2 October 2013

I didn't know exactly what Thierry Mugler thought when he saw Azzedine Alaïa's creativity that he encouraged and supported him to show his collection in 1979, or Isabella Blow felt when she discovered Alexander McQueen. But what I imagine, when you see someone so incredibly talented (watch out: not many people can understand them. Some neglect them), you can't elude yourself from doing anything you can do to make this fashion rare species to blossom.

And Corrie Nielsen is, in my opinion, the one who's perfectly able to quench my thirst of fashion. The real fashion.

Photo: Courtesy

Inspired by Chinese '50s-themed movies such as 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' and 'House of Flying Dagger', the heroic spirit and the essence of traditional fashion embodied in an overawe techniques could be seen through this spring/summer 2014 collection. Her ability to create three dimensional sculptural silhouette (her sculptor father is responsible for that), by using cotton, fine merino wool, silk chffon, in all romantic but mysterious colours imaginable; off white, sea foam green, taupe, lime green, luxurious-looking champagne, and oldest colour of black, all were so well executed with embellishment of silk organdie, exquisite bead work, and romantic lace. Traditional mandarin collar blended congenially with the infamous Parisian resplendence fashion. The cocoon shape reminds me of the early collection of Balenciaga in the 30s. What Corrie created was something more than a mere clothes. It ignites the excitement, it's seducing, it's intriguing. Her skilful garment manipulation is so striking that what you see in front is different from what you get on the back. This particular idea of portraying women, which what you see as the first impression is sometimes different from what you get when you know them better, reflects to what's happening in fashion.

What fashion does to women is frequently misunderstood. The so-called exaggeration is actually aimed to show a simple desire to self-flatter. They cover to reveal, they rise to be down to earth.  In those movies, where women's right to pursue what they believed in-- love, affection, passion, was deprive, which then in the contrary it gave them the strength even more to to raise their claws.

At first, when I heard about her showing her creation in London, I couldn't help but compare her to John Galliano (who chose Corrie to win the Fashion Fringe in 2010), when he was dismissed by his own British fellow then unintentionally (or maybe he did it on purpose?) proved to them that he got his gig in Paris, and I couldn't be happier when she chose Paris to show her impeccable celebration of fashion.

Paris is her righteous place.

Signorfandi, now you know why I don't go to other cities for fashion..