Thurs. 09/25/2014.
Rick Owens.
One could see, without much effort put forth, that Rick Owens for his Spring 2015 collection was marrying Ideas of Ephemerality and Content. Of Lightness and Weight. Of the Delicate and the Brutal. It's not exactly the Newest territory that Owens has explored, but it was certainly one of his most demonstrative. And alas, One of his most Disjointed. Early on, it was obvious that the Complexity of Owens' execution was getting in the way of something that could have been greatly interesting. Even as Complexity is Stock and Trade for Owens, here it felt Forced and Inorganic. Even his esoteric jumping off point of Marlene Dietrich singing and Old Standard, "Bangles, Baubles and Beads" seemed to confuse the collection even more.
Now, Owens' Clothing in the first place is not the easiest matter to wrap one's brain around, they are unremittingly difficult. Giving no Quarter. You either get them and they move you emotionally, or you're left ostensibly dumbfounded. There is a rather Warrioress-like Poetry to his clothes, The duality that combines Tough and Tender, and when he works that vibe right, it's rather transporting. Here, It simply felt like there was an Artless, Awkward Inelegance insinuating itself in the work. Something that Owens was unable to rid himself of until the very end.
As always, to go into prolix detail about Owens' clothes is the most Foolish of Escapades. As before, you either Get It. Or you Don't! No Middle Ground. When it doesn't work, Analyzing it to death does not breed deeper comprehension. To be blunt, it actually Creates a greater misunderstanding. Suffice it to say, within the confusion, Devotees (Myself included) Will find the pieces that Resonate. It may be a more Arduous search than usual, but as with all Rick Owens Collections, They are well worth the effort of the Endeavour!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Nina Ricci.
Thurs. 09/25/2014.
Nina Ricci.
As Fare The Well's Go, This one was Damn Near Perfect. At the time of this collection the question was Semi Up-in-the-Air if Peter Copping was going to the Maison Oscar Built. Subsequently, we found out he indeed, WAS Moving on up to the Upper East Side. But the celebrations had to be clipped short, as Oscar's intention was to Familiarize Copping with the Language of ODLR... He sadly never got that chance as in early October 2014, De La Renta went to that Glorious Atelier in the Sky. So, Copping was left adrift in a number of ways... did the Bigwigs at ODLR Still want or think Copping Adequate for the job? If not and he had already pulled up Stakes at Nina Ricci, Would they take him back? Would he find another house to Design for, it must have made for some trembling moments!
But all worked out for the best and as it is, this collection was not the Portrait of a Tragedy, it was a Soignee and Bittersweet Au Revoir! Copping hit all the high points that encapsulated his tenure at the storied house and left behind in the short 5 years he was at the Maison a body of work that the inheritor of his vacated position will be Hard-Pressed to supersede.
Copping has always at the house, had an effortless and fluid hand that seemed to just blow together the Saucy and the Salacious coupled with Sensual. Here, that was as evident as ever and there was maybe, a somewhat more stricter hand at play. Perhaps. showing at this time, that it was as much a strong point of his skills as any other, to his future employers and allaying some fears. His tailoring surely was of an outstanding ilk this season with Wiggle worthy Pencil skirted suits and Inventively constructed Jackets. Copping's colour sense was also a thing of beauty, from Milk Chocolate and Crocus Yellow paired together to the Cornea Exploding combo of Searing Chili Pepper Red and Aqua.
At times, as has been his Achilles Heel, Copping let some of the outfits exuberance lead the way and did not tame some of the more overdone pieces, They were few and far between, but did sometimes rear their head in the most unflattering of ways, Yet, when he was hitting his stride, Copping was Streaking ahead! A Sleek Heat Seeking Hot Red sheath on Malaika Firth was as simple as a T-Shirt and as Far removed from such a utilitarian item that it is, as it could ever dream of being, A YSL Rive Gauche Moment of Zen was sent striding forth on Daria Strokus in an Unflappably Chic Blueberry Chiffon blouse and Black trouser combo that was perhaps the most Accomplished moment of the show!
Copping will certainly work Magic at ODLR (And at the time of this writing it has been proven that he did!) and he will leave a Great Legacy at Nina Ricci. This collection cements that fact and Proves that The house that Oscar Built will be in Quite Capable hands, Indeed.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Nina Ricci.
As Fare The Well's Go, This one was Damn Near Perfect. At the time of this collection the question was Semi Up-in-the-Air if Peter Copping was going to the Maison Oscar Built. Subsequently, we found out he indeed, WAS Moving on up to the Upper East Side. But the celebrations had to be clipped short, as Oscar's intention was to Familiarize Copping with the Language of ODLR... He sadly never got that chance as in early October 2014, De La Renta went to that Glorious Atelier in the Sky. So, Copping was left adrift in a number of ways... did the Bigwigs at ODLR Still want or think Copping Adequate for the job? If not and he had already pulled up Stakes at Nina Ricci, Would they take him back? Would he find another house to Design for, it must have made for some trembling moments!
But all worked out for the best and as it is, this collection was not the Portrait of a Tragedy, it was a Soignee and Bittersweet Au Revoir! Copping hit all the high points that encapsulated his tenure at the storied house and left behind in the short 5 years he was at the Maison a body of work that the inheritor of his vacated position will be Hard-Pressed to supersede.
Copping has always at the house, had an effortless and fluid hand that seemed to just blow together the Saucy and the Salacious coupled with Sensual. Here, that was as evident as ever and there was maybe, a somewhat more stricter hand at play. Perhaps. showing at this time, that it was as much a strong point of his skills as any other, to his future employers and allaying some fears. His tailoring surely was of an outstanding ilk this season with Wiggle worthy Pencil skirted suits and Inventively constructed Jackets. Copping's colour sense was also a thing of beauty, from Milk Chocolate and Crocus Yellow paired together to the Cornea Exploding combo of Searing Chili Pepper Red and Aqua.
At times, as has been his Achilles Heel, Copping let some of the outfits exuberance lead the way and did not tame some of the more overdone pieces, They were few and far between, but did sometimes rear their head in the most unflattering of ways, Yet, when he was hitting his stride, Copping was Streaking ahead! A Sleek Heat Seeking Hot Red sheath on Malaika Firth was as simple as a T-Shirt and as Far removed from such a utilitarian item that it is, as it could ever dream of being, A YSL Rive Gauche Moment of Zen was sent striding forth on Daria Strokus in an Unflappably Chic Blueberry Chiffon blouse and Black trouser combo that was perhaps the most Accomplished moment of the show!
Copping will certainly work Magic at ODLR (And at the time of this writing it has been proven that he did!) and he will leave a Great Legacy at Nina Ricci. This collection cements that fact and Proves that The house that Oscar Built will be in Quite Capable hands, Indeed.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Balmain.
Thurs. 09/25/2014.
Balmain.
While I am a HUGE Fan of Olivier Rousteing's work at Balmain, I do have to confess this was not my favorite collection of his for the house. There has always been an Undercurrent (sometimes far more than just an Undercurrent!) of the Gaudy, even, Mayhaps, Tacky to Rousteing's Work for the Maison. Decarnin was Tacky too, Gaudy as well, but because his Rock 'n' Roll sensibilities were usually filtered through his creations, there was less of a Gobstopper effect going on. Enter Olivier... His sensibilities run more towards the Baroque side of excessive, A La Gianni Versace in his heyday, but where as Frere Gianni was Lyrical, even in his most Sluttish moments, Rousteing is at times, Cheap! This collection was suffused with a bit too much Trashiness to make it more Digestible.
Not to say that there were not Flashes of Brilliance, The entire Finale Section with those Multicolour Weaving, Plaids and Serape Stripe patterns were Spot-On! But elsewhere, It was one Head shaking moment of Tawdriness after another, and those Boxy 80's Revisited shapes don't look good or do anyone any sense of Justice, even the Linguine Thin Models. That was the other unfortunate effect... Much of Rousteing's Output this season made the Whippet slender models look Wide and Inelegant and Frankly, Weighty! Now if these Girls look Hefty in the clothes... Normal sized women surely need not apply!
Rousteing can and HAS done better than this... although Hometown Honey Riley Montana did look FIERCE in her Pristine White opening Exit, The rest was a Mixed bag of Hits and Many more Misses.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Balmain.
While I am a HUGE Fan of Olivier Rousteing's work at Balmain, I do have to confess this was not my favorite collection of his for the house. There has always been an Undercurrent (sometimes far more than just an Undercurrent!) of the Gaudy, even, Mayhaps, Tacky to Rousteing's Work for the Maison. Decarnin was Tacky too, Gaudy as well, but because his Rock 'n' Roll sensibilities were usually filtered through his creations, there was less of a Gobstopper effect going on. Enter Olivier... His sensibilities run more towards the Baroque side of excessive, A La Gianni Versace in his heyday, but where as Frere Gianni was Lyrical, even in his most Sluttish moments, Rousteing is at times, Cheap! This collection was suffused with a bit too much Trashiness to make it more Digestible.
Not to say that there were not Flashes of Brilliance, The entire Finale Section with those Multicolour Weaving, Plaids and Serape Stripe patterns were Spot-On! But elsewhere, It was one Head shaking moment of Tawdriness after another, and those Boxy 80's Revisited shapes don't look good or do anyone any sense of Justice, even the Linguine Thin Models. That was the other unfortunate effect... Much of Rousteing's Output this season made the Whippet slender models look Wide and Inelegant and Frankly, Weighty! Now if these Girls look Hefty in the clothes... Normal sized women surely need not apply!
Rousteing can and HAS done better than this... although Hometown Honey Riley Montana did look FIERCE in her Pristine White opening Exit, The rest was a Mixed bag of Hits and Many more Misses.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Paco Rabanne.
Thurs. 09/25/2014.
Paco Rabanne.
If Julien Dossena could tame some of his Eccentric Complexities in his designs for the House of Paco Rabanne, He might just do something Great. As it lays here, He's missing the mark by a Country Mile. Spring 2015 found Dossena in a Curvilinear mood and wanting to expose scads of Toned, Sleek, Feminine Skin and Flesh. It made for an at times, Disconcerting effect that looked more than a trifle Haphazard and Dislocated.
When Dossena erred on the simpler side, he won high praise, a pair of Optic Diamond print shirts paired with Impeccably cut Graphite Blue wide pants were just the tonic against the abrasively experimental ideas that they were counterpoint to. Those twisty, Sportif cutout dresses were plain old Messy and Disastrous. Those Bulky Utility coats on the other hand were stuff that the Urban Warrioress has Lustful dreams about!
After that, everything took on a tone of the Exasperatingly tricky and bogged the collection down, Surely the ideas presented here are Rich with possibility for the Urban Fashionista, I don't take that away from it, and it did have it's own kind of appeal, just not the kind of appeal I find more than Intellectually Stimulating. Dossena is Uniquely talented and has a Crisp Voice with much new to say, if he can distill the best aspects of his Ideas into less Demonstratively Virtuosic work and narrow his bandwidth, he'll be a force to surely be Reckoned with!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Paco Rabanne.
If Julien Dossena could tame some of his Eccentric Complexities in his designs for the House of Paco Rabanne, He might just do something Great. As it lays here, He's missing the mark by a Country Mile. Spring 2015 found Dossena in a Curvilinear mood and wanting to expose scads of Toned, Sleek, Feminine Skin and Flesh. It made for an at times, Disconcerting effect that looked more than a trifle Haphazard and Dislocated.
When Dossena erred on the simpler side, he won high praise, a pair of Optic Diamond print shirts paired with Impeccably cut Graphite Blue wide pants were just the tonic against the abrasively experimental ideas that they were counterpoint to. Those twisty, Sportif cutout dresses were plain old Messy and Disastrous. Those Bulky Utility coats on the other hand were stuff that the Urban Warrioress has Lustful dreams about!
After that, everything took on a tone of the Exasperatingly tricky and bogged the collection down, Surely the ideas presented here are Rich with possibility for the Urban Fashionista, I don't take that away from it, and it did have it's own kind of appeal, just not the kind of appeal I find more than Intellectually Stimulating. Dossena is Uniquely talented and has a Crisp Voice with much new to say, if he can distill the best aspects of his Ideas into less Demonstratively Virtuosic work and narrow his bandwidth, he'll be a force to surely be Reckoned with!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Balenciaga.
Weds. 09/24/2014.
Balenciaga.
FIERCE! What else can one say? This, is finally the collection where the REAL Alexander Wang showed up and merged His Saucy, Tough edge with the Grandeur of what the name of Balenciaga has become due in big part to the looming spirit of Nicholas Ghesquiere. Wang isn't going to escape that Phantom anytime too soon without alienating the Balenciaga Loyalists... but it was taking him a bit too long in the coming to come to grips with the fact that he didn't need to design as if he was continuing the work of Nicholas and could inject himself firmly into the Mix!
He accomplished that most Fabulously with this Energetic, Athletic, Lean, Sporty and Glamourous Spring '15 collection. This was a Hard Edge glamour, however. Wang is Known for his Sporty, Trendy, Of-The-Minute sense of Modern luxe. It's a Streetwise, Sexy and Unapologetically Upfront kind of fashion, throwing that sense of Urban chic into the Balenciaga blender yielded a collection that elevated Wang's own signatures while taming back some of the inherent preciousness that comes with the Balenciaga name.
Pretty much from beginning to end, there was much to Marvel at and Coo over... Be it a Incredulously Smart Trench in Black athletic Mesh over a Sheer dress with Bandeau and Boy shorts underneath, or a Fearless Cropped White Trench Jacket with a sheer "Net" Skirt that shimmied with tiny little Diamond shaped embroideries! Maybe one was more taken by the Lilac Sequined "Polo" with the Diamond perforated skirt that was then outlined with those same sequins around the perforations that was the most Modern and Perfect Synthesis of Sport Luxe. The White dress with the Sheer sleeves on Lexi Boling at Exit No. 4 was also Killing it in SO Many ways!
By the time it was all done, One was quite Slack in the Jaw over what had been traipsing down the Runway. Wang showed us an Impeccable way for the Women of Now, Active, Smart, Chic Women, who lead Busy, Fast, Breakneck lives, that you don't have to forgo Glamour to Comfort and look like you are Boring and Safe. This was not a Safe Collection... It was Dangerous! In the best of Ways! Thank God!
Bye4Now!
That's All.
Balenciaga.
FIERCE! What else can one say? This, is finally the collection where the REAL Alexander Wang showed up and merged His Saucy, Tough edge with the Grandeur of what the name of Balenciaga has become due in big part to the looming spirit of Nicholas Ghesquiere. Wang isn't going to escape that Phantom anytime too soon without alienating the Balenciaga Loyalists... but it was taking him a bit too long in the coming to come to grips with the fact that he didn't need to design as if he was continuing the work of Nicholas and could inject himself firmly into the Mix!
He accomplished that most Fabulously with this Energetic, Athletic, Lean, Sporty and Glamourous Spring '15 collection. This was a Hard Edge glamour, however. Wang is Known for his Sporty, Trendy, Of-The-Minute sense of Modern luxe. It's a Streetwise, Sexy and Unapologetically Upfront kind of fashion, throwing that sense of Urban chic into the Balenciaga blender yielded a collection that elevated Wang's own signatures while taming back some of the inherent preciousness that comes with the Balenciaga name.
Pretty much from beginning to end, there was much to Marvel at and Coo over... Be it a Incredulously Smart Trench in Black athletic Mesh over a Sheer dress with Bandeau and Boy shorts underneath, or a Fearless Cropped White Trench Jacket with a sheer "Net" Skirt that shimmied with tiny little Diamond shaped embroideries! Maybe one was more taken by the Lilac Sequined "Polo" with the Diamond perforated skirt that was then outlined with those same sequins around the perforations that was the most Modern and Perfect Synthesis of Sport Luxe. The White dress with the Sheer sleeves on Lexi Boling at Exit No. 4 was also Killing it in SO Many ways!
By the time it was all done, One was quite Slack in the Jaw over what had been traipsing down the Runway. Wang showed us an Impeccable way for the Women of Now, Active, Smart, Chic Women, who lead Busy, Fast, Breakneck lives, that you don't have to forgo Glamour to Comfort and look like you are Boring and Safe. This was not a Safe Collection... It was Dangerous! In the best of Ways! Thank God!
Bye4Now!
That's All.
Rochas.
Weds. 09/24/2014.
It was a curious state of affairs at the house of Rochas for Spring 2015, Alessandro Dell'Acqua presented something of a Mixed bag of Goodies this time around after his Radical, yet I feel Incredibly Brave and Original Fall debut. Here, the curious part was the uneasy Juxtaposition of Waifish, Gamine, almost "Lolita" like sexual frivolity, with more Eccentric, Magpie stylings contrasting all the Wafting layers and Faux-Innocence. The most troubling aspect of all this was that the sense of a clear direction was lost and that the collection seemed to meander a bit aimlessly, especially when the proportions of some of the outfits were Expansive, Baroque almost, Counterpointed by Juvenile and Wispy, and frankly, Severely Unattractive opposites.
Dell'Acqua seems to be unsure of exactly how to proceed at Rochas, where left to his devices and had there been more critical acclaim and understanding of his Terrific Fall 2014 Debut, he may have been more emboldened to continue that trajectory, as it was, he seemed like a scolded child who was still insisting on being somewhat insolent and doing exactly what it was he was chastised for in the first place, but learning something of the lesson, he tried to air out his version of Rochas Zanini-isms and that's where he went the most wrong. It didn't ring as authentic and served him no Favours.
When Dell'Acqua stuck to his Guns, He mined the most Provocative Riches... Those outrageously High on the torso belts grew wearisome after one too many trips down the runway, but it was an Interesting Reinventing of the Empire waistline. It helped make some of the most Stunning pieces all that more Stunning for the Newness of the effect. A GORGEOUS Long sleeved embroidered gown at Exit No. 6 was one of those outfits benefitting from the Belted affectation. When repeated in a somewhat similar vein near the end of the show on Lindsay Wixson in all Black, the effect was not so much Jeune Fille as Diva Dramatic! In all that, there were a couple obvious Missteps... sometimes his play of volumes and lengths got the best of Alessandro and made some outfits look Bloated and Unforgivingly Dowdy, especially those Long bulky flared dresses over flouncy hem long pencil skirts... it just looked Schizophrenic!
It wasn't a flawless showing for Dell'Acqua this go round, but it had enough Gravitas in the Winning pieces to save it from being a total Cataclysm. With a bit more of Refining and much more attention to his own Point-Of-View, Dell'Acqua could earnestly make Rochas a Reflection of his style plus the influence of the past, and when he can combine those qualities into a Scintillating Whole, he'll have found the best expression of the Rochas Name.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
Dell'Acqua seems to be unsure of exactly how to proceed at Rochas, where left to his devices and had there been more critical acclaim and understanding of his Terrific Fall 2014 Debut, he may have been more emboldened to continue that trajectory, as it was, he seemed like a scolded child who was still insisting on being somewhat insolent and doing exactly what it was he was chastised for in the first place, but learning something of the lesson, he tried to air out his version of Rochas Zanini-isms and that's where he went the most wrong. It didn't ring as authentic and served him no Favours.
When Dell'Acqua stuck to his Guns, He mined the most Provocative Riches... Those outrageously High on the torso belts grew wearisome after one too many trips down the runway, but it was an Interesting Reinventing of the Empire waistline. It helped make some of the most Stunning pieces all that more Stunning for the Newness of the effect. A GORGEOUS Long sleeved embroidered gown at Exit No. 6 was one of those outfits benefitting from the Belted affectation. When repeated in a somewhat similar vein near the end of the show on Lindsay Wixson in all Black, the effect was not so much Jeune Fille as Diva Dramatic! In all that, there were a couple obvious Missteps... sometimes his play of volumes and lengths got the best of Alessandro and made some outfits look Bloated and Unforgivingly Dowdy, especially those Long bulky flared dresses over flouncy hem long pencil skirts... it just looked Schizophrenic!
It wasn't a flawless showing for Dell'Acqua this go round, but it had enough Gravitas in the Winning pieces to save it from being a total Cataclysm. With a bit more of Refining and much more attention to his own Point-Of-View, Dell'Acqua could earnestly make Rochas a Reflection of his style plus the influence of the past, and when he can combine those qualities into a Scintillating Whole, he'll have found the best expression of the Rochas Name.
That's All.
Bye4Now!
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