Your garbage

This is an ugly post about stuff that used to be pretty.
Strolling around the streets of Pireaus, Gazi and Kifisia the past few months, I came across a lot of scenes like these. Since my camera is always in my handbag, I started documenting the mess and now I have ended up with an impossibly large folder. So you don't need them anymore. But, seriously, is their place in the garbage bin?
Research says that 85% of recyclable clothes are being needlessly thrown out (not my research, GLOBAL research). At the same time that some parts of the world (or this country) are deprived of the absolute necessities, some people throw their clothes and shoes in the garbage bins only to go and buy some more, new and trendy. Which sooner or later will end up in trash too, cause it's fast fashion baby.
Ok, you don't want them. Ok, you won't wear them any more. Fine. But is this the best you could think of? Don't we have any homeless people's shelters you could place them outside from? Couldn't you at least place them somewhere away from dangerously dirty garbage in case someone wants them? They are not furniture you know, you can't just disinfect them.
Yeah, buy more, throw away more, so that giant companies can produce more and then we can all happily burry underneath our pretty garbage. Speaking of companies, you'd better read this.

"During her walks down 35th Street, Ms. Magnus said, it is more common to find destroyed clothing in the H & M trash. On Dec. 7, during an early cold snap, she said, she saw about 20 bags filled with H & M clothing that had been cut up" . (source: The NY Times)

You don't want to buy them? Fine. Nobody gets to wear them. And we will produce more that you'll wonna buy. And garbage grows...
Life in Athens is on her own mission to resist this. She is doing the 'Not Shop Project', documented in her blog, which translates to 365 days of wearing what she already owns. That's right, no shopping, check her out. And don't forget swishing.gr, I am sure when the girls were putting it together, they had all this in mind. It's been said before: "your trash may be someone else's treasure". (google it)
Just think before you throw away.
Some things have got to change.

Post light

Green & brown. Adding it to my favs.
Post light it was.

7ply Project, Athens 2010

Here's some (girly) stuff you can do to your board.
All from the 7ply Poject exhibition at Technopolis, Gazi.
(See image title for artists names)
Or you can use it as a stool and gain a few cm over others in the crowd.
Action outside the exhibition area. Falls under stuff you can do to your board*. (* add 'BMX bike' to that)
Leaving you with a back flip flair. (i'm a knitter what do I know;) )


For more cool exhibits and action shots, visit Stop That Sound, here.

Fish on (in) board

Sunday, Technopolis, Gazi - Athens, the 7ply Project.
Board turned aquarium, complete with goldfish and water purifier.
Artist: SET.
Goldfish was camera-shy.


(Lopi was there too, on a different day, enjoying every minute here and here)

'Endyesthai'

'Endyesthai' - greek for 'to dress' - is an exhibition by the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation currently hosted at Benaki Museum, Athens (Pireos str. branch). I told you it was coming up back in October, but now you can actually visit it as its doors will stay open until May 23rd.

A presentation of this nature and variety takes place for the first time in Greece, with exhibits ranging to clothes from the 18th century till the 21st. Not only do they reflect the evolution of what we wear throught the centuries but also stresses out the need for the establishment of a Dress Cultural Museum. And yes, how we choose to dress reflects our culture in many ways.

Excellent touch, the guided tours performed by reknown designers, ready to take you though all exhibited forms of wearable and... not wearable exhibits which were created by the need to cover our nudity. For the scedule you can check this post by Shopping Therapy.
All images are courtesy of pli.gr

No true fashion lover in this city (country) should miss out.

*You don't need to request invites or a press pass to get in. However nobody promises you celebrity encounters or that your photo will be snapped by a magazine. Let's see how many fashion sweethearts will queue outside this one, here's your chance.

Easy tiger:)

It has recently come to my attention that there are two kinds of blogger souls out there.

BLOGGER SOUL A
1. You start experimenting with your favourite topics and at the same time follow blogs you find interesting.
2. You get inspired by those, you come up with ways to post stuff of interest to you and others, your way.
3. You observe how it all works and soon you start leaving comments to other people, whether to state your support, apply constructive criticism or just to say hello.
4. You are slowly building a network of readers and fellow bloggers who later become your friends. Isn’t it nice to be sharing your thoughts with like-minded people?
5. At some point, a magazine/paper may or may not take notice of you. If they do, great! You get to share what you do with even more people. If they don’t, it’s ok, bloggers link you anyway. You have your own readers and keep focusing on them.

BLOGGER SOUL B
1. You write the most magazine-like topics you can. Sooner or later they’ll notice you. You also follow any blog you come across in hope that they’ll follow back.
2. You rip off other blog layouts and topics, attempt to steal their partners and followers. Only a sucker would start from scratch!
3. You don’t need to observe anything, you know it all. You start leaving hate/intimidation comments to blogs you don’t like, you’ll kick they’re a**, you’re so much better, so much better.
4. You are slowly building a network of nothing, but as long as your followers’ number looks good, it’s all good. You just want to be popular and popular people don’t need friends, just followers right?
5. No magazine/paper gives a fig about you. Clearly they are blind and useless at their jobs. Actually, YOU should be doing their jobs because you are the best. Your cat says so too. And as for those other bloggers they write about, they must be related by blood because they are not half as good as you. You leave more hate comments. There, now you showed them.

Errr...easy tiger:)

FF Thought #9

"Fashion is fun".
"Fashion can be fun".
"There was a time when fashion was fun".
"Fashion is what you make out of it".

(image: back cover of Manina magazine, issue 510, published on March 30th 1982)

Sunday Shoot

In photography, I guess the ideal situation is when you have a concept and then the right objects and space to reflect it come your way. This was the case with Petros Hatzianastasiou's shoot 'CHOICE', inspired by the challenging movie quote "it is easier to put out the light within you than to enlighten the darkness around you".

Dresses: Evangelos Kavathas a/w 10
Hair Stylist: Tzako InBerlin
Make-up: Konstantina Karaouli
Model: Niki Ermi
Location: InBerlin hair salon
Hatzianastasiou explains: "I've been wanting to create a bright image with a dark character. Seeing Kavathas' pure, white dresses in his latest show I felt they were the perfect subject.

Model Niki Ermi was no random choice either. She can do the strict body lines I was looking for and at the same time a disturbed face expression with an almost evil look, directly contrasting with the semiologic innocense of the white dresses.

The basement of InBerlin hair salon has the mininal, industrial character I was looking for, with the steal staircase offering great shots opportunities for my angelic character to rise and fall, adding to the effect of whether she's spreading light or it's darkness closing in on her.

Tzako P. created the perfect hair with Eosforus' spiral horns dark connotations.

The only shot deviating from purity is the one in the burgundy red dress, where Ermi's look becomes fierce, implying that maybe it really is easier to put out the light within you than to enlighten the darkness around you". Behind the scenes preparation shots. Ermi is already practicing some strong, disturbed expressions. That was even before her brand new Prada shoes (featured in the shoot) got injured in action. To everybody's relief, they were later on rescued by a local cobbler who in a way, prevailed the evil's did of the day.

b/stage styling - action clip

An action clip of Celebrity Skin in a different role, that of stylist, dressing actress Penelope Anastasopoulou moments before her guest appearance on stage.

This clip is a good example of what it takes to style someone other than you, within limited time, for a picture-perfect purpose:
a) you have to be organised, have everything ready and know its place. no time to search for that earring or pair of shoes.
b) be ready to go on your knees. it's not yourself you are dressing, it's someone else. you have to do whatever it takes to make sure she's top-to-bottom flawless. be ready for on the spot alterations.
c) be confident, be quick. you have to be hands-on with your subject, no point in being shy. you also have to be quick and precise, you are trying to get her ready not nervous/annoyed.
d) perform overall check. is it all in place? final touch-ups.

Experienced CS make it look like a piece of cake. Truth is, it's hard work.

Concert backstage styling

*blogger was playing tricks on me today, sorry about that.

Ever wondered what being backstage at a concert is like? What's the role of a stylist in that? Well this is what this post is all about.
Last Sunday, Fresh FM 88!6 hosted a secret "Garage Party" for a limited audience, at the especially transformed back end of MediaMarkt's parking area. In charge of styling, two familiar faces, Celebrity Skin.
They felt like having extra company whilst working backstage and there I was with LifeFullofFashion (courtesy of whom the above photo is) to see what they were up to. What am I doing above? Filming this, the concert's styling theme in creators' own words:The dressing corner, styled and themed for extra CS vibe.
Dimitris' Petrou ties and bow ties were among the weapons of choice.
And the CS dress ready for action. Quite a short and toned down number compared to what they've got you used to in their shows. It's stage material this time.
Close-up of shrugs and fabric.
Eleni showing off the shoes, Penelope Anastasopoulou's own.
And the earrings, inversed spades shaped mirrors, big enough to reflect my camera.
Deciding on the theme, setting up your corner and bringing in the tools is one thing. Dressing the artist is quite another. Image above is only a confirmation it was all applied. The process will follow shortly.

Camper's Barcelona Design Centre

This is what part of Camper BDC's S/S 10 project looks like. It's a series called 'Mar BCN' and I think it's worth checking out, both design-wise (from what I see) and comfort-wise (my feet are always happy spending hours in Campers). The fact that it's all the result of the company's collaboration with students, makes it all the more interesting.

"Camper BDC has been created to maintain and grow stronger this relationship between Barcelona and the company in Mallorca. The Center functions as the link with the main colleges in product, fashion and footwear design, looking for possible collaborations with post-graduates, and giving them the opportunity to participate in the Workshops organized by BDC in Son Fortesa". (source)

Deux Hommes a/w 10 show, a taste

Last night, at about 20:30, Greek designer duo Deux Hommes held their show for a/w 10. A packed event as usual, with many loud names of fashion, media and tv on front row.

Location: hotel Grande Bretagne in the heart of Athens.
Inspiration: Heroines of iconic erotic photographers of the '70s.
Materials: Cashmere, silk and velvety fabrics, real fur effect using no real fur, laser-cut leather.

Impression of the current underwear-as-outerwear trend was distinct. A very good show and a strong collection, with colour palette traveling from point nude to black, making stops at chocolate brown and blurry gold.

Still views of what it was like, at the 'fashion show' section of Patricia Munster.

For a more enligtening video, visit the Global Hipster sometime later this afternoon.