14 December 2011

Revolution is back?

    Looking back at ss 2012 fashion shows I see two main trends standing out, both coming directly of the '60s period. The one was bright monochromatic sets and the other the imprimé; both of them played more with the colours and less with the structure that we had seen back then.
ADAM


 Araks
Issey Miyake
Celine
 Kenzo
 Paul Smith
 Louis Vuitton
 Alice&Olivia
 A Détacher
 Jil Sander
 Prada
  Of course this reappearance was not unexpected if you consider the similarities between ours and the sixties' society. The Vietnam War's consequences didn't affect only the participating countries but the biggest part of the world, including Europe, causing massive revolutions worldwide through the May 1968 Movement.
  Fashion designers joined the protest making their own revolution advancing the youth style. And the biggest highlight of the era was of course the miniskirt. They were also inspired of Pop and Op art producing an extremely colourful variety of clothing. This colourful and innovative fashion vision functioned as an optimistic position against the industrialized countries' economic performance. And we cannot refuse that contemporary societies face a similar period of economic depression during the last two years.
  However, is fashion trying to make a new revolution against the System?
  Or is fashion industry using the references to the '70s revolution as a lure to attract consumers who need to feel that they revolt somehow to the general depression?


Photos:Style.com

12 December 2011

Hommage à Poodles

  The first thing that comes in mind when you see Isaac Mizrahi's fw 2011/2012 rtw show is that it was made for the minimalism fanatics.
  However, it was not only that. Mizrahi managed to show the feminine side of the woman not  only with luxurious fabrics, but with girly pink, orange, ultramarine blue and grey monochromatic sets.
The girly outfits were completed with pom-pom hats -mere reference on Poodles-, large bows and tiered wedding like cakes in the colours of the collection.
Of course, the Elite's favourite breed couldn't miss a homage to it; models were accompanied of dyed-to-match poodles.
  Briefly, the whole atmosphere reminded of something between a tea party and a wedding but whatever it was it was indisputably addressed to a high class, the only capable to afford designer clothes nowadays.




Photos: Style.com

10 December 2011

We wanted to be the sky

Dean and Dan brought us back in the US of the 1970's with their
spring/summer 2012 show. We were suddenly taken to the hippie
decade, taking part in a huge rock & roll concert in the USA.
And it was for sure the most fashionable concert ever with models
passing by in swimsuits, sleeveless leather jackets, T-shirts and -of course-  
denim cutoffs holding Heinies.
All in the hippie rock style appropriate in the Glastonbury.
We are not going to remember this collection for its design intelligence but for sure for the fun provided. 






04 December 2011

Finding the lost elegance

 When I started writing this post, it was just because i was fascinated by the "retro vague" that  has prompted last years  many designers to create some of the most elegant collections of the past decade. By then, I had started having serious doubts on the future of men 's fashion as it seemed to lack of imagination and proved more and more uninspired by the years. It was all about casual/sports wear like multi-copies of old Lacoste patterns or flashy Italian-style designs. And it doesn't mean that I 'm all against casual-wear or Italian designers. It's just that I prefer variety, especially when it comes to fashion.
  Then, a short trip to London, good enough to make me realise that this "retro vague" actually exists in the streets and not only on the catwalks, intervened.  Finally, men fashion returns to its roots, bringing back the lost elegance of the Mid-war era. Particularly in London, I noticed that men are among the most fervent admirers of retro style. And this retro style is not about an old fashioned way of dressing, but the combination of the old times elegance with the modern aesthetic.
  Lanvin's 2011-2012 men collection is the best example of this return to the old times. It was one of the most inspirational works of Lucas Ossendrijver and we should congratulate him for his ability to bring together retro style and sportswear achieving such a delicate result.
The midi-length coats, the loafers, the hats...every single piece was designed to remind us an era more romantic, with a more intense sense of aesthetic. The era of Picasso, the era of abstract expressionism's birth in America and most important, the Great Depression era.



 
Another great example of this "retro vague" is the incredible men shoes of Junya Watanabe, both this and last year's. In my opinion they remain the most stylish brogues ever made, especially the last year's ones in suede.  



Last but not least, I sum up with Elbaz 's phrase on Lanvin's collection hoping that he will be followed by other fashion Houses too in the near future: "a return to elegance—the word is always being used to describe old people. When you talk about the young, it's always 'cool' or 'sexy', but we wanted to introduce elegance to the young."



24 October 2011

East meets West...

  Thinking of Junya Watanabe I would never before believe that he would create such a romantic collection as the one he created for the spring-summer season 2012.
  However, romanticism refers only to clothes, mostly dresses, most of them made of tablecloth-like lace, as Tim Blanks suggests in Style.com, or of flower printed cloths seem to be  embroidered by Peruvian old ladies. And as romanticism, in its artistic sense, is all about exaggeration, the amazing headgears, made of cock feathers, could be considered as romantic. As for the shoes, we saw two versions of the classic casino shoe, the style of those worn by the dancers of the style of Cuban salsa: the lace up one in black&white and the strap one in black.
  The whole atmosphere was unique, but we could never set the pieces together and see the big picture without Gene Krell, Vogue Japan's seasoned fashion director, who suggested the idea of a Latin American inspiration. From the traditional lace dresses to the cock feather headgears refering to "Latin dandy cocks of the walk" it was all about the Latin culture and tradition.





 Photos: Style.com


16 October 2011

Versace for H&M


  Although Versace was never one of my favourite fashion brands, I think that this collection is going to be a hit, with so many fashionistas expecting it. Some kind of late, I decided to dedicate some lines and give you a general image of this Iconic project, so you know what to expect on November 17th in Europe and November 19th in US.
  Until now, we've seen several photos of the collection, which will include not only the womenswear and menswear  line but also , for the first time, homewear pieces. The womenswear collection will include mainly dresses in floral and geometrical prints, but also jackets, high heels and accessories. The dominant materials will be leather and silk, reinterpreting the luxurious heritage of the House.

 And this is the dress of the collection that Donatella wore at the last fashion show of Versace in Milan,
which, wore also Anna Dello Russo a few weeks ago and danced in it so excited (and I have to admit that Anna wore it much more better than Donatella), that made us jealous of her advantage to wear it from now. Enjoy the...dress!

As for the menswear collection, it 'll be dominated by plain and printed sharp tailored tuxedos and men accessories.


Can't wait for November the 17th...

12 October 2011

LANVIN 2011

  We are not used to such nice fashion videos like this one and it makes me wish that the opposite was true.
It's funny, not ridiculous, making the clothes seem so alive and full of motion, and in the same time so chic, just like Lanvin has spoiled us! However, the best part remains the end, when Elbaz appears dancing.
  The collection reminds me a lot the one that Albert had designed for H&M last year. The same is true for the video too, as for the luxurious hotel environment. That video was also very good and funny in another way.
 So, I know only this for sure: Lanvin has a unique sense of humour, which makes it special.
Enjoy the video...

And here are some outfits of the collection. . . And it was very difficult for me to choose so few among them, as it was one of my favourite collections of this season.






 ...The whole  setup was excellent, so magical...!

11 October 2011

Faded flowers

  Fashion met Art in New York's fashion week this month but the result could be characterised anything but successfull. 
  The designer sisters Mulleavy used the famous Van Gogh's sunflowers and Walt Disney's bright colours (the greens and the purples as they explained) as patterns for Rodarte's S/S collection. However, the whole collection didn't exhale neither the lust the Dutch painter expressed for life through his works, nor Disney's lust for art. The knee-length dresses were of simple structures (reminding of prom dresses), giving the impression that they were made just to support the theme, which was really powerful.  
  But the collection did not only consist of knee-length dresses: floral midcalf-length pants and striped knee-length skirts made their appearance on catwalk too. Nevertheless, the best parts of the collection were the knitwear (perfect for a casual spring outfit) and the delicate evening maxi dresses, both responding to the reputation the sisters have created through the past years...












Photos: Style.com