Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Christopher Kane Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/12/2015.






As with any Christopher Kane collection, there was an awful lot to digest in his rather well-done Resort 2016 collection. One could say there was a lot of... "Heart" in it (Ok. Shoot me now for the Pun!) Kane took the Heart Motif... TO HEART (Someone Stop me!) and ran with it in a collection that again, was glutted with a surplus of ideas and needed a serious and sharp edit, but of what was shown, there were many stand alone pieces that made the effort worthwhile. While there was Tweed and Lace and Lace prints, and Pleats, and Hearts, and Molecular prints and More and More and MORE... Individual pieces offered some sure fashion Joy!

Take, for instance, the Lilac pleated silk and Lace gown intersected with a Nude-y Makeup Beige and refreshingly cool Mint Ice Cream Green lace, Fantastical! The Dark, DARK Grey Tweed pantsuit closed with a Single Heart Button was stellar as well, even more so for the fact that from a distance, it looked like a Speckled Tweed, but upon closer investigation, was actually little Dots of Color embroidered into the fabric. And it was proven beyond any Shadow of Doubt, that when Kane takes a Reductionist view and leaves all the fiddling and experimenting alone and JUST DOES SOMETHING SIMPLE, he can be Stunning, as in the simplest of Black shirts worn open revealing a Heart-Shaped Bra and a Slit skirt in Cardinal Red that had a little Heart at the top of that slit. It looked Sexy and Devastatingly Chic, Even a little naughty!

Kane has to subdue his instincts to try and do every idea that comes into his head in a season at once, It just becomes too taxing and muddied when he throws all his ideas against the wall at one time and hoping they all stick. Sometimes there is Magic in those ideas, but most often, It's just a lot of shit sticking to a wall! Edit, My Dear Christopher.... EDIT!





That's All.





Bye4Now!


Monday, September 26, 2016

Theory Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






Effortlessly Perfect. Perfectly Effortless. Lisa Kulson proposition for Resort 2016 for the label Theory was in a simple word, Astounding! You can Hashtag that one! The collection Kulson put for was free from Superfluity and Excess. It was distilled to a Pure and Unadulterated essence that was so exquisitely crafted and quietly eloquent that it defied all perceptions and ideas of what "Modern" has become to mean. Classical expressions, with some gentle tweaking, can be as resolutely "Modern" as anything, especially when it's at such a nigh untouchably high level of performance, as Kulson's work for the label is!

As it is so magically simple, wasting too much time to pick through each outfit would be wasteful, It wouldn't be a chore, for everything was of such Superior caliber that it would be a joy to dissect and expound upon in great detail each and every look, but that would border on the indulgent. A few High-Water marks, an unadorned Navy pantsuit with a simple Tie-off closure instead of Buttons, the same Navy in a Detail-less Trench, a slim, limning Sand Pink suede shift... More could be added to that list, but as with the clothes Kulson created as here, Brevity carries the greatest gravitas!

Kulson is showing, with each new collection for Theory, how absolutely vital a voice like hers can be amongst the ever maddening and louder throng of designers trying to get heard by shouting the loudest but saying the least. In Theory, and Kulson's case, Sometimes a Whisper can be far mightier than a Shout! 





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Bye4Now!



Rachel Zoe Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






Rachel Zoe is a Hippy. Deal With It! The Tiny Wonder Bohemian Stylist turned into Designer is all too happy to float about like the Baby sis of Stevie Nicks and swath her dainty frame in all manner of Loose and Flowing layers and lots of Chanel and look as if she just came off the "Rumors" Tour Bus in tow with Lindsey and Mick. Her clothes are reflections of this undying inspiration as well as all things Rock and/or Roll, Bianca Jagger, Marianne Faithful, Patti Hanson, Saint Laurent Circa 1970-something, and such. 

The thing is, in that Itty-Bitty body is the Heart of a Tigress and a Businesswoman with a Ferocity that would rival one of Danerys' Dragons! So, Zoe knows, every woman isn't going to immediately respond from her gut to all that Hippy-ness, So her clothes run a gamut... And what a stunning gamut it was for her Resort 2016 collection. With more than a Dash and a Soupçon of Tom Ford era Gucci and Marc Jacobs inspiré thrown into the Zoe Robot Coupe, Zoe produced probably the best collection yet from her House de Mode.

There was Fringe aplenty, Furs, Scarf necks, Tuxedo Stripes, Le Smokings, and all manner of Delicious apparel to sop up with your Fashion Biscuit! Standouts included a SUPER Hype Black Greatcoat worn with a Snazzy Three-piece shorts outfit, all in the same Black-On-Red Floral that was a Scene Stealer! A Bit of Modern Gucci in a Ombre fur coat that went from bright Fuschia to Magenta paired with a Magenta Cropped turtleneck and floor grazing skirt. A striped Sequined Evening Gown in shades of Red, Magenta, Puce and Chocolate was hitting that Gucci note again and was, in Zoe Parlance, MAY-JOR!

This collection proved, that quite like her diminutive designers/celebs in arms, The Olsen Twins, Zoe is here to stay and here to prove she has the chops to be a Designer of note. She's taking the slower route (Being a wonderfully devoted Wife and Mother, which takes up most of her precious time) than the Twins, but is no less successful in showing she means business and that this was no mere whim of hers. Based on her output so far, it also proves she's not playing around either in her serious devotion to her work!





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Bye4Now!



Milly Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






With mostly Clean, Simple, Modern lines and silhouettes to be seen, Michelle Smith presented a Spot-on Resort 2016 collection for her label Milly. There wasn't much fuss or muss, but plenty to be excited to wear. Uncomplicated was the catchword in pieces like a lean and slim White Pantsuit, given a little punch with Highlighter Yellow Collar and welt pockets. Bright colours were accents to the mainly Black and White collection that was also touched with a soothing shade of Sand Beige, later though, Smith expressed herself a little more extrovertly with a Bright Graphic Stripe and Abstract print that were welcome addition and jolted a little more Vivacity into the outing. 

Near the end of the lookbook, Smith showed a Diamond pattern of solid and sheer that proved to be quite dramatic while still looking beach-y and easy to wear, a rather opulent, swirling Opera Coat in Black was perhaps the best expression of the fabric and looked even more breathtaking for the simple fact that the pieces underneath, a Wide Leg Black pant and a Bra Top were both so minimal. Smith showed how powerfully impactive simple clothes can be when done right. Her Milly Resort 2016 collection was a A+ Dissertation in the appreciation of the lack of the extraneous! 





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Bye4Now!

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Cedric Charlier Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






Leaving aside the Tahitian men wearing flower headdress and Sarong that Cedric Charlier saw in a photo and which got his juices flowing for his rather fine Resort 2016 collection, The outfits put forth from the Frenchman were easily translatable from the Exotic stimulus from whence they were wrought forth into easy and above all chic, city clothes destined for locales quite far flung from the paradisiacal isle that inspired them. 

One needn't delve too deeply into the background inspiration of the clothes to see there was something tropical on Charlier's mind, from the Pleasantly Eye-Searing combo of Orange and Cyan Blue to the Sarong styling seen oft hither and dither throught the collection, to the relaxed shapes of much of the pieces. The quirky thing is, the best pieces were the ones that had the littlest obvious impulse of the islands, A Sharp belted pantsuit in Cerulean Blue or the totally essential Spice Orange Suede coat that was the first look. 

Charlier had more to offer, Draped and Drawstring waist pieces, splashy leaf prints, and loads of smart sweaters for any clime, and he had a particularly vibrant palette to entice the consumer to want to vacation in these clothes, and with their relaxed charm, that vacation could be as far as the Pink sand islands of Tahiti that inspired them, or as close as the couch in your living room while bingeing on Netflix! 





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Bye4Now!

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Alberta Ferretti Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






Indian/Safari. That's the twin inspiré of Alberta Ferretti's Gorgeous, yet, overdone Resort 2016 collection. She could have done without about a quarter of the collection and it would have been sufficiently full and exciting still. But, at times too much of a good thing can be wonderful and it's not as if the surplus detracted, it just muddied the waters, instead of being Pristine and Aegean, they were more like the old Mississippi! 

India, or Idonesia or Thailand or Bhutan, wherever in Asia it was that captivated Ferretti, was the biggest and most obvious source of design impetus, with floaty skirts and sari/sarong styling aplenty, Raja inspired jackets and vests, plus intricate prints and patterns kept things lively in the South Eastern  Asian manner throughout. About a little more than a third through, Ferretti switched gears and off to Africa we were on a Khaki coloured Safari! Where previously, not one surface was left untouched of embellishment or print, in this passage, the clothes were austerely stripped of all superfluous detail and acted as a refreshing foil to what had preceded them.

After this brief sojourn to the Dark Continent, Ferretti was back at home and finished with Black and White and was firmly in her comfort zone with Lacy, Filmy and Breezy offerings to capture her core clientele. There were some Asian inflections in the last few looks, but even these were still more Italianate in their language than full on Eastern. Ferretti offered much for her woman to consider and digest, and in the end, it was all pretty fantastic, that it had a aura of incongruity mattered little to nothing... When the clothes speak with such a beautiful voice, as these did, hiccups like that can easily be brushed aside!





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Bye4Now!

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Antonio Berardi Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.






Most often, the simplest of gestures make the most impact, so for all the innovative shapes and decorous embellishments in Antonio Berardi's quite fetching Resort 2016 collection, that axiom held very much true. The less Berardi played around with his clothes, the more enticing and desirable they were. It's comic to say that, considering when Berardi first appeared on the scene he was more of the Firebrand Heir Apparent to the Astonishingly brilliant pair of fellow Enfant Terrible  Brits, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen! In fact, in some ways, he outshined them with some of the most Controversial and Fuck You, Conventional, shows and collections on the calendar. 

Somewhere along the line, Berardi has left the controversial and contrived behind and has become a designer known for being innovative, but not exactly... Confrontational. It has led his clothes down some ungainly paths as of late and has also led to some truly exhilarating pieces being conceived. This resort collection shows his skills quite wonderfully. Not everything was a success, but the outfits that were, resounded with a Clarion preciseness. One aside, Berardi's play of inflated volumes, while tricky at best and decidedly Avant, were not always successful. Berardi gets points for pushing boundaries and creating a very singular silhouette, but it came off more bulbous and engorged than Soignè!

Sleeker looks yielded much more captivating results. A Black and White Gown splashed with oversized White macramé Lace was a Resounding winner as was the fluid Cardinal Red unadorned but for covered buttons gown near the end of the looks. Berardi is a incredibly talented designer, His Point of View has changed significantly since his younger days, but his skills are still something to be reckoned with. It would be nice, really it would, to see him revisit his younger self and inject some of that Hot Blooded Passion that used to consume his work. Who knows, it may push him into an even newer and better direction! 





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Bye4Now!

Moschino Resort 2016.

Thurs. 06/11/2015.





Moschino Resort 2016.

Tongue-In-Chic (get the pun?) fun making of fashion is an easy mark, The entire system is ripe for Satire and Parody and Comic fodder for those who disdain the rather Hoity-Toity ether that the people in the fashion world circulate about in. To make fun of fashion though and for it to be Smart and Witty and not acerbic is the hard thing. Something that Franco Moschino did with ease, although sometimes a little more heavy handed and preachy than one would like, and it's also something that Jeremy Scott, Crown Prince of Cheeky, excels in!

Scott's formidable Resort 2016 Collection for the house of Moschino is a sly achievement in poking fun at the Fashion Culture and exalting in it's inherent silliness as well. What Scott does most surprisingly is craft a collection that is also Highly and Easily wearable with a fair amount of comedy in the mix as well, Which usually turns out to be a near lethal combination in most other hands. Scott turned out hilarious ideas like trimming a Sweetly flirtatious but Craftily Chic Black suit with a Bow-tied collar and a Flippy pleated skirt that had as trim, "Moschino" Receipt paper printed fabric! The skirt was printed similarly and it was audacious and sly at the same time!

There were SO many more of these jokes going on, but done with a great sense of Verve and Taste, that they never really wore thin. One wonderful example was the Black "Chanel" Jacket with Pockets made to look like String handled Moschino Shopping bags and a Skirt to match! Scott even took jabs at himself, not so much in a Mocking way, but in a Pseudo-Conceited way by printing some pieces with huge sketches of outfits from his Previous Moschino shows! It was a little daring to be so self-aware, but also tacky and funny in the way that a little bit of braggadociousness can be! Now, lest one think that all there is to Jeremy Scott's creations are Tricks and Giggles, view the precisely cut Pantsuit printed with Moschino Labels, or the slim, simple, yet terrifically chic Little Black Cocktail frock tied off at the shoulders with Bright "Barbie" Pink Satin Ribbon!

Proving he is more than a One-Trick Wonder, This collection perhaps was Scott's most Adult and Grown up to date, and integrated his Dynamic sense of Comedy and Chic in the most convincing distillate yet. Scott has surely put Moschino Firmly back on the map of Fashion and culled it from the hinterlands where it lay languishing. Scott looks to be settling in nicely and ready to take his Jokes and his Fashion to the next Plateau.





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Bye4Now!

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Norma Kamali Resort 2016.

Weds. 06/10/2015.






Fun, Sporty, Sexy and surprisingly Chic, Norma Kamali's Excellent and Lively Resort 2016 presentation was one of the happiest surprises of the season, Filled with Easily accessible and wearable Active "Athleisure" pieces as well as more refined wear for day and evening alike, Kamali injected a Youthful and Playful Joie de Vivre into her collection that was infectious and amazingly adult, not ever really veering into Tween territory of the Forever 21/Hollister variety!

Features of the collection that were indicative of the mood, Lots of Sweats and Swimwear/Dancewear in the form of Leotards and Leggings, Raw-edge Denim (Most notably fine in a Trench/Skinny Jean configuration and a Skinny Jean Pantsuit that was be welcome Downtown as it would be on holiday!) Draped Jersey that was Exceptionally well done and Gold Leather. That Gold Leather was whipped into a Saucy Trench that had the imprint of the good ol' days of Donna Karan and looked extremely fabulous! Not to mention the final look, a Snakeskin print Goddess gown that put the SSSS Back in Slither!

Kamali showed an abundant collection full of pieces to bring joy to the hearts and smiles to the faces of shoppers everywhere. This resort collection had enough options to keep a woman busy for months and come Spring, she'll already have plenty of options to rework the new influx of items into many different permutations. To Quote Ina Garten, "How Easy Is That?"





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Bye4Now!

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Maticevski Resort 2016.

Weds. 06/10/2016.






Certain moments in fashion take you by surprise. Make you Breathless. Send Chills down the spine. Chanel Couture, Spring/Summer 2013. Galliano's Diorient Express. McQueen's "13" collection. Vuitton's Spring 2013 "Escalator" collection... Clothes that will live in your mind forever. That is what happened to me upon stumbling onto the work of Toni Maticevski for his Resort 2016 collection. I was Stopped, Dead! The clothes are Flamboyant and reach a synergistic entangling of both Sharp, Angular Modernity and Lush, Baroque Opulence. It's entirely disconcerting and thoroughly Brilliant! One can feel the same kind of boundary pushing spirit and sense of style that lights upon the work of Gareth Pugh (another of my favorites!) Maybe not as Dangerous as Pugh, but just as Elaborate in scope. Perhaps, More so! 

Just one look at some of the pieces and one is rendered totally agog with admiration for the skill facile technique on display. Primarily, an Evening designer, Maticevski does not suffer in any way for lack of Daywear. In fact, it's this Tightrope like fusion of Idiosyncratic Daywear in amongst the Exuberant and Dazzling evening concoctions that makes him a cut well above the rest! His daywear may not be the Typical ideas of outfits for when the Sun is up, but then again, Galliano and McQueen's Ideas of Day clothes weren't always conventional either! And strangely enough for me, the guy who hollers his loudest about designers showing only Confectionary, Ooey-Gooey, Sugary Evening clothes, I am going to, for this time out alone, focus on the Evening side of things for that's where the most magic happens.

Firstly, Maticevski played around brilliantly with proportions and throwing them askew in weird and visually stimulating ways, Wide on top of Wide, Oversized Flared scrolled ruffles blooming forth in swaying expanses on top with a Slender, gracefully body-limning columnar bottom! Sproutings of those same ruffles extended from the sides of pencil skirts or Tech-y Pinhole Mesh was draped into huge Rococo pufballs of Ballgowns. There was so much going on that some pieces could be seen to have distracted from the dialogue of the collection, but all those artistic jetés onto outlying ideas only served to show how expansive Maticevski's mind is and with a little taming and editing, how much a force of fashion nature he could be!

When choosing some pieces to highlight, one is truly gobsmacked as to where to start! Should one first mention the penultimate look? A Silvery, Shimmering Grey Opera gown with a liquid train and slim body with a bodice of Scrolled Ruffles, it was Extravagant and Opulent, but Modern to the Nth degree! Or the off-the-shoulder column in White that exploded at the top in Black, Silver and White Ruffles anchored by a Black band above them? Or the best of the bunch, and mainly because of it's Austere simplicity, a one-shoulder Black Ballgown draped at the side of the skirt, it had a Balenciaga pureness of form to it, but was just twisted enough to be sure that it looked to the future and not the past! There was more... SO MUCH MORE! But in one of those rarest of cases, Words do these clothes no justice. The evidence is clearly there for all to see... I invite you to do yourself a favour and take a look. If you don't feel the breath catch in your chest at least once... Well then, Nothing I could say would be of help! 





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Bye4Now!

Derek Lam Resort 2016.

Weds. 06/10/2015.





Derek Lam Resort 2016.

Inspiration can sprout from some of the most unlikely impetus at times. Count Derek Lam's Resort 2016 inspiration as one of those moments. Citing former Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the prime jumping-off point of his Resort excursion, offering that, he liked Abdul-Jabbar's long limbs and how elegantly B-Ball players move, gave him the relaxed and languid tone of his Masterful and Excellent collection. Lam also wanted to find a more "Relaxed and Contemporary" attitude for this outing, and that he found and then some.

There were treasures aplenty in Lam's array of pieces, most of them had that Vintage/Retro feel that is kinda become something of a calling card for Lam, his clothes often seem like wardrobe for a rethink of Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" They are Quirky and a little... Off, but steeped in sophistication and a Grown-Up sensuality that borders on the sexual but never dissolves into trashy. One would even say he's like the Spiritual little brother of Tom Ford. As Ford always states about the 70's, the beauty of the women of those halcyon days, was Touchable, Desirable, Inviting but never Demimonde. Lam's clothes could be described equally as such!

A few examples of Lam's mastery, a Black/White Gingham check Trench was Faultless and had a definite Vibe of vintage about it, while an A-line skirt in stripes of the most Oddball hues was stiched out of panels of Leather and Suede and paired with a Carrot Orange top, seemed made for the Modern envisioning of Jan Brady! And the best, A sublimely elegant palest Pink Opera coat paired with a Black-on-White graphic "Mezzaluna" print, screamed Talitha Getty or even a bit of Bunny Mellon. It was Simply, DIVINO!

Lam is one of those designers who you never feel any anxiety about what he is going to put forth season after season, that in no way means he's boring or stolid, but he has such refined taste, that what he likes to make is always so damn easy and wonderful to wear while being richly saturated with personality and uniqueness. This collection was a perfect recital of all those lovely qualities and makes one eager for the next permutation of Lam's style.





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Bye4Now!


Friday, September 9, 2016

Missoni Resort 2016.

Weds. 06/10/2015.






In one of her best efforts to be seen in some while, Angela Missoni hit the colloquial "Home Run" with her Resort 2016 collection for her eponymous label. Citing Sonia Delaunay as a reference for her Patterns and Colours, Missoni presented a Bright, Energetic and Positive lineup of Chic pieces to take on a Sun-Drenched Holiday or to bring the Sun wherever you may show up in wearing these Vibrant and Uplifting clothes. 

It was a Simple formula to follow... Cut excellent pieces that were Fresh and Modern with a little bit of a Vintage-y feel, splash some truly Dazzling and Smile inducing prints on the pieces and then keep everything breezy, easy and light and... Et Voilà! Virtually, Every piece was a visual feast, from beginning to end and back again, Missoni just kept upping the colour combo ante with each step! It was nigh virtuosic in caliber, from the "Stereo Wave" Print on a sharp pair of pants and matching sweater, to a Diagonal stripe pattern that was punctuated by Black and paired with a Black and White stripe top, then on to the MOST Perfect T-Shirt/Shift dress in White with Splashy brushstrokes of colour! Missoni nailed it effortlessly each and every time!

There were more combinations of colours and print, almost too many to properly catalogue, and therein the Joyfulness of this collection lay. Missoni was careful to make sure each application and figuration of colour was perfectly calibrated but also exuberant and carefree, within that, each look was studied and spontaneous at the same time! It was a Spectacular and Fabulous feat to achieve, and one that I wish we see more of in the future at the house of Missoni! 





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Bye4Now!
 

Ports 1961 Resort 2016.

Weds. 06/10/2015.






The Ports 1961 Resort 2016 collection had a Eclectic and Eccentric edge to it that disconcerted one's view in the way that only a graduate of Central Saint Martins can accomplish. Natasa Cagalj is the new designer for the house, debuting with the house for the Fall 2015 collection, she has shown herself to be something of a purveyor of Quirkiness with an artistic element running through her style veins. This collection was above all, oddly enough, Playful! In an almost, free-form, innocent and childlike way. Oddball in places it may be, it did have the surprising ability to make you smile in the most unexpected places and ways.

This Naif nature of the designs was what catapulted the pieces into the realm of the delightfully jejune. Cagalj counterpointed the more effervescent elements with some solid and skillful tailoring and Minimalist bent that brought the clothes into more adult territory. A Mauve colour pantsuit was in no way kiddie or unassuming nor was a voluminous duster coat in the same shade. Also of interest, was the offhanded, haphazard way that some pieces, mostly in rich hues of washed Satin were awkwardly, but brilliantly sewn together, like an a liquid slip dress in a saturated Lapis Blue in which the hem was sewn in different configurations, creating an undulating effect. 

Cagalj has an agile and fully unique mind, one that promises great things. This collection, while very much a Curve ball, practically radiated Charm and Insouciance! Couple that with the pieces that will easily translate to the Ports 1961 customer and you have the makings of something to keep one's eye firmly affixed upon. I know mine is! 





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Bye4Now!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Akris Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.





Akris Resort 2016.

Albert Kreimler delivered a whopper of a One-Two punch with Exciting and Reverberating punchy colour in his Resort 2016 collection for Akris. It was a Joyful and finely executed showing with upbeat pieces that were easy, but never basic. Gaining a major injection of gaiety from Kreimler's now signature Photograph prints, this seasons subject were the Stunningly precise rows that constitute the fields of Tulips grown in the Netherlands. In Blaring shades of Orange and Yellow and Red and Pink, they looked like Psychedelic stripes bleeding into one another from afar,

This print was used generously, but nor over abundantly. Kreimler realized, even when done gingerly, a little went a long ways. As peppy as this print was, the rest of the collection caught the same wave and surfed it giddily. Using big gobs of strong colour diluted with interjections of White and Navy and Black gave the pieces a happy buoyancy that lifted them well above the commonplace. A Clean and Simple Black cardigan and tee paired with a side-slit pencil skirt worked all the more in this dialogue, for it came as a palate cleanser and was Rock Solid Chic as well. While an exactingly tailored but relaxed Grey Bird's-eye Pantsuit looked equally Sharp and Laid-Back.

Though if Colour was what you came for, then the Sportif Sunny Yellow ensemble of a sleek dress and cropped Cap-sleeve jacket might be more your speed, or definitely the combo of a Shocking Pink Broadtail top and Cherry Pink skirt would soothe your need for some Zingy, Sizzling colour! Kreimler didn't saturate this collection with tricky propositions or complex ideas... he offered Fun and Sophisticated items for a woman who wants to inject a good bit of Vivre into her wardrobe or have some Spunky clothes to take with her on a good time getaway. This collection succeeded wildly on all those fronts!





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Bye4Now!

Naeem Khan Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Naeem Khan was the assistant and Protégé of Halston and knowing this bit of information, one might expect his clothes to be a trifle less dated and Old-Fashioned, But they are not. Where Halston was completely of his time when he was designing, Khan seems trapped in a 80's/90's bubble, one that he, by the looks of things, is inescapably encompassed within. His Resort 2016 collection was a case of that tree bearing prodigious fruit to support such a hypothesis. It had an unwavering atavistic tone to it that looked as if some nighttime Soap Opera diva was going to come sashaying down a Spiral staircase, swathed in geegaw sized Jewels and dripping with Richesse Opulence. 

Khan was inspired by Exotic locales and the clothes looked as such, but as with any of the houses that bank on a steady diet of Treacly, Saccharine Evening confections, it can, and usually does, go from Palate Satisfying to Ooey-Gooey Overload in 2.7 seconds... FLAT! Couple that with a crippling antiquated aura and you're left with an Upset Tummy and in need of something refreshing and bubbly to soothe one's overworked system. Khan let it all hang out and it wasn't the most Raffinée output in terms Elegance. The clothes screamed more than shouted and there is a distinct difference betwixt the two. 

A couple pieces didn't capsize under the weight of their own Largesse but came diabolically close. A Luminous Cinderella Blue Caftan smothered in Silvery Beading and Embroidery looked more modern than most of anything else for the simple fact alone that it rung with an authenticity and delight in it's own indulgence that it felt more Gay and Free than the rest of the pieces. And a Valentino-Inspired Organdy ballgown in tones of Dusty Taupe, Maroon, Ash Grey and Sky Blue was perhaps the more Contemporary piece in the collection and set itself apart from everything else because of it's Artistic Verve. 

Otherwise... best to forget about it. Khan can have glimpses of promise, but after so many years of churning out gowns and outfits more suited to the Charity set or even more damning, The Prom Circuit, it feels as there is nothing more that can be done to stop this boat from sinking. 





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Bye4Now!

Badgley Mischka Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.





Badgley Mischka Resort 2016.

Business as usual. Beautiful Business. Gorgeous Business... But, nonetheless, the same business we've come to expect from Mark Badgley and James Mischka. Stalwart proponents of Ravishing Evening confections with nary a deviation, Nighttime dressing is their Modus Operandi and they were sticking to it for their Palm Beach inspired Resort 2016 collection. So, as typically lovely as Badgley and Mishcka's collections usually are... That's all it was... Typical.

One whiff of ANYTHING not cemented in the way of Nocturnal dressing would have been frighteningly appreciated! Owing to the fact that this was not to be, we were faced with a Parade of Pretties that grew Yawn-inducingly boring as the procession droned on. The highlight of the collection were the Lily Pulitzer worthy Caftans that were sumptuous and opulent but more relaxed than we are used to from the design duo. Other than that, every outfit felt done to death. Formulaic and Expected.

One saving grace that stood out, A deep Ink Blue 3/4 sleeve column with an empire blouson top that was gently graced with an almost Japonesque like Floral Applique and had a Bill Blass sophistication to it that was gorgeously Enchanting! After that... The collection ended up being just one more notch on the bedpost for Mark and James. Same Old, Same Old!





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Bye4Now!



Costume National Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Ennio Capasa's Resort 2016 collection for his label, Costume National, was an intrinsically Graphic affair with bold splashes of Red and Ocean Blue thrown into the mix for relief and a deep Honey colour used on some Suede pieces for even more visual relaxation. But by and large, it was Black and White from Fore to Aft. Capasa is a Modernist with a bit of deconstructionist thrown in for good measure, while there was a bit of both, this go round he focused on edgy sportswear that had an air of the intellectual about them, but didn't pay slavish obeisance to it.

The best pieces were the ones that were the least tricked-out, A Chili Red Three-Piece pantsuit was easy to wear and gave presence to whomever was to be draped in it. The same goes for the Vest/Pant ensemble and Pantsuit in a Russian Constructivist style mix of Red, Black and White. both excellently tailored and both Modern and Sharp. There was more to take in, A Red Sequined shift veiled in Black had Goth in it's bones, but was too short and sexy to evoke the abject sense of Misery equated with Goth, so it came off, Marvellously so, as Goth, Lite!

The rest was well done, and there was a lot to covet for Capasa's Clientele. There's really nothing bad one can say about the collection, it hit all the right chords and achieved what it was trying to, handily. It was a Win-Win for all involved!





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Bye4Now!

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Zero + Maria Cornejo Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






"Resort is the Mistress of all the other collections. It has to fill many beds" was Maria Cornejo's pronouncement about her surprisingly brief 2016 Resort collection. Cornejo is an intellectual and artistically driven designer that also knows the value of wearability and interesting design harmoniously coexisiting. This was a distilling of that idea into a few examples that will serve the purpose of giving a woman options until the Spring collections come into view. 

From an Icy Blue "Pajama" set with a cropped short sleeve top with cropped wide pants kitted out with oversized Two-Way Flap patch pockets, to a Swingy Tri-Colour pebbled Leather coat that will do double or triple duty for Spring, Fall And Winter easily. Also interesting, a Fils-Coupè ensemble in a Funny, Oddball colour combo of Grey, Pink and Violet, with an Off-Shoulder top and pants had a Studio 54/Discotheque feel to it that was decidedly Flirty and Cool and Fun! 

Cornejo didn't push her envelope and had no need to really, the outfits offered here will certainly incorporate into her customers closets and enliven what is already there and offer some new and interesting possibilities of their own. 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Herve Leger Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Even when Lubov and Max Azria try to innovate at their second label, Herve Leger, it still seems to always fall into the trap of the overly familiar. Resort 2016 was just such an instance. The collection was instantly recognizable as that "Bandage Dress" collection and offered little in the way of purging that immediacy of discernment from it's soul. There were tweaks here and there, a loosening of silhouette, more swing in the skirts, some swimwear here and there (one was surmounted by a VERY Balmain looking ostentatiously embroidered Black Leather jacket that in and of itself was one of the brighter facets of the showing) but just mostly, more regurgitation of the same Tried-and-True Formula.

There were a couple ensembles that did do the mind good, a Blue Topaz colour dress in cobwebby sections of embroidery was fanciful and quite delicately beautiful without looking slutty (as many of the pieces in the collection did!) and it's match in a Radiant shade of Lemon Yellow was also currying favour. Conversely, the final look in White with a Drop skirt below that fitted long-line drop-waist bodice looked more schlumpy than sexy! It just didn't work. The Azria's need to bring some REALLY New ideas into this collection and put the Stretchy Body-Con looks to rest for a bit. The label needs a refreshing and needs it like three seasons ago! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!

BCBG Max Azria Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






As with nearly every BCBG Max Azria collection, a LOT Was going on in the Resort 2016 presentation, and not much of it exactly made a helluva lot of sense. To say it was a bit all over the place is to be tepid in it evaluation. There was Short and Long, Boxy and Fitted, Wide and Narrow, Layers and Streamlined all coexisting, along with some very bold South American inspired prints. It was a tricky proposition by Lubov and Max Azria, and the really comic bit is, strangely and wonderfully, It felt exciting and fresh. It felt disjointed, Oh My Yes, but that seemed like it was part of it's offbeat charm! 

Not to go into to great of detail, but the looks had an offhanded unrestrained flair that lent them attitude and energy. an absolutely GORGEOUS Taupe Wrap maxi-dress paired with a Bolero Cropped buckled Black Leather vest was Pitch Perfect as was a Denim Worker's shirt paired with a sheer black Full-length Tutu Skirt! Confusing, well... Yes. It was certainly that, but the Azria's collection was also able to challenge the mind and give the woman wearing the collection a lot of freedom to play around and make her own statements. That alone, is worthy enough for an A Grading! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!


Thursday, September 1, 2016

Marc Jacobs Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/09/2015.






Decoding all the references that combine to create one of Marc Jacobs' always Masterful opuses thoroughly, is a task better suited to a motley group of Fashion Historians and Psychoanalysts! Jacobs collections are always turgid and multilayered affairs that leave one unequivocally Breathless and Giddy and Perplexed and Bemused and Amazed and just flat out Delighted! There is so much richness and complexity, even in the simplest of expressions, that you're always needing just one more look to glean further insight into the quixotic whole! Jacobs mind, is perhaps the most Fertile and Febrile in the fashion universe save the only person in the cavalcade of designers whom's mind is working at an even more agile pace, Karl Lagerfeld. Although, I have said it before and it Bears Strong repeating... With his Knowledge and Skills, Jacobs is perhaps the only designer capable of continuing on at Chanel, When/IF Karl ever decides to abdicate his Royal perch there. I cannot envisage ANYONE who is within even a Billion Parsecs of Jacobs when it comes to being able to not take Lagerfeld's place, NO Being could ever do THAT, but to Succeed him and continue on in his Brazen Spirit, Maybe even now and again... Achieve something Greater! 

Getting past ALL THAT... Jacobs' Resort 2016 collection was once again, Absolutely Pitch Perfect! And one of the few times he did not fully do a 180° Degree volte-face and blithely skip along to some other vein of inspiration. His Resort collection was a continuation... of a manner... of his Fall Diana Vreeland-Inspired missive that was truly one of his most dynamic and blissfully overloaded orgies of FASH-ION, ever! This resort collection was no less ecstatic, though it was a trifle bit less unrestrained than Fall. Saying that, every outfit was embellished in some form, either with Geegaws and Beads, Sequins and Cutouts, Grommets, Studs, Nail Heads, Crystals, Pearls, GOD KNOWS, you name it, IT WAS THERE! As imprudent as all that would make one believe it was, it had in fact, the absolute opposite effect, Where in Fall there was a Dark, sometimes even, Sinister opulence that was unrelenting and Sensualist, here, all those embroideries and accoutrements lent an air of sublime gaiety and naiveté that was never childish, but spellbindingly GIRLISH! 

The one thing in all this that was never lost, Jacobs' Skill as a Tailor. In fact, that was the thing that saved the overabundance from feeling like a Gimmick to mask sub-par clothes. Which in the case would have just made the clothes look cheap and tawdry. No, Jacobs' clothes looked ALL THE MORE Rich and Excessively Opulent because the things he put them on were so outstandingly well-made, Much even of a Demi-Couture scale. it was Jacobs's Schlocking up of everything that kicked the Preciousness and Stuffiness out of all of it! Make no mistake though, Precious though they may not be, these were not commonplace or quotidian in any respect. Even the, by most standards, Basic V-Neck Argyle Sweater (In Red and Grey) was enlivened with a quilting of beads and embroideries and placed over a Decadent skirt done in various degrees of Broderie Anglaise, or the Prep-school boyish Double Breasted Pinstriped pantsuit that was Lavishly edged in Stones and Pearls and Beads, which had it been adornment free would have still been Genius, but not exactly, Lively! 

Jacobs' Kaleidoscopic view of fashion is what makes him an instrumental force in the fashion pantheon. He truly does not give a bold faced SHIT about being expected or following anyone's lead but his own! He is as Idiosyncratic as he is Iconoclastic, His clothes scream to be seen and takes a woman who has real Backbone to wear them, Conversely, they also have the communicative effect towards the wearer to GIVE them confidence! To make the Wallflower a Warrior! To make the Meek, Bold! There's a sense of performance in Jacobs' clothes that empowers a woman to step behind them and let them speak for her if she has not the power to do so herself. And for those already empowered enough, well, the clothes are accomplices, Sly friends urging her to be her most emboldened self. That's quite the fucking fashion prestidigitation, if you ask me! Lady or Tramp, Marc Jacobs is there for you, Resort was one of his Masterpieces, from Amber Valletta in a Soigné suit to start, to my Detroit Homegirl, the lusciously Leggy Riley Montana closing the festivities in a Jet Beaded Frock that echoed multiple eras as diverse as the 20's and Jacobs Halcyon 90's in equal measure, Jacobs and Vreeland proved to be a Winning Pair. Now, as we are well aware, Marc's constitution could no more stand a 3rd inning with Diana than Tweety Bird could stand to be in the same room with Sylvester the Cat, so we know that Jacobs next outing will be as Diametrically opposite to this collection as any ever. The best thing was though, we got to sit a little longer in the Parlor of Diana and have a Cuppa with her and Marc, MAHVELLOUS Company, Indeed! 





That's All.





Bye4Now!