Thursday 26 January 2012

Lagerfeld, Missoni and Birthday Thoughts

Yesterday was the launch of Karl Lagerfeld's collection on Net-a-Porter.com, in London it was revealed in Convent Garden with different people queueing to scan the window display with their i-phones and iPads in order to shop online.


Karl Lagerfeld for Net-a-Porter.com in Convent Garden

The collection is edgy and tailored for a younger customer with a strong and irreverent attitude towards life. It certainly attracted bloggers and fashionistas alike, showing up stylish and embracing the latest technologies. 




"Today everything is about technology, not only in terms of communication but also in terms of working, creating materials... Everything is changing." Karl Lagerfeld




Karl Lagerfeld interviews himself on a video interview for Net-a-Porter.com, as an alter ego, an interesting concept, particularly if you build up a public persona to face the world.




For Lagerfeld, there is no secret for success, "the only secret is work, to get your act together and perhaps a decent life: don't smoke, don't drink, don't take drugs, all that helps, one survives better."




But even though he is a quite intellectual, he creates his collections by instinct which makes me think that a creative genius is always someone very visceral, of course you can develop your talent more and more, effort and hard work are inevitable, but it's definitely something you're born with.   


Gianluca Longo and Angela Missoni, V&A

I then headed west to V&A for an evening talk with Angela Missoni, the Creative Director of this well-known Italian brand. She was interviewed by Gianluca Longo, who guided us through the roots of Missoni's family venture.




When you think of Missoni, colourful patterns and family values come to mind probably due to their clever advertising campaigns as intimate family portraits. But as Angela Missoni pointed out, they are not a marketing project, they are real, the family is real.




Her parents actually met in Piccadilly Circus underneath the cupid statue and together they started building a brand which has been revived and successfully moved forward by the younger family members.




Margherita Missoni, today a celebrity in her own right, has also become involved with the family business, admitting to her mother how close it is from her heart. As Angela described: "you grow up seeing beautiful things and you try to translate what's around you."   




When you take a look at a Missoni advertising campaign, you see everything it represents: innovative patterns, Italian tradition, crafstmanship and family values.

Angela has worked with the best photographers to get this message across, from Mario Testino to Juergen Teller, also selecting the most powerful models, from Gisele Bundchen to Kate Moss




Missoni latest ad campaign was revealed at this intimate and relaxed evening talk at the V&A, featuring Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, two of his muses and the family.  

This event was streamed online by Harper's Bazaar magazine, it was a day marked by new technologies, they have a huge potential which is becoming more and more prominent in our lives, internet sales keep growing and we now have multiple platforms to communicate.


Ladies' room at Sketch

By the time I left V&A, my friends were already waiting for me at Sketch to celebrate my birthday. I couldn't help but wonder how challenging my life has been after my BBC redundancy.  

 Anna Wintour, one of the most successful women in the fashion industry, said being unemployed was the best thing that happened to her. You're not finished when you face defeat but only when you give up. And giving up is the last thing on my mind...

"It's up to you to make a day as perfect as possible, it's a question of will and discipline." Karl Lagerfeld



La Digue, Seychelles




Other related posts:
Happy Birthday Karl Lagerfeld!
Men's Fashion and Style
Underwater World