The new issue of Elle Romania is out for a while now. My review comes so late because I really didn’t want to buy it this month. I wanted to stop spending money on paper and rather get 3 meters of fabric instead. But eventually, I convinced my boyfriend to get it because there was and extra Elle Man Romania issue inside. So, of course I share it for people who can’t afford it, for Romanians who live in foreign countries and, in general, for everybody who likes to look at fashion mags.
There are some really good articles in this issue, Tom Wilson’s music review article is very funny, the spread on Stefano Pilati (YSL) is my favorite, also there is a fashion design contest for Romanian students that are in their last year of study. I wonder if I, as a painting student, can participate. If you have any idea, let me know!
Elizabeth, a reader of my blog [thank you very much] commented on the fact that I used fabric as a background for photographs that was not flat ironed, but very wrinkled. They reminded me of drawing classes, where the teacher used to torture us by having to draw fabric and volumes, that’s why used the fabric wrinkled. And I’d use it the same over and over again, if I had to choose: I don’t care much for perfection, but more for unique-ness. Well, it seems that the photographer who shot the Kim Basinger editorial loved wrinkles on fabric too (first pic).
So, take a look at the dark and moody fashion editorials and at some very tacky and false photographs of clothes and snow, reprinted probably from a foreign Elle issue (U.S. I think), by reading the full post!
Love love love the volume of that coat YSL! But who doesn’t…
Photographer: Dimitrios Skoulos; Stylist: Isabel Arnold.
These photos seem awfully photoshopped to me. I mean, seriously, all the silhouettes seem out of place in my opinion, the lighting is weird (in the third picture the light source seems to be somewhere on the front-right , but there’s a shadow on her face), all in all I don’t really think much of these as fashion photographs. They are too tacky, and that sounds weird considering all the clothes are black.
The first editorial, “The Dutch Palette” photographed by Peter de Mulder, styled by Marian Palie features an interesting styling shape-vise, but the old Dutch artists used more colors (even if darkened and “broken” with their complimentary color) rather than so much black. The second editorial, “Live Life In A Light Style” photographed by Gabriel Hennessey, styled by Maurice Munteanuis simply boring; I don’t think people walk around with cans of Diet Coke. First, the can is bad for the environment because only few people in Romanian really recycle their trash; second, even it it’s diet, it will still destroy your health. I get it, it’s advertisement, this is how the magazine makes it’s money [oh, wow, not because of sales?] but still, I disapprove. That may be just my humble opinion.
The last editorial, “Film Noir” photographed by Gabi Hirit, styled by Domnica Margescu and Maurice Munteanu, is the best, out of all three editorials. It has a story (even it the dark-colored-clothes-moody-attitude-movie-theme has been done for the last three months now). Style-vise, nothing groundbreaking, wearable? Yes.
I’m still waiting for the Elle Romania team to do something with a lot more color, like just let go and go with it [with the bold color I mean], even if it’s autumn/winter. Does that automatically mean we have to look dark on the outside? With the risk of making us feel the same on the inside? I think not!
7 Responses to "Elle Romania Nov07"
Ha, ha, ha, nice save, Diana! :) :) :) lol- but you’re still not off the hook, the wrinkles in Basiger’s shoot are on purpose and also, the fabric is a bit gauzy (though a little heavier), which is a naturally wrinkled material (it would be really silly to iron those). Yours were from neatly folding them, totally different story- and your style is so unique already, you don’t need wrinkles to make your pics special, far from it, don’t let little details that escape you distract from what’s really important, YOUR COLLECTION- sorry, you can hate me, you can stick your tongue out at me and cover your ears, but I’m not buying it, when you have the potential to be the best, the people expect the best, and you kiddo, can do it, so no more messy backgrounds, Missy! I want them to complement and enhance, not distract from your creative garments. You get an A+ for inexhaustive passion though, for constantly working at it and for putting your work out there for the world, and mouthy know-it-all’s like me to have a go at it- Again, me not malicious, hold your rocks, people, we’re all in awe with D’s talent and want to see her become the great designer she is meant to be.
Folds are great though, I have nothing but love for them, they’re one of my favourite things to draw! Ah, the shadows, the light, fun times. :)
Agree on the snow editorial, those look like studio lights, or at least some strange location lighting techniques. They do look pasted, as if they shot in the studio and added the backgrounds.
2nd editorial, lol, look, they cropped off the model’s heads too! (see, now I’m just teasing), but you’re right about the lack of life- it’s in the models poses and expressions mostly (Gosh that’s a lot of sadness in their eyes!), the clothes don’t help either. Those weird angles and the cropping really bothers me. Did they have to crop her feet off too on top/ bottom of it all?! Remind me again why we use tall models…
The fashion contest- DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY ENTER IT!- and mention your website and your recent press recognition, it shows you’re determined and succeeding. You’ll do great, when is the dead line, what’s the theme, what do they require?
Bestest,
Elizabeth
I know, I just wanted to tease you a bit, Elizabeth! I accept all your critique and as I said, I know you are right and I promise to do better :) It’s funny how those models are cropped off the pictures, no? I know, I noticed that, the body positions are awkward too.
Anyway, the idea of the contest is to send 20 sketches for a fall winter 08/09 collection, they choose the winner and they will turn 12 of the designs into real clothes. I know, it would be a great contest to win:) The deadline is February, I think.
Elizabeth, please don’t think I hate you; I thank you because you do help me a lot. And you did say a lot of great stuff in this comment, you redeemed yourself (*I kid, I kid :) )
Hugs and kisses,
Diana
Glad we “made up”. See, now we can be BFFs 4eva’, lol :)
All kidding aside, Diana, do the contest- YOU MUST, find the time, I know you can do it, I know you have a very real shot at winning it and if nothing else, it will be really good practice to get you into thinking about coordinating a group. You know what, give me a little bit of time and I’ll email you some pointers, maybe get some of my portfolio pages from storage and I’ll send you JPGs so you get an idea. I used to enter contests in high school, some without results, some little ones I won, and I was a finalist in one that was kind of a big deal (to me anyway) in college (money and job that was paid 50% more than the average graduate was one of the perks- but I decided not to take it, I would have had to relocate, and I heart NY!!!) My point is, do it and do it often, you’d be surprised to know most contests do not get as many entries as one would assume, and even if they do, you still have a great shot at it beacause you practice it every day.
Which schools teach fashion design in Romania? I wasn’t aware there were such programs.
I’ll email you next week.
E
si eu cand am vazut concursul m-am gandit automat la tine.nu stiu de ce mai stai pe ganduri!nu ai nimic de pierdut :)
I agree, the one section is over-photoshopped. I do that a lot in my own work, usually inadvertently. If you are going to do that in a magazine, you really need to do it well.
It’s interesting to see a Romanian magazine though. Thanks for sharing. Grats on the new site.
Good job!
P.S. You should’ve come to My Grandma’s Backyard! :) Or you’ve probably been there and I didn’t see you.
Elle noiembrie a fost indelung asteptat, insa imediat ce l-am rasfoit l-am uitat pe birou la munca! sincera sa fiu, la partea de moda nu mi-a ramas nimic in memorie, spre deosebire de editia octombrie, cand pagina Retro Glamour m-a fascinat zile intregi, mai ales cu cat caut cu infrigurare dresuri tricotate pe galben:)pentru a le purta cu o rochie fourties foarte neagra si manusi din dantela la fel de neagra!,
imaginile Fendi sunt cap de lista, si datorita lui Tom Wilson am descoperit-o pe M.I.A., fenomen pop very inspirational :) in septembrie mi-a placut mult pictorialul Lola realizat de Maurice!
I’ll keep on waiting for it to hit the stands ’cause it’s the only one we’ve got. si sa regret ca nu m-am nascut in vremea unei diana vreeland sau carmel snow, si ca nu pot sa ma arunc la cheltuieli pentru Vogue-ul Annei Wintour…dar thank god for fashion blogs everywhere!!!
P.S. intr-adevar, targuletul My Grandma’s Backyard a fost ceva special pt Bucuresti, Diana!