a la recherche du temps perdu

it was very rewarding being in madrid. firstly it was my first being there on my own. then meeting my pal rubi in person. we talked non stop and shared wine and good food. anything said about the internet is an understatement.

i also went to chinchon, a very pretty town about an hour from madrid. more of that along with photos in a post this week.

more highlights. the incredibly delish macarons from la mallorca(too bad page only in spanish) nice weather, great tapas anywhere.

AND the saint laurent exhibit!!! not only the dresses, but also the textile samples. death by beauty.  

just  not too long ago, there was a time when fashion still had a solid intellectual and educated basis. art, literature, movies and colors from mature among others had an influence  in his designs, therefore  you can read his references in the clothes. yet he was aware he was creating clothes for women not selling all this hype about being an artist(which he was) and creating art (which he did). and just like you can take a mini course in composition by looking at a francis bacon painting, you can understand the concept of proportion clearly by carefully  looking at his clothes.  

it is no wonder he decided to retire, the  world where he created had ceased to exist and everything and everybody were embracing crassness. i doubts those minute paillettes used in the lavishly embroidered jackets are still manufactured. not to  talk about  the hands that embroidered them. 

of note to stitchers : the way paillettes, beads and ribbons were used to create shading and depth. 

http://www.mapfre.com/fundacion/img/cultura/expos/395x287-YSL.jpg

the photo above is a specific example of the stitching  techniques above mentioned. it is also an example of the cultural references he used,  in this case a van gogh  painting.

there was small room floor to ceiling covered in din-a 4 papers with fabric swatches, which  also included textures, displayed by color harmonies. some of those fabrics have had my head reeling for quite some time. on another much larger room there was a display of his drawings for the collections with  more fabric samples attached.

this is  a question for weavers is it possible to weave velvet  crepe,velvet matelasee and brocade crepes???

quoting  roy batty: i have seen things you people would not believe.......

neki desu