We are robots. We are drones. We are all the things we say we are not. That might sound like the beginning of bad poetry but I can think of something way worse. How about the fact that every blogger and their third cousin (twice removed) seems content to drone on about the Anya Hindmarch I am not a plastic bag, bag? “Oh it’s so fabulous, Oh it’s so dreamy. It’s so kitsch, wah…wah..yadda…yadda…blah…blah.” Eff off.

I’m way more content with anyone willing to wear the I’m Not a Smug Twat bag, I hope Marissa Vanderzee is taking orders for this one.

Thursday Evening Update (10:19pm EST): Annnddd… yes she is. Order your “I’m Not a Smug Twat” bag right over here.

Firstview is doing something super classy. Viewing of all of Gianfranco Ferre collections online are free this week and the photos definitely give you a view of genius, beauty and glamour in action. Here are some photos from First View’s complete collection of Ferre’s works. My personal favorite was his Fall 2007 collection. What was your favorite season of Gianfranco Ferre?

Although this is about a month and change old in the way of news, I finally got an up close look at the Alice Temperly line for Target and I have got to say that I am thoroughly impressed in terms of depth and range. Most pieces in the line retail for below $50. For example, the piece above has a price breakdown like this:

SWISS DOT BLOUSE IN BLUE, $34.99 | VELVET SHORT-SLEEVE JACKET IN BLACK, $39.99 | VELVET MINISKIRT IN BLACK, $29.99 | HAT IN BLACK, $14.99

It used to slightly anger me to know end when friends would pronounced Target, Tarjay and chuckle ever so slightly as if they were saying something so cleverly amusing and were in on this cute kitschy thing. But the “French pronunciation” may be completely appropriate now.

The Temperly collection graces the racks at Target September 16th. Other upcoming designers include
# Libertine for Target - July 15th
# Devi Kroell for Target - July 15th
# Dominique Cohen for Target - August

There are also whispers that an Erin Fetherston collection will be coming soon as well.

If you’ve read Davina Rodriguez’s piece on sweatshops in the June issue of Papierdoll, you walk away getting the feeling that this is a problem that won’t go away. I remember when the whole Kathie Lee thing was going on and she had to go on TV explaining that she wasn’t aware that her clothes were being made in sweatshops because it was basically a licensing deal and she wasn’t directly involved. While that didn’t absolve her of her responsibility, I think that people in general were a little too hard on her.

I guess this is my counterpoint to Davina’s article. The question that begs answering is: where would they make the clothes if not in sweatshops?

If you started to manufacture clothes (not just high-end designer items) in the US, the price of clothing would go up dramatically. The public at large would complain at the high cost of goods. Without getting into economics and different ideologies, sweatshops while abhorrent to Americans, may actually benefit workers in other countries. It’s capitalism at work. The workers in these sweatshops are paid above standard wages for their country, some receive benefits that others in comparable industries may not have and are able to put food on the table for their families.

This is a marked difference than the slave labor story just making the rounds last week in China. I can play the devil’s advocate role here and say at least they are getting paid for their work. Things can be much worse in unscrupulous countries with backward working conditions. The designers although playing somewhat of a role in where their clothes get manufactured are capitalists as well. They want the best quality possible for the lowest price possible. They will shop around and as long as the workers are getting paid, they don’t care how it’s done as long as it’s done.

I guess I am falling on the side of those that say while the thought and practice of sweatshops are to put it mildly awful, they are a necessary evil and provide work for those who otherwise would have none.

I await the hate mail.

Was going through my normal internet reading when I stumbled onto the news of italian designer Gianfranco Ferre’s death. The news has sunk in and everyone is reporting it, but I had to just make a quick comment as I was such a fan of his work from the Dior years and later on when he started his own line. There’s an old, cliched saying: you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. It’s never more correct in his case. How can you take a business suit and bring an edge with structured lines or provide sophistication and simplicity all by wearing a white blouse? In a simple fashion bloggers opinion, that was the genius and much welcomed conflict of Ferre’s work. He will be missed.

Colleen Barry of of the Associated Press wrote a very good obituary on his works in the fashion industry. Click here to read.