愛情如打工

愛情和工作：可能這是一個很悲觀的說法，一個不全面的愛情觀，但有時候愛情拍拖跟打工的確有不少相同之處。

拍拖的時候，會有一刻想過可能有更好嗎？上班的時候，十之八九都會想著可以找一份更好的工作。其實這地球上都一定存在這更好的一個男／女朋友或一份工作，不過大部份人都會（自我安慰的）說一定會有更好的，也可能有更差的，為什麼不安於現狀呢？

If it ain't broke, don't fix it? 縱然有不滿意有些人就是喜歡安於現狀，但有些人就是想闖一闖，試一試。好了，不安分的人終於想要跳槽嗎？要結束一段關係跟跳槽一樣難。愛情跟工作一樣，有誰不想確確實實找到下一步，才放棄現有的。但世事豈可盡如人意，要轉工，如果不先辭掉現在的工作，幾乎沒有時間、心力、動力或氣力（可選多項）去找下一份工。再者，一個半個面試就已經非請假不可，現任公司又怎麼不會洞悉呢？請了假現任就會起疑，知道你離異之心。同樣，現在有另一半的，不先分手想要找下一位極難。除非現任是非常糟糕的（可以直接分手不用考慮），否則也是幾乎沒有時間、心力、動力或氣力（可選多項），再者現任也會起疑心，而且下一人知道你的現有的關係也大有可能知難而退。

所以，新一年，it's time to take a risk sweetheart，否則面對著不滿日復日年復年也停滯不前。

Look of the Season: Great Lengths 一日之長短

Celine Fall 2013

Zara November 2013 Lookbook

Pheobe Philo Celine 2013秋冬系列的確有不少驚喜，至少這個Celine女人經過多季非常有亮點時裝experimentation，終於找到屬於自己的優雅定位。簡潔剪裁，柔和用色，在俗世裡而不世俗，而且更是今季最流行穿搭靈感來源，從Zara十一月的lookbook就知道了。

原來早於1926年就有位經濟學家發表Hemline Index，就是以當時流行的裙擺長度預測股票市場。那以最近流行的及膝裙子長度又代表什麼呢？另外，不論此長度如何時尚如何備受追捧，對於個子不高的女生來說及膝或更長裙子也是頗為尷尬的長度。

自從我開始更認真地喜歡時裝後，就發現時尚和對直男有吸引力是兩碼子的事，直男大概都不懂欣賞女性時尚的多變及幾分難捉摸。所以美國著名時尚博客Man Repeller這個博客名稱也是改得沒錯，有時候太時尚就讓大部份直男彈開三丈遠，而且更會被冠以購物狂這個惡名。Fashion never sleeps? 偶爾不時尚，旺一旺桃花也不為過。

Who can forget the warmth Phoeobe Philo delivered at AW13 Celine? It was clean, stripped down elegance yet cozy and romantic. It was also the origin of the look of this season. Hence, the carbon copy Zara November look book.

As much as the drop of the hemline has been bolstered, I am sceptical about how ‘great’ it is. I mean, first things first (believe it or not) there is the Hemline Index, the drop of the hemline also indicate a crash of some sort. There is also this height problem – to an average height woman (by any standards) it says prim, proper and very very reserved. As fashion as it gets, I have to say this is the look of the season and this new (and a little awkward*).

There has always been a great debate about being fashionable and attractive – that is, to the straight male population – at the same time. Simply put, whatever deemed fashionable is not necessarily attractive to the opposite sex. Henceforth, the name of renowned fashion blog Man Repeller. Are there exceptions, though?

*It’s not awkward unless you are a 5"8

Referencing 參考

各大著名鞋匠之中我覺得Christian Louboutin先生傲氣，Jimmy Choo先生內斂，而Manolo Blahnik就最幽默，這些特質其實都可以從他們鞋履設計中看得到。這雙Manolo Arleti高跟鞋就是讓我想起超現實主義Surrealism，感覺天馬行空。

我對時裝和藝術的關係很感興趣，這倆一直有著不解之緣，而且是很有歷史的關係。我尤其喜歡Surrealism超現實主義。時裝設計師和超現實主義藝術家互相影響，互相參考，各種創作把現實扭曲，卻用在人每天都接觸到的衣服上是我覺得極有趣的地方。Elsa Schiaparelli可以說是這種唇齒關係表表者之一，她跟Leonor Fini，Jean Cocteau，Meret Oppenheim，Alberto Giacometti等藝術家非常友好，其中跟好友Salvador Dalí的Lobster Dress和Shoe Hat相信不少人都熟悉。這種referencing讓Elsa Schiaparelli的時裝設計天馬行空，她的大部分作品現在出現於個大博物館藝術館展出及保存。Schiaparelli的膽創意程度及風格當今大概只有Miuccia Prada可以媲美，上年在Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute展出的Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations的確很有意思，兩位跨時代女設計師其實很有默契，對於女性服裝有著獨特見解。

時裝界名人很多都有歷史背景，不是說他們老得像千年老妖，而我認為有歷練或修讀歷史的人在時裝行業都特別得心應手。時裝是虛無飄渺的嗎？是設計師無意中想出來的念頭嗎？這個行業從設計到時裝秀到雜誌時裝大片都是有根有據。懂得越多歷史、藝術，有越多藝術家朋友靈感就越多，如Grace Coddington為美國Vogue拍攝的著名二十年代時裝大片，試問不了解那時期豈能造出最真實的極盡奢華呢？

Out of all the men behind shoemaking mega brands – well, I might have been blessed to appear in the same occasion with them but obviously I don’t know any of them personally – I think Mr. Christian Louboutin is a proud man, Mr. Jimmy Choo is reserved and Mr. Manolo Blahnik the most whimsical and humorous of all. All observations are deduced from shoe designs of their namesake brands. This pair of Manolo Arleti heels reminds me so much of surrealism, maybe it’s the colourway, maybe it’s just me, but there’s just this abstract and fanciful vibe about it.

The relation between fashion and art is one of the many intellectual topics that fascinates me. Fashion and art can go way back, but let’s just go back to surrealism this time. Fashion designers and surrealist artists work together and reference each other, distorting reality and creating something completely new. What I love about it is the ingenious notion of distorting reality but creating reality at the same time, that is, clothes. Elsa Schiaparelli might well be the epitome of fashion and surrealism. Her Lobster Dress and Shoe Hat with good friend Salvador Dalí were most famed. Friends with surrealism artists such as Leonor Fini, Jean Cocteau, Maret Oppenheim and Alberto Giacometti, Schiaparelli’s pieces were full of imagination. A lot of her pieces are exhibited and stored in renowned museums to date.

Miuccia Prada might be one of the few fashion designers with comparable artistic, uncompromising and imaginative vision of Schiaparelli’s. Last year the Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute was a rare occasion that brought these two heroines of fashion together. Two epochal female designers with tacit understanding, both enthusing the world with beautiful and visionary insights.

Influential people in fashion usually have a lot of background, I’m not talking about their age, but usually a history background or life experiences are particularly handy in the industry. If you think fashion is shallow, empty and illusory then you are wrong. From fashion design, fashion shows to magazine editorials, every bit of detail comes with excellent reasoning and referencing is an integral part. Inspiration comes from history, art and maybe friends who are artists in a completely different realm. Without in-depth historical knowledge of a particular era, how could the infamous Grace Coddington Twenties shoot come to life with same decadence?

Louis Vuitton the Art of Packing

I used to love travelling when I was young, going to new places, seeing new things bring so much excitement into a child's life. Now "change" almost became my biggest fear, or I have just reached a point where I don't want to deal with my baggage. 

Packing is nothing new to anybody. And Louis Vuitton turned it into an art. This campaign is amazing in a timeless way, at least packing will never get old. By turing this chore into an art and blasting out on all channels possible - from short film to minisites, magazines and exhibitions, oh not to mention around the globe - this is actually a relatively low cost way to promote all of the French house's product ranges. Everybody loves peering into someone else's life. That's why in popular culture - namely Instagram and Youtube - all those "room tours" and outfit grids are so popular. You get to see how other people live. This artsy (and also very on brand) way of packing obviously glorifies this whole mundane packing errand. A bit idealistic for reality, but just enough to dream of.

小時候很喜歡去旅行，有機會到新的地方就興奮無比。現在不太喜歡轉換環境，人大了就越來越多隨身物品，越來越多包袱，最喜歡自然是settle down安頓的感覺，要收拾細遠又談何容易呢？

拜globalisation所賜，收拾行李，對大部分人都不陌生。Louis Vuitton Art of Packing推廣很成功，宣傳最新行李系列同時把收拾行裝藝術化，從短片，互動網站，雜誌到展覽，360度全方位宣傳，不用代言人，簡單低成本。人人都有偷窺心態，所以物件鳥瞰圖一向受歡迎，看社交網站Instagram做就這麼多紅人就知道，這種拍攝手法也是其中最受歡迎之一。當然這一切都太美好，回到現實收拾行李有誰不會頭疼。

生活小細節

一個人無寄托就開始寫字，基於即將失業的原因，不用再考慮現在工作上的事兒，腦袋不停不停轉，衍生出一大堆念頭，又是復活這個博客的時候。

我很喜歡讀專欄，首先作為一個大懒人，讀專欄邊幅短，需要專注力相對底。另外内容往往疑似發人深省，以為自己領悟到大道理。

寫字的人想吸納最多讀者就要大眾化，一本讀物目標讀者層面與內容質素多成反比，目標讀者越多越廣泛，內容也是要相對調節的。要讀者有共鳴，很多時候專欄選材都非常生活化，絕不是沒有人會明白的題材。把平時沒有人能注意到的生活小細節，小道理無限放大，當然加入筆者本身專業的expertise，就成為容易消化但令人有‘喔 原來如此’反應的bite size專欄。喜歡Woody Allen，因為和專欄一樣他的選材都是平常人有可能遇到的事。把平日被遺忘的小細節，加上標誌性諷刺世俗扮清高的幽默態度，就是他的手本名曲。

能夠以最低成本，拿生活事作題材，但卻疑似道出塵世真諦，讓人彷如大澈大悟，就是一個寫字人的高招。

CECILE Woody Allen Tee Cécile Presque Parisienne 

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