NAME CHECK

ahhhh...thanks so much for my partner in crime...the Penfold to my Dangermouse [that WILL mean something to a certain generation of readers!] for the shout out on an article about her on the fresh-looking blog from Maurice, called AJANAKU.

So go there & read a little article from Anouk Swart about her inspiration for photography...here's a teaser....& my particular favourite photo of two 14 year olds shopping & taking pictures of each other in Selfridges in Manchester that she took last week.

"A minority of goths organizing themselves throughout the country on Dutch social media site Hyves. Clicks of Parisian fashion school students setting daily dress themes to spark fantasy. A band of three swerving the streets of Manchester heading for their destination. Swedish raggare polishing their first owned cars to gather at the town’s square to share the love."

Lovely Penfold, lovely!

FIGHTING THE CLONES

Thanks thanks thanks to H___ [she shall remain anonymous!], who came all the way from Stockport to give us a 5 hour glimpse into youth fashion culture in Manchester!

On a miserable afternoon, with the steady drizzle of Manc rain creating a misty backdrop, we met H___, our American Apparel jump-suited, denim jacket-clad guide [We felt so guilty cos she was constantly shivering!], in front of Debenhams.

She took us to the Affleck's 'emporium of eclecticism'... [yeah--It's like Camden Market--in ONE building--amazing!] & told us about Manchester's; Scene kids, Dead Cools, Scallys, Ch-Indies [Chavvy-Indies for those that need a definition], Tarty Girls & it's Clones; just a few of the colourful & descriptive terms of some of the 'tribes' scouring the streets & stores, are labeled.

To be fair to H___ she didn't want to label people....it's just some phrases she used, & they were just so damned funny & vivid, so I just had to write them down. However the most striking thing she said, spoke to a natural & somewhat necessary trend of label-shedding. "No one wants to be Indie anymore...It's like an insult to be called Indie", was a comment that had much more resonance; once I processed it, after she left us, & this is what I thought.

The acceleration, adoption of trends by the high-street; Top Shop & River Island steal with pride from the catwalk--Nu-Look & Primark [should] steal [with shame] from them. Brands & marketers used to talk about cascading, but now that's transformed into a full blown avalanche! The high-street, hijacking & the subsequent ubiquity of fashion-styles, have meant some [the above-mentioned stores!] have been cashing-in on the trends. Worse still is that some, or MOST consumers, just do not think for themselves. They just buy into 'exactly what it says on the tin', or more aptly--just buy what the shop mannequin has to offer, whilst still having the audacity to claim they are trying to be individual.

Real leaders--'The Dead Cools' [at least in Manchester--the original Indies maybe?] know what's going on & have moved on, shedding the aforesaid Indie label, to stay different & unique [though I HAVE just labeled them again, sorry!]...so this post is a nod of thanks to all of those people we've met on our first day in Manchester, who respect & don't judge the Sceners, but instead celebrate their distinctiveness, with a confident swagger, a defiant shade of lipstick & an assured flick of hair.

To brands that want to become leaders, look at who you want & SHOULD follow. If you just follow transitionals & ignore the agitators, you'll have nowhere to go, because by the time you look up off your spreadsheets & realise your error, you've probably lost the 'Dead Cools' for good.

Thanks to Nouks_art for the pictures....you'll find a bigger selection of who we met on her Flickr site--hit the link!

Big thanks to the Ruby Pseudo crew for the H___ hook up!

YOUTH VENTURES

Happy new year to you all!
I've just got back from quite an intense week in Boston, scanning, searching, debating, conceptualising. there's nothing like a business trip, with no distractions, to focus the mind on the problem at hand...[Though I did go to Sleep No More Again! for new readers see previous posts]

But I DID forget to post something about a conversation I had a few weeks ago. I was invited by a friend of mine to talk at the Erasmus business school in Rotterdam [apparently one of the top schools in Europe, I'm glad I found that out AFTER I spoke!]. The talk was about being entrepreneurial, but my revelation of sorts, was a train-meeting David from a global organisation called Youth Ventures, which has recently set up a 'franchise' in Amsterdam.

As we sat on the delayed train, after the Erasmus talk, during the first December wave of travel-ruinous snowfall, It was a fortuitous opportunity to learn about young entrepreneurs. Youth Ventures does what I believe country institutions should, but don't do. It facilitates young people's risk-taking spirit, desire for immediate action & wanting to change their & other's communities & environments.

What I got from our conversation was that it finds mentors for young people, to generate business & community ideas that can lead to a sustainable change. [It's a bit like the BBC's Dragon's Den]. Young teens/early 20's are mentored as they work-up a business idea, which they will then eventually present to a panel, who will then determine if they will get some finance to put it into practice.

What I love about it is that it works WITH privileged & so-called drop-out youth, rather than marginalises them. There was one example not particularly/overtly entrepreneurial, but refreshing all the same, that David told me about. Youth Venture would go into troubled schools/housing estates, put a panel together of kids & ask them to tell teachers/directors of the local governments, why there were 'urban problems'...But the format was that the teachers etc, could NOT interrupt the kids. They just had to listen to what they had to say.

What a simple but great idea to get people of influence to listen to REAL kids of influence. They weren't allowed to ignore what was going on, but were forced to confront it, in a controlled way. Now that's not to say that they will act on it, but surely any open-minded institute or company could see the worth of this method?

LONDON TRIP, DEC 2009

I did sort of forget to create this little visual post, but after being so inspired by my new London buddies over the weekend, I thought...'Well, now seems an appropriate time!'

So whilst traversing London, & seeing the huge upsurge in a Satorialist movement obvious from 'new' men's fashion stores & labels such as PRESENT, NUMBER 6, GARB STORE, ALBAM, THE THREE THREADS, London's all about men's mature, aristocratic-esque fashion right now. For once the ladies are following in it's wake.

Still, saw some great looks whilst there....Thanks to Nouks_art for the dope pictures!!

Corrections!

Whoops!..A couple of errors in the last post, lovingly bought to my attention by Ruby Pseudo after a few amaretto-sours, whilst starting a UK temp-expat night at Bitterzoet....with some soul performances of a night promoted by Narik of Full Crate, the highlight being the singer Szjerdene's, promo off [for free!] Collage: The Demo -- Then ending up at Amsterdam's oldest hip-hop bar, The Duivel.

[A thanks for the picture goes out to a photo stream from Lucy Rose, on Flickr. For those of you that don't even know Tipp-Ex, it was a correctional fluid used for typing, and was pretty messy as I recall!]

So...
1] I wasn't thrown out on my ear from my flat for Ruby's kids...I was kindly coaxed! & they've taking care of it too...thanks guys!
2] Curt Kobain = Kurt Cobain -- things got switched around in the old noggin when i was typing.

Thanks Rubes!

Way too Long

Yep....I'm back! After a crazy few weeks that have included tours of duty with sportswear brands [you know who you are!] it's time I get my Blog-On! So over the next few days, you may just get some short & sharp hits, but it's better than what I have been putting out lately....urhm...Nothing!

So here's a little something first. For you fans of unconventional, pioneering fashion, from now until April 11th 2010, Bernhard Willhelm [I had dinner with him once in Paris...lovely chap!] & Jutta Kraus, are having a 10th years working-together anniversary. It's at the brilliant [or so I've heard] museum in Groninger.


Speaking of exhibitions, for those of you into pop-art portraits, go to Maastricht's Bonnefanten Museum to see the 'Live Forever' exhibition of Elizabeth Peyton's work. I saw it with some mates at London's Whitechapel Gallery, & has some cool paintings of pop icons such as Jarvis Cocker [top image], Curt Kobain even the Queen, taken from press images & photographs...Good to see & get inspired. It's on until March 21st 2010.

Gotta get ready to go as I have some of Ruby Pseudo's kids coming to stay at my place...causing me to have to move out!!

"One's Day Shopping!"

I'm LOVING AMStitown right now...getting some time to hang out with some locals, giving me the skinny of what's up & coming....so as the-- good-blogger -- that I am, I feel it my duty to share the love.
Last week, whilst propping up my bike against De Baile's wall, I bumped into Richard Soesanna, one of the organisers of the MAFb [Music & Fashion Battle]...For those regular readers [hoping that there may be one or two] I was on the jury earlier this year & this year's battle was won by Wiam.
As THE winner, Wiam will have the opening fashion show at DOWNTOWN, just before/during Amsterdam Internation Fashion Week [27th-31st Jan] -- sorry but the dates are a little confusing --
Downtown is a lovely little concept in that in collabo with AIFW, it's the only week to have fashion shows open to the general public...that's you & me btw! But this time around, Richard & Marianne from MAFb, have given Downtown an extra filip by adding a concept called the One Day Shop on January 23, 2010, in Imagine IC (Bijlmerplein 1006-1008) in Amsterdam. Giving a nice bit of exposure to upcoming designers & labels like Fresh Cotton, Hanazuki & Blazinbell, you can get your shopping & pin-card on & support local talent!

Speaking of new local talent, Richard told me about this dude, Guillaume Chin, releasing some new luxury kicks...here's a link to his blog Whatpeoplewearthesedays.

Finally, much love & luck to Edson, Gee [From Patta] & Wix, opening a new store in 3 weeks time. You can expect a brilliant mix of style & street, done with a Global Village etiquette.

Lovely!