Día de Febrero

Today, wednesday the 10th of February is my last day here at ISEM in Madrid.
It feels like yesterday that I arrived here at the office and found my place at the Fashion School. I must say that I have learnt a lot and experienced a lot of different things during my relativly short stay here. One thing I know for sure, is that I will never forget my time here in Madrid. This city has become my favorite city, everything from the culture, the smells, the the streets, the clouds and the lighting. I could go on for hours talking about everything I have seen and felt here in Madrid but I will focus on my work place in this article.

Even if I don´t know the fashion world very well, I have always had an impression that there is sometimes a hidden agenda and that there is two sides to everything. Well, there is always two sides to every case, but I have seen and experienced that it is possible to preserve good values while at the same time working in a sector that many would say is more "superficial". Here at ISEM, the "team" is honest, open, friendly and down to earth. They work as a team and make sure everyone is doing well, helping eachother out as much as they can. A good example for the future fashion and business leaders that are educated here at ISEM.

Some things that I have learned during my stay, is how businesses work and how interlinked business and fashion truly is. I have enjoyed classes about how to lead a team, how to make a group of people co-work and in what you can be a good leader. These have been very interesting for me as I am very interested in human relations and group psychology.

We have had something I call "creativity classes", where different "artists" have showed us new ways of using or senses, working in a team and exploiting our creativity. These ones were always very entertaining for me and the students.
I also worked as a photographer for ISEM and enjoyed it a lot as it is one of my favorite things to do, and we used a lot of the pictures for the blog, the webpage and the Schools folder.
I have been very fortunate to meet designers, arquitects, musicians and a lot of creative and interesting people that I would never have met if it weren´t not for the classes at ISEM.

All in all, I am confident to say that I have experienced a once-in-a lifetime experience that I am very grateful for, and that I know that all I have learnt will come well in hand once I start my own career, and also later in life.

Clases de Creatividad/Creativity Classes

Para la gente de Habla Hispana:

Todos los viernes recibimos personalidades creativas en ISEM. El viernes pasado no fue la excepción cuando un grupo de música impartió una clase muy creativa, con la que todos disfrutamos.
El grupo de música se llama “Música para todos” y se compone de Marta, su hermano Pedro y Juan Miguel.
Los alumnos de ISEM debían crear una "Orquesta", con tan solo algunos instrumentos sencillos y una experiencia básica en el terreno musical.
Al principio, el auditorio sonó más como un patio de colegio, pero poco a poco iba apareciendo el ritmo, la melodía y algo parecido a la música.
“Música para todos” es la solución perfecta para fortalecer el espíritu de equipo, mejorar el ambiente de trabajo, y ser más eficientes. La música libera el estrés, ayuda relajarse y deja paso a la espontaneidad.

Durante la sesión, los alumnos se dividieron en grupos y se les hizo entrega de instrumentos en función de una escena a interpretar. Los instrumentos tenían distintas tonalidades y lograron coordinarse y crear melodías en las que todos tenían algo que decir. “Música para todos” es un programa educativo y pedagógico que tiene como objetivo permitir la creación de la música en distintos ambientes y en cada situación de todos los días, y sobre todo demostrar como la suma de las partes tiene como resultado la música del equipo.

For the Anglofones:

Every Friday we receive creative minds here at ISEM. Last Friday was no exception when a musical group held a very creative class that we all enjoyed.
The music group is called “Music for everyone” and includes Marta Alfaro, her brother Pedro and Juan Miguel.
The alumni at ISEM had to create an “orchestra”, with only some instruments and no real experience in the field of music.
At first, the auditorium sounded more like a school yard, but little by little, the rhythm and melody appeared, and something sounding like music also did.
“Music for everyone” is the perfect solution to strengthen team spirit, improve the work ambiance and the efficiency. Music liberates stress, helps you relax and gives way to a more spontaneous way of thinking.

During the session, the alumni were divided into groups and were given instruments according to what sort of scene they were to interpret. “Music for everyone” is an educative and pedagogical program that has as an objective to allow the creation of music in every part and situation of every day life, and more important to prove how the sum of team efforts can result in team-music.

have a look/listen: http://musicaparatodos.eu/

The ISEM Fashion Business School

What: Business & Fashion School

Where: Madrid, Spain

When: Founded in 2001

The ISEM fashion school was founded in 2001 by Covadonga O´Shea, former editor of the Spanish fashion magazine Telva. Located in the heart of Spain, the fashion capital, Madrid, it is in collaboration with the prestigious IESE business school and The University of Navarra. The ISEM School has an executive MBA program and is the only one in Spain which offers this. The school dedicates itself to the formation and development of professionals in the fashion industry, aiming to be the main link between fashion creativity and business management. The School keeps an international aspect as it is in collaboration with other schools such as FIT (Fashion institute of technology of New York), Bocconi SDA (School of Management, Milan), IFM (Institut Français de la mode, Paris) and has a 16% of foreign students. Students will, during the EMBA, have intensive courses at IFM,Paris and SDA Bocconi,Milan together with visiting businesses such as Inditex, El Corte Ingles,Trucco,Tempe, Loewe and Mango.

The students do not need to have studied any fashion business before starting the EMBA; many students have only been interested in fashion, and studied things such as business administration, law or communication.
This School gives the students a unique learning process in how to become creative and responsible business managers when they in their turn will start their own business later. In addition, during the course, the students at ISEM have the opportunity to do internships in the different fashion businesses that the School is in collaboration with, something which is essential in order to acquire contacts in the fashion industry.

The ISEM Fashion School is the place where communication, fashion management, business management, lifestyles, fashion and values meet in order to create the futures Fashion Industry’s leaders.

Some useful links :

www.isem.es

www.isemfashionblog.blogspot.com

www.iese.edu

Financial Fashion: When the fashion Scene meets the Financial Crisis

Does recession mean regression when it comes to trend and style?

The crisis has taken its toll on most countries of the world and has made life a little bit harder for many. However, confidence that the crisis is winding down has been mounting for the last couple of months and economists claim that “the worst of the credit squeeze is probably over, according to The N.Y times´ article “Is the crisis over?”. However, in what ways has the crisis affected the fashion scene, and did the trends actually adapt to the crisis this last seasons or did they remain unaffected?
These are some of the questions I will try to answer in this blog post. This topic especially interests me as it is does not solely concern fashion but also human behaviour, and the way these two can be linked.

Should we have suspected that the fashion world would “slow down”, that we would use more of last season’s items, that we could content ourselves with looking like we did a year ago?
No. Fashion, as all arts, is in constantly change, constantly renewing itself and changing its shape, and I believe that it is not what the newspapers says about tomorrow’s crisis that will affect it. The link is not as direct as people may imagine. Fashion does not reflect the economic mood as designers and fashion people live in their own creative space, usually unaffected by the newspaper or late night news. However one thing I am sure of, is the fact that fashionistas will not change their way of behaving and their relationship to fashion, they will simply decrease it. So instead of buying 3 pairs of Mulberry bags, they will buy one. The crisis is not linked to the designers but to the consumer. As it is the designers that will decide what the new trend is, and as these ones remain untouched by the crisis, consumers will to some extend also feel untouched when it comes to this season’s style trends.

Many would’ve expected there to be more second hand shopping, more purchase of basic items and for there to be a “regression” in trends during the recession, back to last years fashion. However, this did not happen. The Fashion Industry did to some extend exploit the fact that there was a crisis. The new must haves were suddenly items reminding of the great wars and the 1929´ Wall Street crash, bringing back fashion from the older days. Khaki green and military green, cream and light brown were important colours, together with accessories to make your outfit stretch for many occasions.
So to say, the crisis did not make the trends regress by one or two years, but with a least a decade, taking us back to the 30´s. This point can also be reflected in hairstyles “of the recession”, with bobs being very popular and short hair being in style again. More old fashioned hairdos such as braded hair have also been in style and still are.
The trench coat, both for men and women, is predicted to be a must have in 2010, also an item that reflects that Great Wars as these ones were first made by Burberry and used by soldiers in the trenches, thus the name “trench coat”.

In conclusion, what we can notice of the way the Fashion Industry has reacted to the Crisis is that instead of seeing it as a recession in the economy and the spending, they’ve used it as a reason for new trends. No futuristic fashion trends have appeared nor do we see any return of the fluorescent colours from the year 2000, but a more “sustainable and basic” fashion has entered the scene. Pleasing both the fashionista and the economist.

Pictures:

Up/left: From Elmer Ave, Right: Wunderkind during Paris Fashion week.
Down/left:Katie Holmes with Bob haircut, Right: Mary-Kate Olsen with Brades hairdo.

The Scandinavian Fashion Scene

Now I will not start this article about Scandinavian fashion and Designers by saying that “up here”, in comparison to “down there”, our style is outdated, however, a decade ago, it was.

In the south of Europe fashion has always existed and when talking about haute couture, one would usually refer to capitals such as Paris or Milan. In Scandinavia, fashion and style has not been around for that long and it is only in the last decade that one can truly see proper design brands appearing.It is important not to forget that we, the Scandinavians, descending from the Vikings, have a harsh climate, and thus, our style has for a long time been much more practical than fashionable.

The designs found in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo still very much depend on the climate and season. Up here, we try our best during the winter months to not look like Eskimos, but sometimes we have to give in to the forces of nature and its minus degrees. However, during the other seasons, spring, summer and autumn, we like to show off our proper Scandinavian style.

Out of these three countries, I want to talk about my favourite fashion capital, Stockholm.
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, which is said to have the most beautiful women in the world, also has a very fashion-oriented population. In fact, I often feel that I could never live in this city, as I would have to wear the latest fashion just to walk my dog. I have travelled a lot and seen all of the major fashion capitals, but I can not say that I have been any place where the population is more fashion oriented than in Stockholm.
Nevertheless, Fashion designers that visit the capital are often fascinated and surprised by the unique Swedish style. In Scandinavia, we rarely overdress our outfits. We like to keep it looking easy and practical, as we often need to with our lifestyle, but don’t be fooled; we carefully plan what to wear and how to match it.
A lot of pastel colours and shades of grey, black and white are often mixed. Not too much of anything is used at the same time and bright colours are only used during our short Scandinavian summer. Some designer brands from Sweden worth mentioning should be Filippa K, Tiger and Acne.

Filippa K, one of Sweden’s leading clothing brands, has what I would say, the core of Swedish Fashion. This brand is based on simplicity and quality and has existed since 1993, when it was founded by Filippa Knutsson and Patrick Kihlborg. Filippa K is today be found in 20 countries, and is represented by more than 750 selected retailers worldwide.
The design that Filippa K offers is relaxed yet elegant. Clean cuts and lines with not too many details are typical, and the clothes are comfortable to wear without losing their exclusive appearance.
The brand offers both men and women clothing and people of all ages shop at Filippa K. Outerwear, knitwear, blazers, trousers and shoes are essential parts of every collection.
The shops are of course designed with Scandinavian design and usually have a very clean and neat appearance.

In Scandinavia, as already mentioned, we are fashion oriented, but we are also keen on looking good - but not paying too much for it. There is no shame in buying our basics at H&M and mixing them with designer items from Filippa K. As flashing brands is not at all fashion to us, this suit us very well.

Now I would like to continue to talk about a brand that is relatively new and different from the typical Scandinavian design. The name is Odd Molly, the design is Danish and the designers are Karin Jimfelt-Ghatan and Per Holknekt. It is somewhat the opposite of Filippa K because it has a very folkloric touch. The typical traits of an Odd Molly piece is hard to define as is changes all the time. However, one thing that is occurring often is the mix of patterns, laces and bias tape. In other words, Odd Molly is a brand for the more daring kind and will never make you blend into the crowd.b

Now last but not least, I will talk a bit about a brand from Norway. Moods of Norway is a brand for both men and women that offers a much more alternative look. This is a sporty brand that has a younger range of followers than Filippa K for example. The brand specializes in outerwear, knitwear and suits.
The Moods of Norway suits are becoming more and more seen around the world and a new flagship store just opened in Los Angeles. The two men behind the brand, Simen Staalnacke and Peder Borresen use traditional folkloric designs from the Norwegian “bunad” (The National Costume) and are inspired by the Norwegian countryside for their pieces. This brand has been said to “make happy clothes for happy people” and their stores are half the experience, they all look like traditional Norwegian cottages inside.

To sum it up, Scandinavian Fashion has just started to bloom and has a very bright future ahead. The fact that you can find so many different types of designers here with such a different blend of style makes Scandinavian Fashion almost avant-garde for its time. I believe it will very quickly, if it has not already, become one of the most important building blocks in tomorrows fashion scene.

Military Matlary

My family in Oslo is what I would call an " army family ". My brother is in the army, my grandfather was a general, my mom works within the military...and we all get affected by this, even me, the youngest one. But maybe in another way.
Madrid has amazing shopping, something I have noticed a bit too much during my stay here. Many of the designers here are unknown outside of Spain so I was very happy when my sister told me about Salvador Bachiller, the bag and shoe designer. All of his products are made of real leather and are at affordable prices. Last week I went to see his store and fell in love with a pair of high heeled shoes that I had to get. I loved the military/flamenco inspired look they have and they are so comfortable.
I have also seen " military jackets " around town and I think they are so stylish.
The one in the picture is a jacket for men from Zara and is of the new collection. The details are really nice and it looks very exclusive.

shopping :

http://www.salvadorbachiller.com/

http://www.zara.com/

Movida madrileña con Agatha Ruiz de la Prada

The pioneer of the style worn during the Movida Madrileña, was the famous designer Agatha Ruiz de La Prada.
The word “Movida” is a word that the founder of ISEM, Covadonga O´Shea uses when talking about going out at night in Madrid. I wondered about the meaning of this word and decided to look it up.

The Movida Madrileña is the name of a countercultural movement that took place in the Spanish capital after Francisco Franco’s death in 1975. The movida is said to have represented the emergence of a new and different Spanish identity. The ways of being and actions that were seen as taboo during the Franquist regime were now acted out everywhere, and one would often hear things such as “ Esta noche todo el mundo a la calle” (Tonight everybody in the street) screamed by los Madrileños, or “Madrid nunca duerme” (Madrid never sleeps). This movement covered many music bands, photography, art and painting, graffiti and last but not least fashion movements.

The Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de La Prada entered the fashion scene with her first collection in 1981. She was born in 1960 and experienced the Movida Movement up close as she was in her teens at the beginning of this period. She became a leading figure of the capital city´s sociocultural movement and the popularity of her bright-colored designs boomed. Today, the designer does not only make clothing, but also furniture, carpets, pens, notebooks, lip balms, scents, bed linen and many other things as well as clothes for children, men and women. She has outlets in Milan, Paris and New York, and her items can be purchased in many countries in the world. The colourful Madrileña continues to work and live in her native city in Spain. Agatha Ruiz de La Prada is a suprising and different designer. She has a very original, and what I would call “ happy “ collection, with joyful motives, bright colours and different shapes and forms.
She is famous for being an environmental friendly designer and is part of Spain’s Green Party, “The Confederation of the Greens”. She seems to be a designer that is true to her beliefs and responsibilities, and is against the use of animal materials such as leather or fur, so she therefore always uses faux-fur.

Last Friday, I was very fortunate to meet the designer at a lecture she gave at ISEM fashion and business school. She arrived in a charming and colourful (not suprising!) outfit, with a blue shirt and orange skirt.The lecture she held was very interesting, and her friend and design director Juan Carlos Mesa also accompanied her. The main focus of the class was “fashion and the fashion scene” where the relationship between fashion, art and theatre was explained and discussed, and the 60 alumni present were all very interested and attentive. During the International Theatre Festival of Almagro, Agatha Ruiz De la Prada collaborated on the presentation ofb a show. She was inspired by the comedy by "Lope de Vega" called “ La Dama Boba” (1613) and the design of the scene as well as the wardrobe was all created by Agatha. Pictures of the performances were shown on a slide show during the lecture, and she explained the motives and purpose of her collaboration. Agatha seems to be a breath of fresh air in the fashion world, where she is a unique designer with a very creative mind.

With her interesting, suprising and different talent, she is a designer that lets everyone get a taste of the colourful and fascinating movement of the Movida Madrileña – even in the sometimes grey XXI century.