Herve Leger By Max Azria.

Sat. 09/06/2014.

Herve Leger By Max Azria.

Joyous Colours and Japonica Kimono Prints added a bit of lively lift and pizzazz to an otherwise unconvincing and pretty mundane effort from the Husband and Wife team of Max and Lubov Azria. The Kimono Sleeve and Samurai Armor effects only added a Small amount of interest to the otherwise Business as usual affair of Slinky, Painted-On Bandage-Style dresses the house is known for. To be honest, The duo do know how to Work a Wiggle for all it's worth, but it's just become all to Familiar and Badly executed to matter.

The Azria's Provided some new treatments via Faux Corset lacing and Some Tie-Dye printing, which did sauce things up a tad yet, somehow it wasn't enough to provide a sense of Exhilaration. Evening was more Successful with Lacing effects on a series of dresses than some elaborate studding and beading on the Final Passage and they had a rather cunningly Stylish and Sexy bent to them. However, That didn't provide enough fire to heat this collection to anything more than Lukewarm. It was a Good Effort, but one that was a familiar presentation from the Azria's!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Ralph Rucci.

Sat. 09/06/2014.

Ralph Rucci.

It's OH So Difficult to not Wax Prosaic about a Ralph Rucci Collection. He Captivates the viewer with a Technique so Formidable and Brilliant that the clothes seem borne from some other Dimension. His skills in channeling the Minutiae of the Intricate is Obscenely Awesome. The Minute and Infinitesimal Calculations that are imbued in Rucci's work are as much works of A Mathematician as that of the Dedicated Artiste,

In the last Season or so, Rucci has curbed his more Prosaic tendencies and taken to Heart the criticisms of his detractors who Chastised his Artistic Zeal and Exuberance and perhaps even old school Habits of Profusion in Outfit Exits. So, Starting Last season, Rucci cut his Show Edit nearly in Half and Whittled down his more Extreme Penchants, as in his Stultifyingly Exquisite "Infanta" Ballgowns and his Large section of Super Couture-Quality Evening pieces. This has led to his collections being less the Operatic Phantasmagorias than they used to, which in a certain way, is greatly missed, but it has honed his Focus and given him the ability to Distill his vision to it's Essence and pare back the Extraneous.

This can be viewed in two ways, One, That some of the inherent Drama of such past Spectaculars is now missing and somehow, Something of the Dazzling Magic of Rucci's Oeuvre has been siphoned off in replacement with following the path of the advice of  Investors and Critics. That is a Valid Hypothesis. There is the Second View, That now that Rucci has emerged into what many consider, the 21st Century and has Forced himself to Edit Ferociously, That it has Energized his work and Stripped away the Excesses that some considered to Bloat his previous collections. Again. Valid.  

Whichever side of that Psychological Fence you decide to Stake your claim on is up to the Individual. I, tend to follow the theory that, Rucci, Simply wants his business to be that, A BUSINESS. This entails that now, He may have to Finagle his vision in accordance to the current winds blowing though the Fashion Landscape to accommodate such a Desire. That Also means, he has had to adjust his Aesthetic to fit that vision. It's not unreasonable that he would want to establish a Business that will allow him to flourish into the future without worry. One has no need to Question such a move, and in response to such a desire, Rucci has adapted with, In my estimation, Flawless Aplomb. He has taken to this task as a Fish would to Water. Yes, Some of the Marvellous Resplendence of his Abundance of the Past has been drained away, but what that has left is a Categorical Concentration on Only what is Essential, And that is an Exciting Gambit in and of itself!

This collection was a Fierce Dissertation on this exact Idee. He edited his collection down to only 37 Exits. For Rucci, This is tantamount to Cutting off Sampson's Hair, but there was a Jittery Excitement to such a proposition that Imbued his collection with a Lightning Spark Frisson. There was a Breathlessness that one felt, as it made for much more scrutiny of each Outfit and when the truly Diabolical Examples of his Punishing Exactitude did appear, they were even more Heart-Stoppingly Extraordinary!

Rucci proved adept at surmounting the Dichotomy of Simplifying his Oeuvre yet retaining that Couture edge of Supreme Difficulty of Execution. From the Opening Wrap dress that was as Clean, Modern and Fresh as anything this season, but had that Razor Sharpness that is signature to the house! From this Opening Stance, Rucci pursued his Passion for Strategic and Artistic Cutouts and Sheer Insets, One of these Specimens, A Yellow Pantsuit, was Scrolled with Strips of Fabric on a Sheer Back that was Intergrated into the Solid base of the Jacket was Dizzyingly Elaborate, But maintained a Element of the Extemporaneous and Organic. This was Contrapunctally poised against the Most Heavenly, Unforced naturalness of a Nougatine Dress traced in Black Zippers which Worn on the Leggy Goddess Maria Borges was a thing of Such Perfection, it seemed to exist in a different dimension!

This is but just a sample of the Riches Mined in this collection, More Examples, A Sleek, Slender White Sheath with one Sheer Sleeve in Front and one and in Back with angled Embroidery on the hem, An ornately worked Sleeveless Trapeze Tunic over Cigarette Pants, or the Most Scintillating Outfit in the show... a Quietly Opulent gown in Fog Grey Crepe with an Underskirt of Quicksilver Sequins was Hauntingly Devastating!

As Imaan Hammam Strode out as the Finale Model in a Navy Blue Silk Floor-Length deflated "Infanta" version of the opening dress on Jamie Bochert, There was an Eloquent and Dynamic sense of Continuity and Cohesion that was presented with a Perspective on Awe and Drama! Rucci has scaled Scope of his Purview back to an Incredibly Distilled Essence. It's exciting to see where this in the future will lead him, which vistas Rucci will alight his Eye upon... There is no doubt that wherever he chooses to Plant his flag... Brilliance will spring up in that place!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Rebecca Taylor.

Sat. 09/06/2014.





Rebecca Taylor.

Did Rebecca Taylor produce a Groundbreaking and Stunning Show for Spring 2015. Did she push any Envelopes or Break any Barriers? No. She did produce a Fresh, Lively, Somewhat uneven, But nonetheless Delightful Collection. Taylor was looking to give her woman Colour and Beauty for Spring and encompass a Fragile, Delicate Beauty. She achieved that handily with sometimes a little heavy handedness on certain Ideas and Motifs.

The standout pieces were when Taylor Juxtaposed Strong Tailoring against Softer, more Ethereal pieces. For Example... A Quartz Pink tailored Wrap Jacket with slashes revealing a Print material underneath paired with a Wisp of a Pale Orchid Crystal Pleated Skirt. Also in Evidence, A China Blue coat worn over a heavily adorned Cream coloured dress underneath. There were less successful pieces, but they were easily forgotten.

Taylor isn't going to set the world ablaze with her collection this Spring, but her Handle on Feminine, Fresh and Fanciful Frippery is Formidable. That will make her collections always a Sure and Easy winner. Spring 2015 wasn't Free of Flaws, but it was a Pretty Journey nonetheless!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Prabal Gurung.

Sat. 09/06/2014.

Prabal Gurung.

How do I write a review of this collection that doesn't sound like some Vitriolic Outpouring of Bile and Venom? It's a matter perhaps of separating one's Emotional Attachment from one's Objective Detachment. On the one hand... My Visceral Reaction to this collection was an admixture of Bedeviling Hatred for the Farce that Gurung had the Temerity to even insinuate was Clothing and Stupefying Awe that he had the lack of Sense And/Or Taste to send such Inconceivably Repellent clothes down the catwalk. 

On that Shaky, Insecure other hand, One has to view this perhaps as an experiment and look at this with an unbiased Mind and Eye and TRY to find the good in the midst of such Atrociousness. Trekking back up that same Himalayan Mountain that he Soujourned up for Fall and this excursion yielded no more better results than that last Voyage. It couldn't have been much worse than last season, but it came Dangerously close. Gurung proclaimed that this collection was about the same woman as last season, but now she's making her trek up the Mountain in the Spring, when the snow is melted and the Ground is just starting to Green. As Romantic and Lovely a Notion as that seems, the clothes were a clumsy and odd juxtaposition to such a Flowery description.

When Gurung Reigned in his Tendencies to Over-Exaggerate, things seemed to have been a little safer and approachable, But all too often, he couldn't help piling on the extras without any editing or regard for anything other than his own Exuberance. And that made the Collage effect pieces and Undeniably Awkward angular cuts and hemlines... Where Gurung meant, it would seem, these to be Spontaneous and Artistic, they simply looked Drop Dead Hideous and Artless. The only true respite was the Trio of Gloriously Fluid and Bracingly New looking Evening gowns that ended the show, The one in Black and Pink hit the highest notes and would look Great in any City in the World come this Spring. 

Gurung has Immense Talent, as witnessed by his Wiggle-A-Palooza of Spring 2014, Why he has deviated from the path that he was following with that collection and did this Diametric turn towards the Profoundly Overdone work that he has produced with these last couple of collections Astonishes the Mind. Hopefully, his love of his Himalayan Homeland will engender a Better Outing for Fall 2015 if he finds inspiration there again, or hopefully he can Trudge down the Mountain and find his way back to Civilization and back to Beautiful Clothes!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Jill Stuart.

Sat, 09/06/2014.

Jill Stuart.

Jill Stuart occupies a very delicate position in the Fashion Hierarchy. Her clothes are neither occupying the High-End racks of the Department Store. nor are they exactly in the Junior Section. They fall into that Foggy and Overloaded Area known as "Contemporary" This brings up a rather interesting question as well as a Dilemma... Owing that Stuart's Sweet spot is firmly rooted in the, Shall we say, Youthful arena, is it really a necessity for her to show a Full-On collection when there are dozens of other retailers and yes, Designers, doing much the same as she? This collection for Spring 2015 poured more fuel on the fire that it is becoming increasingly less necessary for Stuart and Many other "Contemporary" Designers to show during NY Fashion week when all they present looks like it was done In-House at a Major Retailer.

This is nothing more than Idle Debate really, for its the clothes that matter. And sadly, Stuart's 70's Style "Ice Storm" Pieces did little to raise the Pulse to the point beyond a Murmur! The main Problem, there wasn't much here that looked like any sort of New take on the 70's Inspiration. It felt, in all honesty, like a rehash, and not a very good one. Of course, there were interesting pieces here and there, but when all was said and done, nothing was Memorable or Pushing Boundaries. The added insult was that the clothes fell into that Mainstream Trap at full Velocity and were impossible to salvage from that stumbling block on.





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Adam Lippes.

Sat. 09/06/2014.

Adam Lippes.

Morocco is a Fertile ground for the Fashion Industry. Many times has this Furrow been plowed by Numerous and Diverse Designers, YSL being one of the most prominent. That Adam Lippes would hang his hat on this Hoary Chestnut of an Inspire, did not lend itself to great enthusiasm burbling in one's Heart. That he handled the Oft-Used Locales Inspiration with such a Specific and Assured Hand cured any doubts that may have crept in. 

Focusing primarily on Black, Midnight Blue and White with touches of Bone and Pops of Eye-Shocking Pink and Red made for an original take on this Idee, This also made for one of his most Free and even, Exotic collections so far. He used Embellishments with Ardent fervour but never let them take over any piece, the Silk Tassels that he used made for great texture when used in a White coat covered with Tufted Lace tassels, while a Pearl Grey Suit with Dhoti Bermudas gave an Refreshing Twist on a Classic Idea. 

The Stunning simplicity of a Slice of Vanilla Silk created a Daring and Sensual Slip gown that ended his presentation and looked Resolutely Modern. Of equal magnitude, a Black slit neck Micro-Mini T-Shirt Dress that would showcase a pair of long, slender limbs perfectly! Lippes had all his usual Pieces on display here, given a twist of Exoticism but nonetheless amply able to satisfy his usual clientele. He needs to take his show to the runways, when he is producing such Accomplished work as seen here. A Bigger audience needs to be able to imbibe in his Talent. Hopefully, he will make that Transition, Post Haste! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Lacoste.

Sat. 09/06/2014.

Lacoste.

I'll Confess up front. I want EVERYTHING Felipe Oliveira Baptista produced for the Menswear section of his Spring/Summer 2015 Lacoste Collection. From the Windbreakers (Especially) that were built into the Tops, Pants, and Sweaters, to the Spectacular Coats and Pants. In fact, Baptista made me want to Wear Purple... And I Patently LOATHE Purple!!! But, somehow he finessed it so that it's all I want to wear now!

This also occasioned to be one of Baptista's Best and Strongest Lacoste collections. There was Careful consideration between Tailored and Casual that lent a very Sporty sense of Luxury to the showing. The Outerwear was of Extraordinary Caliber. Especially those built in Windbreakers... Instantly Lustful! A Breezy White Anorak with Black Piping was an early winner, as was a Taxi Yellow Raincoat that seared itself into one's Memory! The Sportier numbers that looked like Sport Jerseys with the Off-Angle numbers were one of the freshest and strongest looks of the whole season and was a Great Riff on a very popular Street Fashion item.

Even more Wondrous, Baptista's Take on Chambray, Cutting a Enviably Desirable Midi-Length Snap-front Shirt dress and a Outfit consisting of a Chambray Polo and wide leg Pants was a most Innovative variation on the Fabrication. There was even a Men's Suit cut from the fabric that made me Drool! Baptista showed Immense Confidence with this collection and each new Lacoste Presentation is showing him more and more assured with the Codes of the house and ever more ready to Innovate in New and Exciting directions. It's an exciting course he's following and seems certain to produce more winners such as this collection!





That's All.





Bye4Now!