The fashion shows I like to cover the most are the couture shows. They are only a few of them each season (so I can look at them all) and are known for their amazing quality and vision. The first two up on Style.com are the Dior and Alexis Mabille collections. Surprisingly, both showcased some innerwear as outerwear. Does that mean the rich and famous will be wearing scandalous lingerie under sheer full skirts for fall?
Dior
I can trust John Galliano to put on an elaborately overdone show with elaborately overdone clothes. His looks always border on the absurd but that’s what makes his show the most fun to watch. This year was no exception.
50’s Satin Jackets with sheer skirts over girdles. What can I say- at least he didn’t give us bulbous alien dresses. The jackets actually stay true to vintage Dior suits and will probably sell well. The sheer petticoats, girdles, and such, seem to be incongruent with the polished suit jackets, but Galliano explains that he was inspired by half dressed mannequins. Oookaay… as long as he doesn’t expect people to go around half dressed. All in all, the collection was very lady like, from the jackets, to the handbag, to the leather gloves. More evidence of the Michelle Obama effect!
I'm crazy in love with these mulberry leather gloves. For me, the items that shone the most were the gorgeous, gorgeous, corset dresses.
WTF-ness: 6 (mostly from the girdles)
Alexis Mabille
Mabille said he was inspired by a young woman just getting out off bed. When I see his collection, I can believe it, but isn’t it just an excuse to drape window treatment on models?
Okay that was a little mean, but this collection felt too casual and summery to be appropriate for Fall/Winter couture. I understand designers want to break the boundaries that define couture, but it really didn’t showcase his skill- so why would anyone buy it? Not to say I disliked the collection, but there are very few value pieces that I feel people would be willing to fork over their money for (those few pieces being the snazzy white suit and sheer dress).
Collection favorites
Still it’s not a bad concept, especially if done for a spring couture show. It’s light and romantic and reminds me of a music video I really enjoyed called 'Her Morning Elegance' by Oren Lavie. I highly recommend you watch it below. The song is charming but the film's concept and direction are what made the video memorable.
The film sums up what I thought Mabille was missing in his showing on Monday. Like the song, the look he created was sweet and charming, but forgettable. However, the video applied a cool stop action technique that really wowed me. Mabille should have done the same for his clothes, use technique and details to blow fashion critics away.
Reaction: meh!
Source: Style.com, NyMag.com Definitely skim those sites for better images- the blogger window is way too tiny!
Practical yet not practical at the same time... pseudopractical? Regardless, I kind of love it. I like the idea of having a Chanel 2.55 inside a clear briefcase-like Chanel bag. You can carry it to the office and have fellow pedestrians gawk (but enviously) at all that Chanel. Once you get to the office, you can open it up like a briefcase, touch up your makeup, plug your ipod into the computer, and start your workday completely fabulous. And everything's completely organized so you don't have to rumage. On the other hand, it may just be some fancy packaging contrived by Lagerfeld. Whatever it is, it's working because I want it.
Looks like other designers are following Halston's video presentation. Gareth Pugh surprised its attendees with an eight minute video presentation instead of a runway show. I found the video more creepy than beautiful but that's to be expected from Gareth. And of course it's in black and white.
When it comes to bags and shoes, no one sets the trend quite like MiucciaPrada. As soon as the runway is over, underground manufacturers are trying to knock off the bags. Lets be honest, women love their Pradas. Next to the LV monogram, the triangle Prada plaque is the ultimate status symbol a woman can carry around her arm.
This year's collection was ... different. Much more severe- deep v cuts, lux materials, but fewer bells and whistles and strangely utilitarian.
Bags The bag collection was more conservative. I can see a lot of working ladies carrying around the tote next fall. It didn't really show a new 'it' bag. Instead it focused on more classic shapes but in luxury materials- in this case, croc, velvet and fur. Not bad but not terribly interesting. I wasn't struck with intense window-shopping lust like I was for the SS08 Faerie collection.
Shoes I can't say I'm a big fan of the shoes. In fact, I think they are rather hideous. The 1st pump is okay but only redeemed by the animal skin print. It looks a cross between 'school marm' and mountain climbing shoes. The ones that were all black looked even more so. At least no models fell or had to take off their heels. On the opposite end of austerity, there were pumps that looked like armored birds of paradise.
What do you think? Any resemblance?
And then there were these... which I dub 'leather wellies.' They are not fitted around the calves and worn with thick wool sock and a strap tied around the leg?? I'm confused Miuccia.
She also had uber tall versions of the 'leather wellie' which was strapped to the belt. Again, more question marks. Maybe Miuccia expects next fall to be very rainy because these boots certainly won't let water in. I'm going to restate my opening opinion that the collection was 'bizarrely utilitarian.'
Glamour.com has a surprisingly resourceful fashion section, especially considering that Glamour is a much more mainstream magazine. They've done a wonderful review of New York fashion week that's worth watching, if only for Robert Verdi's quote.
Quotes Michael Kors- "Wear Day-Glo head to toe and you look like Barbie on acid." Robert Verdi- "I think men have made a big mess of the world and women have to clean it. And so the female warrior is back."
If you and your hubby like to dress like twins, you're in luck. Hermes presented this clean cut suit for men paired with an unexpected bright yellow turtleneck, and Jil Sanders created a structured black outfit with a pop of color around the collar. Wearing these outfits will let everyone know you're together and look fabulous doing so.
As amazing as the Rodarte Fall 2009 clothes were, my true love goes to Nicholas Kirkwood's thigh-tall, slouchy, bondaged boots that graced the catwalk. Just look at its magnificence- the buttery leather, the straps bound up like ballerina point shoes, the studs, and the killer heel.
Of course this is a shoe lover's fantasy shoe, but how much does it cost in reality? Probably more than my first month's paycheck of my first (future) real job out of college. The backup plan?
Zucca Slouch Heeled Boots + Yards of black ribbon Just wrap yards and yards of black ribbon around these slouchy knee high books and you can get the same effect. And you would have the option of wearing them normally. At $648.00, the Zucca boots are looking more and more like a bargain!
Even though Project Runway has yet to appear on Lifetime, they have started shooting and even did a runway show with the top 3 designers showing for Fall 2009 NY Fashion Week. Unfortunately because of the delayed airing, the designers were anonymous and did not appear on stage. How horrible to not be allowed to put your name on your work and get the recognition you deserve! They probably weren't allowed to invite their families to see their work on the international fashion stage that is Bryant Park. Thankfully NY Mag has kindly covered the show. While the clothes great, the result of the PR fiasco is disappointing. Bravo, Weinstein Co., and Lifetime, stop acting like schoolyard children and settle things already!
Contestant 1 is going for the Alexander Wang 'cool girl' look with lots of chunky knits and leather, but occasionally shows off a polished side. There were definitely stumbles along the way and I don't mean models tripping here and there. The eveningwear felt weaker than the sportswear in that dresses were awkwardly draped.
Contestant 2 had the kind of girly-glamorous style that I personally aspire to dress. I found the silky dresses in rich jewel tone to be effortlessly chic. Most of the collection is really lovely and flattering on the female body. The style similar to brands like Rebecca Taylor, Milly, and Cynthia Steffe. However, the critic in me wants to rip apart looks 2 and 4 because they look cheap and groan at the awkward 'is that a shirt or a dress?' length of some the outfits.
Contestant 3 has a similar style to contestant 1 but does it better. He/she mixed things up with different fabrics and textures, but carries the criss cross pattern throughout the collection. The workmenship is impeccible, especially the work done to the leather pants in picture 3 below.
My prediction for the winner is contestant 3 because the collection really displays the person's ability to manipulate fabric. My personal favorite is still contestant 2's collection.
I don't know what to say, except perhaps- "It's not just me, right?" Huh, fashion as a phallic symbol. Maybe Giles is implying that women are being masculinized. Women are protecting themselves in male-dominated industries by imitating men. Only Giles would create fashion that requires a dissertation which is why he's the enfant terrible of British fashion. Here are some less controversial looks.
Browsing the Giles collection is always fun because it blurs the line between fashion and art, ugly and pretty. I can only say that the clothes aren't very wearable but I can see the odd accessory being worn by a fashion editor. I loved the wide brimmed hat that resembles Japanese straw hats, the touches of fur, and the amazing, open-zipper, tall boots.
There's definitely a different atmosphere this year at New York Fashion Week. Everyone'sgrumbling over the recession and how designers are scaling back their shows and parties. While the big designers are trying to combat shrinking wallets by going for classics and cutting costs, the unknown designers are pulling all the stops to make their collection stand out in a difficult time for the fashion industry. Not to say the major designers didn't have a great showing, but for me, the smaller designers were the ones that really shined.
For example, Frank Tell's collection blew me away. I'm going to let the collection speak for itself.
With its fairly muted palette of black and white, the collection really focused on details and structure. The clothes manage to be both sweet/flirty and hard/edgy. As a personal preference, I love that juxtaposition. The knitwear is fantastic as well.
Another collection I really enjoyed was that of ChoCheng's. Named one of the top five Chinese designers to watch, the Hong Kong based designer has produced a collection of tailored blazers and coats. Although the collection is not on the cutting edge of fashion, it does have jackets that any girl would be happy to own. I am particularly eyeing the sky-blue winter coat which would make any winter outfit look fantastic. I did feel that the evening gowns were a much weaker showing. The last gown billowed out like it was made for maternity wear.
I am a recent fan of Bensoni so I was ecstatic that NY Mag covered their Fall 2009 show. Their clothes have a quirky lady-like sophistication, similar to that of soon-to-be-closing Mayle, that I adore. I admit there are both hits and misses but the odd pairing of different patterns and texture is what makes this clothing line fun and lovable. Nothing is super matchy-matchy.
Finally, I have to show love to the winner of Project Runway 5, Leanne Marshall. She staged a 9-looks presentation, with only 3 weeks preparation! She showcased more structural draping rather than just ruffles and pleats this time. The long column gowns are drop dead gorgeous. I also loved the grey coat and actually wish she made more winter coats in the collection. Leanne really set a high standard at the Project Runway finale that she doesn't quite meet this time around but that's reasonable considering she did the entire thing in three weeks.
I'm a college student going to an East Coast university. I'm interested in fashion and blogging gives me a reason to keep tabs on fashion news and to develop my own style.
“Good taste only tastes good to the people who think they have good taste.” – Karl Lagerfeld
