“The 80’s never left”. Said Maripol, who styled Madonna with the black rubber bangles and cross earrings in her album "Like a Virgin". Maripol insisted casting Jean-Michel Basquiat in her first movie production Downtown 81(previously entitled New York Beat Movie), funded by Rizzoli publishing house, through Fiorucci. Downtown 81 seems to be more of an MTV than a documentary that features the New Wave/No Wave/punk music. Did the NY music scene of the 80’s influence the fashion trends or did the fashion trend inspire the musician’s style? This might be a “Chicken or egg” question.
The jewelry worn by Madonna and Duran Duran, styled by Maripol became the signatures of the 80’s, but why not let them stay in that time capsule?
Marc by Marc Jacobs collaboration with Maripol, 2010
She lifted up her Qi Pao a little, squatted down quietly. Her curvy back is seen through the camera from a stepped-back angle. A lady could squat in Qi Pao while still holding her elegance, more than any other pose. While shooting “New Woman” (新女性), Ruan Ling Yu squats with the director Cai Chu Sheng (蔡楚生) and discusses the character she plays, another actress Wei Ming. Although the director explains how peasants are used to squatting and getting whipped from the back, Ruan Ling Yu remembers herself squatting by her mom resting, before she became a movie star.
“Centre stage”(阮玲玉) (1910-1935) shows in parallel the footage of Ruan's silent films and Maggie Cheung’s impersonation of Ruan. Without sound, Ruan plays the character with her body emotion, in Qi Pao. Her character in “The Goddess” (神女) has her son teach her to exercise, fall to the floor laughing together. She sits on the table, crosses her leg and blows out cigarette smoke. Who could imagine Qi Pao could be so fun and rebellious?
The scene of nostalgic and sepia Qi Pao in the silent movies, played by Ruan Ling Yu flashforwards to the scene of attractive and colorful Qi Pao that Ruan dances in, played by Maggie Cheung. This movie in movie and mix of shifts is baffling but the continuity of the charm of Qi Pao could not be more unambiguous.
Singing "Blue Angel", Ruan sometimes impersonates Marlene Dietrich. Ruan didn’t live to see many sound films. The plot and dialogue of her silent films is printed in words on the screen. But the depressed characters, the rebellious characters and the modern characters she played didn’t need much explanation with her movements of Qi Pao.
What do we call films with characters wearing distinctively designed outfits, in better known examples, Marie Antoinette or The Great Gatsby? Or films with characters not even being put into pretty clothes, but designing them, such as Coco Before Chanel? We describe them, potential nominees for Best Costume Design of movie awards—movies with a touch of fashion.
Some directors are not satisfied with having just a touch of fashion, they want to create fashion films with fashion as the focus. Here is the tricky part—short films with a fashion theme sounds kind of familiar—aren’t they… emmm… ad campaign? I am not discussing Vol de Jour by Karl Lagerfeld here, but it just doesn’t feel right to call it a fashion film. Fashion films may have to, delicately, strike a balance between making fashion the focus, and getting the commercial part involved. Whether the commercial side becomes a result, that’s another story, but it’s better to be left out of the planning process.
Inspired by Haruki Murakami (村上春树), The Weeks of Dasha ties in fashion and film nicely—each episode keeps the scene simple enough to not let the story get in the way of the fashion items Dasha wears, yet somewhat leaves a cliffhanger, in a noncommercial way, to induce curiosity. Although I didn’t get the mood of Haruki Murakami from the music used in the film, I am curious to find out more places Dasha goes to, with the close-up shots of the shoes or jackets.
Calling all visitors in London—modern world lovers who appreciate the Gherkin, while enjoying the London views, consider putting on the Oakley shades; and playing The Eraser by Thom Yorke; and a Griffin jacket—uhh…maybe too much.
It was terrifying for Stanley Donwood to think of attending the Grammy ceremony in February 2009, for “Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package” for Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ album—picture Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings, overwhelmingly nightmarish and painful. Known as being inept in social situations, is Stanley seeking for a better way to hide in the crowds with the collaboration with Oakley?
When asked by his mom: “What is your most terrifying fear” during an interview, Alexander McQueen answered: “Dying before you.” At least, he is gone without being terrified. Fashion is only a game, and he played it so creatively that it will take a long long time for us to comprehend it.
He may be going to the past, to the field of Culloden. He may have gone to the future, to have predicted what the aliens look like.
Tribute to Isabella Blow
"The Bird" From his inspiring movie to his friend, 2008
No day is better than the “manliest” day in the American sports to launch a campaign targeting at men—men who had so much Pizza Hut that they need a new pair of khaki pants.
The song "I wear no pants" somehow does not seem to be fun as intended by Poxy Boggards when it was sung by a group of pantless men marching on a open field. Just when our level of tolerance is getting seriously challenged in front of the close-up whities, came with Dockers’ rescue: “Calling all men, it’s time to wear the pants”. Hewww, close call!
It must not be Dockers’ intention to insinuate their detest to woman’s new fashion trend—pantless look/panty bottoms. But it doesn’t hurt them to nip the trend in the bud in man’s world.
Carine Roitfeld's pantless look
Photo credit: NYmag
Lady Gaga
Photo credit: Fashionizing
pantless ensemble does not look bad at all on those long-leg girls
Guerrilla marketing—catching consumers unaware through highly unconventional and sometimes shocking means—has brought lots of trouble to companies adopting it, including IBM in San Francisco and Microsoft in NYC. Just picture stickers of a company logo or graffiti painting that blanket city landmarks, it is fun for the viewers but intrude the public if not planned well.
Although claiming to use a guerrilla marketing campaign, Alexander Wang’s first Ad is much more mild than it sounds—putting up posters on the streets of NYC. Granted, not wasting the budget on the billboards or buses or magazines does fit the brand’s humble but urban style, but we expected it to be just a little bit grungier.
Maripol 
Maripol rubber necklace, 1984
Maripol bobbypin necklace, 1984
