FASHION WEEK | personal highlights

Cushnie Et Ochs | 3.1 Phillip Lim | Hwan Sung for Central Saint Martins 

A strong one-piece, emphasized by the diagonal cropped sleeves from the hand of Cushnie et Ochs. The sisters set their focus on material instead of shape and that resulted in a clean line of firm, rubberized and dense fabrics. 3.1 Phillip Lim explored the world of punk through a mix-up of leathers and the classic pinstripe suit. That far connotation with Kurt's Nirvana increased when seeing the glasses. They are nor white nor oval, but clearly inspired by the raw 'fuck you-mentality' mixed with a hint of joy and experimentation. Last in row is the graduation project of Hwan Sung, presented by the prestigious Central Saint Martins. He turns his models in modern angels by putting a ballet tutu on top of the all-white outfits. Interesting vision on layering.

All Hernandez Cornet

Yes to the perception of bare skin, yes to the crumpled green plastics, yes to the hints of raw denim. Hernandez Cornet's show was in many ways innovative. It was not about that vertical stripe that replaced a row of buttons, or the 'new suit' that was presented. For me, it was the moment of clarity that fashion is not always about putting it all in one design, just as that old saying 'less is more' is still relevant today.

Lacoste | Proenza Schouler

Lacoste surprised me in very many ways. It shook off their classic polo's, cheesy crocodile and dusty image. Sports re-innovated, taking risk. Highlights were the complete mint-green suit, including gloves in the same colour, and the semi-transparent layer on top of the digital printed dress. On the other end of the pastels, in between loads of black and white, there was the show of Proenza Schouler. Slightly inspired by the path of Balenciaga, these two outfits stood out. The wonderful use of lavender ostrich leather in combination with the turtlenecks and diagonal lines, Schouler made it picture perfect again.

STYLE FILE | Jess Blanch

ph / Various tumblrs, Shopbop

I have always had a strong apathy against ruffles, peplums, skirts and dresses. That feminine, giggling feeling they reminded me of was not an option. I spent days strolling through several men’s departments, always going for the XXL and the dropped crotch. A few years and several sizes later, I still feel connected to the suited women, the lady with an oversized pair of black glasses, the one who leaves her gender simply in the middle. Jess Blanch is one of them. She joined the fashion-army as editor in chief of the Australian RUSSH Magazine and doesn’t abjure her uniform. Remember that jawdropping Isabel Marant waistcoat? Spotted once and for all over the shoulders of Blanch. Trendspotter I tell you.

How would you describe your personal style?

"Classic, I suppose. I think a white silk blouse can be everything, but every so often I wear something ridiculous. I don’t really have the patience for accessorizing. And I only have one rule: not to wear black on Sundays, but don’t ask me why."

How did this dream started? 
"My story is that same cliché you read so often. I grew up in a small country town and was the youngest in my family. It was a fairly isolated upbringing in terms of pop culture. I spent a lot of time riding my horse. I didn’t watch a lot of TV as we only had two channels, so I immersed myself in books and my parents’ records. I’d listened to a whole lot of Sinatra by the time I got to Nirvana. My mum loves fashion and totally indulged me with magazines and I just fell for that fantasy world within the pages. I was back at my parents’ home over the weekend, and I still have some Harper’s Bazaars from the mid-nineties in the drawers by my bed. The one where Lindbergh shot Kate Moss wearing the denim overalls. I’ve been looking at them for years without really noticing. It was like stumbling on gold."

What inspires you?
"F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “The world exists in your eyes only. You can make it as big or as small as you want.” I like this – it reminds me that it’s up to me. Literature, art, music. My Dad has always said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The fact that Billy Ocean made it his song is just a bonus. Most of all I think it’s a great conversation. It’s amazing how good you feel afterwards. That’s when I find my mind is most open and when I have my best ideas. I can be a little vague, always living inside my own head, not always listening while others are speaking to me; so maybe it’s even more special when I’m actually there in the moment with someone."

Text: Bloginity - click here to read the entire interview with Jess Blanch

Also in the serie STYLE FILE:
Yasmin Sewell 
Taylor Tomasi Hill 
Lucy Williams 
Barbara Mortelo

LOOK OF THE DAY | Mija is smiling

ph / 1TO9 SMILING

Stunning, jaw-dropping, brilliant. Please welcome the beautiful Mija from 1TO9 SMILING, a newbie in the Creators of Desire-club. Her look is effortless, without getting tacky or shabby where the Olsen-twins have patent on. I have been crazy for simple tees lately, and Mija's fits perfectly. A complete look with just the elementary basics, I like. I might have added a red lip, but soit.

AW12 | 5 Trends for this Fall

ph / We The People, Citizen Couture, Stockholm Streetstyle - edited by me

Some trends are meant to be, some are just hilarious. This is what I saw across a certain amount of streetstyle blogs - and liked. The mirrored sunnies (1) form an admiring contrast with the all-black suit, while the camouflage-print (2) mixes great with reptiles and chunky gold. I already own a pair of cat eyed sunglasses (3), fan since Alexander Wangs tip-toes some years ago. I even remember those as my first knock-offs! Classic combination: black and white (4). Right now seen a lot as dark on top, white beneath. You could make a sandwich and top it off with a pair of boots or a simple sandal. Sporty is sexy, especially with the Olympic Games still going strong. Keep it in mind for this fall, when (leather) baseball caps (5) are top of the bill. The dip-dye jeans (5) is actually from a few seasons ago (Dries van Noten), but mixes great with navy blue, a big favourite for autumn/winter 2012.

WORDS | Authentic Self

Achievement is following the desires of your most authentic self.

I'm ok. What a contrast between this and last week, don't you think? The overwhelming amount of blogposts versus having no time for posts at all. Sorry for behaving as a bad blogger, but I worked day and night on getting in AMFI, the Amsterdam Fashion Institute. After filling in a application form and writing a motivation letter, Monday it was time for suitability tests. I cut with shaking hands, I spoke with shaky voice, in short: I was nervous as hell. A big thanks to the lovely comforting AMFI-people and the international students that were chit-chatting right away. Expect more goodies to come, since I now have in and about four weeks to shiver in silence, waiting for my positive or negative letter falling through the mailbox.

O ja, I've been a bad blogger. Maar niet zonder reden uiteraard. Het contrast tussen de dagelijkse, inspiratievolle posts van vorige week en het gebrek daaraan afgelopen week is levensgroot. Al mijn tijd en energie werd opgeslokt door de geschiktheidstesten van AMFI, het Amsterdam Fashion Institute, waar ik volgend jaar mijn tijd wil doorbrengen. Na het opsturen van een vragenformulier en een motivatieletter was het maandag tijd voor testen in real life. Bibberende handjes zorgden voor scheef geknip, een bibberend stemmetje probeerde in haar beste Engels uit te leggen waarom ze hier écht thuis hoorde. A big up voor de rustgevende docenten van AMFI en de gezellige Finse, Italiaanse en Poolse medestudenten die je de oren van je kop praten. De komende tijd is het iets rustiger, en dus tijd voor blogging. Dat doe ik pal op de deurmat, zodat de positieve of negatieve uitslag van AMFI niet te missen is!

CLOSE UP | Proenza Schouler A/W 2012

ph / Vogue, Refinery29, private

Mighty as a samurai, fast as a ninja. The Proenza Schouler Autumn/Winter collection 2012 was definitely inspired by the old Asian kingdom with mighty emperors and humble people. Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough created a daring show, in which they proposed new silhouettes and headed East for inspiration—think karate, kimonos and Yoko Ono. Last had the honor to provide the runway track of the show. "It's Asian," said Hernandez, describing the collection's look, "but in a New York way." Deep red, shocking blue varied with lighter, pastelhues form the base of the colourpalette. What I find appealing in a great runway show is cohesion or unity in thoughts, challenging silhouettes and empowering materials. I did not have to look for one of these. Proenza Schouler took all of my wishes and created a show of dreams. I just pretend I didn't see the kitchy metallic blazers which felt a bit cheap-chinese-wok-restaurant. Just squeeze your eyes so those pictures become one hazy glitter finale. Enjoy these mix of backstage photos, details, runway looks and take-away Chinese.

TOP LOOKS | January

1 Maria Van Nguyen via Vanillascented
I almost posted the whole outfit, from several angles, but I realized Top Looks should be about more than one outfit. The fabrics and colours combine so well, natural beauty in a nutshell. The coat is from Acne, as Maria is supposed to wear while she works over there. You can endlessly create new outfits with Acne's firm basic clothing. Must be heaven...

2 Anh via 9to5chic
Ahn, pronounced as On, has an effortless chic look. The hair, stuffed into the giant collar of the Zara sweater, the different hues from burgundy till beige, it just fits her. Peachy lipstick to complete the colourpalette, a major smile that reflects her kindness and ready to go. Please give me just a pound of her nonchalance.

3 Natalie Suarez via Natalie off duty
Natalie doesn't often wear something that appeals to me this much. Mostly it is too feminine, too romantic. But on flat boots, hidden behind this colossal fur coat, well, she might has stolen my fashion heart. And remember, all black is never wack. Even if the word 'wack' is quite 'wack'. Quack.

4 Sandra via 5inchandup
I showed you enough amazing outfitposts of Sandra, the genius behind 5inchandup. She has taken a short hiatus at the moment, so we have to be content with the candy she left us sooner. Alexander Wang, shiny and heroic. I don't know what I prefer most, the cape shoes or the white beach...

Do you want to see more Top Looks?

ART | Bernadette Pascua

I recently spotted the amazing illustrated diary from Bernadette Pascua on the Freepeople blog. The illustrator is the mastermind behind Decade Diary, a chronicling past, present interests and future perspectives of a decade lived in New York City. I do not reckon her for the illustrations, but far more for her collages. They contain a sophisticated and unique take on fashion. Meet Bernadette, through the eyes of Freepeople.

"I love the constant flux that New York is in. It keeps a great balance of feeling like you are in your own world yet it brings people together in the most odd ways. There’s something magical about the way New York serendipitously brings people into your life. I love those moments of camaraderie New Yorkers can have, all of those chance encounters."


"Everyday is a big surprise. Each day is never the same for me, but I think the most typical day in NYC has to be the Sunday Brunch Day! It’s like an unspoken holiday of sorts that every New Yorker celebrates on the weekend. Waking up later, reading the paper and then going to a brunch with your boyfriend or friends. Then taking a walk around wherever you find yourself going."

"Right now my favorite coffee shop is Saturdays Surf in Soho. It’s on the way to my subway station going back into Brooklyn. It’s a surf shop that has a small counter in the front where coffee can be ordered, there is usually only one attractive guy working the coffee who spends a really long time making your drink, so it always turns out good. They have a casual backyard with simple benches for hanging out which is great in the summer. In the winter looking at all the Surf memorabilia sort of keeps your hopes up for some sun."



"I’ve been doing Decade Diary now since 2009, so four years now! It seems like a really long time but I’ve actually been doing projects similar to Decade since my teenage years. In High School I used to make a lot of xerox copied zines with my Illustrations and stories, and would send or trade them via snail mail. So blogging only seemed like the natural thing to do!"

BLOGS | Poland

I tend to say that Polish fashionbloggers have a certain rawness in common. See the punk influences, like ripped shorts and studded jackets, almost white hair and fierce heels (not to mention that the old punkers in Camden won't ever wear heels). They embody the street, and street embraces them. Meet the backbone of Polish Fashion.



Katherine | Plenty of Hangers
A fresh and clean vibe from a young lady that might looks a bit older than she is aged. She is definitely inspired by popular bloggers as AfterDRK, Vasieliva and such. Nevertheless, she has a vintage influenced look, turning slowly into minimalistic.

Dag fris en fruitige dame, met wat neonkleurtjes tussen al dat industriële grijs. Katherine is duidelijk gecharmeerd van de bloggiganten die oprijzen, zoals AfterDRK en Vasieliva. Soms neemt ze die obsessie iets te letterlijk... Prettige blog om een modemeter naast te houden, Katherine's stijl ontwikkelt zich langs vintage naar boho, richting minimalistisch.



Alicja Zielasko | Alice Point
Alice Point is almost a classic, you could call her the figurehead of Polish fashion. The raw edge is translated to slouchy beanies, loads of cross earrings, acid wash jeans and tough boots. Imagine her hair, always worn to one side, and you understand she is more fashion than punk. The punker would have to shave one side instead of creating the same effect with wearing it one side. Colours, but dark, mysterious but also mainstream. Interesting blog to keep an eye on.

Alice Point is een heuse klassieker en boegbeeld van de Poolse mode. Dat rauwe randje vertaalt zich nu naar afgezakte mutsjes, heel veel cross earrings, acid wash jeans en stevige schoenen. Om het plaatje af te maken draagt ze haar haar immer naar één kant toe, wie weet was opscheren net een brug te ver. Kleurrijk maar donker, mysterieus maar mainstream. Neem alleen al even een kijkje om de prachtige fotografie!



Areta Szpura | Doing real stuff sucks
In spite of the immature title is this unpronounceable name a major drive behind the Polish fashion industry. Her blog lacks outfitposts, but hey, who needs them anyway? With loads of collages, inspiration and a pop of colour, this girl forces Poland down on its knees.

Ondanks dat de titel weinig volwassenheid afdwingt, hebben we hier te maken met een stuwende kracht achter de Poolse industrie. Weinig, heel weinig outfitposts, maar is dat een reden om haar niet te vermelden? Drie van de vier keer is deze zogenaamde unieke content namelijk weinig uniek. Deze onuitspreekbare naam heeft een handje van outfits en belegt zich liever op collages, inspiratie en heel veel kleur.

MUSIC | Dead Weather

Put a master musician and a grunting lady in a studio, give them some whiskey en listen to the results. That is the story of Dead Weather in a nutshell. The band is dark, like an espresso with a heavy bass. Just stir and drink. The sounds of electronical influences and old organs are more present than on previous recordings. The album is also filled with loads of instrumental tracks, where the old rock 'n' roll is represented. Simple is not that bad. Female singer Alison sings a-melodical, sometimes it sounds like rapping, sometimes it's more like an abandoned, drooling pitbull. She never sounds sweet. The Dead Weather is practically a great garage cocktail, the fine mix between heavy basslines and yelling guitars. Best track so far is I Cut Like A Buffalo, but Treat Me Like Your Mother could sound more familiar. The spaghetti-western clip was on MTV a couple of years (?) ago. Mister and Misses shot each other to pulp, surprisingly not dead but more like a Dutch cheese, full of holes. Alison and Jack White are opposites, yin and yang, apple syrup and chicken breast. But that last combination tastes delicious. You get it.

Stop een rasmuzikant en een rauwe, schreeuwende dame in een opnamestudio, geef ze wat whiskey en luister naar het resultaat. Dead Weather is donker, als een goede espresso met een zware baslijn. Even roeren en klaar. Meer dan in de vorige albums wordt de trukendoos opengetrokken met elektronische invloeden en veel orgel als gevolg. Daarnaast wordt het album gevuld met veel instrumentale platen waarin je duidelijk vroege rock ‘n’ roll hoort, want simpel is lang zo slecht nog niet. Alison zingt a-melodisch, soms bijna rappend, soms als een achtergelaten, vastgeketende pitbull waar het kwijl vanaf druipt. Maar nooit lief. De bak experimentele gitaarherrie vreet je trommelvliezen op en maakt Dead Weather tot een fijne garage cocktail. Beste plaat uit het lijstje is I Cut Like A Buffalo, terwijl je Treat Me Like Your Mother misschien vaag nog ergens herkent van MTV, een paar jaar geleden. De clip was gebaseerd op een typische Spaghetti-Western, met een duel waarin meneer en mevrouw beschoten worden tot er een beste Hollandse gatenkaas ontstaat. Alison en Jack White zijn tegenpolen, yin en yang, appelstroop en kipfilet. Maar wist je dat die laatste combinatie verrekte lekker smaakt?

MAGAZINE | Used

Used is a brand new London based biannual publication focussing on the interaction between Fashion and Art. Art expensive? This magazine costs between three and six pounds, nearly nothing. With only two issues published, Used is a certainly a newbie on the block. There is prospective in the process, with this edition in black and white, the Autumn Winter special is already full coloured. It is quite an eye-test to read from the pictures, but the texts are absolutely worth reading. Take a look yourself at this wonderful initiative!

EDITORIAL | End.

Dear readers. I apologize for the quick posts lately. It was yesterday's evening, a table full of papers, a printer spitting out images as quick as 1300 a minute and caffeine. My application for the Amsterdam Fashion Institute had to reach Amsterdam before the 8th of January. The last days were crazy, I spent hours behind my computer screen to come up with the perfect sentences, the best layering in my digital photoshop document, the best matching photo with the questionnaire. All of this has come to an end, so you can look out for 'real' posts again! Let's start off this year good with a breathtaking editorial from the hand of Ville Varumo. Mysterious and dark, but gracious. The uncomfortable yoga-positions the model has to take look flawlessly and the light looks astonishing. As part of an experiment I want to try this year, I will guess stories behind photographs. Quite a challenge.

Sunday evening, around nine. In the commercial break during the footballmatch between Manchester and some Russian team team, I gaze volatile though the curtains. "No shitholes in my garden, no rabble on the corner." My eye falls on a beam across the street. In the light of a lamp post, a young woman dances. Alone. Gracious ballet-sort of movings, slowly but determined. I silently open the window, but cannot hear any melody. With her eyes firmly fixed, she has lost all touch with the dark neighborhood she chose to show her dancing. It is a silent show, with almost no visitors. After nine minutes tight movings, it is over. The classical music that accompanied her dancing in my head stops abruptly. The woman finishes with a bow, deep and long. She disappears into the cold and misty night, leaving her unexpected visitor in a state of bewildering. It is 2-0 for the Russians.

Model | Ellu Arula for Top Models
Photography | Ville Varumo
Hair and Makeup | Marii Sadrak
Styling | Sakke Hytonen
END | The Ones To Watch