A GUCCI TIMELINE: 1995 - 2016

In 1995 Tom Ford resurrected a label once buried by the media’s fixation with scandal. Defining 90s fashion, Ford re-established Gucci’s name; bringing to the table sensuous designs that whispered seduction to audiences. Think Destiny’s Child music video, tight fitting female empowerment that set the scene for wardrobes of the decade.

This theme, in its prime, had significant impact on fashion’s culture. However, 10 years later, with new creative direction from Frida Giannini, Gucci was stuck on repeat. Giannini, in ode to Tom Ford, continued the sexy luxury image of the brand - failing to explore new angles. During the 90s sexy was highly desired, however, almost two decades later it's no surprise that fashion was ready for something new. Giannini’s perpetual recycling of Ford’s original visions left Gucci stuck in 1995, unable to move with fellow designers into the 21st century. By 2014 Gucci sales had substantially declined: eventually causing Giannini – and husband / CEO of the company, Patrizio di Marco – to step down from their positions at the label.

Gucci had been forgotten. Lost amongst contemporary fashion houses of whom were opposing ideals of sexuality. Alexander McQueen and Pam Hogg for example, warping perceptions of ‘beautiful’ with their every new collection.

Previously unbeknown to the industry, early this year Alessandro Michele took his place as Gucci’s radical new creative director. Taking influence from the Sicilian culture of Dolce and Gabbana plus the fresh palettes of Valentino, Michele has successfully launched Gucci into the new millennium. His most recent pre fall 16 collection involving bouncing pussy-bows and sheer blue gowns, displays what I believe to be Michele’s best work yet. With each new collection he has showed this year, the following has reshaped any imperfections. Each season has witnessed a further refined body of work to its prior. Michele’s designs are only improving and we may see great things born from new direction of the label.

The associations of Gucci are shifting once again; from murder, to sex, to a freshness sprung from retro reshaping, Alessandro Michele has energised the company’s name with positive symbolism as it fights its way back to the heights of Prada and Dior.

MADEMOISELLE PRIVÉ

There is so much more to exhibitions than what is on show. A good exhibition plays with all the senses. Visually, the setting and arrangement of each room has to be unexpected. Each room should offer a new experience regarding the theme of the work.

Designed by Karl Lagerfeld himself, Mademoiselle Privé indulged us in previously hushed dimensions of Gabrielle's life. Her 'codes' for example: the colour red, black and white, totems, pearls. Each with their own significance. The exhibition felt as if it had been deliberately concocted to highlight Karl's relationship with the late mind of Chanel. As if his intentions were to prove his depth of knowledge within the thought process of Mademoiselle Privé herself. He wished to prove, through revealing secrets oblivious to fans before now, that he has a supernatural link with Coco and his embodiment of her work is unquestionable.

Yet, typical of the Chanel attitude, this theory was quickly contrasted with the screening of a short Lagerfeld production. The film portrayed Geraldine Chaplin as Gabrielle Chanel, returned from the grave to witness how her legacy has been continued. And, in fact, disgusted with the modern label. This confused me, if Karl was so keen to express his sincere knowledge of Chanel's wishes, why then show a film implying that he got it all wrong?

Aside from this, the most part of the exhibition consisted of Karl taking us back to the roots of Gabrielle. How she began, and most significantly, her inspirations - one of which was an 18th century garden, interlocking hedges apparently becoming the story behind the two Cs Chanel logo.

The history and inspiration took over so much of the exhibition that only one room was left to display the clothes. A long, rectangular space on the third floor of the Saatchi gallery, presenting at one end the 19th century wonders by Gabrielle Chanel, and the other, the outfits of the Chanel gamblers - as presented at Paris haute couture A/W 15. Here stood the dresses of Julianne Moore, Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Depp, and Kristen Stewart (Rita Ora also although out of place as ever).

On leaving the exhibition we were directed to the final room, a bubbling bright space resembling a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Large brass cauldrons of multi-coloured Chanel No5 opened their lids to engulf the room of the scent. Here we were reminded of the significance of the fragrance, and that Chanel was the first designer to develop an eu de parfum containing her own name.

Sharing a glimmer of who Gabrielle was left us wanting more. However perhaps a glimmer was just enough to remind us that Chanel was – and is – much more than the clothes. Chanel is an attitude and an image, founded to fulfil the needs of and empower women. It is utterly timeless and does not create trends, Chanel creates history.

SAVAGE BEAUTY - ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AT THE V&A

The exhibition consisted of 6 rooms. Each colour palette making you feel a different emotion, a different level of uncomfortable.

Goosebumps enhanced by a powerful air conditioning, every room was haunting in its own way. There were masks, there were scales, skin, even curls from Lee McQueen's own hair pinned onto dresses in the form of a trademark. Aspects from the mind of McQueen were pulled from every collection in between the years of Highland Rape and Plato's Atlantis.

I'm confident in saying that Lee did not make clothes for women to look pretty. A feminist, he aimed to make women look powerful, daunting almost, in his garish creations. He didn't design clothing: he sculpted political statements, controversial catwalks. He made ugly beautiful. He turned controversiality into art. What was known as 'savage', became beauty through the mind of McQueen.

The V & A could not have produced a more terrifyingly breathtaking portrayal of McQueen's work. I was lucky enough to witness it in its final hours (thank you to the V & A for releasing 24 hour tickets) yet I could never have anticipated what I saw. Alexander McQueen has always been among my favourite fashion houses; it was the campaign I'd always skip to when looking through Vogue. But actually seeing the collections up close - as well as a floating projection of Kate Moss - it moved me. And I believe it would move anyone, follower of fashion or not.

FASHION: INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

(To all of my readers that have not yet decoded the pun in the blog name 'Wintour Wonderland': you are in need of this post.)

To many people's disbelief, knowing fashion is not the same as being able to identify an LV suitcase or a logo printed Gucci hat. Knowing fashion is knowing how it became possible for you to do so. How these logos came to be imprinted in your memory. Who sparked that? Who persuaded our subconscious to gravitate toward certain prints, textures, lengths? People who will have had impact on the very clothes you're wearing. People who, through this post, I aim to acquaint you with.
  

'It's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.'

- Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

1. ANNA WINTOUR

For those of you who've read / watched The Devil Wears Prada, you'll hopefully be as excited as I was to discover that it is based on a true story. Yes, the cold Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep's character), actually exists. And the writer, Lauren Weisberger, genuinely worked a year at Vogue as her assistant.

Anna Wintour - nicknamed 'The Ice Queen' - is arguably the most significant face in fashion of this era. As editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Ms Wintour selects what is seen in Vogue and what doesn't make the cut. Literally deciding what is in fashion, and what is not.

She owns the most powerful seat in fashion, hence the name 'Wintour Wonderland'.

2. KARL LAGERFELD

Coupled with Ms Wintour, Karl and Anna have become one of fashion's most famous friendships - possibly since both are equally terrifying. However, terrifying due to the masses of power they hold in their judgement; making careers with phone calls.

Karl is creative director to the most iconic of all the fashion houses: Chanel. Whilst acting as creative director to Fendi also, his collections inspire a multitude of other designers in warping their ideas and perceptions of fashion. He may even have touched your life without your noticing - take last year's monochromatic colour palette, that wasn't started at topshop, it came from Karl. And before that, Gabrielle Chanel herself. *

Echoing my earlier point, never dismiss your association with the industry.  

*More on Karl in this post from last year:

http://wintour-wonderland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/back-to-black-and-white.html

3. GRACE CODDINGTON

'Karl Lagerfeld called her a genius. Wintour agrees.'

Working closely with Anna, Coddington plays the role of creative director at American Vogue. The Guardian called her the second most influential face in fashion; 'she is the stylist responsible for Vogue's visual identity', selecting the clothing for Vogue photo shoots, and therefor concocting a ripple of trends - high end as well as high street.

What's more, Grace is a strong woman that has been faced with many challenges throughout her life. Intimidating she may be, but inspirational nonetheless.

(Lucinda Chambers is the British Vogue equivalent of Grace - also a name to remember)

4. PATRICK DEMARCHELIER

'Being a photographer is like being an athlete, you must practice every day' 

Along with the other great fashion photographers - Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, etc - Demarchelier has worked closely with Vogue for many years, photographing everything from cover shoots to Chanel campaigns. 

Photographers, since being behind the camera, are barely credited enough. They capture pieces of art, set up political statements, launch models' careers, yet it's often only what's within the shot that gets credited.

5. SUZY MENKES

Hopefully you will have noticed a pattern in that so far more than half of this list has been made up of journalists. It would seem that the people who comment on fashion have more control over the industry than those who create fashion. Bringing us to Suzy Menkes, the Cambridge educated fashion critic whose opinion is never one to be ignored.

After writing as fashion editor for newspapers such as The Herald Tribune and The New York Times, Menkes surprised fashion week last March with the announcement that she was moving to Condé Nast, where she now works as international fashion editor for 19 editions of vogue.com. 

Menkes, just like Anna and Grace, is known for her cut throat, no nonsense, attitude. Her opinion can make or break a designer; an intimidating, yet brilliant force to be reckoned with.

6. MIUCCIA PRADA

For me, the next handful of names on this list all fall close to the same level of hierarchy. All have huge impact on both the runway and the red carpet, so trying to order them has proven difficult.

Granddaughter of founder Mario Prada, Miuccia is creative director of Prada and MiuMiu - named after her own nickname. Prada, along with the following fashion houses, is one of the most popular brands on the red carpet. Because of this, and because of the celebrities who wear Prada, its prints are echoed throughout the high street and effect many other designers.

Miuccia is also mentioned in this post from last year...

http://wintour-wonderland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/language.html

7. Hedi Slimane

8. Raf Simons

9. Christopher Bailey

There are multiple designers I could list here. Yet, thinking of the most influential in the current fashion era leaves me with these three. These men are each creative director to the some of the most well respected fashion houses in the world: YSL, Dior, Burberry. Leaving their mark during awards season as they pattern the red carpet, the same three names being repeated among bursts of celebrities - effecting fashion for many seasons to follow.

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A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE

Literature: in many cases a hypnotic manipulation of words to subdue the senses - is an art. In my opinion, anyway. When you witness something that your eyes cannot help but become interwoven with - a painting, a person, a setting - you are the only decider of how that makes you feel. The only creator of the image that your nerves subconsciously piece together. All art forms will effect people in different ways. So for someone to note my opinion as wrong, I can only say deserves a sour blog post and deep guilt in the realisation that they are 'juxtaposing' all that an art form can wish to be. Beware those of you that have chosen to do literature in September; apparently there are wrong answers in something written to induce multiple readings.

For example, Friday morning will see my first exam as an A level student. Friday morning will also witness me lie in my first exam as an A level student. It has been drilled into us that we must, and at the soonest opportunity, 'make it clear to the examiner that we know the difference between Plath being a confessional poet and Hughes being solely observational'. Observational meaning he writes only about the subject of the poem - no metaphors or hidden insinuations about life. Meaning that come Friday morning, I am to put pen on paper, and recite the well rehearsed quote: 'Hughes is an observational poet'. Something that holds but an ounce of truth in my mind.

Take 'Snowdrop' by Ted Hughes, "a sweet poem written literally about a plant, holding no sentimentality  or emotion", a confident statement. Until we notice that this sweet poem draws parallels with behaviorisms of Plath, or more famously in a misogynistic 60s society, Hughes' suicidal wife. But moving swiftly on, we are compelled to believe that quotes such as 'she, too, pursues her ends' and 'head heavy as metal' have no link whatsoever to the depression or suicide of Plath. That Hughes unfolded such delicately drawn images without thinking once of his recently passed beloved.

Many a time have I debated this with my lecturer and many a time have I given further examples of 'observational poetry'. However I do not blame my lecturer as I will not shoot the messenger; these are the views of the exam board, which continues the cycle, and I am left on Friday morning making false deductions with a warped opinion.

POETRY

If you follow my Instagram you may be aware of my growing admiration for poetry. I've recently decided to start sharing my notes on social media, however most are simply detached observations since I'm avoiding posting poems that are overly personal. The reason for this is that the majority of what I write involves a multitude of emotions, sometimes dark, sometimes sickeningly happy. Another reason for keeping many poems hushed is that some paint pictures of people, and more significantly, imply my feelings toward those people. With that in mind, I've eventually plucked up the courage to share with you a handful of those observations - some of myself, some of others, some simply of the society we've become. Even taking the time to read one will mean a huge amount. It may not seem much to you, or even make sense, but to me this is sharing a large part of my life. As time goes on I may begin to share more personal collections, yet for now, I hope you can settle for the following.

(Untitled)

Trying to pair people

With symphonies.

So that when 

I hear your song

I will think of you

And forget life

Beyond the whispers

Of my headphones

Mum, (written for my mum on mother's day)

You often forget 

That poems do not 

Have to rhyme 

They do not

Have to be perfect

With just the right amount

Of syllables

Or contain

The same

Number

Of lines

In each

Stanza

They have many readings

many feelings

Broken structures,

And painted metaphors

That protect true opinions

That conceal 

What's brewing underneath.

But this does not

Make it any less of a 

Poem.

It simply makes it

A more interesting one

'I'm Sorry'

Thank you

For that text. 

The one that struck me

Cold and warm

And red

And made me feel

Life, frivolity.

I am content

Being sad,

Because finally

I am reunited 

With this emotion. 

Thank you, Colour Wheel

For smearing me

With you

White Flag

Numbness

Is worse

Than pain

Pain is a colour wheel

The other,

Is white, nothingness

Deaf

Soundless screams

Pain is emotion,

White is surrender.

Careless, and therefor by far

The most dangerous

'Seeing = Believing'???

What if love is a star

Charming, from a distance 

Fixed,motionless,hypnotism

Hanging in static admiration.

Held fidgeting, between finger and thumb 

What if love has been false

For the entirety of our existence 

Burned out,exploded,gone

Alive in tainted beliefs

Of what we think we see

A ghost among the gullible

Latch

Tonight: nothing.

You are gone

And I am drowned

Lonely, and stuck

With this feeling

That the window has closed

And the latch is glued shut

'MENINIST'

'I don't understand why women wear watches when there's a perfectly good clock on the stove'

Three months ago declaring yourself a feminist was the 'on trend' thing. Now, just like many old trends, society has taken to making fun of this. Making petty jokes about feminists; how they must look, how they must act. Developing a stereotype for what being a feminist entails. I recently read a tweet suggesting a brilliant idea: 'feminists: if only they put all that passion into their cooking'. Genius. Yet what these people do not know, is that most of them are in fact feminists themselves.

For example, do you believe one sex should be superior to the other? If your answer is no, then you are also a feminist. Regardless of your gender. And you have probably been making fun of yourself by retweeting these 'jokes' - (if your answer to that question was yes, then you should probably go for some time out). Feminists stand for equality. It pains me that more people are not aware of this. Feminism is not an uprising female army wanting to dominate men. It is a statement, and an awareness, that unfortunately most people do not know the definition of.

'Before you text that girl first again today, remember you're giving her full control and becoming her bitch. Make her text you.'

If you believe in the equality of the sexes, then you are a feminist - male or female. Similarly, if you say you are a feminist with the belief that women should be dominant over men, then you are in fact the opposite of a feminist. If you posted a picture to social media on international women's day saying 'who run the world? GIRLS!', then this completely contrasts the beliefs of feminism. I adore Beyoncé, but imagine if the lyrics of that song were different, and instead a male sang 'who run the world? MEN!'; can you even begin to imagine the uproar? On top of this, if you're a 'feminist' that still refers to other women as bitches, then you are not a feminist. You are simply giving the opposite sex a free pass to do the same, whilst teaching society that it's okay to refer to women as female dogs.

'okay it's international women's day, so bitch, #OpTicGaming is playing and you're over here worrying about the wrong shit smh'

I have never despised a twitter page as much as do @meninisttweet. Even the label 'meninist' shows that the creators clearly have no clue what feminism is. And the fact that they have a growing number of 700,000 followers proves that too many people are still clueless. Since when did our society become proud to piss people off? Honestly, I think the person behind these tweets has had a bad past with women, and this account had been created in order for them to have somewhere to channel their aggression toward females. Mature. So why has this account not been removed from social media? Just because the twitter bio mentions 'obviously sarcasm' (demeaning as always), means that this account is allowed to continue influencing the opinions of 700,000 people? The answer speaks for itself.

'Feminism is a joke #offendeveryoneinfourwords'

- said the more than likely feminist.

LEE MCQUEEN, A TRIBUTE

"I want people to be afraid of the women I dress" 

Yesterday marked 5 years since the death of Alexander McQueen. It seems to be a pattern that the most spellbinding minds come to the same tragic ends; Sylvia Plath, Isabella Blow and Kurt Cobain falling into the same category. Each possessed a mind we were determined to unlock, that fascinated us into vexatious curiosity. Minds, that unfortunately, have been eternally locked by their owners. Beautiful, yet harrowing mysteries that we will never fully comprehend.

"Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment"

McQueen was an artist. A dark designer and an unfathomably deep thinker; projecting shocking truths through his creations. His collections were different to any others - his first being named 'Highland Rape' - they were to be art, not next season's wardrobe. Too many designers create to sell. McQueen designed to shock; which finically may prove difficult, yet arguably is the quickest way to warp the fashion industry.  Like the many hats of Isabella Blow, Lee 'Alexander' McQueen entered a room to make an impact. His designs were his true expression, like intricate literature - where a wrath  of hidden meanings lurk behind placid imagery.

"You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules"

The man was raw, jagged and outspoken; however, a genius for being so. He was wild in developing ideas, yet his career allowed him to spill his thoughts onto the runway. I highly respect Kate Middleton for being married in McQueen, just as I highly respect Sarah Burton for filling McQueen's shoes as the creative director of the brand.

"Give me time and I'll give you a revolution"

Rest in peace, Lee McQueen. You sculpted a nation's perception of beauty, thank you.





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CONTOURING

This post is by far my most requested; possibly due to the rise of Kim K, or even the release of Maleficent (in which Angelina Jolie wears my favourite makeup look ever). Whatever the reason, prominent cheekbones and a chiselled jawline seem to be the look on everyone's wish list. Move over HD brows.

Much to my disappointment, my cheekbones are buried somewhere under childlike full cheeks; making contouring a daily ritual in my morning routine. Like most beauty products, it is not necessary to over spend. For example, I will religiously return to the same two products time and time again - neither of which are stupidly priced:

• Sleek, Contouring and Blush Palette 

•     MAC, Vanilla Pigment

The secret to contouring is creating light / shade in the right places. Apply shadow (bronzer) under your cheekbones and it will accentuate them; apply it on your cheekbones and your outcome will be what resembles stripy facial tan lines. Before you apply any product, become aware of your own facial structure. Feel for your cheekbones and suck in your cheeks, this way you will know exactly where to begin your sculpting.

On and slightly above your cheekbones is the place for highlighter - you do not want any shadow here. For day to day use, your highlighter should not appear white or tinted, it should simply catch the light and twinkle delicately, again drawing attention to the shape of your face. You can use the highlighter that comes with the Sleek palette, however I prefer the vanilla pigment, since I find the sleek highlight can appear very white and sometimes too obvious. The Sleek blusher is one of my favourites since it gives a faint golden shine which will also make the apple of your cheeks sparkle. 

If you feel the shadow below your cheekbone has become too wide/low then you can neaten it with a small amount of concealer - although be sure to buff this in well as we do not want apparent lines. 

When it comes to brushes: for bronzer I stick to the Real Techniques contouring brush; for blush I use their blush brush; concealer I blend in with the Real Techniques expert face brush; and highlighter I apply with the Real Techniques shading brush. You will also need a clean brush to blend in your highlighter. 

Where to create shadow:

(Daily use)

Below cheekbones

Temples 

(Going out)

Hairline

Jawline 

Center of cupid's bow

Sides of nose 

Where to use highlighter: 

On / slightly above cheekbones
Brow bone 

Just above brows 

Centre of nose 

Corners of the eyes
Cupid's bow 

Where to use concealer: 

Under the eyes 

In between shadow and jawline 

Over any blemishes / redness 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, I will do my best to help but I must point out that I am no professional and these are simply my personal opinions. Hopefully this post has been helpful, and if you have any post requests I'd love to hear them. 

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RELAXATION RECIPE

In my opinion, taking down the Christmas decorations, is probably the most depressing day of the year. 

Santa has put his feet up, new year has passed- although the hangover probably hasn't- the chocolate supply is quickly decreasing, and all you're left with is a spindleless tree; retaining its last respect through a withered piece of red tinsel. It's fair to say the time has come, and unfortunately the usual routine is following closely behind. Unlike the Scrooges out there, I'm a dedicated fan of the festive feeling, so declaring final farewells is comparable to parting with a best friend of which you only see annually. 

I have devised a cunning plan in ridding these post holiday blues. A set of ingredients that, hopefully, will have you feeling that little bit more invincable when facing that daunting Monday morning. This Sunday, after reluctantly clearing the house of all sparkles and spindles, make yourself time to be selfish. It is the only cure. (Apologies, these are all extremely clichéd, feminin acts). 

1. Remove all your makeup. 

This is the first step to feeling refreshed, and cleansed of christmas guilt. I highly recommend the soap and glory face wipes; they are just the right amount of tough, whilst smelling simply divine. 

2. Get your work done.

I know the thought is horrible, and I am infact Cornwall's biggest hypocrit, but you know as well as I do that this will be a significant weight off your shoulders. Only when you have done this can you truly begin to relax. This is the flour to our cake; a masterpiece is impossible without it. 

3. Congratulate yourself for finishing all your work, and finally being up to date. This is an achievement, you are more than allowed to be proud. 

4. RUN YOURSELF A BATH. 

I used to be one of those people that weren't at all phased by products like bath bombs, body scrub, etc. Yet recently, after being fully introduced to Lush, they have made themselves comfortable amongst my favourite things.  Some people may think Lush/baths are overrated, however for me, it's not just about the product- a simple bath bomb- it's the luxury you feel when it first hits the water. A small, insignificant luxury, that places a delicate, unpredicted smile across your face. Make sure the water is so hot that your feet confuse warmth with pain, and you have to inch yourself in slowly, slowly, whilst your whole body prickles in a sprinkling of goosebumps. Do not dismiss it until you've tried it. But as well as this, once you're out of the bath and your head has drifted down from the clouds, there is something so calming about the stepping out of the bathroom. The room itself has become opaque with steam and the air is thick and clumsy; as you open the door, towel piled high upon your head, a sweet air will meet your face and cool your spine. It is cold, but it's just what you needed after being so absorbed by heat. 

'The longer I lay there in the clear hot water the purer I felt, and when I stepped out at last and wrapped myself in one of the big, soft, white, hotel bath towels I felt pure and sweet as a new baby.' - Sylvia Plath 

5. Face Mask.

Being in the bath is the perfect opportunity to use a face mask. The humidity will have caused your pores to open and plead for cleansing. 

6. Moisturise. 

Some people would step out of the bath believing their next step is to clothe themselves. Wrong. Your skin at this point is just about dying of thirst. Hydrate it with face creams and body butters- or if you own Hydraluron then use this now and it will work miracles. Body shop + Soap and Glory body butters will not let you down. 

7. Wear nothing but pyjamas and comfy clothing; throw all fashion guidelines out the window with any negative thoughts. 

8. Have a large glass of water. 

You have just released all the bad toxins from your skin, now do the same for your body. You will still be feeling flushed and  already thirsty from the heat- personally, I always crave orange juice- having a tall glass of water is the best thing you can do for your body right now. Even better, if you have lemon juice then add a splash to rid toxins more suffeciently. Green tea also works wonders. 

9. Never underestimate the power of a chick flick. 

At some point after all this, you will probably have to venture into your living room; which, unfortunately, means that you will soon be looking at the lonely space where the Christmas tree used to sit. This is why you will now need both The Holiday and The Amazing Spider Man, because who lifts the spirits more than Jude Law and Andrew Garfield, (DO NOT however watch the second spider man). 

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