(images via team peter stigter)
opt has had a fleeting relationship with dutch designer jan taminiau, covering his work now and again (see the demi-couture for a/w 2011 and haute couture for a/w 2011), and though we’ve seen him go through several incarnations, he seems to have finally settled, after several ‘pretty, but inoffensive’-type entries, on something a little more avant-y and theatrical, as if determined not to be ousted from the title of ‘most daring dutch designer’ by iris van herpen, who is also these days showing at couture week, and who we’ll come to in time. but for now, mr. taminiau’s s/s 2012 haute couture collection is up for discussion.
anyway, team peter stigter explained that the show, titled ‘tarnished beauty,’ was ” designed to elevate women.” then, presumably quoting mr. taminiau’s press release, they write, “(i)n the world of Jan Taminiau beauty is more than a twinkling armor that protects us from reality. It is a hedonistic refuge that keeps the world outside. Real beauty comes alive when people open themselves to each other. Ultimately, the army descends and the masks go off.” meanwhile, the dutch site nu enthused that it was a (trans.) “collection designed for women on a pedestal. Taminiau put down an army of models in feminine, colorful and extravagant pieces which are fragile, delicate fabrics. At the end of the show the models – including the Dutch Kim Feenstra – put their ‘masks’ on to show that beauty can be both endearing and hopeful.”
meanwhile, elle made a nice commentary on the juxtapositioning of (trans.) “glittery armor elements – that keep the harsh realities at bay – and the delicate fabrics,” while the dutch site elsevier chirped on about (trans.) the “(e)specially striking shoes with platform soles and an exceptionally high floating heel,” with footwear seeming to be the designer’s preferred standout item these days. actually, i did quite like the shoes, as i did the pale springy colour palette, which included lovely shades of peach, tiffany blue, beige, and silver. however, overall i found things a little less compelling than last time around, particularly as the notion of motorcycle helmets has already been done at least once with evening gowns—at viktor & rolf’s s/s 2005 show, if somewhere else i can’t recall at present.
in the end, i suppose we all know where mr. taminiau is headed—elsevier notes that lady g has worn his clothes, and frankly, we all know what that does: the lady g-ificiation i spoke of last couture season, which, in essence, i feel means a designer will cling to things more outlandish in lieu of moving on, simply because s/he has been branded a ‘lady g designer’. and i find it too bad, too, because if one took away the helmuts and some of the obscene sparkle, i think we could find some lovely frocks underneath. mr. taminiau is, no doubt, talented, but i’d like to see him free to explore his creative unrestrained, in an arena that welcomes some of the quieter and more demure designs as well as the ostentatious ‘over-the-top’-style pieces. ah, well. he’s on his way now, so we may as well step back and hear the absurd, loud comparisons to mcqueen begin…
(see a quick bit of video here)
oneporktaco 