Presidential debate and how I know too little

I am aware of the fact my writing became very limited and my working hours extended, though I simply am incapable to produce something but today I had much more free time and could follow up with recent politics. Besides the fact that here, in Turkey, news are all about the current possibilities of (not-)attacking Syria, I had a look also at the First Debate of presidential candidates for the U.S. President.
After seeing couple of headlines, such as: Roomeny won it last night, I decided not to read it before watching it my own.
...
I honestly wrote a two page long analysis of that debate, it is on several letters around my office table and realized: damn, girl, you will need so much more education and follow up to do ever writing a good political blog/observation... Maybe one day, being enough brave, I will put my notes together. By the mean time, you watch it and make your own opinion of development. I have my notes and post-it-s all around.

Moodboard III. - looking for a painting to my new apartment

Ready to wear in Fall and Winter 2012/2013

And here it goes, two days of rain and a sudden drop of a temperature even in warm Turkey made me to put this post together, to finally get ready for the new season. It is strange this year how I feel a bit of a nostalgia towards colder weather and I am not being sad as summer is coming to an end. Possibly this summer's daily hotness of Istanbul -while only going to and back from work - has its effect. So let's look what should I be hunting for during next months in shops, as August's salary is approaching as well.

Gretchen Jonson

Gucci

Firstly, let me introduce you world's biggest labels and the most followed runways. As usually for a winter season, black will be the main color. As I am not any fan of black and I basically refuse to make grey and dark winter to look even sadder, collections of the biggest fashion houses seemed to me pretty sad, using too much of black for their Ready-To-Wear collections and lacking brighter and braver ideas: Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan, Dolce Gabana, DKNY, Jean Paul Gaultier or Gucci. But even dark, also those labels came up with some nice pieces.

Let's look at collections I particularly liked and I believe they worth to be seen and possibly to serve as an inspiration:

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

• Dior - contrary to other big and famous houses, was not afraid to go for different colors, warmer pallets, flattering silhouettes, harder but still flowing textiles with an extra attachment of originality and ornaments. Even collection of Haute Couture with successor of extravagant Galliano, Raf Simonis brought wearable pieces (besides extremely skinny models, collection was an experience worth to see again).

Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta

• Oscar de la Renta - brought a lot of flowers on the black ground (just as purely Victorian collection of Dolce and Gabana), old pink and silhouette of 50s.

• Luis Vuitton (and very similarly Marc Jacobs' own collection, especially when it came to big King-of-Alice-in-Wonderland-like hats, as well as silhouette extending from the breast and getting back narrow at the ankles) showed many elements being hot this season: big buttons, earthy colors, regular ornaments. Note Vuitton's in-detail tailored coats and easy-to-get scarf with an over-sized pin around neck of Marc Jacobs's own collection!

Luis Vuitton

Luis Vuitton

Marc Jacobs

Rocchas

Moschino

• Rochas - as the surprise of the season for me, it brought pastel old looking colors and geometrically regular prints with a hint of contrast color-blocks and bohemian attitude. 

• Moschino Cheap and Chic - not that cheap but certainly chic was colorful collection of Moschino, using a lot of color-blocking.

•  Diane Von Furstenberg - didn't disappoint as well. As usual, I admire her creativity in casual clothing which as only woman knows on how to show off wanted and hide undesirable parts of body. Diane used a lot of actual wine color, long glows and other many up-to-date particles. Looking at her collection you will find out how girl in Fall of 2012 should look like.

• Chloe - with lovely creamy colors, I am pointing it out as another inspiration for tatlı (sweet) girls.



Diane Von Furstenberg



Chloe

Secondly, let me talk a bit about next season's must-haves and inspirations being fashionable. 

Colors of the season: certainly wine red or "Bordeaux", beige, chocolate brown, mustard yellow, contrast or shiny orange elements, cobalt or Parisian blue, golden particles, and light-old pink and turquoise. Obviously dark grey, black and white rules but I know they will not become the main colors in my closet.

Materials: heavier but still flowing, (artificial, almost as latex-looking) polished leather (yes, good assumption, I will probably avoid it as well), knit and thick cotton, two colors wool (especially grey and white), colored fur (really?).

Inspirations: Victorian era especially colorful flowers on a black background, similar to Asian ideas, military, bohemian style, 50s and Lolita stay, male's cuts.

Chanel

DKNY

Gretchen Jonson

Dolce Gabana

Elements: contrast cutted or very high collars, significant and large pockets and buttons on the top parts of the clothing, large or shaped belts, long-sleeve gloves even above elbows, "peplums" or ruffles around belly (yes, not a big fan of that again), pleated skirts possibly under knees or even touching an ankles, wide shorts  (honestly, not really flattering cut tied around belly and only enlarging butt, nothing for me), black ornaments.

And what to get, not to spend much and keep a track?

Certainly grey/steel-like tight stockings, big knit from a thick wool around a neck (as Marc Jacobs), big belt, high-quality leather (possibly chocolate brown) boots, gold-like accessories, thick wool (possibly long) sweeter. Very soon (well, depends on when local brands will publish their new collections online and when I will finally get my hard copy of September's Vogue - possible in Istanbul?) I will write also about reachable labels I like, such as Zara, Stradivarius or Mango and will get some inspiration.

Hermes

Giorgio Armani

Nina Ricci

Victoria Backham

Valentino

Yves Saint Laurent

Photos @ Elle.com

A little note on Kurdish issue

...  by Today's Zeman columnist

Just today I have read very nice example that illustrates PKK and Kurdish questions in Turkey. After a Monday's attack in Gaziantep, the matter has been up-heated in here again. Columnist that garbed my attention wears a veil, Merve Busra Ozturk writes: 

A little Kurdish girl in Gaziantep -  the city which lost
 its 9 citizens and more than 60 were injured
in a car bombing on Monday, October 20th,
allegedly committed  by terrorists
of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

"A priest from a small, poor village sets off on a very hot summer day down a road that has no trees or any source of water for as far as the eye can see in order to pay his respects to his aged relatives in a faraway village. He sets out before sunrise and continues to walk throughout the day. By the afternoon, he is so thirsty and exhausted that he only has enough strength to walk to a small green lake, which he is thrilled to see. He goes to the lake, drinks as much water as he can, washes his arms and legs and lays down to nap beside the lake.

Just as he is about to fall asleep, a nobleman on a horse arrives and yells: “These lands belong to my king and my family. No foreigner can benefit from these lands. Get out right away -- now!” The priest then says: “You say that your king and family own this land. How, then did you obtain it?” The man replies, “We inherited it from our ancestors.” “And how did they obtain it?” “They inherited it, too,” the man replies. When the priest asks the same question once more, the man loses his patience and says, “My great-great-grandfathers obtained these lands by fighting.” The priest then stops and, smiling, stands up and begins to take off his clothes. “Take off your clothes, too. We are going to fight,” he says. 

Görmüş says this story perfectly illustrates our country’s Kurdish issue: The state -- the nobleman in the story -- has denied the rights of Kurds -- the priest in the story -- for years based on laws it has created. Is there a difference between the priest’s need for water and the Kurds’ demands to speak their language without fear? And did the Kurds not say “take off your clothes, too, we are going to fight” when the state rejected every demand they made?"

 Something catchy is about that story and again, the truth is somewhere in between...

moodboard - Istanbul II.

Being a visitor is so much different than being a resident

Our "I-don't-care" boat

It has been some time since I write... but only two reasons for that: 1. I finally get something to do at my work - what took me about three day even I guess they expected me to work about two weeks; 2. we had Bayram vacations and I went with my boyfriend (!) to Izmir. Well yeah, I have a boyfriend, I should have started to call him that way to get used to an idea I am not single anymore. It has been about a month we are officially together. Strange innovation of my life but I feel calm...

This year's Bayram was the second Bayram holiday I have ever experienced. This time less traffic-wise. Journey by car from Istanbul to Izmir which usually takes about 7 hours turned pretty much to disaster due to traffic and a trip there took us over 13 hours. Yes, everybody had that brilliant idea to leave Istanbul early morning of Saturday too (but I have heard other times were pretty much the same). 

Seferihisar

Since two years that I was in Izmir for the first time, many things have changed. And as I always connect places to people, I have became to realize that being a visitor is so much different than being a resident: there is not any occasion once you visit people that live near you, it is nothing special, it becomes ordinary and they treat you ordinary as well. Sounds a bit sad but this is what happened to me and my friends: once close guys excited by my presence, today, after we all moved to Istanbul - we became super-ordinary. 

But it may have something to do also with a psychological factor, I guess: always I met with them before, I was a single girl in between a bunch of Turkish guys. Nowadays, I took one of their friends and made him to be my boyfriend and now, we are excluded. Makes me sad and upset how unfair it is but I just need to learn to get along with it...

Anyhow, holidays were lovely and very much needed. I wish they took longer. I visited Izmir, went for sailing trip to Seferihisar, spent times with other couples (me!) in Foça, even survived my first drinking game ever... 

Foça

And summarizing holidays, I have to mention one more story, maybe that may bring a bit of political glance to my blog... 

Rushing home, we stopped by to see a former high school of my boyfriend. I admired his desire to see it and also a range of respect he had towards it. I can't imagine myself doing the same, even I love my high school - certainly not that much. 

Almost running to its gardens, this really big and strong man realized that two main buildings, apparently some historically important, were destroyed and place actually looked like they have never been there before. I saw big teardrops he tried to hide. He was sure this was a pure political movement: in Izmir, this school is supposed to be one of the best, producing intellectuals and open minded people. Now, its capacity rapidly degraded. He mention under investment in Izmir by government: roads weren't repaired for ages, buildings - same story. Does Turkish Prime Minister have that goal? I will keep an eye on that.

Beauty really matters or Nothing is more useful than useless

Some days seems more inspiring than others. It may go together with moon's position or just a simple fact how I sleep or wake up. Anyhow, last two days I feel very artistic. Again! Good for me! And in my case it means I am searching for all available beauty - beauty in people, surrounding, culture, food, music... all types of beauty. 

Yesterday, I discovered philosophy of Roger Scruton. Why Beauty Matters is a documentary British philosopher prepared for BBC in 2009. He brings a conservative point of view to discussion on what actually is "the beauty". And in many of his ideas I can find mine as well:

• beauty is not subjective but an universal matter humanity needs for its inner-development
• since 20th century, beauty has been replacing by "originality" that Scruton names "cult of ugliness"
• he disagrees with an idea that since the world is disturbing, art should be disturbing as well
• if the work of art would be just an idea, anybody who has an idea could be an artist
• consumer-oriented society values all it has use of, thus values of society are utilitarian. As beauty has no use, it is undervalued. However, he claims: "Nothing is more useful than useless", accompanied by examples of love or old still-standing buildings compared to already crumbled grayish apartment buildings
• it is not nostalgia but knowledge passed from generation to generation what makes beauty of what it is.

I very much agree with those pointed truths. And I also share those conservative societal approaches and by generations proven facts which we should keep in minds and not to run after every single extravagant idea that is purely different, nothing else. I am learning to perceive beauty and I believe everybody can build up such knowledge. Unfortunately, Scruton did not give me an answer where is the line of what is beautiful and what is not (I am decided to look for his book on that topic, if I find it in Istanbul - hate internet shopping). Enhanced by mood of I-need-to-know-more, I watched another, rather superficial document of BBC. It talked more about human's beauty which I wasn't that interested in but still it had two interesting points:

1. movement (of body) is what attracts
2. symmetry (as key of health) is visually more attractive

So what is beauty to me? All that bring warm feeling inside - sometime even hot tea - and even there is an universal beauty, red lines are featured very subjectively: just as I find beautiful Istanbul with all its old ugliness and the same time, I am still afraid once my parents will visit the city, they won't find it attractive at any sense.