Celebrity Fragrance

No matter how bad the economy is, celebrity brands or the companies that use the celebrity to gain profit drive the industry. Celebrity helps to promote the products to the consumer because of their instantly recognizable image which gives consumer strong direct impact. Once customer sees familiar face on the package, they can’t think carefully bad just grab it. In addition, using the celebrity who is constantlyfile:///Users/student/Desktop/5184536538_217a96ab33.jpg shown in the public, the products can also be modern and edgy or classic and timeless, depending on the public image of the celebrity. However, there is downside of using the celebrity. The negative image of the public figure can directly impact the sales of the products. Who wants to wear the fragrance whose maker is racist or having the bankruptcy? The last and the biggest negative side of the celebrity brand is it cheapens the image of the fragrance since they rather focus on the marketing than the quality and are targeted at a young buyer. For those reasons, the public became invisible to separate between the celebrity brand and the scents gift in its own. I personally think that everybody should have at least one fragrance created buy professional perfumers that would fits to whatever mood, style and age.           


     


Sources


http://desvestirmedia.com/1345/fotos-Foto-0-original-de-rihanna-fragrance-laazd3031/
http://www.popcrunch.com/shakira-perfume/
http://www.colinusher.co.uk/2008/04/usher-fragrance-what.html

Modern Culture and Fragrance

Regardless the situation of the market and flat wages, women never give up the beauty. That is why the beauty industry is one of the few businesses that couldn’t come at a worse time. However, this unbreakable idea of beauty industry has been broken. Typically the big companies, the sale has declined about 1 percent for a decade. One of the biggest reasons for this is that younger customers tend to invest more money on cellphone, iPod and other electronics. This fact indicates that customers are waiting to see how beneficial the product is and how long it is going to last. Another reason is the rising price of oil. Gasoline is the primary target, which would be influenced by the price of oil, but cosmetics as well since most of the products include the oil.

During the recession, fragrance industry is typically getting worse. Unlike the other beauty products such as lipsticks and eyeliner, fragrance does not give the visible result to the customer. In other words, it is not essential thing that people need to have to look beautiful. In the weak economy, fragrance is an option but not a necessity. 

Invisible Hero of Fashion

The Bill Cunningham's column "On the street" in New York Times has influenced many fashionistas all over world, including me. When I play "On the street" audio slideshows on the New York Times website with Bill's narration, I am transported to the streets of New York. As a photographer, he has dedicated his life to capture the real world of fashion, which exists on the street. His incomparable instinct to capture the trends that are coming from real people who wear the real clothes on the street. He has always gives the sense of reality to the fashion. "We all get dressed for Bill," the Queen of Fashion, Anna Wintor remarks how important role he has played in the fashion. Also she mentions her feeling of personal failure when he did not raise his camera towards her. He is the criterion of beauty. Now, he finally gives his voice and shows his appearance in the documentary film by Richard Press, Bill Cunningham New York.

Bill Cunningham is an outsider who hates to be in the spotlights, but he is the spotlight, which brightens the people. In contrast to the extravagant world of fashion, he stays his life as simple as possible. "I don't have time,” he repeats many times in the film as if he is not interested in anything other than photographing the beautiful people on the street. He lives in a tiny studio with 5-story cabinets all around the room. He eats $3.50 lunch, which includes a cup of coffee. He always wears $15 blue shirts. "It is too rich for me", he said when he found that Michael Kors was wearing Cashier coat.

I believe that being modest is the only way to evoke the keen artistic sense. In other words, always being satisfied loses the sharpness of the sense. Some designers have fallen into the trap richness and only seen the extravagantly decorated world of fashion. Unfortunately, they ended up loosing their sharp instinct to capture what people needs at the "present" time and fail their businesses like Yohji Yamamoto and Christian Lacroix. If those designers could ever remember the modesty that they used to have and the Bill's words, "Money is cheap, Freedom is expensive", maybe they would still design as a trendsetter.

It is very difficult to keep from trap of richness and to be modest, especially in New York but not for Bill. This is the significant reason of his achievement as one of the most important person in the fashion world. For those who have already watched the film, it is clear that he has something, which obsessively drives him to keep working although he will never disclose what it is. However, I honestly don't care at all because I will keep turning the page of New York Times every week and transport.  

Sources

http://guestofaguest.com/nyc-society/hurray-for-bill-cunningham-hurray-hurray-hurray/

http://www.wwd.com/eyescoop/qa-bill-cunningham-1762700/

http://www.newdirectors.org/2010/bill-cunningham-new-york-2/

The Photography Life

The way Bill lives his life is truly inspiring. Bill loves what he does so much that he doesn’t need a reward of expensive luxuries. He refuses to get paid by the companies so they don’t own his him, his work, or change his vision. 

When looking at another successful fashion photographer such as David LaChepelle, we can see a huge difference in their lives not jut their work. 

David LaChapelle

Bill Cunningham

Bill lives in a studio without a bathroom or a kitchen! David lives in a $1.65 million dollar home. 

Bill's Apartment

Bill's Bed

David's Home

David's Bed

When getting to and from events Bill rides his bike, wears his blue smock, and is still talking a bunch of photos all night. David goes in style, in a nice car, and doesn’t really take photographs.

Bill at an event with a friend

David at an event with his boyfriend

Bill arriving at an event

David arriving at an event

Many of Bill’s friends wonder about his private life. Can you work all the time and still be fulfilled in life? He doesn’t see it as work but more as a hobby. Bill has never in his life had a romantic relationship. It really didn’t seem to phase him on the outside. He is too busy with his work and probably doesn’t have time to sit and think for it to bother him. He hasn’t even seen his own movie! But, if you don’t know what you are missing, how can you miss it? The same is true with his housing. No one knows how he was raised. Was he wealthy and that is why he is so comfortable around celebrities? Was he poor and that is why he is able to live with lower standards? Some aspects of Bill life are still a mystery but we all would love to watch and get dressed for Bill.



Sources

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/apr/08/homage-street-fashion-photog-bill-cunningham/

http://www.spreadartculture.com/2011/03/22/cunningham-on-the-prowl/

http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/a-grand-fellow/

http://indefinitetransit.com/2010/10/22/art-event-mary-mcdonald-interiors-the-allure-of-style-book-party/

http://www.luxist.com/2009/04/24/david-lachapelle-lists-l-a-house-for-1-65-million/

http://www.lachapellestudio.com/portraits/elizabeth-taylor/?ci=54

http://www.lachapellestudio.com/editorial/italian-vogue_5/?ci=8

http://s334506675.onlinehome.us/?m=201003

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/fashion/shows/18street.html?_r=1