Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Creatures Of The Wind Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






For Resort, Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters tamed their rather extroverted aesthetic into something still whimsical and eccentric but less reliant on "Look At Me" styles and concentrated more on direct,  engaging, gay looks for their Resort 2016 collection for their label Creatures Of The Wind. Inspired by Picasso's portraits of his last love, Jacqueline Roque. Given that Picasso and Roque spent most of his later years in the South of France, the collection had a certain French Joie de Vivre going for it that wasn't overtly sunny, but did have it's moments of peeking through here and there! 

So the eclectic whimsy of Gabier and Peters shone through succinctly and clearly in a Flora print Pantsuit that was truly Fun and Delightful and perfectly "Right" for the Creatures Of The Wind woman, As was the little SUPER cropped Perfecto in the same print that was paired with a button-down and Pajama-ish pants. A Woven Ombrè Coat had a seasonless appeal (especially with it's Cremè Anglaise coloured Fur collar) and looked perfectly quirky with Marron Glacè Satin slim trousers! These are just a small pinch of the fantastic pieces to be found in the C.O.T.W Resort clothes and many of them, including the aforementioned pieces, are strong enough to become wardrobe staples. 

Gabier and Peters have not shot meteorically to the top, they have taken their time and been on the fringe of the establishment for a good bit, it now looks as though, the Fashion Hierarchy is rearranging itself to include the Creatures team of Gabier and Peters into it's fold. I can't find any reasons why that should not be made so, Double Quick! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Jonathan Simkhai Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Designer Jonathan Simkhai seems to be in the midst of something of an Identity Crises. He does not seem to know what kind of designer he wants to be! His Resort collection gave vivid proof to this posit by looking like it was designed by and AS a Split Personality. One Passage, Simkhai's an Edgy Romantic Modernist. Next Passage, he's full-on Body-Con Glam. Then another moment passes and he's a Frilly, Extravagant Luxury Evening designer. 

Because of all this meandering, Simkhai's Resort presentation felt like a discombobulated and failed attempt to reconcile all of these aspects of his design aesthetic into a wholly unconvincing and rather unappealing compendium of pieces. Claiming he was going for as "Sporty, Sexy, Cool" aesthetic Simkhai achieved the Sporty part, the Sexy part too, but cool... depends on whom you're asking. A sexy White camisole paired with Wide Navy trousers was winning the Sexy and Cool rounds but didn't quite capture Sporty. And that was kind of the whole problem. nothing really captured a specific mood that was promised, so the collection had an aimless quality to it that rendered it essentially, Unfocused. 

Simkhai has incredible potential and amazing skills, but he also has a serious issue to resolve. That issue is what kind of designer exactly that he wants to be. That flaw in design aesthetic gave this collection a challenging aura of the disjointed. Does he want to be a designer of athletic inspired modern sportswear or of Sexy, Spectacular luxe pieces demand attention. The effort of trying to conjoin the two so far, has led to not much other than often beautiful, Confusion. 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Friday, August 26, 2016

Rochas Resort 2016.

Tue. 06/09/2015.






Alessandro Dell'Acqua distilled a little of the spirit of past house designer Marco Zanini into his Rochas 2016 Resort collection, which in large part made it the categorical success it was. Dell'Acqua isn't really a Light-Hearted or FUN designer. He's Stricter, more sensualist and erotic in his work. There's even sometimes a certain Germanic sternness in his work. Zanini is a Bold, Free Spirited designer, given to Zaniness and Gaiety... Two VERY different attitudes to try and enmesh together into something Fashionably Viable. 

Yet, Dell'Acqua achieved a fair bit of that Zanini Esprit de Vivre in this collection, And, By Golly Gumdrops... IT WORKED! The voluminous shapes and girlish vibrance to the clothes were the first cues that things were going in a different direction, then with the engaging off-kilter colour palette. Mustard Orange, Shell Pink, Carrot Orange. Even though the collection focused primarily on Black and White and Pale Neutrals, these punctuations of Vivid colour injected a good deal of energy into the looks. For Instance, Shell Pink was the colour washed over a Charming tent dress in heavy Silk decorated with heaps of Broderie Anglaise, which was a recurring motif throughout the looks.

Lightness exuded from every pore of this collection and was exemplified in a gown of fluid Black and White Gingham print Chiffon with a back skirt completely of softly pleated White Chiffon. Magnifique! Dell'Acqua looked as if he finally was relaxing into the heritage of the house and the man who preceded him whom did such an incredible job reviving the label. Dell'Acqua has all the tools to raise his game significantly more, he only need apply them. 





That's All.





Bye4Now!



Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Carven Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






So, What shall it be first? The Bad News? Or, The REALLY Bad News? If you're like me... you'll go with the Bad news first... ease into the matter. Ok. Bad news is... The Carven Resort 2016 collection was not good. The REALLY Bad news... The Carven Resort 2016 collection was REALLY Not Good! Such and unflattering and childish undertaking it was. Most, not all, but MOST of the outfits by the new successors to the house, Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud, looked as if it hadn't been designed at all, it in fact looked as if it had been, "STYLED" to meaninglessness! I can not imagine a more withering indictment than to say a collection looked like it was "Styled" instead of "Designed" Martial and Caillaudaud's output looked as if they had been scampering around in the showroom with the individual pieces and throwing them together haphazardly with no real effort to "Create" but to "Market" and in that vein, it could have been clothes from a Window Display at American Eagle or Hollister! 

This was a trifling showing by the new designers and does not bode well. It was Cheap, Tacky, Underwhelming and DULL! Buried in there, SOMEWHERE, there were maybe a few pieces worthy of saving for a moment when you just need to cover your ass with something that isn't dirty or commonplace, but what there was of those pieces were well hidden in the misfortunate offering by Martial and Caillaudaud! Back to the Drawing Boards with you both! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Dennis Basso Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Minimalism Be Damned! Dennis Basso is a Designer who follows his own bliss and does what he does for the women he loves and who love him... Unbeknownst to much of the world, There are still women of a certain Echelon who ACTUALLY live lives like those seen in the those Deliciously Decadent and Opulent 80's Nighttime Soap Operas, Like "Dynasty" "Dallas" and the rest! Basso is there to drape them in Sequins and Beads and Sable even when they are on the Amalfi Coast! Because of course, they're going to be on a Yacht anyways! 

Knowing that Basso is going to do his thing and Come Hell or High Water, There Will Be Luxe, His Resort collection for 2016 suffered from a multiplicity that had too much an air of disparity that weighed the collection down and mired it in confusion. Too much was going on, so instead of the show having a clear theme, it was all over the place and was trying way too hard. Just like with that Extra Big slice of Pecan Pie with Ice Cream... Going back for another slice is pushing the limits, and there is only SO much excess that one can find palatable before you get sick and want to heave! Basso went FAR WELL over that boundary! 

When Basso went Saucy, he enlivened the mix with great Spunk and Verve, A Beaded ankle-skimming Gilet done in diamonds of Silk on Chiffon worn with a Pussy-Bow Pouf-sleeve blouse and Velvet Hot Pants, all in Black was one of these moments of finding a refreshingly new way to say something old. And there were other examples, but they were drowned out by the Pageantry and Exorbitance of most everything else. Basso has of late, been finding a better balance in his Runway collections and tapering off some of the more Extravagant ideas for Simpler, more Modern pieces... He would have done himself a Heaping Helping of good to have weeded out some pieces from this Overstuffed and Overdone collection and relaxed a little more... After all, For Pete's Sake, It IS Resort, Thank You Very Much! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The Row Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Superlatives and Accolades seem to be inane qualifiers for the utterly and astonishingly sublime showing for Resort 2016 from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for their label, The Row. Every look was the most undeniably Extraordinary definition of Pure and Simple, however that in no possible context meant boring and dull. These clothes were the Epitome of the kind of Chic that 99% of women aspire to, and only a bare handful of those attain! The indomitable poise and studied grace of these outfits are a heaven to all aesthetes who long for this kind of unsullied elegance!

"Well-Balanced" may have been the sisters mantra for this collection and it serves as a pointed description of the clothes, that in the minds of their designers, seemed almost a throwaway turn of phrase. It may have come off blithe, but it was the setting for the Exquisite! While Minimal, to the farthest extreme, truth be told, (not one single whit of embellishment in the entire lineup) the clothes lacked not an iota for Extravagance or impossible Luxury! Where does one start when each outfit was a Dissertation onto itself in Sublimity?!? A Caramel Clutch coat with an Off-Shoulder Shawl collar and a neat and slim sheath underneath sighed with relaxed Suavity! A Pin-Point precise Slate Blue Pantsuit was Rakish and Refined in equal measures. As for the completely detail-less Parchment Trench coat... Desire Unbound! 

The Olsen sisters have not only proven that this fashion undertaking was no lark in any respect, they are INSANELY Serious about what they do, and that they have shown an unwavering conviction to their ideal of style whilst still remaining flawlessly current and contemporaneous... Genius in the Highest regard! The single mindedness of their approach proves that this is THEIR Point-Of-View... They aren't giving some designer a brief and letting them make all the choices. NO! This is the Olsen's Vision... One they fully formed and created by themselves... We're simply the lucky ones that they have decided to share it with us! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Stella McCartney Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Not going to waste words here. I didn't like, understand, nor CARE to understand most of Stella McCartney's bungling Resort 2016 collection. A few pieces here. A few pieces there. That's It! The looks outside of those handful few, Dumbfounding! McCartney said Cuba was the jumping off point... I don't think Cuba has ever more wanted to be disassociated with something since Fidel Castro. McCartney has lost the thing that made her collections of yore events, Stand Up and Cheer Revivals of Tough Girl clothes that had the heart of a Blithe Spirited Ingenue. Where that has gone and why, Fuck Knows! What it has been replaced with is Goofy, Stupid clothing that are not only needlessly complicated, they are also unattractive! 

So, A Navy Silk A-line dress embroidered with flowers was Ultra Lovely, although it sincerely aped the dresses Michael Kors did for his Spring 2015 collection in the most unflattering of ways. The Black Pantsuit with flowers decorating it was equally fetching. And the line-up of final looks in Breezy, Blousy, Generous silhouettes were #STUNNING! Especially the Trio of gowns at the end in Sherbet Orange, Citron Yellow and Safety Orange. The rest,,, In The Trash it should go! McCartney has seemingly lost her way, I don't know how she diverged from the path she had been on and come to this land of Un-Enchantment... But one thing is Damned Sure... Stella, NEEDS to get her Groove Back! Pronto! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Thom Browne Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Every Thom Browne fashion collection has a particularly rich narrative to it. There are always many ideas parsed together into one uniform whole that is Breathtaking in it's expansiveness. He's got that typical, arch British sense of wit and sarcasm that is both biting and ribald! For Resort 2016, Browne took that absurdist streak running through his British sense of humour and built a collection around a unique conceit. The Good Old Oxford cloth shirt. He built his Suits, Coats and more around this commonplace fabric and elevated it well beyond what the humble cloth could ever dare of dreaming to be. 

As oddball a choice as it was, Browne made the most of it and it's pale pastel hand with colour. Cutting a variety of outfits, from a Quad-Colour Zip Jacket and Skirt, to a Raucous Plaid ensemble. But Browne's mind is a Restless one, and by the halfway point, he had sailed to other shores and other more interesting fabrics and treatments found their way into the mix, Tweed, Cashmere and Knits primary among them. It also happened, that at the very end, the TRUEST Expression of the Thom Browne aesthetic came to fore in a Iper Chic rendition of one of his Cropped pant Men's suits, replete with Tie and Topcoat. 

Browne's collections are rarely easy to pigeonhole, let alone contextualize in a brief summation. There is always more going on than even one or two penetrating investigations can unearth. It's best to most times, simply sail along on the eddies of Browne's imagination and let yourself be taken away by the idiosyncrasy and delightfully kooky charm of it all. Browne's Resort collection had no shortage of that, in fact it had it to spare, What it also had in Abundance... Great, Wearable Clothes! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

J. Mendel Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Let me start by saying this definitively and emphatically...

I! HATE! PURPLE! 

Ok, There! That's out of the way. Now, knowing this, you can imagine the conundrum foisted upon me when viewing the very first looks of Gilles Mendel's Resort 2016 collection for his Ancestral fashion house, J. Mendel. Confronted thusly, as I was, with a most unappetizing shade of Grape made for a bit of queasiness and consternation. It also did not auger well, that the collection would improve from that point forward. It sadly, didn't. It was a Nice collection, plenty full with Beautiful coats and some interesting sportswear... And that's about it. Everywhere else, it failed to rise to the occasion.

The main issue... The clothes didn't look all that inviting. Resort is supposed to entice and intrigue and stimulate, that wasn't happening with this output. A Beautiful ligh Violet Chiffon evening gown had potential. as did a truly winning ensemble in deep Rose Pink surmounted by a Deliciously Desirable Mink topper! The rest, not worth mentioning to be honest! It was not disappointing, it just did not excite in the right ways. At least not to me! The Purple may have had something to do with it!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Friday, August 19, 2016

Lanvin Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.





Lanvin Resort 2016.

As typically Exciting, Vivacious and Beautiful as Alber Elbaz's collections for Lanvin are, they have become frighteningly redundant and expected. Elbaz hasn't in some time, in any way, really pushed himself past the Exuberant, Artsy, Rich Bohemian look that has defined his last few years at the house. It's been as much as Variations on a Theme for about a good 6 years or more. One might argue that the clothes are stunning enough to validate such repetition... That wouldn't be a statement of untruth, however.. There is a sense of Staleness creeping in, one that is conjuring an overwhelming impression of the Blasé!

Elbaz was up to his usual antics, Arty presentation, Vibrant palette, Statement Accessories and the such... what was different about it this time, it didn't feel fresh or new. The Ruffles, The Asymmetric necklines, The Fringe, Animal prints, Disco Sequins and all had no real spark. Been There. Done That. Done It Better, Alber. Even the standout exceptional White Gown with ruffles at the neck and arms was given too typiquement a Lanvin treatment with a Ginormous Brooch and Pendant. The gown was SUBLIME, but it looked harried with those overscale accoutrements, where something simpler would have made far better an impression. More interesting, a White Swing top with an Elliptical "Balenciaga" hemline poised above a Straight, Tight Black Leather skirt lightly touched with metal studs. That look shone for it's purity of form and freedom of over embellishment.

Elbaz is Gifted. make no doubts of that, and this formula he's working has a mighty throng of devotees, Yet and all though, that exact formulaic approach is also what is hampering the label from being more than a One-Hit Wonder. Before long, The melody grows old. And as such. as of writing this, Elbaz was deposed from the house unceremoniously and replaced by Bouchra Jarrar. I knew this before writing this, but it did not inform my opinion... I had felt this way long before such news... It just seems the Suits in Charge at Lanvin... Felt the Same!





That's All.





Bye4Now!




Proenza Schouler Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






YAWN! Boring. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez's Resort 2016 collection, Vaguely inspired by Hernandez's trip to his Homeland of Cuba, for their label Proenza Schouler was nothing short of a Snooze-Fest! It barely even registered as fashion, it was so basic and blase! Hernandez and McCollough were up to their usual arty tricks and vainly thinking that that makes their Fashion ideas interesting, but they usually are simply more Belaboured and Contrived! 

Save a Pair of Grommet laden outfits, One a quite striking coat in Black, the other a Well Executed suit in Olive Khaki, the rest was unmemorable in the utmost unless one was trapped in a room for a few months time with it. One aside... There was an absolutely HORRENDOUS Fur abomination that was tantamount to Horrific! It was easily one of the mode Atrocious items I have borne witness to in Fashion in quite a while... BURN IT! BURN IT WITH FIRE!!!

Back to the matter at hand... Darlings of the industry that they are, the pair did not put their all into this collection and it suffered badly for it. Which raises an interesting thought... If they can't do even better than this when they inject mountainous amounts of effort into their work, what is the magic spark that will make the Proenza Schouler label, at least to my eyes, something more than overthought, Self-Indulgently Arty, Meaningless fashion? I don't know if they will ever be able to answer that key question!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Sonia Rykiel Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Stripes. Stripes! And Yet, MORE STRIPES! From Rainbow, to Barber, to Pin to Diagonal. There was a lot of Stripes to be found in Julie de Libran's Resort 2016 collection for Sonia Rykiel. Libran had a little bit of Elbaz's Lanvin running through this outings veins and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It added a distinct sense of Exuberance and Joie that gave the collection flavour and sex appeal, of the Le Femme Francaise variety. Libran was keen to keep things lighthearted and gay and the addition of a little bit of the good old bad old Studio 54 days in the mix, she achieved just that! 

To Wit, Examine the Diagonal Sequined multi-hued stripes of a belted T-Shirt dress on Aamito for the definition of Fun! Or, take on the the Black Patent Leather ensemble with a Zip jacket and Slit skirt, which was TOTALLY giving off a Tough and Sexy vibe all at the same time. Taking a look at the Electric Orange Bomber and matching Tap Shorts, both trimmed in Black, you could easily see Cheryl Tiegs rolling up into either 54 or Dancetaria in both their (the clubs and Tiegs') Heyday! Possibly on Roller Skates!

There was a lot more to love in this collection, and women with the L'Esprit De Paris in their hearts will find themselves comforted and elated by the clothes Libran served up. Fun is something that has been missing in Fashion for far too long, when it does show up, it's done with an Arch hand and a Sneering sense, as if TRUE Fun is to be dismissed as inelegant and unimportant. Libran is bringing REAL Fun back to Fashion, and I, for one, have nothing but the highest praise for her doing so! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!



Public School Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Short, Sweet and to the point. Not one's much to be given to Fuss and Muss, Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow executed a brief and clear statement of what they want their woman to look like come Resort 2016. She's just as much the Urban Nomad as she has been since the duo presented their view of what their ideal woman dresses like a bare few seasons ago. In quick time, Osborne and Chow have boiled down and distilled that message to it's essence. That first glimpse of this new Essential "Public School" woman was shown here.

Sporty and Eclectic are the touchstones of this woman, she is as easily at home in a pair of Pallazzo size pleated pants paired exceptionally with a clean Tunic top, both in Black as she is a Ultra-Preppy Public School version of a Polo Shirtdress in Sand Beige that was accented with a Leather Hoodie styled with a shirt tail side and back! A Silver Anorak was juxtaposed with Urban ease over Track Pants cut from Sweats material and the Chicest piece of all, A draped back Black sleeveless Jumpsuit would be as at home on the Upper West side as it would in Greenwich Village! 

Osborne and Chow have come a long way in a Short time. They have earned some serious accolades for being such a young label and show that they have come to play hard and remain visible on the scene for years to come. As they continue to design clothes like this, they will get their wish!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Elie Saab Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






There was a Lot (A WHOLE LOT) going on Chez Elie Saab in his 2016 Resort presentation... And most of it looked like Roberto Cavalli. Being inspired by the Breezy, Bohemian, Stevie Nicks Witchy Woman of 1970's California would seem to beg that impression, and it did! There was so much openwork Lace and sheer layers and pointed hems and Haight-Ashbury Love Power Flower prints and BASTA! Too Much! The biggest takeaway... It looked Costume-y! Not much of this felt Modern in any resolute kind of way, and had so much of a Throwback to Auntie Sunflower Sky Feather's San Fran Closet that it could have doubled as the wardrobe for a Remake of the Movie "Hair" All that was missing was Treat Williams!

That is always the biggest problem that is faced when a designer takes a long view of the 70's, it can come across as far too literal and then it becomes almost parodical. When Cavalli does it, Yes, you feel the Boho-ness, but Cavalli always injects so much Raunch and the right amount of Sex into the clothes that they transgress all the innocent associations of that period and become something different. Saab had none of that Devil-May-Care Insouciance here, so it just looked like a rehash of the past. In the end, it wasn't as if the collection was a Failure, but it was totally impossible to pick out one single item that I like well enough above the others to comment as a stand-out. Perhaps that's more damning a commentary than any! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!


No. 21. Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






First things... The styling of Alessandro Dell'Acqua's No. 21 Resort collection Look Book was Tragic! Let's get that out of the way first... if the clothes details were barely even visible in some shots, in the others the model looked like she was Drunk and Abode Displaced (Nice Speak for "HOMELESS!")  Secondly, the clothes were such a deranged Hodgepodge assembly of misfit ideas that it barely registered that there was some theme involved! Cut to the Third insult.... The collection was Boring. Dead Boring! I am one of Dell'Acqua's biggest fans, and he has a Revolutionary Mind and one that works in completely different spaces of imagination than most, but he also has a mind that can sometimes overtake the good sense part of itself and stroll off onto merry tangents where every semblance of coherence of idea gets lost! 

This was a surefire case of the latter! Vaguely, we were seeing Sailor girls (hence all the Stripes and Matelot buttons) sailing off to somewhere in Darkest Africa. Then, it would seem to the Amazon Rainforest or the Caribbean Tropics. Who Knows. Who The Fuck Could TELL!?! Suffice it to say, if you were looking for some interesting and oddball twists on the classics and basics of a Resort Wardrobe, you'll find those pieces in this collection amongst all the lunacy. If, by some chance, you were looking for a One-Stop shop for all your Resort desires... Well, Keep on Sailing. There's Nothing like that to be found here! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Elie Tahari Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






With pieces like a slightly futuristic looking Glazed Tweed Moto Zip Jacket and a Figured Lace utility Coat/Jacket made to look like Denim with Ultraviolet Blue Lace sleeves and a matching dress under, Elie Tahari is taking a few risks in the realm of the unexpected for his Resort 2016 collection, and for the most part it was a success. What wasn't so much a success was that these payoff risks came to look more akin to afterthoughts or insertions into the collection to embolden the rest of the more merely... Mundane looks. 

Tahari would do himself and his customer a great favour by taking more such risks and being less the Go-To guy for Stylish Sporty Separates. He has the technical facility to do more and do better, like the Rough-Hewn, Raw edge of a supple Black Suede Bolero paired with Black Flares and Tee that was Chic and with its ragged edge jacket, had a little more Oomph in its soul! Conversely, throwing a Curly Mongolian Wool Gilet over a Black Tunic and Flares with Lace insets at the sleeve cuff comes off as about as radical as a Caesar Salad! 

Being one of the older of the old guard in NY and Global fashion, means that Tahari has a Well-Established AND Well-HEELED constituency of clients that don't want the boat rocked too vigourously, Yet and Still, if Tahari wants to speak to the women who need a little bit more of a Knockout punch in the pieces of fashion they select, he's going to have to start to speak to them in their language. As tricky as that might be, Being Fashion Bi-Lingual has never been to the Detriment of any Designer!





That's All.





Bye4Now!



Prabal Gurung Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






If taking a trip to Belize for an almost week long vacay can produce a collection as prodigiously spectacular as the one Prabal Gurung summoned forth for Resort of 2016, then, by all means... VISIT BELIZE! For, what was produced here was far and away, some of the best fashion of the entire season and perhaps of Gurung's career! He has wiped the slate clean, so to speak, and starting afresh it would seem, in the manner of speaking, that as of the last few seasons, Gurung was hung up on a trek up the mountains into Kathmandu and dressing his woman like she was some sort of Collage of bits and pieces of flotsam and jetsam. It was worrisome indeed and patently unwearable.

After a return to fabulous form for Fall 2015, it looks that his vacation was just what was needed to clear away all the cobwebs and get back on the path of Exemplary Fashion. You would be hard pressed to find a collection more brilliant this season. The true pleasure is in the looking, so for me to go into prolific detail about everything would be to miss the mastery of the clothes. I will count off a few examples of the best of the best! 

A Cranberry Shift dress with an asymmetrical sheer hem striped in satin, was a perfect city day-to-night dress and the colour was Sublime! A fluid Leather poncho with an undulating thick border of Kangaroo fur had infinite appeal beyond the "Resort" moniker. Then Gurung gave us a White gown with that same Wavy sheer hem (A Leitmotif of the collection to be sure) that went to the floor, but skimmed the body like a T-Shirt, also try out a look at the Fitted Bronze Leather dress that zipped all the way up the front... DEVASTATING! 

Gurung satisfied all the fashion desires any 20 people could have in looking for Standout pieces from the Resort season. This was perhaps a Career high for Gurung, here's to hoping he keeps on climbing ever higher!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Jason Wu Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/08/2015.






Jason Wu has the ability to illicit as much Maniacal Ardour from a simple Cinnabar rib-knit top and Apricot Pink Skirt ensemble as he does from a simply sumptuous side-slit Makeup Beige Sequin encrusted evening dress. It's this exact ability, that when Wu is on his game, that makes him an Absolute Powerhouse of Fashion! That ability was in Fullest Flower in Wu's Resort 2016 collection which relied on lots of Deep Pile Fur and austere silhouettes to make it's case for a more pared back sense of Overt luxury.

Wu didn't really play around much and kept things direct, focused and for the most part, unfussy. Even his usual lavish evening offerings were scaled back and less ostentatious. A Jaw-Dropping plump Rose Quartz Fox coat was ready for Gstaad or for a not unusually chilly Spring day in Manhattan and would look as appropriate in either location, while a Coffee colour Knit top and side-slit Pencil Skirt would be good for lounging around those same locales, with equal ease! 

Wu's Impeccable tailoring skills were ready at the fore, to be sure! An Ink Blue sleeveless Trench dress was Sleekness defined in one unadulterated swath! On the opposite end, a Mushroom Pantsuit with a cropped broad lapel buttonless jacket, had a more spacious feel but looked just as Right on the Money! As for the Opening look of a Sharp, Curvy Apricot belted-waist Pantsuit... FUHGEDDABOUDIT! Exceptional!

Wu has recently found his footing after a few problematic seasons of shifting his Fashion Viewpoint to encompass a new maturity. One would imagine that he, had not he had the Boss appointment, would have been the most "Logical Choice" for heading up Oscar De La Renta when the master passed, It was not to be, (Now that news comes that Peter Copping has left the house for undisclosed reasons... well, who knows) This collection is an assured example of that idea, and that he would be a Prime fit at that house!
 
This was a beautifully remarkable showing, and with the Fashion future as it is... maybe Wu's Future has the letters ODLR in it... One could only hope! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!





Yigal Azrouel Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.





Yigal Azrouel Resort 2016.

In a Resort collection that could only be summed up as, Flawless and Exceptional, Yigal Azrouel presented a brief, yet powerful essay on how to dress with utmost style and verve! Azrouel's assemblage was Genius and distinctly compelling, mainly for the fact that he resisted tricks and fashion sleights-of-hand to concentrate on Strong, markedly wearable pieces done in interesting and refreshing ways, that he happened upon creating items of Faultless beauty was the Happiest of accidents!

Even with having it's quirkier moments to bolster the collection beyond brilliant basics, the focus seemed firmly fixed upon wearable clothes for the real women of the world and not those that troll the Red Carpet, given that there were a couple Distractingly lovely Red Carpet worthy Evening numbers, Azrouel has that down to a Science also! Used in both Pink and Black, a Long open slit sleeve Zip-front Cape Coat/Jacket was tailored to within 1/16 of an inch of it's life and will carry a woman straight through from this season to next Resort... And Beyond! Chic is a bastard word to describe it. The White Pinstripe Pantsuit could find itself as easily in the Monaco as Silicon Valley with Frightening ease and had a Rakish Insouciance to it that was Mesmerizing! As louche as that was, the demurely cutout embroidered White blouse and Black pants ensemble was restrained and coolly elegant!

For Evening, Try a Scintillation in Red delicately enhanced with insets of matching Lace, or Shimmy in tiers of pleats and eyelash fine shredded lace in Steel Blue! Both were Showstoppers Supreme! Azrouel seems to have found a new side to his design personality, one that is more concerned with Chicness and Suavity than Modern Bohemian. He's always been talented and a Go-To kind of guy for resolutely of-this-minute fashion with an frisson of deep, intellectual thinking running up it's spine... Here however, he seems to have let himself simply feel the clothes and not think about them, as the wildly bold faced prints he used in this collection attest to! It is not only a promising turn of events, but something to really get one's hopes Very high in the desire to see Azrouel pursue this new avenue of his aesthetic! If this Resort collection is any indicator... Great Thing Await!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Piazza Sempione Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.





Piazza Sempione Resort 2016.

Sometimes, the designer of the basics of wardrobe dressing are looked down the nose upon by the fashion Cognoscenti. The desire for the next big "Moment" or, the next Fashion revelation. A house that produces quiet, exceptional clothing is just as relevant as the designer darling of the minute pushing boundaries! That's what Piazza Sempione is! That Quiet clothing house that need not shout to get women to hear it's message, showing that a Whisper can be as loud as a Yell when you're producing clothes of such ease and greatness!

The design team at Piazza Sempione produced Chic, Clean, Easy wearable pieces for their Resort 2016 offering, pieces that can go anywhere in the world and work in nearly any situation come Rain or Shine. That they didn't have the High-Voltage Gloss of some labels only makes their clothes that more reliable and viable! Every woman can rock a Mushroom belted Swing back short Cape top and Eau de Nil Bermudas with comfortable ease and look Smashing doing it! Even more so, the All-White ensemble of a Belted waist coat, slim pants and tee which could take you from Lunch Uptown to walking the beach in The Hamptons in 2 Seconds flat!

It's easy to overlook and even easier to dismiss such commercial fare, but the Design team at Piazza Sempione know they are filling a massive niche by offering contemporaneous clothing to what is happening in the fashion world at any given moment, but not following the trends and giving their customer clothes that work for their lives, and when they are as flawless as these pieces, who needs the Fashion of the "Moment"?





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Bye4Now!



Joseph Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.





Joseph Resort 2016.

Sportive Minimalism. Luxe Utilitarian. Both ideas were the Makeup of the Joseph 2016 Resort showing designed by the Brilliant Louise Trotter. Ms. Trotter refrained that the core of the Joseph label is "Luxury Essentials" and with this collection, how she could elevate the everyday (A Marvellously Egalitarian thought process, indeed!) and present them to her faithful clientele and hopeful newcomers to the fold. She succeeded so far beyond wildly, that it is an insult to call it anything less than Earth Shaking! This collection was so Superiorly Perfect, that I could remark in grandiose detail on every look, even though that would be pressing the nerves of any reader, and still have volumes to say afterward.

Trotter certainly took the "Everyday" and "Elevated" it to near narcotic levels of Addictive and Desirable. To be brief, I shall gleefully expound on a few of the most Soul-Enhancing pieces and leave it at that, for the fear of slipping into prolixity. A Gorgeous Cinnamon Napa Overall jumpsuit with a matched hoodie was a practical study in how to combine in a fresh way items that under usual circumstances would be mundane! The All-White look comprised of a Snap-front Anorak, Sharp as a Razor full pleated skirt and Button-front shirt for all it's worth looked unassuming, but had in it's bones that unshakable feeling of being Essentially Important and Majorly Moving! It was it's Clean, Monastic severity that gave the outfit it's Gravitas!

Take the Quietly, forlornly Romantic look of a Long Plaid shirtdress paired over a floor-grazing Black Pleated full skirt... Unquestionably Impactful! Or the Always winning combo of a Camel Cashmere Peacoat worn with Sweatshirt Trousers and matching top? Ask Michael Kors if you don't believe this isn't always a Flawless colour pairing! Finally, a most Sublime pairing of a Pecan colour Reefer coat paired with Salmon Pink Leather trousers and a matching Knit tee that should be seducing all whom gaze upon it as it has me! Trotter seems to be in the direct line of design as her fellow Brit, Pheobe Philo at Celine in Paris... But as where Celine gets all the attention, it's actually Joseph that's producing the most Remarkable clothing! Trotter has Philo beat by Hundreds of miles, the only hope is that she will begin to get the recognition that Philo has been getting (somewhat unjustly, if you ask me!) and become the Fashion Luminary that she deserves to be!

And Oh, BTW... If Philo ever wants to retire from Celine... I know a Certain Brit who'd do a most Jolly Good job at replacing and/or... Surpassing her!





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Bye4Now!

Friday, August 12, 2016

Giorgio Armani Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.






Confessing that the former Chanel/Karl Lagerfeld Muse/Model Ines de la Fressange was something of the inspiration behind his typically lovely Resort 2016 collection, Giorgio Armani did seem to inject some little bit of "Le Femme Francaise" into the clothes this season. It was subtle, but then again... when ISN'T Armani Subtle!?! Ignoring that little sobriquet, Armani was in usual form, Colourful, yet Minimal. Exotic, yet Subdued. Since what was presented was so brief, it's hard to be too effusive, for there wasn't much for variety's sake, but what was there was to the Top-Notch Armani standard. 

A rather Fabulous Cerulean Blue Trench was that in name only, transmuted into something far more unique and interesting, A Stellar Tomato Red pantsuit was brimming with Armani's impeccable Suit making DNA, while a Glacier Blue Blouson and cropped pants combo was channeling Armani's always usual fascination with Eastern Zen dressing in a Western Lounge wear way! If de la Fressange showed up in the collection anywhere it was more in Spirit than Style, although the Red, White and Black jacket of woven ribbons with White slacks, Tee and Ecru gilet did look like something Ines would gravitate to in a millisecond! C'est Fantastique! 





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Bye4Now!

Balenciaga Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.






With his Fall 2015 collection for the house of Balenciaga, Alexander Wang proved with utmost proficiency and ingenuity that he could get a handle on the metier of Couture, even if it was reimagining it in a decidedly modern way. His Fall collection was a brilliant treatise on modernizing the house codes while retaining their inherent elegance and grace, (Something Nicholas Ghesquiere could NEVER do, or was more aptly, CAPABLE of doing!) Yes, he did give them the Crackle and Punch of his more Hard Core aesthetic, Yet, he blended them smoothly together to form a potently electrifying synergism of Old and New!

Wang's Resort 2016 collection for the house is as such, a continuation of that conversation of past and present. Wang maintained the trajectory he started with last Fall and moved into a new, lighter and freer space. The clothes here were dramatic, Oh My Yes, But less Grandiose and less opulently intentioned also. Maybe because it was a Resort showing, Wang kept things minimal and breezy to a degree, Black and White were the major colorways with touches of soft Blues and Pinks for contrast and a rather attention getting Floral print to mix things up. 

The most obvious nods to the Couture nature of the clothes. the rounded, gently ruffling peplums and full skirts of the dresses, the corsetry effects, and a Sensational pair of Military styled coats in Ecru and Black paired with the sheerest lace skirts possible, that mimicked Cristobal's Barrel line, all were present and reworked into thoroughly contemporaneous versions of the archival pieces that they surely took their inspiration from. Wang set forth a high water mark that would be difficult for him to match, and as this is written, he has since left the house and replaced by Demna Gvaslalia of Vetements. It's a sad occurence, Wang was hitting a sure-footed and fleet stride with this collection and the possibilities of what was to come are left tantalizingly unanswered... Though with work like this left behind him at the house, he'll be a surely tough act to follow!





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Bye4Now!

Thursday, August 11, 2016

3.1 Phillip Lim Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.






Boho, Magpie, Eclectic Eccentric... Call it what you might, the only descriptor in my mind that embodied Phillip Lim's 3.1 Resort collection was, Confusion! A mighty mixed up mishegoss of Fringe, Sweats, Knits, Fraying edges and absurdity that for all it was trying to do, ended up looking more Homeless than Homely! Although it looked that as well! The message Lim was trying to get across? Your guess would be as good as mine! If things didn't look threadbare and shambolic, they looked frumpy and sloppy! 

Lim was inspired by Boho girls, with their Magpie touch to the way the wardrobe themselves, I can't think of a single woman who would want to be layered in these silly trifles. Lim had a few moments, but they were buried under masses of unneeded trickery and haphazardness. Again, it had a few charms going for it, but they were negligible in the thicket of such unappealing fashion! Lim, I am sure was full on Head and Heart into this muddled collection, and That's sadly, the part that worries me most! 





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Bye4Now!

Tome Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.





Tome Resort 2016.

"Languid" the catch word of the day for Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin of the label Tome in describing the mood of the clothes for their Eclectic and Delightfully Offbeat Resort 2016 showing. The oddball pairings in this presentation gave off the impression of the most fashionable Hausfrau ever! Citing the Acerbic Wit Mistress herself, Dorothy Parker as inspiration, it was easy to see her lounging, in one of her drunken malaise moments, in these clothes, in the modern iteration of her!

There, admittedly, is a lot going on in this collection, many different moods and styles were expressed and scores of ideas flowed freely, that made it hard to pin down specific looks, for everything was so brilliantly intertwined and synergistic. Martin and Lobo packed a whole world of options into this collection with out it feeling forced or over abundant! Examples... The irreverent sensuality expressed by a Black duster coat and Lace Sheath dress underneath was an Unorthodox combination but Spot-On in every way! The Crisp White shirtdress of Look No. 10 was breezy and clean, but surprisingly elegant. And the sheer White Lace blouse with a pair of Cornea Sizzling Chevron striped shorts in Red, White and Blue was Eccentric at it's best!

Lobo and Martin's work here was among some of the best work they have done. They captured an eloquent freedom and studied sense of easiness and relaxed elegance that made the collection shine from end to end. Others would have gotten lost in the thicket with so many ideas tumbling about, the Tome boys showed how adept they are at such Fashionable Juggling and ended up with a Sensational set of clothes!!





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Bye4Now!

Philipp Plein Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.






Bright, Colourful, Rock 'N' Roll fashion are the signatures of Phillip Plein's Fashion. Never can it be too loud or too much or too... ANYTHING! For Resort 2016, Plein offered up Emojis in Crystals (Hello, Donatella) Pixelated prints, and a Black and White Skull motif (the most successful of the sections, by far!) and as often... repeats abounded. There were Three iterations of the same Belted Trench simply done in 3 different prints, as was a Brief T-Shirt dress. It not only was Infuriating, it was Lazy!

And Plein also fell into the Trashy Trap, yet again. His clothes here didn't look Upscale or High-End, more like someone trying to make their Gaudy, Cheap wares look High-end with Embellishments and Good fabrics. In the end, it still looked tacky. and even worse, like clothes that any 15 Year-old could find at "Hot Topic" or "Forever 21" Even the black gown that ended the looks had the feeling of Prom to it. In it's own way, and worn with a Unconventional and Renegade spirit, the clothes may work, especially worked in with less commonplace pieces, it might work. In conclusion... It was Pretty and Fun, and that's about all it was!





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Bye4Now!

Versace Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/05/2015.






Oh, Nostalgia! The 2016 Versace Resort collection put forth by Donatella Versace, hearkened back to the good old days of yesteryear for the house! The Colours! The Riotous Prints! The Baby Dolls, Lingere, Mesh and Bell Bottoms of the Bygone past of the house all came to the fore in brilliantly calculated and expertly judged modern variations! Starting off with The Lady and then moving into The Tramp, Donatella presented as the first look, a Vivid Granny Smith Apple Green Leather trench, Chic as the day is long and also with that Vital Versace DNA roiling through it's bones, a little lurid, a hint trashy, but never anything less than Pure Class! 

From there we get Safety Cone Orange mixed with the Green and the Versace favorite, brief pleated Gladiator skirts in Black highlighted by the vibrant aforementioned colours. From then on there were past Versace allusions to be found everywhere, The Apple Green crop top and pencil skirt, this time modernized with tiny little pinhole punctures forming a Graphic pattern, a dazzlingly printed Baby Doll dress done in pleats recalling the 1993 Fall collections, as did the Combo Print Slip Dress interspliced with Black Lace. Or the always winning combo of Lace and Shiny Mesh, shown in this go-round in Highlighter Pink! 

In this presentation, Donatella got back to the roots of the house while still traveling at light speed into the future, Her best is always achieved when she has one hand in the archives and one foot on the accelerator into the what-comes-now/next future! This Resort collection was as perfect a synthesis of that ideal as one could ask. Let's just hope we can see more of this in the collections to come!





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Bye4Now!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Pamella Roland Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.





Pamella Roland Resort 2016.

A One-Shouldered Ombre Ballgown, changing from Peach to Dusk Pink at the hem, A Wide-Leg Jumpsuit in Ombre Lace in shades of Apricot and Peach, and a Sapphire Blue Jacquard coat were the standouts in Pamella Roland's Resort 2016 presentation which took it's inspiration from Summer Sunsets on Lake Michigan at her Home. A very pretty throng of clothes indeed, but as usual, all evening and as such... grew tedious by the end, even though it was only 24 looks.

As a Michigan Native, I am always rooting and praising Ms. Roland, yet, her aesthetic oft times can be a trifle belaboured, as is the case with mostly all of the designers on the circuit who show nothing but Confectionary Evening wares. As much as I will and can Champion her Splendid pieces, it would be so refreshing if Roland attempted to inject a little more vitality and backbone into the collection with some seriously conceived Daywear! It would do her, and the collective Evening Wear designers of the world... A Mountain of good if they did!





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Bye4Now!

Thakoon Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.





Thakoon Resort 2016.

Thakoon Panichgul's 2016 Resort fare was quite the embodiment of Easy and Relaxed. Loads of pieces that can be mixed together with your old favorites to give a wardrobe refresh, or to be bought by the multiples to create an entire new set of options. There was no real overarching theme or single unifying idea, just some recurring motifs and ideas and real wearable clothes for the real world.

There were lots of Knits, Lace, Perforated Mesh, and Iris prints galore. But truthfully... nothing really STOOD OUT! A Sheer Black dress with that Iris motif, in an almost Devore style, was Risque to the hilt, but that was about the end of it. No one thing truly took hold of one's attention and would linger in one's memory too long after seeing it. That isn't to say that great looks couldn't be achieved with the pieces, because they can, But they won't be exactly, Memorable.





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Bye4Now!

Tadashi Shoji Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.






A Zip front Baseball styled Jacket does not Sportswear make when it's inconveniently jammed into a Full on Evening Collection. That was the minor takeaway from Tadashi Shoji's Resort 2016 offering. The major takeaway... The colour White is having a Breakout moment! Those Baseball Jackets actually seemed uncommonly out of place in this collection. Shoji was, it would seem, trying to inject some Sportive elements into his assortment of evening Bonbons, and sadly, it didn't work. It only managed to make the assemblage look silly and obtuse. Which was a shame, because the rest of the collection, minus those unfortunate collapses of judgement, was pretty Gorge!

While White was the centerpiece of the collection. there was a fair amount of Blue to go around, from Navy to a soft pastel Cornflower shade, it added a youthful lightness in this delicate and sweet shade. But when Shoji got down to Brass Tacks with the White, it was Marvellous! The final Two looks attest firmly to that! Shoji would have had a Full-On winner had he not inserted those comically miscalculated jackets into the collection. Conversely, had he ACTUALLY taken the time to design some REAL Sportswear to go along with those jackets and ceased with his Evening Only Revue, it would have made more sense. Here, even with the beauties, the whole just came off as a discombobulated miss! 





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Bye4Now!

Narciso Rodriguez Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.






In Narciso Rodriguez's hands, Fashion imitates, to some small degree, if not physically, then most assuredly in intent and content, Architecture. Within saying that, he mimics one of the Greatest tailors and designers of All Fashion History, The Maestro Gianfranco Ferre! Ferre was a brilliant Designer, one of the truest of the Inspired Masters of the metier... His precision of Cut, Drape and Fit was Unparalleled and Unmatched by perhaps only that other Scion of Couture, Geoffrey Beene! Mainly their gift was an Unequaled understanding of the Feminine form and how to fit clothes on it, Ferre exalted the body by using the Pinpoint preciseness that comes with Architecture! Unlike even the Haute Couture, in Architecture, you cannot be off by even the most minute degree or building collapse, Ferre brought that Exactitude to clothing. 

Rodriguez's work feels the same way, but less about the precision of Architecture and more about the Lines and Planes of the art and how they converge to create something Magnificent. Rodriguez feels like the Frank Lloyd Wright of fashion, this Resort collection was a testament to that, the Purity and Streamlined sense of Cleanliness pervaded with strict, yet sensual allure! The way a Tropical Wool Jumpsuit dismissed superfluity with an almost monastic rigour, or how the Black Pantsuit look at the end hid the gentle flourish of a softly delicate ruffle at the hem, in the back of the Razor sharp blazer. 

Rodriguez's Look Book only featured 14 looks, but it was impactful enough that he need not gild his Lily with more. It was a Superb the way it was. Using an Architectural idiom from the Infamous Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe... Sometimes, Less, IS More! 





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Bye4Now!

Jonathan Saunders Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.






Jeff Koons and Ugo Rondinone are somewhat odd bedfellows to glean an inspiration from, but for his Resort 2016 collection, Jonathan Saunders did exactly that in a collection he dubbed "Synthetic Aesthetic" Pointedly, there was something of a Glossy, Surreal bent to things, even though, this proved to be one of Saunders most Palatable and better collections of late. As of the last few seasons, Saunders usually Inspired and Brilliantly off-kilter juxtapositions in colour theory, were flawed in the most nauseating ways, one only need look to his Fall 2015 collection to prove that point to a T! 

Here, Simplicity was more the special of the day and a joyous and upbeat palette kept the clothes from being memorable for all the wrong reasons. Saunders almost Virtuoso eye for colour combination was in full effect here, Salmon mixed with Pale Peach, UItramarine Blue with Autumn Golden Orange, (that specific colour combo was particularly successful! He should have done more of it!) Citron, Carrot and what could be called Strawberry Ice Cream Pink mixed together with White in ombred effect and looked Brilliant! The best outfit, strangely, for a man so gifted with mixing colour, was a Sleek and Simple Black shift that had a crew neck and long sheer sleeves, upon which RAVISHING sprays of flowers in Mediterranean Blue and Green and White were embroidered, making the most Dazzling of statements! 

Saunders Gave plenty more here to coo over, he's not a designer prone to artistic extroversion, his abilities are his Prodigy like way with colour and his creativity in tweaking the clothes that women wear everyday and making them a little more special. In those regards, One could argue his Resort 2016 collection was a Surefire Touchdown! 





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Bye4Now!

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Gucci Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.






In the right hands, the Casa Gucci is a not only a Star Maker, it's a creator of Legends! Tom Ford is one of those Legends, a Force Majeur in not only the Fashion world, but the Pop Culture Zeitgeist as well! Alessandro Michele has poised himself at that cusp and is most certain to propel himself into the breach! Like Ford before him, He has totally renovated the look of Gucci and in doing so, become the Leader and not follower of the Fashion Pack. His vision is so unyielding singular and self-assured, that it cannot be anything other than the impetus of similar styles across the fashion landscape. 

As far as Michele's Resort Collection... It was a Spectacular Masterpiece! It was a Quirky, Eclectic, Eccentric, Magpie Hodgepodge of disparate ideas and pieces pulled together with a Virtuoso hand to form a totally believable and cohesive amalgam! The extrovert diversity of Michele's fashion is the draw, it compels you to think differently about your perceptions of Excessive and challenges you to see the Joyous magic of the uninhibited mix of Print and Fabric and Embellishment and what could be considered as conveying a sense of Bad Taste! But that deliberate pushing of the envelope is what makes it so Intriguing and Exciting! 

We saw, quite firmly, in his Fall debut for the house, The Mix is The Message! Here, there was no difference in that equation. There was everything from Folkloric Northern embroideries and appliques mixed with Asian Japonesque and Chinoiserie accents and busy Wallpaper florals sat next to Eye-Spinning Chevron stripes and that is only a partial list of the wonders to be found! And the Colours... too many to even begin to name... But bright Mustard Yellow, Dusk Pink, and Royal Purple made some of the biggest statements. Among the best of show outfits... A Gorgeous Majorette coat near the close of the show in that Rosy shade of Dusk Pink, a Brocaded Scalloped edge suit in Mustard on Tami Williams that just made the tears perk up at one's eyes because of it's beauty, Amilna Estaevo in a Green Floral quilted coat that was like the World's most Exquisite Pot Holder ever envisioned!

Also, Definitely well worth mentioning, a purely Perfect Marigold Schoolgirl Suit with a pleated skirt and finished off with a Black Velvet Bow at the neck was Achingly Marvellous and the Mustard Broadtail jacket with Embroidered Frog closures and Smoke Grey Mink trim and collar came from another plane of Existence! There, Of course, was more, MUCH more... but why demystify it all with in depth explanations... It all speaks for itself with a Bravado that is well earned. Michele's world that he is inviting us into is a Heady and Giddily addictive one. One that is so far removed from Dullness and Drabness and the Depressive that it comes over you like a Cool breeze off the Aegean and couldn't be more welcome in such Dark and Solemn times. 

Footnote: Michele is raring to prove he's Game Ready to Bat in the Big Leagues, with just his Third show under his belt, Michele is already showing he can play with the Heavy Hitters, the Paris Three, Chanel, Dior and Vuitton, by as well taking his Caravan on the road to New York, closing off streets and showing in a Garage like space right off to the side of a busy Street, it was just as Kooky a choice as all the ones made by Michele, and one that fit Splendidly into the Aura of the show! Alessandro Michele is at the forefront of a new wave crashing over the fashion world, he is well on his way to being one of the new Megawatt stars of fashion, the only question of concern, with such a Strong and Singular vision as his, Can Michele continually refresh it in the years to come to keep that vision as Potent as it is now in it's infancy? It's a tough answer, one that Michele himself might not actually have, but if he doesn't... he will leave a body of work in his wake that, however brief or extensive, will be one of the Greatest in the metier! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Suno Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/04/2015.






With the inspiration of "Modern Folk" for their Suno Resort 2016 collection, Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis put plenty of Bohemian into their folklore. There was even a somewhat, delightfully so, odd Mexican bent to the collection, with it's Serape style stripes that opened the collection in Bright South-Of-The-Border hues of Cyclamen mixed with Navy and Gold. There were also some beauteous Floral prints that struck one as particularly Fiesta Festive. Transpose that with a Blissful combination of Sea Blue and Rust in a simple and flattering T-Shirt dress, and you have a brilliant counterpoint. 

The last Five pieces of the collection gave off a more Northern Hemisphere outlook to the pieces, (an Idee that had crept in with the lacy White Filigree pieces earlier in the collection,) Scandinavia in particular. An almost Edelweiss looking floral gave rise to this perception as did the Cheerful embroideries seen in this section, most effective on a Joyous A-line dress with Pockets. 

Beatty and Osterweis put the Fashion into Folklore with this exposition for Resort 2016. It was Upbeat, Quirky, and Highly Fashionable... All the things the Modern Bohemian with a taste for the Folkloric is bound to be looking for! 





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Bye4Now!