You Like, You Buy Vol 41

Local fashion retailer Gitti (www.gitti.com) was founded on the vague premise of "the global outlook of local fashion". You can choose to dismiss it as a load of marketing BS but it's really an indication of how local designers have broadened their vision. They are now designing not just for a local audience but for the bewilderment of people in far-flung reaches of the world.

Surprisingly in this case, the clothes themselves are not particularly appealing, nor are they particularly horrible. They are the sartorial equivalent of a tepid action movie starring 2 cops of differing ages/ethnicities/sexual proclivities. However Gitti has managed to set up a myriad of stores in Asia and even set up shop in the land of the free & home of the brave.

The secret must lie in their killer advertising campaigns. Sometimes all you need is a fantastic model who make a compelling visual argument for even the most mediocre item. For its most recent collection, Gitti decided to spread this burdensome responsibility between 2 models.


The first one played it serious, and gave the clothes a dark and intense edge to them. Look and learn budding Shakespearean actors. This is the look someone gets just before they unsheath their ponytail and brandish it through someone.

It is with the second model, however, where you really begin to appreciate the value of posture and facial expression. She exudes a boundless, infectious enthusiasm for life even in the face of extreme adversity and the worst ponytail ever uploaded onto the internet.


I would imagine that the photographer's directions would also play a big part in the resulting shot. For example, he would most likely have told the model to affect a sunny disposition that went together with her bright clothes and a slouch that matched her boots.


In this case, she would be channeling a grinning Christmas elf. She can't wait for the festive season to roll around because of the distinct possibility that by then pants might have reverted to a decent length.


Already the stress of wearing orange, purple and green is starting to take its toll on our model. However she soldiers on, resolutely holding her facial muscles together before they start twitching uncontrollably.


Even amputees should laugh at life because they get to wear one less Birkenstock sandal than everyone else.


Finally, the shoot has come to an end and while one of her legs has regenerated, the other arm remains AWOL. It must have got lost along with the concept of proper art direction. It also says a lot about this whole gig that even though her bladder is about ready to explode she can't wait to hail the first taxi out of there.