Catwalk report

Blast from the past

 Vintage styles are everywhere. This years x-mas season is full of past references, it seems like the different designers love to surf the 20^th century for inspiration like it was a huge supermarket of styles. Here’s a who-goes-for-what among the big fashion houses:

Classy 40’ties

Uma Thurman does a Lauren Bacall in the Louis Vuitton ads with her sleek blonde mane, high gloss cheekbones, purple nailpolish and long slim legs encased in sheer nylons. Yves Saint Laurent’s snappy little salt and pepper-suits with short jackets nipped in at the waist over tight pencil skirts looks glamorous over dark stockings and suede platformshoes with sturdy heels.

Mullberry’s purple dress with sweetheart neckline and front buttons carry the air of english wartime glamour. Gianfranco Ferré have designed fabulous cashmere blazers and skirts that are a perfect 1940’ties cut, with the tight skirts trailing well below the knee.

Lovely 50’ties

Ralph Lauren goes french with capsleeve knits teamed with matching berets and fingerless gloves, much like something Leslie Caron could have worn in the 1951-movie “An American in Paris”. Do also check out the new Kate Spade adverts – bold colours, swingskirts, little scarves and cutesy cute handbags. And then there’s Sarah Jessica Parker who in the new adverts for her perfume LOVELY poses in a strapless dress with full baby pink tulle skirt - the pose no mistakingly inspired by the blondest bomshell of them all, Monroe.

Groovy 60’ties

Prada’s blonde bombshells sports patterend shift dresses and little cashmere cardigans with thin leather belts, neat leather wrist gloves, matching croc handbags and gold platform pumps  like classy  Hitchcock-heroine Tippi Hedren. Balenciaga have opted for geometric shapes, strong lines and chunky details – Twiggy-style mini skirts and coats, and formfitting trouser suits, all worn with square toe shoes.

Funky 70’ties

Those more into the funky 70’ties looks as worn by the likes of Jaqueline Bisset, Joan Collins and Raquel Welch can look to Michael Kors. His red maxi coat with jumbo-size lapels are superb worn with shiny leather boots and wide belt. Huge sungalsses and lioness hairdos are a must. Max Mara does tha maxi in alpaca while Lagerfeld’s slimline hipsters and snappy jackets worn with ruffle shirts are rockstar-style like the wild fashions worn by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards anno 1974.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s folklore inspired party dresses are like taken out of the old Hammer House of Horror-movies – there’s ruffles, low cut front tops revealing lots of cleavage adorned with mismatched jewellry and models sporting titian coloured pleated ornate harirdos. Chloé’s and Phoebe Philo’s lacy blouses with ribbons and ruffles reminds us of classic design pieces made famous by London cult shops like Barbera Hulanicki’s Biba and Granny Takes a Trip in the 70’ties

Born in Sweden, educated in Norway, Josefine Wing is currently living and working in London. We first noticed her collection Mint Siren at her graduation show at Esmod College of Fashion in Oslo in May this year and we’ve been hooked since. Her style is certainly beyond fashion, it’s about lifestyle, budoir and being blissfully enslaved by opulent, over the top glam. Here she let’s the readers of European Retro in on her thoughts and fantasies about clothes, about how they feel sexy and make her creative juices run. And watch out – she swears! Enjoy.

The power of couture

 I'm a visionary I guess, like all fucking artists. And like most, my art is fuelled by my sexuality.

by Josefine Wing

It's funny how many great painters admit that their sexuality is well involved in their work, but there is never much talk about it in the world of fashion. One of my teachers at college firmly dismissed my theories on sex and fashion, not sure why really, the link is very obvious to me. That might be why I ended up dedicating myself to this genre of fashion. I don't have to hide or suppress my vision, or compromise at all. People can either embrace it or step out of the way.

I do not make clothing for just anyone to wear. Hell, I don't even make clothing for everyone to look at. I make clothing for women who want to stand out, who want to be sexy, strong and a bit arrogant. Women who like my work know how they want others to look at them. They know how to play innocent or dominating, how to use the fact that they are women. They take the beauty they already possess and refine it with my clothing, garments that shape or simply flaunt their assets.

 Speaking of shaping, I guess I better talk about corsets. They've become an important part of the style I am trying to create. It has been such an important symbol of both female oppression and power over centuries that their undeniable power simply had to be brought into my work. To most women (and men for that matter) who wear corsets, it’s definitely rooted in something other than wanting to be fashionable. It’s usually more of a personal expression or perhaps even just a feeling. Some like the feeling of empowerment, or perhaps the feeling of entrapment, the feeling of posture or maybe just shape. Whatever it is, it’s different to putting a t-shirt on in more ways than one.
Corsets are indeed a work of art, not simply the exterior, but also the shape and the quality. To make the perfect sculpture out of any human, one must pay much attention to shape and detail. Corsetry is an art. I studied this art under the honorable Nils-Christian Ihlén Hanssen, a master in his own right. The corsets I make are all made from scratch. I drape and construct the patterns to find nice shapes and fits. Then I work with the finest of fabrics and trims both outside and inside, to make it sturdy and durable, yet elegant and detailed. If you think of all of this in practice you might realize that it is an expensive process, from start to finish.

I have been forced to keep most of the corsetry as made to measure products because it is simply too expensive to resell them in shops. But a few simple under the bust styles might be available along with the rest of the underwear eventually. Meanwhile I am currently working on a test line for a store in London from which it will be possible to order the made to measure corsets. They are of course also available by contacting me on my web site and setting up an appointment for measurements.

Ok, so the other garments. The underwear, the apparel and accessories will all be available in stores in London at the beginning of 2006 and eventually on the website as well. I can promise high quality fabrics and design. Silk panties, power-stretch cinchers, pearl decorated suspender belts, mini capes, skirts and tops. Lots of frill and over the top glamour with some attitude sprinkled on top.

I take a lot of inspiration from older styles of underwear, basically just because it was made better back then. There was just a bit more class, and perhaps a bit more pizzazz in the underwear fashion 50-70 years ago. So I am trying to use this and blend it with modern styles. There’s lots of inspiration to be found in modern subcultures so I mix that with the retro stuff and that is what creates the Mint Siren look.

I have grand plans of promoting the Mint Siren look. I want to combine the old pin up icons with the new school super models that come to represent the company they model for. To do this I plan to create a stable of girls at Mint Siren who’s faces will become well known through means of modelling for us, in photos and at shows. These girls are being picked out not just for their looks, but also for their personality. The nature of Mint Siren clothing demands piercing personalities that cocky, cheeky, obnoxious, flirty and wild girls can relate to. The selected will be raised to iconic stature on the Mint Siren website www.mintsiren.com you’ll be able to buy posters or postcards with prints of the ‘Mint Sirens’ eventually. All photos will be tasteful and classy, but teasing. Girls have already started to tie themselves to this fabulous group. Who will become a Mint Siren? It will all be announced as we launch the full website at the beginning of 2006 so - hold your breath!

If you like what you see in the pictures, keep any eye out for us. Updates and developments will be posted on the website. I am posting the names of the stores where Mint Siren clothing will be sold in London as soon as possible. Go in and try something on, if not to buy it, just to see how it makes you look and feel. Also to check out the quality that I keep rambling on about, silks, wool and quality power stretch all around. See for yourselves ladies. Remember, it’s not just fashion, it’s a passion.

 Josefine W                                                   

 All photos: Ronnie Klaussen

Fashion Oslo
Photos from a recent shoot at the grand hotel.

want to see More?

Check out the hot new collections at What Katie Did. Katie is our favourite shop in Europe and number one selection among the retro supermodels who pose on her page. The powder pink new corselette (below) is sweet as candy and Katie’s famous bullet bras are just perfect to give you that sultry, perky sweater-girl-look of the 50ties. Lana Turner would have been pleased. Plus point is Katie’s prices are affordable . Rumors has it that the shop soon will stock the pinup-gils favourite cosmetics brand Besamé, as soon as the American brand get their export license to Europe. We can't wait!

French Fashion

Haute Couture truly began in France in the 18^th century with couturier Rose Bertin as Minister For Fashion and continued with Leroy after Napoleon became Emperor in 1804. In those early days famous ladies and royal personages told the couturiers what they wanted in dress designs. Later in the 19^th century Englishman Charles Worth regarded now as the father of modern Haute Couture first put his name on the label of clothes.  In 1858 in Paris he began to produce collections of clothes from his own ideas for clients to see and approve or disapprove.  Worth's approach was considered novel.  His ideas of showing finished couture garments on live models were a huge success with the Empress Eugenie and so designers began to dictate what might be fashionable.  Ten years later Charles Worth and his sons founded an association of couture houses called The Chambre Syndicale De La Confection Et De La Couture Pour Dames Et Fillettes. Its initial purpose was intended to stop couture designs being copied. The organization has progressed and changed its name with the times in an effort to promote French fashion and the French Haute Couture style. According to Chambre Syndicale De La Couture rules today, to classify as a couture house a couturier must produce 50 new and original designs of day and evening wear for each collection. They must show 2 collections a year. They must employ a minimum of at least twenty full-time technical people in at least one atelier or workshop.