fall winter 09/10

Can you believe it? We are already 10 years into the new millennium.. at least in the fashion designers mind... yeah, I know most of us are still unsure which jacket or coat will be purchased in a couple of weeks and you wonder if you should indeed go for the bright orange version or stick with the more subtle gray or - god forbid - black again!!

Well, that I will leave entirely up to you, but if you have to get a tip: go with the orange.

So, as this blog is about the life and work of a fashion designer, I am going to explain why and how we are already 10 years into the millennium.

First, we need to plan ahead because we need time to come up with, sample, sell, show, produce and deliver a collection in time, and that process takes exactly 1 year.

Right now we are figuring out what the mood will be... it's like the stock market, really, you bet on a look, a feel, a silhouette, a color.. if you choose the wrong one, you can loose big money.

So you got to be careful, a bit, not too much, because you don't want to seam watered down and you still need to make a mark and be ahead and stand apart of your competition, so this is not always easy, especially if you do this over and over again, every season.

Now, I have mentioned before that these may be the times of the end of trends and indeed it's hard to pin down anything, as really everything goes and you must go with your guts!

Trend agencies are also consulted, listen to the laguage and what they are talking about:

Relying on knowledge and adopting stimulating trajectories. Sparking unusual reactions and bouncing back with creative mechanisms, to project oneself into a radiant future. Exploiting interdependent chain sequences, playing with identifying visual markers and wittily distorting them. Moving forward in time and imagining sensitive and concrete answers to create new linkings and new silhouettes.

Although vage, it sounds nice. I like to let myself put into the mood. And there is more philosophy:

Connecting sense to reason, approach to intuition, and joining in a pertinent forward thinking attitude. Openly considering the most daring initiatives, and relying on a thoughtful examination to make considered choices, and lasting commitments. Ambitiously anticipating, to project oneself into a positive outlook and invent a better world.

Gotta love that! I think anyone could use this as a inspiration for any day ahead...and here a bit more specific:

Studying a pure and generous design. Connecting roundness and angularness, precision and suppleness in patterns, fabrics and clothing. Developing volumes through fabrics with the easy-to-handle solidity, of massive and softened cottons, the flexible thickness, of stretch double faces and dense milanos, the consistent suppleness of silks and mouldable broadcloths. Moving away from rigidity and rounding out the angles, softening the geometry, structuring in arabesques and favouring the curvilinear with moving fabrics, with a woolly lightness and controlled vivacity.

...and even more:

PRINTS neo-camouflage: enlarged or fragmented pixellisations. folklore, two-tones, mini-florals: inked as if overdyed or bleached out. forest-like vegetation: mysterious or nearly surrealistic.


So with all this in mind, you're going to the drawing board and put it down in your own way! That is the initial process, the first touch and thought of a new collection.

my favorite piece of clothing

idil vice shirt with bow tie

During my years of designing clothes, there is one piece that I make the most use out of. It comes back every season: THE BUTTON-DOWN SHIRT. I ask: What better frock can resolve more fashion issues at once than "The Classic Button-Down Type"?

idil vice shirt with embroidery

Most of the time it is made from woven 100% cotton (stay away from polyester and such - unless it's a rare and unbelievable cool vintage), some are even upgraded with the softest weave called Pima.

vintage shirts in fashion

The button-down, button-up or button-front Shirt (The analogous garment to a men's dress shirt for women is a blouse but I like to call mine "shirts", "blouse" sounds a bit "old-lady", and that is NOT what I am aiming for) is the most comfortable piece that also makes you look swell and well dressed in an instant.
You are tired, did not get enough sleep? Just put on a great crisp white and gone are the visible signs of exhaustion!

idil vice in one of her favorite shirts

idil vice bow tie shirt with "Oh!" embroidery



a cool wide version by luise markey as seen on style bubble

A shirt also looks great under almost everything... a T-shirt, a v-neck sweater, a crew-neck sweater, a sports coat, a blazer, etc. and it looks great with almost ANYTHING: Jeans, slacks, skirts, shorts... you name it!

girls who like their own styles


idil vice wearing her shirt underneath her waxed denim top

I personally go nuts for great button downs and do hoard them (some of my favorite basic shirts, besides my very own, are from agnes b). There is nothing wrong with a everyday white button-down shirt, I use them on regular days and wear them for work (and I am NOT a banker).

Below are a few variations of shirts which are sure to give you a lift!

idil vice mickey mouse cotton s/s shirt & idil vice pima bow tie shirt

two idil vice "Mother Teresa" style panel shirts with variations


idil vice powell perlta bones skateboard outfit feat. a white shirt
idil vice patchwork shirt w/ James Dean and Marilyn Monroe

two idil vice police/military inspired versions of shirts

a idil vice shirt which is a cross between a simple T-shirt and a shirt with giant puff sleeves,

it's a 2-piece set which comes with a zipped s/s jacket

idil vice Monroe tribute button down pima shirt with separate pink satin tie

a button-down detail by baron baronne as seen on style bubble

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed the shirt tribute edition! I am working on a lot of new styles at the moment, some black one's, which are very exiting and some more with bow ties and regular ties, etc. So I will keep posting them as pictures become available...