Know Wear

A few weeks back I attended the Roger Vivier SS12 press day, which, as anything hosted by the Tod's Group, was very enjoyable. They're always so lovely and they treat me so well.
The collection was stunning and very fun. This time Bruno Frisoni is taking the Roger Vivier woman to Africa for spring. It was very interesting to see how he had taken the brand's signature shapes, which are very geometric, and mixed them with bold prints, bright colours and new materials.
I absolutely loved the Micro Metro bag in the colour block cheetah and leopard prints. The same goes for one of my favourite bags, which they previously did in a 'Chesterfield' style for FW11, and now is covered with animal print canvas with a colourful inside of the Roger Vivier logo.
My favourite pieces from the collection were the ones in the metallic brushed leather that had a slightly 20's feel but were at the same time very modern. It was such a strange sensation to feel these pieces in your hands. At first sight you think they will be heavy and rigid like metal but instead they were light and soft to the touch. Not to mention the fact that they would make excellent accessories to complement your evening looks.
Frisoni played a lot with different materials –African necklace beads, applique plastic pieces and even aged folded sequins. The result was a very striking collection of pieces that make a statement yet remain classic and rather timeless. After all, there is a reason why people so diverse such as Carla Bruni, Inès de la Fressange and Blair Waldorf all love wearing Roger Vivier.

COLONIAL fashion

I watched Out of Africa last night for the first time. Film fanatics out there, boo away. I borrowed the dvd from a dear friend of mine with no specific reason; I suspect that hearing my dad saying what a wonderful actress Meryl Streep is for the past twenty years had something to do with it, though. Whatever the reason why, I watched it last night and was firstly surprised by the quality of it, if it weren't for Streep's perfect skin I would not have been able to guess when was it filmed as this extraordinary film creates a limbo of itself, preventing time to make any effect on it.

However, as much impressed and moved by the acting, the landscapes and the plot as I was, there is something in my retina that wouldn't let me stop scrutinizing the costumes. I don't have the least idea of who the Oscar nominated for best costume design were that year, but I do know Milena Canonero was the perfect winner. This kind of films usually have an ok yet well-studied wardrobe at the beginning and keep the audience expectant to wow them a little later with an outstanding gown during a night gala event. Out of Africa's costume design has something special because the first big wow comes when you least expect it, at the very beginning. Meryl Streep shoots the chilly morning away in a full-length black ensemble with abundant fur accessorizing, letting the audience know that right in front of them there is a rich, powerful woman. This outfit made me think of Oscar de la Renta's chic and exotic feather hats.

One of the following scenes in the film is a wedding, for which Meryl's character gives quite the fashion lesson wearing a beautifully detailed yet untraditional white two-pieces with a hat. I am all about the hat. This made me thought of Proenza Schouler Spring 2008, a woman so confident she knows she looks beautiful and sexy in manly clothes.

The rest of the film is a grass and sand catwalk of outfits combining utility and fashion trends of the moment. Straw hats (quite in this season, see Rag & Bone) and high waists with semi-wide belts (Proenza Schouler, Donna Karan) and an endless collection of casual blazers for the day all finished up with comfortable safari trousers and a good pair of fashionable and practical leather boots (see Hermès) are the key garments in the motion picture.

Since the story takes place in Africa, the colours keep a "low key", mimeting the background with shades of beige and sand colours that see no end. Darkness for elegant events is brought in by navy blue (view DK), a perfect match with the other colours. The ensembles had to look formal and casual at the same time without stopping comfort from entering the equation, this equals manly looks (also in this season) with the only femininity a real woman can provide.

To end, I have to admit I was deeply inspired by all clothes choices in the film but also by the African tunic colours and their colorful über-long strings of beads that I was happy to find at this Spring's Oscar de la Renta show.

[Picture credits: SimplyStreep.com & Style.com]

I'm off.