So, I haven’t posted many pictures of myself lately, I know. And I won’t start bragging about how busy I am. Just wanted to share a picture of this top I made right this morning, I finished it like ten minutes ago and I tried it on to see how it fit. It did fit perfectly, so now I’ll tell you it’s story. I don’t feature so many tops in my collections, I really don’t know why. Maybe because I love dresses so much and just believe that, as a designer, you have a lot more freedom when creating a dress. Anyway, so a couple of girl friends came by my place (which equals both as a sewing atelier and a show room; improvisation is key to success, right?) and they asked me to sew them a couple of simple, girlie, cotton tops they can wear casually with sneakers, or on dates with high-heels. So I though it was the easiest job ever, the didn’t want anything sophisticated, just simple and casual. But after I finished this top (that I’m wearing in the photo up) I realized it’s far from simple: it has asymmetrical pleats on that ruffle, green fabric attachments and thick elastic at the sides, even spray-paint on one of those pleats. Truth is, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to ‘quirk’ it up a bit (I don’t even know if I can say it like that, but I know you get me).

Now it’s back to making simple tops for my friends. Wish me luck. Oh, and don’t mind my messy hair. When I work I usually don’t care about how it looks. And I work most of the time.

Natalie Portman at Cannes wearing Lanvin; Charlize Theron at the Dior Resort 2009 show wearing Dior (I believe).

I do, I really love ruffles. I am not just saying that. It’s beyond my power to control it. Seriously. What Amy Winehouse feels for crack I feel for ruffles. I know sometimes they can overpower a dress, sometimes they are unneccessary and sometimes even really bad! However, I can’t help it. That’s why I even decided to feature a lot of ruffled outfits for my next spring collection (working on it, so much more work to do). Too bad John Galliano was one step ahead and created a resort collection for Dior that is incredibly ’sweet’, colored and features a lot of… you guessed it: ruffles! [I promise I will stop writing that word]

Oh well, my collection won’t be that bold, but more soft looking with lots of nude colored fabrics and ‘dusty’, very light pinks.

I can only admire both this Armani Prive gown that Cate Blanchett is wearing and her one-month-post-baby-birth figure. Sometimes life is just not fair! [credits: TFS]

Rodarte fall 2008 at New York Fashion Week, 5 Feb [credit: style.com]

Una Moda Group fall 2008 at Romanian Fashion Week, 8-9 May [credit: stiletto.ro]

After reading an interesting post about the influences the collections had, at the latest ‘Romanian Fashion Week’, it seems like Alexander McQueen was the biggest one of them.  However, when I saw the Una Moda Group fall collection, I could only think of one thing: Rodarte and their stunning fall 2008 collection! How can one forget their amazingly breathtaking collection?!? I personally loved it, so it wasn’t hard to see the influences in the Una Moda Group collection. Sure, the knits are not that intricately and artistically de-constructed, the looks are not that fairy-like. But I do see the influence.

And now, for our visual entertainment:

It made your day, right? It surely made mine! a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Oh, fashion!

While Bucharest Fashion Week is one big hot mess, Romanian Fashion Week on the other hand is ‘it’, where the most important designers show their collections. It took place a couple of days ago in Iasi, one of the prettiest cities in Romania and I proudly present you my favorite pieces from my favorite designers. That does not mean the others were bad, just that these are the pieces that struck a chord with me; clothes that I’d gladly wear literally everyday, all day!

Rows from top to bottom [click on the name of the designer for more pictures]: Andreea Musat - loved the chic ‘purity’ of the collection and the mix of fabrics; thumbs up for the use of feathers; Claudia Castrase - great geometric shapes and color combos; Lena Criveanu - you know I love these a lot; they are so very ‘me’ because I also love big volumes, ‘fabric flowers’ and using textile colored details on fabrics; Ludmila Corlateanu - for our innocent, girlie, Peter-Pan-collar-loving part of our personality [we all have one, right?].

Great, distinct collections. It’s pretty funny that my favorite Romanian designers are all female. Well, besides Razvan Ciobanu who also signed the Irina Schrotter collection:

First two rows from top: Razvan Ciobanu for Irina Schrotter - sophisticated and well-made clothes, loved most outfits a lot, but for some reason they give a ‘Chanel’ vibe; I keep on imagining Sasha Pivovarova in a similar dress with a similar bow, like the one in the first picture on the first row, from a previous designer-collection [Chanel, maybe?]. Or maybe it’s just my fashion-obsessed little mind playing tricks on me. Last row, Razvan Ciobanu sexing it up for his own collection. Notice the pumps in the first picture? Yes, those fetish pumps. Can’t believe the model actually walked while wearing them.

I’m glad to see that Romanian fashion is not that sickeningly tragic after all. Too bad I couldn’t attend. Maybe next year? Maybe I’ll have my own fashion show? How amazing would that be…

[photo credits: Stiletto, Fashion&Beauty]

Numero Tokyo - ‘Subaquatic Beauty’. [credit: scans from TFS]

No, I’m not talking about the 90’s band ‘Wet Wet Wet’ but about these lovely dresses that appear to be all floaty and wet. No, seriously, do you thing the editors really created this spread in a water tank? I remember the episodes in most America’s Next Top Model cycles when they made the girls take pictures under water, however they weren’t dressed in expensive McQueen, Cavalli and so on, gowns.

Sure, a quality gown can be washed and won’t get destroyed; just imagine jumping in the water while wearing a 2000 Euro gown. Must be a bit painful to watch. However, the photographs are amazing, so I guess it’s all worth it.