Chloe Moretz by Aitken Jolly, Wonderland

Wow… It’s been way too long since I took the time to discover a new magazine (too much work at the office, too cold outside to go to look for one, with the winter-clock the days are too short to do anything anyway… But these are only lame excuses).

Finaly, it was worth the wait. The latest addition to my library (or my huge pile of magazines) is Wonderland, a title that promises a lot and delivers just as much.

First of all, Wonderland’s inner division is very comfortable for the reader – the commercial ads are only in the very beginning. After them, it’s a big party for the eyes and the mind with numerous fashion spreads and finely arranged interviews (last issue’s covergirl is Chloe Moretz, the very talanted and intriguing 13 year-old actress form Kick-Ass).

Online, It seem that Wonderland is trying to stay somewhat of a mystery. On their web site you won’t find an “about” rubric, neither on their Facebook fan page… What I could find out is that’s a London based publication, founded in 2005 by Huw Gwyther (Publisher and Editor-in-chief).

Speaking of which, the only thing really missing from this magazine is the editor’s note, but I found a piece of interview that could maybe do the trick :

Huw Gwyther: ”I felt there was a gap in the market for a magazine covering all areas of contemporary culture and style – everything I’m interested in basically – but with a fun, tongue-in-cheek tone that never takes itself too seriously. It’s my ideal magazine… I want Wonderland to have something for everyone, and to reach as many people as possible. Above all Wonderland should be inspirational – not dry, or too serious – but constantly surprising, informative and always visually stimulating”.

Nicely said Mr Gwyther, but… In fact….  Please note that nothing beats a good old-fashioned Editor’s Note.

Living and working in Tel Aviv, Kobi Levi juggles a  footwear collection for men (Design Kitchen), a second line for women (Shoola) and a teaching job in “the Guild” – shoe design and production school.

When he does get a minute to rest, Kobi enjoys working some more, creating artistic footwear and publishing it in his blog.

“I always loved shoes and saw in them an interesting sculptural object. As a piece by itself and attached to legs or the body”, Kobi explains his unusual approach to shoes. ”I wanted to create a styling language of my own and show a humoristic way to look at shoes design. Also, the technical aspect of building these 3 dimensions forms gives me an opportunity to execute my creative fantasies with no compromises…”. Unleashed, Kobi’s fantasies do go a long way. Examples:

Some of your work can be interpreted as a certain critique on society, about women. Is there a hidden message behind your designs?

“In every work there’s a message and multiple layers…. Some will interpret “Blow” as turning the woman into a sexual object, but you can also look at it as a grotesque product that dishonors the user, not women. One way or another, it’s about society”.

Is there a demand to commercialize the “Crazy Shoes”? Are you planning on doing so?

“A lot. Many people are asking to buy or order these designs. Right now, I’m looking into making  limited editions. These are very complicated pieces so I don’t know really when it could be done. But in any case, I won’t give up the essence of the design just to increase production. The two will have to go hand in hand”.

By the way…  This is how Kobi’s “Normal” designs look like:

It was raining cats and dogs today in Paris, but Mr Issues and our good friend Mr J decided to drag me all the way across town to buy some art supplies (???). We got out of the metro in Place de la République, and found our selves in the middle of this:

As it turns out, the French people are willing to fight their government’s retirement reform even under heavy rain.

The art store wasn’t far away, but between the umbrellas, the flags, the megaphones and the policemen, we only got there after 20 long minutes, with wet socks and short tempers.
30 minutes later, we were all done in the store and back in the street. The demonstrators, on the other hand, didn’t go very far. In an attempt to avoid that red sea of people, we turned right at the first corner. And that’s how we discovered a new address with an electrical ambiance.

Losing Today is a young boutique (about 10 weeks old, according to the salesman), who offers unique vintage and new pieces in an exciting price range. It looks kind of small in the begining, but the hunt continues in the basement. For example: Coat – 70 euros, riding boots – 50, blouse – 19, wool pencil skirt – 29, jacket – 45, hand bags – 19-29, sweaters – 29-49, T-shirts – 25.

It certainly worth a visit. Maybe not on a demonstration day though…

LOSING TODAY
14 Rue de Bretagne
75003 Paris

Alber Elbaz pour H&M

Let me paint you a picture. It is  the morning of November 23rd. D-day – the collaboration between Lanvin and H&M is finaly out to the stores. In front of an H&M somewhere in the world dozens of hysterical clients, mostly girls, are gathered, fighting to be as close as possible to the entrance. Then the clock rings 9 AM  – the opening of the doors. Within seconds the shelves are empty of content, clothes are being thrown around every where, girls are screaming, fighting over a dress or a coat (oh, that Zebra coat…)…. Pfff… It’s only clothes, right ?

Now let me paint you a different picture. It’s the begining of the afternoon of a different day. A woman enters a luxurious boutique, let’s say Lanvin or Chanel on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. “Bonjour”, says the seller, “Bonjour”, she replies. She looks around slowly, goes back and forth, tries on a pair of shoes or a dress or a coat. Finaly, she goes to the cash register, pays 1,500 euros for a bag or a jacket and walks away. Hmmm…

These last few days I saw many people declaring online that they are not one of those “fashion victims”. They will never fight for a dress in H&M with the mob. Yet, those same people, with their same average salary, could go in a high fashion house and buy (in payments) something they can’t afford. The question is “which of these two girls is more of a victim (I hate that word)”?