Soon…
August 12th, 2009
Catwalks Exhibition, NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf, 2009, making of Überraum
Catwalks Exhibition, NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf from Maria Spahn on Vimeo.
If you don’t know what NRW Forum is, in Dûsseldorf, Germany, you’d better know it. Überraum made an incredible work.
“In the beginning, the theatre was the temple of fashion. During the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, whatever was being worn at court was shown at the theatre, on stage, and in the audience. The queen’s dressmaker, Rose Bertin, dressed half-sized wooden mannequins with miniature versions of her latest creations and accessories and had them driven to the various courts of Europe in magnificent coaches. And so the catwalk was born. To this day, great fashion is still theatre and spectacle rolled into one. It is a form of theatrical self-portrayal and a highly charged form of self-dramatisation.
The Catwalks exhibition will highlight a dozen of the most spectacular shows of the past 30 years: grand performances (Dior), the circus as a theatrical chamber of wonders (Galliano), dramatic performances (Alexander McQueen), or the catwalk as a table set for a celebratory dinner (Dries van Noten). Visitors will themselves become catwalk models. By walking along the catwalk, they will become part of a number of major fashion shows, which will be brought to life and transformed into a 3D spectacle in video projections and multimedia installations.”
uberraum working on 18 video installations of fashion shows (including dior, chanel, john galliano, thierry mugler, alexander mcqueen and others) for “Catwalks” exhibition at the NRW-Forum in Dusseldorf.
filmed by: thuy nguyen & kai von ahlefeld
edited by: thuy nguyen & maria spahn
music composed by: maria spahncreative director of the exhibition: alexandre de betak
video art: uberraum
January 7th, 2009
Top 20 Trends in 2009 according to Trendhunter
Trend Hunter TV gave its top 20 trends for 2009.
Here we go: I comment every trend in bold
20. RETURN TO THE KITCHEN (Economy / Family / Food) – Fuelled by the credit crunch and food as a fashionable hobby, we’ll see a return to the kitchen, especially for the celebrated meals.
-> Maybe the other point to discuss is: what kind of food will be brought to kitchen? There are already big trends in Europe proving that more and more people with higher purchase power are in favor of healthier/ organic food @ home
19. DIY & THE RISE OF THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY (Economy) – Internet communities like Etsy and Craftster were already sparking interest in DIY projects, fashion and crafts. A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will spark many hobbiests to transition their love for craft into cottage industry.
-> Probably true: nonetheless, except some rare big buzz around talents, it’s highly complicated to earn enough cash compared to the time you spend. The DIY is first a pleasure stuff
18. UGLY BEAUTY (Advertising) – From Vivienne Westwood’s use real gypsies as models to Yohji Yamamoto seniors on the catwalk, expect to see an abolition of traditional beauty as people return to what seems real.
-> Is that really new? Don’t know
17. HOLLYWOOD VIRAL (Media) – 50 Cent’s multi-million member community, Will Ferrel’s success with Funny or Die and Paris Hilton’s fake presidential candidacy are all examples of Hollywood stars leveraging their brands for instant online success. Expect the stars to rock the blogosphere and 2009 YouTube charts.
-> I really think that celebrities have to manage their online reputation…and starting a blog is a good way to “centralize” the discussions or rumors about you
16. SHOCKVERTISING 2.0 (Internet Culture) – Shockvertising isn’t a new tool, but the blogosphere and youtube in combination have created the world’s first truly viral platform. From Dead arms in butcher shops for a Dexter promotion to bathroom blood dispensers in Clue you can expect credit crunched ad teams to further push the limits in 2009 and beyond.
-> yes
15. GEEK PRIDE (Tech) – RSS Nerd tattoos, Keyboard Jewelry, Nintendo Wall Decals and Pac Man Cufflinks are just a few examples of our techified culture opening the door to geek pride. It’s not 1990 anymore. The internet has become pervasive and geek culture is cool.
-> a geek is less and less a UFO-like and more and more a guy or girl we trust. So yeah, there are reasons to be proud to be a geek
14. AGELESS INSPIRATION (Medical) – 60 today is not the same as 60 a generation ago. From boomers in fashion to boomers on youtube, a youthful generation 60 year olds is approaching retirement. As this generation proves its youth, we are seeing emphasis across all ‘older’ age groups. From Daira Tores, the 41 year old Olympian, to 80 year old Buhbbe Scher on YouTube, pop culture is now fascinated with age.
-> damn, I have to wait 15 years before becoming a pop-star? But I do agree with this analysis: what used to be perceived as “old” is now more and more fashionable, at least in Western countries
13. URBAN GARDENING (Living / Eco) – Fake and real gardens are springing up outside traditional yards. From indoor urban spice gardens to living furniture, our green obsessed society is finding eco outlets for city dwellers.
-> I went to Orange innovation’s morning in Paris, and more and more virtual environments are created to substitute true living/organic/solid spaces. So yeah !
12. PHYSICAL CUSTOMIZATION (Product) – From designing your own shoes (Steve Madden) to custom dresses online (StyleShake), consumer personalization is entering the physical world. New technologies and a desire to express personality are fueling this innovation.
->yes
11. VIRTUAL TOURISM (Travel) – In a credit crunched economy, families cut their travel budget. At the same time, we continue to see an evolution in online 3D technology. As these two factors combine, we get VT.
-> I don’t agree: when you travel, you buy a “real moment”. Whereas when you’re in front of a computer, you don’t feel exactly the same stuff than when your body is in another place
10. STYLE OVER TRADITION (Fashion) – Even the most conventional product categories, like watches, are changing shape. Luxury items used to be a static, with only a few brands and classic designs representing status. However, modern design and cutting-edge technology are evolving style far beyond the status quo.
-> I do agree. And digital technologies upset old classic objects
9. HUMANIZATION OF PETS (Pets) – Wet suits for dogs, pet tanning beds, kitten rentals, doorbells for dogs, and pet spas are just a few examples of the rise in animal humanization. Expect empty nest boomer to further accelerate this trend.
-> and in Europe, more and more organic food for pets show prove that
8. FAUX ROCKSTAR (Pop Culture) – Games like Guitar Hero and Rockband are spawning a new era of pop culture. Band geek couture, guitars for girls and real bands with plastic guitars are just a few rockin’ examples.
-> I would rather say, more and more virtual “stage/live” experience for consumers
7. PREFABULOUS (Architecture) – From recycled shipping containers to cardboard, instant homes are made from a diverse range of materials. Some are built as temporary post-disaster shelters, others as aesthetic masterpieces.
-> probably
6. 1960 CULTURE (Fashion / Pop Culture) – From gadgetry to fashion, the world continues to have a fascination with retro. This year, everything 1960s is hot again. Cult shows like ‘Mad Men’ continue to fuel fascination for this decade.
-> 1969 was the “erotic year” for Gainsbourg. I’m sure it’ll influence 2009 in France
5. BRAG MATERIALISM (Luxury) – From a $2 Billion home to $3 Million Bugattis, Brag Materialism takes luxury to a new level. In short, simple luxuries like flat screen TVs can be ‘bought’ by just about anyone. Since opulence has been made available to the masses, truly affluent buyers are seeking extreme wealth exhibitionism.
-> rich became richer? in the crisis era? In fact, it seems that it’s true.
4. POLITICAL REMIXING (Politics) – Obama and Sarah Palin brought politics into pop culture. But post election boredom will drive the internet to create their own drama with ongoing political parody, including presidential beatboxing and viral videos.
-> as usual?
3. SMALLCHITECTURE (Interior Design / Economy) – As people move into metropolitan cores, and architects are forced to build upward, people are needing to adapt to smaller living spaces. To ease the transition of shifting to more compact home environments, architects and designers are innovating interior layouts as well as creating adaptable furnishing.
-> smallchitecture is a kind of little piece of fun you can afford when you live in an expensive urban area
2. REMAKING HISTORY BETTER (Media) – From recreating famous photoshoots to Horror Movies remade, the revival of retro is making its way into the media. Instead of creating from scratch, artists and designers are looking at successes of the past and adding a modern twist.
-> I’m fed up with this effect 
1. CREDIT CRUNCH COUTURE (Economy / Fashion) – From DIY jewelry to home-made shoes, the rediscovery of individual clothing is being fuelled by our troubled economy. Interest in DIY is even sparking top designers like Hermes, with their DIY status bags and Vivienne Westwood who showcased a collection of clothing made from towels, curtains and scrap material.
-> Probably true. But I don’t feel fine with the idea that luxury brands play with what make people suffer. It’s not luxury: it’s arrogance and superficiality, the opposite of true luxury
November 25th, 2008
New Vogue web platform in France: a good example of social-media world integration
Vogue represents vitality, innovative styles, trends, news and hot new stuff.
Good news for fashionistas and modern culture addicts in France: we’ll have the chance to get a brand new Vogue website tomorrow morning.
Condé-Nast presented its strategy for it: Vogue.fr won’t be just an online version of its magazine, but a true independant and original destination for readers. There will be hot exclusive content, the backstage of fashion weeks all over the world, with an off-beat tone + style-of-the-day photos shooting.
Here’s a screenshot of the new Vogue (available now in few hours, according to the press conference I attended this morning @salle du Jeu de Paume in Paris) :
Vogue.fr wants to be a true brand “jewel case”, and asked the brands to be always more innovative, always more creative, to improve the readers’ (we used to call him “consumers” ages ago :p ) experienc. They think about branded content, that is not yet very developed in our local market, even for banners.
Vogue.fr wants to embody the place to be to follow the show and the very last information, and wants to be the inheritant of a French phenomenom that appeared in the 80s called the “radio libre”, FM programs when listeners could directly call the animator and talks to the whole world, to promote sometimes a future famous song / idea / event. It follows previous Vogue live blogging and Twitter tactics during the last fashion weeks.
Vogue follows its stategy even in its HR for its website. Aurore Leblanc, star-DJ in France and blogger, is the new editor. Vogue is now also working with Garance Doré , one of the most talented French blogger to provide some exclusive content online (her blog is now commercialized by Condé Nast). It is a symbol of the convergence between bloggers and Vogue readers
Garance Doré
November 17th, 2008
De Castelbajac vs Lego: a worldwide fashion (week) buzz
JCDC Versus LEGO from Four H on Vimeo.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has decided to unveil his Spring/Summer 2009 collection with an animated LEGO-populated fashion show video.
Far from the fashion weeks in cities like Paris, London, Tokyo or New York… but in the meantime very close from anyone interested on Earth in mode, glam, défilés.
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