Sunday, August 31, 2008

IN THE AIR EVERYWHERE...

I haven't been excited about buying anything from Whistles since about 1994. They used to actually have some cool stuff - they were one of the few London stockists of Martine Sitbon back in the day for example. I'm sure everyone KNOWS all this, hence the title of this post; but at some point Whistles blanded out into Karen Millen territory and I hadn't set foot in there for ages, until a few months ago when the changes brought in by Jane Shepherdson started trickling in. The shops were freshened up and recently the Whistles section in Selfridges, previously an easy to bypass area was moved to prime position and yes, every magazine started harping on about it to coincide with the winter collection, designed by our heroine Jane hitting the stores.

I was drawn in by this coat in the window and proceeded to ooh and aah over a variety of blouses. I bought this one, which is exactly what I've been looking for to go with a flick of eyeliner, black mannish APC trousers and in my imagination fiercely clompy heels, in reality, probably flats because I'm lazy. The detail on it is amazing - and almost identical to that on an antique silk nightshirt I have from Florence that's so old and delicate it rips every time I wear it.



When I was in Selfridges, the music belting out was MIA snarling Where Were You in '92? Ha! I'm really chuffed that the decade is enjoying such a renaissance. I had a veeerryy good time in the nineties, being in my teens and early twenties and totally immersed in fashion - but more importantly I had REALLY GOOD CLOTHES. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for my health I'm no longer a size zero - I think even my bones have grown bigger since then - cue much puzzled holding up of circa 1992 Helen Storey and Katharine Hamnett jeans/trousers I used to wear and struggling to fit forearm in leg opening.

I've been sort of tempted to do a mega nineties post but I think once I unleash it, I won't stop at one. Oh the days when Helmut Lang and Jil Sander owned their own names and Prada took over the world; you could tell models apart and still remember their names now they're popping up again: Tasha Tilberg, Guinevere van Seenus, Kirsten Owen. Venetia Scott's styling...

But as Diana Vreeland would say, if you think the past was better than today you might as well give up now. I think Karl Lagerfeld has said that too. (If you think that he will have you removed because you are demode.) Though it's funny to see a younger generation who were little kids in the nineties appropriating that era when it doesn't seem that long ago to me (pass the zimmer frame).

Ah, now Lula. Again, on everyone's lips. The first issue of Lula came out around the time I started this blog. I was in Paris and literally devoured it - it made me ache for London. I was so naive to the ways of blogging that I didn't dare scan any of that issue, then for a couple of issues I scanned away merrily, thinking well, everyone does it, then decided NO! Lula is a magazine that must be bought and it won't be around for long if the contents of every issue are beamed around the world for free.

But this time something funny happened. Two of the editorials and the 2 covers made their way around the internet before it was released. Did Lula leak them? Not a bad idea since there is so much more in the issue besides, that it's still worth buying. Not that they need any help but it's like a siren call saying it's here, go and buy it. Buy it I did and flipped through with a glass of red at a zinc topped table in Soho it was almost like reading the first one in Paris again.



Cover with Ali Michael: Photographer: Yelena Yemchuk, Stylist: Leith Clark
My favourite page: Photographer: Laura Sciacovelli, Stylist: Elisa Nalin
Subscribe to Lula here (click Keep Me)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

l absolutely love the blouse...
and yes with the 90's i actually had some fabulous clothes then as well (and more money seemingly?!!)

oh yes and i do think some publication needs to hire you asap to write a 5 part series ;) about clothes and the 90's. you would do a terrific job!

Anonymous said...

what a gorgeous blouse!

i always thought whistles was in the same category as monsoon for some reason, really girly clothes, which i think may be a good thing for them these days.

charlotte said...

oh, the 90s! i spent hours this weekend listening to circa 92 dance music on youtube. ahem...

Nature Graffiti said...

i absolutely ADORED the latest issue of Lula
... and that blouse is fantastic!

Claire said...

anon: I wish! though my memory is a little er, fuzzy about most of the '90s, except about the clothes of course.

Jennine: You have to go there next time you come to London - Jane Shepherdson and Nick Passmore (the team that made Topshop cool) have totally changed it - kind of a grown up Marc by MJ vibe...

Lottie: guilty of same!

NG: thank you, I really like it too - the blouse (and this issue of Lula)

Lovebird said...

I love the blouse, a great addition to the wardrobe. It is so elegant.

July Stars said...

I love your poetic reminiscence of reading Lula for the first time in Paris ...

Michelle said...

The blouse is a beauty, aand I'm now gagging to get my hands on the New Lula, love Ali..