15 Minutes More...

So there you were, thinking "Oh no, he disappeared again and he's not updating", weren't you? Just kidding... anyway, October has been so busy, or maybe it's just that time just seems to go faster and faster and it's something one never has enough of? I mean, really, it's like sand slipping through one's fingers, I never seem to have time for anything these days. Maybe it's a side effect of getting older? Because, yes, my dear ones, I celebrated my birthday this month (and since I'm a disaster and didn't do it earlier, I want to thank everyone for remembering and for all the lovely wishes). 44! So, hm, yes, I guess I look not that bad, considering, but still, even if it doesn't show that much on the outside yet, one feels the age on the inside... like this thing of time going faster. Actually everything goes faster... except hangovers, which last for days.

Another thing that happened in October is that I was featured in the Spain edition of GQ magazine, in an article by Mario Suárez, and photographed by Daniel Alea... which actually must not be in the newsstands anymore since I suppose the November issue is out... it's still here on the website if you want to check it out. OK, this is awkward because on one hand I feel sort of proud, but on the other hand it's kind of embarrassing... anyway, another 15 minutes of fame.

The original text is in Spanish, of course, so here goes a quick translation (edited and probably botchy, I'm very bad at translating, I can think in one language or in the other, both is beyond me. Sorry, I'm blonde):

Not everyone can say he walked the Yves Saint Laurent runway as a child. Though in Alejandro van Rooy's case (Vancouver, Canada, 1968) it was logic being Willy van Rooy's son, one of the most famous top models from the 70.

"I have memories from Yves Saint Laurent, but of course, as a child you don't realize, he always had a pair of children at the end of his shows, and I walked dressed as a harlequin. the last time I saw him was in the early 90's", he recalls. But Alejandro's family is interesting on both sides, his father is the Canarian painter Salvador Marón. And like that he was raised among art and fashion, in a hippy atmosphere, with a nomadic childhood in a multitude of countries, until settling down in Madrid 25 years ago, where he has worked as illustrator and fashion designer for brands like Javier Larrainzar, Tintoretto and Cortefiel.

"As a child I wanted to be a painter like my father, but when I was 14 my mother took me to a Saint Laurent Couture show, and when I got home I started filling a sketchbook with drawings of dresses… up to today!". He, who from his blog, The Pilgrim, analyzes the esthetic universe of the man of today, is modest about his mother being a muse for Helmut Newton: "She is my mom, when she came back from a runway show she would give me dinner".

His parents live in Los Angeles and conversations by Skype are necessary to shorten the distance: "Maybe in some ways we are not a typical family, but our everyday is very normal". Alejandro carries his family name with pride: "it's wonderful to see young people who admire my mother, as a model or as a designer". Not everybody can boast of having a mother who has appeared, several times, on the cover of Vogue.

ALEJANDRO VAN ROOY PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE CORTEFIEL OFFICES.

OK, that's it for today, it's like I took my ego for a walk... à la prochaine.

The Pilgrim Reloaded

Another reincarnation or resurrection or whatever... a new design of course (getting more and more minimal each time), but also hopefully a new direction. I've been so lost about this blog it had lost it's meaning for me, there's already so much out there (some of it is great, a lot of it not so much), but then I started thinking about the blogs I like to read (yes, read!) and I realized that what they had in common is that they had a voice of there own. So maybe I have a voice too. Maybe it has to be more personal... not necessarily about me, but about my interests, or people I like, or projects, or just random stuff that might be interesting or funny.

Today, if you don't mind, it will be about me, or rather about who I am and what I want to say with this blog. I'm a grown forty-something man (though I act terribly immature sometimes! Aye). I belong to what I call "the Army of Fashion", that is, I am one of the thousands of professionals who design the cheap or averaged-priced clothes that most of us (including me, and you, I assume) wear. Of course I love fashion, but I prefer style and substance over passing trends. I can't afford a Birkin bag (I wish!). I don't sit at the front rows. I'm not friends with Anna (either Anna), Olivier, Terry or Carine (though I have my own interesting fashion history). I have a load of interests that fulfill me as much or more than the latest fashion buzz, which by the way is often quite inane. I think that's about it for today.

There's one (difficult) decision I need to make. Making this blog bilingual has been one of the reasons for which posting has been difficult for me... not because translating is that much work but because I find it very difficult to write keeping in mind the translation (am I making any sense?). I'll post a poll so you can give me your opinion, and then I'll see what I do...

I hope to see all over of you around here again, you're the only real reason for this.

***

Otra reencarnación o resurrección o lo que sea... un nuevo diseño, claro (cada vez más y más minimal), pero ojalá también una nueva dirección. He estado tan perdido con este blog que había perdido su sentido para mí, ya hay tanto ahí fuera (algunas cosas geniales y muchas que no tanto), pero entonces empecé a pensar en los blogs que me gusta leer (¡sí. leer!) y me di cuenta que lo que tenían en común era que tenían una voz propia. Así que tal vez yo también la tenga. Tal vez tiene que ser más personal... no necesariamente sobre mí, pero sobre mis intereses, o gente que me gusta, o proyectos, o cosas que me parecen interesantes o graciosas, sin más.

Hoy, si no os importa va a ser sobre mí, o más bien sobre quién soy y lo que quiero decir con este blog. Soy un hombre adulto de cuarenta y algo (¡aunque terriblemente inmaduro a veces! Ay). Pertenezco a lo que llamo "el Ejército de la Moda", es decir, soy uno de los miles de profesionales que diseñan la ropa barata o de precio medio que casi todos (incluidos yo, y tú, supongo) llevamos. Por supuesto que amo la moda, pero prefiero el estilo y la sustancia sobre las tendencias pasajeras. No me puedo comprar un Birkin (¡ya quisiera!). No me invitan a los front row. No soy amigo de Anna (cualquiera de las Anna), Olivier, Terry o Carine (aunque tengo mi propia e interesante historia en moda). Tengo un montón de intereses que me llenan tanto o más que el último cotilleo de moda, que suele ser bastante insulso. Creo que por hoy esto es todo.

Tengo que tomar una difícil decisión. Hacer que este blog sea bilingüe ha sido una de las razones que me han dificultado escribirlo... no porque traducir en sí sea tanto trabajo si no porque encuentro muy difícil escribir y tener la traducción en mente (¿tiene algún sentido esto?). Pondré una encuesta para saber vuestra opinión, y ya veré qué hago...

Espero veros a todos por aquí de nuevo, sois la única razón para todo esto.

Not really a post as such (still trying to figure out what having a blog means for me, among other things), but I thought that since I picked up my brushes again after such a long time I might as well show the result... and just to confuse myself a little more I started a tumblr, let's see what happens with that.

No llega a ser un post como tal (aún intento averiguar qué significa para mí tener un blog, entre otras cosas), pero ya que cogí los pinceles después de tanto tiempo pensé que más valía enseñar el resultado... I para confundirme un poco más me abrí un tumblr, ya veremos qué pasa con eso.

It Happened In Paris

Two times a year, in February and September, we travel to Paris for work, mainly to see the "Première Vision" fabric fair and do some shopping. Nothing much new at the fair for Fall/Winter 12/13 (the suppliers are playing it safe in this times of crisis), though there seems to be a return to classic tweeds and plaid patterns. Color wise, chartreuse and dusty mauve with warm earthy colors and a touch of bright vermillion had a certain mid-century feel, following the 40's and 50's trend. 

Anyway, one exciting thing did happen during this trip: we were walking along St. Honoré and as we were looking at the Lanvin shop window there he was, Alber Elbaz in person, supervising and, yes, lending a helping hand. After a first moment of excitement we pulled ourselves together and entered the store calmly, keeping an eye on the window more than looking at the clothes. My friend Flor went up to him to tell him how much she admired him, and as we made our way out he waved good-bye at us. The nicest thing is that this man, who is undoubtedly one of the most important designers of our time, is down-to-earth enough to be involved even in the window display of his store. It takes real genius to be humble.

And in a breach of my "no-street-style" policy I'm posting a picture of Flor, she was too lovely.

***

Dos veces al año, en febrero y septiembre, viajamos a París por trabajo, principalmente a la ferie de tejidos "Première Vision" y para ir de tiendas. Pocas novedades en la feria para Otoño/Invierno 12/13 (los proveedores van sobre seguro en estos tiempos de crisis), aunque parece que hay una vuelta a los tweeds y cuadros clásicos. En cuanto a colores, "chartreuse" y malva con tonos tierra cálidos y un toque de bermellón tenían un aire retro, siguiendo la tendencia de los años 40 y 50. 

Bueno, una cosa emocionante sí sucedió durante este viaje: íbamos andando por St. Honoré y al mirar el escaparate de Lanvin allí estaba, Alber Elbaz en persona, supervisando y, sí, echando una mano. Tras un primer momento de excitación nos calmamos y entramos en la tienda tranquilamente, mirando de reojo el escaparate en vez de mirar la ropa. Mi amiga Flor se acercó a él para decirle cuanto le admiraba, y cuando salíamos él se despidió con la mano. Lo que me encanta es que esta hombre, que es sin duda alguna uno de los más importantes diseñadores de nuestra época, es lo bastante sencillo como para involucrarse hasta en el escaparate de su tienda. Hay que ser un genio para ser humilde.

Y rompiendo con mi política de "no-street-style" posteo una foto de Flor, estaba demasiado adorable.

Flor à Paris

Alvarno SS12

I've been impatient to write about it since I attended Alvarno's show Thursday evening, but I've been busy with a project I'm working on, that's another story I'll tell you about later. This show was the one (if not the only) event I was looking forward to in "Madrid Fashion Week". If I had a craving for glamour and luxury it is satisfied.

One of the definitions of this collection was "the Spirit of Paris and the Light of Madrid". Spirit and Light, seduction and elegance, purity and luxury, dream and reality, magnetic poles that attract themselves in the beautiful designs of Arnaud and Álvaro, two designers with a brilliant career in fashion and that have created their own path together, shooting like a star in Madrid's (let's admit it) dull fashion panorama, but with their feet well on the ground.

The collections subtle and neutral colors -black, ivory, a very light soft taupe- highlighted the masterly draping and cut, the luxurious crêpe-de-chine and peau d'ange, keeping away from obvious references and focussing on an array of breathtaking cocktail and evening dresses. There was just the right touch of eccentricity in the accessories and details, made of a extremely fine metallic and glass bead crochet, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, shoulder pads (somewhat reminiscent of Balenciaga's "torero" jackets), even a transparent short dress made entirely using this technique, in soft peach and yellow, that achieved what seems almost impossible, to be at the same time absolutely sexy and elegant at the same time.

Gratis Total has a great post with all these details at Trendencias, and don't miss Alvarno's official website for more information.

***

Estaba impaciente por escribir sobre esto desde que vi el desfile de Alvarno el jueves por la tarde, pero estoy ocupado con un proyecto en el que estoy metido, esa es otra historia que ya os contaré. Este desfile era uno de (si no el único) los eventos que más ilusión me hacía de la  "Madrid Fashion Week". Si tenía algún antojo de glamour y lujo ya está satisfecho.

Una de las definiciones de esta colección era "el Espíritu de París y la Luz de Madrid". Espíritu y Luz, seducción y elegancia, pureza y lujo, sueño y realidad, polos magnéticos que se atraen en los bellos diseños de Arnaud y Álvaro, dos diseñadores con una brillante carrera en moda que han creado su propio camino juntos, despuntando como una estrella en el (admitámoslo) aburrido panorama de la moda en Madrid, pero con los pies bien en el tierra.

Los colores sutiles y neutros de la colección -negro, marfil, un suave topo claro- resaltaban la maestría de los drapeados y los cortes, los lujosos crêpe-de-chine y peau d'ange, alejándose de referencias demasiado obvias y centrándose en una serie de arrebatadores vestidos de cocktail y noche. El toque justo de excentricidad lo aportaban los accesorios y los detalles, realizados en un fino crochet de hilo metálico y cuentas de cristal, pulseras, collares, broches, hombreras (con alguna reminiscencia de las toreras de Balenciaga), hasta un transparente vestido corto hecho enteramente en esta técnica, en suaves colores melocotón y amarillo, que conseguía lo que parece imposible, ser al mismo tiempo absolutamente sexy y elegante.

Gratis Total tiene un post genial con todos los detalles en Trendencias, y no os perdáis la web oficial de Alvarno para más información.