Eric Gaskins Vol 23: Hampton Classic
At the end of every summer the giant 18-wheeler horse vans from as far away as Colorado rumble into the seaside village of Bridgehampton, New York. This is the yearly ritual known as the Hampton Classic Horse show. All year young and adult riders compete and prepare for entry into the east coast’s most prestigious horse show. From perfect ponies to the most athletic horses a spectator can watch the cream of Hunter/Jumper competition.
There is an innate elegance that permeates the sport. Horse and rider are turned out in the gear that evokes images of a time untouched by trends, fads or changing fashion dictates. The template for what is considered appropriate wear has had little variation over the last fifty years or more. Riders are outfitted in crisp cotton shirts with a band collar for women and a necktie for men and all wear tailored jackets in navy, black or brown with the possibility of the faintest pinstripe in the fabric. Breeches, which at one time were cut with rounded hips, are now mostly sleek, 4-way stretch cotton/lycra blends for a slim defined leg. Helmets are in black, navy olive or chocolate velvet and gloves are in cotton mesh with leather palms or all leather. Boots are tall slim legged affairs the end just below the knee in front rising higher on the sides in chocolate or black. The only variation there is whether or not they are classic pull-on boots or Field boots that lace at the vamp. This uniformity of style is oddly pleasing, as it doesn’t draw attention away from the beauty of the horse and his athleticism. The desired effect is a picture of horse and rider working together as one. Make-up is discouraged on women so there is little more than fresh scrubbed, sun kissed faces with simple, unfussy-over hair. The most attractive riders are the ones who are obviously in good physical condition, meaning athletically built whether thin or more shapely. This applies to men and women alike.
The real contestants for beauty are the horses. This is the area of variation that swings from lean, mean Thoroughbreds to the muscle bound Warmblood horses bred and imported from Germany, France and Holland. Watching these animals in the warm-up area is magnificent. From beautiful shades of brown, black and white to incredible mixes of steel to silver grey and copper, the horses are mesmerizing. Their grace on the ground is matched and surpassed only by their beauty in flight as they navigate a course of truly daunting obstacles – some, that reach heights of six feet. Judges mark them on their fluidity, jumping ability and timing. Putting all the pieces together are the steely-nerved riders. Mastering the strength and minds of a 1200-pound dynamo is no easy task. Making it all look effortless is the desired result.
Left: Eric on his Irish Thoroughbred gelding Bailiwick. Right: Kelly on her Hanovarian stallion Louvre.
Equestrian sport is a mix of art, style, strength and athleticism. All of those aspects make for an aesthetic ideal very much like fashion. The sum of all the parts creates a vision of style. There’s no getting around it. You rarely see a horse and rider without the impression of an elegant picture. There’s rarely a moment when you think ”wrong length” or “vulgar neckline”. I wish people would dress with the same degree of balance. Great fit, flattering shapes, appealing colors and clean, natural skin and hair are the cornerstones of great style. It’s not the WHAT but the HOW that counts. Horses just go out and do their best; nothing more and nothing less. That’s all we need to do, as well. Life can be really very simple when you turn down the noise and listen to your soul. Happy Labor Day!
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
And for the Gentlemen…
Brunello Cucinelli, a brand known for its luxurious fabrics and high-quality craftsmanship, is making sure the men are well-dressed this fall season.
Cashmere unstructured sweater blazers, worn-in chambray shirts, corduroy pants and rugged boots just arrived at Hirshleifers. In signature Cucinelli fashion, each piece is always comfortable, but demonstrates a level of formality in a relaxed way.
Perfect for the office, lunch meetings or dinner on the weekends, Brunello Cucinelli always has the right pieces for the man in your life.
Stop by now to see what else we have in store, just for him!
Bleu De Chanel – Be Unexpected
.
BLEU DE CHANEL
A NEW WOODY AROMATIC FRAGRANCE FOR TODAY’S MODERN MAN.
AVAILABLE NOW AT HIRSHLEIFERS
An American Vintage
Nestled between San Francisco and Los Angeles, in the Big Sur region, lies the town of Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay was built by the hands of Chinese laborers and became famous for the canneries that brought prosperity to the area during the Great Depression.
The city is rich with history and character – John Steinbeck wrote about Monterey in his novel Cannary Row, giving insight into the hardships and tough life of this hard-working community.
Levi’s has created a series of vintage styles inspired by the spirit of Monterey Bay. Monterey has remained a community motivated by its founding fathers, who toiled through hardships and difficult times. But the community found prosperity and is today one of the most affluent areas in the country, and attributes its success to the simple truth of an honest-to-goodness hard days’ work.
Levi’s presents its new vintage series for fall – Find your piece of American history at Hirshleifers ETC now.
The Art of Tailoring
A tailored look is the antidote to the free-flowing days of summer – and the perfect transition into fall.
Tailored, menswear-influenced styles are a dominant theme this season, and no wonder – it speaks to the professional, buttoned-up side in all of us. When it’s time to get down to business, what you wear can often precede what you say – and when what you have to say is important, your outfit should be as well.
But don’t let it get too stuffy. Now is the time to be smart, savvy and sharp about your look. Try on a fitted dress, add a chic blazer or just update what you already have with a polished ankle boot – it says you understand the art of the deal, but you also know a thing or two about style.
Find your tailored piece at Hirshleifers now.
Gilded Oppulence
There is something about the turning of seasons – the anticipation of cooler weather, upcoming months of holiday celebrations – that makes golds and metallics perennial trends this time of year.
And it makes sense – when it comes time to start bundling up, there is nothing like a flash of gold or silver to upgrade your look. Pair a gold brocade dress with thick tights, ankle boots and a fur jacket for the ultimate statement in evening looks. For a more subtle daytime style, add a touch of sophistication by pairing a thick black turtleneck sweater, pencil skirt and opaque tights with a gold chain necklace or studded cuff.
Some of the easiest trends to incorporate into your wardrobes, golds and metallics are also a classic ones that will maintain their relevance for years to come.
Find your gilded piece at Hirshleifers now.
Eric Gaskins Vol 22: Trendspotting
With the Spring 2011 Collections just a whisper away, we’re faced with an onslaught of fall looks. Just when you’re brushing the beach sand off your feet it’s time to plan what face you’ll present to the world in just a few weeks. Defining and then distilling the trends that fit into your world is the work at hand; distilling is the operative word. Just because it’s out there doesn’t mean it has an open invitation to the sacred confines of your closet. The challenge is to put yourself first and the clothes second. They have to compliment you, not dominate. There’s nothing sadder than someone who’s been victimized by fashion without even knowing what hit them. My mission now that I’ve chosen to accept it is to lay out the trends that I see, but more importantly, the ones that appear to be valid, accessible and ultimately worth the investment.
The first thing that seems to be permeating the landscape is one particular color: Khaki. Khaki is the new black, the ultimate neutral that can anchor the whole season. A neutral color in the driver’s seat is pretty cool. It combines brilliantly with primary colors like red, black, and white, and is equally arresting with brown, grey, taupe, inky blue, pink and cream. Up the ante with a leopard print, animal stripes or bold, graphic combinations of color and you’re sitting in the catbird seat. Chanel has shades of khaki for nails, lips and eyes, so you can create a palette for your skin to offset what ever colors you choose to wear.
A double-faced cashmere coat in camel is essential. Go a step further and buy yourself a mink in khaki and watch people drop as you pass by. The bag you select is decidedly more subtle and scaled down. The “IT” bag for me is the one that is scaled to your size, no longer a suitcase parading as a purse but a purse as we used to know it. Luxurious, beautiful leather, suede or perhaps a reptile, but always smaller are my picks. Remember, elegance is refusal, so refuse to be a packhorse for your bag…..it’s supposed to be the other way around. One night last fall I had the unexpected pleasure of having dinner with Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, the uber–chic fashion fiend from the 80’s. Her purse was a navy blue Hermes no bigger than a book with a very short strap to be held, not shouldered. I asked what she could possibly carry in so small a bag and she said the 3 things sherequired: a credit card, some cash, her cell phone, keys and lipstick. When you think about it, what else is necessary? The best part was that it was small enough that it didn’t take up an extra seat at the table.
Dresses that fall an inch or two above or below the knee look absolutely modern and flatter every woman. Hemlines that creep up above mid thigh are crass and only flattering on models with legs that are the same width as most people’s arms. So unless you’re on the beach or the tennis court let the hyper mini have a long needed rest. Dresses for day or evening, no matter the color, look most flattering when they’re draped and tucked in an unfussy, organic way. Tucks that fall diagonally across the bust and mid section are great for thin bodies and fuller figures. They add volume and interest to the first and soften and camouflage the waist and hips of the second. If the fabrics are super fine wools with stretch or jersey in navy, charcoal, chocolate or black, then all the better. Khaki and taupe also reign in this category. Mixing and matching is the smartest route and the most interesting.
Tailored jackets in double-faced wool or cashmere in solid colors or earthy, nubby tweeds mixed with a liquid cashmere sweater over fluid wide legged trousers look new and absolutely comfortable. Knits, whether chunky 100-ply cashmere or second skin silk/cashmere blends are the chicest answer to comfort clothes; mix them with abandon. This gives you the opportunity to choose unrelated favorite items as long as colors compliment or harmonize. An amazing fitted jacket from the top of the heap to the most casual slim skirt or swinging pant add up to an elegant, unstudied style. Style is after all the desired end. Fashion is only the means. Gloves are the common denominator throughout all of these configurations. Rich, leather gloves that climb your arm are perfect with coat, sweaters, jackets and dresses. They complete and frame whatever you have on and look incredibly FABU.
Shoes are the great conundrum. Sky-high platform boots and heels are still solidly in the forefront. I’m more interested in the sleek low-heeled kitten. They look absolutely fresh with pants, skirts and dresses. I like the contrast to all the other women teetering around in shoes that risk their lives and limbs. Whether in leopard printed pony or suede in rich earth or bright colors, they look fresh. They’ll give your feet and legs a break as well. As much as the earth bound Kitten is on the rise, one can not ignore the dominance of the “Bootie”, knee high or thigh high boots of fall. They come in the most luxurious, second-skin leathers with spike heels or monstrously exaggerated platforms with “Tranny “ heels, as Rachel Zoe so indecorously refers to them. Still my favorites are Chanel’s faux fur “Yeti” boots with Lucite, Stalagtite heels. They are by far the very last word in Uber-Cool. There are no rules so don’t impose any. Get into the dressing room and don’t come out until you feel refreshed, re-vitalized and renewed.
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
Mad for Military
The military trend hasn’t abated for years now, and there is good reason for it – the military represents strength, courage, loyalty, passion and will, all qualities that never go out of style.
This season, the color camel is also a strong theme, and the two complement each other in a sophisticated way.
Whether it be literal (fatigue inspired jackets) to a broader style (chic cargo pants), blending military influences with camel basics (like a cowl neck sweater) is the ultimate style statement this season.
Find your inner G.I. Joe at Hirshleifers now.
What a Lady
The modern way to incorporate trends today is not by strictly adhering to a total look, but rather, by understanding the influences of a particular style and its origin and shaping your wardrobe choices on those key elements.
The 1950’s classic uniform, as seen on popular TV hits such as Mad Men (fitted cardigan set, pearl necklaces, knee-length A-line skirts), is an overwhelmingly trendy look when worn head to toe.
However, if you break the look down into its key components, what you find are incredibly timeless styles that will always look fresh. Take, for instance, the classic black round toe pump – worn with a blazer and pencil skirt, they soften hard corporate edges. Worn with skinny jeans and a tee-shirt, they add a touch of rockabilly to an otherwise simple look. And classic shift dresses, the hallmark of this trend, can be paired with a printed scarf for a city look, or with ballet flats for a youthful touch, a la Sophia Coppola or Kirsten Dunst.
Whichever way you choose to wear it, classic will never be out of style, and Hirshleifers has your enduring pieces available now.
Global Traveler
Whether you are truly a jet-setter or just imagine yourself to be one, the Global Traveler trend so dominant this season is one of the most romantic by far.
Sitting in Prague at a café drinking a strong brew in a cozy, oversized Missoni sweater, traipsing through the streets of Paris in the early evening wrapped in a printed Stella McCartney scarf, visiting the countryside of Argentina, arms stacked with Ashley Pittman’s earthy horn cuffs – these are the scenes of a well-travelled life, and as such, should always be done in style.
Stop by Hirshleifers now to get your piece of the world out there – to remind you of places you have been, or to inspire you with the places you will go.
Jason Wu Resort 2011 Trunk Show today at Hirshleifers!
Devin Winter is here to take you through the Irving Penn inspired Fall Collection. Taking notes of Penn’s personal style and brilliant photography, Jason has infused the collection with his take on the “platinum print” with a 24karat gold-leaf on duchess satin dress!
As Wu takes us into Resort, inspired by Anna Karina, Winter is on-hand to explain all the facets of this French-gamin transitional collection. Not to be understated, the Diane Kruger custom gown worn to the closing of the Cannes Film Festival is on-hand, as well as the Camilla Belle rouge gown worn when she escorted Wu to the Met Costume Institute Gala.
While Jason Wu comes off of his CFDA Emerging Designer Win back in June, now is the best time to be “Wu’d”. See you today.
Leather and Lace
Leather and lace never looked so refined, and this season it’s one of the easiest trends to add to your wardrobe.
A fitted leather jacket with floral stitching from Chanel is a polished edition of the biker version, while over-the-knee lace-up stilettos by Christian Louboutin say tough-girl in a chic way. For a more lady-like look, an all-over lace jacket by Valentino is feminine, not fussy,
And for those who just want a hint of lace, what better way to show off a touch of sexy sass than on your feet with lace detailed boots by Nicholas Kirkwood.
Find your inner kitten with leather and lace now at Hirshleifers.
The Fall 2010 Report
It can seem overwhelming at times finding the best look for you, given how many magazines and websites cover all the new fashions each season. Our buyers here at Hirshleifers scoured the streets of Paris, Milan and New York to find the best looks for you for Fall 2010 – and our goal is always to make the process of picking the right styles for you easy and uncomplicated, and always on trend but never trendy.
This week, we’ll cover our favorite looks of the season from some of the best designers in the world.
Whether its military-inspired boots and sunglasses, classic tweed jackets and black pumps, camel sweaters or leather jackets, we are ready to outfit you with the right look for your lifestyle.
Stop in now to speak with any of our team members to get a head start on your Fall wardrobe.
Eric Gaskins Vol 21: The Dress with 9 Lives
The night of Perseid, a spectacular meteor shower that was visible to many of us last Friday brought back a memory of a memorable dress. It was as unexpected as the 10 shooting stars I watched on a beach in Amagansett that night. The details of that night are as curious as the forgotten lives of the dress. Our architect, Bruce and his wife Jan, who happened to have done the landscape design of the property, related a story of another client of theirs whom they’d befriended. At dinner one night the woman, Barbara, told them the story of a dress she’d bought 10 years prior that she wore again and again to every major function over the years. Bruce’s curiosity compelled him to ask to see it. Barbara went up to her room, quickly changed and came down to show it off. Bruce recounted how he kept circling her admiring its line, color and the effect it had on her. According to him, he exclaimed it was one of the greatest dresses he’d seen. He said it was the simplicity of it matched with its unexpected color combination that drew him to it. Finally, he and Jan asked Barbara where she’d found it and who had designed it. It turned out to be mine; something I’d done and forgotten. I was of course flattered by the story but unable to remember what it looked like. A week later, I received an invitation to dinner at Barbara’s house where Bruce and Jan and Freema, my attorney of the last 30 years, would all be. It was to be a chance to bring all of these connecting dots into one clear line. I accepted but was a bit dubious as to how much fun it would be with different friends from different corners of my life all together at one table. My hesitancy lost out to my curiosity.
When I arrived, I met Barbara, her husband and family and was reunited with Freema and her husband, whom I’d not seen for close to 2 years. Immediately, Barbara took me to her library and showed me 6 pictures of weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and graduations she’d attended and all of them in a one shouldered silk crepe column. The color was royal blue with chartreuse charmeuse piping that framed the edged and created the shoulder straps. Her husband thanked me for designing a dress that saved him thousands because she chose to wear it again and again. Looking at those pictures reminded me of all of the times that dress served so many others for so many different occasions. You forget sometimes how good you are. Not only in this case, but in many areas of our lives.
At dinner, I was asked about that particular dress and if it had been a hit with other women as well. That’s when the many lives of that style started rushing back. The first one was Angela Bassett wearing it for the premiere of “How Stella got her Groove Back”. Hers was green with orange piping. Then there was the cover of Glamour Magazine with it in solid silver crepe satin, like a film of ice on the model. Probably the most memorable image I recalled of that dress was when Dionne Warwick wore it on the cover of her album, Greatest Hits. There were lots of different women that saw something in that dress that resonated. When a dress is chosen for really important events in a person’s life it possesses something greater than just the sum of its parts. It has to be something that makes a woman feel more confident, more beautiful, more essentially herself. That’s all I can attribute to the power of a good design.
Standing out under that huge sky, with waves crashing and the Milky Way so close I felt I could touch it, I made several wishes with each falling star. The one I will share with you is my wish to continue to find ways to make a difference in people’s lives. Being a designer is a very unique and special opportunity to contribute to a person’s confidence. It’s like being a doctor and making lives better from the inside out. It’s what we don’t see but feel and express that can be the greatest beauty.
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
School’s Back in Session
Proenza Schouler may have just made the coolest back to school (*ahem* work) bags we’ve seen to date.
After a hot and hazy summer of beach totes and carry-all’s, it’s refreshing to see a structured bag that takes life a bit more seriously.
Should you prefer a style that makes a bit more of a statement, bright colors like purple say you’re NOT all work and no play.
Hirshleifer’s got ‘em, come and get ‘em! The new PS1 bags!
Winter’s Wool
Woolrich Woolen Mills, the American-made heritage label, has a new twist in the hands of Mark McNairy, who previously designed for Ivy League clothier J. Press, Bass Weejuns and Pro Keds.
Woolrich Woolen Mills dates back to the early 1800’s, when John Rich constructed his first woolen mill in Plum Run, Pennsylvania. Though the days between today’s wool coats and plaid shirts and the time when loggers’ wives crafted garments out of thick woolen fabrics may seem like light years apart, the craftsmanship and technique remain the same.
With McNairy at the helm, Woolrich Woolen Mills takes American classics and updates them with just the right touch. A hefty winter coat will keep you uber-warm and cozy yet savvy enough for meetings in the city or a night out on the town.
New styles just arrived at Hirshleifers – find your perfect winter pieces now!
What’s In Your Bag?
Christian Louboutin’s every day world inspires his extraordinary designs.
Every season, Louboutin looks to his travels, the art world and the women around him to inspire his collections. The finer points that may typically go unnoticed by many designers are the delicate details that make his shoes and in particular, his handbags, exquisite. From tassels to denim to chain link, Louboutin handbags are always classic with a sexy twist.
Hirshleifers just received the latest shipment of new Christian Louboutin bags – stop by now for your Fall carry-all.
Eric Gaskins Vol 20: Labor Pains
August for most people ends with a bang on Labor Day. For those of us who design clothes, the whole month is hard labor. This is that last window of opportunity to get Spring Collections ready for buyers and press. The quaint idea of a languid month that ends with a long weekend, filled with trips away or days at the beach or just down time before the back-to-school stampede, is anathema to the lives of fashion designers. For years now, that luxury has been lost to us.
Giving birth to a collection is like bringing into the world a complete family, on cue, that numbers 35-50 “looks”. Imagine a baby with 50 heads who has to not only land running, but also carry a tune…. with near perfect pitch. Conceiving an idea for a collection and then fleshing it out into a cohesive story that combines a portion that is daytime or cocktail dresses and resolves into a group of unique and covetable evening gowns is like composing a symphony. My collections were designed to answer the needs of women of many figure types and cross the boards of ages from the very young to the mature. That’s a lot of notes to hit. Fabrics and silhouettes were the different movements and all the elements needed to harmonize. In my head it was not an impossible melody. I’d sketch and sketch 150-200 ideas and then set to work editing the ideas down to a cohesive group. Fabrics would then be matched to the chosen designs.
That was just the beginning. Getting my team to create each and every chosen “melody” was the hard part. As a small company we had limited resources of manpower and money and an even more limited time to get the job done. The worst of it was that orders for fall merchandise had to be shipped to stores at the very same time that I was creating the new collection. The schizophrenia of trying to do two things at once with one set of hands made for a very emotionally charged environment. Too much of the time was spent coaxing, cajoling and coercing my team to do the impossible. Time waits for no man and collection week is a harsh reality of that statement.
Days would fly and weeks would disappear all with the specter of opening day breathing down our collective necks. It truly felt like my very existence was up to question a thousand times of every passing hour. Getting a group of four sewers and a patternmaker to stay an extra hour or two a day, heaven forbid I would ask them to come on Saturdays, was like asking the sea to part. Nevertheless, something magical would happen as the last 4 or 5 days approached. The babies would be delivered three and four at a time. Even more miraculously, 90% of them were healthy, breathing and beautiful. I always felt that someone greater than me was looking down on us all giving each of us the will and the strength to not only survive but to succeed.
The sweetest moment was to hang the new collection in the showroom and move the previous season out. I made a special effort to pull everyone away from their machines to take a seat in the showroom and watch a presentation of their hard work on our model. Everyone sighed as they saw each of “their” creations modeled on a beautiful woman showing the design to its best advantage. The sense of pride that we all felt at that moment was so palpable. It was then that we all forgot the agony of those days and nights and saw only the beauty of a new collection. I will always remember that sensation and miss it until the end of my days.
Eric Gaskins with Naji Batanian
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
Cover Ups
With its storied history as a true technical sportswear brand, Moncler serves both form and function with its collection of incredibly chic winter jackets.
Puffy cropped jackets with fur trimmed hoods and vests in a sleek black sheen offer just the right amount of protection against cool weather while never failing to offer unflappable style.
It’s hard to think about the winter months approaching, but changes in the season in this part of the country happen fast, so don’t be left unprepared!
Stop by Hirshleifers now to get your Moncler jacket now!
Code Name
The brand n.d.c (nom de code) was created in 2001 by two Belgian friends passionate about shoes. Arnaud Zannier and Enrique Corbi have been involved in the shoe business for over 10 years, and the their main goal in designing the collection is to “fight against the rising tides of conformity”.
Hence, the classic shoes with a uniquely distinct look opened up a new way for men and women to wear luxury materials in comfort. Zannier and Corbi’s focus on classic techniques allows for each style to outlive trends and become indispensably timeless with more wear and tear.
Simplicity, quality, originality and construction are the four key factors in every shoe, and topped with an extremely high level of craftsmanship, each shoe is guaranteed to be a favorite in your wardrobe for years to come.
Stop by Hirshleifers now to see the newest collection that just arrived!
Something Old, Something New
We recently introduced you to Ashley Pittman, one of our favorite new jewelry designers at Hirshleifers.
Her jewelry, sourced and hand crafted in East Africa, has the unique quality of seamlessly blending earthy elements and precious stones with industrial components such as gold studs.
A new delivery just arrived in store, and these new pieces are the ultimate accessory for those who fancy a boho chic look. Pair cuffs with a printed caftan and gold sandals for day, and wear necklaces with a flowy black dress and gold hoops for evening.
Stop by Hirshliefers for your Ashley Pittman piece now.
Our Fair Lady
“I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.” – Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was an unlikely icon – born in Belgium, she spent her early years studying ballet in the Netherlands, where her mother felt she would be safe from German attack during World War II. By 1944, Hepburn became a proficient ballerina, and she secretly danced for groups of people to collect money for the Dutch resistance. After the war, Hepburn moved to Amsterdam, but due to her height (5’7” – tall at the time) and poor nutrition during the war, she realized she would never become a prima ballerina. At this point, needing to find employment, she decided to pursue acting and landed her first role in a motion picture in the British film One Wild Oat.
This rather unusual route led to an extraordinary career – in fact, one of the most distinguished careers in Hollywood history. From Roman Holiday to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, each role emphasized Hepburn’s beauty, grace and elegance, and she soared through iconic film after iconic film as one of America’s leading ladies.
Bob Willoughby, one of Hollywood’s greatest studio photographers who took iconic photos of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, documented Hepburn throughout her amazing career. And for the first time, Taschen presents this collector’s edition of Audrey Hepburn, limited to 1000 copies, numbered and signed by Willoughby.
Hirshleifers now offers this limited edition series. This is the ultimate gift for fans of Audrey Hepburn and classic American cinema. Find your copy now at Hirshleifers ETC.
Eric Gaskins Vol 19: The Allure of Rumors
RUMORS ARE SO SEDUCTIVE. The idea of someone knowing something particularly compelling before it’s a known fact and able to spread it around is strangely sexy. The one with the tidbit is the one everyone wants to cozy up to. What could be sexier? Does it matter if the information is true? Does it matter in the long run, when things happen everyday? Is it really that important when it has to do with fashion, which by its very nature is a spinning wheel of fortune? I don’t think so. But an awful lot of people do. They absolutely hang on every implied word to suss out the news. Fashion people have an unusually intense interest is being, having, doing, and knowing things FIRST.
I foolishly fell victim to the ever-grinding rumor mill and blurted on my blog (Emperorsoldclothes) that Karl Lagerfeld was retiring from Chanel and Alber Elbaz of Lanvin was taking his place. My motives were pretty honorable. I wanted to share a big news story, but opened my mouth without proof and ended up looking like a “FoolishFashionista”. I pride myself on being objective and informed most of the time. We all fall off the wagon of Integrity every once in a while. To err is human. I almost let slip a truly preposterous rumor after that, which was so bizarre and inflammatory that I actually did all that I could to verify it and couldn’t so I didn’t say anything. That was agonizing because it was truly incredible in its tragedy and scope. The scary thing is that it was more premonition than rumor because one half of the story was totally false and the other half came to pass only weeks later; that part being the death of Alexander McQueen. Rumors serve little purpose but to make the teller feel as though they have an edge and the audience wastes precious time trying to solve the mystery. What is is. What isn’t yet is. So it’s all the same in the end.
Boredom is often the great catalyst for the turbo rumor. It’s been a hellish summer. We’ve all fried in our own fat for weeks and nothing truly interesting has come down the pike for months. Let’s be honest, we’re all craving something yummy we can gnaw on. What could be better than a major changing of the guard at some extremely influential European fashion houses? I’d get excited about it if the end result would mean truly awe inspiring design and a landscape forever altered. My concern is that with a big shift will that mean that new heads on old bodies will think in new ways? Will those new players on older teams bring something fresh or will it be the “Same S%#*, Different Day” syndrome. Karl Lagerfeld is the consummate chameleon and perhaps the only designer working today with the skill to bring completely different sensibilities to each firm he Creatively Directs.
Hedi Slimane, Giorgio Armani, Stefano Pilati of YSL
So I won’t kill the surprise of what is or isn’t on the horizon by laying hints. Let’s just wait and see. Someone very wise said that all thoughts, stories and that includes rumors must be tested and examined to know if they’re true. The first question being, “Are you sure that this is true” The second being, “Can you absolutely know that this thought (rumor) is true”? If the answer is no to the second question, then it isn’t and will stay that way until it is. That is unless it isn’t.
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
Fine Jewels
Irene Neuwirth founded her jewelry firm in 2000, and we are pleased to introduce her collection to you for the first time.
It’s no wonder the fashion press has had a love affair with Neuwirth since she launched her company. Whether it’s the arresting color of the stones (the tranquil blues and greens immediately transport you to a faraway island), or the sophisticated designs that indicate an extraordinary sense of artistry, Neuwirth has discovered a niche that few designers have been able to occupy – uniquely modern and fresh fine jewelry that everyone at any age can wear.
For more from this stunning collection, stop by Hirshleifers now. This is just a sneak peak at what this undeniable artist has to offer.