I rarely have a designer crush. It is mostly about liking this dress, that pair of shoes, that material, the philosophy behind it, the luxury of the feel or just the fun idea. However, I am completely in awe with the fashion designer, Stella Jean. She was born in Rome and resides there with her 2 children. She started her adventure in fashion as a model. Quickly, did she realize that what she really wanted was to be a creator rather than just a presenter, even though she did not have a formal fashion education?
To be a designer in a contemporary, ever changing fashion world it is no longer enough to just design beautiful clothes, you need to prove that you understand the world you live in and its never satisfied need for continuous changes and social awareness. Being half-Haitian, half-Italian, Stella Jean deeply respects her heritage, and she collaborates with the local artisans through the United Nation's International Trade Center's Ethical Fashion Initiative. In her interview for Something About Magazine, she said that: "It is about an accountable business which is environmentally sound, promoting sustainable economic development and opportunities in countries that do not need our charity." For that reason, for me, she definitely stands out of the crowd of the super colorful but often vain fashion world.
Her big breakthrough moment came in 2013 when Giorgio Armani asked her to showcase her collection during Milan fashion week. Her clothes were featured at "Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014" exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (See my
post if you want to find out more about that). Among her celebrity fans are Rihanna and Beyonce. The Guardian magazine described her style as Rossana Ilincic meets Frida Kahlo, which I think is really accurate.
Her FW15 collection takes my breath away. The silhouettes are so lady-like, with Scarlett O'Hara-like legendary wasp waists, elegant wool, tweed, herringbone, playful pom-poms, beautifully embroidered full skirts, lavish embellishments in the least predictable places (like classic trench with beautiful chinoiserie motives), heavy wool skirts with super bright jackets, patterned dresses paired with manly striped shirts. Stella Jean does not have to be provocative or dramatic as a designer to prove that her fashion sense is modern. She travels through traditions, cultural differences, sense of beauty, restores traditional techniques and the end result is only admirable.
Do you have any designers' crushes now? Let me know, I always love to learn and explore.
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