Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Yohji Yamamoto.

Fri. 09/27/2013.










Yohji Yamamoto.

I was thinking as i viewed this show if this even was something that qualified as Fashion? Is it Art? The specific thing about Yamamoto's work is that it exists so far outside of the parameters of convention that it's almost impossible at times to quantify his work. He is a master of the unexpected gesture that stirs feelings and ideas internally that are more akin to some Life changing experience. Yes, Yamamoto's work goes beyond the earthbound into something more Esoteric and Inexplicable.

What was the inspiration for this collection? Does it even matter? There were moments of Deconstruction, Neon Day Glow, Artful Dishevelment, A preoccupation with the Black Blazer, all these ideas swirled about in Hallucinatory flashes of This, That and the Other! The Technical Feats of mastery accomplished here were not of the everyday or mundane. Yes, Immense Skill is required to cut a Jacket that fits like a dream and elucidates all the symmetry and beauty of the female form, but Yohji's task is not that simple, but is also at the heart of his explorations. In incorporating those ideas of Form, Function and Purpose, Yamamoto seeks to find that rarefied "Other" that stands out as something far more Sublime Than anything Technique could ever possibly dare to achieve alone!

Opening with a Fantastic Treatise on how to deconstruct the Black Blazer, Yamamoto Stunned with his Feats of Construction/Deconstruction that made one stare Slack Jaw Agog at what was before one's eyes! And before one could absorb the gravity of these wonderments, Poof! They were gone and in their place Retina Scorching pieces in Day-Glo Neon layers of an almost Queasy making Degree! But in Yamamoto's skilled hands, they simply caused a cheerful smile to creep across one's countenance.

The Day-Glo would disappear as suddenly as it appeared in favor of more Black, but would return later with a Fervent ferocity. In between, Muted shades of Grape and Wisteria, An earth toned print, an exceptional Shirt Dress in Neon Orange, More utterly inspired Black suiting ideas, and a some dresses of a disheveled ilk that fit into this caravan of misfit ideas that all seemed to hang together with perfect Symmetry!

By the time the show ended with White shirts and Black skirts the whole Collection Coalesced into a Magnificent whole of absolutely Mammoth proportion. It shouldn't have made any sense, and in the end, it may not have, but it felt like it was all meant to be, as if Karma had deigned it so. No, it didn't fit into the traditional Mould of what Fashion IS, but it WAS, FASHION! Yamamoto has never been the conventional designer, and Thank God, For it is his unwillingness to traverse the path of least resistance and do the work that touches his inner core that makes what he does such a Passionate Joy to Embrace! That's not found very often in this Milleu and when it is, It must be Treasured and Curated Like a Fine Jewel. Yamamoto in that sense is a Hope Diamond Caliber Specimen!










That's All.










Bye4Now!


Monday, April 28, 2014

Christian Dior.

Fri. 09/27/2013.











There has been much, MUCH Praise lavished on Raf Simons' "Illustrious" work for La Maison Christian Dior. Praise that I, personally don't agree with. Simons' has been seen as much as Wunderkind and Saviour and Messiah all in one. His work has been Impactive to say the least, But Revolutionary or Messianic... Maybe not so much. In fact, Much of it has been distractingly Inelegant and to be positively truthful, Unattractive. Not even in a Forward looking manner, just unfortunately Overwrought and excessively Overthought. For Spring 2014 Simons' offering for the Dior RTW collection was perhaps his best collection so far, But even in saying that, plagued with issues. 

The issue... The clothes just don't look... Wearable. They are Intellectual Exercises. Not clothes made for women with real lives. Interesting pieces of clothing art that are meant to excite debate and dialogue about the art of clothing or the creation of fashion. Insofar as that may be fodder for relishing in the upper echelons of the Fashion cognoscenti, ultimately one can only judge the clothes on the basis of if they extol the woman wearing them, Many of Simons' offerings fail terrifically on that front. 

First, Let's address this Obsession with the Bar Jacket that has dominated every collection so far, Unlike per se Lagerfeld's reinvention of the Chanel Tweed jacket season to season, Simons' has yet to recalibrate the Bar Jacket into something outside of an icon and even more truthfully, more dynamic. His plays with the piece have been damnably redundant as if Simons' is in an almost orgiastic thrall. Here, His experiments showed a little Verve. The Floral prints were a nice addition as well as the militaristic and crossover effects brought a some spark. However they always themselves didn't come off gracefully. And let's not even talk about those Hip Cutouts on those unfortunate Angled Pleated skirts, Dreadful! 

SO Much of the collection was tricked out and overworked to such a Nonsensical degree that it just made everything look forced and difficult, there was no freedom and ease, it was all Tricks and Gimmicks and were nothing good in the way of exalting the clothes! When things were kept simple, Like an Imperial Red Silk Blend coat at Exit No. 8, they glowed with genuine brilliance. However those sheer pleated pencil skirts... AWFUL. Funnily though, those Organza Bubble skirts should have been absolute Disasterpieces But were actually Couture Worthy in their Modern Elegance and Daring Do! The colour combinations were also Spectacular, Especially The Grass Green and Peony Pink look at Exit No. 31!

The Finale was actually Incredibly Dynamic and Perversely Beautiful. All those Metallic Brocade pieces and Perfectly tailored Bar Jacket and Slim Black pants were pleasantly Gorgeous! but with all that had come before that had severely Underwhelmed, this was just another case of Simons delivering too little, Far too late! 










That's All.









Bye4Now!



Sunday, April 27, 2014

Lanvin.

Thurs. 09/26/2013.











Every Lanvin collection is kind of like an reinvention of the Wheel every season. I mean, It's a Wheel, sure, but every season Alber Elbaz takes an approach to that comes from an entirely unique point of view with the same results, The Lanvin Aesthetic is Firmly in obeisance but every season the look of that aesthetic is Wildly Divergent from the season before. It retains all the hallmarks of LANVIN, Yet it feels eccentrically different in every incarnation! Does that make any sense? I Hope so!

With all that in mind let us adjourn to the matters at hand, The Spring 2014 collection Elbaz produced for Lanvin. It was Giddily and at times, Hallucinogenically Brash. Maybe it was all that Damn Lame! It was also perhaps, One of Elbaz's Best collections to date! There was such freedom and abandon to Elbaz's offerings this season. As much as there was a 70's "Studio 54" overtone to the collection with all that metallic lame, which by the way came in Radiant Colour as well as metallics, in shades of Grape and Rubis and Teal and Peridot and on and on... There also was something of the 20's Flapper insinuating itself in the edit.

To start, I would like to mention how It has come to pass that Alber Elbaz at Lanvin and Peter Copping at Nina Ricci seem to travel in something of Parallel Paths season to season without exactly being similar at all in approach, but extremely similar in emotional presence! They both are Arch Romantics, Alber maybe is more Eccentric and Quirky while Copping is more Bohemian and somewhat more Florid. But one undeniable fact, there is a vein of inspiration that they both seem tapped into that they take the most absurdly divergent views on! How exactly does this impact either designers collections is simple... they both produce some of the most Desirable and Woman-Centric Collections In a season!

Elbaz's Desire to make everything shine this season added a Comical "Jem and The Holograms" Quirk to the collection but also a strangely Hard and Brittle quality to all that Lame Excessiveness that toughened his offerings this season in the most delicious ways! Louche was the catchphrase of the day, In an irrevocably YSL Way (DO Note, Elbaz WAS The First designer installed Chez Saint Laurent when the Great one decided to step down!) The first exit out showed how Elbaz was Channeling his YSL Days with his Decadent and Opulent sense of colour in a Violet foil Lame blazer with a Sliver top emblazoned with the word "DREAM" in a "That 70's Show" type of font and a Slippery slip of a flip skirt in Blueberry.

More Colour lusciousness... Exit No. 5 on Grace Bol in a Rubis Lame camp shirt and a Bowed wrap skirt in a Mulberry striated Lame or Exit No. 15, A Bronze topper over an translucent sheer lame camp shirt in pale Jade with a pleated pencil skirt in Emerald. But Elbaz was really showing his chops with the section of LBD's that soon followed... Especially Exits Nos. 22 and 23! SUPER CHIC!

But his YSL streak showed through to the bone on Irina Kravchenko at Exit No. 25, It had that "Velvet Rope" look down to a Science, one could have easily imagined Bianca or Liza or DVF Back in the day sashay shauntae-ing under the Coke Spoon hanging from the ceiling or in one of the Banquettes getting lensed surreptitiously by the Paparazzi or Ron Galella... A sleek Tank Bustier top with Sleek Slim Silk Harem pants! Perfection!

Things progressed as they usually do Chez Lanvin... From one High point to another with some truly Monumental high points along the way, but the energy expressed in this collection was a palpable thing and was realized in the most Fascinating and Scintillating ways! Elbaz is never one to not go Whole Hog in a collection, here he was showing a little more abandon than usual, The Intellectual was sublimated for something a little more Guttural and the collection was more Exciting for it! A Marvellously Concepted Work of Brilliance, I would say!










That's All.










Bye4Now!





Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Rick Owens.

Thurs. 09/26/2013.











Let's Start off by saying firstly, This review will not be about the clothes. After the Show Rick Owens Put on for Spring 2014, The clothes come to as much incidental as say, The Lighting! This was an EXPERIENCE! A Glorious, Riotous, Ferocious, Fierce, Amazonian Display of Female Power and Strength with clothes to match the modern Warrioress In all Womankind! Was it that Truly that Extraordinary??? Still Images only say so much, This is something that had to be seen to be Believed! A Transformative, Empowering Moment of Wild Abandon and Sisterhood with women that gave all women who viewed it a renewed sense of inner Self Assurance and Confidence! If you don't Believe, Take A Look Here!

Owens Clothes were as much a part of this Brilliant Fantasmagoria of as the Spectacle, but they took the backseat to the sheer Boundless Excitement and Joy of the presentation. Four Squads of All-Female Step Dance Crews, The Soul Steppers, The Zetas, The Washington Divas and The Momentums, Produced a Pounding, Intense, Snarling, Passionately Diva-Tastic Routine that was individual to each crew, yet worked in the greater sense of the whole as an amalgamous Choreographic Blockbuster! It is said that Owens himself helped shape the outcome of each of the Sororities routines with his own choreographers, who added other elements to the programmes that the Dance Crews had styled, so it was obviously and quite Mesmerizingly, A Team effort that paid off the richest of Dividends of Girl Power!

The thing that was most exquisite, The Natural Beauty of these girls who reveled in their own Prodigious Magnitude. They WERE Woman, See Them ROAR! These lovely Women of all kinds, shapes, sizes and colours, worked in a High Pitch Harmony that erased any semblance of what was Race, Even perhaps Sex! These were Instruments of a Higher Power, They brought the audience to A Frenzied, Cacophonous, Orgiastic state of Excitement and Revelry! It was not only Touching, it was Inspiring, It was as the Queens would say, CHURCH! As Hyperbolic as that may sound, there was something Unassumingly Religious in this experience that moved this beyond the simple Fashion Show, It became an event of far more importance. Whether that was Owens intent or not, it was what transpired!

Now, Down to brass tacks, If the clothes hadn't been so befitting of this offering, things would have felt flat, Hokey even. No, These were clothes for the Warrior Woman of the everyday. Owens is not a designer that makes clothes for the Timid or Meek, But they do incorporate themselves into the lifestyles of Independent thinking women who live their fashion more as security and yes, Armor even. Their clothes have to work on multiple levels and above all, be able to make a woman disappear when she needs into the throng and but never lose her Power or Strength. If that Idee wasn't Absolutely and Profoundly Exemplified by the women of these Step Crews, Then nothing else on this planet could have!

How did Rick Owens find the well of inspiration inside himself to so confidently re-imagine what the constructs of a Fashion Show Can and COULD Be? The Fluid incorporation of Dance, Energy, Beautiful Clothes and Amazing Emotion? The Mind Boggles.

I could go on about the clothes, How Owens presented in Four groups of Ten and Kept the Palette Strictly to All Black in the First Section, Desert Khaki and Pink in the Second, Chocolate Brown and White in the Third and finally All White in the Final Section. How these transitions were as Mesmeric as the presentation... All that could be said and more, However, in the Grand Scheme of things, those things are inconsequential matters. Owens' show made you Believe! Believe in the Idea that we can all unite for a common purpose and support each other regardless of race, sex or background. Believe that Something as Trivial and Asinine as a Fashion show can become Art, Poetry and an instrument of Cultural Change and a deeper awareness of Humanity! Believe that Women ARE Powerful beyond Measure and that the clothes they wear can assist them in being as or more powerful than they ever dared to dream! Perhaps the most Salient Point is, That a Fashion Show can simply make you, BELIEVE!

Thank You, Rick Owens!










That's All.










Bye4Now!




Monday, April 21, 2014

Nina Ricci.

Thurs. 09/26/2013.










Nina Ricci.

Romanticism in fashion is nothing at all new. Nor is the juxtaposition of Masculine/Feminine even Remotely Groundbreaking. In Peter Copping's hands at Nina Ricci for Spring 2014, He Elegantly and Quixotically combined those two ideas and created something Delightful. More than delightful, Whimsical! The harder edge of masculinity in the context of this collection sharpened outfits that would otherwise have been Wan.

Taking inspiration from Men's Waistcoats and Jackets Copping crafted Resplendent collection full of invention and magic! Starting off with a few of the overwhelming trends of Spring 2014, White-On-White and The Ubiquitous Shirt Dress, Copping infused his with Mannish accents but the undeniable delicacy of Femininity!

The delicate Lace dress that Opened the show was surmounted with a Sharp Edged Asymmetric coat that felt not at all Reserved. Minimal, yes, But in a lovely Extrovert way! Then there were the Riffs on the Shirtdress that Had an almost Lacroix Decadence to them even though they waded in the waters of simplicity! As an aside, Should The house of Lacroix ever decides to relaunch, Copping would be an EXCELLENT Choice to carry the mantle!

A frilly Moment in Broderie Anglaise was particularly Fetching and Airy! As the collection proceeded on Copping veered from Soft White to French Vanilla, to Cream, to Eggshell. From there Colour became the focus. At first in Bold Bursts of Painterly Florals, then in Subdued Silvery Greys and Blues then finally a Orgasmic Blast of Sevres Blue which came as such a joyous surprise that it made everyone's heart smile! To Bookend the collection, he ended in White, Floating, Delicate, Lacy Masterpieces!

Copping is in a Particularly Rich and Fulgent period of design at Nina Ricci. One would say he is in the ilk of designer like Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. Both are Romantics, But Intellectual Romantics and are always finding new and exciting was to express that sense of romance in their clothes. Copping is a Unique Visionary In the Fashion Pantheon. And He seems to be hitting his stride!










That's All.










Bye4Now!



Balmain.

Thurs. 09/26/2014.











Olivier Rousteing has Successfully Morphed the Super Rich Rock Bitch look that was developed by Former Balmain Head of House Christophe Decarnin into his own vision of the look. Where Decarnin's Balmain was the rock chick girlfriend of the rich Rocker who wore clothes to entice her boyfriend and all the band members and stay up all night drinking and drugging with the boys and roll into their hotel room some time in the wee hours of the morning looking like she fought the fashion, Yet won to now being the Rich Bitch Rocker that makes her own money and has a Cadre of Boy (or Girl) Toys at her disposal! She no longer needs Said Frontman's Credit card or cash to go on drug fueled shopping sprees... Oh No, she has Millions of her own money at her disposal (Calling Beyonce. Calling Rihanna. Calling Katy.) and dresses for excess and sometimes... SHOCK!

But on to Spring 2014. Rousteing took a Awfully early 1990's Chanel/North Beach Leather/St. John/Moschino  Approach. The collection was uncomfortably Atavistic, looking back to the Hip-Hop days of Chanel and the Fashions of the early 90's with an almost scarily astute accuracy! Yes, the Technique was totally of the moment and Dizzingly expensive and luxurious, but in execution... Retro to an unsettling degree.

Opening with an Intricate Houndstooth Leather cardigan with contrast trim and a flippy Leather Hi-Low skirt that was Quite a exciting outfit and just barely registered on the retro meter. However, the Quilted Baseball jackets that followed were Backwards looking in the extreme. The Quilted skirt suit at Exit No. 6 was also giving Retro Chanel and not in the best way. Things were much better when Rousteing was in his own wheelhouse as at Exit No. 8 in the Off-The-Shoulder top in Denim Blue with expertly draped wide leg pants in denim as well.

The Pants were particularly Awesome this collection, Especially when paired with simple tops like At Exit No. 16 In Pink Lace on Top and Wide Pants, or the Slinky Black pair At Exit No. 24 paired with a Gingham Check top in Black and White!

After the first third of the show the collection, the Lavish and Baroque Nature of the collection shined through In Marvellous Fashion. Although there was nothing Baroque about Joan Smalls' Look at Exit No. 29 was Modern and Sexy with a Pinstripe Overall dress over a White blouse was Smoulderingly Sexy! The Multiple short dresses with flippy full drop skirts and Opulent Encrustations of beads and Embroidery also got the pulse skipping trippily along! The one in Pink Drape Silk on Saskia De Brauw at Exit No. 42 was a Couture Quality Masterpiece!

By the time Rosie Huntington-Whitely Strutted down the runway in the Finale piece consisting of a Glittery Embroidered "Mesh" Top and Undulating skirt, Rousteing had proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the house of Balmain Now belongs to HIM. Any traces of his predecessor have been excised and Olivier's Presence is clearly Dominant. The collection may have stumbled in the vintage in the beginning but was powerfully moving into the future by it's end. That was also kind of where Rousteing's trajectory followed too!











That's All.










Bye4Now!














Saturday, April 19, 2014

Paco Rabanne.

Thurs. 09/26/2013.










Paco Rabanne.

There was a lot of good to be found in the Spring 2014 collection of Paco Rabanne by newcomer Julien Dossena. From the Sportif/Military Vein pulsing through the body of the collection to the near Blatant disregard for the Futuristic style history of the house. From the Slickness of the patent leather opening shift that had a Swing of the Swinging 60's in it's cut or the Vaguely Futuristic bent of the Sage Green Jumper Dress at Exit No. 8.

Also worth noting was the masterful way Dossena Modernized the already Modern feel of The Rabanne signature Metal Mesh. He layered over them Uber-Sportif Zippered jersey Tank dresses zipped WAAAAYYY Down to reveal the Featherlight Silver mesh dresses underneath which also peeked out from the hem of the zippered dresses!

Finishing with a Strong Militaristic Style and more zippers, Dossena gave a strong first showing and looks to be giving the house of Rabanne a Fresh new coat of paint. The Future of Rabanne looks to be bright!










That's All.










Bye4Now!

Balenciaga.

Thurs. 09/26/2013.










Balenciaga,

Alexander Wang can do better than this. His offerings so far at the house of Balenciaga have been Lackluster at best and at worst, well... Etiquette demands that if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Wang is a Highly Talented Designer and Current Master of the Fashion MOMENT but his introduction of his DNA to the house that Cristobal built has been one miscue after another! Relying far too heavily on the Template already laid down by the previous Head of House, Nicholas Ghesquiere, Wang has yet to infuse the house with anything recognizably WANG! It just seems like a sidestep of the house codes, as if Ghesquiere had injected some new blood in his design staff.

So, How did Spring 2014 measure up? Uneven would be quite too nice a word to describe it. There were flashes of Brilliance and Hints that Wang was beginning to use his own language instead of the Lexicon that was already in place, but those moments were all too few and far between! The opening outfits were Unattractively Stiff and Immobile and looked Constricting and then those Flaring Peplums that were surmounted atop the shorts and pants that travelled down the runway were a travesty in motion.

There were a few moments where it seemed Wang was getting it right. Exit Nos. 13-14 were Threading the Wang Needle with a Magnificent Luxurious Sport edge them while the Bubble dresses at Exit Nos. 23-25 were Couture Worthy Winners! After that, however... The collection devolved again into riffs on the Ghesquiere Legacy.

This collection was certainly in the Niche that Ghesquiere Honed to a fine lustre... but that's not exactly pushing things forward. Much of the Essential Alexander Wang Joie felt sublimated greatly here and the collection suffered immensely for it! Ghesquiere didn't really, to my liking, do anything good for the house in the first place, Wang would do himself a great deal of good to rewrite much of the book of Balenciaga and give it a good revision, Because if he continues to follow the path he is on... Wang will simply be trading on the past glories of the house and his imprint will be nothing more than a footnote in the history of the House of Balenciaga.










That's All.










Bye4Now!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Gareth Pugh.

Weds. 09/25/2013.










Gareth Pugh.

In One Word. ASTOUNDING! Gareth Pugh's Spring 2014 collection was one of those collections in which you are grabbing a Thesaurus looking for new superlatives to hurl at it! It Defied all that had come before it for Pugh and was Punishingly Strict and Futuristic and Icily Glamourous! It was a Beguiling amalgam of "The Fifth Element" and Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and "The Terminator" all rolled into a Intoxicating and one has to say, Slightly Disturbing Cocktail! The Alexander McQueen/John Galliano school of design was clearly the wellspring from which this collection bubbled forth. From the Armor like Plastic bodices and Wide belts as well as the Curvilinear construction that was very much McQueen to the Kimono Shapes and Liquid-y Bias cutting that are the hallmarks of Galliano. However, that in no way diminishes the Impact or the Majesty of Pugh's own craft!

As much as the Twin British gods of Modern Couture were hanging about, Pugh is most arrestingly a Singular and Unique voice in the fashion Firmament. One that is sorely needed and one that like his British Compatriot, Giles Deacon, is speaking in a Avant-Garde language that has the Heart of a Romantic and the Soul of a Poet! This showcasing of Pugh's talent was all the more stunning for it's Hard, Cyborg like Futurism but communicated with an aching sense of Fragility, Fragile to the point of Brittle almost.

The show opened with a Statement of Drop-Dead Awesome Scale! Sasha Luss sashaying her Willowy form down the runway in a Bias-Cut Silk gown of the most Devastating Blue. Now, I have heard that Pugh called it "Teal" and many editors were dubbing it "Aqua" from my perch, looking at the Video... It's Cyan! So, I wil go with that henceforth. Atop that Cyan slink of a gown was a Colossal Ostrich feather headdress, Equal parts Vegas showgirl and Star Wars!

The following Exit showed more romance and grandeur with a Portrait neck cropped jacket and long skirt in a luminous combination of Palest Moonlight Grey and Marble White. That same colour combination at Exit No.8 was a Space Age Masterpiece! A Short Kimono sleeve A-Line Coat worn with Stiff wide leg pants! Just Ferocious!

There was so much on display here of an order that words cannot efficiently explain that it's dizzying in scope. This wasn't a collection that was meant to be taken lightly but was achieved with a Steely Whimsy that felt as comfortable in the Fetishistic as it did in the Futuristic! Pugh clearly knows himself enough to produce a collection that was so singularly his own, even with it's occasional nods to the greats that came before him and blazed the trail he is now himself resetting Ablaze!

This was one of those collections that will live for many years beyond it's moment this Spring 2014, It's ripples will be felt for years to come... the rest of the design world cannot help but be influenced by this startling display of Fashion Mastery. Whether those who will be poaching the themes from this collection (And, THEY WILL!) Admit it or not, This is a collection whose importance cannot be underestimated! Nor, Pugh's ability to produce future Tide Turners of collections like this!










That's All.










Bye4Now!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

My Interview With Wes Gordon.

Tues. 04/08/2014.





Well, Today was quite the Exceptional Day. I was lucky enough to spend about 15 minutes with the New York Wunderkind Designer Wes Gordon! I was at Neiman Marcus in Troy, MI. Buying my dad A Birthday Present, (It's his Birthday Today) and I also was there to meet the Wonderful Mr. Gordon and peruse his Fall 2014 Collection (Which is Distractingly Marvellous!) Also, As a Fashion Blogger I was hoping perhaps to borrow a few minutes of his time to explore his ideas on Fashion and the Inspiration for his Fall 2014 Collection.

Imagine my Surprise upon meeting him, How readily the Young Mr. Gordon agreed to sit down and converse with me! I admit, even as a 37 year old, I was a little dumb/starstruck by him! Also, I was a bit Nervous, but i thought literally, all he could either do was say Yes, Or No! That simple! Delightfully enough, he Acquiesced!

 He is Incredibly Dapper, In a young, fresh way and Compellingly Intelligent and Articulate. The way Mr. Gordon speaks about his Conception of Fashion and his way of designing is refreshing because it's so Honest and Guileless. He was So Gracious, and to my almost Giddy delight, Had read my post here of his Spring 2014 Collection! That he had actually read my Blog post, shot a hot flush of red to my face, But was also Incredibly Gratifying!

We spoke of his starting point for Fall 2014 and And Gordon said it started with the Fabrics, That the fabrics and the feel and way they moved dictated the collection. That he wanted to create a collection that was as relevant now as it would be years from now. Also, he had worked with all the mills that supply his fabrics in creating all the Materials for the collection! One such Gasp-Inducing revelation was a Multicolour Fabric that was used early in the collection was Actually all Embroidered and THEN Printed on top of the Embroidery in Swizterland... I DIED! Just PERFECTION! Mr. Gordon was also appreciative of my commentary on how his collection was a Modern look on the Monastic and Minimalist trends of the 90's. But Gordon is Firmly implanted in the Here and Now! His hand is growing, as seen with this Stunning Fall 2014 Collection, More assured and focused with each collection.

In the end, It was a Thrill to be able to Engage in a Most Invigorating discourse with Wes Gordon. It was one of those moments that looking back on, even though it was only a few hours ago, was equal parts Surreal and Fantastic! I hope soon that we may chat again, and hopefully, As my blog grows, I will be able to see the collection first hand during his showing at Fashion Week. The first Step has already Been Taken!

Thank You, SO Sincerely, Mr. Wes Gordon!










That's All.










Bye4Now!



Sunday, April 6, 2014

Rochas.

Weds. 09/25/2013.










Rochas.

As a Swan Song to his years reviving the House of Rochas on his way to remaking Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Marco Zanini did not go out with a Bang. It was actually one of his most uneven collections to date and although as always whimsically pretty and funny, Zany even, ultimately it was Underwhelming. Zanini's Rochas collection was all over the place and proportionally gawky! It looked much like a 60's Sitcom Hausfrau but executed in Spellbinding and Lavish Technique. Much here was Gorgeous but the way it was put together was just Dowdy! Not even in a Perverse, Arch way...Just plain Dowdy!

But Amazingly, The collection while suffering these obstacles, did offer an Exquisite treatise on elaborate decoration and embellishment as well as Vibrant and Fresh Colour. From Citrusy brights to Sugar Almond pastels to Silvery cool metallics. When Zanini did hit the Bull's-Eye it was Dazzling! But those moments were a little hard to decipher amongst the detritus! One pitfall was the terribly aging proportions of the clothes... they were oversized and not flattering nor figure accentuating. And let's not EVEN mention those Horrid Ostrich Feather embellished Flats. HIDEOUS!

A smattering of the good... well, Exit No. 7 was particularly fetching in a multicolour Velvet Cutwork flower embellished tea-length dress dusted with crystals and worn with a Sheer Camp shirt that through the look kookily askew, yet in a good way! The Immense Citron Tinsel Velvet Opera coat at Exit No. 11 burbled with 60's Couture Swagger and owed much to Balenciaga of the era but executed in totally modern fashion! Even though the proportions were off, the colour combination was Spot On at Exit No. 24 in a Cut Velvet embroidered coat in Toasted Almond and China Blue with Crystallized accents with a matching Full Skirt dress in the same China Blue with Floral Velvet adornment.

It was a pretty and fabulously extravagant end to Zanini's Tenure at Rochas and as a New designer will be moving in soon and Zanini will be making his way in the hallowed halls of Schiaparelli Couture, One is left with collection wanting perhaps a more focused and less awkward offering as a fare the well for the house... what this leaves for the incoming designer, practically a clean slate to remake the codes of the house in their own image. One can only hope that whomever that is, will honour the great things that Zanini did do for the house but hopefully move forward from this less than stellar showing.










That's All.










Bye4Now!




Saturday, April 5, 2014

Felipe Oliveira Baptista.

Weds. 09/25/2013.











Felipe Oliveira Baptista has been Smashing the Hell outta of it in his work for Lacoste practically since Day One. That collection is one of the must see collections of the season and this Spring 2014 was no exception. And now in his own collection he Shot off his big guns and presented a show that was full of Smart, Chic, Minimal clothes that betrayed elegance for sharpness. It was a Rigourous affair that had a Strict Military vein running through it.

Starting off with "THE" Shirtdress of the the season (which there have been Numerous iterations of so far) in a to the floor version styled like an Officer's Shirt, in Manila and with a huge swaying skirt, it was effortless for a steamy Summer's Day as it was crisp and efficient for a Spring Party. The Trench that followed was chic in it's purest unadorned form! As was the Long Military coat that followed! The colours of the collection were as reserved as the collection was Strict. Manila, Sage, Pearl Blue, Marble Blue and Ultramarine. 

Baptista is feeling his groove it would seem here and at Lacoste, And showing He can divide his attention in two directions and can do justice to both labels. Keeping his Identity at his own label and detaching and absorbing the Lacoste DNA while there but bringing his voice to the work he does for the house, And producing the quality of work that he does, Not much more can be asked of the man!










That's All.










Bye4Now!





Friday, April 4, 2014

Dries Van Noten.

Weds. 09/25/2013.










Dries Van Noten.

Few Designers are as much a Magician of inspiration like Dries Van Noten. Van Noten is as much an Arch Bohemian as he is a resolute Romantic. His collections are always Magpie affairs... throwing curveballs Left, Right and Center into the fray and jumbling it all about to Sublime Perfection! A Mix Master Extraordinaire, There is always something unsettlingly Provocative about even the most genteel of Van Noten Affairs, Subverse almost. Spring 2014 was no exception!

There was a Fascination with Pleated ruffles that had absolutely no Ephemeral or Romantic connotations that it was almost Futuristic in it's approach, especially when in Super shiny metallic Gold. Opening with a Otherwise simplistic tank neck shift dress, the fluttery Garlands of Gold Pleats arcing around the sides of the dress were instantly Drama-Making and elevated something that could have been Anodyne in to the Exuberant!

After this opening, as is typical Van Noten, The show went everywhere it wanted to, Alighting on themes at whim and dismissing them as casually but all were always part of the larger whole. All viewed through the same lens, but that lens traveled, Here, There, Hither, Yon, Everywhere! One minute A Sober Trench in crinkled Alabaster linen was paired with a Gilded Vest underneath at Exit No. 3 While moments later a Macrame Pesante top was sitting atop a Floaty Lace and Chiffon tunic over pants all in Vanilla at Exit No. 8.

Yet these were but a Few of the Multiple treasures in Van Noten's Trove... From Folkloric patterns to Midnight Tulip florals, even Barbed Wire was thrown in as Menacing counterpoint, though it was rendered in the most delicate of ways! The romance here was Thick, But it was Dark, Vampiric, Melancholy without being Joyless.

A standout of Extraordinary measure was Exit No. 40, A Shift dress so thickly and Lavishly Encrusted with Golden Gilding, it was cut in the simplest shape but was rendered Almost, Delicate by Dries expert hand! The Cavalcade of Ruffles in Black, Gold, Tan, and White all congregating in one outfit that ended the show was an overdose of an affect that in other hands would be unappetizingly saccharine, here there was nothing of the prissy or...  ELEGANT about it!

Tough Beauty! That was the mantra of the day here at Dries Van Noten! That's an idea I think many women are all too ready to get behind, Tiers of Ruffles All The Way!










That's All.











Bye4Now!













Thursday, April 3, 2014

Guy Laroche.

Weds. 09/25/2013.










Marcel Marongiu's Guy Laroche collection for Spring 2014 Was frankly, Outstanding! It was such a Modernistic and Sharp approach to Sporty Chic that it positively pulsed with interest and excitement! Marongiu said he drew inspiration from the Stark, Futuristic vision of movies like "Gattaca" and Fritz Lang's Magnum Opus "Metropolis" and if that was the case, it was only loosely, for the overall impression of Athletic/Sportif Luxe was more the takeaway than Hard Edged Futurism. Yes, There was something very Next Century about the Curvilinear lines of the skirts with their exaggerated flares and sways, but it came off as easily wearable and ridiculously Soignee also!

Starting off showing he was in an Urban Sport mood, Marongiu showed a Hoodie pullover in a Slinky, Shiny, Spongy synthetic material that was paired with a matching flared skirt which seemed to bounce along with Catherine McNeil as she Stalked the runway. From here on the interest was on the bottom, with his skirts that seemed to defy gravity and moved with a buoyancy all their own.

By Exit No. 3 we were in replicant territory with a parade of White shirts and black pants and shorts that all the while looking alike were all completely different but similar enough to give a futuristic clone vibe to the passage! Next came a Striking White on Black scribble print section that was surprisingly graphic yet, romantic in it's own way!

On the agenda next was perhaps the best passage of the show, a grouping of 3 All-In-Ones (Jumpsuits/Rompers) that were the Chicest thing I've seen in a good long while, with their Golden Zippers up the front and in that same Limpid synthetic material as the opening salvo... Just Perfection!

But it was after that where the collection took a disturbing turn and one, that had the rest of the collection not been so powerfully right, could have soured the whole showing. A preoccupation with folds and swaths of fabric on the top of garments, perhaps in keeping in conjunction with what was happening in the skirts, came off as Painfully Awkward and to be seriously Blunt, Ugly! This trope was repeated more times than need be and could have been edited out mercifully and no one would have been the wiser.

Saving that miscue, the rest of the collection quickened the Heart with Exciting, Directional and Inventive clothes that will not appeal to the everyday Woman but will be well worth seeking out for the client that has an adventurous streak in her! From the GORGEOUS Section of dresses with Eyelash fringe tiers to the brief section after in Pink and Grey that was giving 50's Balenciaga Volumetrics, Marongiu gave the season one of the most original and convincing visions of Modern. I, For one, Am thanking Marongiu for his effort!










That's All.









Bye4Now!


Damir Dona.

Weds. 09/25/2013.











First Off, Saskia De Brauw Looked Fierce as HELL opening this show. She was as steely as a Cyborg Amazon and gave this collection so much Power and Strength, which it already carried in spades.Damir Dona's Spring 2014 collection was Cerebral and Monastic But also Edgy! Dona also tapped into the unspoken Martial Arts trend that has been creeping up with a startling frequency! Exemplified by the opening look with it's side belted wrap waist and the Gi like accentuations on later looks in the show.

Giving stark minimalism is befitting of Black and as here in Dona's collection, White. The opening pages of this fashion novel were all written in Optic White and rendered an icy coolness to the looks, even when they begin to resemble Swiss Cheese with their circular "Polka Dot" Cutouts. The colour palette was as minimal as the clothes they were used on. Putty, Lichen and Navy were juxtaposed with more vibrant shades of Safety Orange and one Dollop of Mustard which was all the more provocative for that was the sole showing of the colour!

Standouts included a Trench Styled dress at Exit No. 13 in Putty which was as chic as it was utilitarian. A mock turtleneck sheath dress at Exit No. 19 in White was given Injections of colour in Black, Orange and a Aqueous Blue and was as desirable as anything shown this season! It was as stunning in the reverse as well at Exit No. 24. Exit No. 30 was the Charm of the entire collection... in Black with the "Polka Dot" punch outs it was the same as Exit No. 13, but in this treatment skewed more elegant and feminine!

Dona's skills are rather evident and if things continue along this trajectory, he's going to be one of the major up and coming stars in the fashion Galaxy with a sure hand and a singular voice. Keep an eye on this one!










That's All.










Bye4Now!