From left to right: Suzy Menkes, Michael Roberts, Bryan Boy, Sally Singer, Anna Wintour, Hamish Bowles, Tommy Ton

“There has been a complete change this year,” said Kelly Cutrone, who has been organizing fashion shows since 1987. “Do I think, as a publicist, that I now have to have my eye on some kid who’s writing a blog in Oklahoma as much as I do on an editor from Vogue? Absolutely. Because once they write something on the Internet, it’s never coming down. And it’s the first thing a designer is going to see.”

This quote found on the recently published article by the New York Times reminded me why I had created this blog and why I have been continuing to keep it alive for so long. Not only I love the world of fashion since little but the current digital world totally democratized it. It allowed me to give my opinions on the most recent collections and news, embracing fashion online with my own voice and subjectivity almost on real-time. And realizing you can do it right before the major publishers print their papers, makes it exciting and makes us “bloggers” feel powerful “relatively”.

I always admired Carine Roitfeld as an editor, the way she shaped the fashion world through many years puts me back into perspective, but the footprint I leave with my blog is not even as big as her smallest nail. However, knowing to have thousands of readers every month, who write me or designers contacting me for a review just proves how today bloggers are as important as any classic magazine editor. Kelly Cutrone is right, the new era of digital had shaken up the establishment and how fashion enthusiasts look for information. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter among others are the first sites where consumers go to get inspiration and there is room for anyone to write/review. Maybe not enough room during the fashion shows for anyone to seat but I like the idea of live streamed shows accessible to anyone as Alexander McQueen did in the past season. Secretly, dreaming of an invitation to Dior, Lanvin and Chanel shows.

Read the New York Times article.

Rachel Chandler as Debbie Harry

In their latest issue, Muse recalled 4 female icons from the 60’s & 70’s with contemporary and young faces from New York. Purple Diary’s Rachel Chandler above as Debbie Harry, Muse’s new face and model Rachel Ballinger as Edie Sedgwick, Victoria’s Secret new little angel Lily Aldridge as Bianca Jagger and model Rachel Poppy Delevigne as Nico.

I’ve never been a fan of impersonation in fashion editorials, particularly when you look at Lindsay Lohan’s disastrous attempts… but this time I have to admit these 4 girl pull it off pretty well.

Photographer: Natasha Cantwell

Dear Santa,

this year totally sucked ass but by staying positive it helped me continue to achieve great stuff in my life. Despite the general depressive mood of our world, staying optimistic is one gift to keep and grow. For 2010, I wish it to be a greater year, colorful, playful, joyful and fashion-tastic. I expect an explosion of creativeness on the runways and on the streets, let’s get away from latent conservatism of our favorite designers (80’s look is fun but it gets tired). And more importantly no more designer’s label closures (on a heartbreak for Phi and Lacroix), no more fashion covers with Lindsay Lohan or any industry appearances at all (she is killing Ungaro).

Let’s make 2010 rock! Peace & Love! K

Discovered yesterday on Bleach Black, this Indonesian label entitled Since Always makes some stunning pieces with lots of contrasts between colors and fabrics. Love the simplicity and complexity of the design, the 3-dimensional shapes create a good balance between elegance and comfort. I hope to give you more about this collection in the near future! Take a look at the entire lookbook on their website.

For a while designers and retailers have been using film as a successful medium to catch the attention of the consumers but also reflect their brand’s images and vision throughout the seasons. With the Internet today, we find masses of shorts made by famous and independent designers trying to reach out to the public. Inspired by the short-film I posted yesterday, here are 5 interesting short-movies that caught every blogger’s attention. I also include in addition to my list the Paris-Shanghai epic short-movie created by Chanel that you can find in a recent post. I also heard today that Christina Ricci stars in a DKNY film to be released very soon.

This ad campaign for Louis Vuitton created by Mamoru Hosoda depicts an updated Alice in Wonderland story in which girl discovers a world of floating LV logos and psychedelic adventures. The characters are inspired from the famous Superflat artist Takashi Murakami who has been collaborating with Vuitton for quite a while.

Prada’s first short film, unveiled during Fashion Week in Feb 2008, entitled Trembled Blossoms, beautifully represented Prada’s vision with the nymph and the landscape of flowers in conjunction with the recent Prada collections and inspired by wallpaper designs by James Jean. The inked drawing short film was then followed up by this year’s Fallen Shadows.

Trembled Blossoms

Fallen Shadows

Shot in one take, this TV commercial for Victoria Beckham’s Fall 2009 collection is entitled Swings. Featuring models wearing her dresses and swinging in unison from Londonian townhouses, obviously Victoria is the one who presumably lead the girls. Despite the fact I have no special interest in the Victoria’s work as a designer and her life, I find this ad pretty elegant and simple.

Vanessa Bruno had asked French actress Lou Doillon to star in her musical short-film for Fall 2009. Directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto and music from Linda Perhacs and Final Fantasy. The film portrays Bruno’s collection in a visually beautiful poem that captures the mystic, feline and multi-faces of the woman played by Lou Doillon. The concept is ultimately more artistic than commercial and I pretty much enjoyed most of these 4 minutes.

Chanel No. 5 with Audrey Tautou directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet

When I watched the ad with Audrey Tautou for Chanel Nº5 on TV, it reminded me not long ago I had this dream traveling overnight on the Orient Express to Istanbul back in the mid-20’s. This train is as mythical as Coco Chanel is for me, a train that fascinated me during my childhood reading all kind of books about the Orient Express. If I could travel back in time, I’d choose to go in Paris of the 1920’s, meet Coco for an afternoon tea conversation and go on a trip to Istanbul with her. The commercial, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, portrays Coco traveling to Istanbul with a mysterious traveler. I realize today how Audrey Tautou, who was also playing Coco in the movie by the same director, was the perfect face for the role. Her beauty and elegance, makes the impersonation easy. I am just sad that Karl decided to no longer work with Audrey.

Snow has totally blanketed the city and temperature is below my body’s tolerance. As winter officially starts tomorrow, watching this photoshoot by Alexander Neumann capturing the DNA models in ice blue hues was the best way to start off the new season. Models Michael Whittaker, Niels Raabe, Steffen Weng, Frankie Elliss-Galati, Marcus Lloyd, Mark Cox, and Marteinn Jonsson are mostly shirtless until it gets interesting with amazing wintry blazers, sweaters and button-down shirts.

Spring/Summer 2010

Loads of leather was spotted during Fashion Week in Paris and partially in New York. Leather should not be associated to the bikers anymore, Spring 2010 has set the tone for a dressed-up and more formal fashion. It will never be again a fashion crime to wear your favorite leather at the office.

Clockwise from left to right: Omega De Ville Co-Axial Chronoscope, Hamilton Jazzmaster Auto Chrono, G-Shock dw6900cc-6 and Glashütte Original Senator

Give a man the perfect accessory to give beauty and grace to his wrist. Gun-metallic, minimalist or Kid Cudi’s favorite G-Shock… tick tock – 5 days left to make someone happy.

Biker jacket and The Local Firm t-shirt

Rockstar, baby! I woke up this morning with so much energy and the idea I could take over the world… or at least my bed. It’s snowing today all over NYC and a winter storm is about to smash the city. My “blind” date is postponed for tonight but if anybody is up for some snowball fight, I’m more than ready!

This is my image of the day, love the hype of this kid from Sweden. Great biker jacket and the slouchy way he wears the boots.

Shop the tee at The Local Firm.