Reviving Rodier

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Some of you may have seen the Cognoscenti Choices article in The Times T2 a couple of weeks ago in which Alice Olins 'spots three tribal trends'…. also containing three words that strike fear in my very heart…spotting, tribal and trends.  No article online but the general gist is one that you've all seen/read 1000 times before.  The 'tribes' as as follows; High Priestess of Fashion (illustrated by Carine Roitfeld), Classic Fashion Editor (illustrated by L'Uomo Vogue's Giovanna Battaglia) and then The Geek Clique, illustrated with an ugly mug picture of moi looking ratty/tatty outside Dries Van Noten last season.

Really, the piss-take nature of the whole article made me feel at once bemused and belittled…or maybe bemused by the belittlement of "Geek Clique" moi.  I could very well point out all that is wrong with this piece but then most people would just say "Oh shut up, yer' ugly mug is in the Times… get over it!"  So I'll just do that – shut right up.  Excepting this… I did feel like addressing one of the Geek Clique style rules, Olins outlines:

"Her drive is experimentation and she wears obscure French labels that went into administration during the last recession."

Ok, I'll just do one boo-boo point out.  This statement looks rather odd when matched against the picture they used of me which was me in head-to-toe Topshop and vintage.  So today, I had to chuckle when at the Battersea Car Boot Sale, I picked up this vintage Rodier silk loose jacket (as well as the straw visor), laughing at the fact that maybe, just maybe Olins has hit the nail on its head. 

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Rodier didn't go bust in the last recession but it certainly has been lagging a bit, taken a notch down from its former glory in the 20s when this famed knitted textiles company developed the knitted jersey that propelled Coco Chanel's use of the stuff. 

Rodierads

Rodier still exists of course as a ready to wear fine knitwear label with three stores in Paris, but hasn't really enjoyed much fashion limelight, a situation that might change as it was announced last year that Gaspard Yurkievich had become the new creative director of Rodier.  I'll look out for the new A/W 09-10 collection under his direction to see what he has done to revive the label but in the meantime, I'm off to go hunt out more obscure French labels.  You know, gotta keep representin' the Geek Clique look of course…Jean Louis Scherrer perhaps?

Rodiernew

26 comments

  1. I like the first irony — but, the 2nd one is hilarious as well. Sometimes people do hit it right on the head. I kind of hate when that happens though.

  2. So I assume your outfit would have to be described as ‘Geek Clique Chic’
    (Sorry, couldn’t resist)

  3. If they didn’t tell you they were doing the article then proceed to basically take the piss then I think you should be somewhat annoyed. If they asked you first then I suppose there is no recourse, but still, it is irritating.

  4. DJM: Nope…no notice whatsoever…. they actually approached Phil at Streetpeeper for the photo and as he was staying over at mine when the paper came out, he was kinda excited that the pic was in The Times…he had no idea the pic was gonna be used in that context though…
    I was a little annoyed… I might even have said yes and choked it up if they had asked first but that they just did it without asking was a leeetle bit sly…

  5. Oh my goodness! Please post the link to the article if it ever does come online – sounds like it would be interesting, to say the least! x

  7. looove your illustration of Rodier !!! so rare … so precious !
    good work Susie ( as usual … )
    C

  9. You know what, I totally understand your frustration with feeling “belittled” but at the same time CONGRATULATIONS! You’re up there with Roit and that other italian editor chick. That is so amazing even if the article had belittling undertones. Also kudos to you for defending yourself somewhat

  11. Congrats on the press, even if the article is less than ideal. The Rodier pictures are so cool, as is your outfit – I love love love your Smack dress.

  15. the fact that you can find that kind of old old old obscure stuff is amazing. you always make me want to live in london.

  17. one person doesn’t like you and you whinge on about it…is it not conceivable that there are people out there who don’t like your style? get over it ego!

  18. The point of the post was NOT to whinge…. and to bring up the subject of Rodier…. hence the collage of Rodier images?
    Anyhow..I’m more irked that they didn’t ask permission first as opposed to the nature of the article which is like I said…bemusing…

  20. You’ve taken this very well, but the point is Alice Olins was an IDIOT and that article was crap! I suppose it was to give Middle England Times readers something to titter over, but I wasn’t impressed at all, and thought it was a rather failed attempt to be humourous.

  21. It’s refreshing to see a looser jacket on the feminine form, while I’ve loved seeing everyone sport Balmain and Margiela strong shoulders it’s nice to see something more laid-back. And that colour is weirdly…subtly vibrant.
    /Cillian.

  23. I think I saw you in British “ELLE collection”
    I just: OMG! I know here blog 😀 haha that was so fun!! congratulations <3
    Btw I'm starting all over again on a new blog 🙂 fun fun fun!!
    I was wondering if you maybe could link me under "Scandi chic"??
    (I'm coming from Norway)
    I would be so happy <3
    xoxo L.

  24. I really like you’r blog and follow it regulary, i just have to say one thing:
    i imagine you have a lot of non-englishamericanaustraliancanadian readers, or basically not from english speaking countries. i think my english is pretty good and i even write my own blog in english, but it’s just that you write with so much slang, sometimes i just give up ’cause i can’t anderstand what you mean… maybe sometimes you can write things just a little bit more simple…?
    anyway, i think you’re doing a great job and no matter how many fashion blogs i saw around the web, you’rs is always has this something more original about it.

  25. Pinkengreen: Yes, it is a constant criticism that my language is a little longwinded but that’s the way I speak and so that’s the way I write….if I wrote in any other way, it would actually take me LONGER to do posts because I’d have to pre-meditate it….
    As slang goes, I think this post is pretty light on it…. are you talking about slang specifically or long sentence structures or maybe extensive vocab? I try to keep the UK speak to a minimum…

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