Adam Selman.

Fri. 02/13/2015

Adam Selman.

Basic, Boring. Tacky. Cheap. Nutshell. Adam Selman's Unintentionally Trashy, Trashy collection for Fall 2015 came off as a Humourless and Style lacking failure of an approximation of the King of Trash, John Waters. Miuccia Prada did it at her Miu Miu collection for Spring and Selman took up the mantle for Fall of Waters movie "Female Trouble" as starting point and in both instances, the letdown was Immense in it's Breadth. 

Where as Prada's take was just Redundant and Garish, Selman's is just Cheesy. What was so plainly obvious, is that the clothes were Dismally Destitute of any Irony or Camp, They just looked like you could buy much of it at Forever 21 (and that's an insult to Forever 21, actually) or worse yet, K-Mart or Wal-Mart. They lacked any taste, even BAD taste, which might have actually sold the idea more. The crudeness and Grade School Simplicity of much of what trod down the runway just stole any kind of Joy from the garments (and the Models "Acting" as it was, made it even more Repellent) Most of it looked like it could have been whipped up in a remedial Home-Ec class or cobbled together from the leftovers of someone's 1980's Wardrobe found in a Dusty Basement somewhere along with a VHS Copy of "Hairspray"

Was there anything Redeemable and worth mentioning...??? 

No!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Cushnie Et Ochs.

Fri. 02/13/2015.

Cushnie Et Ochs.

In one of the Best shows of their Career, Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs put on an Extravaganza of Celebrating the Body. But it almost went Tragically Awry. Cushnie and Ochs' clothes are for the most Slender, Lean, Toned. Lithe, THIN, Women Possible. They are SO Punishing and Exacting in their fit, That unlike a Leger dress or gown which will SUCK IN a Wayward Figure, C&O's Clothes will only serve to Enhance all the Flaws of the Imperfect. That's their Niche, they are SUPERB at it! And there are Scads of women who work themselves Silly to have those bodies or are just Graced and Blessed by Nature to have them with no Effort needed! 

So, WHY, On this Planet or any other in the Galaxy that Supports Carbon Based Life... Would they Choose to Open with Crystal Renn? Beautiful Woman. Check, Beautiful MODEL. Check. Slender. 

Uh..... (*Cue Sound of Tires Screeching to a Halt!*) NO!

The GORGEOUS Pink dress they Criscoed her into to open was Tragically Misguided. She looked like a Pink Zeppelin. It did a Major Disservice to their Oeuvre even trying to pretend that their work is for the Masses! It is Definitively, NOT! And as Glorious as Ms. Renn is, and Yes, She is Breathtaking, She looked Ridiculous trying to pull off this dress! In the Spirit of Honesty, Even some of the THIN Models whose bodies were not as SICKENINGLY Perfect as say those of  Devon Windsor or Chiharu Okunugi or Pauline Hoarau and MOST DEFINITELY Pin Thin Goddesses Leila Nda and Riley Montana, whom are both just Exasperatingly Perfect, looked... Shall we say... a bit Fleshy! But let's put that aside and get to the clothes! 

This was By Far the BEST collection that the Duo of Cushnie and Ochs have produced, It Dripped with Sensuality and Sophistication and Control! This Woman is a Ball-Buster and a Sex Kitten who doesn't HAVE to use Sex for anything, But exudes it nonetheless! Lascivious would be a Good word for it! But the thing that stood out most was how much Elegance was being imbued this day... The Chic Quotient was Off the Charts. C&O clothes can sometimes be about the Power of the Body and how that can create Strength. here there was a Quelling of the Overt that rendered the clothes Slick and Sleek, But Restrained! Even when the body was being shown inventively, a C&O Signature, It never devolved into Tawdry (which in Cushine and Ochs hands has always been Scintillating) it was more a Tease this season.

This season was also filled with some Knockout Sportswear. A Delectable Black Fur coat on Pauline Hoarau was inspiring Lustful feelings, while a Deep, Dark, Emerald Green Velvet "Le Smoking" Pantsuit had all the Possibility of being worn as Fiercely to the Office as it would be the Met Opera! A Fluide White sleeveless top with Inset Mesh and Wide White Pants was Refined and Sexy Equally, but the best of the lot was The Pink Topcoat and Pants at Exit No. 3 that Set the Jaw agape! It was Heinously Wonderful! 

These were but a Smattering of the Beauties paraded down Carly and Michelle's Runway, It was Above and Beyond their Best effort and gives their woman some new options to invest in and incorporate into her Fashion Vocabulary. It was a Winner from Beginning.... well, Almost Beginning To End! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Rebecca Minkoff.

Fri. 02/13/2015.

Rebecca Minkoff.

Patti Smith and the 70's... YAWN! I'm bored Already. If the Music scene of the 70's in all it's Drugged out Variety isn't the Hoariest of Chestnuts to take a cue from for a Fashion Collection, It's gotta be in the Top 3! And with designers like Anna Sui and Hedi Slimane, and others populating that Landscape already to capacity... Unless you're bringing something EPIC to the conversation, Might as well not butt in! For Fall 2015, Rebecca Minkoff accomplished no such feat! 

The Opposite effect was actually achieved... It was so familiar it bordered on Cliche. The Janis Joplin/Stevie Nicks Bohemian, Witchy Woman, Rocker vibe was Staid and Played out. The only good thing about Minkoff's collection is that Broken apart and styled differently, the clothes are actually quite Worthwhile. They can freshen up any existing wardrobe and take a plainer one and give it some Pizzazz! The Coat and Skirt combo of Exit No. 8 was in reality, Quite Enticing for it's connotations had nothing so much to do with the Theme of the day and just looked like Great Clothes! 

Minkoff might do herself more Justice by focusing on Modern ideas than something so retro, There are designers who fill that bill more than Adequately enough and unless she can Master that Dialect like some of the more Adept people, She needn't try speaking it. Outside of that Faux Pas, She'll keep her customer Happy, The clothes are Wonderfully easy to wear, it's just this collection was more of the "Song Remains The Same" 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Jason Wu.

Fri. 02/13/2015.

Jason Wu.

If over the last few seasons we have seen Jason Wu in something of a Transition Phase, Aesthetically speaking, that phase seemed to be nearing an end as of Spring 2015. That collection was so far the most successful morphing of the Young Jason Wu into the new, Mature Jason Wu. There were a few Bumpy and Unsatisfactory collections along the way in this passing from Chrysalis into Butterfly, and Gladly they seem well Behind him and Wu is now confident in his new Mode of Le Mode! Fall 2015 proved Wu is on his A-Game in the most Smashing Way! It was, for all Intents and Purposes... Flawless! 

Every Piece was something to Covet, each in it's own Unique way. From the Army Khaki Green Suit that opened the show with a Belted shaggy Fur vest underneath, which was Hitting every Note of an Upper East Side Symphony in Perfect Pitch, to a Dramatic Black coat worn with that same shade of Khaki in a Crocodile Leather Skirt, paired with a Sheer blouse, also in Black, which took Wu's East Side gal just a few hairs shy of Downtown,.. But close enough! There was much more to Lust over, The chicest thing in the show may have been Hanae Gaby Odiele in a Crimson sleeveless Wrap dress that was showing Gams Galore and should be on the Short list of ALL Women of the Must-Have piece of the season! And the Beaded T-Shirt with Grey Flannel Pants.... Game Over, Man! Game Over!

Wu even stepped Far outside his "Comfort Zone" with a Sheer number on the Leggy Gazelle Tami Williams which should come with a Parental Advisory Warning label... SCANDALOUS, but OH, So Delicious! The Beaded sheer Black net gown at Exit No. 30 was so Signature Wu, it hurt. It was Plain old STUNNING! However, it was the Black and White Textured Fabric Gowns (Was it Crepe, Hammered Silk...???) on Maartje (in White) and Lexi (in Black) That easily stole the show. Slinky with a Capital SSSSSSSSS! 

The only possible complaint to be levied against this Impeccable collection, is that it was Impeccable! The Elegance was so Contained and Quiet at times, That there was a lot of pieces that didn't actively SHOUT that it was a Jason Wu garment. In the necessary task of Global awareness, Wu needs to have pieces that are Instantly Recognizable as his, as the Younger Wu's clothes did so effortlessly. I don't know how much of a Criticism that can be when the clothes were so Outstanding, but it may be something to Ponder over for Wu for the future! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Kate Spade New York.

Fri. 02/13/2015.

Kate Spade New York.

Whimsy is a part of the Kate Spade New York aesthetic. Deborah Lloyd has been keen at integrating Whimsy and Gaiety and Lightheartedness into the Kate Spade Label with Stunning Facility. For Fall 2015 though, she decided to cut back just a touch on the more Overt qualities of her signature Capriciousness and take a Slightly more Serious tack. It sort of worked and it sort of Not worked! 

Lloyd is a Master at mixing up Sportswear in ever inventive permutations and creating a new whole out of Funnily Disparate parts, Today, the clothes looked a little bored with themselves. The Spontaneous nature of previous collections seemed to be missing here in Favor of something more Grounded, even with Roald Dahl, The King of Fanciful Whimsy, as inspiration, it felt Half-Hearted and a Trifle Dull and a whole lot Basic.

A Fur Jacket with a Navy Ensemble underneath was Chic in a Sporty Luxe way and a Hot Pink Double-Breasted Car coat was By far the most Fetching thing in the lineup. The fact that the clothes were all Well Executed and easy to wear wasn't a Bad thing, But the Life felt drained from the collection and Lloyd seemed to be going on a Autopilot. Lloyd needs to Get her head back in the Game and if she wants to Tone down the Quirk, It's better to err on the side of Excess and Pull back instead of trying to Imbue dull pieces with Verve.

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Wes Gordon.

Fri. 02/13/2015.

Wes Gordon.

Wes Gordon's work has the tendency to make me Wax Prosaic at times. I am not going to lie, I am unashamedly a Fan. As much a Fan as I am of my Idol, Karl Lagerfeld, and of Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs. Being a Fan, However, in no way prejudices my views on their work. When, or If, they have a Bad collection, I'll be the FIRST to say it. So far, as to my exploring of the recent Oeuvre of Gordon's work, I have nothing but the Utmost of Praise. He is in my mind the next Lion of Seventh Avenue and has both the Skill and Taste to be one of the Greats. He has the combined Qualities of Bill Blass, Michael Kors, and Calvin Klein. That's Some Pedigree! 

Fall 2015 witnessed Gordon Toughening up his Gal, as he claimed, "This Time, there's a little more Attitude" and it showed! If Spring for Gordon was "Very Serene and Very Clean" Fall is about a Woman who is taking no Prisoners. She's not "Aggressive" as Gordon explained but she does have more Swagger in her step and isn't afraid to look like she means Business, even if it is Upper East Side business! The most beautifully evident thing is, Gordon is channeling that Early 90's Minimalistic Chic era that was defined by such names as Calvin Klein and Helmut Lang without it being referential and even more so, he's invoking the Pared-Back Luxury of 90's era Michael Kors most noticeably. What makes this so, Subtly Shocking, is that at the time of this happening in fashion, whereas I was a Young man, Gordon wasn't even in Grade school at the time! This is a testament to his Innate and Deep sense of Fashion History.

Gordon put some of his Best work to date down the Runway this day, There was Severity and Sensuality in Equal parts in a Optic Print Structured Jacket over a Sheer Blouse and a Sliver of Tweed skirt as well as a Louche sense of Ease in a Superfine Denim Wrap/Bathrobe coat which elevated the Expensive and Luxurious Japanese Denim to even more Opulent heights! That Denim was transmuted to an even more Deluxe degree when cut into Wide Trousers that were paired with an Extravagantly Beaded T-Shirt, which to call a "T-Shirt" Should be labelled as Slanderous it was so Majestic!

There were more examples of Gordon's Teetering on the Minimal/Luxe Line, A Plush and Indulgent Cloud Grey Fur coat was paired with a Steel Grey Funnel-neck Sweater/Dress and Denim pants and Discreetly evoked a Kors Moment. The Black Double-slit front Mock-neck Dress was also hitting those Minimalist 90's buttons full on with Quiet Sensuality and Innate Chic! Also, One would be remiss in the extreme if they did not mention how Gordon Successfully transformed Corduroy into something Exciting and Desirable in this collection! 

The Finest Showcases of Gordon's Metamorphosing of 90's Minimal into something wholly his own Imagining, The Pale Grey and Oyster Satin Gown at Exit No. 8. It was of the Past, But was configured to be totally of this Moment. It was Superbly Magnificent  as well as Sporty and Eloquent. The Suit on Leila Nda that followed was also serving plenty of Grace and Elegance with a Modern overtone.

Wes Gordon blew this collection out of the Water. It was by far, His best yet and filled to bursting with clothes made for the Women of Today who have a Style that embraces the past but only in Future Tense! In time, He will be the Inheritor of the Throne of Designers like Kors and Klein, He is a Young, Dapper, Suave man, and as of now, he is Honing in on what will be The Wes Gordon of the Future, and I KNOW he will steadily grow to become one of the Major Forces of New York, nee, Global Fashion, This I Can Promise!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Ohne Titel.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.





Ohne Titel.

Whereas at one point in their earlier days, Flora Gill and Alexa Adams had a Cool, Detached, Urban Minimalist Hipness to their label, as of late they have fallen away from what made them so Cool to begin with and what we have been left with have been increasingly disappointing showings from the duo. This was another Colossal Catastrophe for Gill and Adams.

Out of the gate, let us address the MAJOR problem with the collection. It was HIDEOUS! I Mean, a Literal EYESORE! The Shocking Inappropriateness of the colours they threw together were as equally Headache Inducing as they were Queasy-Making. Like having Seasickness and a Cranium Splitting Migraine simultaneously! At some point one just had to look away from the Garishness of what was strolling down the Catwalk. After the Retina Charring display of colour, it was patently difficult to properly examine the clothes, which when after one put on their Sunglasses and Visor and looked through their Eclipse Pinhole viewer, finally could get a handle on, proved not to be all that enticing either. In the spirit of Directness, Save a Pair of Suede and Leather Pseudo-Trenches (Both Excellent, by the way) the rest looked like a Conglomeration of all the worst clothes from the 80's cross-bred with some Frightening approximation of that same era's Barbie Clothes made Human Size. Awful would be the most Tepid of words to start with as to describe these outfits.

It was a Bust. Pure and Simple. A Hideous, Misguided, Pupil Assaulting, Tragic, MESS! I would like to be more Generous, But as to whom that Gill and Adams are thinking will wear these clothes... Well, Let's just say they'd need a Flux Capacitor and Marty McFly to Find Them. Oh, and Don't forget Doc Brown!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Tome.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.

Tome.

Strange Bedfellows indeed! Ramon Martin and Ryan Lobo are quite the Cross-Pollinators, Mixing up references and inspirations from the most diverse outposts for their Tome label. Fall 2015 saw the jumbling together of Belgian Choreographer, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and of all People... New York Fashion Giant and Icon, Donna Karan! Ummm.... WHAT? *Scratching of Head* It was an Intriguing proposition and because of the oddly Obtuse mashing up of these two, the collection felt disconnected as well.

The Biggest Problem lay in the fact that, If you reference De Keersmaeker, how do you reflect that Reference in the clothes? And to that extent, her presence was Non-Existent, Virtually, in Martin and Lobo's collection. Maybe I am just too much a Philistine to recognize where the Inspire expressed itself in the context of the clothes, or maybe there was more of an overall MOOD being depicted here rather than a flat out Assertion of a Personality or Style. Karan's influence was markedly visible and was well placed in the pieces designed by the Duo. From a Superb oversized Shawl Collar coat in Orange to the Striped Man's-Styled shirt worn with a Vibrant Taxicab Yellow and Black Vinyl Skirt, the Duo were working the Karan-isms in their own way for all they were worth! 

The most Successful interpolation was in a Pair of High Sheen Vinyl Moto jackets, one in Black the other in that Vivid Yellow, paired with Slinky Bias cut Dresses that Low down one leg and High up the other. They were Sophisticated and also Racy. Sexy, but because they were paired over Cozy High Turtlenecks, it dampened some of the Rawness. Though much of the collection was Tempting and Seductive to the Clientele that the Tome Duo is Courting, this collection was Highly Problematic and skewed much on the confused side of things. There was no true North that the collection followed so instead of being Clearly focused, Discordance was the result. 

No one can deny when Lobo and Martin get things right, they get them VERY Right, That did not happen this time. There were moments of Spot-On Brilliance, but they were buried under some really Baffling gaffes in Styling and Assemblage. This wasn't as much Two-Steps Back, for the Duo, More like a Stumble and Fall Forward. They just need to Pick themselves up, Dust off and Continue with a Concise vision in Mind! Not the Askew Cabal that was Schlepped forth this time around!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

 

Kanye West x Adidas Originals.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.

Kanye West x Adidas Originals.

Why Am I Writing about this? I LOATHE Kanye West, I Loathe his Wife and her Sisters and her Family even More (I don't CARE That Karl Loves Kendall, FUCK HER! And all the rest! Yes, That Includes Caitlyn!) But Fashion is Fashion. Maybe I am compelled to write about it from a Cultural standpoint. It was an Event that took over Fashion week with Anticipation and Buzz and just what exactly was Kanye going to Produce? His Earlier Dabblings Du Mode were Comic to the point of Slapstick. How many of the his Wife's Siblings and Family would be gathered there for the Erstwhile onlooker to gawk at and perhaps, just perhaps, get a Clandestine Photo of on their Device of Choice. So much was boiling in this Stew pot that it was threatening to either boil over, or placate the multitudes. And in the spirit of Honesty, As much as I may Despise Kanye (And, I DO!, In Measureless amounts) I am here to record what was produced with Fabric and Thread without any prejudices as to whom produced them. No More, No Less.

In that Vein. As Shocking as it may sound... I LOVED the Collection. Why? I am not sure I know Why? Maybe because I wanted it to be such a Mammoth Failure as to laugh at West and Make fun of him for the endeavour, if i am being truthful. Or maybe because he took a Deconstructionist hand to the work and Minimalized it to the point of the Anodyne and in that move, Let the power of the clothes speak. Yes, this was a Self-Aggrandizing Dip into the Deepest end of the Egotistical Pool, Could it be any Less with Kanye? The man is totally unaware of truly how Insipidly AWFUL he is as a Rapper and as a Person! The media lavishes praise on his Scandalously Uninspired Rap, and let's him behave like some Petulant, Spoiled Brat of a Child because he has achieved that rare Super Celebrity status that is more known for simply BEING than DOING. The realm that his Wife and her Whorish, Slut Sisters and Mother occupy with such Facility! But all that has no impart on the clothes. 

So, to the clothes. Much of it was just one Piece or so, or even just some of the Shoes he is producing with Adidas and some Body Stockings. Not much to look at you might say, Yet, taken in the Context of the Whole. They served a Purpose... Marketing. It's Adidas! Kanye and Adidas were there to sell SHOES! Clothes too, but if the Clothes were a Bust, there was still such a Deafening Buzz about the Collaboration and that it was being shown during NYFW that the shoes were still going to Sell out in 44 Seconds flat and have a Waitlist as long as that for an Hermes Kelly Bag! Aside from all that, the Gambit still worked, The clothes were Beaten, Torn, Ragged, Lived in. They had a Built in Secret History and they seduced you for that reason. The Mad Max Quality and the Military-ish Vanessa Beecroft Installation style of the show gave Gravitas to the clothes as did the Stern and Perturbed faces of the Cast of models, from all walks of life, Shapes, Sizes, Ages... It was a.... Moment!

If anyone was drawing something of a Line to the work of Rick Owens here, they wouldn't be off, It had that Savage sense of Seduction to them, That off Kilter Brutishness. The pieces called out to the onlooker because we could see ourselves in these clothes every day, in the Real, REAL World, Not the Fashion "Real" world that exists for only a lucky few (Kanye being one of them!) And THAT was the part that really Hit the Nail Squarely on the head. Instead of Designing clothes for His Ilk, those of the Fashion and Celebrity Elite, He created clothes for the Everyday person and transformed it into FASHION! It was a Brilliant Counterpoint to the Elaborately staged show, Clothes that looked like you could get them at the Thrift store or Wal-Mart, But Elevated to Olympian Status! It was his Petulance and Bratty side slapping the Fashion Cognoscenti in the face, And I LOVED IT! Made me have one Small Iota of respect for the man!

As the groups progressed forward the clothes became more the focus and ending in a Camouflage Section, the show came to a close. I seriously want about Everything in the show! The clothes are Insanely Utilitarian but Slick and with enough elements of Invention to make them stand apart, even if they have a Thrift shop Patina. In the end, Even someone as Unlikable and Insanely Arrogant as West can produce something of Value and Genius! This wasn't about the most Remarkable clothes and that was never the point. It was about a Statement, A Statement of West's on the immensity of his Braggadociousness and Flawed belief in his greatness as a Testament to his Non-Existent talent. His still a Horrible and Useless piece of Human Detritus, But even the worst of us has a Moment where we can shine. This, To my mind, Was Kanye West's Moment to shine.





That's All.





Bye4Now.

Marissa Webb.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.

Marissa Webb.

Obviously, Marissa Webb's woman is Urban, Street wise, A Little Tough and Loves a good Masculine piece of clothing. That was all evident in Webb's Fall 2015 collection. Webb said this was a "Spin-Off" of previous seasons and she's sticking to the Hard Edged DNA of the Brand. If it ain't Broke... You know the rest. This approach was perhaps for the best, As she has the responsibility of now Helming the Design crew of Banana Republic, Webb has a lot to take control of and her own label should not have to be something she's grasping for! In this case, It was the wisest move!

Webb shows she has a Deep Love of Black, White and Grey, Webb also gave us a few shots of Pink, Red and a Cool shade of Army Green for contrast. What Webb does best is great Tailoring and she showed her command of that milleu here, An Angled Black and Grey Herringbone Double-Breasted Blazer paired with a Fluid, Asymmetric Organza skirt was Soft and Hard in all the right places. As was a Black Blazer with White Trousers and a Lace Hem Dress. Chic and Femme with just the Right touch of Boyishness. Add to that a Stunning Ivory broken, enlarged Herringbone Pattern Coat with a Cozy Ivory Knit Roll neck sweater or the Pink "Pantsuit" with a Cropped Sleeveless Vest/Jacket and Wide Trousers with a paler Pink Blouse underneath, Never has Pink Looked so Tough!

The Best Section was the Most Reductive and Stripped Down. Near the end a Passage of Grey Flannel pieces That were shocking in their Utter Simplicity but Deadly Chic! A "T-Shirt" and T-Shirt Tunic Dress, both Sashed at the Waist and worn with Matching Trousers, The Look was Resolutely Modern, Precise and Clean and the way All Big City women should be DYING to Dress! Webb has a way with making clothes that Draw you in and Compel you to Stand Back. It's a Tricky Highwire act to maintain, But Webb seems to have the act Down Pat!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Tadashi Shoji.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.

Tadashi Shoji.

The Beauty of Flight. Not a bad place to start as inspirations go for a Fashion collection. Tadashi Shoji chose this as his point of reference and Rendered it in Feathery Embroideries and Prints and Motifs, such as the unexpected touch of using the Gears that make Flight possible as an Abstracted Embroidery that looked more Ethnic than Motorized. The collection had some seriously Beautiful moments, Those early pieces that Mimicked Feathers in Meticulously worked Organza, Were Stunning, Especially the Dramatic Mantle in Black worn over a Black gown. Also Noteworthy, the Pair of Plisse pleated gowns with Beaded Feather Lace Embroidery in Strapless White with Black (The Best one of the two) and Vice Versa. 

Along with the aforementioned pieces, a Navy pleated gown on Ine Neefs with the Gear embroidery stood out, but other than that, Shoji's collection, as Lovely and Lavish as it was, Failed to excite. Nothing stood out enough to make the collection POP! Plus, add to the fact that much of what was seen was straight from the Shoji Handbook and that lent an air of Staidness to the show. Inarguably, The clothes are Gorgeous, Will appeal to Shoji Loyalists and attract New Acolytes, But, In all Honesty, This showing was failing to Soar as Shoji's Dreams of Flight would have liked it to! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Honor.

Thurs. 02/15/2015.

Honor.

Giovanna Randall is Giving a Certain Pair of Italian Couturiers a Run for their Money and may be doing it with less Ostentation and Crushing Intricacy! Randall's Honor label is always a Highlight of the NY Fashion season because it's so Charming, Vibrant, Romantic and oft Whimsical in a way that alights smiles to the faces of the viewers! Her Bohemian sense of style is at once Elegant and Fairy Tale. Randall's Fall 2015 collection for her Honor label was some of the best output from the designer whose collections seemingly continue to build upon themselves and the Vocabulary of the House. 

There was a Bumper Crop of Glorious pieces here to Marvel at... Randall was inspired by the Woods around her Grandmother's home in Vermont and the Richness and Multiplicity of such environs (Funny that, The last Major Show before hers was Costello Tagliapietra and they were inspired by the woods too!) The set decor brought this idea to the corporeal and the models emerged out from what looked like an opening in an Enormous Tree trunk, Studded with Mushrooms... It was Fanciful in the utmost. 

Clothing-wise, Randall kept the Ethereal mainly for Evening and showed stronger, less Sentimental clothing for day. There was some Backbone, it may have been a backbone coursing with Lighthearted Gaiety, But a backbone nonetheless. A Black dress with a layered White Collar and Cuffs was Slim and Prim and Looked as if it had enough severity to it to Brave the City Streets and not the Leafy paths to Grandmama's Cottage. A Pearl Grey Boucle Tweed suit was Pitch Perfect and had no Sense of Artsy or Saccharine to it. It was Sweet, but Strong! Just as good was A Red Ensemble on Kai Newman consisting of a Scallop edge deep-neck Shirt and a Split front skirt. It was one of those Chic Day-to-Night outfits that was Seductive even though it was Minimalist. 

Evening was the best Platform for Randall's Talents this season. Full of Floaty Layers and Floor Dragging Trains, the Romance was Palpable and Heady! A High-waisted Gown in the Signature Deer Print of this season wrought out of incredibly intricate Cutwork Velvet was so lovely and so closely hewn in execution (if not bettering some of) to that of the Valentino Duo, (Watch Out, Maria and Pierpaolo!) That it was Remarkable! And the Flame Red gown that preceded it... Well... You get the Drift.

Randall is a Jewel in the NY Fashion Crown. Her shows are always the best and most Skilled lessons in Beauty and Whimsy. She should be a Bigger name than she is, and hopefully as she continues to create such Magisterial pieces full of Flair and Romance... That time will be drawing Ever nearer. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Costello Tagliapietra.

Thurs. 02/12/2014.

Costello Tagliapietra.

Fall 2015 turned out to be one of the most Momentous occasions for the Design Dynamic Duo that is Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra. Of the many reasons why, One was that this was the first time of them showing at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Venue, Lincoln Center. The two designers have been staples of the NYFW scene for a Decade and have if not Quietly, They have Discreetly become Lions of Seventh Ave. (Or more appropriately, Bears! I know they're gonna roll their eyes, But I adore these two, So, ROLL ON, Guys! LOL!) even though they have their home in Brooklyn, which has kinda also got to give Jeffrey and Robert some props for having a big hand in transforming it into the New Hip Hub of New York and much of the Manhattan Migration to it's environs. 

Second. This was without peer, one of the Absolute Finest collections the gentleman have designed. For the last couple seasons Costello and Tagliapietra have been looking to themselves, Sartorially speaking, for inspiration while also having an overarching theme attached to that introspection. This Fall the Theme was the Colour Palette of the Woods where they take their Adorable Little one, their Handsome Bulldog Eugene, on walks and that they themselves just stroll and traverse for Peace and Quiet. This Leitmotif came through Loud and Clear from Exit One! The opening of the show, an Exquisite Three-piece Herringbone Spruce Green ensemble comprising a Cropped, wide sleeve and collar jacket, Vest and some of the most Enviably cut trousers on the planet was as Forest inspired as anything could ever dream of being! Underneath this peeked out a Plaid shirt on the model that wasn't really what it seemed, it was Chiffon which had been Meticulously Hand-Stitch Embroidered in a Plaid Pattern. It was one of the most Subtle and Masterful tropes the Duo has ever produced and was a Smashing play on their own Signature wardrobe Staple, the Plaid Flannel Shirt! 

This would appear again throughout the collection and was always welcome, as would The Costello/Tagliapietra Wardrobe items of Suspenders and Cardigans. The suspenders were an Exceptionally Offhandedly chic and tough touch to the collection, lending a bit of Backbone to the designers usually Feminine and Liquid designs, Even tougher still when paired with Sharp Flannel Trousers and Buttoned-to-the-neck Shirts. Yet, those Shirts had a hidden Femme aspect to them. Delicate, almost Imperceptible Shimmering Beading and Embroidery on the front which Softened the edge just enough to keep it from being too Rugged,

Softer still, when the Suspenders were paired with Swingy Satin Dirndl skirts. A New and Fresh style to be embraced by Jeffery and Robert. But fret not, Loyalists... The Silky, Languid, Satiny Drape of Costello and Tagliapietra was well evidenced this day too! Their woman had some of the Best of the Bunch to pick from... A Mineral Green Cap-sleeve number Drove me CRAZY it was so Fabulous with its Side Pockets and Faux Capelet top. She could also feel much Desire for one of the Closing Bi-color (Front to Back) Satin Jersey Numbers in Stone and Pale Yellow Citrine. Or the Best of the bunch... The wholly Haute Couture grade Draped Mulberry Cap-sleeve dress at Exit No. 12, with it's Plunging V-back and little Pleated Petal flourish in front... It was obvious by a Country Mile that the Designers had Outdone themselves to a Substantial degree with this Masterpiece!

Before I Slip into a Prolixity that minimizes the Impact of the greatness of this collection, I do have to mention the Raised Bar of Sophistication evinced in this show. The Pair of Wrap Jacket Pantsuits were Channeling a Blass-like Hauteur, while the Quiet Grandeur of an A-Line Bi-Colour top and Trousers in Umber and Raisin exemplified Restrained Chic to the Letter and would have made Good Ol' Cristobal Proud! 

At the time of writing this, it is well known and should be well mentioned, That the day after this show, A day that saw, Coach's Power Presentation and Kanye's Megawatt Adidas Ego Extravaganza... None less than the NEW YORK TIMES Placed Jeffrey and Robert's Collection FRONT PAGE, Right below the Masthead as the Signifier of the kicking off of Fashion Week in NY. Now, I don't know about you... but that's some pretty Impressive Swag to be able to Bandy about! 

All I can say is, It was High Time for it! The Bears have been doing their Elegant and Eloquent thing for over a decade now with Quiet Grace and Selflessness, And all the Lauding and Accolades that can be thrown at their Booted feet, are all More than well deserved! Here's to Many more Decades of Design from Jeffrey and Robert! 

Congratulations, Mi Amici! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Creatures Of The Wind.

Thurs. 02/12/2014.

Creatures Of The Wind.

Quietly, And with Great Diversity, Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters have Transformed their Creatures Of The Wind line into something Magnificently special. The Duo started off Quirky with a Capital "Quirk" and their collections veered wildly from Interesting to Off-Putting, Even after coming in second place for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award a few years ago, that still wasn't enough to snap their vision into a Laser Focus!

Then, come  Fall 2014 Everything clicked into place and  Gabier and Peters delivered a Powerhouse of a collection, and the Ball has just kept rolling along, gathering Velocity and soon, continuing it's current pace, should be pretty unstoppable! Fall 2015 is another Dynamic vision from the duo and continues to showcase Gabier and Peters in the best possible light. The designers remarked that they were influenced by the 60's and 70's but also the 20's... one can see the through-line with the 70's/20's equation but the 60's? Doesn't sound feasible, but these guys made it work!

The 60's was most evident in the Mod-ish shifts and Sharp contrasts of Black and White, while the 70's-20's inflection came via the Bohemian elements and fluid, louche approach favored by the touchstones of the 70's like Halston and YSL. An interesting aside, a couple outfits had a bit of Slimane's Re-appropriation of vintage YSL-isms to them and made the connection all the more clearer! A Slinky pair of outfits in Peach Pink and Silver Lame Screamed New York nightlife in the 70's while a Black Portrait neck Topcoat was channeling more McGraw than Jagger!

Even with these decades past inspirations floating about, Quirk is as Quirk does and a Signature Intermezzo of Quirk came by way of a Trio of toppers paired with Mink "Sashes" with Colored Stars draped about them. It was a un-showy, yet powerfully playful and offbeat moment that made the whole show worthwhile. Worth mentioning also, a Right On The Money White side buttoned Band-Neck Jacket with Black Trousers could go as a contender for Best Outfit of the season!

Gabier and Peters are Poised on the precipice of Greatness, Continuing in the way they are with such Fresh, Innovative and Exceptionally Lovely clothes that they have been creating as of late, That Greatness is looking less like it's looming in the distance and more just out past their fingertips waiting for them to Stretch that LAST Little bit to Grasp it!





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Bye4Now!

Polo Ralph Lauren.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.





Polo Ralph Lauren.

Starting last Fall with an Integrated showing of his New Business occupation, a newly Relaunched and Re-Branding of the Polo label, and his Collection label, Ralph Lauren set the stage for a Full on Crush of Redesigning and Realigning of His already standing Polo Stores. This was also reflected with  the Splashy Central Park Holographic 4-D Extravaganza for Spring 2015, which was equally a Debut of the new line and rousing Curtain-Raiser for his Massive new "Polo" Fifth Avenue Store (The First among many new ones, while the older ones are in a state of Conversion, to reflect the new scope of the Brand)

Fall 2015 saw Lauren still driving the point home with a Typically Ralph Lauren Polo show at his Madison Avenue Headquarters that confirmed that Lauren isn't nearly as much reinventing anything as Solidifying what exactly the Ralph Lauren Codes are. In that vein, There was not One Damn thing New here that hasn't been regurgitated so many times that it has become Rote, Chez Lauren. Lauren mines his own past with an almost... Dare one say, Necrophiliac like Obsession. The Hallmarks were here for everyone to witness and were done in only the most infinitesimally minute variations of things we have so OFT seen before from this house.

Wanna know the Absolutely Absurd and Quixotically Dumbfounding part... IT. FUCKING. WORKED! How. I don't know if I have the Ability to convey why, But in some Unholy Union with the Lucifer of Seventh Avenue, Lauren got it Just Right! It was yes, ALL THE THINGS we've seen a Million times beforehand, yet they felt Fresh and Strangely Illuminated, as if this was the first time seeing them, but yet they were strangely Familiar and Comforting.

Lauren is going full Balls To The Walls with this Recontextualizing and Reconceptualizing of his "Polo" Brand and making it distinctly apart from his Collection and Black Label (and for men, Purple Label and Black Label) It does come off with a Hint of "Greatest Hits" to it, but it's forgiven. All the great Lauren Affects were touched on, Annie Hall, The Faye Dunaway "Bonnie Parker", The Mia Farrow "Great Gatsby", Bankers Stripes, Three-Piece Suits, Safari, Yachting, Naval, English Prep School.... all there in Giddy mixes of Genres and styles... There was even a touch of Grandmother's Attic, Biker, Southwest/Navajo and  Russian Czar thrown in there for good measure. That no one thing was adapted in full regalia and that it was mixed up, Cuisinart style, made the mix Stellar!

Coolest of all... There was Evening Real Evening clothes. Lauren is obviously envisioning this as a Full lifestyle label from Day to Night and showed some Terrifically Chic Variations on one of his favorite Tropes... Tuxedos. Especially the Tails Jacket with Leather Pants! Lauren is no slouch when it comes to his labels, Of course at times there can be a haunting similarity amongst his collections, But sometimes that can be worked out in the best of ways. His new "Polo" Label seems to be Invigorating Ralph. Knowing Lauren, He's already planning something else already to Delight us!





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Richard Chai Love.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.





Richard Chai Love.

A Not-so-Subtle Streak of Androgyny was running through Richard Chai's Fall 2015 Collection. It manifested in the Styling where the Girls and Boys in the show, especially covered with all the the layers, looked suspiciously like one another and it was hard to exactly tell them apart, and aside from the layers, many of the pieces they wore skewed too oft on the Similar side. It was surely intentional and made Chai's collection all the more Compelling for it.

The story here was Coats and Coats-on-Coats layering. Both the Men and Women were swathed in Multiple toppers and most all of them were quite Definitely of a Fine standard. A Navy Blue Melton and Black Leather Peacoat is an especially fine specimen, as is a Copper Top coat near the end of the Show that was Quite Lovely. As for the complicated layers under the fine coats, they got to be a little forced and Arbitrary by the shows end. Not so much did they Detract, but they truly added nothing either, and this was the case for the Women and Men.

Chai delivered a Bumper Crop of Great outerwear and if one sifts through the Layers, they will find some treasures as well. The thing here was, Chai's Outerwear Output was so Convincing that he needed little else to make his statement. The Coats will keep his clients interested all winter long, and with the Sportswear, put together with the coats in less Magpie Configurations, Will yield Great Success!





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BCBG Max Azria.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.





BCBG Max Azria.

Max and Lubov Azria gave us their Typically Offbeat, Artsy, Bohemian Girl of the Canyons vibe for their somewhat Off-Kilter, and as usual for them Tricky Fall 2015 Collection. There wasn't anything particularly Offensive as some of their collections of recent past have been, but it was all over the place and dipping it's Toe in many Pools. Starting at the point of consideration that Max and Lubov are L.A. People... and when coming to New York in the winter they realize just how Jarring the Cold can be... so the BCBG Collection was full of Cozy, Comfy, Nuzzly layers to keep their Flower Power Child from the Frigid Temps of the Big Bad City!

High Boots, Sweater Knits, Ponchos and Heavy Layering got the message across quite demonstratively, but they added the Quirk to these pieces and layers that put the Azria Stamp firmly on their Output. Taking some prints and styling from the Baltic Coast villages they recently visited bought about an Ethnicity that was hard to place but would be irresistible to their core client base. At some points, things erred a little too much on the side of the decorative and the Boldness of mixing and matching caused some Visual Over-Stimulation, However it was wasn't as Decadently Excessive as some times their collections can be.

Simplicity wrought the finest pieces to be found in the show... A Dark Charcoal Cape/Coat with Fur Pockets was instilling Major amounts of Must-Have, While a Strikingly Simple colour-block Poncho with Leather stitching in Ice White, Stone and Cement Grey Quite possibly stole the whole show and was Vying for top piece in the collection with a Black billowing Chiffon Dress with Black laced-up Leather accents that was Bohemian and Fierce all at the same time!

The Azria's Kicked it up Several notches this Go-Round and showed how Addictive their wares can be when they design as good as this. Their BCBG Woman will be Well-Appointed come Fall and Winter and will have a Plethora of Great options to wade through and see just what fits her Personality. Whatever she may choose... she's gonna look Damn Fine in it!





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Bye4Now!

Coach.

Thurs. 02/12/2015.





Coach.

It has only been a Year since Stuart Vevers took over the task of Re-Branding the house of Coach after Reed Krakoff left (who himself succumb to the vagaries of fashion and shuttered his own Wonderfully Modern clothing line after only barely 5 years) Has taken to the task light Flowers to Sunshine. He has made the label in a Hot Second. Covetable and Hip, It's going to take slightly longer (If ever) to bring back the Cool factor of the Coach bag simply because of the Saturation factor that has settled into the Brand. If Everyone from the Mom's that shop at Old Navy to the Inner City Girls... There is no Cache.

But the clothes on the other hand, Might be the Trick in the Step to reviving the Hotness of a Coach Bag. So far, Vevers has been focusing on Deluxe Outerwear and some Sportswear pieces thrown in to round things out and lend variety, That formula has been effective so far and one can see Vevers getting a bit more juice from that Fruit before he needs to expand his language. Right now, as the case is, what he is doing is quite Attractive! The vibe for Fall 2015 was distinctly "Road Warrior" but in the Wilds of Montana, Colorado or Wyoming... A Woman who is trekking through Snowy Plains and Mountains, Nomad-like, Hitching or Riding the Rails... But in the Utmost of Luxury!

To break up the monotony, there were Artisanal chunky knit sweaters and Flannel Kilt/Skirt hybrids, but it was the coats doing the most convincing talking. A Ivory curly Lambswool Toggle coat was full of Whimsy, but for the past couple Brutal winters that have beset the world... also a Wise investment. The Shearling cropped Peacoat in a Mustard-y Squash shade was taking No Prisoners in the Desirable and Essential categories either. What was the most surprising were the Pair of Flannel and Scarf print Mixed-Media T-shirt dresses with a little flare in the Skirt and Inverted pleats in front. Both were Eye-Catching and Delightfully Chic and Crisp and Wholly Unexpected! They show the promise that Great Sportswear is something we may be able to expect more of in the future.

Vevers Trajectory so far has been Dead-On! He is Reviving the House by working outside of it's Expected Milleu and Inspiring desire by creating Wantable Clothes. The Buzz has been High and the Results have been Encouraging. The Hype is getting louder and louder with each new collection, And in this modern world where Hype can make you successful in the Eyes of the Social Media Scions, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat... Coach may be headed for a rather Lengthy Third Act!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Organic By John Patrick,

Weds. 02/11/2015.





Organic By John Patrick.

Showing a Compact, Tightly edited Non-Runway show John Patrick and his Organic label had quite a Whip Smart collection to present. 19 Looks and that was it. But within those 19 Looks, John showed incredible Versatility and Range and gave his customer Strong, Basic Pieces touched with a Frisson of Quirk! The Juxtaposition of Relaxed ease in one Look then, Sharp, Unfussy Tailoring in the next, let the collection Ebb and Flow and highlight the More tailored pieces while giving a more Visceral appeal to the Lusciously Cozy and Easy pieces.

Chief among the Greatness,  A Tailored Black pantsuit in Neoprene and an Umber coloured Sleeveless Trench. On the more Casual side, a Rib-Knit Twin-set in Cream with Bone coloured trousers was a Qualified HIT! As was the Featherlight Eau de Nil Cardigan with Military Olive tone Cropped pants. Patrick honed his work to a fine edge here. It was one of his best collections and filled with pieces to appeal to a wide range of woman and still manage to keep them Chic and Fashion Current. A Dynamic Duo, To be Sure!





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Josie Natori.

Weds. 02/11/2015.

Josie Natori.

Fall 2015 saw Josie Natori going to Istanbul for inspiration, Natori came away from this inspirational place perhaps too seduced by the Surfeit of Visual Stimuli, for her collection felt a Bit cluttered and Excessive in places. Simpler pieces showed Natori for the Sensualist she is and were by far more attractive than when she slung Fringe and Mile-High Fezzes, Gold Jewelry, Fur, Trapunto stitching and Elaborte clothing detail. Natori said that this collection was going to be an "Extravaganza of Textures, Layering and Embellishment for Daywear" and she wasn't Fooling!

There was a Lovely sense of Decadent Richness that had it's appeal, the clothes just would have been better served had the piling on been just a hair more judicious! When she got the mix right... Fireworks! A pair of Simple All-Black ensembles at Exits No. 21 and 22 were Right on the Money. As were a Pair of Column Gowns, One in White with Black Filigree and the other a Strapless Black Matelasse Cutwork Lace and Feather gown, Both equally Stunning. 

Admittedly, Much of the collection was RAVISHING! I use Capital letters because the show was dizzyingly Luxuriant, If sometimes the Abundance was carried a little too far, Well, Natori can be ultimately forgiven... Sometimes the Road of Excess traps us all in it's Gilded Cage! 

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Fall 2015 Ready-To-Wear.

Thurs. 07/23/2015.

Dear Readers, 

I have made it through to Fall 2015 Ready-to-Wear. Going to try and whip through as fast as possible. Still have Resort and Fall 2015 Couture to wrap up. Lord, give me Strength! Stay with me, Please! I Adore that you read my work and it makes me so Ecstatically happy that you follow me... Please if you like what I write... Retweet, Post a Link to My Blog. mention it... Let your friends know about it. 

I love this and I love having people comment and tell me what they think. Comments are ALWAYS Welcome! 

Thank You So Much! 

Sincerely, 

Terrill Lawrence Sanford.

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Bye4Now!

Zuhair Murad Haute Couture.

Thurs. 01/29/2015.





Zuhair Murad Haute Couture.

So, the end of the Couture season sits squarely on Zuhair Murad's Shoulder... and if his work is any indication, those shoulders are Crystal bead and sequin Encrusted with a Generous shagging over of Marabou or Ostrich feathers and then Sprinkled with Dewdrops of Pearls! In other words... Outrageously Overdone! As his collections tend to be. I level the same withering charges against him that I do his Lebanese Partner In Crime, Elie Saab. They both provide a Saccharinely Sweet, Syurpy Mess of Feathers and Beads and Trains and Crystals... and so on that their collections are One, Inherently compatible to each other, they seem to share a Psychic bond, because each season they look like they just designed one collection, split it half and call it Different shows! Two. The Richness and Glut of Sparkle and the Confectionery element of their collections reaches a Maximum Overload quickly because there is no RELIEF from all the Bedazzled Glitz and at Saab that ranged over 60+ Outfits, Mercifully Murad kept it nearer to 50 Which was STILL TOO FUCKING MUCH!

As with Saab... It's not that the Clothes aren't Exquisite. They are! But It's again like Having Cake for Dinner, Then Pie for Dessert, and Cookies for a Snack! You marginalize the Exquisite nature of some of the pieces when you only have like styled pieces to judge them against! Here, Murad for Spring 2015, was inspired by Water, and the Liquidity and Undulating quality of many of the pieces and the Frothy colours Hit home for the theme. As with Saab, There are some Standout Stunners, Exit No. 16 was one. An Achingly Beautiful Gown of Lemon Chiffon tulle encrusted with Sequin and Crystal bead flowers looked Serious, but Effortless and of course, Gorgeous! A Strapless Sea Blue creation studded with Beads and Crystals and Sequins with a Dramatic Operatically Sweeping Waterfall "Watteau" Back was Grand and Exquisite!

Still, They would have been even more Markedly Entrancing had there been something to Counterpoint their richness so that when they did arrive... It would be more Breath Catching than being one in a Lineup of many samey-same pieces. Murad has Great talent and as he modernizes and sweeps some of the even more Grandiose Gestures aside that used to inflect his work, His collections become far more Palatable... The only Sad part is, That the Palate in question, that of the Viewer, is in such Sugar Shock after one of his shows, that you might come away from it with Diabetes! And in that mien, Murad might want to start giving out Hypos of Insulin at his shows... Oh and Elie would be well advised to do the Same!





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Bye4Now!

Valentino Haute Couture.

Weds. 01/28/2015.





Valentino Haute Couture.

This is SPRING 2015 Couture... Correct? Printemps? Primavera? Fruhling??? Because viewing Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri's Valentino Haute Couture collection one would not at all be faulted for thinking it was Fall/Winter Couture! As Typically Crafty and Ornate as is Dogmatically common for the house, this collection had a Crushing Weightiness to it that Severely undercut the Beauty of the collection! Why all the High necks, and Shearling Pencil Skirts and Heavy Suffocating fabrics... AND OXBLOOD? Head to Toe? FOR SPRING? Yeah, That's gonna be A NO! EVEN if the Weighty fabrics were in reality, Gauzy and Light... they looked nothing like what they may have felt like. Throw in that always Thistledown Light fabric, Velvet... and you have a collection that failed on multiple levels.

On the positive side, the expected Laborious Embroidery work of the house was as always, Beyond Belief. Yet this time out they were Curiously applied to Shearling and a Heavy Burlap looking Linen. If it was meant to evoke, "Rustic" what it equated to was Misguided! They had such a Plodding Ungainliness to them, that it just looked Silly rather than Quirky.

Whereas there was much to Gasp over and Enjoy here, this collection qualified as a Miss on a Grand Scale. From the Same, Pesante Princess evening wear that they keep turning out Endless repetitions of, to the Lumbering Coats and Gothically dense Embroideries, to the Utterly befuddling Sheer boned corsets with those swelling Heavy Fabric skirts... WHAT? It just didn't compute.When they hit the Mother Lode, Well, Hell's Bells! It was a Thing of Beauty, Though we have seen this type of Beauty from them for many a Season now. It's growing Common and Exorbitantly Tedious!

A few pieces stood out to Comment in the Positive on, that Black Pearl coloured Sleeveless Velvet gown (yeah Velvet, Funny, No?) on Irina Kravchenko was STELLAR for the fact that it was So Purely Elegant and Refined of cut! As well as Exit No. 30 A Lace and Chiffon Embroidered DREAM in Ecru and Eau De Nil. Include a few other sundry outfits in this category and it wasn't all bad, but it surely was much less than Good! Confusing would be the watchword of the Hour... It made so little sense and felt like Chiuri and Piccioli were So Blindly satisfied with what they made they had no Objectivity or Distance on it, Not their Best work by any standards... and woefully so, they seem to be stuck in a Loop and keep up these Gothic, Victorian Fantasias that are growing Wearisome in the Utmost. Change the Record, Guys. The Song is getting Old!





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Bye4Now!

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture.

Weds. 01/28/2015.

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture.

"I  put my Heart and Soul into my work, and I have lost my Mind in the Process" 

Vincent Van Gogh.

When something of Staggering, Monumental feeling is created, Sometimes the Mind does get lost in the Process. For Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, their Spring 2015 Haute Couture was like a Glorious Hallucination made Corporeal. This is why you Love Viktor & Rolf. This is what makes you stare in Jaw Agape wonder at the Creations they envision that no other designers could even fathom having Nightmares about, let alone create in the real world! 

To just get it out of the way, There's no sense in Reviewing this on a Piece by Piece basis. this was a Stream of Consciousness presentation that had no sense of Arc or Progression... it simply amplified on itself, becoming an idea that transformed within the construct of one idea. It evolved only in the sense that it Mutated it's Shape and Form and Colour. As for the Idea moving outside of the Static space it occupied... No Deal! 

There was Genuine Daring in that and Risk. If the Calibrations were off and each Externalization of the Idea was not Exactingly Contrived... it would have dissolved. There. in this show, was no place for Difference, except in the Most Narrow of Purview! Yet while each new permutation was more splendid than the one before, It was almost like looking at a Time-Lapse of a Rosebud... From Petite Beauty to Full Blown, Fulsome, Sensual Rapture! So the collection as said didn't "Evolve" it "Expanded" 

The Oversized Crinoline silhouette of each piece was the Starting point. then the print, a Wax-Dyed and Block Printed Cotton that was as Lustrous and Luxurious as it could be, was printed so elementally and childishly almost as to appear Unrefined... but as the collection expounded on each new bit of Input, the Plain Print began to come alive, with Glorious Splotches of Colour and the Floral form of the design began to be Highlighted here and there with Whimsical, Delightful colour. First a Citrus-y Yellow, then a Soft Lavender, Then bold splashes of Bordeaux and Coral...

Then as if by Transmutation the print began to Float off the fabric and become a Contextual form in Three-Dimensional Space! Then the coloured flowers began to emerge from the Fabric, like Living Flora in a Garden expanding towards the heat of the sun. As if the print now, were a living creature! The Colours Intensified, Carmine, Maize, Grape, Lime, Cornflower, Cerulean, Violet, Lapis... On And On it began to Overflow with Exquisite Passion! The Floating Print cross-pollinated with the 3-D Flowers and reached Heavenward and Outward, Breaking the Constraints of the Garments and Projecting themselves wider and higher than the already Immense crinolines would allow... They Craved a freedom that the Earthboundness of the dresses would not give credence to! 

Their accomplices in the Titanic Straw hats tried to give them Liberation, But again, they could only soar so high, so far, limitations could not be exceeded and the Beauty of the struggle, the Exasperating Hope of the Dream of leaving the Terrestrial and striving for the Celestial... It made their Struggle Noble... Don't we ALL long for that Breaking of the Earthly bonds and the hope that we can push Hard enough, Strong enough, WILLFULLY Enough... To Fly? The Dream of these Flowers and their dresses was not simply Exquisite. It was... Miraculous! Thank You, Viktor. Thank You, Rolf. You Made the Impossible Dream, seem slightly more possible. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Jean Paul Gaultier.

Weds. 01/28/2015.

Jean Paul Gaultier.

"61 Facons de se Dire Oui" a rather interesting title for a Couture collection when one considers it translates to "61 Ways to say Yes" It was Jean-Paul Gaultier's Esoteric (Gaultier... Esoteric???? NEVER!) but Charming inspiration for his Spring 2015 Haute Couture collection. Puzzling until the show began with Anna Cleveland as the Bride of the show... Wait... Opening with the Bride? Unconventional, but this is Gaultier so, Strap In! 

Gaultier's theme was Weddings... so every outfit that strolled down his runway had, however vague, a reference to Weddings. From the Groom, to the Mother of the Bride, to Matron on Honor, to a Good dozen Wedding Gowns themselves! As Wacky as it sounds, it was responsible for some of Gaultier's Best work in Years. Maybe the cessation of his Pret-a-Porter line (Very Sad) gave him the time to focus on his skills, which are MAMMOTH! Remember, this is the man that the insiders of Fashion were saying was the One True, Messianic Saviour of Haute Couture back in the Late 90's, Some even saying he was the only TRUE Inheritor of Yves Saint Laurent's Crown of Le Roi De La Couture (we all know now that Handily belongs to no one else other than Uncle Karl! Testify!) and he was proving it with the Chicest Couture shows in Paris and attracting Admiration Up and Down Le Boulevard! 

But Gaultier's mind is a Mercurial, Capricious thing... It volleys back and forth from Provocateur to Classicist. This collection was a good example of those halves working in Tandem. From the classical side we got a Baseball inspired Pinstripe Double-Breasted Blazer worn with Wide Ivory Raw Silk pants or a Super Chic Parisienne Femme in a Navy Blue "Sweater/Pencil Skirt" Combo That was much more than it's simple looks conveyed and let's not forget the Showstopping Grass Green Strapless gown that was as simple looking as ever, but cut to Sculpted Perfection!

On the Provocative side we had a "Bridegown" done up like Faded Denim Overalls with a Bee Box on the head of Lindsay Wixson... Or a Off-Shoulder Black Leather dress with a Puff of Tulle Spraying out of only one side of the Dress! Or how about the Supremely Perfectly cut "Le Smoking" in Black that was a Bodysuit tucked into a pair of Filmy white trousers??? C'est Crazy, Non?

As for the Bridegowns... Gaultier spun too many variations to count, a couple that did stand out were a Pale Blue Strapless Satin corset version with a Voluminous Pale Blue Tulle skirt attached to a Pair of Light Washed, DENIM Shorts underneath... or the Off-Shoulder one on Pauline Hoarau in Off-White with the Widely Flared Attenuated Skirt that looked slightly like an Umbrella, but in a Fantastic way!

After all this Le Mariee business afoot, One could barely conceive of how Gaultier would pull this Diverse Collection together for a close, seeing that he is one of the ONLY Couturiers still doing a Bride at the end of his show... How to top all these other brides... well, A Walking Bouquet should do the trick nicely! And that is what you got! Naomi Goddamn Campbell, Every Heartstopping Slender Inch of her! Wrapped in Plastic and Flowers and Little much else... As if saying... This Bouquet doesn't get tossed away... this Bouquet gets up and Struts out the Church on it's own! Saying to the ladies gathered round waiting to catch her... OH HELL NO, Bitches! Get Yo Life! I'm Gonna Get Mine! And what could be a more Appropriate Kissing of the Ass to the idea of Marriage. And when it's Naomi Campbell's Most SPECTACULAR Cheeks that are to be kissed, Who among us would say No to that!? 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Elie Saab Haute Couture.

Weds. 01/28/2015.





Elie Saab Haute Couture.

Thinking back to the Halcyon days in the 60's and of his Mother in his Homeland, Beirut, Lebanon, Elie Saab took a Nostalgic trip back to that (as he called it) "Golden Age" of when his Mater would get all adorned for Glittering, Glamourous evenings and when the Party Circuit was seemingly Non-Stop. Young Hollywood and the New York Social set could seem these days to be the Mirror of that time. Perhaps that is why Saab's show seemed so Facile and Vacuous.

As he and his Lebanese cohort. Zuhair Murad prove season to season, Yes there is a market for the Fluffy, Tediously overwrought parade of Inane and Unceasing Obvious Luxury that these two provide! They almost seem Telepathically linked for their shows are Practically Interchangeable. You could Plunk down any 15 outfits from Saab's Collection in the middle of Murad's and one would never know the difference. AT ALL! Vice Versa as well. It's not that their Shit Ain't Pretty... The fact is it's TOO FUCKING PRETTY! It's a Pretty OD! There's such an Eyesore Monotony to all the Beads and Trains and Sequins and Feathers and Antebellum Skirts... It's a flotilla of unfettered Intemperance!

If you want to judge the clothes... they are Horrendously Gorgeous... no one is remotely doubting that, some are tear-jerkingly Amazing. A Patissiere Creme and Gold Flower Beaded and Crystallized Gown Shagged over with Ostrich Fronds in Creme White at Exit No. 21 was Beguiling on a level of Mesmeric Proportion, and a Black Beaded and Sequined Appliqued Lace on Point d'Esprit surmounted onto Nude Tulle was a Surefire Winner at Exit No. 49. There were countless others... and that's where the problem lay... there was not one second of relief from the Parade of Candy Coated Confections poured down the runway. A Cashmere Coat. A Silk Shift... Something... SOME FUCKING THING to break the Redundancy! But No! And there seems like there is going to be any End of this Procession of the overwrought any time soon. And as much as Saab is raking in the dough from these pieces, He's doing himself the greatest disservice as a Designer. In this Mould, he'll Never, EVER, be taken Seriously... begging the Obvious Elephant in the room.... Does he want to be?





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Alexandre Vauthier.

Tues. 01/27/2014.

Alexandre Vauthier.

For those wanting that Sexpot, Skin Showing, Va-Va-Voom Couture that was so well embodied by Gianni Versace and Thierry Mugler, Look no Further than to Alexandre Vauthier! Vauthier in December  2014 was given an Official Appellation as a Couturier, so his Haute Couture is now deemed by La Chambre Syndicale as worthy of the moniker. Upon first glances, Vauthier's Couture doesn't feel like COUTURE at all, maybe a Luxed-up, Pumped Up, version of Ready-to-Wear, But you get in there and skip past all the, and it must be said, Slutty connotations, and you see his work is as Meticulous as FUCK! It has to be, for those gowns to fit and reveal as they do... that's not just by Accident or Chance!

Even though one gets the feeling that Vauthier would be happiest doing Glitzy evening Showpieces, he is too considerate and well-trained a designer to go that Route. Good On Him! Yes, his Daywear is as Revealing and Sparkly as his Evening offerings, But it's still Daywear! A Mallard Green asymmetrically zipped Suede Coatdress proved well beyond doubt that Vauthier can strip it all down to Cut and Fit and wrestle in the Arena of the Giants of Couture. And now, what anyone who loves Alexandre waits for... The Eveningwear! There's not much to say on the subject. The pieces were Characteristically Slinky and Sexy and Revealing... All the usual signatures were touched upon. Vauthier isn't reinventing anything, however he is Perfecting and Honing his Codes... And as expected,  the Eveningwear was just exactly what anyone would want from the house! 

Vauthier could do with a little more Refinement around the Edges, Buff out the Sharper Corners a bit, all that Sexiness can be Grating and Taxing in too large of doses. He'd make a world of difference if he added more fare that was not so, Vixenish! Not that at this moment he needs to really, he's selling his Couture well, just the way it is. Now may not be time to stir the pot, but someday soon... That pot is gonna need a Good minute or two with the Spoon! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Armani Prive.

Tues. 01/27/2014.

Armani Prive.

Point One. Giorgio Armani is NOT Karl Lagerfeld! So, Producing a collection of 68 Pieces without Lagerfeld's Legendary Skills only serves to Tediously Bore an audience. And when the clothes are so Perversely the same as what has come before and sure to come after, that tedium settles in more quickly than usual. 

Point Two. Does it matter any longer that Giorgio Armani's clothes are practically Interchangeable from one season to the next? Is it that Armani is trading on Past Glories and seems stuck in a endless loop of repetition that Steals any sense of Freshness and Spontaneity from his clothes? Does it matter when there are LEGIONS of customers out there who Clamour for Armani's Single-Minded ideas on clothes? I am not capable of answering that question, Yet, I am Capable of saying Giorgio's Spring 2015 Armani Prive collection only highlighted the fact that Armani is Inflexible to a almost Stubborn degree! He does what he likes and what is in his Realm of certainty and Barely moves outside of that Realm. It has left his clothes incapable of being Beautiful even for the sake of Beauty alone because they are so Dumbfoundingly Redundant! 

Spring 2015 saw Armani inspired by Bamboo... YAWN! Spending precious words to describe anything but a bare few pieces would be a dulling and trivial exercise! Bamboo found it's way into Prints, Embroidery, Colouration, The Runway itself. One could tell from that fact alone that the clothes would be a Snore-Fest. Armani also has never met an Off-Kilter, Odd proportion he did not embrace with Giddy Joy! This collection was dominated by these proportions that aged even the Youngest models on the runway into Bizarrely Matronly Doyennes instead of Young, Graceful Gazelles! 

Aside from a Robin's Egg Blue Obi-belted Pantsuit and a Eucalyptus Green Jacket that was also Belted... Not much else registered as exciting, A couple of Black Lace Columns, and an Electric Blue Strapless sheath gown on Sasha Luss had Potential, but that's not saying much! You have to wonder, Can Armani Learn new tricks? Does he want to? If he keeps designing like this, he'll just be The Man that got lost in his own House and cannot seem to find the door to the outside, Wandering the same halls and rooms forever!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Bouchra Jarrar Haute Couture.

Tues. 01/27/2015.





Bouchra Jarrar Haute Couture.

It's always exciting to see someone bringing something new to the Haute Couture table. Something, unexpected. Bouchra Jarrar hadn't been someone I was looking at for a number of reasons. But something this season Clicked! I was taken Far Aback by the Gamine, Tomboyish, Androgyne Woman that is the Jarrar Archetype. There is a Toughness and Edge to Jarrar's Couture and a Startlingly Deceptive simplicity as well that is Betrayed by close inspection of the garments and noticing the Exorbitant attention to detail!

Jarrar has a very unique Perspective on Couture, her Couture doesn't Shout, or adorn itself in Feathered Finery and Ostentation. There is a Perfectly Calibrated attention to Detail and detail alone. That she injected some very beautiful yet for her, obvious embellishment was proving that she is evolving past her own codes! There has always been a Frisson of the Sportif in Jarrar's Collections... here that was replaced by a Soupcon of the Glamourous! Evolving, Most Definitely!

Focusing on the matter at hand, the Clothes, there was a Glut of Absolutely Smashing outfits to Pick out and highlight, but Brevity is best... The Asymmetric Zipped Suit on Hedwig Palm looked as if it was Imbued with a bit of "Terminator" Severity but was Sexy as Shit for it! A White shirt and Micro Mini Zipped skirt Combo was Trading on it's Boarding school connotations in a Wholly Unwholesome way that was incredibly welcome! Also of Note, a Black Leather Zip-Trench Stole the entire show, It had that YSL sense of the Upstart when he was Scandalizing Paris back in the 60's and was as Abomniably Chic!

Jararr Channeled Yves a bit more in her "Bride" that was a "Le Smoking" Ivory Tuxedo and finished the collection off Brilliantly. Jarrar is now firmly on the Radar and With work this Significant and Impactful... Should remain there for some time to come!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Chanel Haute Couture.

Tues. 01/27/2015.

Chanel Haute Couture.

To Begin, Karl Lagerfeld is perhaps the most Creative Mind of the Latter half of the 20th Century and into the 21st. He will celebrate (Well, He HIMSELF won't, knowing as allergic he is to anything with even a Whisper of Nostalgia or the Backwards Glancing) 50 Years with Fendi this year, He has been at Chanel for 32 years, and at the top of the fashion heap for pretty much 40 of those years! He is without doubt, The Most Important Man In Fashion. The industry can throw Accolades and Superlatives at the likes of Simons, Ghesquiere, Tisci, Slimane, None causes even the Highest ranking Fashion Deity to Tremble with the fear of being Excommunicated from the Church of Fashion that Karl would certainly be The Reigning Pope of. Even the Magazines Editors, whom truth be told, are ones who REALLY  run the show that is the Fashion Industry, Humble themselves before His Majesty, The Right King Karl... and dare not Invoke his Ire, or more fearfully, His Disdain! Karl once said he likes to Set the table for the people around him... so that way if he wants to pull the seat out from under your Fragile Ass... He Can! And Yes, We ALL Want to Sup at that Table!

So, One would have to Question, How does Karl Create this Atmosphere of Worship, Awe... Deification??? Because, He doesn't do anything but Create. He is a Creative MACHINE! He is like a Ninja of the Highest Echelon. His skills are so Finely Honed, and his own Sense of Self Flagellation so Severe (Perhaps it's because La Mere Lagerfeld was such a Earth Cracking force of nature and never let Juene Fils Karl be anything less than his most Extraordinary best even as a mere Slip of a Boy!) That he always feels he has never done Good enough and that he can always do better. This quest for Improvement drives the Kaiser to Ever higher and more Sublime heights. We the Audience, Are the winners of the Jackpot that is Lagerfeld's Ceaseless course of Self Perfecting! 

Like the Great German Beethoven Before him, Lagerfeld is A Virtuoso, His Instrument, Pen and Paper, Same as Ludwig when you boil it down to the essence! But their Mediums are different... Where as Ludwig had Catgut and Brass and Sheepskin and Mahogany and Wire String... Lagerfeld has Boucle Tweed, Chiffon, Needles, Thread, Gold Bullion! The Instrumentation may be different, but the Symphonic result is all the same! And what a Symphony his Spring 2015 Chanel Couture Collection was! A Gasp-Inducing, Jaw Gaping, Hedonistic Wonder! First impression of the show before anything got underway was that one had entered a Gigantic Greenhouse of the Distant Future... One where all Flora had lost it's Colour and Deliciously Sensual form and were relegated to Spiky, Otherworldly White Paper intimations of the real thing. In this Place, Real Flowers no longer bloomed, but their memory had been kept alive like an Imprint. 

Suddenly, Out come the Jardinniers of this future... Were they tending to these Phantom Flowers...? Then as suddenly as they appeared they were gone and out strode Baptiste Giabiconi with the most Hilariously oversized Chanel Watering can known to Humankind. Watering Can? For Faux Flora? What's the Joke, Karl? Ahhhh.... but as you see, your mind simply wasn't prepared or ready, Karl's Was! As Baptiste left the Stage... Something Joyous,  Something Beyond Understanding began to happen! The Paper Flowers began... To... BLOOM! In Orgiastic, Summertime shades of Yellow and Green and Pink and Blue and OH... The Sheer Heart Skipping A Beat Wonderment of it all! All these flowers, 300 OF THEM, All individually constructed and with their own motors to make them bloom...How...? Where...? WHY...??? In Karl's World the only answer is... Because! He had a vision of this Paradisiacal space and Would not settle for one Fucking Iota less than this Exact, Joy Giving, Envisioning! 

If one hadn't known Karl has no love of Repetition, It could have been seen to be a Reconstructed Tableaux of his Singularly Mind-Blowing "Monochrome White" Spring 2009 Haute Couture collection... I think he was Perfectly aware of the connotation and was ready to turn it on it's head! I think he was SO ACUTELY aware that he wanted to present the antithesis of that collection's Absence of Colour and Neutrality and Say... This Is NOT Monochrome White... This is the Diametrical opposite of that collection and skew the perception of the audience into thinking he was travelling a previous Road Taken. NOPE, Bitches! Uncle K. don't Roll like that! 

But what about the clothes you ask... What about them INDEED! Unsurpassed! First out, A Fantasmagoric Orgy of Colour, Carrot Orange, Yves Klein Blue, Daffodil Yellow, Rose Pink, Apple Green, Then Cool Neutral colours, Then Black and White, Then more colour, back to Neutrals, then onto Dirty Pastels... RIOTOUS! What was so Key to this was where so many Couture houses have no sign of Daywear and just produce Candy Coated Confections of Evening pieces, Well, Karl could do that too, if he so desired, Yet he gives us Daywear, Brilliant, Endlessly Exciting DAYWEAR! He knows that Le Maison de Chanel is built on the Suit and he produced about half the show in Suit form... It was so refreshing and beloved that one could have burst into song! These other Jackasses are nothing more than Costumers for parties and that most Definitely is NOT Couture! Are you Listening Elie, Zuhair, DONATELLA... PIERPAOLO AND MARIA GRAZIA....???? The best part about this, in recent years, Karl has taken a shine to seeing JUST HOW elaborate he can make those Tweed suits that are the house Bread and Butter... from them being nothing but Embroidery, to Smothering them WITH Embroidery, to taking it apart and putting it together again... he has pushed the boundaries so far, that he could hardly keep up with himself...

Here, Many of the suits were Totally unembellished, Just Purest Tweed cut to Perfection. The Glory of this simple stroke of Genius was Keener than the edge of the blade on a Sushi Knife! And the Startling Variety to be found! From the more A-line versions that began the show, such as the Exceptional Carrot Orange one that opened the show, the jackets Morphed into Cropped, Midriff revealing versions (Lagerfeld comically called the Midriff "The New Cleavage") which had their most exalted appearances as a Black jacket with a Pouf of a White skirt, or the Confetti coloured Tweed suit in the same Abbreviated jacket/Pouf skirt silhouette on Binx Walton. Both Absurdly Chic and both Cut to a Degree so Infinitesimally Fine that the word "Perfection" would blush at the Crassness of not being comparable enough a Descriptor of them!

I would be remiss if I didn't Pause here for a moment to comment on how this collection seemed to Float In-and-Out of past Chanel collections. Karl may not have even been aware except on the most Cerebral level of his Hitchhiking through his own past. I remember him once telling an Interviewer on "Fashion Television" That he "Sees Everything, Remembers Everything. Forgets Everything and then Re-do it My Way!" That Karl has no Immediate or Obvious use for the Chanel Archives by no means is to imply that he has forgotten any of his work, as much as he'd try to impress otherwise. So, there were traces of the Fall 1994 Couture Collection with the "Wunderkorset" in the Cropped suits with the flaring skirts, Or of his 20th anniversary collection held at Restaurant Ledoyen where he had his Dream of Disintergrating tweeds in the unraveling, fringed tweeds of this collection? Perhaps in one of the best passages in the collection, the simple technical wizardry he showed with unadorned Chiffon and Mousseline in Navy and Electric Blue Pleated and Tiered evening pieces that had their roots in the same kind of Meticulously crafted gowns from his Early-Mid '90's Couture Collections. Most Characteristically the "Comedy In 3 Acts" Spring 1995 Couture collection! Even those Tulle Swathed hats were a Recapitulation of sorts to Philip Treacy's "Thunderclouds" of Tulle he constructed for the Spring 1992 "Le Mode Destroy" Collection.

But I perhaps have erred on the side of Prolixity here, Needless to say, This collection inspired an Abundance of words, anything less would be Tantamount to Blasphemy! Sparing going into any more Excessive detail about the Swoon-Worthy Evening gowns, I MUST mention Exit No. 61 on Kremi Otashliyska, the Peony Pink Radzimir Ballgown with the Bow in front and Embroidered Frontispiece... I Literally Cried. One of the most Impeccably Beautiful things Uncle Karl has EVER Produced. Life-Changing! To bring things to their rightful end here, Lagerfeld is an Unstoppable Force of Nature. No mind in the business is as Febrile and Agile. He is a Superhero in a way, The Tireless Diligence to Improving his already nearly Perfect works... Each collection you wonder How Exactly will he next top himself? You even think that it's simply not going to happen this next time around. Then you see what he has wrought for the next Incarnation and the mind is left Feebly Stumbling for New, more Expressive Superlatives. Truly take it in for a Minute... He produces Eight collections a season for Chanel, Photographs them all, Imagines the most Dauntingly Expensive and Elaborate sets for Chanel, Does the same for 4 Fendi collections, Does his Karl Line... Photographs for Magazines... Produces all the campaign materials for the labels (Campaign Catalogs, Books, So forth) Directs all the windows of the Chanel Boutiques around the globe...

It STAGGERS the imagination. But Seemingly for Karl, It's all simply all in a Days Work! (Staggering the Imagination, Included!)





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Alexis Mabille Haute Couture.

Mon. 01/26/2015.

Alexis Mabille Haute Couture.

If I could have Alexis Mabille's Ear for just 1 Minute, all I would repeat in it, Mantra-like, is... Simplify, Simplify, SIMPLIFY! It's a lesson he needs to learn with the Utmost Quickness. His Spring 2015 Couture collection could have been really something special... yet it devolved into an Overworked Mess that smacked of Zac Posen on Acid! It had that same Attention to Volume and Glamourous Indulgence, but Posen would have to be in a Malaria Fever dream to do something this Outrageous! 

More importantly... The clothes had a Weighty Gravitas to them that made them feel at times, Leaden, Dense, Inflexible. Mabille's Choice of Colours too Dragged the collection from Tacky, to Eyesore! The Greens and Purples and Reds were so Luridly Off-Putting as to make one wince! And Need we mention that Atrocious Rhapsody In Pink Jumpsuit? The less said, the better for all involved! 

Mabille as always, simply gets carried away by his own Exuberance. It precludes him from Exercising even a Modicum of Restraint and to his Detriment, hopelessly sinks his clothes under the weight of their own Exorbitance! Why the Swooping cape back of a Midnight Blue Sequined sleeveless Jacket and Skin-Tight Pants? Or the exposed Corset of a Entirely Whorish looking Front slit, Gunmetal Sequin strapless gown? WHY? So Confounding! On the flip side of the equation, when Mabille DID Simplify... Beauty! A Black lace Cocktail dress with a Skirt of Pink/White Ostrich fronds... or Ysaunny Brito in the Deliciously Tropical Hibiscus Pink gown... Heaven.

This was another one of Mabille Tragic Overstated affairs with some Daringly unsophisticated, Gauche pieces traipsing down his Runway. There is an Audience out there for this Kind of Sickly, Treacly, Showy Bombast type of Couture... There has to be, the man has been in business over a Decade, Someone out there is wearing it! But then again... You can't define taste with Money, so it augers that there are a few too many Gals out and about with Much more Money than Style! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.

Mon. 01/26/2015.





Giambattista Valli Haute Couture.

Giambattista Valli is a Full on Maximalist and Eccentric! As is his Customer. If you are a Shrinking Violet or someone who lives cloaked in Dark, Drab, Sullen, Melancholy layers... Valli is not the Man for You! You have to be a woman who Embraces all things Embellished, Floral, Lacy, VOLUMINOUS, and Effervescent to wear Valli's Outlandish creations! It's Not only refreshing to see someone with such a Lacroix-like Extroversion and Deliriously Ostentatious sense of the Theatrical, It's Downright Heartening!

Valli's Spring 2015 Haute Couture Started off just a Hair rocky... Those Dresses and Skirts over pants looked Clunky and Maladroit. Valli may have wanted them to come across as Offbeat, in reality, it was more like Discombobulated. The pieces never meshed together and looked utterly like the Lady wearing them just pulled on what ever was on the floor of the closet and decided to make a Go of it! Valli's core customer will rock it, but as for anyone else... well there was so much else in the collection that was lovely, this aberration will be quickly forgotten!

The more lovely stuff was Exceptionally lovely indeed! The Softly Flared tunics over slim pants were far more successful than the early dresses and had that Hint of the 60's to them that made them even sleeker and sharper, even if still Wildly Romantic. The coolest aspect of this collection turned out to be that while we all love Valli at his most Ardently Overwrought self. The simplest pieces here said the most! A Virgin White sleeveless gown with Ruffle accents had a Purity to it that was Chaste, But Sexy, while the combination of a Dirty Pink Crepe gown surmounted by a Wooly Mammoth of a Mongolian Lamb hair coat in the same shade spoke of the Elegance and Refinement of Line that was the Stock and Trade of Madame Gres and Madeline Vionnet!

Though the Showstoppers were a Pair of Floral Brocade Spectacles! One Ballgown in Peony Pink and a Jacket and Skirt in Apple Yellow and Green Ruled the Roost! From here Valli ended with his Flotillas of Tulle and they were as Impressive as ever, Showing his handle on this type of Excess is Firm and Steely. This outing for Valli was not Flawless, but all the Joy and Sheer Felicity of his indulgences are like a Balm to the Overtly Serious and Dulling Dramatics of other houses... Here it's all about just Having a Great, Grand Time and Being Pretty! In the world we live in... Who in the Hell doesn't want Just Exactly That once in a While?





That's All.





Bye4Now!