Marni Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/23/2016.

Marni Resort 2016.

Resident mistress of Kooky and Quirky, Marni's Consuela Castiglioni Resort 2016 collection was an All-Out, Unabashed foray into the hinterlands of said quirkiness and kookiness. It was a little bit of imagination defying, for it went off in many different directions and seemed to hold them all together cohesively, as if bound by some magical incantation. One moment, a Ziggy Stardust Pink and Green Velvet Pantsuit, the next, a minimalist moment in Rust splashed head to toe in a slouchy, utilitarian pantsuit, onto a bewilderingly psychedelic Alphonse Mucha influenced Art-Nouveau floral print dress in Black and Pink and Yellow and deep Brick Red. Zany... Oh, Yes. Eclectic, You Bet! But most honestly, all par for the course Chez Marni!

What struck the most resonant chord was just how pared back all the eclecticism was here, there were surely, eye-jolting colour combinations and wacky, off-the-wall offerings, but all this was realized mostly in solids and blocks of colour, that broken apart, didn't look as difficult to wear as they did all slapdash, crazy quilt style as presented. With that in mind, the collection had a fun viability that made considering the pieces much more of an approachable idea, as would be integrating them into daily wardrobe rotation... Although, if you've long been a passenger on the Marni Crazy Train, this simply is another stop along the journey and functions as more madness to feed your Delirious sensibilities!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Emanuel Ungaro Resort 2016.

Tues. 06/23/2015.

Emanuel Ungaro Resort 2016.

In what could only be described as a Restrained collection, at least by Fausto Puglisi standards, his Resort 2016 collection for the house of Ungaro was not restrained, but at times, Refined and even more surprising, Chic! Now, no one is ever going to accuse Puglisi of trawling the hallways of Chicness, not ever, that's simply not his Bag, but with a house like Ungaro, it's a place he's going to have to get familiar with if he wants to effectively do the clothes for the house their due justice. And from what has gone before with his shenanigans for the label, it's something he's only, with this collection, embraced!

There were smart and saucy suits and pants galore, but there was something, I don't know, Parisienne about this collection, that while still having that daring Va-Va-Voom Italianate thing about it, there was something more aloof here, even with all the plunging necklines and thigh-high hem, something Soignè! Maybe it was the more relaxed and unaffected attitude of the clothes, or the dynamic feminism that wasn't so much as "Come Hither" as it was "Look, Not Touch" From the Opening mix of Stripes in a dashing blazer and blouse worn over wide trousers to a Spectacular Grey Pinstripe Pantsuit or the Louche high side-slit gown in a Blue-on-White wallpaper print with a ruffle in the edge of the slit. 

Well, WELL worth mentioning as well was an Impeccable Suit in Grey with tiny ruffles at the edges that encapsulated the magic that was Emanuel to a T! Or the Sinuous Black gown with a ruffle on the Shoulder that was Gala Ready! Puglisi found his Sweet spot this time around and it makes one's mouth water at the prospect of what he could achieve if he adhered to the archives even more so, this time it looked like he took a brief thumbing through and found enlightenment. Just think, a deeper dive might just lead to Nirvana. 

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Fausto Puglisi Resort 2016.

Mon. 06/22/2015.

Fausto Puglisi Resort 2016.

Poseidon and Captain America. Que? Well, In Fausto Puglisi's mindset there was something of a correlation, for his Resort 2016 collection, he was inspired by a statue of the Greek God, Poseidon, along with his Olympian brethren, immortalized in stone, and encircled in chains, that he passed on his way to his childhood school in Sicily. He worked that idea in with a theme of Shields (Which also was perhaps gleaned from Poseidon) and naturally, for the Pop Culture literate, would segue right to Captain America, of course.

Puglisi has a thing for Pop Culture, and at this current interval, Marvel is one thing that is the Poppiest of the Pop, so it was fitting it would seem, for Puglisi to appropriate one of it's heroic icons for Fashion Cross-Pollination. Throw in Puglisi's undying penchant towards all things Gianni (Versace, that is) and you have a pretty strong collection that provided some growth for the designer and didn't seem to labored down by his signatures that he commonly revisits collection to collection. 

With Zippers and Shields and Chain and more, the ebullience of Puglisi's offering was offset by some pretty Rough & Tumble clothes, sexified to the Nth degree they may have been, but there was an almost warrior-like sense of strength in the pieces. Puglisi is still a little to attached to his Hallmark pieces, but here he refreshed them in a way that was pleasantly agreeable. All one can say about such a development is... More, Please!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Bally Resort 2016.

Sat. 06/20/2016.

Bally Resort 2016.

Pablo Coppola is showing ample proof that he has the skill and facility and intuition that is required, to make Bally a more well-known name in the Fashion firmament and in time, a major player. Bally was a label that through the 80's and 90's and into the early aughts was a force to be reckoned with, in terms of it's heritage and legacy, somewhere along the way though, through financial changing of hands and the ever fickle world financial market, the label lost some it's lustre and was seen as stodgy and old-fashioned and not "Current" The rotating head design directorship didn't help matter either. Enter Pablo Coppola. He took over from the team of Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler who had done a pretty awesome job of revitalizing Aquascutum of London and then Herz went on to Amp up the design quotient at DVF, when the duo decided to leave Bally and part ways in 2012.

Coppola has been calmly and steadily, reinventing Bally to not only be known for it's shoes and crave-able handbags, but also it's solid and forward Sportswear. His collection that he whipped up for Resort 2016 was prime material that he's steering the ship in the right direction. easy, classic, recognizably luxe pieces with a contemporaneous slant. There were Fishing Lure foulard printed silks cut into simple slip shifts and pajama pants that had a bit of a wacky element to them, but added a playful sense of freedom to the lineup and juxtaposed against more stolid pieces, like a rigourous Navy Peacoat and slender Jeans, or a startlingly fine tailored Pink Pantsuit, they injected some fun and surprise into the mix.

Most notably, the collection was filled with Sharp, Sleek Leather pieces that women will be coveting from Jump Street, a fringed Black Leather Shirtdress, a Searing Geranium Red Bomber jacket with Rose Pink flares, or the superbly chic and Mod Traffic Cone Orange Zip-jacket and skirt ensemble. Coppola isn't yet, breaking any molds, but he also isn't going the conventional route. He is keeping the Bally collection and look current and out front with the rest of the pack in what's happening now in fashion, and gently threading in his own sense of what that looks like. As he gets more comfortable, we can be assured we will see Coppola showing a more characteristic hand and taking Bally to the Next Plateau.





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Blumarine Resort 2016.

Sat. 06/20/2015.

Blumarine Resort 2016.

With an Exceptionally beautiful demonstration of fun, flirtatious, feminine sweetness and coquettish sensuality, Anna Molinari's Resort 2016 presentation for her label Blumarine, was some of the best work seen from the designer in some time. Every piece was sweetly girlish and laced with just the barest twinge of naughtiness that is signature Blumarine, mainly due to the sheerness and thigh-grazing hems. Though all this was achieved with out immodesty or licentiousness, it came off more seductive than vampy, and altogether terrific!

As breezy and romantic as most of the outfits were, there were many pieces that translated outside of the getaway scheme of things, even though they would work in those situations quite equally. A Hyper Turquoise Trench accented with Lace was work-ready and ready for a night in Ibiza, while the Denim Matelot pants worn with an embroidered top was the Chicest answer to Casual Friday one could imagine. Molinari typically has an expert hand when it comes to Lace and Floral prints and her usage of both here surpassed Top-Notch, especially a delicately provocative Black Lace and Chiffon gown.

Molinari showed her forte with a deftness and acuity that was breathtaking, and the clothes mimicked that, her Resort collection was one to marvel at and filled with womanly wonders for many a day to come!





That's All.





Bye4Now!

Marchesa Notte Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/19/2015.

Marchesa Notte Resort 2016.

Like it's big sister label, Marchesa, Marchesa Notte was inspired by Morocco for it's Resort 2016 collection, and while it did not reach the same Fantastical lofty heights of it's sibling label, it still had the polish of it's counterpart. It certainly veered a little younger and being that nothing really spikes past the $1,500 price tag (and that the Mothership label offerings can skyrocket past that for just a pair of pants and the gowns are of the more usual ilk of being sextuple the price of these pieces) it still offers a sense of elegant lavishness that will not have you selling all your earthly possessions to afford a piece. 

And with that in mind, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig certainly do give you Maximum bang for your buck. In the lower price scheme of things, many of the pieces here could slip seamlessly into the parent label and not many on the outside looking in would be the wiser. That just shows how Legion the talents and skills of Chapman and Craig are, that they can produce lower priced pieces that sacrifice none of the rarefied air of the more costly label. Take for example, the strapless White gown with a Hole-Punched Broderie Anglaise-style overlay in Golden Taupe... It was as dazzling and richesse as anything the duo did in their main line. Or the partake of the Blush Pink lace gown with a sheer overlay that was festooned with trellised floral embroideries, a sensation to be sure! 

Chapman and Craig know what makes a eye-catching and breathtaking piece of evening finery, that they can whip those concoctions up in both the Stratospheric of price labels and in the more humbly priced, with equal precision and expertise and with the same amount of impact, is a testament to two brains that are working at full tilt! Women across the world are simply the beneficiaries of such Brilliance!

That's All.

Bye4Now!

Marchesa Resort 2016.

Fri. 06/19/2015.

Marchesa Resort 2016.

It was an utterly GLORIOUS return to form for the duo, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, at the Marchesa label this Resort season. The duo's 2016 Resort collection was a bountiful Treasure Trove of Exquisiteness. Taking inspiration from Morocco, Chapman and Craig sculpted, embellished, embroidered, ruffled, draped, and gilded their way to Perfection! It was such a Sumptuous buffet of Delicious Confections that one could hardly pick one from another to earmark as standouts. It was all so Devastatingly, Luxuriously, Opulently Wondrous!

Chapman and Craig can be forgiven somewhat, for producing nothing but Evening wear, it of course can run towards the overindulgent at times and one can get an upset fashion tummy from all the treacly sweetness of all that gossamer fantasticim, as with any house that primarily trades in the confectionary, Ooey-Gooey-ness of all evening collections. But, The Marchesa duo go so beyond the pale of normal evening wear creatuers, that they can be allowed to do that thing they do so well, unencumbered by disapproving clucks from the Peanut Gallery.

What pieces stood ahead... A TRULY majestic Sapphire Blue ballgown festooned with Lace floral appliques and freshened by the simple T-shirt style of the bodice, only showing more fantastic cantilevered cleavage with it's deep neckline. Or a Stunning strapless Rose Pink Faille gown with a gathered side ruffle and fishtail hem that was a Traffic Stopper Deluxe! A White lace gown with Lavishly overscaled flowers splayed down the contours of the side of the gown that finished off in a asymmetric "Hi-Lo" hem had an inherent awe that was palpable. Also of note, the purity of a shimmering Pearl White column of luminous silk that was traced with White Lace appliques around the torso, that as Breathtaking an evening gown as it was, could easily do double duty as a Divine Wedding gown... Train and all! 

Chapman and Craig easily blew this one out of the water! It was a Radiant and Sublime treatise on Fairy Tale Evening pieces that never once bored or over saturated one's eyes with gloops and globs of Saccharine Frou-Frou! This was an Adult, Grown-up, Sophisticated and above all, Mature, not Girly or Frilly lineup that captured one's breath, and then stole it away completely! DAZZLING! 

That's All.

Bye4Now!