Fashion- from the sublime to the ridiculous.
How often can one quote that phrase with a straight face? But doesn't it perfectly describe the whims of fashion? 99% fantasy, fashion is in the business to be provocative.
And in spite of that or because of it, my pals will profess my devotion to runway trends as both a guilty pleasure and a true inspiration. The idea that anyone can become their own living work of art has always fascinated me.
And don't think it takes a million bucks or a couturier to create that work of art- just a spirited imagination, a good sense of proportion, and well - fabulous shoes.
I believe the adage "clothes make the man" - and as far as I'm concerned- tiles make the home. So for this month's FUN feature- I've got fashion + tile in the same post presenting some of the biggest Spring 2010 ready-to-wear trends alongside their tile doppelganger-
1 - DRIES VAN NOTEN + TILEVERA
Dries, the Belgian wunderkind, continues to be one of my favorite designers giving his artful and brilliant take on colonial exotique. And from Tilevera, a piece from our Moroccan series- perfect for this month's Moroccan focus and I believe quite the perfect pairing with this look-
Under the new guidance of Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy continues it's super-modern revamp of Hubert's classic design house. I love this jumpsuit thing coupled with the over-the-top cut of stone from Ann Sacks. Very suave
3 - CAROLINA HERRERA + WALKER ZANGER
Carolina Herrera can always be counted on for elegant and wearable fashions. Here short-shorts, one of the hottest trends for spring, is more discreet than what was seen on other runways- goodness me! And Walker Zanger's glass tiles, made by Oceanside, look so good with the jewel-tones of the silk. (I'm also fond of this tile installed vertically - especially on a curved wall!)
I have many dream jobs: chocolate tester, restaurant critic, and design intern for Miuccia Prada are but a few. I've no desire to dissect what makes her design house so successful, year after year- but would love the experience of working alongside a designer who appears untethered by self-consciousness. That can't be easy in the poser-world of fashion! Here, I've paired Prada with one of my favorite tile studios from the UK. Welbeck is very British, very fun, and doesn't have one tile that I don't love.
5 - MARNI & EMERY et CIE
Oh to have a closet-full of Marni!
Someday...but for now, a pairing of stripes and florals that look wonderful with this Emery et Cie cement tile. You may have been introduced to Emery et Cie during our Moroccan II post. If you didn't, it would be very good for what ails ya'.
Oh to have a house tiled in everything Emerie et Cie (and draped, and furnished and, and...)
6 - DOLCE & GABANA + EMERY ET CIE
Another Emery et Cie pairing that I couldn't resist with this Spring's Dolce & Gabbana party dress. I've always been a fan of anklets and pumps- you never see them in the US but lovely young Italian women wear them a lot and they look so enchanting.
Chloe and Heath- two interesting companies with similar stories, percolating at similar times in history. Created by two female visionaries Gaby Aghion and Edith Heath; Gaby wanted couture for the masses, thereby creating ready-to-wear for the first time in history. Edith thought that working class folks should enjoy fine products as much as the wealthy class and created artful stoneware for the masses. Here they are together-
8 - BALENCIAGA + EDELMAN
Fashion for the 22nd century and leather for tiles. Black leather is back on the runway (has it ever gone away?) and leather for tiles - it's hot and it's very 22nd century.
9 - MISSONI + NEW RAVENNA
Missoni- always conjures up color combinations and wonderful knit patterns that could only come out of an Italian fashion-house. New Ravenna is an American mosaic studio creating their own marvelous tile "weavings" very much inspired by the Italian spirit- hence the name.
10 - MARC JACOBS + TILEVERA
Marc Jacobs- has he ever become the king of reinvention(!) for himself, personally, as well as for Louis Vuitton, and his namesake lines. Tilevera is trying our own hand at reinvention with our newest line of glass tiles - Glassware- that we hope will bring more large format to the ever-popular glass tile category. Even with this large overall Moroccan pattern, we say - go big or go home!
That's it for this week. Hey, I may have come up with my latest dream job!
BUT WAIT, before you go I'M SUPER PLEASED to announce a very fun event that is starting tomorrow and happening through most of March!
Victoria from the famed sfgirlbybay.com blog; design blog award winner, and personally- my favorite blogger out there, has invited 300 of us new and old blog friends to join her in a big blog mashup. It will feature all of us bloggers sharing our inspirations. I'm very excited to be a part of this event and hope you'll join us during this grand event of blogger-inspirationals. Tile Envy is featured 2/18/10, but hope you'll join all 300 of us.
(Header "runway" courtesy of http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/fashion/2008/08/fashion-in-the.html)