zaidd'or

By Zaid Taji Farouki

Flashback

I don’t know why I haven’t blogged about this before. (Insert slamming my head) I have to actually keep up with my blog I cant keep work taking over like this. Hopefully the next two days will put me back on track.
Well let’s go back in time and talk about the second day of Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
After being able to access the runway shows the day before we decided to try to get into the other shows as well. We ended up going to Ports as well as Etro. The first show we went to was Ports and trust me it was a spectacular day, Ports’ venue was just magical. A small show room that is pure Italian that created this couturier ambiance.
After Ports we decided to go test our luck with going to Gucci, but of course it was tight as Fort Knox and there was no way to enter but luckily I got to meet Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist.
After the show started we decided to head to the next fashion show event, Etro. We got there early and waited and during the show we saw Anna Dello Russo again and Franca Sozzani. The Etro fashion show was just pure genius, I loved every moment of it as well as sending a signal as they are a multi-generational brand where both old and young models went down the runway together. Sending the message that they are still relevant to the consumers no matter what their ages are.
And like that we ended fashion week, as we had to catch up on so much work we didn’t do during these two days.
You can find the pictures below and stay posted so I can update you about my trip to Verona, discuss the couture shows, and the random people I meet in my life. I hope you enjoy the images!

Ps. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Milan Men’s Fashion Week

Today is one of these days where I can go to bed and say “it was a great day”. Like a typical Sunday, I got up early but forced myself back to sleep. I was woken up with a call from a friend of mine informing me that she had just seen the Ferragamo fashion show and they are planning on going to see Vivienne Westwood’s runway show as well. I got out of bed, got dressed, and ran out like a maniac. We met up and off we went on our crazy fashion show adventure. We got to see the Vivienne Westwood show, as well as Missoni, and sadly we couldn’t get into Prada but we got to see the street style there.
During the fashion shows we got to see many style icons. The first people we actually met actually work in fashion and they live in Washington DC (Represent!) and then we met a Marangoni alumni Yu Lee who is a stylist, fashion blogger and reporter she runs the blog theyutopia.com (she can be seen In between the images below, wearing a blue fur jacket while mixing it up with red.) Then at Missoni we got to meet Angela Missoni, Mariano Di Vaio as well as Riccardo Pozzoli.
While I was waiting for the Prada show I saw Anna Dello Russo, Brian Atwood and his partner Jake Deutsch, Olga Rink, and Suzy Menkes.
The images below are a mix of street style as well as famous people. Hopefully tomorrow will be as crazy as today was! Enjoy!

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The Year In Review!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!! I can’t but be thankful for all the change that this year has brought to me. I started off the last year being on a boat in Dubai watching the fire works with acquaintances. I ended this year with my acquaintances being the closest friends of mine and we embarked together on trips to different countries and continents together. And I can definitely say that those trips where the best I have been on. From Miami, to Punta Cana and West Virginia. I will always remember the crazy way we arrived to Punta Cana where it took us 24 hours to get there rather than 6 hours. The time where we got into our cars one weekend, and randomly went to Cracker Barrel and white-water rafting. And the amazing weekend we spent in Miami. Also the trips I took along the year to Milan, Venice, Bologna, Pavia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Washington D.C.
This year also means a lot as it is the year I graduated from University and the year where I embarked on the journey of following my dreams and moved to Italy to pursue a career in fashion design. I recently realized that I have lucky streak with odd numbered years. I was born in 1991, graduated high school in 2009 graduated university in 2013.
This blog also turned 1 year old in September. With 62,000 hits this year and views from 141 countries. I would like to end this year by thanking everyone the good people for making me a happier person and for the bad people that I have met that taught me not to care as much anymore and that my happiness is the most important thing.
I can’t wait and see what the next year has to offer!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Here are some pictures that summarize the year:

Color Inspiration

I am obsessed with this yellow shade, a statement color that can be seen in many upcoming collections. Here is four clothing articles that I am obsessed with. The floor length dress by Cédric Charlier, short dress by Valentino, shoulder bag by Valentino, and the necklace by Ek Thongprasert.

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Pictures taken from Moda Operandi, Valentino, and Barney’s

Outfit Obsession

This season I am obsessed with outfits like these for men, and variations of these outfits are currently my go to outfits in the winter. First of all the comfortable fabric of the joggjeans by Diesel is amazing training pants that are jeans, pure genius. Also the high-low fashion the ability for fashion houses such as MSGM and Kenzo to take street fashion (a sweatshirt) and turn it into a high fashion product is impeccable. In this photo the eye curler sweatshirt is by MSGM. Paired with the most comfortable shoes for this season fur lined combat boots by Zegna. 

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Daily Obsessions

I am crazy for asymmetrical clothing, and this jacket by Helmut Lang shows the exact silhouette that I love.
This is a sweater by Helmut Lang that I would love to see on someone!
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Pictures taken from Helmut Lang

12 Shoes For 12 Ex-Lovers

Never thought you could ever be inspired by an ex-lover?! Deep down the only thing you want is to forget them. But what if your inspiration from these ex-lovers bring you fortune and fame? Isn’t that the bet revenge?

A Chilean, New York-based artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz created 12 shoes that represent his 12 ex-lovers. The 12 shoes show each lover’s characteristics and eccentricities. Every shoe design comes with it’s own story that makes the names and designs even clearer.

Ps. Click on the images to enlarge them.
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Pictures taken from Sebastian Errazuriz

A Week In The Life

So as you may all have known I had finals for the past two weeks and I was tortured by the amount of work I had to get done. I had to submit my collection, fabric book (a personal fabric encyclopedia), discuss fashion history, as well as submitting my own dress, pants, and skirt.

After I was done and I am safe to say I think I did well. I slept for an entire day, explored the city, went out clubbing, went to Bologna. I can finally say I have had a weekend at last after 3 months of working non-stop.

I have to share these small anecdotes with you about what went on while I was out clubbing one night. My friends and I decided we should go to a club called “Old Fashion” the music was really good. It was very old school, it reminded me of our 6th or 7th grade dance parties. But a disadvantage of the club is how hot it gets in there. So there is this door at the end of the club that opens to the outdoors smoking section, as I was standing next to the door trying to get some fresh air yes, it is an oxymoron catching some fresh air in the smoking section. I was greeted by two random people a guy and a girl (the girl I have seen before somewhere though). They point at me and just scream out “Marangoni right?” I was like “yeah” in a weird way trying to figure out what the hell is going on here. So they ask me which program I am in, I reply, I ask them the same question. Then some other friends of there’s now stood by our side. and they looked at me and said “we see you around in school a lot and we realized that your straight, right?!” I shook my head in agreement. They continued by saying pointing to the other 3 or 4 guys with them “we are the straight group in Marangoni”…. Yes it was confusing I don’t know what they were trying to get to there, I just smiled and said nice to meet you and left. Yes, I am still confused. (But hey if I get noticed in fashion school I ain’t complain’n) On my way back into the club I decided to use the bathroom. While waiting in line this guy who was extremely drunk looked at me started saying in Italian what I understood was “You look like Gesù” and then just looks at me and says “Gesù, Gesù, Gesù” I was so confused thinking in my head was he calling me Jesus?! So I blamed it on my bad Italian and was like that is not possible I probably understood it wrong. Then the people in line also started calling me “Gesù”. Some of them later in the club when I bumped into them even continued calling me “Gesù”. I finally realized that it truly meant Jesus when I asked my Italian friend.

So all I could think of is having to leave before creating some form of cult in a club in Milan, and the fact I had to be up in 4 hours to be on a train to Bologna.

The next day I was off to Bologna! I was in love with it, the food I must admit is way better than Milan! It is also very Medieval due to the castles and churches being in the center of the city. Here are some photos of the trip.

Ps. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Missing Person Found!

Sorry it has been 10 days since I last posted, I have been overwhelmed with work as I had finals all this week. On the bright side I just submitted my first collection! But I have been exhausted! After celebrating my birthday last Friday. I have slept for two constant days.
On the other hand, when I posted about looking for my doppelgänger (you can read it here) A few hours later I get a text from a friend of mine I met at Marangoni saying they know the model and they are friends with him. But sadly after further research we look nothing alike. His name is Spyros Christopoulos. Oh the broken dreams of a Las Vegas show with my doppelgänger. Here are some photos of him with sadly no resemblance. Therefore, my quest still continues to find my doppelgänger.

Ps. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Reporting A Missing Person (My Doppelgänger)

A few days ago I received a text from my uncle telling me while browsing online he saw a man on the Trussardi runway show and he thought it was me. After forwarding the images to everyone, my grandfather actually thought it was me and didn’t have second doubts about it. Do you think I have managed to find my doppelgänger?
After seeing his image I tried with no luck to finding his name so I can finalize this dilemma. If its true, maybe we can both have a Vegas show! Help me find my doppelgänger he is the model for the 5th look at the Trussardi Fall/winter 2013 Mens collection. So here I am “reporting a missing person…. my doppelgänger”. If you have ever come across him please contact me!
I will leave you now to judge if he is my true doppelgänger or not! _ARC1758.450x675

Picture taken by Marcus Tondo/ inDigital

McQueen & Hirst

For the 10th anniversary of the skull scarf, Alexander McQueen is collaborating again with Damien Hirst to create a new exclusive line of scarves. With 30 new designs and colors. Insects including: butterflies, bugs, spiders have been added to the scarf to create the signature skull logo. Take a look at the advertisement and the new collection!

Ps. click on the images to enlarge them.

Azza Fahmy + Umm Kolthoum = Suma Collection

As everyone around me knows I am obsessed with Um Kolthoum or a matter of fact the whole Middle East is obsessed with Um Kolthoum. Um Kolthoum is a woman with a great power in her voice which enables her to move one’s emotions and mood by just listening to one of her songs. (Which by the way average about an hour each). As a sign of how obsessed I am with her I actually painted my own painting of her and her lyrics. (A picture of the painting can be found below). Furthermore, Um Kolthoum’s songs were able to delete and cancel any age barrier to one’s taste in music. You grow up hearing your parents and grandparents listen to her songs, by the time you are in your early teenage years you probably said “ekhhh I don’t want to listen to these old songs” But as soon as you are in high-school or even in college there is something that makes you want her music to be on replay all day long. There is something about her songs that even if you have heard them for a 100 times you still sing to them and learn new lyrics and realize new meanings to her words that you have never understood before. If you read out the sentence inscribed on the jewelry, a person would surely be able to continue singing the song. Take a look at the lyrics used as well as the collection.

Ps. If I were a woman I would definitely would love to pull-off a few of these pieces… & don’t forget to click on the images below to enlarge them.

These sentences include:
•”سلاماً شباب النيل في كل موقف” “Peace be upon the youth of the Nile in every stance they take.”

• “أنا الي أعطيتك من غير متتكلم، أن إلي علمتك من غير متتعلم” “القلب يعشق كل جميل” “I was yours before you uttered a word. I taught you but you haven’t learned” “The heart adores all that is beautiful”

•”عودت عيني على رؤياك وقلبي سلم لك أمري… وان مر يوم من غير رؤياك…ما ينحسبش من عمري” “My eyes are used to the sight of you, my heart has given you its reigns A day that passes without you cannot be counted in my days”

•“”حبيب امبارح و حبيب دلوقتي… ياحبيبى لبكره ولآخر وقتى “Your love is my rhythm and my rhyme. Yesterday, today and till the end of time.””أمل حياتي”

•”عودت عيني على رؤياك” “My eyes are used to the sight of you”

•“”أمل حياتى… ياحب غالى “You are the hope of my life, you are my precious love.”

•”جمال الدنيا يحلالي وانا وياك” “Life is beautiful only when I’m with you.”

•” افرح يا قلبي لك نصيب تبليغ مناك ويا الحبيب” اقطف معاه زهر الحياة مدام هواك وافق هواه إخلص الية واطلب رضاه وابلغ مناك ويا الحبيب “Rejoice my heart, you’ll live your dreams with your love, Your desire has matched your love, so be loyal, .please your love, your hopes will be fulfilled.”

and my painting of Um Kolthoum:

Hair & Jewel

a recreation of Graff’s 1970s advertising campaign in black and white of a model wearing a modest £1 million of jewels tucked into her hair. To celebrate the 60th anniversary in the jewellery business, Graff decided to recreate the advertisement with jewelry worth half a billion dollars. The jewels used are the 550ct Letseng Star, the 14 largest white diamond ever discovered and bought by Graff in 2011 it also includes a 10.47ct Fancy Vivid Blue briolette diamond pendant, a 52.73ct Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond ring and a 6.51ct Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring.

Take a look at the 70’s advertisement and this years advertisement.
Ps. Click on the images to enlarge them.
GRAFF diamond 500 Million

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Venetian Masks

Dating back to the 13th century Venetians wore the mask to free themselves from class hierarchies as well as for romantic encounters, gambling, dancing and any other times where the person wanted to hide their true identity and become harder to recognize. Moreover, the masks were used during plays to emphasize the character of the actor. Wearing masks in public was outlawed for a long period of time. Furthermore the Carnival was outlawed from the 18th century until the Italian government in an effort to boost the economy reinitiated the carnival in the 70’s. Venetian masks come in many different shapes and forms. Below you will find images of the mask I captured on the street as well as my friend and I wearing the masks on Halloween in Venice.
But now the real question is.. How easy would it be to pull a look with a mask in the future. Hmmmm something to think about!

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Venice

So just a few days ago my friend and I decided to take a one day trip to Venice. Never would have I expected how beautiful it is. As I was telling my friend, I felt like I was seriously walking through a painting. The majority of the trip our conversations surrounded the idea of being transported to the past and being able to live in Venice in the medieval times.
As we arrived there on Halloween we soon went looking for Venetian masks to be able to wear to go out at night. We toured the city, bought our Venetian masks, had dinner and went straight for a night out in town. As great minds think alike, without planning or talking about it we both had brought a full black outfit with us thinking by just adding a mask to the outfit voila we would have a costume.
The next morning we went out sight seeing and toured the rest of the city. Here are some photos from our trip.

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