Re The X-files: I was also shocked. I watched two episodes of season 1 and realised I couldn't tolerate Mulder another second.
As for fashion...your comparison to Marvel-style movies is so apt! I remember watching one of the Ironman films and I felt like I had paid to be insulted by the filmmakers. I would love for sincerity to make a comeback! I was never into Versace but I felt sad that Donatella Versace stepped down from chief creative officer of Versace with so little fanfare. She was no doubt someone who truly cared about her brand and surely deserved a better send-off than a press release? It seemed weird to me it wasn't bigger news.
But as you said, nothing is constant, and what I hate now will disappear, and what I'll love will make its way to me eventually! Sinking into cynicism is not where I want to be.
It broke my heart how bad The X-Files was! I couldn't believe it, and I tried and I tried and actually watched the whole series, but nope, it's just not good. And even now I'm thinking that maybe I should give it another chance, because I loved it so much back in the day!
I agree about Donatella. I wonder if the news about Demna and Gucci overshadowed her departure? I don't care for Versace as a brand (for myself), but I have a lot of respect for Donatella. She deserved better.
This makes me think of how Ethel Cain posted a rant some months ago about how irony culture was ruining her enjoyment of her own art - "nobody takes anything fucking seriously anymore" - it's what you note as well! Maybe being too online, too sold-to, too steeped in too much content and too much product causes us to turn down our sincerity meter.
"Maybe being too online, too sold-to, too steeped in too much content and too much product causes us to turn down our sincerity meter." -- YES. THIS. I wish I had written this!
I didn't really know who she was either! But this crossed all my little social media streams... I didn't know how to react to it at the time but it's really got me thinking about this weird moment we're in...
I would happily wear that SS19 collection for the rest of my days. There’s so much beauty in this post: “the long lasting properties of love.” I think you’re a true romantic about fashion, looking for what’s worthy of your love & refusing to treat it as a game or as trivial, and that is a beautiful & honorable position.
Thank you, Jenny! I am most definitely a romantic, and it's funny because I never really thought that I was, not until a few years ago when I started to understand myself better!
And yes, if I could wear nothing but Yohji's clothes from 1999 for the rest of my life, I'd be very pleased!
As someone who doesn't follow runway shows (but deeply enjoys fashion at large) I have been hearing the resounding voice that it's UNINSPIRING lately. Beth Bentley wrote a piece this week noticing how designers aversion to risk is creating really boring fashion. What I am hearing- and feeling myself- is that creativity feels like it's dead. I want to see a look that makes me excited, not to own it or wear it but to be alive in the same time as it!
I came across a shocking statistic recently, where they said that up to 70% of clothing design is more or less generated by AI. 70%!!! No wonder everything feels uninspiring!!
Tiia, I didn't know we were exactly same age :) I never asked you about your age in our recent conversation. I'm 47 too and can relate to so many of your examples from the past.
For me looking at fashion shows is a little bit like going to an art gallery or a theatre. Collections and styling can absolutely evoke strong feelings of admiration or disgust. But for me as a consumer, I need to have the new 'translated' to my world. This takes some time, so I've always considered myself a follower, ...a rather late one. And I'm fine with that.
Take wide leg pants as an example. They've been 'trending' for years now, but I only 'discovered' them recently. Maybe 2-3 years ago. But when this happens, I take a plunge and become wholeheartedly involved.
I love that you take your time with trends! There's so much content that we're being bombarded with every day, so it makes sense to sit with it for a while before you can figure out what works for you. I do that too, and I feel like it's almost the only rational option for me! Otherwise I'd feel completely overwhelmed.
To answer your last question, yes! It is enough! At least for me. Rather than be overwhelmed as I sometimes was in the past, it has become easier to know what interests me or suits me in some way. Many times in an instant, and that is where I focus my attention. No regrets, no Fear of Missing Out. Although I do shake my head at times at all the Emperor’s new clothes and the attention paid to people like Demna.
( except now I am going down rabbit holes after that Yamamoto S/S99 video!).
Voi Tiia! Tässä sun tekstissä oli niin paljon kaikkea, niin paljon, tai ehkä kaikki. Voisinpa keskustella ja intoilla tästä sun kanssa kahden kesken livenä!
Mutta täytyy pureksia ja sulatella, että saan omat sanani tekstiksi - vaikka ymmärsin kaiken, huomaan, että mun on vaikeampaa kommentoida englanniksi kirjoitettuja tekstejä kuin suomenkielisiä.
Yritän siis palata perusteellisemman kommenttini kera myöhemmin. Tai sit meidän pitää vain nähdä!
Tai no, sen sanon jo nyt, että Pianon näkeminen silloin ysärillä nuorena Nivalassa oli valtavan kuohun aikaan saanut kokemus. Siitä asti se on ollut paras elokuva ikinä - ja edelleen osa hyvin pientä dvd-elokuvakirjastoani - kunnes näin Call Me By My Namen, joka yllättäen hiuksenhienosti ohitti sen. Hmm, tänä päivänä ne ehkä jakavat parhaan elokuvan podiumin korkeimman tason.
Joo, tässä on paljon ruodittavaa mullakin! (Oon ihan tosi pahoillani, että en ole saanut aikaiseksi tehdä suomenkielisiä käännöksiä! Oon niin hidas kirjoittamaan ja oikolukemaan, että siinä vaiheessa kun oon vihdoin ja viimein saanut englanninkielisen valmiiksi, en jaksa enää lähteä työstämään tiivistelmää ja käännöstä, saamaton kun olen.)
Call Me By My Name on kyllä tosi hieno ja sykähdyttävä elokuva. Se hiipi sisuksiin kuin varkain.
Your words really resonated with me! In my opinion, one designer who fits the label of ‘seriousness’ is Mame Kurogouchi, her collections are so elegant and she designed for Issey Miyake as well
I have found myself really missing your voice. And I have said “let her go at her own pace, Rachel!” I am so grateful you’re here with these thoughts — you are always the crisp tart apple to my chocolate-coffee-protein bar reality 😘
Tiiia, I thought of you recently when I tried on a Yohji jacket for the first time ever at a consignment shop. I remember you wrote once about the magical experience of slipping on one of his garments and feeling like it was a perfect fit– not only physically but spiritually too! I loved this jacket, but sadly out of my budget for now
It's not a bad thing to expect, nay demand, sincere meaning and craftsmanship from these ateliers. In my 20s, there were moments that a single shade of chartreuse would make my heart beat faster. Like you, I want that feeling back again and won't settle for these insipid photocopies of past trends. That said, there's a woman on my train who wears acid wash jeans, a leather bomber jacket, stiletto boots & a tight perm every damn day. Don't want to become a caricature of a bygone era either. Thank you for this thoughtful post....it will take some time for my mind to fully digest it.
Thank you for reading, Debra! I sometimes worry about becoming a caricature from another time, too... but I also have a lot of respect for those people who have found their style and they just stick with it, no matter what. It's a tough balance though, and it takes guts to stick to what you know works for you. I don't know if I'm quite that strong!
Re The X-files: I was also shocked. I watched two episodes of season 1 and realised I couldn't tolerate Mulder another second.
As for fashion...your comparison to Marvel-style movies is so apt! I remember watching one of the Ironman films and I felt like I had paid to be insulted by the filmmakers. I would love for sincerity to make a comeback! I was never into Versace but I felt sad that Donatella Versace stepped down from chief creative officer of Versace with so little fanfare. She was no doubt someone who truly cared about her brand and surely deserved a better send-off than a press release? It seemed weird to me it wasn't bigger news.
But as you said, nothing is constant, and what I hate now will disappear, and what I'll love will make its way to me eventually! Sinking into cynicism is not where I want to be.
It broke my heart how bad The X-Files was! I couldn't believe it, and I tried and I tried and actually watched the whole series, but nope, it's just not good. And even now I'm thinking that maybe I should give it another chance, because I loved it so much back in the day!
I agree about Donatella. I wonder if the news about Demna and Gucci overshadowed her departure? I don't care for Versace as a brand (for myself), but I have a lot of respect for Donatella. She deserved better.
This makes me think of how Ethel Cain posted a rant some months ago about how irony culture was ruining her enjoyment of her own art - "nobody takes anything fucking seriously anymore" - it's what you note as well! Maybe being too online, too sold-to, too steeped in too much content and too much product causes us to turn down our sincerity meter.
"Maybe being too online, too sold-to, too steeped in too much content and too much product causes us to turn down our sincerity meter." -- YES. THIS. I wish I had written this!
I'll have to look up the Ethel Cain rant! I'm ashamed to admit that I had to google who she was. Time for me to listen to some new music, clearly!!
I didn't really know who she was either! But this crossed all my little social media streams... I didn't know how to react to it at the time but it's really got me thinking about this weird moment we're in...
https://www.reddit.com/r/popculturechat/comments/1g6nqsq/ethel_cain_posts_criticism_of_irony_culture/
Wow, indeed, what a strange time to be alive!
I would happily wear that SS19 collection for the rest of my days. There’s so much beauty in this post: “the long lasting properties of love.” I think you’re a true romantic about fashion, looking for what’s worthy of your love & refusing to treat it as a game or as trivial, and that is a beautiful & honorable position.
Thank you, Jenny! I am most definitely a romantic, and it's funny because I never really thought that I was, not until a few years ago when I started to understand myself better!
And yes, if I could wear nothing but Yohji's clothes from 1999 for the rest of my life, I'd be very pleased!
As someone who doesn't follow runway shows (but deeply enjoys fashion at large) I have been hearing the resounding voice that it's UNINSPIRING lately. Beth Bentley wrote a piece this week noticing how designers aversion to risk is creating really boring fashion. What I am hearing- and feeling myself- is that creativity feels like it's dead. I want to see a look that makes me excited, not to own it or wear it but to be alive in the same time as it!
Hear, hear, Kelly!
I came across a shocking statistic recently, where they said that up to 70% of clothing design is more or less generated by AI. 70%!!! No wonder everything feels uninspiring!!
Oh Tiia ❤️
Laura, I'm trying to imagine your tone of voice here, and there are too many options! 😅
Picture an awe voice. In Spanish. 💚
Tiia, I didn't know we were exactly same age :) I never asked you about your age in our recent conversation. I'm 47 too and can relate to so many of your examples from the past.
For me looking at fashion shows is a little bit like going to an art gallery or a theatre. Collections and styling can absolutely evoke strong feelings of admiration or disgust. But for me as a consumer, I need to have the new 'translated' to my world. This takes some time, so I've always considered myself a follower, ...a rather late one. And I'm fine with that.
Take wide leg pants as an example. They've been 'trending' for years now, but I only 'discovered' them recently. Maybe 2-3 years ago. But when this happens, I take a plunge and become wholeheartedly involved.
I love that you take your time with trends! There's so much content that we're being bombarded with every day, so it makes sense to sit with it for a while before you can figure out what works for you. I do that too, and I feel like it's almost the only rational option for me! Otherwise I'd feel completely overwhelmed.
To answer your last question, yes! It is enough! At least for me. Rather than be overwhelmed as I sometimes was in the past, it has become easier to know what interests me or suits me in some way. Many times in an instant, and that is where I focus my attention. No regrets, no Fear of Missing Out. Although I do shake my head at times at all the Emperor’s new clothes and the attention paid to people like Demna.
( except now I am going down rabbit holes after that Yamamoto S/S99 video!).
It's about picking your battles, isn't it. There's no point in getting involved in something that doesn't serve you.
The Yohji 1999 rabbit hole is a beautiful place to get lost in!
Great, interesting writing. The part about the things that serve us might not be constants, and not universal is really resonating with me.
Thank you so much! So few things are constant or universal in life. I'm seeing that more and more the older I get!
I am forwarding this to so many friends...
I'm so happy this resonated with you!
Oh thank you for this piece Tiia !
You're very welcome! Thank you for reading!
Voi Tiia! Tässä sun tekstissä oli niin paljon kaikkea, niin paljon, tai ehkä kaikki. Voisinpa keskustella ja intoilla tästä sun kanssa kahden kesken livenä!
Mutta täytyy pureksia ja sulatella, että saan omat sanani tekstiksi - vaikka ymmärsin kaiken, huomaan, että mun on vaikeampaa kommentoida englanniksi kirjoitettuja tekstejä kuin suomenkielisiä.
Yritän siis palata perusteellisemman kommenttini kera myöhemmin. Tai sit meidän pitää vain nähdä!
Tai no, sen sanon jo nyt, että Pianon näkeminen silloin ysärillä nuorena Nivalassa oli valtavan kuohun aikaan saanut kokemus. Siitä asti se on ollut paras elokuva ikinä - ja edelleen osa hyvin pientä dvd-elokuvakirjastoani - kunnes näin Call Me By My Namen, joka yllättäen hiuksenhienosti ohitti sen. Hmm, tänä päivänä ne ehkä jakavat parhaan elokuvan podiumin korkeimman tason.
Joo, tässä on paljon ruodittavaa mullakin! (Oon ihan tosi pahoillani, että en ole saanut aikaiseksi tehdä suomenkielisiä käännöksiä! Oon niin hidas kirjoittamaan ja oikolukemaan, että siinä vaiheessa kun oon vihdoin ja viimein saanut englanninkielisen valmiiksi, en jaksa enää lähteä työstämään tiivistelmää ja käännöstä, saamaton kun olen.)
Call Me By My Name on kyllä tosi hieno ja sykähdyttävä elokuva. Se hiipi sisuksiin kuin varkain.
Your words really resonated with me! In my opinion, one designer who fits the label of ‘seriousness’ is Mame Kurogouchi, her collections are so elegant and she designed for Issey Miyake as well
Yes, there's always something interesting to look at at Mame Kurogouchi! I haven't checked out her recent runways, but I'll do that now!
Excellent article, Tiia!💕 I so agree that fashion is so monotonous, none of the houses or designers seem to have actual vision for anything new!
Thanks Sheila! Yes, it seems like we're just going around in circles these days. Everything is so... product-focused!
I have found myself really missing your voice. And I have said “let her go at her own pace, Rachel!” I am so grateful you’re here with these thoughts — you are always the crisp tart apple to my chocolate-coffee-protein bar reality 😘
I _am_ a bit of a tart, aren't I!
P.S. I love you, Rachel!
the kind that keeps things delicious 😘
Tiiia, I thought of you recently when I tried on a Yohji jacket for the first time ever at a consignment shop. I remember you wrote once about the magical experience of slipping on one of his garments and feeling like it was a perfect fit– not only physically but spiritually too! I loved this jacket, but sadly out of my budget for now
Ah, the beauty of slipping into a Yohji piece! It's quite something. I hope that the right one will come along for you, at a reasonable price!
It's not a bad thing to expect, nay demand, sincere meaning and craftsmanship from these ateliers. In my 20s, there were moments that a single shade of chartreuse would make my heart beat faster. Like you, I want that feeling back again and won't settle for these insipid photocopies of past trends. That said, there's a woman on my train who wears acid wash jeans, a leather bomber jacket, stiletto boots & a tight perm every damn day. Don't want to become a caricature of a bygone era either. Thank you for this thoughtful post....it will take some time for my mind to fully digest it.
Thank you for reading, Debra! I sometimes worry about becoming a caricature from another time, too... but I also have a lot of respect for those people who have found their style and they just stick with it, no matter what. It's a tough balance though, and it takes guts to stick to what you know works for you. I don't know if I'm quite that strong!