The Bertrand Times: TBT - N°40

(click to see in full screen mode)

Words from the editor in chief - December 2011

Christmas is approaching my dear readers, what are you gonna do this winter? Will you celebrate the day in a conventional way or do you want to shake things up? Planning on a trip? Settling the final gifts’ budget? Oh and have you eventually written your list? Christmas presents can become a pain in the ass for those who wait to the very last minute, but if you’re planning on shopping with friends and other family relatives for common gifts, it can also be really fun. Every December, everybody is stressed out with tracking down the perfect gifts for all the family members... But hey let’s not forget that December and the holidays is the perfect time to relax, think about what we’ve achieved throughout the year and think about the future. I was reading various blogs last month and I got super excited with what could be considered already an early gift: h&m’s brand new collaboration... with Marni.

“The collection, which encompasses womenswear, menswear, jewelry, shoes, bags, and scarves, hits 260 h&m stores worldwide and online on March 8, 2012.” said the editors from fashionologie. "I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints," explains Consuelo Castiglioni. "As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colors, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic adding sporty utilitarian elements." According to the collection's press release: "For women, the colors are vivid and the prints are bold, be they African inspired or simpler color blocks. The silhouettes are all Marni staples, with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped trousers and jacquard knit, and fabrics range from silk to crisp cotton poplin. For men, the colors and fabrics are softened for a relaxed take on menswear staples that is truly Marni. The use of print is subtle, often as a lining or as a contrast detail for shirts, the silhouette a modern and relaxed take on masculine classics."

Between those perfumes’ lists, sweaters, toys and expensive shoes and handbags, there is also the great parties one can bu lucky to attend. Not too long ago, it was at London's Savoy Theatre, a who's who of British fashion gathered for The British Fashion Council's annual awards, and let me tell you, my team and I were really excited by the winners. Victoria Beckham, accepting her Designer Brand of the Year award from presenter Marc Jacobs, told the crowd, "I am SO nervous," before shedding a few tears and adding: "This is rubbish." Alexa Chung, who took home the British Style award — which is decided by a public vote — dedicated her award to "girls who dress like awkward boys", and finally, Sarah Burton, who took home Designer of the Year, called the award "the icing on the cake for what has been an amazing year."

With this Celebration issue we want to thank you as readers, we applaud the fashion’s worldwide figures and the amazing talents this world has to offer, our models, photographers, contributing editors and all of you who’ve made what The Bertrand Times magazine is to this day. As editor-in-chief of TBT, I try as much as I can to wield a different kind of influence, brains and power to this publication. This magazine has traditionally been seen as a solid english written and clothes’ driven magazine for both young men and women but my editors and I also put our high fashion taste into the pages of the magazine, we want to offer you that vision of the industry with the most exciting editorials we can create and with the most exciting talents we discover on a monthly basis. It is not so much about circulation as reflecting the zeitgeist. It doesn't matter that the editorial is in English, the magazine is here as a help/source of inspiration/original vision for our readers to go through every month and to escape into a different reality. Even though we all know that actions speak louder than words and that pictures are always more important than the words, I still believe to this day in this importance of the words we use, the articles we decide to put our attention and time onto and the themes we want to cover.

What to add? We’ll soon embark into our 4th year and I hope to continue to work with the most visionary photographers/editors and the most exciting/sexiest/high fashion knowledgeable models in the business. To many of you, from all around the world, this small but growing title, is 'very special, and I’m glad you’ve found with TBT, a voice that follows yours. I just have to add that I wish you a great Merry Christmas, a Happy new year and to keep dreaming big, working hard and to follow your gut. I want to end this letter with my favorite commercial, which is kinda of old bu it doesn’t matter, from LV. "What is a journey? A journey is not a trip. It's not a vacation. It’s a process. A discovery It’s a process of self-discovery. A journey brings us face to face with ourselves. A journey shows us not only the world, but how we fit in it. Does the person creates the journey, or does the journey create the person? The journey is life itself... Where will life take you?" You’ll find this answer while living to the fullest of your abilities, with the most generous and fun people around you and always keeping in mind to achieve your own goals to make every single year, the most special thing ever. Don’t forget: we only live once, so make it count y’all and be as fierce as you can be while dressing up and being educated.

xoxo Bertrand

---

TBT in print - The December "Celebration" issue n°40