>> keep it in the family #2

Then it actually gets serious. It’s not just a celebrity game to make more money out of a name that’s become a brand in its own right. It’s real designers, with real talent. Lots of it, come to that.

That’s how two pairs of sisters are sweeping the fashion world off their feet on both sides of the Atlantic. Rodarte first showed in New York for S/S 2006, and Felder Felder only made their appearance as a London Fashion Week Off Schedule name last September – but they both were the hot names on everybody’s lips during the catwalk carousels of the past few weeks.

>> keep it in the family #1

On the subject of celebrity collaborations with high-street retailers, last year Mango jumped on the bandwagon alongside H&M and Topshop (to name only the most talked-about ones). They did it hiring Penelope Cruz – but not just her. Her almost identical sister Monica was actually appointed to manage the collection, while Penelope was simultaneously the face of the Mango ad campaigns, too.

The venture was well in the line of what seemed to be another major 2007 trend: sisterhood fashion.

Apparently creativity is enhanced by working with your sister – especially if she is not too famous, but at least has a rough idea of what designing clothes is all about. I don’t know much about Monica Cruz’s credentials, but they seem to be there, at least to a certain degree.

And another one with apparently quite strong credentials (think Central St. Martins, Alexander McQueen and Matthew Williamson) is Savannah Miller. Yes, that Miller. As in: Sienna’s sister. Guess what the designer and the starlette did last year? That’s right: they launched their own fashion brand, Twenty8twelve.

To be fair to them, their line has got some good potential. And, although patroned by Pepe Jeans owner Carlos Ortega (Sienna is also the face for Pepe Jeans’ campaigns), at least it wasn’t linked to some high-street retail giant or another.

I am actually a fan of a few pieces from the S/S 08 collection:

Unfortunately, I cannot say quite the same about Elizabeth and James, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s 2007 fashion effort. Having been famous as sisters for all their lives, it only seemed natural for them to launch their own clothes line last year, I guess. Definitely nobody can argue about their credentials as famous siblings! But we were never quite convinced about their credibility as designers…

Thankfully, we have no record (yet…) of similar attempts by the likes of Kylie and Danii Minogue, Jessica & Ashlee Simpson or, god forbid, Paris & Nicky Hilton…

Relevant posts: >> keep it in the family #2

>> marimekko @ h&m – whoever said I don’t wear prints??

It all started with Stella McCartney. It was a new idea and it worked. Then it went downfall – anyone remembers Madonna’s collection, or Kylie’s bikinis last spring?

Yes, we are talking about H&M‘s collaboration with fashion designers/icons – a great idea in itself, if a little too exploited recently (although, admittedly, the Viktor&Rolf one wasn’t bad at all). So, after ‘celebrities’ of all kinds started ‘designing’ for virtually every high-street brand out there, and rock bottom was hit with Lily Allen’s collection for New Look, it looked like the fad was over – and we all sighed a sigh of relief.

Or maybe not?

Maybe not, because they’re at it again. Good old H&M, never short of tricks. Only, this time the trick is so promising that I actually cannot wait to have a date to put down in my diary. To say that I’ll actually go queue outside the store at 5am on the day is still pushing it – but I’m planning to make a dignified appearance at around 10am, and then stock on as much as I can!

Because this time it’s not just any collaboration with any name that we’re talking about. This time, it’s with über-cool print designers Marimekko.

And that’s not even all! We won’t be getting just any flavour-of-the-season print. Marimekko have actually digged deep in their archives, and original prints from the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s emerged, which will feature in H&M’s Spring 2008 collection. Could it sound any more exciting than that?

Not much else is known about the collection, but the mood sketches the company are circulating already tell me that I’ll be sporting long bold-colours gowns this summer – just what I needed, to go with my signature giant-sized necklaces, and those great wooden-sole Trippen clogs….

Relevant posts: >> marimekko @ h&m – the preview

>> fashion hummingbird

Prada hired visual effects artist James Lima to produce an animated short film featuring their S/S 2008 collection. The results are stunning.

>> london windows: selfridges, london fashion week a/w 08/09, february 2008

With my job, I am out and about stores a lot, and one of the things I observe is windows display.

In London the department stores always have the most amazing set-ups. Selfridges in particular never fail to impress, especially during Fashion Week. There always is a LFW theme in the windows during the two weeks in February and September.

Have a look at these spectacular paper-cut installations!