| Chanel’s imaginary crystal vision in Paris show for Fall 2012/2013 |
| Posted on 6-03-2012 |
|
photos:style.com SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| DRIES VAN NOTEN’S FALL COLLECTION 2012/13 |
| Posted on 5-03-2012 |
|
The fall 2012/13collection of DRIES VAN NOTEN. The designer he plundered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s ASIA COLLECTIONS-& he continues to create modern clothes that are wearable and full of historical references and images.Van Noten is known simply for his clothes, and is loved for his clothes—a style that looks complicated and studied on the hanger but is, in fact, quite modern and easy to wear. Because of this, he has engendered a cultlike following: women who wear “Dries” (pronounced “drease,” like please) are uniquely loyal to the brand. When you say you’re wearing Dries to a fellow follower, it’s almost like you are speaking in code about intelligent, artistic design.
DRIES VAN NOTEN told at DAZED:
“That’s what we wanted to obtain – the beauty of the fabrics but on contemporary clothes” The documents are from the V&A (above & below)
That DRIES VAN NOTEN is a master of delving deep into other cultures and coming up with an enriching solution for the modern woman is no secret, judging by the amount of Dries that we saw on show goers. That Van Noten is able to gleam the mere surface of cultural aesthetics and still come up with gold is quite another feat. Quite literally, Van Noten took the 2-D surfaces of costume collections from Korea, China and Japan sourced at the Victoria & Albert Museum and printed them as flat forms on a desirable set of wardrobe cornerstone pieces. The prints were chopped up, spliced, diced and reconfigured so that you could vaguely suss out the origins but you never felt like you were being confronted with a literal pastiche of East Asian costume. “That’s what we wanted to obtain – the beauty of the fabrics but on contemporary clothes,” explained Van Noten afterwards.
(V&A,WSJ,DAZED,littleaugury) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| A Retrospective By Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent |
| Posted on 1-03-2012 |
| Stefano Pilati officially stepped down from his role as creative director at Yves Saint Laurent yesterday. During his eight years at the helm of the house (preceded by four years assisting YSL’s previous designer, Tom Ford), he’s produced a rich body of work. His very first collection — a decidedly un-Ford lineup of girlish, ruffly silhouettes for spring 2005 — was widely panned, but had a great long-term impact: He’s now credited for single-handedly starting the tulip skirt trend in the mid-aughts. His last collection for YSL will walk in Paris on Monday. There’s no word yet on what he’ll do next; meanwhile, former YSL menswear designer Hedi Slimane is expected to take his place. Enjoy a comprehensive look back on Pilati’s many seasons of YSL womenswear collections.
SPRING 2005
FALL 2005
SPRING 2006
FALL 2006
SPRING 2007
FALL 2007
SPRING 2008
FALL 2008
SPRING 2009
FALL 2009
SPRING 2010
FALL 2010
SPRING 2011
FALL 2011
SPRING 2012 What is now Pilati’s second-to-last runway collection picked up on the sculpted peplum, a major trend for spring. It also highlighted his major forte and moneymaker: shoes. GushedStyle.com’s Tim Blanks, “The shoes! The shoes! Front-rowers Kylie Minogue and Elettra Wiedemann could barely tear their eyes away from the footwear during the Yves Saint Laurent show today.” (Photo: Imaxtree, the cut)
SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| Prada autumn/winter 2012 |
| Posted on 24-02-2012 |
|
Looks from the Prada Fall 2012 runway. Miuccia Prada’s Fall 2012 collection was a pleasure trip, pure and simple. No hokum, no conceptual hijinks, just beautiful clothes beautifully done.Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and the creator here as well. Prada’s geometric pantsuits were pulled from her “Ugly” collections of the mid-nineties, the graphic squares recalling ’60s psychedelia, and ’70s wallpaper (the inevitable trickle-down of the flower child decorative explosion). But today there is a kind of beauty to them, and to the jewel-encrusted black tailcoats, trousers and open-front pinafore dresses festooned with baubles. In fact, they were just unabashedly beautiful. Does that mean this collection was Prada on hold? Kind of. It felt like a moment of retrenchment rather than Miuccia pushing our buttons and shoving us over the edge. Then again, sometimes it’s a relief to take a moment, smell the roses and indulge in Prada’s vision of twenty-first century beauty. Be careful: it won’t last longer than a season. SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| INSPIRATION CHANEL FW2011-12… Rodarte FW2012-13 |
| Posted on 23-02-2012 |
|
Winter jumpsuits… with or without belt? CHANEL had shown a chunky green bouclé one with big cargo pockets in their FW 2011/12 collection left… and RODARTE proposes a waisted clay colored version for FW 2012/13 right. (intothefashion) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| A dark glamorous collection for Gucci autumn/winter 2012 |
| Posted on 22-02-2012 |
|
At today’s Gucci show in Milan, morose-looking models walked down a bruise-colored carpet in heavy, sinister makeup. The lighting was dim, the backdrop was dark, and the clothes were almost all black. Which reminded some critics of another lugubrious topic: the European economy. Writes the Telegraph‘s Luke Leitch:
Leave it to Gucci to turn all this terribly unglamorous talk of austerity measures (lower minimum wages, eew!) into something expensive like feathered coats. “A dark glamour”, is how Frida Giannini, Gucci’s designer-in-chief described the collection she hopes women will yearn for next winter. “Romanticism” and “military references from the 19th century” as her main inspirations. Sheer purple pants fit into this vision, too, apparently, as did long capes and lots of velvet. In roughly-tied back Pre-Raphaelite hair, morbidly heavy make-up and deathly, ripe-red lipstick her models strode through the company’s velvet-benched fashion amphitheatre dressed as broodily Romantic anti-heroines: even the large-print and jacquard florals were glummed up by placement on a black background. (via:Telegraph) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| The ‘Greek Princess of prints’, Mary Katrantzou’s Autumn/Winter 2012 show |
| Posted on 22-02-2012 |
|
““I wanted to use waves of color in this collection—but taken from things you use in everyday life, I also was looking for different silhouettes to emphasize embroidery and embellishments”, she said backstage and, Katrantzou scarcely needed to add, to frame those extraordinary prints that have propelled her lickety-split to the top of the London fashion class. Hence a godet skirt, so difficult to engineer print-wise that she made only four of them. Or frothing torrents of chiffon. Or a strictly corseted shape she’d extracted from some historical research (specifically Elizabethan England) without, she was quick to add, “crossing into the territory of costume.” Katrantzou also extended her repertoire in other ways. For the first time, she focused on a single color top-to-toe, like the crayons on her invitation. And she’d chosen deliberately banal subject matter to match the colors. Green meant grass, for instance, rendered as an ornamental lawn working its way down a floor-length gown. Yellow was expressed in a mandala of No. 2 HB pencils, erasers attached. They were rendered in rubber by the Lesage embroidery atelier in Paris—not only the first time Lesage’s artisans had worked with such stuff, but also their first collaboration with a London designer. Clocks, hedges, telephones, spoons, and forks also provided source material. The bodice of a rococo red velvet dress featured a red typewriter, its keys providing a coiling abstract geometry on the skirt.” Katrantzou’s conceits were so beautifully conceptualized—here never more so than with the bathtub that foamed with crystals and pearls—that her elevation of the quotidian to the sublime was, once again, easily one of the finest pieces of theater in London fashion week. (photos:style.com) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| Marios Schwab’s modern romanticism for Fall 2012 |
| Posted on 21-02-2012 |
|
Rarely has a show referenced so many eras in the history of costume without being beholden to any. Marios Schwab opened with a selection of black, white and beige day dresses with plunging sweetheart necklines, dropped waists and spidery geometric embroidery. The collection soon segued into the intricate cocktail dresses for which Schwab is best known. The tension between the hidden and the revealed is something in which Schwab revels, perhaps owing to his father’s work in the lingerie trade. High jewelled collars were offset by transparent décolletage-revealing chiffon that were nipped in by tailored corsetry in a way that was almost Elizabethan. Intricate beading gave the impression, from a distance, of dazzling Velasquez-like brocade. Waists were strongly defined while hips wereemphasized with sequin overlays, a motif that even found its way onto the seasonally mandatory astrakhan outerwear.Classic lace pieces were individualized by undulating art-nouveau necklines, an effect replicated by sinuously appliqued skeins of tulle, applied to see-through blouses and swirling lily-green helix prints. The closing full-length gowns, meanwhile, gave a thoroughly modern take on Pre-Raphaelite high romanticism. From the Dietrich-aping first looks to the dramatic Lady-of-Shalott dresses, by the end of the show it was clear that Schwab is a dedicated history buff. (photos:style.com,hint) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| My 12 Favorite Collections from New York Fashion Week Fall 2012 |
| Posted on 19-02-2012 |
|
Alexander Wang Fall 2012His runway lights were so low that what looked like a great collection, anchored around the idea of packaging and being suffocated, was barely visible.Lights or not, testament to Wang’s clout was his final model, Gisele, in a slick leather jacket and slit skirt.
 Michael Kors Fall 2012Comfort and luxury are not mutually exclusive. In fact, between slinky Oscar-worthy gowns, and cozy lumberjack-inspired pants and outerwear, there was something in this collection for everybody: A perfect example of Kors’ enduring selling power.
 Marc Jacobs Fall 2012You know what mother always says about balancing proportions? Phooey, said Marc! Let the exaggerated silhouettes reign. And reign they did with exaggerated hips, pumped-up coats and mid-calf hems. If you’ve got a voluminous dress on, pair it with a super-sized knit wrap fastened with a super-sized safety pin. Naturally.
Derek Lam Fall 2012
Another Derek Lam collection that made us long for fall. The prints were too appealing for words and those knits and outerwear are going to get bought up like crazy. Luxurious and simple, but still cool and modern.
 Oscar de La Renta Fall 2012Oscar de la Renta held back neither the power of the dollar or the lady. His runway was like a giant Valentine to his faithful fleet of tony women — young and old — starting with a fur-collared coat and skirt printed with an oversized jewel.
Marchesa Fall 2012
From enormous ballroom skirts, to expertly draped body-conscious gowns, Marchesa’s fall 2012 show was a a decadent visual feast. And if we ever have occasion to walk the red carpet, we’d be over-the-moon to wear any one of the pieces from this collection.
 The Row Fall 2012Sheer was a big focus for the twins, who have the kind of figures that could pull off such a revealing look. But a collarless black blouse, when worn with a cami and its tailored satin trousers could nevertheless work for day. Such revelations didn’t feel gratuitous though, which is testament to the designers’ ever-evolving vision.
 Another terribly impressive collection from an up-and-coming designer we’re growing to love. He uses luxurious materials in new, exciting and beautiful ways. He also just gets it. Expect big things.
 Rodarte Fall 2012Revolving around a vaguely Twenties-meets-Thirties American woman. Cue belted natural waists, feminine prints and a subtly strong shoulder. Add to this to the Mulleavy’s penchant for finding the most beautiful fabrics, including a black leather shearling coat.
 This collection was bold, confident and directional. More so than any other season. You can tell from this collection that they’ll continue to do amazing things.
 Prabal Gurung Fall 2012For fall, Prabal Gurung said his inspiration was Yoko Ono’s exhibition “Uncursed.” However that connection played out in the designer’s mind, it turned out dark, beautiful and stunningly executed on the runway, starting with slightly flared black trouser worn with a short-long wool cape. Sophisticated and deceptively simple.
Altuzarra Fall 2012This young, buzzed-about CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner showed one of his best collections to date. Joseph Altuzarra was inspired by Corto Maltese, an Italian comic book sea captain whose globe-and universe-trotting adventures acquaint him with everyone from Hemingway to Merlin. He’s equal parts pirate and hero, and all charm. The latter of which describes Altuzarra’s runway perfectly.
(via:style.com,fashionista,harpersbazaar)
SHARE THIS BLOG : |
| Sporty fashion and attitude |
| Posted on 4-02-2012 |
| The spring/summer 2012 shows were awash with sporty detailing and athletic silhouettes. Ready, steady, go…
Daks’s terry-towelling playsuits and hooded minidresses will be perfect for the beach.
Rag & Bone teamed hooded tunics with short blazers to create an original but casual pairing.
Jersey cottons in primary colours updated Lacoste’s take on casual glamour.
Simple sweatshirts were teamed with cotton short-shots at Marc by Marc Jacobs.
Model Hanne Gaby Odiele works a singlet, sequinned shorts and trainers in-between walking in fashion shows.
A hooded coat in tennis-lawn green at Akris.
A thick zip and cloudy scene makes this Moncler dress the ultimate sports-led statement.
Perforated nylon at Alexander Wang lent suitably urban aesthetic.
The most practical of short-sleeved tops were teamed with elegant eveningwear in designer Marc Jacobs’ mainline collection.
French designer Isabel Marant referenced sporty, child-friendly jackets from the 1990s.
Felipe Oliveira Baptista took the zip theme further by emblazoning them with orange.
A model on the street in New York.
Cricket jumpers and flat pool slides stole the show at Christopher Kane.
Sporty but slinky in satin at Versus.
A highlight of Vicotria Beckham’s latest collection was this luxe hoodie in a sumptuous shade of lilac.
The biker jacket underwent a silk, jewel-toned makeover at Yves Saint Laurent.
Zip-through trousers at Kanye West.
A navy bomber jacket exudes elegance at Stella McCartney.
A long tennis skirt and sweater formed part of the Céline collection.
New York Fashion Week designer Alexander Wang paid tribute to American football with these polyester tops. (photos:style.com,Bridget Fleming) SHARE THIS BLOG : |
