Dressful

Wearing Emporio Armani coat, Sonia Rykiel brooch, Fratelli Rossetti brogues, and Grošelj clutch bag.
Photos by Tjaša Kalamar.

2011 was an exciting and fruitful year for me as a fashion blogger.

In February I attended my first major runway show, Emporio Armani F/W 11/12 at Milan Fashion Week. Envisioning myself working in fashion before I started blogging, I thought I would have to spend years interning and assisting at magazines before my boss granted me a privilege to attend shows and write about them. I am my own boss at Dressful so nobody showers me with benefits, but thanks to the "democratization of fashion" we bloggers have become regulars at fashion weeks, be it catching street style photographers' attention with eccentric outfits or reporting from shows.

Concept Korea Spring 2012 presentation at New York Fashion Week.

In September I attended New York Fashion Week, which turned out to be a much bigger deal than I had expected. It's the collections shown in Paris and Milan that get the most international attention, but New York is the most blogger-friendly fashion week (Reuters claims that 40% of the press at NYFW are bloggers) and a great place for networking. As opposed to Milan and Paris, all shows take place under one roof in New York, which means you can hang out with people in-between events instead of wasting your time getting stuck in insane traffic jams.

When I started going to fashion weeks, I quickly realized there would be no way back, i.e. if I attend, I have to return next season to see more shows, meet more people and do better work. Due to unexpected health problems I didn't create as much content as I wanted to at NYFW in September. I will be attending NYFW again in February and I'm tickled pink to have a chance to improve. I haven't seen wintry New York in three years.

Invitation to the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 show
Celebrating Halloween with a Chanel pumpkin carved by my dad

Dressful has gained many new readers in 2011. I receive charming, encouraging emails from those of you who find it inspiring and I wish such perceptive and intelligent readers will accompany me in 2012 too. Constantly working on ways to reach more fashion enthusiasts, I'm satisfied with the direction Dressful is developing in. I've discovered that in my case, sharing original and quality content is the way to go. People like words and images they won't find elsewhere and I feel good expressing myself in different creative ways.

In 2011 I rejected various proposals that would have brought me money but didn't align with Dressful. I've been hesitant with monetization because I find some methods largely inefficient and because this blog is my personal space where I only recommend what I absolutely love and know well.

I have seen bloggers rush into monetization without thinking it through; in the end, they were not compensated fairly, the brand or product they promoted didn't fit their blog, the banner ads looked out of place … If done wrong, such deals can do more harm than good to the blogger, despite the money they earned. That being said, there are several types of collaborations I am interested in; I will soon create a separate page to outline them more precisely.

Sens(n)ation Maison Martin Margiela exhibition in Ljubljana.

I would like to thank everyone who takes time to comment on my posts; your comments are not of the "nice shoes check out my blog" variety; rather, they contribute valuably to the post and discussion. I truly appreciate it when you share my posts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms – this is the easiest way to help me reach more people. Next to providing quality content, expanding my audience is my number one goal for 2012.

Though the world is far from perfect, the opportunities I've had in 2011 make me grateful to live here and now. Five years ago it would have been impossible to jumpstart my fashion career with a blog.

The blog is just the beginning.

I wish you happy holidays and lots of health, love, creativity and success in 2012.

Emporio Armani has released a capsule sunglasses collection to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The vibrant, oversized shades are reminiscent of the 1980s (Emporio Armani was founded in 1981), but the collection's tagline commends the future: "No nostalgia. The message beams at streaming speed towards digital futures. Fashion is play, movement, energy and pleasure."

I see the sunglasses as a continuation or supplement to the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 collection – they would be a marvelous enhancement to the black and white palette.

Women's

Men's

This morning I attended the Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 show in Milan. It was my second time at Emporio Armani (the first show I saw was Fall/Winter 2011/2012), but it will take quite a while before I get immune to the thrill and excitement of major shows. The best part of fashion week is the goosebumps you get when you realize the designers' efforts and inspirations in the past 6 months have united in a perfect, seamless whole. I am incredibly happy and honored to have attended Emporio Armani this season, especially because the collection is the loveliest I've seen in a long time.

The Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2012 collection by Giorgio Armani is bringing back the plastic trend. We saw clear plastic handbags, bracelets, wedges, sandals, as well as striking big black or white flower-like accessories worn as headpieces, on the shoulder or around the neck. The color palette is mostly black and white with some flower prints. Models wore short blonde wigs and boaters. There were peplum dresses, sequin vests, snakeskin bags and wedges. Of course, the collection would not be complete without Armani's signature tailored blazers and pants.

For me, the highlight of the show were the shoes (I would wear every pair, not to mention this is the only instance in my life when I've admired plastic shoes! They are effortlessly fashionable.) and white dresses with hooped hemlines. Beautifully delicate, they reminded me of morning dew and the uneven shape of petals. It's interesting that a collection brimming with references to flowers was executed in black and white (we usually buy flowers in more lively colors). I also loved the use of boaters, a men's hat, with elegant, feminine pieces.

When I got back to my hotel after the show, I turned on the computer and caught the last few minutes of the second Emporio Armani show livestream (Emporio Armani schedules two consecutive shows: one for press, one for other guests). This should give you a good idea of how late shows start in Milan (the hotel I'm staying at is quite far from Teatro Armani where the Armani events take place). It also speaks volumes about how much I loved the collection and the show. A sentimental wish to relive the experience through a computer screen. I cannot wait for spring to see these beautiful pieces alive in the streets. Please, can we skip fall and winter?

Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2011 sandals

Don't you think it's curious how the fashion system lumps together spring and summer, fall and winter? Indeed having shows twice a year is enough of a chaos as it is. It'd be all kinds of complicated to double the number in order to specifically cater to every season, but the latter is precisely what I do. I dress differently in spring than in summer. There are colors and clothes that fit fall but not winter.

With the Fall/Winter 2011/12 collections being presented when the Northern Hemisphere's Fall/Winter 2010/11 was just coming to an end (to me, the 24 hours I spent in Paris for the Hogan by Karl Lagerfeld event were the first hint of spring, Milan was still very cold), i.e. more than half a year in advance, I too am skipping one season, already thinking about what I'm going to wear this summer.

Artdeco nail polish

Due to my love for black, many beautiful colors are severely underrepresented in my closet. One of them is coral red, to which I'll be giving more attention this summer - these Emporio Armani sandals (sans heel!) are going to be my "everyday shoes". You just slip them on - shoe hassle is for winter, not summer.

I'd also like to get a summer dress in another bright color (maybe orange?), not very expensive so I won't fret too much if it gets ruined (who am I kidding though - I haven't ruined a piece of clothing since I was what, 6?). A dress for meeting friends in town after the sun has set and it's not so devastatingly hot any more.

I was thinking about dressing for spring 3 months ago. Perhaps this means I'm adapting to the fashion industry's insanely rapid pace. It can be overwhelming, but on the other hand, it's fascinating that compared to the rest of the world, fashion is always one step ahead. Why not?

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Impressions from Milan and Paris I wanted to share with you that didn't find their place in other posts:

MILAN
Seeing the genius and bold Prada Spring/Summer 2011 collection in store, squealing at the sight of my favorite blue platform sandals.

Everyone wearing shoes from the Prada Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

Realizing that after a long time I belong somewhere again, confirming my October decision that fashion is what I'm going to do in life.

PARIS
An incredibly elegant 40-something woman wearing a Chanel suit and an orange Birkin, looking at sheer, pastel-colored tops at Zara.

The alluring old Guerlain store on the Champs-Elysées that I didn't have time for.

Stylish Parisiennes in flats, despite fashion week demanding more effort.

Paris being so cosmopolitan and relaxed that I wonder why it took me all these years to realize it.