Vs2R is a shoe label founded by Italian Vincenzo Somarrelli, who started by studying environmental engineering, before starting a career in fashion. While the shoes appear to be quite full on, there is also something quite simple about the graphic shapes on the art deco heels. I almost think the pale pink wedges below right would make gorgeous wedding shoes under a full length dress, so much more interesting than hideous white satin pumps, right?
MORE AWESOME SHOES
As with most interviews, I had no idea what to expect with Roland Mouret. I went into the interview of course wanting to ask him about Victoria Beckham and how she built her entire fashion “empire” based on a copy of one of his dresses – though I also figured that would sort of be off limits. But since the interview was so fantastic, I got to bring it up. Here’s my transcript of Roland Mouret and I chatting about it-dresses, counterfeits, fashion schools and Victoria Beckham. (I also chatted with him about Norman Parkinson, his Tumblr, and the new line of handbags – read that part of the interview on Vitamin Daily.)
Roland Mouret Fall 2013
Alexandra Suhner Isenberg: I almost feel like you were the inventor of the It-dress. I hate to use that term, but I do feel like you have been one of the main designers behind the concept of the It-dress. Do you think that is still relevant?
Roland Mouret: I think that fashion is a reflection of society, of social politics. I remember when Anna Wintour told me “you reinvented the dress” and it is really important. I wake up in the morning, I turn on the TV, and anywhere in the world I see an anchorwoman wearing one of my dresses or a copy of one of my dresses. It is not just a dress, I created my own technique. You have to fit a dress, and the folding, there are the details that make a dress more than just a feminine product. I think I started to make the dress like a pair of jeans and I think it was why it became the It-dress ten years ago and I think it is still relevant. The dress makes the curves, it creates everything a woman wants around her body, but it is not something she is passive with.
ASI: You talk about seeing an anchor woman wearing one of your dresses, or a copy of one of your dresses, and I feel like like a lot of your dresses have been widely copied (Mouret laughs.) Do you see that in a positive or a negative way?
It’s projects like this that remind me that brands like Louis Vuitton are going to be ruling the world for a long time. They have so much money, and are able so many awesome, cool, interesting things, like this fun “Art of Packing” series, which continues to keep a lot of us interested. It features four pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage, a bunch of their clothes and accessories, and instructions on how you’d pack the pieces into a suitcase. Not only are the graphics and little films quite cute, but they also feature really handy tips on folding garments and instructions on how to best pack a suitcase. I used to be an expert at this, back in the days when I used to go on mini holidays every four weeks – but ever since I’ve been tied down with kids, I’ve lost the art of packing. Maybe they can do a series where they pack up two adults and two children under the age of two, for a two month holiday – which I will be doing in June? That will require 15 pieces of luggage and about a million onesies…
They show you how to fold things, and include helpful tips and tricks.
Ask Alexandra is my advice column. Have a question you want to ask me? Fill out the form here.
Hermès’ Jypsière bag costs $7,500 and is made in France.
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for the wonderful article in dissecting the luxury brands. I have a question that relates to the article as well. Does “Made in China” influences the value of fashion brands? There are some name brands out there with their goods manufactured in other countries other than US or Europe, does the value of their goods deteriorate because of that? Michael Kors’ bags are manufactured in China, but it does not seem to effect brand popularity, is it because of their marketing campaign? Do independent designer’s brands that are manufactured in Asia or South America seem more inferior? Thank you in advance for answering my question!
Gucci bags are supposedly made in Italy, but I’ve been told they are mostly made in China, with the last few stitches being applied in Italy, which allows them to use that label.
Hi Vivien,
“Made in China” has a very different significance today than it did ten years ago, as manufacturing there has improved a great deal, and it is much easier to get high quality products from that end of the world. On that note, there is also a big movement towards locally made products, for example, American-made fashion, and if those brands are targeting the type of consumer who wants “American-made,” then that will be a major benefit.
Seraphine’s slim fit maternity skinny jeans (left) and breastfeeding sweater (right.) I can’t believe I am actually getting excited about maternity wear, but this stuff is that good.
Since everyone I know right now seems to be pregnant or having babies, I’d thought I touch on maternity wear today. I was recently revisiting my blog post on buying maternity/post partum clothing, and if I have any readers out there that are pregnant, I suggest reading it as the advice is quite good (if I may say so myself…) I didn’t really name any specific maternity wear brands, so I thought Seraphine deserved a post of its own.
They contacted my and their press angle was all about the celebrities that wear their clothing, which was immediately a major turn off for me (as it always is.) But then I tried their product and I was hooked. Their maternity jeans are the BEST EVER. In addition, I have one of their breastfeeding sweaters, which is also great. This is a rare type of maternity clothing that you don’t actually want to set on fire after you’re done having babies. They have a huge range of essentials, including nursing tops and maternity tights, as well as fashionable items for formal events and the office. As I explained in my original blog post, I don’t recommend spending too much on pieces that you are only going to wear once or twice, but their jeans are VERY worth it. I wore mine at least four times a week during pregnancy.
Seraphine ships worldwide.
