So it’s really warm in London. Like, proper hot. On the tube, in the studio, walking around. I have spent the last week trying to balance wearing the least amount possible to not roast (I’m Irish, I’m not used to the heat!) and wearing enough work-appropriate clothes to not get fired for indecency. Here’s what I came up with today. My Nike basketball tank is one of my new favourite things, I got it in Brixton for £1. Win.
Not such a win is taking pictures in the morning – note to self: next time, check the light before you take photos. Idiot :/
Top, Nike, thrifted; Skirt & Shorts, American Apparel; Sandals, H&M
This Fashion Week I got papped loads, and it sort of unnerved me. The fact that I do outfit posts on this blog means that I think I have some sense of style, but by the same token, I have always seen myself as the person behind the camera. Also, it is meaningless because everyone got papped loads, DSLRs were the new hot necklace, or so it seemed. It got me thinking…
The fashion paparazzi are a new breed of bloggers and photographers (from hereon in referred to simply as bloggers) that are now part and parcel of the circus that is Fashion Week. They document street style, which feeds back into the fashion machine and informs magazines and media as well as designers and trend forecasting companies, and indirectly affects the way fashion progresses as much as it records fashion the way it is now.
Papping the paps rather than the clothes at fashion week…
This phenomenon did not exist even just a few years ago. And I suppose, in one way it makes sense; fashion week is a hub of stylish people, so of course any blogger with any sense within a commutable distance is going to go and try get some good images for their blog. I know I did. But at what point does the sublime become ridiculous? At what point does the search for an authentic picture become a hoard of buzzy bees with DSLRs creating nothing but internet noise and generally being annoying? When does the fasharazzi become plain old paparazzi?
Paps & vloggers
I honestly don’t know the answer to this question. I can’t really talk either, as I was there, with my DSLR, looking at people and papping the ones I liked. But you sort of have to go and see for yourself to get a feel for the sheer volume of cameras – walking into Somerset House can be so overwhelming, there are literally hundreds of fashionably dressed people sticking cameras in your face, it feels like walking the gauntlet to get to the registration office. And like a mexican wave, as soon as one paps you, another five appear from nowhere and start doing the same. Did they mistake me for someone famous? Did they not know and snap in case I am famous? Or were they just following the crowd, copying others around them? I felt silly and uncomfortable, though I usually obliged because I also think that they aren’t really doing anything wrong – they’re just like me, into fashion and doing they thang on the internet, right?
Well…I dunno. I got the impression there can be a serious lack of editing skills – shoot first, decide whether I like it later – which is a weak way of shooting, and more like papping in my book. But I guess all the blame can’t rest on the bloggers, there was more than enough willing fodder. I got the impression from some people I saw and others I spoke to that the sole reason they got dressed that morning was to turn up on as many blogspots as they possibly could, like they were waiting to be discovered, though even they weren’t sure what they were being discovered for. Which is disingenuous, turning the notion of street style into a charade, where the pappers and the papped are egging each other on, creating images that have less and less to do with authenticity and actual street style. It’s the kind of pretension that makes people hate fashion, and it annoys me because generally speaking the authentic people and the good bloggers are intelligent, lovely and unpretentious, it demeans the good work they do.
This image is the only one I have actually seen – for all the cameras, where do the images go?!
I strongly believe in street style as a valid form of fashion photography and documentary – it records our culture and how we see ourselves. On the other hand, I strongly disagree with the unintended consequence of misguided people thinking they are mini celebrities and prancing around Somerset House with no other motive than getting papped and adding nothing to the fashion conversation. If you are there with a big camera and have nothing to say, you are a tourist. Or a chancer. Simple as.
I think my main problem is that I see so many blogs run by people who claim to want to be fashion journos, and they don’t know the difference between a rolled hem and a french seam, who can’t spot a brogue from a loafer. It’s the reduction of fashion to a mindless, “ooh-look-at-the-pretty-thing” that really gets me in this fashion paparazzi debate. It infuriating seeing people wanting to be the next Tommy Ton, or Scott, or Garance, without putting the time in to actually study what they claim to be so passionate about. It’s the people who don’t know their from there, gushing on about FASHUN, and not stopping for two seconds to form a new idea, a new thought, or to really draw any conclusions from the work that designers put so much effort into producing. It makes a mockery of the system, it debases it, creating a culture that is no better than crass reality tv shows that are built on mediochre wannabes*.
There were about 4 more photographers to my left here
I know I am being somewhat (very) hypocritical here. Who am I to say that people can’t go and participate? But I feel like it is a conversation that needs to be had. Of course bloggers have a very valid place, and as a blogger, I know that it can help to promote a community within fashion and give women a forum for understanding fashion and self-identity at a more grass-roots level, which is appealing and reassuring**. Blogs are community, and are a real force in fashion media today. I suppose my problem is at what point do all the photographers just become like mainstream paparazzi, a nuisance, too much? Or do I just need to chill the hell out? Perhaps I need to take my own advice and realise that there are good bloggers and bad bloggers and they are all entitled to do their thing, and I should just zone the bad ones out. And to never, ever go to Fashion Week with a hangover.
I love this guy, he’s the cutest – saw him everywhere!
*I’m sure reality tv stars are lovely people if you meet them, but lots of people are lovely and have more talent and qualifications to create good tv.
**I did my university thesis on this. And I got a first in it. So trust me, I am both pro-blogger, and know what I am talking about.
Let me tell you about Alan. Alan Taylor is the kind of guy who knows what’s what before it’s even a what. He’s the kind of guy who shaved off his floppy locks and started dressing like a skinhead before it was cool. He’s the kind of guy that when he says men should wear skirts, then lads, I hope you have shaved your legs. Alan Taylor is so on the money it’s ridiculous. But don’t let that put you off, he’s an insanely nice guy and fierce talented to boot.
Alan Taylor AW12
Having interned at McQueen and worked closely with Simone Rocha for the past few years, he has decided to set up his own eponymously titled menswear label, Alan Taylor. Check out his awesome first fashion film for his new collection below, entitled “Man”. I like Alan’s vision of MAN, it is a strong and modern masculinity. It’s men in skirts, in a Roman Warrior, East London go-f**k-yourself kind of way, as opposed to Beckham in a sarong. It’s sharp tailoring and interesting combinations of fabrics that is reminiscent of his old boss, Ms. Rocha, but with his own aesthetic. There is a weird darkness to the collection, but don’t let the show pieces confuse you, his clothes are designed for real men, with trousers, shirts & coats that are sharp and wearable.
Alan Taylor AW12
The fashionable man is a strange entity. Most of his garments are appropriated by the fashionable woman, especially in recent years when masculine tailoring and androgyny have been key trends. Menswear tends to play it safe and deliver the same old thing, or goes so avant-garde that only the most flamboyant, effeminate fashion man would ever wear it. And while I lust after Taylor’s shirts, this collection is very definitely for men, even the skirts are strong, and manly. It is directional without compromising masculinity, which is a fine line and difficult to achieve.
So everyone, big up the nice lad from Rathfarnham who’s about to be the next big thing. And in a little while when he’s a megastar, I am quite happily going to tell you I TOLD YOU SO.
It is a very lucky thing when you find a place that is truly your own; somewhere familiar, comfortable, fun and full of adventure & mischief. For a full on decade (gulp, old much!), the Pod was my spiritual home, guiding me through my teens and early 20′s, opening me up to every kind of music, meeting all kinds of everyone – some of whom have become my closest friends – and generally shaping the person I am today.
photo by the very talented Johnny McMillan before he was famous
I am deeply saddened by its sudden closure last weekend, without even so much as a massive blowout night. It marks the end of a massive chapter of my life. On a less selfish note, it marks the passing of a cluster of venues run by people who always stood by their musical ideals, who maintained integrity and quality of acts at all times. They brought really really really good music to Dublin. They also supported local talent, enabling local promoters, bands, producers and djs to put on some of the best nights Dublin has ever seen.
One small silver lining is that the Pod’s love child, Bodytonic, is still going strong, keeping Dublin awesome. And I have been assured by the powers that be that Pod will still be running gigs, just not in the Pod complex…And so, in a final personal tribute to possibly the most influential place I have ever spent time in, here is a small history of the Pod, according to me:
This track forever reminds me of POGO, run by Bodytonic, and Nic James, the lobby bar dj who was and still is one of my favourite djs of all time ever. And he’s a real nice lad to boot. Also, this track is a bitch to find, it’s all white label and jazz, hence the lack o song :/ Although I do have the vinyl. Even if it’s not much use to you, and really it’s just a bit of a brag.
2) The Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now
This track reminds me of my friend Carol, who brought me to one of the first ever Antics, where I ended up djing and messing for several years. It was, literally, one of the funnest times of my life, and it’s weird still meeting people now for whom Antics was their first club experience and how it has in some ways shaped them.
3) The Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
At the start of the electro craze I used to play the Jacques le Cont version, mixed with Soulwax’s NY Excuse. They go real well together. People used to go ape, and that is one of the best feelings in the world and is the reason I love djing.
4 Outfits that define the POD. Without pictures, for soon to be very obvious reasons
1) Grey low waisted skinny jeans, u neck tank top, massive elasticated waist belt, long slim knit cardi, teamed with slouchy boots.
This look was so 2007. I wore it religiously to nights like Backlash, which was briefly in the Pod, to Antics, to every gig I ever went to at that time. It was cool, relaxed, and handy for blending into the going to work brigade if you ended up at a party til all hours, which invariably is what we did every night. It’s actually funny how there used to be a stage that I decided what to wear out on the basis of what looked least ridiculous the next day on the rollover…Ah those were the days!
Denim skirts pretty much define Antics for me. It was the age of the indie cindy. What more can I say.
3) Day glo jeans, oversize Bonde do Role tshirt, bright yellow massive vintage embroidered jumper, converse
When Nu Rave kicked in, I jumped on board and took to wearing RAINBOW as my colour story. That Bonde do Role is one of my most favourite tshirts of all time ever – bought at a gig they played in Crawdaddy.
4) Disco Pants, oversize tshirt, pumps
Over the years, disco pants have become something of my dj uniform – they are comfy, but shiny enough to be a bit fancy and the baggy tshirt thing is probably a learned behaviour from all the boys that I dj with (two of my favourites pictured above – but shhhh don’t tell them it’l go to their heads)!
me, circa 2008ish. the STYLE.
10 Best Gigs
This is really difficult because I have been to SO MANY and I almost forget what I have seen!
1) LCD Soundsystem, Tripod – twice
2) Jurassic 5, Redbox
3) Switch, POD – this was literally one of the most mental nights of my life
For months now I have been searching in vain for the holy grail of cardigan – roomy enough to go over my many baggy tees & androgynous shirts, slim enough to fit nicely under jackets, short enough to not mess up the lines of a high waisted thing and warm enough to wear on cold evenings. No big deal…….eh…Obviously, as with everything you go looking for, the thing doesn’t exist; and trust me when I say I have looked everywhere. The world seems to be conspiring against me to ensure that I always look like a slovenly uncoordinated mess. Or, rather that I have successfully built a wardrobe with massive gaps and nothing goes with anything else. I am sure I’m not alone in my inefficient shopping habits – the magpie effect, if you will. See something shiny? Ooh, have it. Goes with that you already have? No matter, matching is so out…..until one day you look in the mirror and realise that you look like a craxy, messy, eccentric, eh, mess.
While being so intent on wearing everything I like all at once I sometimes forget the messages I send out to the rest of the world (this is a post for another day). Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, but I have recently started thinking about workwear and how to present myself in a way that no longer screams “student”, “poverty”, “crazy lady”, which, while it was never what I intended was often how I appeared.
Which sadly means I need to leave behind teh magpie trick and start buying things for specific purposes, if not strictly matching what I already have [getting the perfect cardigan/pants for work/dress for casual going out/etc]. Retraining shopping habits is easier said than done though. I have consciously tried to wean myself off Penneys/Primark for the last two years and still fail. It’s the same with charity shopping, it’s easy to be lured in by something fun, but if it’s not going to fit in with your existing wardrobe – which crucially is your existing personality – then leave it in the store. And the next time you see the perfect cardigan, buy it.
I started thinking about stuff a while back. As a recent immigrant, and I had none. I felt really in-between and all over the place, because my new life was here in London, but all my stuff was “at home”. Which made me a strange form of homesick, where not only did I miss my friends & family, I missed my things. I missed my material life.
and what of it?
It seems very superficial to miss things, but it’s more what the things represent – the memories and stories behind them that make them special. So yea, I missed my stuff. It was amazing being home and stocking up on stuff at Christmas – a bit of family mementos here, some friend photographs there. While it is important to make new friends and new memories, there is something really comforting about having a bit of home in my new space – it makes it an actual home, I feel like I live here properly now. I guess I’m not minimal enough to deal with a bare space. Or rather, I think my room just isn’t nice enough to pull off the whole minimal thing…
probably one of my favourite songs of all time. ever.
Beleaguered with my lack of blogging recently, I have been driven to that state of mind…Much like when you forget a friend’s birthday and you want to make up by getting them a really good present, but the longer you leave it because nothing is quite right you have left it so long that it’s just embarrassing either way, and you should just have got that first thing you thought of….yea, so that’s this post.
So instead of making it up to you with something amazing, you are getting me. Wearing clothes. They aren’t even exciting clothes, if the truth be told. BUT, I am nothing if not honest, and this is basically me. I am working a lot, and I have also realised that I brought two giant suitcases with me to London, and have somehow managed to end up with no clothes to wear. Seriously, my new wardrobe is the size of a school locker, and it’s still not even full. This isn’t hyperbole. I am the worst packer in history. I watched a little video the other night by Diane Von Furstenberg about how if you can pack properly, you have your life in order (thank you Racked.com). I clearly do not.
Shirt, Jumper, Jeans, Socks: American Apparel, Shoes: Primark
So. Recently I told you about my quest for the perfect parka. I showed you a picture of a parka that I was thinking of buying. I did buy it. The website lied to me. It is MASSIVE. Medium my bum. But it is basically a duvet, and this makes me happy, because I dislike being cold. So while I look like a green Yeti in the thing, I am a very content, not-cold-at-all Yeti. The very best kind of Yeti.
Yeti coat: Army Surplus Store
That should really be the end of the story. But I have a small and well documented coat problem. So when I came across an immaculate wax jacket for £10 in a charity shop around the corner from work, it was in a bag on my arm before I knew what was going on. So now I sort of own the same coat twice. Oops. But look it’s fine, OK, because one is massive and for keeping warm, and the other is more fitted and for keeping dry. OK?
Deadly wax jacket: Charity shop round the corner
I possibly need to form a help group or charity organisation of some form – the Jane Alexandra Centre for Girls Who Can’t Stop Buying Outerwear…
Boys, boys, boys. I love boys. Actually, no, I love men. Men wearing amazing clothes. Menswear. I heart menswear. Nothing beats a hottie with a good outfit. I had a conversation last Saturday about the store Albam, a menswear label I hold in very high regard. Think heritage, and luxe meets modern and minimal with lashings of japanese denim and wool jumpers with leather elbow patches. Men, this stuff to women is a little bit like having a cute dog – it makes us swoon. Only you don’t have to bring your good jacket for walks or pick up its poop.
This post is not actually a review of Albam, or even indeed an intentional plug. My point is that men’s style interests me greatly. Indeed at Fashion Week I think I was probably more taken with the guys than the girls. What I love about men’s fashion is the creativity that is possible within very tight constraints. Within womenswear there is more daring in terms of garment shape, and more variation in general – a women has an arsenal of different garments and garment shapes (think how many different shapes of skirts there are – now think of the different hemlines….). In menswear, by contrast, we still abide by very traditional attire rules. Despite the total revolution in women’s dress, men’s dress has changed very little over the past 100 years. True, our attitude is very different, but the pieces themselves are quite archaic. This is why it is so interesting. How can you keep a simple wardrobe of pants, shirts, tshirts, and polos fresh? With a lot of talent is how. With a sharp eye for detail and even sharper scissors for tailoring… Sorry, that was poor. I am above that. Menswear is above that.
I guess part of the reason I am so interested in menswear is how it is so centred on fit and quality. I feel these are two things womenswear in the maninstream has forgotten about. Even the average man understands that he must wear his clothes, not the other way around. This means that if it doesn’t fit his body, he will not buy the amazing shoes/dress/jeans – there is no such thing as “if I don’t eat for a week I’ll totally fit into this”. Men’s inherent understanding of good fit is critical to good style.
Lesson #1: Good fit = Good Style. Work with your body, you will always look your best when you wear clothes. Don’t let them wear you. Don’t pretend they fit when they don’t. I don’t necessarily mean dress size here, I am talking about getting a shape that fits your hips, waist and bust, no matter what the numbers are.
Similarly, guys just don’t buy crappy quality. Their aversion to shopping means they buy things to last. The next time you are binging in Penneys/Primark, go to the men’s section and feel the fabrics. Look at the label if you can’t tell the difference by touch. Men’s clothes in general are made with better fabric, and it shows. The hardware (zips, buttons, etc) are also generally better, and attached more firmly. We should follow suit.
Lesson #2: Quality shows. Forget how much of a bargain it is, a rubbish fabric will wash badly, and lose shape. Not such a hot look after a few washes. There are good fabrics on the highstreet, you just have to be clever about how you shop.
As much as my favourite menswear is the looking-like-you’re-not-even-trying version, I love a man who’s not afraid to dress UP. I have noticed so many guys in London wearing heels on their daily business. There are some really exciting things happening within menswear at the moment, and not all of them are that design-nerd heritage modern minimal thing. You know when I said not much had changed in the past century? Well, I think there is a sea change on the way, where the mainstream is becoming more accepting of daring men’s looks – the kind club kids have been championing since way back when. I suppose it is very tied into gender issues, so this acceptance is a positive not just for fashion but for society in general, and it will be interesting to see what men’s fashion pages look like ten years from now.
Lesson #3 Challenge everything. It helps when your bestie is as outrageous as you, but wear what you like. There are loads of different styles for a reason. We live in times where we can kind of do what we want, we should embrace that. Just make sure you are aware of what you are putting together, there is a fine line between avant garde and total carcrash.
Lads love trainers. I don’t really like them personally, but I appreciate a man with a good pair of kicks. I guess they are the men’s equivalent of Louboutins?
Lesson #4. Footwear is everything.
All images (c) Jane Kenny, 2011
So I love menswear. And at Fashion Week there was lots of it about. I thought it was high time I shared it with you. Also, as an aside, I apologise for the lack of regular posts in the past couple of weeks, I have no internet in my house (will hopefully be back up and running soon), and I have been working like a maniac, so I am having somewhat of a real-life-interfering-with-my-internet-output moment. Soz bbz. xxx
Given my penchant for the Pikey Boxer Look (see what I mean here), I was very pleased to stumble across the work of Sarah Angold. Presenting her third collection at Somerset House at London Fashion Week, she stood out, in my mind, as the highlight of the accessories. An engaging, charming person to boot, Angold has a background in textiles and product design, which comes across in her work. It has all the slick modernism of Industrial Design, with the softness and texture of a textile designer.
Sarah Angold SS12
Her graphic, geometric designs were inspired by London’s skyline and many, many construction sites*. Using lazer cut acrylic, non precious metals and industrial fastenings, Angold creates pieces that are tough but feminine, sculptural but wearable. Another nice touch is that all the pieces, while looking quite industrial, are all hand crafted – I don’t know why, but I am a sucker for hand made things, especially when made to such an incredibly high standard.
Sarah Angold SS12
Angold captures something in her work that I find difficult to articulate. It is so designed, in a very technical sense (that’ll be the industrial designer in her), but without the object coming across as clunky or overly designed. While they are graphic and modular, they seem smooth. I keep hearing Dieter Rams in my head when I look at them. Without wanting to sound sycophantic or overly gushing, I think that they are very very good design!
Sarah Angold SS12
So, my birthday is coming up, and if anyone wants to buy me one of Sarah’s necklaces, you can do so at the Tate Modern, 127 Brick Lane, Beyond the Valley, Gill Wing and at Sarahangold.com. Do it now, before she really hits the big time. She has already collaborated with up-and-coming NewGen wunderkid David Koma on his most recent collection, so stay tuned for this one. And seriously, anyone, birthday present much? Thanks.
Sarah Angold SS12
Find Sarah on Facebook and Twitter and her website here
Sarah Angold SS12
*This bus is on diversion…constantly. Transport rage much!
