july's lovely links!

Hello lovelies! I've decided to introduce a new bi-monthly segment on my blog called "lovely links," where I'll share 5 particularly interesting/entertaining articles that I've dug up on the internet, ranging from interesting current affairs to fashion headlines, my favorite visual inspiration sites to miscellaneous must-reads. Suggestions for links to publish can be sent to my email here! I hope you enjoy leafing through these online finds of mine, and I'd love to hear what you think of them!


1. Thought Catalog: 11 Things You Should Stop Apologizing For

For a nice pick-me-up and a refreshed insight on how important it is to be comfortable in your own skin/shoes/”kindergartener” clothing, check out Thought Catalog’s “11 Things You Should Stop Apologizing For,” written to giggle-inducing effect by Rachel Collins.

 2. www.mapcrunch.com

Possibly the best website ever invented. I’ve unknowingly wasted hours on this site, travelling to the most far-flung places in a fashion that’s really quite captivating and realistic, albeit 2D and virtual. If you’re full of wanderlust, this is the place to go. If you’re not full of wanderlust, this is also the place to go. Traverse our beautiful planet from wherever you’re sitting right now, and I promise it’ll leave you smiling.

 

3. Rookie Mag: Hot Fun in the Summertime

This splendid visual diary includes some beautiful photoshoot pictures from Tokyo, taken in “the city’s oldest amusement park.” Classically photographed with a film camera (either that or the pictures are damn well edited), these nostalgic snapshots are perfect to flick through when you’re in need of inspiration of a more intricate, perceptive and sustained calibre, or if you just feel like reveling in the wonderful fact that summer is really and truly and finally and actually upon us!

4. www.angelsfortalia.com

One of the most influential and inspiring young stars in the media, 13 year old Talia Castellano was battling two forms of cancer for a total of 6 years and sadly passed a few days ago. Thousands of people followed this lively, beautiful little girl’s life in and out of the hospital through her Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube updates, and now that she is resting in peace, we can all reflect on her vibrant, successful 13 years of life and learn a little from her unfailing resilience, strength and positivity in the face of absolutely awful circumstances.

5. Fashionista: Where are the American Haute Couture Designers?

A well-written, easy read on a subject matter I haven’t quite looked into but is of astonishing importance. True, Rei shows at Ready-to-Wear, and true, as much as we’d love Proenza Schouler Couture, we couldn’t ever afford it. An excellent reinforcement of the nature of the industry as well as a sophisticated, informative address of an issue that could pose a threat to the American fashion industry’s staying power in future generations.

Enjoy! 

(images sourced from their respective links)

harper's bazaar fashion film festival.

Although the term "festival" doesn't exactly describe the four-day movie marathon held by Harper's Bazaar Singapore, it was certainly a very enjoyable experience. From October 26-30, a total of 10 fashion films were showcased around theatres in Singapore. Now we're not talking about anything mainstream, so forget "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The September Issue." All the films were shown only once or twice, making this experience even more special and exclusive. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend one of these movie-screenings; a homegrown, privately produced set of footage called "Signe Chanel." 


Signe Chanel is only one of writer/director Loic Prigent's many achievements. In fact, most of the other films in the Festival were created and produced by him, such as "The Day Before" series, which provide a compact insight into the dynamic world and artistic process of a designer and his brand; one day before a big fashion show. Loic Prigent's work is so artisanal and poignant, and the innocence of a small camera crew and simple graphics adds such charm to his short films. He has an extraordinary talent for capturing the lives of designers at work through his lens, as well as subtly hinting the brutal honesty of what really goes on underneath the glamour and sterility of the catwalk. Some of Prigent's other films include "The Day Before" of Donatella Versace, Alexander Wang, Jean Paul Gaultier and Proenza Schouler, as well as a seperate documentary about Marc Jacobs, the first American director at Louis Vuitton.

Signe Chanel was the most interesting, enthralling movie. There was no storyline; it was so beautifully unstructured that it almost seemed to wander around and loiter here and there, moseying through the intricate world of a Haute Couture House. It illustrated Chanel's perfect preservation of their heritage and of their age-old traditions with such stunning simplicity, and I can't tell you how much my heart melted to see the plump french seamstresses singing and busying themselves in their attic workshop in France, the place they've called home for decades. It was thoroughly refreshing to see the world's most exclusive, beautiful clothing coming to life in the caring hands of talented individuals, as opposed to being replicated thousands of times by machines, packed up and shipped to all corners of the world. 


As much as the movie touched me with it's primitive nature and abundance of creativity, it also demonstrated the stark contrast between the limited, rural production of the clothing, and the fast-paced, glittering craziness of the fashion industry. I found it very hard to believe that the Karl Lagerfeld who sat down in the workshops and advised the seamstresses is the same person who frequently flocks back to his front row perch at every fashion show you can possibly name. Although he is by all means a creative genius, he's much too reserved and secretive for my liking, much like Anna Wintour. Well, you know what they say about the true artists of our world: they're all tortured souls.


Much love, pumpkins.

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