Printed Matter Matters

>> On Saturday, when I did the big move over from old house to new, I could sense the dagger-esque glances of exasperation from the woman, who I had hired to move my stuff (yes, no man and a van – it was refreshingly a woman and a van).  She didn’t say so but I could tell she was wondering just how many more bags of clothes, shoes and bags there were to shift.  Hah!  Little did she know that I had already shifted well over 60% of my wardrobe a fortnight ago.  I could also tell that she was wondering why I had chosen to pack things up in designer shoe boxes (Prada, Miu Miu, Lanvin and Acne have thus far proved to be the sturdiest), meaning that she had to carry lots of fiddly little boxes rather than one big massive one.  It apparently made sense to me to divide up all the printed paraphernalia, which I’ve accumulated over these blogging years, up into different boxes.  Scuzzy kitchen utensils and hardy “normal” books were packed up into anonymous brown boxes but reams of torn out fashion editorials, stacks personal letters, cards and postcards from designers, lookbooks and other bits and bobs from fashion events, went into branded boxes.  I lavished twice the time to pack those bits up.  Opening them up and sorting through them at a time of year when yet more lovely handwritten things come through the post (birthday, new house congrats cards, Christmas etc) always makes for a nice and fuzzy thing to do.  Especially when accompanied by a strong cup of tea (sales of tea are down and instant coffee is up – DEVASTATED).

It struck me that I’ve got a peculiarly obsessive attachment to these bits of paper.  They might be rudimentary thank you notes on headed paper (probably NOT hand signed by Mr van Noten or Mr Gaytten but still, it’s the thought that counts) but I’ve kept them all the same.  It continues to surprise me that the handwritten thank you note is still something that the fashion industry observes so faithfully and shamefully, I’ve received a great many more than I’ve sent.  I’m clutching on to them like they’re written proof that at one point in time, I somehow mattered in this transient industry.   I’ll probably get found out to be a fraud one of these days and all of these lovely thank you notes, gifts and greetings cards will disappear in an instance.  So they’ll stay with me.  In their designer shoe boxes, to be opened up every now and then so in the distant future, I’ll remember   I’m not sure what other editors, journalists and stylists do with their printed paraphernalia.  Maybe they go straight into the recycling bin.  Maybe they get stuck up on a pin board (as observed from Louise Wilson’s office).  Or maybe everyone else also has secret boxes that will be given the deathly stink eye by future mover men/women.

A big “Hello” from Patternity…

The show notes written by Antony Hegarty to accompany Givenchy’s A/W13-4 show…

A Christian Lacroix card…

A postcard from KOSHKA

A girl with a glint in her eye on a Victoria Beckham postcard…

A SHOWstudio thank you card depicting the roundtable discussions they regularly broadcast…

Geoffrey J. Finch from Antipodium looking virginal…

A fabric envelope from Daydream Nation that I love the feel of…

A doodle of a me donning the Richie Tenenbaum headband look from Julien David…

A pretty birthday card from Eye of the World…

An old Marios Schwab show invite…

A personalised illustration by Valentine de Cort for Delvaux

A Christmas card from Cooperative Designs with a pertinent message…

A tasselled card from Hermione de Paula…

A Christmas card from Becky Marwood fashioned out of an envelope…

A very Merry quilted 2.55, Chanel No.5 filled Christmas from Chanel… one of the most impressive Christmas cards I’ve received thus far…

… although somethings do come in non-printed packages that are just as impactful.  Just received this YouTube card from Maison Martin Margiela…