Last Updated on January 31, 2012
I'm completely and utterly stoked about the bright and bold colors trend for spring and summer 2011 going mainstream because I love it when city streets are infused with colors.
When I was in Zara stores in Milan and Paris during fashion week, checking how they'd styled the mannequins, I saw looks consisting solely of bright pieces for the first time ever (I was born too late to have witnessed the events of the 1980s and geniously revolting aerobic outfits firsthand). Grass-green pants, fuchsia shirt, ultramarine blue blazer.
I never imagined an insane ensemble like this could look so awesome.
I paused in deep thought amidst ardent shoppers rushing from one end of the store to the fitting rooms and back (at Zara there's always that one more thing you have to try on): "This is a revolution!"
Paris didn't quite catch up on the trend, but Milan streets were full of Prada, full of Jil Sander. It was as if someone had declared a "Dress like Anna Dello Russo" week and the participants cultivated the most colorful eccentricity. They looked like Zara mannequins, only a bajillion times more expensive.
(Of course, as you can see in my report from the Emporio Armani F/W 11/12 show, Anna Dello Russo was the uncrowned queen of bright and bold fashion week outfits. Someone really should give her that crown though. Why else do you think she's wearing fruits on her head if not to compensate?)
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Imagine my disappointment when days later I went to Zara in Ljubljana and discovered it's having only a fraction of Milan's exploding colors party? The mannequins are shyly clad in one, maximum two bright pieces at once. The rest of the look is neutrals.
It's nothing compared to the vibrant, brilliantly bold clothes that had me so excited in Milan and Paris, so excited I'm still thinking about them two weeks later.
The looks also entirely lack energy, as if there isn't a single person in this city who could wake up one morning fashion-starved and scream at the top of her lungs, "I want to be Anna Dello Russo today!"
Anna Dello Russo would probably cry at the sight of it. Remembering Milan, I almost did too.
It was then that I realized I'm sick of Ljubljana having the reputation of not being really fashion-forward when this impression is often a result of what someone else has selected for us.
I was in Ljubljana's Zara 2 days ago and oh dear lord, it looked sad. :( Had to get out fast!
It's strange because Zara is basically my favorite store. I don't think the domestic selection is so bad. They just completely changed the concept in this case. :(
Meni se zdi Zara v centru (kakor sem na hitro videl ženski oddelek) nekoliko Prada like na TRF. Sicer so pa polni karamelne barve. Which I like. :)
I appreciated your comment on another site about the Day of Silence for Japan. Here's something I'm leaving a little bit everywhere - hope it can help in a different way!
I think everyone’s heart is in the right place with this. I’d like to ask bloggers who are not posting however, (and blog readers!) to use their time contacting Representatives and the Japanese government in order to urge the Japanese government to permit food and supplies airdrops to Northeast Japan where people are now starving, a week after the earthquake. See a video interview with a Japan scholar on my site: http://mlleparadis.blogspot.com that explains why.
Thanks if you can help!
zara became quite overpriced for their quality to my personal opinion but some say they have general price for good quality? i don't know depends on people's own experience i guess
loved coming at your blog :)
http://pinklemonincrystal.blogspot.com
I love the line Zara Woman. It's more expensive, but the clothes are often really special and definitely worth it. That being said, the regular line often sells pieces for €70 or €80, which I think is definitely too much.
Na Obali so se sicer potrudili in naredili eno candy izložbo ampak seveda brez stajlinga oz. posrečenih kombinacij, ker če tri lutke oblečeš v tri različne (sicer močne) barve to še ni to. Se pa trenda v trgovini ne zazna.
Sploh pa k nam prihajajo kosi, z zamudo ali pa sploh ne (če primerjam z Ljubljano). Bo potrebno malce povohljat po Trstu.
Looking like Anna Dello Russo can ONLY be a good thing :)
Hello from Cape Town!
Your post struck a tender fear in my fashion starved heart because, well, we're getting our first Zara here in SA soon-soon (albeit in Johannesburg).
We're all flustered about it, but I'm afraid it's gonna suffer the fate of your store. Its the usual case in SA - EVERYTHING is selected for you here; buyers and shop owners are petrified of straying from the conservative, commercial formula.
Xx Discovered your blog today. LOVE!