Dries Van Noten.

Weds. 09/24/2014.

Dries Van Noten.

A Fashion-In! Dries Van Noten gave us a Hippy Influenced Love-In with Fashion. With all the Hippy-Dippy-Trippy Drug soaked Free Love Music Festival influences swarming about Spring 2015 like so Much "Molly" It was Little wonder that Fashion's most Unabashed Free Spirit of Bohemian Extroversion, Van Noten, would surely catch that Glastonbury/Coachella/SXSW/ Vibe and RUN with it... That he produced perhaps the most Definitive and Exquisite iteration is a Testament to his Megalithic Talent! 

To Wit, Van Noten went back to the Opium/LSD/Marijuana laced Hippy days of Woodstock and the 60's/70's Bohemian for his inspiration... Not that others didn't but they went to those days as witnessed through the prism of the Youth of Now viewing those Drug Soaked Heydays. This was a Trippy Trip back to a Haight-Ashbury/Woodstock Farm Hippy that never existed, but could have, in all it's Berkeley College, Granola Crunchy Goodness! With all manner of Devices and Prints, from Shiny Chine Silk Stripes that aped Serape, to Moorish and Arabic Patterns, to Rajasthan Florals and Medallion Prints... All Conglomerating together in ever new vivid combinations!

The Magic of Any Van Noten show are the Endless Permutations and Conspicuous Extravagant Juxtapositions and Layerings, Here that profusion was so Rich, it almost bordered on Smothering of the most Perversely Wonderful Kind! If Van Noten had layered more, Magpie-like, it may have been even more Hedonistic and Sensual... As it lay, it was just the right amount of Excess to not be Idiosyncratic. Pajama/Smoking Pants under Dresses or Skirts or Tunics... Layered Dresses, Layered skirts all in clashing, riotous print configurations. Dhoti Pants, Pencil Skirts. Djellaba like Dresses, Brocade, Embroidery, Sparkle, Sequins, Damasks, Stripes... ON AND ON it went Ceaselessly like some Unquenchable Bender! It truly became impossible to pick and choose any one specific outfit amongst the Multiplicity of Garments, It was Luxuriantly, Luridly Surfeit! 

After all this Hippy/Boho Richness, the models splayed themselves upon the Mossy/Grassy looking Runway and had their own kind of Fashion Sit-In. It was a Cheeky and Bold Romantic gesture that could have come off Hokey in the Utmost, but it didn't. Van Noten had given such a Prolific Diatribe on this subject, Via the Exceptional Clothes, That this actually felt Spontaneous, Natural and Wondrous. If it didn't bring at least the Creeping of a Smile across the visage... Someone might need to Check themselves for a Pulse. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

 

Damir Doma.

Weds. 09/24/2014.

Damir Doma.

Blending Athletic influences with Pajama style ease and inflect that with a Something of a South Of France Airiness and Breeziness and you get the Strangely Peculiar, yet Alluring Spring 2015 Damir Doma Collection. It kinda shouldn't have worked, But Magically, It all did! Even the Offbeat colours of Denim, White, Black, Fawn, Indigo, Navy and Root Beer with Blasts of Sweet Potato Orange and Golden Brown added up to a Quirky Balance. 

Injecting some Movement and Languidness into his clothes, Doma seemed to Catch that Wave of Urban Boho with a more Delicate lilt than many others have sported this season. Add to it the sense of Languor of tops and Especially pants as Breezy and Carefree as a Pair of Pajamas and you have something of a winning hand! The tailoring even reflected this dedication to Relaxation. There were no Traditional Button closures, Just looping of Fabric through Oversized Grommets, or the more Athletic touch of Zippers. These elements conspired together best on a Lacy Pajama styled pantsuit with a strip of fabric through a Grommet loop as a closure that was Chic, Bohemian and Lounge-like all in one. 

Doma put forth one of his best efforts to date. It had all the elements to Pique the Interest of New Clients while still satisfying all the needs of his base of Loyal Clientele that he already has... Handy Work That. And if Doma can keep threading that needle with such Panache and Style... He'll find himself garnering more than Just New Clients... He might find himself garnering the Spotlight!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Guy Laroche.

Weds. 09/24/2014.

Guy Laroche.

Spring 2015 saw Guy Laroche's Marcel Marongiu taking inspiration from American Fashion Pioneer, Claire McCardell... She who rejected the Haute in Couture and gave women Functional, Sporty, Innovative clothes for The Modern woman who didn't want to strap into a Corset and wear A Full Crinolined Circle Skirt while sending the kids off to School and Making Dinner for the Husband all while cleaning the house and Being a Pillar of the community! So, It was a little bit Funny that in his search to find the path from Marongiu/Laroche to McCardell that he would come up with Leather as his Starting Motif!

Disregarding those "Modern" takes on McCardell... Marongiu did simplify and Streamline things, in a way, at Laroche, Take a look at those Long, Lean, Spare Jumpsuits... if there was ever a Future Tense Iteration of McCardell, There You Have It! Afterwards, the idea was catch as one could... nothing Specifically stood out in the same vein, yet stood out for different reasons. Marongiu is one Fine Tailor and you could see that in series of White and Grey Melange Coats that looked Stellar!

Also of note, A Gleaming Yellow Jumpsuit in Satin Charmeuse, A sheer slip of a dress in Indigo and an Ink Blue One Button Suit that put the "Power" Back in Power Suit. There were other worthy looks, but they need not mentioning, 

After this collection it was let known that Marongiu was leaving the House of Laroche after 8 years there. It's sad to see, but these are the ways of Fashion. Hopefully Marongiu will stay on the Fashion Radar after this, He has always had a great sensibility about fashion and it will be missed if he does not continue on in some way! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Christophe Lemaire.

Weds. 09/24/2014.

Christophe Lemaire.

Christophe Lemaire's Woman is something of the Nouvelle Femme Francaise! She is Cool, Detached, Severely Chic, and Always Individual. That somewhat encapsulates The Lemaire look in a Nutshell. Exemplary Stylish and Utilitarian clothes that never forget that they are Fashion, but also don't go about Screaming the Fact, either. Lemaire's woman Can Blend in Quietly, or she can exist on an Untouchable Plateau, It's the Energy of the Femme wearing his clothes that Epitomize which aspect!

Spring 2015 bought to Lemaire table a more Utilitarian style than perhaps ever before, The Trench coats, Jackets outerwear all had a Chic anonymity to them that didn't make them Invisible, but Quietly Elegant. Lemaire also had a slightly more Sportif hand with the edit and that gave the clothes a generous Dose of Freshness. In keeping with the Stylish Reserve of the collection, Lemaire kept it all in Black, White, Indigo, Navy and Neutral tones with one Bright Lipstick Red Exception. This Subdued palette let the clothes blend into one another when a customer decides to put them together in her own configurations without clashing with what she already owns and what she might procure in the future! 

The Un-Fussy Polish of this collection came through in pieces like a Mineral Green sleeveless dress with a Trench belt at the waist paired with a Long Gilet in Taupe. A Navy Blue Shirtdress with a Voluminous Skirt worn over White Cropped pants gave a Sporty vivacity to an otherwise overseen trope this season. Or the Utter Cool Chic Simplicity of a White Button front Shirt and matching cropped Pants. Easy, Breezy, Perfect! 

Lemaire is becoming his own man now that he has cut his ties to Hermes, Even though that is Inexorably sad, for he was just getting into his Sweet Spot at Hermes and Giving such Amazing Fashion at the Horsey House that it is Lamentable in the extreme that this will be his last collection in a few days, at the House. He will carry on with his own label and perhaps hit an even sweeter spot there, but there are wistful tears in one's eyes at his Departure.... Guess the old Showbiz Adage is true,

Always Leave 'Em Wanting More!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Anthony Vaccarello.

Tues. 09/23/2014.




Anthony Vaccarello.

Anthony Vaccarello's Spring 2015 collection truly was a Case of "Much Ado About Nothing!" With Absurdly Silly Miniscule hemlines and not much more up top, Vaccarello worked his signature Sexy vibe but added nothing new to the Formula in the way of what we have seen before. In that respect, The collection failed to even Scandalize, even though it tried it's mightiest to do so.

Asymmetric Hemlines and a Naval Militaire Theme tried to inject appeal into these otherwise Overwrought Tropes. When Vaccarello scaled things back and let the clothes just simply... BE, he was mining gold... A Bermuda Shorts Suit with a sheer shirt was Heaven, all in a Very Dark shade of Navy. A Tee dress with a Side dipping swath of Pleated Chiffon and Heat Pressed Letters of "AV" On it was one of Vaccarello's best takes on the Asymmetry.

Yet from then on... The Strumpet Set came out to play and it was not pretty! Vaccarello sometimes with his Derring-Do can Shock to the point of Outrageousness and it makes you Giggle and Titter at it's Gloriously Excessive Impropriety, Here, today, It only managed to look slutty and Badly conceptualized. After the Masterful hand he displayed at Versus a couple weeks ago, this came off as bizarrely shocking, Maybe all that focus for Donatella left him a little stripped for ideas for his own label. Maybe next season he'll have learned how to pace himself and give his best to both labels!





That's All.


\


Bye4Now!

Dolce And Gabbana.

Sun. 09/21/2014.

Dolce And Gabbana.

Dolce and Gabbana Extravaganzas are Always... Extravagant! They Push the Very Limits of their themes, whatever that season's theme may be, and take it to it's Furthest point, however long it may take to get there or how many Outfits that encompasses. For Spring 2015, Their Caravan of Sicilian Widows left the Balmy shores of Palermo for the Even More Sultry Bullrings of Seville! The brought with them all their Black Lace and Now fashioned the Roses that would be their Mourning Flowers or that they would throw, Celebratory style, into the ring, Into Infanta Headpieces. 

Digging into the Subtext of A Dolce and Gabbana collection is perhaps something suited more to a Cultural Anthropologist. There is too much, Too deep and thick a field to Cipher through, Approaching it from the Surface and only scratching a little beneath it is enough to get the effect that Stefano and Domenico are trying to impart on the viewer. This season The Duo Headed even further south to Spain and was enchanted by all that Hot Latin Sensuality that Courses through the Bullfighter and his Profession. 

There is always so much to choose and pick out in a Dolce and Gabbana collection that are High points, But count on it that EVERYTHING that needed to be there, was there... The Black Widow Lace, The Burning Heart Prints and Embroideries, The Polka Dots, Fringe, Roses, Matador Jackets... It was all Strewn about with the Wildest of Abandon and the Height of Chic! It Inflamed! It Caused the Blood to Stir and then Boil! It was as Orgiastic an Indulgence as anything seen heretofore or since. It Was A Benchmark for Stefano and Domenico! 

Who knows where the Caravan will lead our Sicilian Widows next, One can never be too sure... You just have to wait to see where the winds are taking our Dynamic Duo, and What Adventure awaits us when chance we meet again....

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Trussardi.

Sun. 09/21/2014.





Trussardi.

Gaia Trussardi whipped up a Helluva Awesome collection of Italian Sportswear on the Deluxe side and made this reviewer Smile from the Easy, Luxurious, Classical Appeal of the clothes. Trussardi is one of Italy's Oldest and Finest houses of Leather. A fact which was abundantly apparent in the Patently Lovely Spring 2015 collection. From the Opening Coat in White and Caramel Bonded Leather to The Perfect Spring Shirt in Weightless Cabbage Green Suede with matching pants.

The collections success also hinged on it's Perfectly judged Sense of Colour, an area in which Gaia Excelled Mightily this season. From Caramel and Nougat to Cranberry and Sage to Indigo and Sky Blue. It was all just a Feast for the Eyes. And when cut into some of the Simple Sumptuous pieces, Like the Sky Blue Ostrich Trench Or the Exemplary Russet Brown Crocodile Suit that just Captivated. Trussardi Hit her mark each and Every time! And with keeping the Edit Brief, She Made each Outfit Count!

This was a Breakout moment for the House of Trussardi, One filled with Amazing and Luxe Options for the Fashion Conscious and offering a New voice in the already thick crowd. One can see that this collection sparked something in Gaia Trussardi... Hopefully that Blaze has been Ignited and will Burn Milan, and the rest of the Fashion World, to the Ground with Excellent Fashion!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

MSGM.

Sun. 09/21/2014.

MSGM.

Simplification can often be the basis of which Elaboration can take Flight. Take Massimo Giorgetti's Spring 2015 MSGM collection, In which he Greatly Streamlined and Simplified his more over indulgent antics for a less Extrovert collection (Although a HUMONGOUS Finch Wrought from Embroidery in all manner of Beads and Sequins and such is HARDLY Introverted!) that still retained it's Loud sensibilities! 

From the Opening Coat, Plain for the Giant Bird (If you hadn't guessed, Giorgetti went on a Tangent with Birds) embroidered on the back, to the Bird prints that pretty much were splashed on everything, yet somehow never looked Silly or Juvenile. Cutesy, Sure, but in a Youthful, Not YOUNG, Way! When Giorgetti wasn't using Finches, Hummingbirds and Woodpeckers as Print and embellishment... It all made for a Very Strong and Playfully Giddy Showing when paired with the Flower print he showed.

That Flower print would end up, Fancifully enough, Encrusted on See-Through Vinyl in a couple pieces, Made from Little Crystal Beads! Quite Fanciful! The show ended with a Trio of Dresses bedecked with a Flock of Birdies... and looked Whimsical and Fresh. Giorgetti is looking like he's taking a Higher road at this moment and his clothes are reaping the benefits of such a Move. With this collection he has put himself firmly in the Public Eye and, By Jove...I think they like what they're seeing!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Salvatore Ferragamo.

Sun. 09/21/2014.





Salvatore Ferragamo.

The Loveliness started out with a Parchment colour Trench-Cum-Poncho, Trimmed in Python, Lined in Sunflower Yellow... And from there it just continued on a Path of Superb Excellence! Massimilano Giornetti's Spring 2015 Gift of Fashion from the House of Salvatore Ferragamo, was the most Potent Study in Quiet, Efficient, Luxurious Eloquence Possible! He didn't Force anything, everything was Fluid, Liquid and Easy. Poetic Almost. Especially with the Colour Palette that barely Registered above a Murmur on the Loud scale.

Now, Effortless Elegance does NOT mean, Plain! Or Boring. That this collection most certainly was not, Not in the least! But it did mean that a Certain Quietude was imbued in everything. This is a Woman who needs not her clothes to speak for her. She speaks quite well enough on her own, even in her Silences! Her clothes aren't so much as her Accomplices, as her Partners! They assist her in telling her own tale without getting in the way, but also by not shrinking into the Background, Either. They are there with her, Every Step, Like Elegant Armor.

It's Supremely difficult to think of Giornetti's Spring pieces as Armor, but they are that, of the most Refined and Delicate sort without being Fussy or Extensively Elaborate! Counterbalance that by the fact that on the other side of the Coin, A Woman wants to Seduce too... so juxtaposed against the Delicate Armor, were more Languid, Sensual, Slinky clothes that never suggested anything more than Purposeful Persuasion. Quite like the Snakeskin that was all around this collection, in real skins or Prints... Giornetti's Woman holds Salaciousness in utter Contempt. No, her Seduction is Cerebral and Sly, Suggestive but never Improper!

This is the Gold Mine that Giornetti has Staked his Claim on, Elegant and Seductive, and is Striking it Rich every time! This was one of his most Subtly Evocative collections in recent memory and, By Far, One of his Best! The Clothes spoke Encyclopediac Volumes on Dressing with Style and Taste, with Class not Ass. Just pick any piece and Marvel at the Subdued Grace, A Mixed-Media Leopard print Top and Skirt on Maneula Frey that was as perfect for a Summer's Day in the Hamptons as it would be a Week in Palm Beach! The Horrendously Luxurious supple Python Cardigan coat, It just OOZED with Throwaway ease yet was probably worth more than a New Lincoln! Or the Chic Anonymity of the Black Zip front Shirt Dress that you could see any woman in New York navigating her way around Uptown Manhattan or Traversing the Cobbled Streets of Rome at Midnight!

Giornetti hit SUCH a Sweet spot with this collection, that it almost brought me to Tears. It was Everything GREAT Fashion should be, Accessible, Luxurious, Easy, Uncomplicated, Sensual, Graceful... The Adjectives could go on Ceaselessly! Hopefully, Giornetti will keep finding new facets to this Jewel he has Unearthed, For truly, It is a Style that has Limitless appeal and Limitless Possibilities... If he keeps Designing this way, His Woman will be Forever Thankful!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Marni.

Sun. 09/21/2014.





Marni.

Nigh 20 years on, Consuelo Castiglioni has carved and Indelible stamp into the world of Fashion, One that is as much Copied as it is Revered. Her Intellectual Bohemian is kind of the Spiritual Cousin of Miuccia Prada's Intellectual Anarchist. One can usually, Always turn to Marni to be Surprised and Delighted and Tickled a little. Her clothes sometimes burst with so much Joy, that it's hard not to be Captivated by the Ebullient Spirited-ness of it all!

Well, Throw all that Out the Window come Spring 2015. A Puzzler for the Ages is what could be the only explanation to this Forced, Overwrought, Maladroit, And more Apt, BIZARRE Conglomeration of Clothes. From the Opening Bell, it looked as if all the Joy had been Bled dry from the clothes, As if they were ready for Embalming. The opening piece was like one of Miuccia's Quizzical First moments, where SHE would have used it's Anodyne, Lifelessness as a Tease to something more Vibrant or even perhaps, more DISTURBING, later, Here it just felt Dead. Basically because what followed took that Clean Slate of an opening and then made it Clumsy and Over-Thought with Design eccentricities.

Angular Cuts and Inelegant Japanese style Folds made for a Jaw-Dropping moment of Disbelief! Again, AS ALWAYS, When Simpler ideas prevailed, Castiglioni Hit Home Runs. When she let the Trickery lead her by the hand, She got lost in the Thicket! There was so much just Drab Plainness going about and the most Unflattering Drapes and Tucks and Cutaways, It all got to be so Suffocating that it sank into the Maudlin. Fortunately, The Colour Loving Consuelo we Know and Love showed up to put up a Fight, One that she lost, but Valiant Effort nonetheless!

When the Marni of Ye Olde reared it's Beautiful Head, we were given a STARTLINGLY Amazing Coat in Orange and Sky Blue that looked like a Fur, but up close was Featherweight strips of Chiffon, Densely sewn together to create the Flowers and mimic the Nap of Velvet or Fur. It, in a word, was OUTSTANDING! She would repeat this later to still Monumental effect. The belted Black and White Splatter print Coat/Dress that was Appliqued with pieces of Cement Colour Jute Canvas (Or was it the other way round,,,,???) on Leila Nda was Exquisite. The Best Outfit of the Entire show...? A Impossibly Simple Tunic with a Zip Neckline that was the Colour of a Paper Bag and was Totally Stripped free of any and everything save a few Black Zippers here and there... WIN!

Otherwise, This was the biggest Shock and Surprise of the season. Castiglioni is to be applauded for wanting to move beyond her Isle of Comfort and into the Hinterlands of the Unknown and Unexplored, But this was a Move too far in the wrong direction. It didn't feel Natural, or Intuitive, It felt as if she was Fighting herself from beginning to end. Which in the end, Made this collection a Devastating Tragedy of Monstrous Proportions. Castiglioni needs to trust her Instincts more and pick a direction and follow it, rather than seeing where all roads lead, She should by now know, Instinctually, That they all lead back to Home!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Emilio Pucci.

Sat. 09/20/2014.





Emilio Pucci.

Milan has become, By this next to last day of it's Fashion Week, "That 70's Show" Suede and Fringe and Flares, OH MY! Tie Dye has been out in the Hinterlands of this theme as of so far... THAT IS, Until the 70's reached Peter Dundas' Massive Tanned Hands! The 70's is Dundas' Safe Place, For Better Or Worse. He has been motivated by the Louche, Sexy Decade that Gave us Studio 54, The Forces of Fashion Nature that were Lauren Hutton, Ali McGraw, Farrah Fawcett and yes, Halston! In Dundas' World, It's always a Balmy Night in Majorca in 1976! That sensibility has to some very Small degree... Stunted the looks that come from His Wildly Successful Casa da Pucci, but his thorough commitment and Exuberant Zeal always come through with such Joyous results... that it's hard to fault the man!

And as much as one would have WANTED to do that, concerning the Spring 2015 collection, The Smile that was kept in permanent residence on one's Visage negated such desires instantly. Dundas whipped up one of his most Phantasmagorical Extravaganzas ever, and even though he repeated a Few dresses and such in different colourations, WHICH is Utterly INFURIATING, It still was a Minor Quibble. Everything else was so Dazzling and Positive...

From Exit No. 1 on Natasha Poly, A Glamazonian Embroidered White Lace frock, Dundas was showing he was going for Every bit of Gusto he could squeeze out of his Imagination. This led to the opening passage, Happily, all being Richly, Frivolously, Gloriously Embroidered, much in the same fashion as that Opening Shot. That Pantsuit on Julia Nobis was pretty much The End All Be All! From here there was this wonderful vacillation between Expert Tailleur and Bohemian Flou. A Pumpkin Orange Double-Breasted Topcoat showed the wonders of the first idea, while a Pastel print dress suspended from a Tiny Embroidered Bra top on Maartje Verhoef exemplified the other half.

Those Ready-Made for Baja Floating gowns that Ended the show were some of Dundas' Best work for the house and in their seemingly Endless Procession of Romance, Made one's Heart (and in the case of the Heteros in the Audience. LIBIDOS!) Soar. Dundas whipped this collection into a Frenzy of Flawless Finery that is going to be a Hard act to Beat for other Designers in Milan and an even Harder Act for Dundas to follow!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Aquilano.Rimondi.

Sat. 09/20/2014.





Aquilano.Rimondi.

There was a time, when you could could on Tomaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi for Quirky, Interesting, Even at time, Piquant Fashion. Lo, Those Days are long behind us and what we have now are Ill-Conceived Misadventures like the Spring 2015 set of Misfit Clothes. Once upon a day, you could count on them for Excitement, Now it's Catch as Catch can for just WEARABLE Clothes...

Gleaning Inspiration from Matisse's "Chapelle de Rosaire" In Venice, Italy, the Duo used Matisse's Organic forms and sensual shapes to highlight their pieces, either as prints, or embellishment. Not even someone as Sublimely Brilliant as Matisse could have saved these senseless combinations shown on display by this Team. Incoherent, Tacky, Silly! All catchwords to be bandied about for this... MESS.

A couple really Nice coats, A dress or two or three (One in Peach pleats with a White and Spring Green Matisse Print was kinda Lovely!) and that's all that one could lift from this collection that didn't suffer from either being too Sheer, Boxy and Badly Cut, or worse yet, Juvenile looking... as in made for the 6-10 year old set. It was a Disaster. Nothing but starting over from Scratch could have helped!

So, Another Misfire in the Hands of Aquilano.Rimondi. These Awful collections are beginning to Pile up like Cars in a Horrfiic Freeway Traffic Accident. These Guys used to Spin Gold like Rumplestiltzken.. Now... They are just Overloaded with plain Old Straw!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Jil Sander.

Sat. 09/20/2014.

Jil Sander.

By Now, Everyone knows the woes that have befallen the once Mighty Maison that is Jil Sander. It bears no extra repeating or rehashing, suffice it to say, that it's been A Rocky Road for the House. Exit Raf Simons, Enter Jil Sander. Exit Jil Sander (AGAIN, for the Third time!) and Enter... WHO? Rodolfo Paglialunga... Yeah, Him! So, what is he bringing to the Table that may Avert more Crisis? From his Debut Chez Jil Sander for Spring 2015, it would seem a lot of Good Ideas that simply need to be Defined, Refined and less strict to the Archives and more Himself. When that Happy Medium is reached (If he is given enough time to get there) then this might be a Successful Marriage. 

There was a Lot to get Interested and Excited by here, Paglialunga did not create Easy-to-Digest Fashion. It was Awkward, a lot of it, It was Imprecise, but there was the definite feeling of a Mind at work here, thinking about clothes in a New way, It might not have been pretty, But it was Something! A lot of Designers would have taken a safer path through the archives, Paglialunga looked at it as a template and began to play... is this his Modus Operandus? One cannot know yet, but That Frisson of the New is always a good thing. Even if much of this is over the heads of those witnessing it and feeling it Clunky and Misshapen... well... It did have Soul and it had a P.O.V! 

The Big Takeaway, Paglialunga's Colour Sense is Phenomenal. The colours here bounced off one another and complimented without one Iota of Coordinating! It was Shocking and Orgasmic. Look at the Paper thin Leather Wrap Skirt in Prune with the Prussian Blue Elastic Waist top on Leila Nda... HEAVEN! Or the Pomegranate Red drop-sleeve top on Waleska Gorczevski paired with the Saddle Orange Leather wrap skirt... Paglialunga has an Eye for Colour that hasn't been seen since YSL or Isaac Mizrahi. 

Paglialunga could come to Redefine Fashion in the Next Few years given the Space to grow and Flourish. Jil Sander simply needs to keep him and give him all that he needs to Excel. I didn't Want to like this collection. When first viewing it, it confounded me, Then I looked again and I was Transfixed, Mesmerized, Spellbound. What Rodolfo Paglialunga is Proposing, not all of us will catch onto at first, But when you do... and when it does fully, Finally, Coalesce... Keep Your Seats Buckled, because it's gonna get Very Fast, Very Quickly!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Roberto Cavalli.

Sat. 09/20/2014.





Roberto Cavalli.

Pyschedelic, Bohemian, Talitha Getty Glamour! THIS. Children, THIS IS THE Roberto Cavalli that is Known and Loved! Spring 2015 seems to find Roberto Cavalli back in Fighting form with a Breathtakingly Lovely collection from Beginning to End. Opening with a Pack of Psychedlically charged Printed Maxi Boho Dresses of the Kind that the Rich Hippies of the 70's would have worn, Cavalli opened with Maximal impact and didn't drop the ball from that Opening Salvo.

From here... Cavalli would Amp things up, then Cool it down only to Ramp up even harder the next! A delicate White Section was Remarkable for it's Fragility and Couture Skill as well as it's Romantic sensibilities without being Limp or Gamine. One Dress on Ondria Hardin was Exquisite enough to make you Weep! Then there was the Burnished Sheen of a Mahogany Crocodile Biker Jacket and Skirt that Was LIVING for EVERYTHING!

Cavalli spun a Web of Sophisticated, Yet Inexorably Sexy Charm this season. It was Great to see after some Seriously Bad seasons the last few years. This one was one for the History Books, and if you ever needed to look up How to Make Fantastically Sexy clothes while still being Classy, You wouldn't need to look any further than this Collection!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Giorgio Armani.

Sat. 09/20/2014.

Giorgio Armani.

There is a Point when you find that your life revolves around fashion that you Discover Certain Inalienable Truths about Fashion. Christian Dior Was God. Balenciaga was Jesus, Karl Lagerfeld is the Archangel Michael and that Giorgio Armani Likes Beige! Also, you learn that when you first come to the the Church of High Fashion, that Giorgio Armani will just Captivate your Very Soul with his Ethereal Work... 

Until you get on in years and you find that Armani is doing the same work as when you discovered him... Beige has gone NOWHERE, sometimes that Beige is replaced by Navy or Grey or Black, but wait a season or two... and Beige WILL BE BACK! My Armani Rose has LONG lost it's Bloom, And for over 20 years and going towards Thirty, I can say without a bit of Hyperbole, Armani is still doing the things he was when I started Following fashion back in 1991. The models may have changed, the Fabrics may have evolved, But the song remains the same. 

Now, is that kind of Longevity to be Lauded? Or Derided? It's not like Armani is Producing UGLY Clothes... he is producing EXQUISITE Clothes, But, it's like he's the Ghost of his own Archives or trapped in a Loop of his own Memories... The Silly Pant lengths... the Nomadic Chiffons and Gauzes... The Pinpoint Precision of his Tailoring. All there, every season it would seem, just dipped in a vague sense of Newness that really isn't. This Redundancy just feels by now, for over 20 years for me now, Stale. 

Sand. Dunes. Though not Deserts, this outing,.. BEACHES this time. Well Hell's Bells! How Originale! As it was, there was nothing Original here, All the trademark pieces fell right into the places they have been in for Decades. Some Very Pretty Beaded Tunics near the end were worthwhile, and A Elephant Grey textured Jacket with Wide Raglan sleeves matched with the same Colour trousers was also worth seeking out... other than that... 

Armani is too old now and too set in his patterns to make Radical Changes. He Does what he does Because he Loves what he does. That is why his clothes are Spectacular and that they Sell. Armani just isn't going to Set the Night Aflame anymore. How one views that can be either Comforting, Or... Saddening. The Choice is yours!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Bottega Veneta.

Sat. 09/20/2014.





Bottega Veneta.

Sometimes, It's the simplest gestures that tell the truest story. At The Bottega Veneta Collection, the Big Moment of Truth came not in the Demonstrative Opening Gesture. as Lovely as it was, nor did it come in the Untouchable Perfection of the next few Exits that followed in Soft Shades of Mist and Fog and Haze... No. it came at Exit No. 10. Tomas Maier had been saying how he patently Abhorred "Spandex" Workout wear and how much better it would be to "Practice at the Barre and Focus on Posture and not a Six-Pack" A telling statement, indeed, on where his brain was operating for Spring 2015. So, the Poetic sway of Ballet mixed with the Clothes that the practitioners of said art wear, Only luxed up in only the kind of way that Maier at BV can do! Right? Good!

Now, about Exit No. 10... In Maier's Work at Bottega... There are always undercurrents of Fathomless Intellectual and Artistic meaning, Try as he might, Maier CANNOT Design a "Simple" Collection. It's simply not how his mind operates. There is always too much Background and Subtext to his work. But Exit No. 10 was as close to that "Simple" Precept that Maier may ever get. In his hands, The Workout wear was Lush, Comfy, Slimming, Limning the body like a Second skin but still being Utilitarian, It was Minimal to the point of Being Anonymous. Now pair that with the Palest Yellow Full-Length Trench... and you have an outfit to totally DISAPPEAR In, The trench when closed would cover Everything, So only on the inside would you know you're in clothes so comfy you might as well be Naked, and on the outside, Because of the Superior Quality of that Coat, No one would ever assume you were going to go... WORKOUT or DANCE! It was this Juxtaposed Dichotomy to the clothes that to me, made the collection's Cerebral undertow so much more Sensual!

It was the Mixing of Luxury and Comfort, Not together, mind you, but Separate. that Made the Collection so... Voluptuary! Taking the Basics and not exalting them beyond their basic nature, but coupling them with such Singular, almost Personal Luxury that the women wearing them seems to be Living a Double Life! Cozy Inside, Impenetrable from the Outside! You'll NEVER Know her inner life, unless invited in! That summed up the Cold, Calculating beauty of This collection... That Maier's Woman is an Empress, even of the Commonplace, and that her World is her own, Not for anyone else's Pleasure or Satisfaction, but hers, And hers Alone!. This Steely Remove is what charges the Bottega Veneta Woman's Life with The Energy of Self Reliance and Independence.

She may as the day goes on, begin to embellish her self, see how the collection started like a Blank Canvas and then Steadily, The Brushstrokes of Extroversion came to the Fore. Maier has always had the Artisan's spirit imbued in his clothes, But the Kick in the Pants is that it has never been about the Viewer, But, THE WEARER! Maier gives all this for his Client to enjoy, Almost Secretly, Perversely. The embellishment is only to Catch to eye of others and leave them Wondering in your wake!

All this is perhaps too much investigation into clothes, but this collection felt so unbound from Maier's Past work her, that it was like he was Opening Windows and Doors and Letting the Air breathe through the house and It made the clothes all that more Wondrous! The Dark, Raw edge Denim dresses Embroidered with Patches of Dark Sequins. The Gingham... The Home Spun, Crazy Quilt aspect of the Color Pieced Dresses with Bronze and Silver sequins and Pieces of Mesh... Intellect meets Raw Artistry.

The more one goes on, the more the Mystery Deflates and that's not good. Every woman should have some Sort of Mystery about her, and if that's her clothes... Then So Be It. These are the kinda clothes that will have those around you searching for Clues For Days!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Philipp Plein.

Fri. 09/19/2014.

Philipp Plein.

There's not much in the way of saying about Philipp Plein's Dismaying and Foolish undertaking of a Spring 2015 collection. By all standards, There were a Myriad of Perfectly Executed and well made Clothes to choose from... The flip side of that is that even though Plein showe 58 Exits, Only about a Scant 1/3 were original ideas. The rest... Repeats of the said same outfits... Over and Over and OVER! Without one Change to the clothes to boot. Only Different Colours were the Demarcation of the pieces. It Pissed Me The Fuck Off! 

From Ballooning Crinoline hems on Short, Full Party dresses to Crystals Bedazzling everything from Hot Shorts to Perfectos to Toucans to Serape stripes... It was A Hodgepodge of such Stunting Disbelief as to be Nightmarish. I couldn't even Look twice at the collection, It was That Pointless. And the Finale... A Non-Stop Litany of the SAME Pieces Embellished in Crystals that seemed to drone on so endlessly that An Ice Pick to the Temple would have been more of a Pleasure! 

I refuse to pick out any specific pieces to Highlight. There were Beautiful clothes, Yes, This is True, But with such Deadening Repetition, Any of that Beauty was Shot in The Back of the Head with a Colt 45. Magnum! This collection was pretty much a Worthless Endeavour from Beginning to End and Plein being the Great Designer that he is, Should be Wantonly ASHAMED of himself for producing such a Disgrace! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Versace.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Versace.

So, After a Particularly Exceptional Fall collection for 2014... the expectation could easily have been that Donatella Versace was in a New Place and that, Albeit Different, Spring 2015 would follow suit and be a Continuation of her Brilliant Work set forth a few months before... Sadly, That was not what transpired for Spring 2015 at the House of Versace.

Donatella and her Design team went All Tricky and Over-Designed... YET AGAIN, proving that Donatella doesn't know when she's got a good thing going on. This collection had it's high points, but those came few and far between the simply disappointing and, even more baldly, Badly designed clothes. Things kicked off precariously, with a Utterly confusing Short/Long skirt that was aping the whole Pant/Skirt idea from Fall Atelier... It Looked Unrepentantly ASININE!

Also, Taking wing from the Fall Atelier collection, The Infamous house signatures of the Greek Key motif and Medusa. The Key motif was worked into the collection early and in varying degrees from nearly Imperceptible to Mammoth. From there, Uninteresting Interlocking ring prints that would be later replicated in Laser Cutout Leather studded with Grommets and look altogether more pleasing and her Wan and Excitement deficient Medusa Prints were even less inspired.

Even the appearance of one of the Signature Standbys... Crystal Mesh, Failed dismally. It looked Cheap here. Not Glossy or Sexy, and at times it was Dead Awkward (those Above-Ankle length "Gowns" were Dreadful!) The colours were Sublime in the ferocity and fearlessness of their combinations, but colour alone cannot save a collection. The low points in this show dragged the whole rest of the work down with the Undertow and nearly swept the mind Blank as to what was Good... A Short Pink Suit was Breathlessly Amazing, as was a little Black Leather cutout sheath decorated with Grommets...

Save those and A few other outfits... this Showing was D.O.A! Donatella had reached such a High-Water Mark this past Fall and to let it slip through her fingers like she has with this Deeply Flawed collection is Unforgivable... At this stage in the Game, She should Know Better.





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Tod's.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Tod's.

What Alessandra Facchinetti is doing with Leather at the House of Tod's is Practically, Magical. Half of her Spring 2015 collection is in the Stuff, Yet rendered so Airy and Weightless as to, By Sorcery, Seem Gossamer! Take that Aerated Mesh Shift that opened the Show. It's Mesh holes created by Laser. It had the Lightness and Lilt of A Cotton or Silk material, But was rendered in La Cuir. That's why Facchinetti's Skills are so Laudable.

Facchinetti used this technique multiple times, always to great effect, This was combined by Facchinetti with a Particularly Spring-like collection that was concerned with Gardens and Flowers. Couple that with Leather and it's an Incongruous Image that was wrought Wonderfully Harmonious! This was achieved by rendering her Flowers in Abstract, almost Matisse/Miro-like Form. That was the Key, Facchinetti did not give us Typical Blooms, No, here they were rendered in Luscious, Sensual, Blob-like forms that seemed to have a Undulation from within. Done as such, they projected as much Art as Artistry from Facchinetti.

This treatise on Leather Expertise did not comprise the whole collection, There were a Bunch of pieces cut from Deluxe Fabrics as well! This was why there was such a Bumper Crop of Absolutely Breathtakingly Wondrous clothes, so potent they are,  that the house is certainly going to be having this collection snapped up in Huge hunks by it's clientele! The Gorgeous Sunny Yellow Pantsuit, The Coffee Brown Leather Tee embedded with Mirror sequins, A Peacock Blue Pantsuit that was Sharp and Chic. A pair of Smoke Blue numbers, One a Fluid T-Shirt dress in Fabric, the other a Tank Dress in Buttery Leather.

Every Season since her installation at the House that Diego Della Valle Built, Alessandra Facchinetti has Upped the Ante on what she can do and what she can Achieve. One Might perhaps, as she moves into the future with the label, like to find her relying less on Leather and injecting some of the EXQUISITE types of work she showed at Valentino... for we know the Woman can Cut a Dumbfoundingly Gorgeous Evening Gown, It would be good for her to inject some of that into the Tod's Brand and she what Happens. As Mother would say... "Nothing Beats A Failure, But A Try!"






That's All.






Bye4Now!

Iceberg.

Fri. 09/19/2014.




Iceberg.

While Alexis Martial is beginning to gain some recognition for his work at the House of Iceberg and giving it new life, He is also Quietly becoming something of a Guru of Cool to turn to. His Lean, Spare and Decidedly Fun romp for Iceberg Spring 2015 was more of the same Steadily Sexy and Cool clothes he has been sending down the Runway. Spring actually saw Martial loosening up a little more than usual and his clothes benefited from the Slackening.

Southern California is a Goldmine of Inspirations, especially if you like dressing the Pretty and Youthful... In Mind as well as in Body. With this starting point came Military and Sportif accents that have been showing up with a Fervent Frequency. Martial's take was to keep it Simple and Assail the eye with Scorching colour and Brief Hemlines to get his points across.

There were missteps, to be sure, Some of the Skirts looked Clunky and Awkward to a Very unflattering degree, but also some whimsical Hits that made the Less successful pieces seem insignificant. Pieces Like, The Shift dress covered with Pale Pink Psuedo-Floral Appliques that was Charming and Vivacious, Or the Dragon Fruit print layered Shift dress of Exit No. 28. Even more Delightful, the Belted Slip dress that looked as if it had had a Nasty, Yet Clandestine run in with a Kids Sticker album... It was Cute as Hell, A little bit Funny and Definitely Editorial.

Martial should have no difficulties in keeping the fires burning at Iceberg, Now the mission is to Take it to the Next Level. A little more Focus is all that is needed and He'll be one of the Big Draws in Milan in no time!





That's All.




Bye4Now!

Missoni.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Missoni.

While there is Little evidence that Captain James Misson  and his Pirate Colony, Libertatia ever TRULY did exist, if we take it from Angela Missoni, He did and her family is a Descendant of his Bloodline. However Fanciful such Conjecture may be, it can be fodder for Fantasy and Brilliance... Elements both found in Ripe Abundance in Missoni's Spring 2015 Masterpiece!

Infusing a Langourous, Breezy Easiness into the Traditional Motifs of the House of Missoni yielded something of an Abandon to the clothing, Must have been all that talk of Pirates and Decadence and Such! The clothes did have a Sense of the Decadent to them that was Explicitly Modern, Witness the Lack of Beads, Embroidery and overall Decoration. There was some Subdued sparkle Built into the fabrics, but those achieved a Gentle Glitter more than an all out Shine!

The clothes themselves may have been simple and Liquid, but the way Angela put them together, Bordered on Quirky. This only added to the Madcap sensibility of the show. The clothes themselves though, were the culprits of such Joyous Merrymaking. In Sun Drenched Summer hues that complimented the Breeze ready Whisper thin materials... Papaya, Banana, Peach, Rose Pink, Aquatic Blues and Greens... When cut into something like a knitted Bathrobe/Trench over a Matching Maxi Sheath in shades Hazy Pastel Shades of Pink, Beige and Green, it was Luxuriant! Or Exuberant when done as a Fruit Salad Hued Trench over wide Trousers in Green and Papaya and and Mango... Splendiferous!

What all the Backstory had to do with the Concrete matter of the clothes is that it simply added another layer of Dimension to an already Winning Recipe. After a Few Seasons of Stumbles at the House, it seems The Missoni Family is back on Solid Ground... All it took was a Little Delving into one's History to make the Present Shine!





That's All,





Bye4Now!

Etro.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Etro.

Veronica Etro offered this insight into her Dazzling Spring 2015 collection... "I figured out this Woman, An Artist living on her own in the Desert." and that she is inspired by "The Enegy that arises from Being close to Nature in it's Wildest State." Well... OK! Her muse certainly was on display on the runway... Bohemian, Free, Uninhibited, And in the Etro way... Wild. It was Compelling and Rather Spellbinding to see the Myriad ways that Veronica Etro spun this idea outward and forward.

If the Desert was calling to Etro, then the natural voice of that would be the Native Culture, and Etro responded with Aplomb. There was no Specific tribe being conjured up on the Catwalk, but their Indigenous Motifs and Style aspects were Appropriated and Manipulated into Vague allusions to the Southwest and Western Tribes. The Indulgence in which Etro delved into was Spirited, But lengthy... She could have trimmed a good Dozen looks from the show and it would have been a little less Overwrought.

The show was Lavishly Sartorial... Layers on layers, Fringe EVERYWHERE, Mixed Prints, Leathers and Silks and More Lent the Bohemian Artist air to the collection. Even with such Profuse fashion, Etro managed to style everything so that it was consistently Spellbinding. One only has to look at a few Exits to see the Magic... an Embroidered rough Linen Cape coat had a Deeply Fringed Hem and was paired with a Printed Maxi dress under... Or the Superb Grey/Blue Suede Poncho with Beaded fringe trim on the hem, that piece was probably the Showstopper by far!

Etro Let her Romantic side run free here and found herself Soaring! Her Spring was one of Freedom and Individuality, Qualities that cannot be expressed more Necessarily in these days... Being someone who Stands out from the rest means Doing things your own way, The women who Invests in The Etro Label This Spring, Will find Fast friends amongst the Racks!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Agnona.

Fri. 09/19/2014.

Agnona.

Curious. That's the word that springs to the forefront of the mind upon perusing Stefano Pilati's Scant Spring 2015 Presentation. Piecing together an Assemblage consisting of Egypt and Bondage... That's Pretty Esoteric by anyone's standards... The outcome mainly concerned the hems of the clothes which was Inspired, Pilati said, By a picture of an Ancient Egyptian garment and his desire to make a Pareo skirt... THAT DIDN'T LOOK like a Pareo. The slashed skirts were one of those kind of things that immediately Stimulate your fashion G-Spot or leaves you Scratching your head in Wonder... As of yet, I am Undecided! 

What did titillate me was that Trio of Slickly Sequined Dresses that Breathed the rarefied Ether of PER-FEC-TION! In Amber, Plum and Sea Green... They Devastated and were the Chicest things in the Presentation. Also, the White Tulip Hem coat was looking mighty fine, too! 

There was assuredly more in the Studio that was back room stuff, the less standout pieces, But with the pieces Pilati showed, He courted a bit of Consternation. It didn't hold together well and it was one of those matters of, are we the Viewer too far behind and need to catch up to Pilati, Or is he just Way too far off the reservation for anyone to follow? I am not sure I can answer this Query, Nor do I think the clothes did a satisfactory job of Clearing up the matter. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Blumarine.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Blumarine.

Frankly, It was rather Shocking to see the first Cavalcade of Pieces at Anna Molinari's Spring 2015 Sojourn for Blumarine. Shocking because, In Essence, Gorgeous Ondria Hardin looked Stark-Ass NAKED in the opening Exit. Naked Except, for some Strategically Placed Embroidered Flora that gave her an almost "Venus On The Half" Shell Sense of Modesty. After a few more exits like this, One especially Saucy on Cindy Bruna.. (GROOOWLL!!!) the shock was replaced by that Aforementioned "Venus'" sense of Propriety and Innocence with just a Frisson of Sexuality. As the show progressed it didn't seem as shocking, More Romantic actually...

But it grew old FAST! This, Quite possibly, was one of Molinari's Prettiest and Most Exquisite collections ever, but just like Alberta Ferretti earlier in the week, It broke absolutely NO new ground for the label and saw Molinari operating Zero Degrees outside her comfort zone. When the results are this Glorious, you'd think, what does one have to Quibble with...? Well, If Molinari has never done it quite this well ever before... it still wasn't putting anything new on the Table to discuss!

When Anna simply let the Overt nature of the clothes drop away, she hit Pay Dirt.. A GORGEOUS Teal Sleeveless embroidered Shift, A Blush colour coat on Daphne Groneveld was Heart-Achingly Gorgeous! Or, The Knockout Black Shantung T-shirt Shift with Black Embroidered White trim at the Sleeves. The collection, when it wasn't interested in Subtle Titillation was Surprisingly Modern, And if it had been more of that to balance out the somewhat Ludicrous Idea of all that sheerness, Maybe it would have been less... skewed. Though, Let's be Honest, This collection Was Drop Dead Goddamn Beautiful. OK?

In the Conclusion... If some Hot, Young Venus on the Uprise is looking to Scandalously/Innocently Show off her Wares to the world this Spring, Blumarine has just what you're looking for... Stunning Bodies Are Required!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Bally.

Fri. 09/19/2014.

Bally.

For a Debut, Last Season showing his first works for the house of Bally, It was Quite a Success for Pablo Coppola, New Creative Director of the brand. Now in his Sophomore Effort, he Has simplified his ideas, but focused on achieving the best Possible outcome for the Garments. Simple they May Look, But they are Painstakingly Executed! 

Showing only 15 looks for his Presentation, Coppola Focused on very Non-Springlike colours that actually turned out to look more Fresh and Summery than Pastels and Flowers would have. There was A bit too much of that Green that's been running rampant around Milan and not the most flattering shade, here though it was somewhat tamed and a little more subdued, making it only slightly less unappetizing.

A Plum Coloured top and Fluid A-Line skirt in Raisin was the First look and was A Tonal Success! A Maize Snake shift also had endless appeal. The best piece in the collection though was the shiny Maroon Crocodile Biker Jacket that was Glossy in all senses of the word. Coppola ended the presentation with a Blazer and Linen Gown in the same Colour Combo as the opener lending a nice sense of Cohesiveness and Roundness to the Collection.

Coppola is gently easing the label into the consciousness of the Fashion Cognoscenti... Bally has traded on it's Leather wear goods for too long and has had too many Failed attempts at trying to make a Go of it in the Fashion Arena. The way Pablo Coppola is Steadily pushing forward while first BUILDING the Brand is Not only Admirable, It's Sensible! Another Season filled with Effortless clothes as he presented today and he'll be ready for the Defile in no time! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Sportmax.

Fri. 09/19/2014.





Sportmax.

Captivating! The Spring 2015 Sportmax Collection was Simply, Divine. There was a Poetic ease and Carefree quality that gave the clothes Lift and Lilt and Air! All those Bohemian touches, Fraying hems, Exposed seams, Rugged/Luxe fabrics... All conglomerated Gloriously into a Romantic whole of Immense Sophistication and Grace. But the design team wasn't going to be Reliant on the Flowery.. This was City Romance. Tough, Urban colours perpetuated throughout that this was no Fairy Tale. It was Reality!

The Colours were Key, Greige, Maize, Olive Drab, Charcoal, with Generous doses of Black and White and Soft Creamy, even an Interjection of Clementine Orange to Refresh the Eye! Another Factor was that the collection focused on Calculated design to make an Obvious Contradistinction to the more Fluid pieces. All though, were Designed with the Meticulous Detail known to the Parent House of Max Mara.

The Opening Salvo to this Epic, Maize and Black Woven Leather strips forming a Check Pattern on a Luscious Coat to start. also appearing later a Black and White Smudged Gingham Plaid Check in either Printed fabrics, or created with Embellishment on Plain, White Fabric. One more design element that was Inescapable... the Drape Tie front on most outfits achieved by either a Wide Obi belt or built into the design of the Garment. These Japanese elements were all part of giving Romantic Appeal to such Straightforward Clothes, it gave them the Mystique of Japan Romanticism but Done in a Minimalistic Form.

When one goes to look at Standouts in this collection, One is stopped Dead Cold in their Tracks. SO very much of the Collection was Masterfully done, that there were many Solo Stars in this Galaxy of Novas! A Olive Leather Shift with an Obi sash at waist was ready to walk off the runway and into Any woman in the Audiences Closet. A Bias Gingham Plaid draped Sleeveless top and Pencil skirt on Tami Williams was also Artistically inclined, But Rendered in Modern Proportions. The Best, On Binx, A Black Satin Jumpsuit that Called to Mind the Great YSL, with it's Tie-Front Plunge neck and Fluid Trouser bottoms was Like Studio 54 had risen from the Ashes and Looked like this Piece of Genius!

As the saying goes, There was Plenty More where that Came from, But it's wise to stop now. This Gem of a collection Resonated on Artistic and Commercial Levels, A Trick almost Impossible to achieve Most times, The team At Sportmax handled it Deftly and Beautifully.





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Moschino.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.





Moschino.

As a Burgeoning Gay Boy growing up at the latter half of the 1970's and throughout the Quickly advancing, yet far more innocent world of the 1980's, "Barbie" was EVERYTHING! Leave it t Jeremy Scott to Re-invent the Impossible Perfection that is "Barbie" And serve it up in a Chaotic Whirlwind of Cheek and Chic!

One wouldn't... couldn't Believe that it was possible to invade Barbie's Dream House, Plunder her IMMENSE Wardrobe and come back with what Scott came back with for Spring 2015 Moschino Show. Yes, It was Hilarious, Frivolous, Lunatic Outrageous, Insane! But dig through all the Pink and Gold and Camp, and there are Pieces worth seeking out to wear, for they are the Perfect Synthesis of Camp and Class and on the right woman, would definitely appeal as High Fashion.

Don't Believe me... Check out the Multicolour oversized Polka Dot T-shirt Dress in Black. Simple, Chic, Functional, And Yes, A bit Fun, as well, But Outrageous? Hardly. The Black Sequined Chanel/Moschino suit was A Glam proposition for many young and Not so young Fashionista's running around the world! A GORGEOUS Gold Leather coat and Black Dress ensemble was Giving Icy Kim Novak Sharpness and a Mesh Nude colour Trench piped in Black with Giant Gold buttons was a Quirky Spin on an old Staple.

The evening wear,,, Well. That was WAY too Over-The-Top to be real, However, I will say that the Pink/Yellow-Yellow/Blue Polka Dot Dress on Cindy Bruna was Giving as Good as anything Ungaro Ever Whipped up Similarly in the 80's! Jeremy Scott has shown that he is no One-Hit Wonder. This collection will be as Marketable and Salable as Fall 2014, Perhaps More, for he is tapping into a Subconscious Soft Spot in the hearts of MILLIONS of Women. The Carefree, Gay Childhood where all a Girl needed was a Her Barbie and a Dream house to put her in. Even more Key, All those Girls (And some of us Boys) Wanted to BE Barbie back in the Day, Now... They Can.

So the Dictum that Barbie taught us in the 80's HAS Come true and Full Circle... "We Girls, Can Do Anything! Right, Barbie?"





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Ports 1961.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.





Ports 1961.

Everything that could be wrong about a collection... WAS Wrong with the Spring 2015 Ports 1961 offering from Fiona Cibani. Awkward, Tricky Details, Bad Design, Kendall Jenner. It was inspired Cibani said from Artemis, the Greek Goddess, One time Strong and Warrior Woman Armored for Bear, the next Floaty and Diaphanous, Sensual and damn near Naked. It did not combine as she would have hoped!

Fussy, Unnecessarily Elaborate cuts and plays of fabric made the collection leaden where, Simplifying things would have given it wings. Cibani's Best moments were when she restrained herself. A sleeveless Stone coloured dress at Exit No. 13 or the White Coatdress on Daphne Groneveld which was the best piece in the entire show.

Otherwise. It was just a Clunker, Simple as that. Cibani wanted to give a Dual spirit to her woman when focusing on one would have been far more preferred, Sometimes, as this collection proves, the inspiration can get the best of a Good designer. Points do have to be scored for resisting the 70's Vibe, Though!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Prada.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.

Prada.

Where to start? When one get's ready to recount in their mind what EXACTLY it was that they saw from a Prada Show, That becomes the absolute most ESSENTIAL Question to ask. Because, Fraught with so many Layers of Context and SUBTEXT, A Prada show can be a Beautifully Quizzical and Confusing thing. Spring 2015 was no less Labyrinthine than any other. It may have been, Slightly less elusive than most, but there was still a lot to take in and digest before one could Zero in on just what the show meant to them, and simply meant, In General.

Miuccia Prada herself is no help, really at all. She is as Mysteriously moved by the whims of the Fashion Gods as any of her viewers and is in no Way, Shape or Form able to decipher why it is that she does what she does. Her Intellect gives her an idea, and from then it's off to whatever shores that idea projects her. Her Intellect and Instinct are helplessly melded into one Unified force of Creation, that to Truly delve into that great Fathomless well, would be Far too Dangerous an Endeavour perhaps even for Signora Prada herself! 

What that leaves the onlooker with is a Dizzying, Vertiginous sense of Mania, But of a Delicious and Exquisite, Rarefied sort. At first blush, Prada's Spring 2015 Essay was catching that 70's vibe that's been running through town like an Enraged Bull in the Streets of Pamplona, All that Topstitching, The Midi Lengths, The cut of the coats... all signs pointed to another 70's rehash... but even from the very outset, this Idee Fixe never truly seemed solidified as in... this is the Path, this is the Way. Prada Unhinged that theorem from pretty much Exit No. 2! Enter in the Fraying and Sheerness and then The Rococo Swirls and Ragged inserts and Raw hems... as if Prada was deconstructing her own Ideal. 

And then the Mania began to creep in, things Unhinged themselves and Deconstructed and Reconstructed themselves with Bits and Strips and pieces of This, That and Incongruous others... Lavish Brocaded Coupe-Fils that from afar looked like Dark Denim, Saddle Leather Strips inset in the seams as if to hold the Precious Materials and the Humble ones together, Fused in Unholy Matrimony forever. Further more unhinging... the Pieces became more Assemblage, uneven or angular pieces of Exquisite fabrics, Like remnants from fully designed pieces that had fallen apart or were cut apart,  stitched together, Frankestein-like, to recombine into a altogether New piece, 

By the time the show was nearing it's end, Prada had Scoured the whole House for every bit of Fabric she could find and cobbled them together into the most Outlandishly, Insanely Inspired pieces yet, A coat that looked like it was made up of a score of old Foulards or Men's Ties, tops and skirts that looked as if the Upholstery from Grandmamma's Bedroom had been ripped from Chairs, Couches, Settees, ANYTHING! Those Natural Linen Napkins and Drapes, Now pieced into Anonymous looking, yet anything but, dresses with Necklines of Gaudily Embroidered fabrics from perhaps a moth eaten Coat from the 20's....

And then it all came together and made a Mad, if not more importantly, Mad MAX, Kind of sense... The Desolate Purple sands, the Ghosts of other garments now reconfigured in a Madcap, Slapdash, Utterly Couture manner... as if our Prada Heroine was in a Vast Wasteland and was Making her Unhinged, Disheveled Trousseau from the Pieces Ancienne of lives lived long ago. She was an Elegant Princess in a Land of Nothing and No one. But FUCK, if she wasn't going to look Regal in this Desolate Landscape. 

Prada said she wanted to "Revive the Beauty of Incredible Fabrics" Yet also said that Beauty, Is an "Impossibility" It is that Contrarian, Stubbornly Arch thinking that makes Miuccia so Brilliant and such an Enigma. She literally, MEANT both things she said, just in her mind the resolution of these Counterpointed ideas is not for her to explain to you, Hell, She probably can't explain it to HER OWN DAMN SELF, But she can design the solution for us. How we deduce what she is presenting to us, is not her affair. She'd be the first, I suspect, to say, Just go with what you feel!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Costume National.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.





Costume National.

As motifs go, the 70's seems to be a recurring one in the Spring 2015 collections, Hitting especially hard in Milan. One cannot seem to turn around and not be assaulted with Fashion styled after the "Me" Decade. Ennio Capasa's take on this Leitmotif for his label, Costume National, seems like one of the more Original Variazionne. The requisite trademarks of the trend are represented here, TONS of Suede, Fringe for days, Studio 54/Halston-like Jerseys, Contrast Topstitching And Oh yes, Hot Pants!

Confining his palette to mainly Cacao Brown, Black, Tobacco, and Purple, Capasa hit that Nerve of the 70's pretty accurately with these shades, Interjecting only here and there a bit of Navy or Indigo or one Artistic Flourish of Robin's Egg Blue in a Suede Shorts/Zip Jacket Ensemble.

Capasa's Usual Off-Kilter, Modernist flair was sublimated through this Prism of the 70's and was actually to his benefit. Sometimes, Capasa's work for Costume National can be too Cool and Detached for many tastes... It kind of renders it Emotionless a lot of the time, Interesting, Yes. Exciting, in it's own way, Yes, Again. But also, Removed... A Resonding Yes! Here, there was a Sensuality and Frankness to the clothes that drew the onlooker into the world, even though that world has been exploited this season with Abandon, Capasa made his version look Mesmerizing in it's own way. If one needed proof, Take Exit No. 26 on Manuela Frey... A Belted Navy Topstitch Coat with Indigo Cropped Pants...

When Capasa ended the show with the best use of Fringe seen in Nigh on many a Year, The overall feeling left from the show was one of Tedium at the continuing reliance on the Decade that Gave us Disco, but that this interpolation was one of the most Creative of the season and Showed with great Facility why the Decade that was the 1970's is still such a Rich Vein to tap!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Dsquared2.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.

Dsquared2.

Dean and Dan Caten. Always the Show Men and Show OFFS! They are something of a Latter Day, Dolce And Gabanna and perhaps, clothe the same women, just in different aspects of her Life. There is a Deep vein of Sex amplifying both collections usually into the Bodacious. It's just, where the Playfulness in a D&G Story is underscored by Serious Gravitas and Dark Romance... The Catens are much more Kooky and a Helluva lot more Fun! 

Spring 2015 Saw The Brother duo in a Playful, yet more grounded Head Space. The Silliness was there, Oh, Yes it was... just though now as an Undercurrent, not as the Main Dish. Opening with Super Saturated Bright Bull's eye circles cut out of shiny Raffia, gave the show Buoyancy and Lift into the most Joyful of Mindsets. The Crop Tee and Ballskirt Combo was Patently WONDERFUL! The Procession of Happy colour continued on... in Leather or Feathers. But then the tempo changed, The hues grew somewhat Somber, More earthen. And less Ebullient. This section was also dominated by that Sickly Green that's been running around town in Milan and was still making me Queasy! 

Then, with a Magical Blast of Lipstick Red, the world Righted itself and we were off again to Pleasant Pastures. That Red Pantsuit introduced Some Phenomenal Couture work from the Twins... a Section of Plisse Pleated Gazar Flamenco Ruffles that just Astounded and Awed with the Facility of their Technique. A Goldenrod Ballskirt was the best Example of this Magic. The Catens decided to Zhuzh up some Denim with more Elaborate pieces, Two in particular were Lesage/Lemarie worthy creations of a Diabolical Sort combining Pheasant Feathers, Beads and Sequins into the most Ornate Embroidery seen outside of Parisian Couture. in a Topcoat and an Amphora Shaped Ballskirt... Both paired with Denim! 

The show, even with that Monstrous Green Colour, was a Resounding Success! The Caten's kept the fun but injected some Real Fashion into this collection. The boys will always be Peter Pan's and youth driven in their clothes, That however, doesn't mean that sometimes they can't peek their nose over the Fence and see what's growing on the Mature Side! :

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Just Cavalli.

Thurs. 09/18/2015.

Just Cavalli.

Partaking of a Just Cavalli show usually entails asking oneself a VERY Critical Question... What is it in this collection, In this Label as a Whole that Roberto Cavalli is trying to Say... Express? Because, Damned If I know! The Just Cavalli Label is Frilly Frivolousness. It usually comes off as Cheap and Tacky and Tasteless and, Lo, did it not disappoint on those fronts for Spring 2015. 

Maybe it was because the show opened so Baldly and Nakedly combining the two Most Queasy Making Shades in the colour Spectrum and both Colours I, Personally, DESPISE... Green and Purple. I am getting sick just thinking about them! I have nothing against the Lighter, Pastel shades of both colours, But these Vile shades on the Just Cavalli Runway... needed IMMEDIATE Excoriation! 

And the colour palette didn't get any better from that Isle... And the clothes... Gypsy/Boho meets 70's Rocker (yeah, That 70's Show isn't getting cancelled at all in Milan, this season!) were a Travesty. Not to mention, Been There, Done That.... You get the Drift! Djellabas, Baby Dolls, Tabard Vests... all thrown into some Stevie Nicks-Cum-Steven Tyler Ninja Blender and Juiced to make a Mess of a collection! 

Little was to be lauded here, It needed chucking into the Trash and Never Mentioned Again! Just Cavalli is obviously working for someone out there... who she is, I don't really need to know. If this is the stuff that's attracting her eye... Me and her have little in common! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Fendi.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.





Fendi.

It needn't be mentioned all the Intensive and Laborious Technique and Craftsmanship that goes into ANY Fendi Collection, Here it was all evident, The slashed Fabrics, The Cut-Out and Tooled and Manipulated Leathers. The Delightful Handbags... All present and accounted for. However, the Spring 2015 Iteration of all these ideas didn't Congeal into anything more than an Incoherent Mess. It was truly not one of the houses Best, By Any means... and that was Deeply Surprising.

Things started out alright, The Anime-Like Orchid prints were Particularly Upbeat and Pleasant and the dresses and separates that they were splashed upon were Inventive and Top Notch, Especially a Dress with a Cape like piece thrown over one shoulder that was one of the Highlights of the entire season and the Mink Bolero with the Orchid Intarsias was Fetching to a High Degree also. An Ombre Suede ensemble in Powder Grey and White was saying all the right things too... but it was about here that things took an Unfortunate turn for the Distracting and Dismal.

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini-Fendi lost their way about a 1/3 of the show in... Slashing and fringing and Pleating Chiffon into Unflattering skirts and some of the most Hideous Creations EVER in the Name of Denim! And then, Horrors of Horrors, Those Cage-like Cutouts... Offensive and Tragically Gauche! A Simpler Approach yielded far better results, as in  a Carrot Orange and Coffee Leather pleated Tennis dress was Amazing! (I do have to ask... WHAT THE HELL was with those Sheer Pleated Skirts? They were doing Not One bit of Favour to ANYONE! Appalling!)

Lagerfeld, Well the man rarely misses the mark. This one was not a Home Run. It wasn't Necessarily a Strike Out either. An Infield Single perhaps! But surely. Not a show up to the Standard or Caliber of which he is Capable. All was not Joyful In Mudville This Night!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Emporio Armani.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.





Emporio Armani.

Blue. Cornflower to Lapis, Sapphire to Cobalt. Navy to Marine. Blue suffused every inch of Giorgio Armani's Spring 2015 Emporio collection. With healthy doses of Grey and White to temper the colour, it was more than obvious that Armani was in a Blue Mood. And while, all that Blue was Nice and Refreshing, It couldn't refresh the Staid, Repetitive offerings from this label. Emporio Armani has BEAUTIFUL Clothes, That must be acknowledged, but the clothes are also so Damn Anodyne and Similar to the Oeuvre that Armani has been working in for this label for over 2 Dozen years. This collection felt Particularly Atavistic.

There was a Sporty element that injected some Verve and Freshness, However, Emporio ALWAYS Skews Junior and Very Young, so some of that Youth could be replaced by some Adult Sophistication. Though some outfits did pass muster in great ways... A Ink Blue belted Shirt Jacket with Pleated Navy Pants exuded a Cool Chicness for women of all ages, while an Ocean Blue and White Canopy Stripe Pantsuit looked Fun and a Little Silly but also Striking! The Best piece was a Simple sleeveless Sheath in Ultramarine Blue with a Drop-Tie at the waist that Was Easy, But Innately Elegant.

Again, Armani broke no new ground here, it was Business as usual. His clients will continue to look Fresh and Vibrant and Most Definitely YOUTHFUL, (to the point of Kiddie) in this collection, But it won't Push the brand into any New Sphere of Breathtaking Fashion. At this stage in the game, Maybe that's not even a Consideration anymore!





That's All,





Bye4Now!

Max Mara.

Thurs. 09/18/2014.

Max Mara.

Nothing New to Report. That's about the size of things to message back from The Max Mara Spring 2015 collection. Gleaning some Inspiration from 70's Era Anjelica Huston, the Max Mara show did have that Decades Bohemian Vibration resonating through, though it did look more like 70's era Ali McGraw than Huston, but that's splitting hairs.

Max Mara had a lot going on trying to keep the interest of the observer piqued... A Confetti print, A Small Liberty-ish floral print, A Large Marimekko-style Expressionist floral print, and LOADS Of Neutrals... Sand, Milk Chocolate, Cappuccino, Toffee, Nougat, Putty, White and Black and Grey! Plus some more Demonstrative colours in those Marimekko prints, Fruit Punch, Clover Green, Curry Yellow... All this didn't add up to more than the usual. Excellent, Pretty. Stalwart Clothes that are going to keep a woman looking Chic, But not too adventurous!

The 70's is a Recurring motif, one that it would be fruitless to get mad at, for you're truly going to see it EVERYWHERE, Max Mara's Take was a softer, cuddlier version of that Decade, and was a nice Rich Hippie Interpretation. Max Mara did what they do best, Some Fabulous Coats (One of especial mention was a Nougat Suede Duster over a Putty coloured Stretch of a Dress!) Sumptuous Leathers and Suedes, And Reliable Jackets, Dresses and Sportswear to keep a woman's closet Refreshed but not completely reorganized from season to season. Does this Translate into Excitement... Hardly. Yet something must be said for Keeping a Girl's Chic Factor cranked up to 10 on a consistent basis. In that Regard, Max Mara was a Number One With a Bullet Chart Topper!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Fausto Puglisi.

Weds. 09/17/2014.

Fausto Puglisi.

Save a Black, Shiny Cropped Tee paired with a Deftly Fluid Black Box Pleat skirt and a Citron Yellow Coat, Faustp Puglisi's Spring 2015 collection was about as Impacting as a Massage with Jello! It was a Caricature of all that it wanted to convey, A Glitzy Versace-Era (Gianni) Glam-More that in Puglisi's Cheap hands came off Tacky and Borderline Offensive. 

The main sticking point, Everything, AND I DO MEAN EVERYTHING, Looked Bedraggled and Harangued. Tortured with Shoddy looking Overdesign that gave a Patina of the Tasteless to it. Not one thing here looked like it Fit Properly or was Imbued with that Gianni Style SEX! Here, Instead of Looking like the most Expensive Whore you'll Never, EVER Get to indulge in, these ladies looked like the Typically Common and Crude Crack Whores On 8 Mile giving Hand Jobs for $15! 

Puglisi shows, In the most Infinitesimal Spurts, the Hands of a real Creative soul, The Gold Redingote Crop biker Jacket and Skirt was one of those moments, But aside from that... He just seems to be Aping every one from Gianni, To Decarnin, Rousteing, Dundas and Cavalli and making himself look like a Rank Amateur in the effort. He needs to REFINE his Aesthetic or else all he ever will be is a Crown Prince of the Tawdry and Crass. Not a thing one would think a Person would Aspire to, No? 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

No. 21.

Weds. 09/17/2014.

No. 21.

Provocation can oft times come across as Confusing. Simply because it disconcerts the norm and causes one to look at things in a Different way. In the best of scenarios, That's the Raison D'Etre of Provoking. But In other Efforts, It just leaves Confusion. 

I like being Provoked in good ways, like anyone else. I don't like being Confused. Allessandro Dell'Acqua posited a Good deal of both in his No. 21 Spring 2015 collection and left one with the Uneasy, Quizzical sensation of... "What Did I Just Witness?" It was a Bold Proposition. One not easily Digested. The Counterbalance of Military and Lingerie was not the difficult part, so to speak, it was the Jarring sense of how the two blended and morphed around one another creating a whole new Fashion Species. Then throw in Grunge Plaid with Brocade or Lace, Sheer with Structured pieces and Dell'Acqua had a Bewildering Question Mark of a collection on his hands! 

Approached as individual Outfits or pieces, the collection was Quite lovely... A Rust Sheer Lace Chemise dress, Or a Brief Army Green Military skewed belted waist Shirt Dress that opened the show, Even the Nude Sheer on Sheer combo of a belted Camp shirt and Slim skirt was ripe with possibility. However, as things moved forward and the pairings grew more Arbitrary, the viewer was left wondering... 

In the final moments of it all, I can't say it was a Disaster. In fact, It was one of those kind of collections that is going to stick in the minds of it's audience, whether they hated it, was indifferent towards it or loved it, as a Catalyst of something that will only be understood later when it is filtered down through other interpolations and will only be recognized as Groundbreaking with the passage of time.. In that respect, Dell'Acqua Captured Lightning in a Bottle. However, as that is always a Gambit Fraught with Peril, He also culled Immense Confusion in the process. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!