Friday, November 20, 2015

Prada.

Thurs. 02/26/2015.






There are very few designers who gets Fashion Writers, Bloggers and Cognoscenti, Prosaic Juices flowing quite like Miuccia Prada. She seems to have the power to make even the most Shallow and Vapid of writers get all Cerebral-like. And those that already fancy themselves Deep Fashion Thinkers... Well she just sets them off on Tangents of Herculean proportion! This isn't to say that Quite oft, Ms. Prada's collections aren't submerged in Subliminal Context and Multi-Layered Ideas... But some people search for meaning in the most infinitesimal details.

Although at times the Glut of Subtext and Import suffuses Senora Prada's collections from top to toe, even in these Maelstroms of connotations, One has to really remember... It's Just Fashion. Unfortunately, for Miuccia, that may have been where the downfall lay... For Prada, this collection really did feel like Fashion only! The Ironical and often Bitter, intellectualism coupled with the Dryly Comic element, so essential to the best Prada collections, went missing!

Yes, for Fall 2015 Prada indulged in the Slyly humourous and indulged her penchant for Toxic colour combos, she also Trawled the 60's "Mad Men" era for Cheeky silhouettes and the Faux "Prettiness" of turning those ideas from the 60's on their head and Whackadoodling them into a heretofore unimaginable sphere. All this played itself out in Delicious/Treacly colourations that Attracted, then Repelled and still managed to Seduce. Those colours soon took on a deep feeling of the Queasy as the combinations became more Lurid, but it was welcome in a collection that felt otherwise wanting for some Edge!

But, when all was said, the collection felt, Uninspired. And more importantly, Like Prada was trying too hard! The flip side of this was that Miuccia provided us with some of the best clothes she's produced in a Good, Long while, The 60's Brit Pop band suits, The Truffaut/Vadim era Car Coats, Even a bit of Balenciaga Cocktail dressing was sashayed down the runway, It all added up to a Contextual Mishegoss that while wearable, didn't really feel like there was any blood pumping through the veins. I am not one to look to Prada to Satiate my Intellectual cravings, but it does seem Prada is at her best when she is Challenging not only her audience, but herself as well. This, seemed like Prada was Meandering, Looking for an idea to affix to her clothes instead of materializing the clothes to suit her Cerebral leanings!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Costume National.

Thurs. 02/26/2015.






Ennio Capasa showed one of the strongest Costume National collections the house has seen in a good while, for Fall 2015. Mainly, By eliminating tricks and extraneous and useless design elements, by concentrating on Cut, Absence of Colour and Rigour... Capasa made a collection Seething with Desirable pieces that will fit his customers needs handily! Much was also gained by Capasa Simplifying much of what he showed, the Technical Difficulty of the pieces was evident, but rendered in Unfussy ways, Bereft of Elaboration, the clothes shined like Polished Silver.

There were Flights of Fancy moments, some Crystal Beading and some "Black Swan" Worthy feathers flitting about, but generally, everything was submerged in a Quietude of inherent Strength and Power. When Capasa worked his Mojo just right, like in a Tuxedo coat with Satin revers over a Plunging Black blouse and Sleek Leather pants at Exit No. 7, or in Glossy Black Plonge Leather coat over a Black Turtleneck and skirt a couple exits later... he Hit the Nail Square and True! In saying that, there wasn't really anything in the collection to Chastise. It was pretty much a Perfect showing from Bow to Stern! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Just Cavalli.

Thurs. 02/26/2015.






Fall 2015 at Casa di Just Cavalli seemed geared towards a Free-Spirited, Bohemian Modern Hippy, with Raucous print and colour and much ornament to Tantalize the eye. It wasn't all successful, but it was more accomplished and feasible than usual, per the line. The definite 70's feeling was apparent and very much in the vein of the Women in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" but here had more of a Quirky, Gothic Victoriana twist about them. 

From Frilly, Fluffy Feathers, to Curly Wools and Fur, the collection ran the gamut, Short Short, and Long Long, From Romantic, to Siren, to Ingenue and back again, It had a little of everything and happily, did not feel disjointed. The mix was the message and it was accomplished effectively and with Great Vivre and Esprit! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Fendi.

Thurs. 02/26/2015.






It seems somehow, Amazing, how Karl Lagerfeld divides his mind when it comes to designing the Myriad collections of Fashion, Photography, Architecture and more that proliferate from his Fingerless gloved hands! He is the Ultimate Polymath! His brain seems to bifurcate itself, Amoeba-like between his collections, Karl Lagerfeld is one thing, Fendi is another and Chanel altogether something else, and the miracle being... The Twains never meet! Nothing spills over from the Fashion Ideology of one collection into the other collections, they seem to be designed by totally different people almost. Karl is the most Highly Functioning Schizophrenic the world has seen, it would appear!

One would also have to point out, the Subliminal aspect of Lagerfeld's Dizzyingly Febrile Medulla Oblongata! He spoke of the Fendi Fall 2015 collection as being inspired by the architecture of the new Headquarters of the Fendi operations/ateliers in Rome in the Pallazzo Della Civilita, which also keenly brought into relief the work of Italian Artist, Giorgio di Chirico, but that he had no inclination to be Specifically inspired by the space or buildings until he realized his Autopilot Mind had usurped the elements and blended them into the wardrobe after the collection had been completed. 

The columnar White toned looks that opened the show effectively brought to mind di Chirico's Eerie, Surrealistic landscapes dotted with suspiciously out of place Buildings, Sensuous Curving lines and a restraint that was welcome after the beleaguered Spring Fendi collection, which was an utterly atypical fail of a showing for the house. Fall's artistic bent was further expounded upon with the inclusion of Sophie Taeuber-Arp as a Inspirational Touchstone. Arp's Constructivist style was rendered in paneled prints in striking colour combinations and in solid blocks of Colour combined together. Whereas much of the collection stuck to Browns and Neutrals and of course, Scores of White, there were Vibrant Reds, Rich, Gourmand shades of Caramel and Butterscotch, and, Naturellement, Black!

While much could be said of the Panels of Leather (or Pony, or fabric) that abounded in the collection, the necessity to do so is minimal. They gave the viewer much to talk about for their unique and graphic nature, and the Newness of what they added to the pieces they were attached to, but were more an Interesting Divertissement. The real heart of the collection lay in the, as Lagerfeld called it, "Pleasant Aggressivity" Minimalism that verged on Brutalism. There was no Festooning or Imbibing in Ornament this time, made clear by the Dangerous looking Bird-Of-Paradise flowers sticking out, Front and Center, of all the Handbags. Whereas for Spring, with the Hothouse Orchids, things got Droopy and Loosey-Goosey for Fendi, here, there was a Conscious pulling back that lent an edge of, Look, Not Touch to the clothes. Double that up with how Protective and Comfy most of the clothes were and you have a Woman as Fortress Parable for your Nerves!

Karl whipped up a Calm, Cool, Collected, Frenzy of a collection, one that never settled or alighted on one thing or one idea for too long before Pirouetting onto some new ground to investigate and harvest. It's always a Discombobulating experience, the wild ride that is Karl Lagerfeld, One that requires you to Strap yourself in, TIGHT, and be ready to Jete into the Abyss once again, Knowing only that since Karl is the one holding your hand, you have Very little to fear!





That's All.





Bye4Now!