Greatness

I'm definitely still riding on an ambitious high after meeting with Wake's own Dr. Ian Taplin, sociology professor by day, North American editor of the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management by night. (Baller? Check.) So there exists an entire professional academic work dedicated to the field I love. Call me a "fashion dork" as I was already titled in the fourth grade (precocious, no?), but after spending the majority of my afternoon writing a strategic management plan for a company selling sensors (it actually pains me), I was beyond excited to engross myself in research papers like "The relationships of fashion leadership, fashion magazine content and loyalty tendency" and "Indian consumers' brand equity toward US and local apparel brand".

Yes, I'm serious. Stuff like this is real and I could not be happier. Sure, there's the creative aspect of fashion which is perhaps the first to come to mind, but there also exists this entire psychological/operational side that the majority of those who claim to "love clothing" tends to overlook. That's the difference between fashion esoterics and the non. Or maybe, just the difference between business majors and the non. Basically, I love my life.

This being said, it's rare to find individuals that so truly personify fashion itself. You can dress up and paint a man or woman however you'd like, but if that individual doesn't exude fashion, chances are, he or she never will. The aura of conveying personal style and sophistication is something that simply can't be forced-- the more nonchalant, the better. One of these It Girls is the always-lovely Camilla Belle. I've pretty much had a girl crush on her ever since she played adorable Sydney in Rip Girls, and it is now possible that she's one of the most gorgeous women alive. Belle is the perfect spokesmodel for Vera Wang's Princess, and I love how literally everything she wears plays up her distinct dark features and adds to her sultry mystique. Taking a cue from Zoolander, the question is, does she know how really, really ridiculously good-looking she is? There's one thing I know for sure-- if I were Camilla Belle, I would never get tired of looking in the mirror. Like ever.

 

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.

Asian fusion

So I haven't seen Tarantino's "Kill Bill", but I will never forget when the Tower Hill lunch ladies told me how much I resembled Gogo Yubari, the baby-faced little killer in plaid mini. So. Asian. That aside, I find it striking how many comparisons have been drawn over the past week between the cult film and Vera Wang's Spring 2011 line. Though Wang is Chinese, I've never once noticed an overtly cultural vibe in her pieces. It seems this collection gives a nod to her heritage in ways nobody would ever imagine. Instead of channeling the more-expected 1940's-era Hollywood glamour à la vintage Shanghai ad models (think Westernized cheongsams, immaculate finger curls for the glossiest of black hair, and blood-red matte lipstick), Wang opted for the path less traveled, highlighting ethnic pieces like "Obi belts, Chinese wrap peasant pants, kimono blouses [and] Geisha gal dresses"... interesting to say the least. And I don't mean this in a good way. I mean this in a great way.

 

Referring to her program notes, this "fusion of East meets West" allowed Wang to play up the drama while maintaining her signature ever-so-romantic style. Besides the occasional citrus tones of silky tangerine and butterscotch, the pieces were rather dark for a spring collection. How could the immensely talented woman responsible for designing some of the world's most elegant bridal pieces also be the creative genius behind these avant-garde looks just bursting with attitude? Now as cliché and blissfully ignorant as this sounds (honestly, this is something a true WP-trying-not-to-be-a-WP would say), I could fully sense an alignment between her use of shiny floral-printed satins and the costumes I envision when reading Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. The same goes for the drapey silk top paired with that iconic red skirt. Brilliant, and pushing the boundaries for anything and everything that would be expected from her.

The light falls just perfectly on the interplay of fabrics Wang chose to combine throughout the show-- a palette comprised of silks, satins and sheers. I'm a huge fan of the models' voluminous, airy hairstyles comparable to the mod beehives of the sixties. Love it. In short, Vera Wang proved her ability to add yet another dimension to her design experience already bursting at the seams (seriously, no pun intended): a master of channeling and executing inspiration to create a truly successful finished product and final presentation.

Here's to you, fashion. Cheers.