The Sartorialist: October 2007

At Dries Van Noten p.2

On the Street....Beijing, China

On the Street....Right Bank, Paris

Lane Crawford Party For Beijing Store Opening - part 2

The fantabulous Sarah Rutson

At Dries Van Noten p.1

The Sartorialist: Behind The Scenes

ABC News followed me around the day I took these photos.

If you want to check out the webcast, click on this link ABC News Webcast

Lane Crawford Party For Beijing Store Opening - part 1

You may recognize one of my favorites on the left - Antonio of Dries Van Noten

Mr. Christian Louboutin

On the Street....Curios Mix, Hong Kong

On the Street....Blue Camo, Beijing

On the Street.....Theatre Lane, Hong Kong

I love how the bag really brings a lot of color to this look.

Sorry I was out of touch for a few days in Beijing. I don't think I have ever gone so long without posting - I was having withdrawal symptoms !

I really like Hong Kong but Beijing rocks!!!

Hong Kong really is just like New York in the feel of the city but Beijing really feels like China.

It was such a challenge to shoot on the street in a city where people not only don't speak English but they don't speak a language anywhere close to my language.

At least in Italy I can say a few words in English or bad italian and the subject basically understands but in China they had no idea what I wanted to do. Most people thought I wanted them to take a picture of me with my camera.

I have never been turned down for taking a photo in my life but I guess I understand the reasons.

Anyway, eventually I got the hang of it and got some really great images in both Hong Kong and Beijing that i will be posting this week. I also look forward to writing a little more to help explain what I was seeing.

Sorry not many (any) men's photos on this trip, the men's style ,in general, really lags behind the women's. That will be my big challenge next time.

I guess it is safe to announce now that I will also start doing a page every month in Vogue China starting January or February.

This came up before I went on this trip. Of course I was excited to do the page but after this visit I am now double, extra excited about being involved with Vogue China.

I will talk more about the team at Lane Crawford later in the week but I want to thank them again for sponsoring this trip and taking such good care of me.

I would like to say I was shocked by just how good the Lane Crawford stores are but ,honestly, wasn't that shocked because I knew they were good but I had no idea they were THAT good, that level of good.

I spent 15 years in sales and marketing dealing with department and specialty stores all around the world before i started this blog. During that time I developed very strong opinions about what makes a great store and what a great shopping experience should feel like. The fact that I don't write about stores very often should tell you that ,more often than not, I am rarely excited by most shopping experiences but this trip to the Lane Crawford at IFC and Beijing was really inspiring.

More than the beautiful stores and great locations, I was really impressed by the edit of the buy for each designer and the depth of strong fashion pieces. No safe, watered-down presentation of Marni or Dries that often happens in stores solely driven by the bottom line and lacking in a clear long range vision.

Ok, I can feel I'm starting to get worked up here and I could write at length about this but I have to catch my plane back to New York. I will continue this thought later in the week.

Thanks Sarah!!

On the Street.....Pacific Place, Hong Kong

A Lesson In How To Wear Tailored Pants, Paris

On the Street.....Subtle & Dramatic Part 2, Hong Kong

Really like the look but I really love her makeup

Young ladies here in hong Kong seem to be doing some really nice work with subtle white makeup

Notice how she has softened her eyebrows and made her lips very flat and matte with just the slightest use of white.

It is one of those things that you can't really put your finger on when she walks by but you can just tell she is doing something interesting.

By the way she is not a stylist or designer - she works in an executive recruitment office.
Going to a "corporate job" with that kind of style is why the young ladies here are pretty cool.

On the Street.....Dynamic Understatement, Central Hong Kong

Very well done

Couple of things
- This is minimalism at its best
narrow color scheme that uses texture and surface detail to deliver a huge impact

- matte sequins for day

- surprisingly sexy and yet not obvious

- love the extra short skirt with the extra long sleeve - great play on proportions

Again, I don't think any of the individual items are very expensive it is all in the way she mixed the elements

On the Street.....Subtle & Dramatic, Hong Kong

I love this girls whole look but I really love her makeup - it is both subtle and dramatic at the same time

Sorry for the delay of these Hong Kong posts.

On the Street.....Print Top, Kowloon

At Stella McCartney

Hong Kong & Beijing This Week!!

I will be in Hong Kong & Beijing this week to attend the opening of the new Lane Crawford store in Beijing.

I have never been to Asia so this will be quite an adventure.

I will try to keep things on a regular schedule but just keep checking back because I have no idea what will happen.

I understand that blogspot might be blocked in Mainland China so I might have to email images to a friend for them to update etc. Either way, I will try very hard to create some images that capture the essence of this trip and what I see.

Thanks to Sarah Rutson (a Sartorialist regular) of Lane Crawford for making this happen.

Stay tuned