Les Parisiennes des Mamansnet: JesusFlo Superstar in a Back Lit Kaftan (Toyboy Not Included)

[botemp]

Lovers of Parisian style and fashion with a conscious mindset and lots of chatter in between.

----
Favoured Parisian addresses:

Second Hand Shops

Outlets

Favoured London addresses:

Charity Shops, Dress Agencies, and Outlets

Favoured NYC addresses:

Consignment shops, Vintage, and Restaurants

----

Previous threads:


Un

Deux

Trois

Quatre

Cinq

Six

Sept

Huit

Neuf

Dix

Onze

Douze

Treize

Quatorze

Quinze

Seize

Dix-sept

[Floisme]

I read that as Sienna Miller at first, which was even more confusing. I quite like some of the pieces and the general Austin Powers vibe, not enough to start checking out fabric content etc (I assume it's not good?) but they were fun to look at. Interesting that they felt they had to literally tell us a story in order to get our attention, that they didn't seem to think the clothes were good enough in their own right.

[botemp]

I listened to a BoF podcast the other week about the state of digital advertising. It kind of revealed what I suspected, they're tossing way more money at it than before and getting less in return. It's really hard to break through and make an impact, I suspect the whole story telling thing is an attempt at this but considering I only became aware of this Collab by walking past the shop not sure it worked...

Interestingly the brands that were doing really well in terms of social media impact according to that podcast are all super colourful and peppy positive (I think they mentioned Alice and Olivia which I thought was just a tkmaxx only brand ).

The Simon Miller fabric choices were really random, some good, some atrocious. No consistency, the crochet stuff was intriguing though. It was already getting pushed last year (though primarily in cream) but no one seemed to buy it, now it's colourful but going by the podcast I feel like it's a last ditch attempt. I tried on a black crochet dress out of curiosity though and was surprised at how much I liked it, even with just wearing underwear underneath it didn't feel super naked. I grabbed the wrong size though as it looked so small on the hanger but it stretches out loads so it was a bit baggy in places. I didn't love it enough to go back and change sizes and subject myself to the overheated changing rooms again but I'll keep an eye out for a higher quality version. The Mango one was quite a dull black colour and I suspect that how it's crocheted (sp?) with differing patterns/density also will enhance the overall look of it.

This summer the main push on the high street seems to be strapless tops and dresses though. I don't know, I loved it the first time round, it works well for me, but there's just no wearing it in a new or new to me way this time to make it exciting.

[Floisme]

To be fair I guess a lot of catwalk shows have some kind of overarching narrative but I'm not even keen when they do that. It always feels like spoonfeeding. Just show me the clothes, thanks and I'll make up the stories.

Another Jean Muir find this weekend! This one's a cracker I think - in a wool crepe and reminds me of the Dior Bar jacket which I'm sure is delusional thinking but I don't care. It's at the dry cleaners so remind me to take a photo when it comes back.

I loved it the first time round, it works well for me, but there's just no wearing it in a new or new to me way this time to make it exciting.
Oh bo, welcome to my world

[CrkdLttrCrkdLttr]

I admit I wouldn’t want to spend £230 on shoes at Mango, even though they do look very cute …

Your Jean Muir find takes me right back to when I was very young and alone in London for the first time, @Floisme. I spent ridiculous amounts of (penniless!) time trying on clothes in Harvey Nichols - but I was too in awe of Jean Muir’s iconic status to do more than run my fingers over her stuff. Would be lovely to have some of it now.

(Recalling how I idolised her in Vogue in the mid-70s when I started reading it - and what Vogue was like then - is making my heart hurt all over again after the latest Vogue news. If someone like Edward Enninful had been editor as I was graduating from my first degree, my whole life might have been different.)

My Sofie D’Hoore skirt arrived last week and is perfect, despite my swerving Vestiaire’s quality checking service. Only a slight moving of waist buttons, and reduction of my hip measurements, will be necessary. Showed it to my nonagenarian style guru on FaceTime and she adored it - so I’m happy.

[botemp]

Well Flo if that was the promised wisdom of old age, not gonna lie, I'm feeling short-changed here 😑

Yes the spoonfeeding is an odd thing, I know it's big in menswear thanks to Raf Simons to have show notes and then the nerdy sorts go an analyse them into insane obscurity. As someone who that bullshit comes to easily I can't really take it all that seriously, it's often highly entertaining in it's absurd abstraction though.

I saw in the news Enninful is moving on and the next EIC of British Vogue won't have that title seems it's just merging into one single glossy with a bit of regional content sprinkled in. Not sure what to make of that.

[Floisme]

I'd read about Enninful moving up but not about the other changes afoot. So no more buying a copy of the 'local' Vogue whenever I'm on holiday? Will it become more vibrant, I wonder, or more bland? Guess we shall see. It sounds like a bitter-sweet feeling for you Crkd, thinking about what might have been? I loved that rear view of the Sofie D’Hoore skirt, showing all the movement.

[notwavingbutdrowning1]

Just to say, @Floisme , how much I admire your careful, thoughtful posting on That Other Thread!

I do find the attitude on there (and others) baffling.

[Floisme]

Well thank you notwaving. I did come very close to saying something I might later regret but instead I wrote a post, deleted it and now I'm off to bed, see yous tomorrow.

[botemp]

Have you been off fighting the good fight on that sarky thread, Flo? I kind of lost interest when it became the usual circular argument on here, I might have to do a quick skim.

I can't remember where I read the Vogue stuff and I've probably mangled it in my memory. But I've noticed British and American Vogue carry many of the same articles online and it's been like this with all the Hearst titles for a long time (it's really bizarre to have an article on the Dutch Elle link to US dresses you can't buy here but I think they've sorted those teething problems). Had to think of you though Flo as whoever is in charge of choosing the images seems to have read Sienna Miller instead of Simon Miller too in this article about mid priced dresses although their idea of mid priced is rather flexible...

[Floisme]

Ha ha glad it's not just me. I was thinking of Sienna Miller again today as I'm wearing a Toast knitted linen wrap top that I found in Oxfam last year and is straight out of 2005. It might inspire me to dig out my old Jigsaw ones although I don't think they'll be in as good condition, plus this Toast one is technically a couple of sizes too big so hangs very differently from how I remember - far less fitted and more kimono than come hither if you get my drift.

What's Sienna Miller up to now anyways? I think the last time I saw her was in some kind of TV drama but I'm ashamed to say all I can remember about it is that she wore a lot of camel. (Sorry Sienna.)

Thread nearly turned feisty last night but I stepped away in time No plans to go back unless I have a sleepless night. I think I've said all I had to say plus I'm sure there'll be another one in a day or two.

[botemp]

Oh it was another bad Netflix show wasn't it? Lots of camel and white and a shit of a husband that all the finery trappings couldn't disguise.

YY, save your energy for the next round Flo. I'm struggling to remember if it was always like this on S&B and it's just gotten a bit more polarised like everywhere else or if it's a newer dynamic.

Saw some news that Gabriela Hearst's next Chloé show will be her last. Not sure why she's leaving (I think the turnover/profits were improving) but I suspect it's that whole trying to do two things well at the same time isn't something you can manage in the long term. I also saw they're also doing a Chloé colab with Angelina Jolie (something sustainable sounding), hmm, going by the new appointments doing the rounds she might well be the next creative director

My annoyance with Ludovic de Saint Sernin at Ann Demeulemeester has resolved itself as well as they've broken up after a single season and promoted someone internally. I worry a bit for the long term on that one but at least it'll go back to pleasing the existing customer base (probably).

[CrkdLttrCrkdLttr]

Ughhh! I hate it when there’s so much … churn. Thirty years ago I knew exactly which designer belonged where - and there was generally some recognisable creative link between them and the founders of each brand. I find it impossible to retain much interest once that link with the original creative impulse has been lost.

I did wonder how the Hearst / Chloe thing would work. I’ve admired Gabriela Hearst’s apparent creative ambition, but there’s been less to adore at either place recently.

Glad about Ann Demeulemeester though!

[Floisme]

I can't keep up with the all the hirings and sackings either. I've given up trying. I don't think it's a sign of a healthy and thriving industry though.

Chloe and Angelina Jolie? Errm.... why?

[botemp]

My first thought at the Angelina Jolie and Chloe was that surely the Chloe customer would have been Team Jen...

Anyhow, I assume because there's money to be made. That seems to be the unifying theme in all fashion decisions (including the designer musical chairs) lately. Not that that's new, but it seems like the business end of it has become much more powerful over the creative output and do seem to succeed financially. Not sure if that's down to having more data and the ability to game it, an expanding global audience with different values, designers burning out from a ridiculous number of shows and helming more than one fashion house, or a combination thereof. I just know that creatively it's all feeling a bit meh as a result.

[Floisme]

I don't think I'd realised Hearst was still running her own label too, alongside Chloe. That's just nuts although, given the attrition rate in designer houses, I can understand not wanting to give it up.

Is there any more news on Phoebe Philo by the way?

[CrkdLttrCrkdLttr]

Is there any more news on Phoebe Philo by the way?

Don’t make me cry …

I absolutely know that she’ll wait until the very moment after I’ve spent my life savings on - I dunno - The Elder Statesman double faced cashmere, or dentistry, or a silver duvet cover, to announce a grand opening. Or it’ll be by invitation only. Almost inevitably there’ll be nothing that costs less than a secondhand Mini Convertible.

<Whinges miserably for the rest of the day.>

[Floisme]

She should have gone to Marks and Spencer, like I told her to.

[Voltefarce]

Good morning all. Just a reminder that the V&A Chanel exhibition tickets are on sale today. Members’ tickets (for preview etc) not on sale until 1 September.

[ToEllewithIt]

Thanks for the reminder. I must look up when the member's preview is.

I think you’re right that the Chloe customer might have been Team Jen originally, but I think most of them have probably now come of age and seen that whole saga for what it really was. Team both all the way. I’d view it the other way around, Jen is and was a Chloe girl, Angelina is not, she’s more Ann Demeulemeester, well maybe not AD, but certainly more Saint Laurent than Chloe.
 
Well done on maintaining your composure Flo and your thoughtful posts. I don’t remember everyone getting so exercised about those things before and those sort of threads going on so long. Everyone sounds so very insecure in their choices, on both sides.
 
The jacket sounds great Flo

[Voltefarce]

@ToEllewithIt

Thanks for the reminder. I must look up when the member's preview is.

I think you’re right that the Chloe customer might have been Team Jen originally, but I think most of them have probably now come of age and seen that whole saga for what it really was. Team both all the way. I’d view it the other way around, Jen is and was a Chloe girl, Angelina is not, she’s more Ann Demeulemeester, well maybe not AD, but certainly more Saint Laurent than Chloe.
 
Well done on maintaining your composure Flo and your thoughtful posts. I don’t remember everyone getting so exercised about those things before and those sort of threads going on so long. Everyone sounds so very insecure in their choices, on both sides.
 
The jacket sounds great Flo

They are 14-17 September (I just got my email - I do not work for the V&A 😆).

Has anyone seen the exhibition on at Kensington Palace at the moment? I forget what it’s called.

[botemp]

Admittedly I've not paid much attention to Angelina Jolie for a long time. But isn't she all UN ambassador, peace and love late stage Audrey Hepburn these days? The hard edges of Saint Laurent probably don't meld as well with that anymore? I assumed the sustainability aspect tied into the new world saviour aspect of it.

I'm trying to remember who made her wedding dress though, I remember it was full of drawings from their children but I can't remember who made the actual dress. I've never really considered her a fashion icon though, she's always had such a strong face and body that clothes kinda of went unnoticed. She does have a talent for elevating Versace beyond recognition iirc.

Phoebe Philo's brand (or Blue Balls as I've taken to calling it) is supposed to launch in September iirc, right when all the holiday credit card bills come in 🤔 Yeah, I think they're aiming for jumpers at starter home prices with that launch date.

(Fwiw I was team Brad Pitt can't seem to keep it in his pants, if anyone's interested, beautiful man but it doesn't look like there's much happening between the ears).

[botemp]

Google tells me Versace made the wedding dress, I remember being very puzzled by it at the time. I think I'm even more puzzled now...

Also, Françoise Gilot has passed away. Fairly sure I've highlighted her great sense of dress well into old age on here. I love the picture of her in the turquoise jumpsuit in the article. Of any other artist I'd be convinced it was entirely staged, but for her it's totally believable to be painting in such preciousness.

[CrkdLttrCrkdLttr]

In 2018, at the age of 96, she published a book of sketches made during numerous travels to India, Senegal and Venice between 1974 and 1981. (From @botemp‘s Guardian link.)

Oh - I loved the first half of that sentence … She certainly lived a life.

[botemp]

Definitely, she's probably most recognisable for the beach picture but she was such a presence throughout her life. I'm glad most headlines didn't run with 'muse of Picasso'.

[Floisme]

Thank you Voltefarce you for the Chanel tip off. I'd forked out for V&A membership as I was so fed up of missing out on things because I hadn't booked in time (Mary Quant, Dior, I could go on). I've just looked out of curiosity and it was a 12 minute wait just to get into their website so I've not regretting my decision. Whether I'll make it to the preview is another matter but at least it means I can just turn up whenever I'm next in London. I'm planning to make full use of all the online events - there was a Zoom talk on tartan yesterday which I couldn't make so I'm waiting for the recording.

I had a look at the info for the Kensington Palace exhibition when it opened but couldn't quite work out what it's about! I'd assumed from the venue that it was fancy frocks worn by royals over the years but it would seem not.

And Elle thank you. I'm glad some people appreciate my aged wisdom even if bo doesn't