Monday, July 21, 2014

Yves Saint Laurent on screen



The Film Forum has seen fit to extend the  movie about Yves Saint Laurent probably because so many of us didn't get around to seeing it.  And thank God!  Filmed in a luxurious state of mind, about a luxurious young man who became a luxury brand, Yves Saint Laurent comes onto the screen as a visual delight.  And. Then. Some. Tracking early YSL through the days of becoming the newly appointed big boss at Christian Dior after the Maestro dies, to the almost end, this film warrants being seen again, and then again.  Take it from several points of view: the visuals, the sets, the actors, the direction, and, of course, the costumes.  Although they are not really costumes per se, but the entitled inspirational collections of a young man's vision, the clothing offers time and again fresh insights behind the scenes of a designer's life.  Not in a tawdry sense, but depicted in a matter of fact life -in -the -trenches way.  Drugs, sex, backstory, ego.  All of the above do not over ride the reality of this film: Yves Saint Laurent was a genius.  And for those in the fashion world, the fact that the quirks come with that title is a given.  Perhaps to the newest fans of fashion out there, the hedonistic and indulgent world of the 1970's and 1980's is news.  To those who lived the time, the mindset, and the mood, it's a flashback . The lush quality of M. Saint Laurent's thinking process is embellished by placing us within their homes, not just within the confines of the atelier.  Pierre Berge, the keeper of the flame (and the other driving character depicted so ably in the film) gave his consultation and stamp of approval, as well as allowing many of the archived original haute couture pieces from the Maison  to be featured in the film  .  Given the white glove treatment, to be sure,  it is said that the garments were cast first,  followed by the models who filled in the dresses.  An uncanny, but logical way of casting some of the iconic models of the era.
The delicate phraseology of the young Saint Laurent is part of his persona.  He seemed to look at everything in a telescoped fashion, focused, with subtitles.  His business life was managed by Pierre Berge, but those who loved him could not control the uncontrollable.  One of the fascinating feats that this film accomplishes underlines the gentle soul that was Yves Saint Laurent.  In spite of the whirlwind of fashion , fame and backstory that surrounds a supremely successful man such as himself, his ability to hone in on a point of design is evident.  From the first shot of the young man slicing into a bolt of silk and draping it under the watchful gaze of Christian Dior himself, to the luxe collections he produces one after another, the director frames this ability with brilliance.  In those moments of calm, found throughout the film here and there, we can commune with the mind of YSL, and pause for one slice of time, before plunging back into the fray.
Color and personae is what this film is all about.  If you're a designer, you'll know this world.  If you're a design student, see it now.  If you're a design teacher, see it to learn more about methodology, atelier activity and results.  And for the rest of the world: take it all with a grain of salt, or a teaspoon of sugar. Films of this ilk are much loved in the world of fashion, and will long serve as standard bearers for the rarified world of haute couture .

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Welcome Aboard



We have a new website with wonderful pictures of our hats taken by brilliant photographers with whom we have been working for eons.  Please come and visit, send us your input, as we tweak,  update and upgrade the new site so that it works to your advantage.  More in tune than ever with the hat-wearing public, Ellen Christine provides unique design, local confection, and unlimited imagination to her public and her product.
The first set of pictures  you see on the new website were taken for a local magazine to be distributed in Hudson Square, where we are located.  We loved David Carlo's shots so much, they're our new portraits.
We'll include news that will change on a regular basis so you can see all of our exciting projects.  Uploaded at the moment is the exclusive headpiece we designed for Va Bien Lingerie, a French/NY/Puerto Rican company that is using the shot of our headpiece with their new collection in their Fall campaign.  If you wish to inquire about owning one of these headpieces, ask Va Bien directly for information about them.
You'll see the lovely Sophie Pera, stylist at Town and Country, in a unique take on retail.  This video is by Cinematique, and it lits you shop while you watch.  Go to the company website for more information, but do watch our video with Sophie in our showroom.  We love it, too.
Our collections will expand as our photoshoots progress and we edit the pictures.  We've included our favorite campaign, and our shoot by Sandy Ramirez "The Metropolitan Opera Collection" because it's so very beautiful.  The shot was inspired by a famous photographer from the 1940's, and we loved doing it. there are beautiful gallery shots taken in some of the collections by our dear Tom Bloom.  some of you may know him as a star of stage and screen, but did yo know that he is one of the premier portrait photographers in NYC? He's taken some glorious shots of pieces that merit hanging as art.
Our Press Kit is highlighted on the home page, and further developed on the Press page.  Feel free to inquire about any of the hats or headpieces you see on those pages. Although they are not in stock, we are happy to reproduce our own past archival collections for you.
Pass along the site to your friends, and welcome aboard to the scintilatting hat world of Ellen Christine Couture.

www.ellenchristinecouture.com
Information about the special order headpiece can be addressed to: atelier@vabienlingerie.com