Design

Trendwatch – Pop Luxe



Kanye West Alexis Phifer Harpers Bazaar

As much as I adore fashion and popular culture, I have to admit I have no clue about contemporary music. Pardon me but I’m still catching up on all the old 60s soul, 70s disco and 80s punk music I haven’t yet listened to.

So even though I’ve heard of Kanye West I wouldn’t actually recognise his music if I was to ever come across it. All this mattered not one whit when I witnessed his apartment in US Harper’s Bazaar recently. Oh. My. God. The commitment! This gaff is stuffed to the rafters with pop-tastic furniture, fashion and ‘objets’.

A stack of Louis Vuitton luggage may not sound that original to you but this guy has like, a tower of ten multicoloured monogrammed LV cases piled several feet high and the effect is totally museum-worthy. Then there’s the neon-green outsized Marc Newson Dom Perignon bottle grazing next to a Maurice Calka white fibreglass Boomerang desk.

Did I mention the super-sized Takashi Murakami flower-shaped pillows? This is my fantasy apartment and it all looks totally authentic. Even if it’s been interior-decorated you can absolutely believe the ideas have come from West when you see his collection of sci-fi-style sunglasses and OTT-print Bathing Ape sweats. West describes this look as Pop Luxe and I think he’s onto something.

Next in the pipeline is his clothing range, Pastelle – if it’s anything like his apartment I await it with baited breath.

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Hate Uniqlo, love it’s new campaign





I don’t know why but I just don’t get Uniqlo. It’s a bit like M & S, everyone else raves about those fabulous finds but for me it’s Not Quite There. Yet even I have to hold my hand up and say its new T-shirt campaign rocks big time. UT is a new concept celebrating the T-shirt. Uniqlo has opened a concept store in Japan and enlisted a host of in-the-loop scenesters including Peter Saville, Gareth Pugh and Kim Jones to design a limited edition tee (yes, yawny idea but good choice of people). Not only that but king-of-cool Terry Richardson has been enlisted to shoot the tees which are modelled by the likes of Missy Rayder, Alison Mosshart and Terry himself. Now if that’s not fantastic marketing I don’t know what is.



The fast fashion backlash



Cheap chic, doncha just love it? Well actually, no I don’t. Where once New Look, TopShop and H&M ruled, now it’s Primark, Peacocks and George that high street snobs delight in flaunting to their pals – ‘Look, £5 from Primarni!’ Yet, multiply those £5 tops and £10 dresses by 15 (two tops on payday, a quick lunchtime fix frock, another Friday evening frock to wear at the weekend…you see where this is going don’t you?), and that’s around £100 a month wasted on throwaway tat that you’ll be bored of before you’ve got it home. (more…)



A dieu Dior?



Interesting news that Hedi Slimane has left Dior Homme. The genius designer has been making too many demands on LVMH and so they’ve passed the baton to Kris van Assche from Belgium. Like the demise of Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, this marks the end of an era. Even if Slimane decides to launch his own label I doubt it will be remembered in the same way as Hedi Slimane For Dior Homme. During his time at Dior, Slimane pioneered a whole new lean and youthful silhouette for men, much like Giorgio Armani did with his unstructured menswear in the eighties. Collectors, best start snapping up those remaining bits of Dior Homme, they will be like gold dust from now on.