Category Archives: Magazines

Just can’t get enough shoes?

42
03.03.12

(via vogue.fr)

All the shoes above belong to the very inspiring Gaia Repossi. You know, the Italian heiress and creative director of Maison Repossi, who possesses that intangible “je ne sais quoi” allure and who’s always decked out in the best boy-meets-girl attires. She assuredly has a small, yet splendid collection of well-loved Church’s brogues, which have been on my “someday”-list for quite some time now. I’m talking about the classic Burwood brogues from Church’s. And truth be told, I’ve postponed this purchase several times before because I couldn’t account for buying them at the time even though they’re decidedly timeless and made of high quality leather. But I think it’s ultimately the right time to get hold of a pair, and of course I have some “bona fide” reasons for adding another pair of shoes to my ever-expanding footwear collection:

– I’ve been wearing my winter boots non-stop for three months, so I think both my feet and boots deserve a break from the constant wear.
– The temperature is rising, the snow is melting, and it’s time for a change in shoes.
– It’s still wet outside so I’d better keep my suede boots out of the danger zone.
– My loafers need to be resoled and repaired.. God knows when I’ll have time for that… Plus, it’s still a tad too cold to wear loafers since they don’t cover the entire feet.
– I reeeeallly want a pair of brogues. They’ve been on my list forever! Argh..

Admittedly, these are merely excuses to purchase them. They’re not even reasonable enough if you ask me. Anyhow, when I came across the picture above, it only intensified my desire for a pair of brogues. Internet is indeed a dangerous place.

And, while I’m at it, I think it’s refreshing to see photos of clothes that actually carry the signs of wear and tear in fashion articles that offers a peek into other people’s closets. Miss Repossi’s shoe collection is a good example. The epitome must be “the essentials” section of Self Service magazine. It’s real and not at all untouched. I’m fed up with clothes that look completely polished on blogs, in magazines etc, as if they’re still in their pristine condition. I find them so boring because they’re just an illusion. Beautiful clothes are the ones that have been worn with a big portion of love over time.

Not just another glossy magazine

40
17.02.12






It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the road or on the divan, because nothing is as cozy as a bit of leisure to sit back and dive into some reading material in the midst of the dreary winter days. In my case, I’ll be savoring the teeny weeny bit of free time in the air reading. Yup, I’m leaving for Berlin this weekend and would love some insider tips by the way. But first, check out the fifth issue of the independent Scandinavian fashion/art magazine SMUG for some reading pleasure. SMUG #5 is finally hitting the magazine stands next week and is hands down one of the best, if not the best, Scandinavian publications out there, at least in my estimation.

The magazine is jam-packed with enthralling articles and editorials, featuring, but not limited to, Patrick Wolf, Yuja Wang, Andrea Mary Marshall, Larry Heard, works by Michael Donovan, and Hedi Slimane. I think my favorite interview is the one with Peter Gatien, which is both a heartbreaking and interesting read about the mogul behind four major clubs in NYC a few decades ago. And as a longtime fan of Hedi Slimane, it’s no wonder that I’m literally exhilarated by the fact that he’s one of the magazine’s contributors. He never ceases to amaze me and it’s a true honor to feature his works in SMUG.

For those of you fashion savvy ladies, you’ll most likely get a thrill out of the conversations with the fascinating and talented Bruno Pieters, Siki Im, Jacquemus, and Katie Gallagher. The Bruno Pieters interview might inspire readers to consume more mindfully, not to mention raise awareness about the subtle political aspects of fashion. And one of the French up-and-coming youngsters featured in this issue, Simon Porte Jacquemus, who has a serious penchant for uniforms and who also wears his favorite clothes over and over again, talks about how he accidentally became a minimalist, his partiality for creating a sense of boredom, and distaste for details.

Anyway, the fifth issue of SMUG is the last one in Norwegian as the magazine will be internationally distributed as of summer 2012. 276 pages of timeless content and impeccable design, paper, as well as beautiful typography. What’s more to add? Well, it’s a magazine people will hold on to for many years to come. And if you happen to be in Oslo on Saturday, don’t forget to hop by the magazine launch party for SMUG #5.

PS: The only place you can get hold of this magazine in the US for now, albeit it’s in Norwegian, is at The Armory Show in New York City!

On using the term ‘minimalist’

45
27.02.11

(via onesleeplessnight)

Thanks to Phoebe Philo, Jil Sander and the rest of the band of minimalist designers, the sudden torrent of minimalism in the world of fashion has indeed taken the style enthusiasts by storm to such an extent that the expression “minimalist” has become quite misleading.

What strikes me most about this craze is the women who are in possession of 20 Chanel jackets and nonetheless call themselves a minimalist when throwing on a stark Jil Sander suit or a futuristic dress. Isn’t that insulting to people such as Leo Babauta of mnmlist.com, who is genuinely a minimalist and practices the philosophy of minimalism in every aspect of life and not only in half a dozen outfits? To put it in a different context: If Webern were to proclaim himself a minimalist only because some of his pointillistic works may be arrayed in a minimalist attire, it would be very insulting to Philip Glass, don’t you think?

I can acknowledge with 100% sincereness that I find it rather hard to call someone with exaggerated shopping habits and a wardrobe jam-packed with a nearly four-digit number of clothes a minimalist. I also find it difficult to comprehend what’s minimalistic in said instance apart from maybe an understated Stella McCartney-esque attire. Often, I see that fashion magazines and certain blogs misuse this term profoundly, and to be frank; I am fed up with this fallacy. Sure, there are probably people who might assert that having this much can be tantamount to being a minimalist by their standards as long as their outfit is a Céline or Jil Sander lookalike. And sure, there’s an interminable discussion of whether minimalism is about both aesthetics and philosophy/method, or merely the latter. But after all, minimalism is fundamentally all about paring down something to its bare essentials, not only regarding how one assembles an outfit, but also in terms of wardrobe. Well, I suppose it’s an incongruity to talk of fashion and minimalism together. As quoted in this post, this is, in my estimation, the most fitting and precise definition of minimalism:

“Minimalism is not a style, it is an attitude, a way of being. It’s a fundamental reaction against noise, visual noise, disorder, vulgarity. Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance.”

By all means, people are entitled to label themselves and their style whatever they desire, but I just wish that people could at least google and look up the term “minimalism” so as to get a better grasp on its meaning before rashly becoming a quasi minimalist. However, how can someone who owns 15 trousers from Jil Sander and 25 Chanel bags be a minimalist?

(The accompanying photo is just a faint example of having perhaps too much clothes, not someone who is labeling herself a minimalist.)
(PS: I’m not claiming that I’m anywhere near a minimalist (yet).. it’s a process that requires baby steps.)

Trois choses que je veux vous dire

24
24.09.10

(via thegentlewoman)

1. I need the second issue of The Gentlewoman but I must admit that I reckon the previous cover was better.

(via flickr/grepic)

2. I’m going to paint my nails rouge noir, the only nail polish I allow myself to wear. So chic. It would’ve been my signature look if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m a pianist and have to cut my nails all the time.

(via netaporter)

3. I’ve purchased a new jacket. So expensive but hopefully worth the expense.

The Gentlewoman

8
17.07.10

(via aurawithanm)

I rarely ever read fashion magazines. Occasionally I pick up a copy of Vogue Paris even though it does not really intrigue me. Is it just me, or has the majority of fashion magazines taken a new disturbing direction nowadays? I can’t really put my finger on it but there’s something wrong… something that makes me avoid the fashion magazine racks.

(via premierissues)

However, there is an exception. I think I’ve found the fashion magazine of my dreams. The mailman just dropped off the first issue of The Gentlewoman today. I know I’m incredibly late but I have literally been tracking down this magazine for months now. Eventually, I found a person who volunteered to sell her own copy to me. This is a well-written and quite inspirational magazine. The layout is perfect, exactly how I want a magazine or my own magazine to look like. Simple, clean and perfect. I am really looking forward to read the interview with Phoebe Philo, one of the most inspiring and talented persons in the fashion industry, which I’m saving for the airplane trip. In fact, I discovered the magazine by accident as I was googling photos of Phoebe Philo, and I’m happy I did it.

The description of the magazine on their website is as intriguing as the magazine appears to be. This magazine is everything I hoped for.

“The Gentlewoman is a new biannual style magazine for a new decade. Featuring inspirational, international women, it pairs ambitious journalism with a sartorial and intelligent perspective on fashion that is focused on personal style – the way women actually look, think and dress.” (source: http://www.mannschaft.org/gentlewoman)