I just landed in Honolulu, Hawaii. It’s nice to feel the warm breeze on my wintery pale (not much longer!) skin. I’m here for two weeks, the first one work and the second play. Such a nice treat. Now I am off to find some yummy fish for dinner. Aloha!
Before The Sartorialist, Tommy Ton, Street Pepper and all the others there was Bill Cunningham, who basically invented the form of observational fashion journalism that we see so much of today. Any time you see Bill in his bright blue jacket you know you are at a good party. “We all get dressed for Bill,” says Vogue’s Anna Wintour.
Bill Cunningham New York is an 88-minute documentary on streetstyle pioneer and 81-year-old New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham is set to hit the theaters on March 16. The trailer is a must-watch.
This paragraph, from the film’s website, pretty much sums it all up:
For decades, this Schwinn-riding cultural anthropologist has been obsessively and inventively chronicling fashion trends and high society charity soirées for the Times Style section in his columns “On the Street” and “Evening Hours.” Documenting uptown fixtures (Wintour, Tom Wolfe, Brooke Astor, David Rockefeller—who all appear in the film out of their love for Bill), downtown eccentrics and everyone in between, Cunningham’s enormous body of work is more reliable than any catwalk as an expression of time, place and individual flair. In turn, Bill Cunningham New York is a delicate, funny and often poignant portrait of a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own humanity and unassuming grace.
Now, here is a designer collaboration to be excited about! H&M just announced that they have been working with Swedish Hasbeens (one of my all-around favorite brands) on a collection of three styles, to be relased on April 20th in about 150 stores worldwide.
The three styles of wooden-soled clogs made exclusively for H&M are inspired by the traditional Swedish styles of the ’70s. Using handcrafted methods and environmentally friendly materials, Swedish Hasbeens are a perfect example of how fashion and fun can also be naturally sustainable. I just hope that they will not compromise on the sustainability-part to get the prices down to H&M-levels.
Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M's head of design and Emy Blixt, founder and designer of Swedish Hasbeens. Photo: Mattias Bardå
“I love the genuine feeling you get from Hasbeens, from the wood and the leather, and also how they take something traditional and Swedish and make it contemporary and modern. These Hasbeens for H&M fit perfectly with the ’70s bohemian look that’s so important this coming season,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of design.
“We have a strong belief in making better shoes for a better world. We want to make fashion more fun, creative and friendly to both the environment and people. We have loved designing for H&M! It’s a fantastic opportunity to spread the idea of Hasbeens and make these shoes available to more people around the world,” says Emy Blixt, founder and designer of Swedish Hasbeens.
Emy Blixt, founder and designer of Swedish Hasbeens. Photo: Mattias Bardå
The a gladiator style strappy wedge is available in three colours, cream and tan on a pale wooden wedge and black on a black base. The heeled summer sandal with one ankle strap, which comes in cream and red on a pale wooden base. My personal favorite is the peep-toe slip-on wedge (top photo) with a wooden sole and snake-effect leather laced on top.
The shoes are available in sizes 36-40 and cost € 49,95 or € 59,95 (no word on dollar prices yet). Totally going on my buy-for-spring list!
You haven’t seen pictures of me for a while, but I promise I am still here. Just put myself out of sight for a while as I am going through a serious wellness program. (Read more about that here and here).
I’ve also managed to get some kind of muscle inflammation in my chest. It’s hard to breathe and generally feels uncomfortable. Not such a happy place, but I’ve managed to get referrals to some very good people and am seeing a specialist tomorrow. Think happy thoughts with me!
Her husband won a Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) last night, but Livia Firth is the one to really bring it home on the red carpet. She has challenged herself to only wear sustainable fashion in all her public appearances, and you can follow her journey on her Green Carpet Challenge blog.
The dress was designed by Jeff Garner of Prophetik and made from Tussah silk (more commonly referred to as Peace Silk) — which does not kill the silkworm in the process, unlike normal silk. There’s a bit too much gathering at the waist for my taste, but I think it suits Livia gorgeously, and that’s the point. I do love how the color of it changes with the lighting.
On the Green Carpet Challenge blog, Livia writes:
Where do you stand on silk worms? I have to say I’m not overly moved by the “cruelty” issue with conventional silk — they are just worms, or am I being heartless? But what I do love is that it is produced without the chemicals and waste inherent in normal silk production. It also gives a stunning lustre.
So add to this eco silk some hemp and we have a truly hippie fibre. And even more exciting (I think!) Jeff has revived natural indigo dyeing. He’s even grown his own Indigo Plant which takes us back to the 1800s, before someone discovered a synthetic substitute which resulted in destroying rural Indian economies — where natural indigo had sustained people for generations.
The thing I really appreciate about Jeff is that he thinks very deeply about problems in the fashion chain such as the heavy chemical pollution associated with dyeing and comes up with a considered response. His understanding of ecologically intelligent fabrics and processes is as extraordinary as his respect for the natural world.
What’s not to love there?
Top two photos via the Green Carpet Challenge blog, bottom photo via Style.com
WHO: Johanna Björk
