reality check

And so here it is, the new Star Trek clothing category shop banner! It's been a long process and as always interesting to see what comes out after all the work. Post conception, make up, hair styling and shoot, pictures are cropped and graphics are added. And suddenly there it is, gracing the shop! It is a great experience for a designer to see their clothing on a real person, far away from the mannequin that it's been fitted on, not to mention the impression of an initial sketch. A picture teaches you a lot about a garment and its fit and purpose and a final photo shoot definitely belongs to the process of fashion making. To see your clothing on models moving over the runway is an equally satisfying and eye opening experience for a designer. One that makes you better in your craft over time. Because you'll start to design with the end picture in mind, you are concerning yourself with the 'big picture" early on. You may even already think about pairing it with other garments and all this preoccupation will undoubtedly lead to a better end result and concept, if you will.

...Jessica Calle wearing the Mr. Spock Peplum Skirt by IdilViceFashionRocks, photo by Carl Posey...

We have to keep in mind that photos communicate. Pictures can sell something for example, but not only that, they can be helpful to a designer in many other ways too. Once a piece of clothing is worn by a model it says a lot more about itself then if it would be on a hanger or laying flat. You can see proportions and fit and the visual even gives you ideas about how to wear a certain piece. So yeah, definitely go ahead and take lots of pictures... my advice is to have a professional photographer take them (you've got plenty of other things to worry about during a shoot), because they have an understanding of light and proportion as well as location and concept, trust me: you do want that taken care of. After all,these photos are also going to serve you as an incredible souvenir from the past.

being a step ahead by taking a step back

For a fashion designer it is already 2011. Yes it can be weird to work on designs to be worn in a year from now. You're always hushed to the next thing before you can really enjoy that moment. As an independent I can control the design schedule a bit more, but let's be honest, you've got to think ahead and sometimes that means to just really be in the now. Because people who do not worry about fashion (they could be your customer), they have to catch up first.



As much as it is shameful to be catching up on an ongoing trend, it can be frustrating to be ahead all the time. And sometimes I just wanna make a piece of clothing for right now! That could mean I've got to take a step back. "What is she talking about? It's confusing!" you may say. So let me show you a situation like this on an example.

I am rediscovering a print from 2 years ago. It feels right to me now.

It just happened yesterday when I was on my usual sneak peek tour through the garment district. Those of you who have been following some of my work, know about the cool Sunglasses photo printed fabric. Well, when I chose it for a dress 2 years ago, there was another print from the same manufacturer, the Sandals photo print. I preferred the Sunglasses one over the Sandals one then and never looked back, but on my stroll yesterday this print looked like now to me, I wanted to make something with it to wear this Summer 2010. And that is what I mean when I say: "Sometimes I have to take a step back to be ahead", which could be what I am feeling right now.

It's intuition I believe. Anyway, now that I have picked the fabric, I've got to get inspired to come up with the type of garment it is going to be and that - you bet - is a whole another story! It may inspire you or you may have a suggestion... please feel free to comment on it :)

it's on - gaultier vs idilvice...

This one's gonna be fun you know it. This should have been posted way sooner but it's been crazy lately. NY Fashion Week was on and with that the best parties in the world! Plus I've been busy designing new clothes and there was no time to write. As of late, I am additionally experiencing the corporate backlash of taking control of the internet. All sorts of companies trying to get a piece of IdilViceFashionRocks and all... I'll be talking about this a bit later. But now, on a slightly lighter note, I finally made it to put this one down. I planned it weeks ago, when I first saw the JPG men's show in Paris. Ironically both JPG and I were featured in the same TV program earlier this year.

I used to intern at Jean Paul Gaultier. Many years ago. I adore this man. Does he adore me? Yes he does. Look, it's a fact that designers cross each others ways frequently, in a mental way. Creatives think alike. And of course we are all inspired by what we see. We are also pressed to come up with smashing ideas at least twice a year, a pace that can be deadly, especially for creatives who usually need time to "listen" to themselves and "marinate" thoughts, before they can take shape. So with this incredible time line chasing us, it is no secret that we can't always be original and if it happens that ideas get translated, transformed and reissued it should not be taken personally. That of course is not always easy to do, as we know that there's usually more to it than just a simple mind cross when established high end designers - which we "intern" with - dish out concepts from independent ones such as myself. But again, it's a fact we've got to live with for the rest of our lives. Check out JPG fashion presentation for Fall 2010. A similar theme originally staged by me in 1997 - almost 13 years ago - in Zürich at Kaufleuten. The name of the show: Vice Troop Body Culture S/S 1997.

So you think you get the real deal all the time? You probably don't. Not always. The interpretation of Jean Paul's "Body Culture" - or "Coutorture" - was of course as always impeccable and so I can't stay critical any longer. One thing though: I look better in the bath robe ;-) what do you think?

IdilVice in her brand new velvetine French terry two-tone colored Troop Vice embroidered cropped and top stitched bathrobe shown in her fashion show presentation in Zurich in 1997, left. And Jean Paul Gaultier in an old lumpy no name bathrobe... not sure where he got it from...at his men's fashion presentation 2010 in Paris.

Well, whatever you might think, stay with me and let's look at some other parts of the shows and compare them, if you will.

Left: JPG men's fashion 2010 hoods with towel around the neck and on the right: IdilVice photo shoot with hoods and towel around the neck in boxing position 1997.

Tough IdilVice Troop Body Culture boys with embroidered belted French terry bathrobe coats and suede leather shorts, in 1997.

...tough JPG boys with coats and boxer shorts, 2010.

Left: IdilVice Body Culture trompe l'oeil printed woman's body suit, 1997 and right: JPG men's trompe l'oeil printed body suit, 2010. I must state here that JPG is one of the pioneers of trompe l'oeil.


Classic black & white elements such as stripes and plaid mixed in with sportswear at IdilVice 1997, left and right: JPG, 2010.


Left: baggy shorts and wrist bands at IdilVice 1997 and right: baggy shorts and wrist bands at JPG in 2010.


From head to toe in sporty white at IdilVice Body Culture 1997.


From head to toe in sporty white at JPG in 2010.


Plus we even both put our men in wrap skirts...


But only IdilVice put her man in a bikini top ;-) .....


... and only IdilVice had piercings in her body suits ;-)

Thanks goodness Jean Paul overlooked some details!

R.I.P. Alexander McQueen

And just like that a life - this time around it happens to be the life of an über talented colleague of mine - is over. His creations have already made fashion history a long time ago.

R.I.P. Alexander Lee McQueen.

jeremy scott and idilvice

Yes, Jeremy is a buddy of mine as well as a very talented colleague (we've even got the same best friend: Cory Kennedy). I adore him and it happens that we frequently have a similar vision. We both favor color and share a love for pop art and prints for once, but there are other similarities, such as the fact that we consistently try to see fashion from a different angle. But how did he gain access to my look books from the past?!

IdilVice Mickey printed cropped blouse, featured in Vogue Italia, 2000, in a photo shoot by Steven Meisel.

Lady Gaga in a Jeremy Scott outfit in 2009.

A Mickey show piece from the IdilVice Spring '98 show in Zürich. Swiss/Turkish Singer Emel coming down the runway wearing a skirt on a roll held by 2 mini Mickey "servants", dressed in the same Mickey print outfits and sporting Mickey ears. The umbrella had Mickey ears!

There you go. You see what I am trying to get at. Not only do we favor the same icons, we do love a concept in addition. Hey Jeremy, I won't hold a grudge, you've been and always will be a hero to me. Unless of course you keep on steeling my ideas, honey, even if they are from the past, tz tz tz...

...I'm hanging out with Cory Kennedy, a friend of both me and Jeremy...

Well, of course I know, you my dear reader, you don't love "bashing posts", - we have barely passed the freedom and peace promoting MLK post - but they will have to keep coming as the battles of the designers are only getting more heated. And I like to get credit where credit is due (thanks to the Internet we now have the opportunity to spotlight steals such as this one). But I promise, I'll keep these things short and move right on along to design my next "copy-worthy" product.

ready to wear

It's always a nice feeling of accomplishment when the last touch is put on a garment. Finished! Ready to wear.


Now of course as long as this jacket is not sold and in my possession you can't keep me from adding something else. I was thinking to add this patch to the front... the order is placed, it just has to get here...



Don't you think it would give it the seal of approval of the hippies ? Of course it already has a hippie vibe without it (the colors, the texture of the woven fabric, the patch working, top stitching, the classic jacket pattern, etc.), but considering that the print depicts Madonna, some may be confused and hesitant to label it hippie.

I was very fortunate to find those sequin lined brass buttons! They really make the coat. Sometimes a garment does not come together until that last crucial detail is added. Read the beginning of how I got inspired to go ahead and make this jacket.

The creative process to get to something great in fashion is a constant tip toeing around in the unknown and uncertain. You've got to become open minded, self conscious and bold, make decisions, know when it's time to stop and when and where to make the cut. You bet, this can all go wrong, but when it's right, then there's that deserved feeling of accomplishment, which is so neat!