital).

It's all in the accessories: jewelry by Van Cleef & Arpels, the famous 'Kelly' bag by Hermès, monogrammed suitcases, chic shades, more bags and a selection of hats (stock image: Corbis).

While the exhibition revealed many details about Grace Kelly (did you see how tiny her waist was?) - the one thing I noticed was how worn some of the items were, whether it was the scuffs on the Hermes bag, the cracks on the shoes or the washed out look on some of the clothes. When asked why she didn't donate some of her garments to charity, Kelly replied: "I am not eager to give away my things just because they’re worn. I keep my things longer than most people [do]." She was also said to be 'loyal to her old clothes' just like she was loyal to old friends, and held on to them for sentimental reasons, stating that "I just buy clothes when they take my eye, and I wear them for years."

With regard to her clothing budget, she said "The truth is, I don’t spend a great deal of money on clothes. There are other things I’d rather use it for." - though her husband enjoyed taking her on lavish shopping trips which counterbalanced her thriftiness a little.

In a day and age when most celebrities (and others) latch on to the newest trend which sees them wearing shouldered Balmain pieces one day, then Celine capes the next only to be replaced by Burberry shearling a month later - it was incredibly refreshing to realize that someone as high-profile as Princess Grace not only stayed true to her style, but had enough common sense to re-wear outfits in public - something that is almost unheard of today. Most current celebrities expect to be gifted with the newest expensive clothes by designers or borrow them for the Red Carpet, further fueling the thought that wearing something more than once isn't really cool. But thankfully there are still reminders of how being timelessly elegant and staying thrifty can go hand-in-hand.

Official Grace Kelly exhibition site (V&A)
The official book "Grace Kelly Style" can be ordered via Amazon

(text sources/quotes: V&A, Daily Mail, Telegraph UK, F.Tape)

Balenciaga Boutique (Cannes, France)

Considering Cannes used to be a small fishing village, it's quite remarkable that it's become the ultimate destination for the rich and famous. But as mentioned in this post, it's actually still very laid back and down-to-earth, with plenty of cute affordable cafes and regular boutiques. Nevertheless, the first things you'll probably end up seeing when you take a stroll through the area will be the chic waterfront boulevard 'La Croisette', which is lined with luxury hotels and designer flagships.

Additional view of the wave-shaped Balenciaga boutique from the outside.

There isn't really a single boutique along this street that can't be found elsewhere, since most of the designers are big-name luxury labels. I am featuring Balenciaga, not because Cannes holds any special meaning to the brand, but I'm doing it for slightly more selfish reasons: it's my favorite designer label - along with Alexander McQueen. I do however find this boutique to be blog-worthy, because unlike other creative directors, Nicolas Ghesquière is probably one of the few who's very involved in the store design and he also dislikes having each flagship look identical. If like me, you get annoyed by the fact that much like Starbucks or Borders, labels like Louis Vuitton or Dior tend to have the exact same look regardless of whether their boutiques are in London or L.A. (despite the fact that their creative directors are incredibly innovative), it's quite refreshing to realize that Balenciaga has created a different world for each of its stores.

FW09 campaign featuring Jennifer Connelly (images: Balenciaga).

Balenciaga, which has been around since 1918, was one of those names (along with Chanel, Dior and Givenchy) that kept popping up when I browsed the vintage Vogue Paris covers a while ago - a testament of its importance in fashion history and an indication of how far it has come. What I've always loved about this brand, aside from the clothes and motorcycle bags, is the fact that unlike many of its historic designer peers, Balenciaga never felt the need to plaster a logo on every bag or accessory. I doubt most people will even be familiar with the intertwined 'B's. I've also always admired the choice spokesperson, whether it's Jennifer Connelly for the current ad campaign or Ghesquière's muse Charlotte Gainsbourg who will be promoting next year's perfume release.

Overview of the store design right after construction (top image: Balenciaga) and stocked with clothes (lower images). Loved the carpet and the old-fashioned sofa.

As expected, the Cannes store was unlike any of the others I had visited before. Despite shared futuristic and graphic elements, such as the 'asteroid' cash desk, or the 'iceberg' accessories displays, each boutique has an official theme, given by Ghesquière and French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster who have worked on all store interiors as a team and derive a concept based on the location and building. While the NYC flagship is more industrial, the Paris one more sculptural and spacey or the London one an art-deco haven, the Cannes store has a luxurious gothic vibe, thanks mainly to the dark floral carpet (which was also used during the SS08 runway show), black lacquered shelves and dark old-fashioned couches. While the stark white interior of some Balenciaga stores (Paris and NYC in particular) can be very intimidating, this one had an almost cosy feel, despite the industrial lights.

The only clothing on this floor could be found on the far left wall (left), while accessories - and one fur coat- took up the rest of the boutique.

Accessories in the black 'iceberg' displays. The orchids added a nice touch, especially as the color matched the cuff and wallet on the right.

The ground floor had what most people probably desire when it comes to this brand: an extensive range of the motorcycle bags in various colors and hardware, along with jewelry, shoes and smaller accessories. The two SAs who were very friendly and helpful, eagerly showed me the newest Winter range, which consisted of bags and shoes that looked like they were designed to match a child's Lego set or Fisher Price toy. Hmmm... not really my style. The same goes for the strange smocked bag, which unfortunately looked like a purse with a serious skin disease. I think I'll stick to the classics for now...

Bags in their little nooks: emerald green and sapphire purple motorcycle bags (right).

Not feeling these... although I can tolerate the shoes. Multi-colored bags and shoes and a red smocked version of the City (lower right) which looks like it needs a dermatologist...

What I did love (besides the classic bags), were the matching cuffs/bracelets that just came out and I really liked this season's runway shoes... even the motorcycle ballerinas have grown on me. A rack towards a wall had a very small selection of clothes in mainly pink and black shades - from what I could tell, they belonged to one of the capsule collections. But for more, the basement was the place to be.

The space-age stairwell leading to the lower level (left image: Balenciaga).

Overview of the lower level right after construction (top image: Balenciaga) and only slightly less empty when stocked. The changing rooms were a little cosier (lower right).

Accessing this involved going down a narrow metallic staircase bathed in gold light. An indication that the lower level was going to be more futuristic... and it was. It looked nothing like the ground floor. The interiors here were more in line with what is considered 'typical' Balenciaga: marbled floors, sculptural elements, geometric shapes and modular display structures, such as the vertical and horizontal poles which served as clothes racks. It looked similar to some of the other stores I'd been to, but had extra touches, such as the more luxurious carpeted changing rooms, decked out in floral arrangements. A large selection of the runway collection was available here, including the sculpted sequined shoulder tops and the drape-waisted skirts. The matching shoes could be found nearby to complete the look.

An extensive range of the RTW collection and more accessories, including sexy heels and a patchwork bag.

The Balenciaga capsule collections, which include 'Balenciaga Leather', 'Balenciaga Knits' and 'Balenciaga T's' to name a few were on display as well, the ultimate item being the leather jacket, which they stocked in navy and khaki. I also ended up finding a few metallic pieces from the current holiday range for those who need to spice up their outfit this season.

An entire cluster of bags and shoes (left) and the special edition metallic leather jacket (right).

More eye candy incl: ankle booties, metallic clutch, a crocodile skin City bag and knee-high boots.

No, I didn't buy anything, even though the staff was so friendly and the store so empty, I felt like doing them (ok, and me) a favor - but alas, I'm on a pre-holiday ban. I know SAs in Cannes and other luxury hotspots have a reputation of being incredibly snobby, but this thankfully wasn't the case here, so no worries about taking a browse if you're ever in town. The same building complex also houses a Bottega Veneta, Pucci, YSL and Paule Ka flagship if you need more shopping fixes. For a more unique range of luxury brands, I'd also recommend 'Le 55', which is a multi-brand boutique on 55 la Croisette that offers more Balenciaga and everything from Margiela to Lanvin. For additional Balenciaga shopping, their website stocks bags, jewelry, accessories and even their coveted leather jackets with deliveries to the US and UK, so head on over if you have some extra cash to spend... or feel like picking out an early Christmas present...

A selectino of the FW09 RTW collection (images: style.com).

Some pieces from the FW09 capsule collections including two looks each (starting left) from 'Balenciaga Leather', 'Balenciaga Denim' and 'Balenciaga Knits' (images: Balenciaga).

Address: 65 boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-19:00
Balenciaga Homepage & Online Shop (US & UK only)

Les Soldes à Paris! A Haute-Shopper's Experience.

I was going to blog yesterday and share yet another wonderful Spanish (or French... haven't decided) store with everyone, but I got distracted by one of the biggest shopping events in France: the first day of summer sales. So instead, I have decided to share this sometimes crazy, mostly surprisingly civilized experience with you. You can consider this a virtual sales shopping experience through my eyes, complete with a bizarre anecdote towards the end. I will even show you the stuff I bought... kind of.

In any case, pre-sales have been going on for a while in Paris now, but it's the official sales that deliver the true bargains. Mainly because a lot of the big designers (Balenciaga, Lanvin etc.) won't mark down anything until the first sale date. And others will only pull out all the goods from stock once the real thing is underway. Because I never buy designer full-price, (unless I know it will never ever go on sale) but unfortunately also have shoe and clothing sizes that sell out immediately, I wanted to get there early. It was also pretty convenient I didn't have to work yesterday. The greater part of the retail world opened it's doors at 8AM. I thought 8AM was pushing it, so instead I chose to go at... 8:20AM.

First stop: Department Stores

I started out at Printemps (Haussmann), which is also the first place I visited during the winter sales. I don't really enjoy department stores (artificial light, enclosed space...), but when it comes to sales, they somehow manage to pull out stuff that's sold out elsewhere (the same goes for Galeries Lafayette, but I prefer Printemp's layout). I would also recommend Le Bon Marche, though it's a little further away from the main shopping area.

Where are the people? Alexander McQueen (above) and Balenciaga (below).

Bi-annual sales in bigger cities tend to be crazy. In Harvey Nichols (London), I witnessed a lot of shoving, pushing, screaming and when the doors opened early in the morning, women were actually sprinting towards certain sections of the store. Printemps? Not really. The women's RTW clothing section was scarily empty. Except for one silly person I'll get to later...

50% off Balmain at Printemps, including all variations of the shoulder jackets.

I finally found out where the masses had gathered... in the shoe section of course! This gave me a chance to take some pics of people spending too much money. The logo brands were doing very well with long lines in front of Chanel, Dior and Gucci. The below pictures were taken at 8:45 AM.

I wonder what they're waiting for...

But no one cared about Prada, YSL, Sergio Rossi or Giuseppe Zanotti. Some of these areas were so empty, I actually tried on shoes because I felt sorry for the bored staff. Yes, I'm nice that way.

Where's the love?

Second Stop: One Flagship, Two Boutiques

I was so intrigued by the queues in front of the various Chanel sections within the department stores, I was curious to see how busy the main flagship on rue Cambon was. It was busy, but no queues. And way more shoes. It's 10 mins away... why don't people come here instead?

Chanel rue Cambon: two rooms were dedicated to shoes alone.

I also ended up visiting two multi-brand boutiques. The first, Maria Luisa stocks everything from Margiela to Manolos (one of the few places in Paris that sells the brand). I then took a bit of a detour to Ave. Montaigne to visit Montaigne Market (stocks Balmain, Alaia and Ann Demeulemeester). Both were shockingly empty.

Maria Lusia (left) and Montaigne Market (right). Both very empty.

Montaigne Market: 50% off the YSL cage boot anyone? A young girl was browsing, happily toting her Balmain purchase.

Third Stop: Rue du Faubourg-St. Honoré

By the time I hit the main high-end shopping area near rue Royale, the streets were full of people. It was around 10AM by then. Almost every single person was carrying shopping bags - most of them by luxury designers. I had already purchased Lanvin shoes in Printemps (50% off), but I love the way the boutique displays the shoes during the sale season. The ballerina flats were only marked down 30%. Pretty weak... especially considering Lanvin did a full 50% discount half a year ago.

Lanvin flagship. The shoe section. My vesrion of heaven.

Givenchy: Does no one love you... except me?

Oh no, Givenchy is so empty! I must save them!

Left: Busy YSL - 50% off everything. Right: Louboutin was busy as well - 30-50% off.

On the street

In a sad attempt to show you some pseudo-streetstyle images and to make myself feel better about spending money, I started taking pictures of people with shopping bags. They were everywhere. France isn't officially in a recession, which would explain why even children are hauling TODS bags around...

TODS, YSL, Dior and Chanel were hot favorites.

And speaking of TODS, I must have missed something, because they had the longest line of people ever.

Are there freebies? Right: Buggies can be practical...

More shopaholics...

The guy in the picture above (right) was excitedly telling his female friends that he had purchased some shirts, a wallet and a belt from Lanvin, YSL and Prada. He couldn't have been older than 20. The girl toting the Balmain shopping bag a few pictures up was around 18. And while I was trying to get a pic, two girls approached me, wanting to know where the Balenciaga flagship was (they were both around 18 as well). Don't know about you, but when I was that age, it was all about vintage and H&M. I'm intrigued...

The orange invasion...

I was a little surprised by the amount of people carrying Hermès bags, considering they don't have regular sales (they have bi-annual private sales). But I'm guessing the purchases might have been of the classic will-never-go-on-sale kind.

The crazy shopper

I'm just going to briefly mention one person who towards the beginning of my shopping spree proved that people do go psycho during sale season. During my first stop in Printemps (McQueen section) I was happily browsing and checking a price of a scarf, which was in my hand when I suddenly felt a tug... and nothing. A woman, who I will refer to as crazy shopper (CW), sporting a baggy t-shirt, jeans and a sun visor had actually pulled this item right out of my hand, merrily proclaiming to have seen it first. Her left arm was loaded with at least 5 other scarves and many more items. I started arguing but she looked at me like she didn't understand English (to be fair, she didn't speak it very well). I couldn't be bothered, especially as I had no interest in the product and didn't want to waste my own shopping time so I continued.

Two minutes later, I suddenly feel a tug at my own scarf. CW is standing next to me asking "are you going to get that scarf? I think I also saw it first". I tried explaining to her, that this was actually my own (McQueen) scarf from FW07. Her hands were still on it. I was getting slightly irritated (to put it mildly). When she realized there was no security or price tag, she finally got it, laughed, slapped me on the shoulder like we were BFF's and took off towards the Cavalli section. Wow, I wonder if she was on something. Actually I think she might have been an eBay seller. I was tempted to tell her that all the stuff in her arms was actually from FW09 and not on sale, but I guess she'll realize sooner or later...

CW ended up causing more havoc in other areas of the store, when she made an alarm go off twice after yanking various Balenciaga bags off shelves. Security ended up secretly following her around the store after that.

Have you ever experienced nutcases while shopping? I've been to sample sales, and whatnot, but I rarely encounter individuals who actually take stuff you're holding or trying on. It's like something out of a chick-lit movie. I realize there's something about a 50% off sign that triggers irrational behavior and a rapid decline in a person's IQ level, but some people need to get a grip.

Anyhow, for the sake of my credit card, I decided to end my spree after the above mentioned flagships. I might check out more stores next week, but there's nothing else I had my eye on. For now, I'm happy with these:

The damage done.