dimanche 3 juin 2012

Basic but not generic


There's this numerus clausus of designers whose work I've been admiring for years if not decades: Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester. Their personal aesthetics, refusal of trends by sticking to their signature looks always attracted me and keep inspiring me. 

I used to have a handful of items from these 3 gathered here and there. Ann Demeulemeester boots I loved in theory but which would made me trip, a white shirt that looked absolutely gorgeous but annoyed the hell out of me when I put it on because of  its open back and strands, a sadly too big Dries van Noten top, a too tight fitting and sheer Rick Owens dress. All these (unlucky) finds ended up on eBay. 

Except for these Ann Demeulemeester pants. I love them. They're silky, black, slightly baggy, have these multiple buckled straps at the waist. They say urban life, grunge, punk, hip hop, gothic, avant-garde, romantic... Depending on how I accessorize and other clothes I team the pants with, they're transformed and completely change any outfit.

I think this extract from Mark Holgate's review of Ann's spring summer 2012 collection sums up very well my meaning : 
"a very cool basic that’s anything but generic and works with everything, yet simultaneously transforms all that it’s worn with".

That's exactly what I'm craving for with these designers, basics with a twist. A classic yet sexy and tough Rick Owens leather jacket, a few Dries items like this gorgeous FW 2009 knit, draped outerwear, printed little things by Ann D and so on. Items to complete what I own, not revolutionize my whole closet but to add something that shake things up without being random and useless.

This Saturday, to beat the city heat, I went for casual: an overall black palette and completely loose silhouette, a graphic striped top (thanks again Sarah and Sara!), flat sandals.

 t-shirt: Hope - pants/pantalon: Ann Demeulemeester - sandales/sandals: Isabel Marant - bag/sac: Balenciaga

Il y a ce numerus clausus de créateurs dont j'admire le travail depuis des années sinon des décennies: Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten et Ann Demeulemeester. Leur esthétique très personnelle, refusant les tendances m'a toujours plu et continuent de m'inspirer. 

Encore récemment, j'avais une poignée de vêtements et accessoires trouvés ici et là. Des bottes Ann Demeulemeester que j'adorais en théorie mais qui me faisaient trébucher (!), une superbe chemise blanche qui m'agaçait prodigieusement quand je la portais, un top malheureusement trop grand de Dries van Noten top, une robe Rick Owens un peu trop moulante et un poil trop transparente. Tous ont fini sur eBay ces dernières années.

Sauf ce pantalon Ann Demeulemeester. Je l'adore. Il est soyeux, noir, légèrement large, avec plusieurs sangles à la taille. Il évoque la vie urbaine, il est grunge, punk, hip hop, gothique, avant-garde, romantique... Selon la façon dont je l'accessoirise, les pièces auxquelles je l'associe, ce pantalon se transforme et métamorphose n'importe quelle tenue.

Cet extrait du compte-rendu sur la collection printemps été 2012 d'Ann D résume assez bien ma pensée:
"un basique très cool qui est tout sauf commun et fonctionne avec tout, tout en transformant simultanément tout ce avec quoi il est associé." 

C'est exactement ce que je recherche chez ces créateurs, des basiques intéressants: une veste en cuir Rick Owens, classique mais sexy, quelques pièces de Dries Van Noten comme cette superbe maille de l'automne 2009, des vestes drapées et des "petites choses" imprimées par Ann Demeulemeester etc. Des vêtements qui fonctionnent avec ceux que je possède, sans révolutionner ma garde-robe mais en apportant un plus, qui la bouscule tout en restant cohérent avec mon style.

Ce samedi, pour supporter la chaleur en ville, j'ai opté pour une tenue décontractée: une palette globalement noire et une silhouette fluide, un top graphique rayé, des sandales plates.

8 commentaires:

  1. J'aime beaucoup ta tenue, simple, décontractée et surtout très jolie :-)

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  2. The pants really have the perfect slouchiness, and the tee looks great on you:)! And the black Merry sandals...I love this outfit!

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  3. Thanks Prêt! I was quite lucky to find these on eBay years ago and I'm still in love with them!

    Merci beaucoup Top maille fine!

    Garderoben: Thanks a lot! I love the tee so much, it works with everything!

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  4. Ok, love these pants! The buckles and straps are so cool, very Ann, but I like how you dressed them in a slouchy, laid back way that takes away some of the aggression in her design but leaves behind just a bit of edge.

    I know what you mean, a lot of the clothes from these designers are rather difficult to wear. I love Dries so much, in my fantasy life, I would be a Dries woman, but I find a lot of his clothes just overwhelming. I've finally learned to just admire from afar, but it's true, a lot of these designers offer some key basics that are easy to integrate with any wardrobe. An old DvN cotton knot top is still one of my favorites (is this the top you sold??)

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  5. You got it right S, that's the top I sold. I think I must have seen it on you or Softgrey on TFS and fell in love with it but the size was sadly too big!
    I love these designers but even if they could fit in my budget, I would apply moderation and wear one cloth at a time. I think I'd feel a bit lost, as you say, overwhelmed in total DvN or RO!
    Also I don't know if it's just me but I feel that they (DvN and Ann D) also put some actual barrier with their customers. For instance, I love checking DvN but you have to ring to be let in his Paris store... As far as I know Ann D only has only 2 small corners in the big dept stores and all the clothes are blocked with antitheft lockers with no SA! (at least in one dept store)... The atmosphere and accessibility are completely different in, say, the Céline or Balenciaga stores/corners. RO on the other hand is very customer friendly but then he's American even if he lives in Paris!

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  6. These are the kind of "basics" I wish I had!!!

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  7. These are the kind of "basics" I wish I had!!!

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