Designer Sighting: John Galliano (London, UK)

About a year and a half ago, I posted my recap on the Madeleine Vionnet exhibition in Paris, mentioning that John Galliano had been so enraptured by it, he had urged his entire staff to go see it. So it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise to me, when last week - a few days before it was to close - I visited the 'Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion' exhibition, only to bump into... John Galliano of course.

While I've sighted a fair share of designers and models before, there's always something wonderful about seeing them up close and far removed from the usual context of Fashion Week or some other random event. In this case, Galliano was impeccably dressed as usual and surrounded by only two of his colleagues/apprentices who were eagerly taking notes and admiring the different pieces along with their mentor who himself was noticeably taken by some of the more unique garments.

Galliano dressing down. I loved the jacket with the fur sleeves and the pin-striped trousers.

My favorite moment though, was when one of the staff who was visibly enamored by Galliano's style but had no idea who he was, went over, pointed to his braids and asked him if his hair was real or if he was sporting extensions (for those interested, he claimed the hair to be his own the last time he checked and that he wasn't a fan of the weave). Other than that, he spoke in hushed tones with his two consorts who ended up purchasing a few exhibition books among other things. Of course every designer is inspired by Rei, Yohji & Co., but it's nice to know that some really do take an active interest in learning more. Here's wondering how much of that will influence the next Dior or Galliano collection...

And I will be posting my summary on the actual exhibition in the near future, so stay tuned.

Frimousses de Créateurs (Paris, France)

Fashion tends to have a reputation of being somewhat superficial and shallow, especially if you ask those who have absolutely no interest in it. But even the haters will have a hard time saying a bad word about a lovely project called "frimousses de créateurs" ('frimousses' supposedly means doll-face), which was launched in 2003 by Laeticia Halliday and Delphine Arnault-Gancia for UNICEF France. The idea was to ask some of the world's leading fashion designers and artists to create or dress a doll to their liking, which would be presented over the course of a week, then auctioned off the following week. The proceeds benefit various causes and this year all donations will go towards vaccinations to aid the children in Darfur. Last year's event allowed over 260,000 children to be vaccinated in Africa. As this year's tag line states: Une poupée adoptée, c’est une vie sauvée - A doll adopted, is a life saved…

Overview of the exhibition. A small area had leaflets and videos providing more details of the cause.

Now, dolls aren't necessarily the most covetable thing in an adult's life... in some cases it might even come across as creepy if you are a collector (anyone remember the SATC episode where Stanford's crush turns out to be a collector of Victorian dolls? Scary...). But having your favorite designers take a swing at creating mini-outfits and revamping small puppets puts a very different spin on the traditional Barbie or old-fashioned porcelain number. The costumes themselves were quite adorable and if I were very rich, I'd probably participate in the auction, which took place yesterday (the exhibition itself ran last week), but I think I'll just have to stick to the regular donation route for now.

I loved everything I saw... some ideas were more original than others. I took pictures of every figurine, but I won't show them all since there were well over a hundred dolls on display. Most of them were presented on a wall surrounded by a real or painted frame - others were placed on large tables towards the end of the hall. The venue itself in the Petit Palais, was a magnificent setting. I'd probably have to say Christian Dior, Lanvin (I'm biased) and Chantal Thomass created some of my favorites. Although anyone who participated in this, deserves an acknowledgement. Which ones would you have bought?

Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior's "Saskia".

Dolce & Gabbana, Emanuel Ungaro

Damian Hirst (top left) and Dries van Noten (lower left), as well as Jeff Koons and Gucci (lower right) chose to embroider and paint their dolls. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac decided to create a giant skull (center) and Kenzo grouped several floral patterned ones (top right).

Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta

The queens of lingerie design: Princesse Tam Tam, Chantal Thomass, Fifi Chachnil.

Missoni, Jean-Paul Gaultier

Top row: Franck Sorbier Couture, Jean Claude Jitrois, Jay Ahr. Lower row: Cartier's Panther, couture house Maison Lesage, Gilles Dufour.

Prada, Miu Miu

Top: Pucci. Bottom: Sonia Rykiel's three-headed doll.

Top: Loewe, Corinne Cobson, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Esmod. Bottom: a Miss Audrey doll, dolls attached to a golden heart by Jean-Michel Othoniel, Paco Rabanne.

Chloé, Yves Saint Laurent

From the French high street... top row: Antik Batik, Faith Connexion, Zapa. Bottom: Agnès B., Comptoir des Cotonniers, Cacharel.

Giorgio Armani, Lanvin

Top: Christophe Guillarmé used Beth Ditto's pic as a head, Jérôme L’Huillier. Bottom: Lolita Lempicka, jewelry designer Clémentine Mauboussin.

A few wedding inspired dolls, which were a firm favorite among a crowd of 10-year-old girls. The incredible dress to the left is by Elie Saab.

Dover Street Market (London, UK)

Imagine Rei Kawakubo, Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Alber Elbaz, Rodarte's Mulleavy sisters and a slew of other incredible designers were to move into a large 5 storey apartment together and you might get an inkling of what the interior of Dover Street Market looks like. Unlike any other multi-brand or concept store out there, this little emporium doesn't just stick to one design. Kawakubo, the creative force behind this store sums it up best with the following quote: "I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision."

If you've been to DSM, you'll know what she's talking about. If not, let's just say that this store is unlike anything you will have seen before. Dare I say it makes any other concept store (yes, even Colette in Paris) look pretty basic. This is the kind of place I wish I would 'accidentally' get locked in after opening hours. Because Kawakubo is behind it, you will get your fair dose of Comme des Garçons items... probably one of the biggest selections available. But it's so much more than that. Not only is every floor completely different in design, music, atmosphere and staff attire, but every section on each floor has a different vibe as well. You get your colorful Lanvin corner, stark minimalist Ann Demeulemeester section, clean elegant Alaïa area, not to mention the so-called 'Garden Space', the Chinese inspired shoe boudoir or the tribal infused area on the second floor.

Odd objects, including tiger head, plastic human head + selection of eyeballs & open human torsos. Not for sale... I asked.

And scattered throughout you'll see somewhat surreal items displayed in glass cases: taxidermied tiger heads, various animal skulls or fossils and the top floor showcased a few plastic models of the human anatomy. Very odd, very cool, very Rei. I realize this post might get overly long, so I will try to keep it verbally short and rely on images to convey the atmosphere. I'll also divide this post into the different floors to give a better overview.

Ground Floor

The DSM Hut in the background sells books/magazines. Towards the front: perfume tower & jewelry cases (image: DSM).

Left: New CdG arrivals and Junya Watanabe items in big wooden boxes. Right: animal skulls and other odd objects in glass cases.

Left: CdG Homme in weird orange construction... yes, that's a mannequin perched up there. Right: DSM polka-dot hut features some CdG Play pieces and DSM exclusive items.

Summary: Bizarre, industrial yet somewhat coherent in design, probably because most of the range was CdG. Jewelry included items from CdG and Ann Demeulemeester. Lots of staff (around 5-6), though half might have been security. And take the stairs... the lifts take ages to arrive.

First Floor

That hut on the right is actually the cash desk (image: DSM).

Left: more CdG. Right:CdG and Margiela

Left: I have no idea what that thing is. Probably a rabbit with a headlamp CdG Shirt section in the glass room.

Left: the Ann Demeulemeester room. Right: Azzedine Alaïa section

Summary: Industrial meets streetwear cool meets designer flagship elegance. Only one staff member, which made browsing quite relaxing. There were a few taxidermied tiger heads near a rack with Haider Ackermann pieces. The Alaïa section also included the entire range of footwear. Very tempting. Very dangerous.

Second Floor

Left: World Archive section included traditional costumes, masks, woven fabric and other artifacts from Africa & Asia. Right: TAO CdG.

Left: Garden Room featuring collections from Daniela Gregis, Charles Anastase and more World Archive. Right: DSM Shoe Space with an impressive range of Nicholas Kirkwood, Pierre Hardy and Givenchy footwear.

Complete view of the DSM Shoe Space with its Chinese-inspired decor (image: DSM)

Summary: Probably the strangest floor with its mix of tribal, CdG minimalism, Summer garden and Chinese boudoir. Around five staff members who were very attentive. Offered to bring me all the Kirkwood shoes in my size. I showed great restraint by declining the offer.

Third Floor

Lanvin in the background and towards the front: Stephen Jones hats draped on neon branches (image: DSM).

Left: Givenchy. Right: Hussein Chalayan RTW, Judy Blame accessories

Left: Gilded birdcage changing room in the CdG section. Right: TAO CdG

Summary: This area held my favorite CdG items (mostly in black) and some incredible TAO pieces. This floor had the most designer variety with collections by Gareth Pugh, Christopher Kane, Nina Ricci and Rodarte to name a few. Not quite pictured is the bed of black chiffon roses in front of the birdcage changing room.

Fourth Floor

Left: Artisanal hardware and kitchen utensils from "Labour and Wait". Right: CdG Play

Right: More CdG Play. Right: Pokit bags, Toga Archives and CdG Tricot

Rose Bakery with a nice view over Mayfair (image: DSM)

Summary: Like the ground floor, this level was more coherent in design (again, due to a predominantly CdG range) and probably one of the more 'normal' floors, considering everything was furnished in light wood. The only odd items, were the model of a head and plastic anatomical parts of the human body which were housed in glass cases (see top image).

Lower Level

John Galliano section (image: DSM)

Left: Eve Democracy. Right: Salvatore Ferragamo

Left: Partial overview of the streetwear section. Right: Billinoare Boys Club, Supreme

Summary: This floor had the smallest selection of women's clothing with menswear - in particular streetwear - dominating the area. Specific brands had their own selection housed either in caged spaces or huts, though none of them were as odd or deconstructed as the ones on previous floors. Staff were dressed in appropriate attire, i.e. if you didn't know better you'd think they were members of a hip hop band.

This is probably one of the most innovative retail spaces out there at the moment. If you're a fan of avant-garde or hard-to-find designer fashion, DSM is a must. I love coming here, just because it's such a nice change from your average glitzy flagship or overwhelmingly big department store. Occassionally DSM will also host art installations or special exhibitions. To quote Rei Kawakubo again: "We hope to make DSM more and more interesting. I enjoy seeing all the customers coming to DSM dressed in their strong, good looking and individual way. I would like for DSM to be the place where fashion becomes fascinating." I can guarantee that Kawakubo has definitely succeeded in that.

Address: 17-18 Dover Street, London W1s 4LT
Opening Hrs: Mon-Wed: 11:00-18:00, Thu-Sat: 11:00-19:00
Dover Street Market Homepage and Online Shop

Likus Concept Store (Warsaw, Poland)

Greetings from Warsaw! It's my first visit and boy, did I pick a great time to come here. It's freezing!! Sightseeing is a must (more so than shopping), but it was quite a painful, almost unbearable experience to walk around, despite UGGs and 5 layers of clothing. Never mind, I did of course find some stores and even though I was told in advance that this city "isn't for shopaholics" - untrue by the way - there are a few places worth visiting.

(image: Likus homepage)

One example is the Likus Concept Store. Like most self-proclaimed concept stores, you'll most likely end up spending more time looking at the surroundings than buying whatever they sell. Hidden in a backyard in a 19th century building that formerly housed the luxury baths and saunas, you'll be greeted by a receptionist in charge of the restaurant which is housed on the ground floor. I dined here with my significant other the same night and can definitely recommend the fusion cuisine, though the prices are quite high for Warsaw. The shop itself mainly features Diesel (entire basement) at the average European prices. Oh yeah, watch out for the pool which I almost landed in when I wasn't paying attention.

(image: Likus homepage)

Overlooking the restaurant, the upper level has a good collection of clothes and accessories by designer labels such as Viktor & Rolf, John Galliano and See by Chloe to name a few. Sales were still going on, but the store was completely empty so the staff were quite attentive. Unfortunately I didn't buy anything - I was too distracted (in a good way) by the store design to browse too much. Worth a visit even if you're not into designer fashion.

Address: 16/18 ul. Krakowskie Przedmiescie 00-325, Warsaw
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 11:00-21:00, Sun: 11:00-17:00
Likus Homepage