Saint Laurent biker jacket, Rick Owens dress, Gucci leggins, Isabel Marant sneakers
Rick Owens
Alaia, Kate and Le Marais
A day at Le Marais, the Jewish District, is like a day in other world, but still in Paris! It all began with Rue Moussy 7 where a mind blowing Azzedine Alaia boutique and studio are located. Here Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell come and try out new designs of master of craft and laser cut! It was before a warehouse, now a huge boutique full of clothes and dresses. On second floor there is the studio where magic happens! The “shop” of Alaia is totally decorated with beautiful furnitures and art pieces.
Why is “Kate” in the title of this post? Because of the painting I saw in a gallery today! It shows of course Kate Moss naked holding a big pink teddy bear. She stands in a totally pink toilet looking at the viewer with a sexy look, just in ties and super high heels. A wish it could hung in my house!
Le Marais, as I said, is a Jewish district in Paris. It’s like SoHO in NY but not so great! Today there was really no people so it was quite boring, but still the shops there are amazing! For example L’Eclaireur. It holds labels like Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens, Thom Browne and Dries Van Noten in a big store that is loft like (also a copy of SoHO) and has a great vintage hourse in the middle! And the shoes I bought… Wow I just will sleep with them. They are hand made in England, Brighton and the label is Paul Harnden, Shoemakers. The print on it is cool isn’t it?
What I love insane in Le Marais are… Graffiti’s! They are really crazy! A cherry blossom, press killer, Keith Haring… Just amazing! You can really fell in love with them easily- you walk around and see them on every Marais street!
Kitsch Vs. Neutral
There is a new fight between two trends in Paris! Simple or Kitsch? Strong colours or beige and creme? Flowers, jewels, some kind of LOVE signs or shirling and leather? In this post I will cover four collections- Lanvin and Balmain that are classified as kitsch and Rick Owens and Nina Ricci as neutral and simple. So lets start maybe with something calm for eye, Nina Ricci. Katia and Marielle Labèque performed “Two Movements for Two Pianos” by Philip Glass on side by side grand pianos in the middle of a huge runway covered with old red carpets, giving a romantic feeling. Indeed, the collection was as romantic as the music that these two artists produced!The collection was a bit sporty but still very elegant. Everything was kept in simple colours hat are still eye caching- red, white, beige and black! My favourite look was for sure the dress with a bustier with mink fur on the top that gave a slightly different look!
Now it’s the time for other collection are pretty liked, and was very simple in lines and cuts, Rick Owens. These hilarious hairstyles the models had were so great! I think that Owens is always winning with other designers, with we are taliking about hairstyles. Rick used a lot of creme and white shirling fur on jackets and coats. There were some minimalistic column like silk dresses, ruffles on tops, leather gloves. But it wasn’t, you know, much of it. Rick Owens showed this season a sensitive beauty of ready-to-weat clothes!
And now it’s the time for kitsch in Paris. I think, Alber Elbaz was sick at the moment of designing the collection. Everything was so not matching. Without a form. A fail! Why did the Lanvin designer, put these horrible necklaces with hearts and pearls with a horrible signs like “YOU” or “LOVE” or something else? How is it possible to spoil a nice long silk beige dress with some kind of a furry scarf and jewellry that looked like from a petrol station? Why? It wasn’t even luxury. It was passe. Sorry Alber Elbaz, but that was a very poor collection. P.S. What the hell did these bugs were doing on a ruffled top?
(This post is going to end soon :D) Balmain with Olivier Rousteing did a good job. Let’s say it straight- Balmain can’t be easy and minimalistic. It should be always luxury, ornamental and kitsch! This time Olivier chose new colours like emerals, red and violet. Most of clothes were velvet and had a really decorated details. I really liked all the structured tops and skirts. I liked the green suede jacket that M. Frackowiak wore. And the big belts were really eye catching! It was altogether sexy and sophisticated, just as it should be at Balmain! I’m clapping! 
So after these four collections I should say that I loved Nina Ricci and Balmain. Rick Owens was good, but a bit classy (for Rick of course) and Lanvin was horrible… So there is 2-2 for both of these categories! As we know from New York, Milan and london, luxury and ornamental clothing is back for good, but a little bit of minimalism is always the best!
Vienna 24h in Style
Vienna is a city that has it’s tradition (where else nowadays you can find ladies and gentlemens coming on a dinner in long evening gowns, diamonds, smoking or a tie for everyday?) that is well treated and at the same it has a youth spirit. It’s like a mix of Zurich and Berlin. Today we were here for a day. And I should say that I am really suprised! This city is just cool! We are staying in Hotel Sacher, where the first ever Sacher Torte (a delicious chocolate cake founded by Eduard Sacher. His recipe for it is kept in secret in the hotel safe) was made. The hotel is very beautiful and full of ornaments. The wallpapers are very elegant and delicate. And the painting around are just stunning.
The green room was where we ate a Austrian breakfast- first time from 2 weeks a fried egg! After in the morning we visited St. Stepane Cathedral one of the most beautiful ones in the world. It was very gothic and massive. But the treasury were the golden ornaments were found, were I think a inspiration for Dolce&Gabbana Men’s AW13 show. Gold, stones, hand made… The interesting thing in the cathedral is the roof that has some triangular shapes on it.
And now let’s go to the fun part- shopping! In Vienna, jewellery takes a important role in fashion- it’s always crazy and colourful or elegant and rich. In this superb boutique of B Reisch, the fantasy is never ending. You like giraffes or cucumbers- you can find them on earings! There were cheries, fish, squirrels- this shop is just on my Nr.1 list in Vienna. The antiquaries are also popular here with some asian sculptures, the same as modern galleries with “nice price” of 14’000€ per piece of art!
Vienna has it, if we talk about unique fashion stores. The Chanelish, Armanish and Guccish ones are really boring if comparing to the hottest boutiques in the city- Chegini and Amicis. Chegini is a line of Vienese shops that got labels like Celine, Margiela, McCartney, Owens… It has women’s and men’s wear. The biggest store is really cool, it’s similar to the NY Soho ones. And here are two Lena’s looks she bought!
Look 1- Celine dress and shoes
Look2- Celine shirt, Stella McCartney pants, Celine shoes+ Celine small yellow bag.
The second shop I loved was with menswear, Amicis. It’s her wher you can buy Givenchy and Balenciaga! The selection was so wonderful… And various McQueen t-shirts are just my dream- the biggest is the one with dragonfly wings on.
~FOOD of Vienna~
-Of course the Sacher Torte with whipped cream is a absolute winner- “Be aware of fakes, eat the Sacher only in Vienna” the motto of my hotel is. Thanks to this cake, in the hotel you can find a Sacher shampoo, Sacher towels, Sacher TV, Sacher…
-The recent fashionable restaurant/bar/cafe in Vienna is Fabios. The interior is cosmic- dark glass, wooden/neon floors and so on. The food is lite and modern, but really good. It’s simple. He must try is the Beef Tatar and Organic chicken
Vienna is a lovely place in other words, and I hope I will visit it for longer soon!
Design & Culture by Ed 