paris fashion week: chanel

(images via style)

yes, finally! we’ve come to the place in time (and this is a great good thing, because as i’ve alluded earlier, we’re quite close to many, many new events commencing) where we can say goodbye to paris fashion week, and in lieu of closing with jean paul gaultier (as i tend most seasons to do, but this time we saw his a/w 2013 collection a couple of days ago, surprise!), it seems like the right thing to do to say our farewells with an excellent a/w 2013 collection by perhaps the most anticipated house of each season…chanel!

although admittedly, i’ve said in the past that i in general root for karl lagerfeld’s work as a designer, but we know over the seasons there have been some bumpy ups-and-downs (see a/w 2010, resort 2011, s/s 2011, pre-fall 2011, a/w 2011, resort 2012, s/s 2012, pre-fall 2012, a/w 2012, resort 2013, s/s 2013, pre-fall 2013), but nevertheless, he usually triumphs and reminds us in general of why he’s awesome, which is what we got for the upcoming winter, with its salute to the iconography of the house, something that felt just right.

so! are you ready for some critical commentary? to start things off, us vogue related how the “Chanel army marched on to world domination to the sound track of Daft Punk’s ‘Around the World‘—and his ideas moved as fast and furious as they did. From their colored mink cloche hats cut like Louise Brooks bangs to their second-skin thigh-high boots garlanded with heavy metal hardware, they were moving billboards for Lagerfeld’s passion for emphatic lines, sophisticated embellishment, and his relentlessly fertile imagination.”

then, style opined that “(b)ouncy confidence hasn’t always produced convincing Chanel shows, but here there was a sepulchral undercurrent that was utterly seductive. The globe was dark, as though night had fallen on the world. The clothes were dark, too. And lean: a favorite silhouette fitted to the hip, then flared into a short skirt over leather cuissardes (so much better-sounding than their literal English translation, ‘waders’). The other key shape was equally streamlined, cut high on the thigh at the front, dipping to mid-calf at the back. This mutant redingote had a slightly libertine flair, which felt more Karl than Coco.”

“Karl Lagerfeld sent models swirling around a gigantic light-up globe with interlocking CC logo flags dropped in to the brand’s boutiques around the world,” explained fab sugar. “Chanel’s iconic tweeds turned up in boxy jackets with rounded shoulders over matching miniskirts, while the famous quilted bag got an update with an open-ended handle. Nighttime came in layers of sheer black over chain-laden boots and globe-shaped minaudières. From the folders filled with photos of the collection by Lagerfeld himself to the enormity of the set, there was a precision and an attention to detail that one can only expect of a house like Chanel.”

and as they reflected that the aesthetic was “(s)porty and sweet. Coco Chanel’s classic design codes reworked into pieces that touched on many of the themes we have seen on other runways this season. Mannish, oversized coats…The classic tweed jacket remade as fringey tunic, and worn over a hoodie for a streetwise edge,” the la times ultimately decided it was “packed with commercial pieces. Even if the show wasn’t quite as transporting as some of Lagerfeld’s recent collections, he always manages to tweak things just enough each time to keep Chanel fans coming back for more.”

elsewhere, the fashion spot stated that “(o)tfitting its runway was an enormous glass dome of the world illuminated by CC markers corresponding to points where the brand is sold around the world. Fitting for a brand that reaches so many countries, the lineup included some 80 looks, many of which had futuristic tinges to them — think structured collars, helmet-like colorful hats and boxy shapes. Youthful appeal was added via flat boots (granted they were thigh-high and covered in chains), pleated skirts and a variety of outerwear done in a mix of fitted and slightly voluminous silhouettes.”

and according to the washington post, “(t)he show’s 79 varied looks brimmed with ideas, classic and new, and showed that the designer who turns 80 this year is still a creative force to be reckoned with. Models, including Stella Tennant, walked around the circular globe runway sporting stylish new winter concepts in tones of blue, gray purple pink and black. Zippable leather leg sheaths — like leggings that start at the thigh and ends at the ankle — were warm but allowed thighs to be exposed. And coat silhouettes were cut away squarely in the middle of thighs so legs are visible even on those cold December days.”

“In the season of the coat,” noted showstudio, “Lagerfeld’s came in crafty, shimmering tweeds in greys and petrol blues, with relaxed rounded sleeves and hemline and cut-away at the front to reveal the patent leather multi-chained knee-highs that acted as the base of every look. This dissection worked with a flippy skirt cut-away at the sides to reveal the leg, offering both movement and a glimpse of skin. The designer’s main proposition was simple: those knee-highs, a short and pleated skirt with a curvy tweed top or jacket on top and a frilly white shirt poking through. Easy.”

meanwhile, the daily beast offered that “(s)pectacular as the sets can be, they often take away from the clothes — but this season there was as much happening on the runway as there was in the background. The house’s signature tweed was featured in almost every look, and looked great when layered with other knitwear and weaves, and the ladylike skirts and dresses were contrasted with black biker boots that had Chanel chains, and were worn with black or white leather spats that finished mid thigh.”

and according to fashionologie, it was “a strong collection that capitalizes on the DNA of the brand while hitting all the right notes for the season. Jackets had the de rigeur rounded shoulder and boxy shape, while high hemlines skimmed the leather of thigh high boots. Footwear took on a tough edge with chains strewn across the front, and there were endless varieties of the iconic Chanel bag — some familiar, some brand-new. Based on this collection, we might see some new dots on that globe come next season.”

“This time around,” said grazia, “the monochrome palette famously beloved by Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel herself loomed large. The boucle wool jacket came in those shades. It was especially sweet cut in a youthful trapeze line and paired with a skater skirt and more grande bourgeoise belted and with patch pockets. The little black dress looked equally cute with crisp frills at neckline, hemline and sleeve. Layering is key to the Chanel look for the forthcoming autumn: skinny trousers or leg warmers were worn under skirts, arm warmers and shirts under jackets.”

then, wwd weighed in that “there was nothing gentle about this single winter garden, or anything else in Lagerfeld’s lineup. These clothes worked the sturdy side of allure, and only a handful of evening pieces interrupted their face-the-elements bravado. Lagerfeld even gave his girls an aggressive edge with hardware-enhanced boots and gloves. Global domination is a tough pursuit. Karl wants his brigade armed and ready to flaunt Chanel’s mantle of chic.”

and fashionista rattled on that “(i)t’s impressive how, season after season, Lagerfeld manages to deliver nearly 80 looks that satisfy not only Chanel’s longtime customers–the ladies who lunch of the world–but also the fashion-savvy teen who aspires to wear Chanel. As we’ve seen with Saint Laurent, it’s a rare feat for a brand to pull off–but Lagerfeld does it again and again.”

elsewhere, there was art info, clocking in that “(h)ighlights were coats in heavily constructed tweeds, sometimes lacquered, glazed or quilted, and cut out or open in front to reveal leather-clad legs and thigh-high biker boots. Skirts, when short, were fluted or pleated, and peeked out of oversized knits or the turned-back hem of a jacket. Others were longer and bell-shaped, but opened in the front to the same effect. Textures and patterns varied from nubby tweeds in shades of gray, black and inky blue to multi-colored and variegated knit suits.”

“One patent leather combo was striped with white lace that had been trapped in place by its plastic veneer,” gasped elle, on the subject of statement looks. “Another was a dramatic coat made entirely from embroidered monochrome flowers and possibly feathers – no doubt executed by les petites mains at the Chanel-owned workshops, Lemarie and Lesage. But it was hard to see the exquisite craftsmanship, the audience being seated so far away from the action on this epic set, itself proof of Chanel’s world domination.”

and fashion week daily shrieked that “(a)n updated take on the classic Chanel skirtsuit was especially appealing, this time crafted with an A-line skirt slit up the center and twinned with your choice of topper—a tweed or leather jacket with an enlarged collar, amplified sleeves, or both, if you please. And in case you thought you were seeing things, there really was a petit transparent globe purse dangling from a string of pearls on one mod, which could only signal one thing: Lagerfeld really does have the whole world in his hands.”

then we heard now fashion thoughtfully proclaiming that “There will certainly be many who will see this set as a not so subtle way of the brand making a reference to its world domination of some kind. But as the show began to unfold it wasn’t so much about Chanel dictating its vision to its fashion followers but rather how the brand caters to a global market. That each flag planted on the globe wasn’t so much about staking clam but rather how the house adapts and listens to the different needs of its customers depending on who they are and where they live. There certainly was something for everyone to love on the circular catwalk where, on two rings circling the globes, Karl Lagerfeld sent out seventy-nine different looks.”

my favourite droll critics, the telegraph, relayed how “(a)pproaching the models’ equators, we moved onto the main event: bouclé. This textured, satisfyingly tactile circular yarned wool is the key Chanel material, and while this season Karl Lagerfeld amplified his silhouette a notch – arms were roomy, necklines generous, and miniskirts kicky – he stayed wisely true to the worldwide legion of women who love this brand’s peerless tailored jackets and skirt-suits, by presenting plenty of them. They came in black – lots of them – followed by some tweedy black on white or wefty reddish variations.”

“Beyond bouclé,” they pattered along, “was a flattering dress of vertical pink florals on navy, drop waisted and mid-length, teamed with a deeply sophisticated navy cardigan and heavy chain jewellery. Two extraordinary outfits – one a trouser suit, one a dress – came encrusted with barnacle-like clusters of hard monochrome flowers. Another oversized skirt jacket combo had white Etch-A-Sketch arced patters on black. Accessories included little globe clutches bags on chains and fetching but furry aviator caps. It was an enormous, irresistibly impressive collection of almost frightening design might.”

in one of the more fully sycophantic (and even though i liked it i think i can say this) veins, we heard uk vogue insisting that “(a)nd if the world did turn on an actual Chanel axis, it would look a little something like this: high collars on tweed aviatior coats; fluffy pink and teal hats to match; chain-enlaced biker boots or glossy patent styles riding high up the leg to meet a mini or pleated skirt; more coats in pink and black and either belted or cocoon-soft to reiterate the streamlined and aerodynamic shapes that were the focus here.”

in the end, there was the guardian, wryly closing out with the paragraph that “Lagerfeld himself made cameo appearances woven into the catwalk persona, as he always does. This season he was represented by the leather leggings and by a staggering variety of fingerless gloves. One pair had the tiniest of windows cut into the leather over the fingernail, the better to showcase the latest brand of Chanel nail polish – a rich red called Accessoire, a bottle of which was handed to each show attendee in a beribboned Chanel bag. The devil is in the detail, and Lagerfeld is not one to miss a trick.”

(watch the entire show video here)

paris fashion week: louis vuitton

(images via style)

i feel as though i’m always setting myself up to fail when it comes to those, like, fashionie-beloved labels, and of course the ones owned by conglomerates lvmh and ppr, but as i’ve often said, i think there are a lot of people in some verrry deep pockets, and that there has to be more to the story than merely some designers bringing it, like, all the time. but! i also want you to know that i do think i’m fair–or try to be–and there are those moments when i’m pleased with a designer, even one i’ve criticized roughly in the past, and i’ll say so firmly, as in marc jacobs’ a/w 2012 collection.

so! as the fashionies go into some collections (and just for a moment, don’t you think it’s quite mysterious that some critics, like, never have a problem with anything certain brands do, but coincidentally, they’re never, like, small labels, but big houses such as balenciaga or louis vuitton). well. so, hi. here’s where we enter in for the a/w 2013 season. now. i think, as i’ve stated above, we are all well aware that i think marc jacobs is possessed of some great talents, both for his own house and for lv (see a/w 2010, s/s 2011, a/w 2011, s/s 2012, a/w 2012, s/s 2013). so there’s that.

and yet, there are many reasons i find it interesting people fawn over mr. jacobs, in and out, even when he does things like the one i want to discuss at the moment, things which i have a hard time believe would be so easily overlooked in…basically any other designer (and certainly not one without the hardcore ad dollars of that powerhouse lvmh backing them up). this is, last season, whilst critics lauded both his s/s 2013 eponymous collection, and his vuitton show, i wondered that no one would call them out on their eerie similarities.

i mean, yes, i understand, same designer and all of that–we’re expecting the labels to have some parallels, but of course. however, if miuccia prada’s miu miu and prada labels seem to be distinctly of their own flavour each season, i’m finding that, once again, when comparing mr. jacobs’ nyfw work for the a/w 2013 season, and the lv show…can’t we just say they feel too close for comfort? the graphic prints, the sixties riffs of both from spring, the sparkles, the retro throwback, the boudoir-visiting for fall…where were the separates here?

in other words, i thought they felt much too much alike, but moreover, i find it baffling that, like, no critics called him out on it. and that’s, for me, ultimately the part that sticks, that suggests something under the scenes taking place (yes, under, and not behind, because i feel it’s more sinister than all of that). and anyway, was trotting a bunch of girls out in their pajamas really such a delicious idea we needed to see it twice this season? apparently mr. jacobs thought so, and with him, all of the everyone.

and thus, once again, opt stands alone. and here again i feel the need to say i’m not without some appreciation for the designer’s work, and that includes the vuitton show. there were some pretty pieces, and i was particularly drawn to those lacy, silky teddy bear-esque pieces, from isabeli fontana’s scant little black negligee, to bregje heinen’s grandma-chic floral number, and especially catherine mcneil’s v-necked sheer embroidered black midi-length look, which had a certain flapper appeal about it.

but (and here’s where i know i’m going to be sent rolls of hate mail and biological weapons) i can’t help but ask the question we’ve asked of several designers this season: isn’t this really more about styling than it is actual design? to be sure, i don’t doubt mr. jacobs has his days as a great designer–for example, those complex mash-up dresses from his s/s 2009 show were, like, fully on another level. but i also can’t help but wonder (particularly as the question begs whether he’s getting a bit cocky and too sure of himself heaped as he is in a large feather bed of praise) if these days have passed, and he’s merely about mixing up ideas in a way people aren’t entirely comfortable with yet.

however (and i promise this is the last thought ere i move on!), as a member of several, erm, artistic societies as i have been at various points in my life, i can firmly attest to being an enthusiast of the innerwear-as-outerwear trend for approximately the last decade. now, i’m not trying to take credit for anything, but merely to point out that there are people who have been doing this, and it’s not even bloody, like, new. maybe to the fashionies, who are just now realizing a lacy negligee can be a pretty spicy dress substitute, but as a starving artist-type, one learns awfully bloody quickly that a lacy camisole is much cheaper in the lingerie department than its (similar) counterpart in the clothing area of the shop.

so there we go! that’s my take! that, and as we’ve been saying at other houses (versace) when you’re dealing with ideas that riff on streetwear (or lingerie), you have to remember that the kids can get it a lot bleeding cheaper somewhere else. or vintage. so mr. jacobs, i think, has just invited some very, very enticing competitors to his parade of sleepwear, although i suppose ultimately he’s not too worried about that, as we all of us know that there are plenty of fashionies, rich ladies, and actress-y types willing to shell out just for that lv label on the inside.

right, then. so critical time? “mostly the Vuitton show recalled the romantic sensuality of John Galliano in his early days. That particular hard romance lived on in the Louis Vuitton sheath that went from bra top through tweed body to lace hem. The Marc Jacobs message was so clearly and invitingly portrayed that it raised the fashion desire, gasped the iht‘s suzy menkes, declaring “it was just about lust,” as us vogue similarly yipped that “Jacobs may have touched on almost every single direction the coming season has thrown at us—menswear fabrics, heavily worked coats, things that look like they’re meant for cocooning at home—but in its unabashed aching romance, and in its desire to create a personal, human-scaled sense of what Louis Vuitton can be, it was a collection that touched heart and mind.”

and according to style, “(t)he clothes on the runway were lovely, with their muted, sleepy colors and the deluxe details that Vuitton does so well,” while the telegraph opined that “(s)ome of the outfits were demure – belted below the knee suits under 50s duster coats. Others were more deshabillé, as if our heroine had to beat a hasty retreat at 4am with nothing but her ankle grazing sable coat between her and despair. There were no monogrammes to be seen on the discreet, squashy clutch-bags. Like many fashion brands, Louis Vuitton is at pains these days to distance itself from the taint of vulgarity. Well, you would, wouldn’t you, when you line your alligator handbags with mink?”

then wwd opined that “(t)he show pulsed with emotion….Suggestive of the aforementioned decadence and eccentricity? Sure. But those are partial descriptives. Jacobs is also a savvy designer who here delivered a lineup of stellar commercial clothes,” and grazia joined in that “(i)n a season where the play between the masculine and the feminine has loomed large, some of the show’s strongest moments fused both in a single look: traditional menswear fabrics, and tweeds in particular, were cut into curvy dresses with petticoat straps and trimmed with lace.”

then, said uk vogue, “Jacobs is obviously feeling more ‘grown-up’ this season – his own mainline too took a leaf [ed note: more like the introduction plus several chapters] out of this decadent and romantic, ‘ladylike’ book. This designer is asking us to indulge next season – and sometimes staying in is actually just the way to do that, hotel or no hotel,” and the nyt‘s cathy horyn (and this is where i think things get really suspect) stated that “(t)hough most of his audience probably had sleep in mind (Mr. Jacobs wore pajamas), this collection was indeed inviting, with some beautiful undies mixed in with handsome, strict coats and powder-puff bags.”

yet, in the end, it was elle that seemed to most-like get where i was coming from, concluding that “(b)ut if fashion is a reflection of the times, what was Marc Jacobs saying here? That decadence and money are no object to the Vuitton customer? That fashion now should be all about fantasy, romance, glamour? That it’s all about getting dressed up, no matter where you’re going or what the occasion? The show notes talked about finding the most glamorous destination in one’s own hotel room. If only real life could be a fantasy as projected by Marc Jacobs.” hmm. okay, maybe their objections are different, but at least they’re calling him on something. at this point, that’s all i can ask for. start with the feet of clay.

(enjoy the complete catwalk video here)

paris fashion week: yves saint laurent

(images via style)

even though i like a good snark as much as anyone, and i’m usually the first to be clapping my hands in diabolical glee when confronted with the latest yves saint laurent (yes, i refuse to change their name until i know how long hedi slimane is to last. so all the evil hasn’t purged my soul yet, apparently) debacle for the a/w 2013 paris fashion week show, i have only to say this: i liked the clothes. they were fun, and there’s really nothing about grunge i don’t want to embrace. but (and you knew this was coming).

i agree they have precious little to do with ysl, and i’m not going to be like the fashionies, passive-aggressively assigning the blame to someone i ‘overheard’ at the show (read: one’s own inner voices). as i’ve said about countless other houses, from versace’s latest punk exhibition (a/w 2013), or when balmain tried equally to channel punk (s/s 2011), or balenciaga the ‘street’ (also s/s 2011), i wasn’t on board. i don’t like when designers try to sell the clothes of the kids (that they get at, like, thrift stores and from free boxes) to their parents, the fashionies thinking ‘cool’ is something one pays the highest bidder for.

but we’ve discussed all of this at length recently, during the versace show, and i really don’t have a lot of new thoughts here. it looks silly when grown women try to look like street kids, and i’ll leave it there. that, and i think we all know that ysl tends to be a much more upscale house than any of this nonsense (see resort 2011, a/w 2011, resort 2012, s/s 2012, a/w 2012, s/s 2013), and even mr. slimane appeared to understand this with his last collection (also his first for the house). in other words, a brand known for le smoking probably oughtn’t look so much like it is currently fetishizing live through this-era courtney love (though, say, anna sui can!).

and one more thing, before we move on. yes, these clothes were eternally cute, and wearable, and i have no problem with the way so many designers have been bringing singles‘ janet livermore back to life (i’ve also seen vestiges of her in nicole miller’s a/w 2013 show, and kinder aggugini’s s/s 2012), but we all of us know how cheap these clothes can be, and it’s kind of an insult to anyone with a brain to think that paying well into the four figures is the right way to go on this.

that, of course, and then there’s the point, as many, many a critic made back during mr. slimane’s ysl debut for the spring season: this fundamentally comes down to a styling exercise, rather than a design one. now, i think we also all of us know that this is primary what mr. slimane is about, but this seems to be the way of the future for the high fashion houses these days: hire a celebrity, er ‘designer’. and it’s something ppr and lvmh love to do. they know they’ll shake things up, and appeal to women with deep pockets, even as they’re bypassing most of the creativity that used to go into this stuff.

now. i didn’t always, like, love stefano pilati, mr. slimane’s predecessor at the label, but i will grant that he took risks, shook things up, and refused to simply lie down and let the current trends do the talking for him, which ultimately resulted in some amazing collections (and let’s be real, no one can replace the irreplaceable tom ford. at least not these days). so! to recap, yes, the clothes are painfully cute and cool, and yes, we’d probably like to own everysinglebloodypiecehere, but is this where we envisioned ysl for the future? really? but maybe we ought get used to it, as i expect mr. slimane is about to make mr. pinault some serious cash monaaaaay.

alors. now for the critical portion of our hour! straight out of the gate, style assessed that “anyone expecting the frisson of the future that Slimane once provided would have to feel let down yet again. At the odd moments when he allowed it to happen—as in a cutaway jacket over a plaid shirt over slashed black leather cuissardes—there was a glimpse of the kind of rigorous sensibility that hybridized passion and fashion into an irresistible force at Dior Homme,” as fashion week daily noted that “the rock ‘n’ roll road trip left the essence of Saint Laurent dangling in the rearview mirror for a barrage of hotpants and dom-inspired leather minis that aren’t exactly sales fodder for longtime YSL devotees.”

meanwhile, us vogue a little too sweetly declared that “(g)Grunge chez Saint Laurent certainly has shock factor—and Yves Saint Laurent was, of course, the designer who managed to épater les bourgeois with his Mod biker chicks at Christian Dior…but his work was always shot through with innate class, and this collection—doubtless luxurious in the hand and elegantly merchandised in the showroom—looked at times a little too contemporary market on the runway,” as grazia protested that “(i)f this was a determinedly youthful and accessible collection that belied the fact that the attention to detail that bourgeois French fashion is known and respected for was in evidence also.”

and then, art info gasped that “(o)riginality may succumb to old tricks for SL by HS, but it’s consciously hanging on by a thread, and there’s definitely a biting commentary underneath all that commerciality. We’re excited to see, if and when that voice amplifies, what it can achieve,” while wwd perhaps offered the best-yet poke: “Few archetypes are more engaging than the undone girl, especially when under her ratty hair, pout, pounding gait and sloppy chic lurk a pretty face and skinny body. But is playing a cutesy, disaffected-youth hand enough to propel the house of Saint Laurent into today’s luxury stratosphere — especially if the targeted air space is that in which Chanel and Dior reside? That, too, remains a question.”

and more succinctly, the telegraph sniffed that “he needs to have more faith in the enduring allure of beautifully engineered pieces – and riff on them some more next season. Neither he – nor Saint Laurent – requires the styling tics of a 20-year-old teenage music revolution,” and elle chimed in with their sycophantic “(w)as this a brilliant collection? Yes. It defined the moment. Will it sell? Probably, very well. Is Hedi Slimane turning Saint Laurent into a modern woman’s go-to brand? If you’re cool enough.” ahem. yes, a popularity contest. that’s what ysl is all about. i can see the namesake pouring worms over his corpse as ppr rubs its hands in glee.

ahem. well. refusing to really tell us his own opinion, the nyt‘s eric wilson relied on ‘overheards’ before finally coming to point (sort of) and stating that “(t)he dresses were universally short, often black leather minis, worn with fishnet body stockings studded with crystals…Many editors present did not appear to be in love with the concept, but there were many pieces that looked commercially lucrative at the same time, like fuzzy tartan cardigans, a black tuxedo jacket, an oversize sparkly black cable-knit sweater, a gray duffel coat and another take on the gold sparkly cardigan jacket. The connection of grunge to Mr. Saint Laurent was less clear, though he did once produce a fragrance called Baby Doll, and a pink fur coat in Mr. Slimane’s show seemed a nod to a famous fox coat design of the early 1970s called the ‘chubby.'”

elsewhere, the guardian gave an analysis that wonderfully called out some of the biggest problems in fashion journalism before turning a little more direct and announcing that “(i)f you haven’t seen the collection, it basically looks like a jazzed up rail of Morgan from the 1990s, with grunge-style little dresses, skirts and tartan shirts. All a far cry from classic Saint Laurent style, to be sure. And guess what? People hated it,” as uk vogue fully wimped out: “When dissected there were some nice pieces but altogether it will be a hard collection for the traditional Yves Saint Laurent buyer and customer, so different is the output now that it’s Saint Laurent. And as Saint Laurent it’s very much Hedi’s take, which is youthful and a certain type of cool to the core.”

then–finally–there was the uninvited cathy horyn of the nyt, insisting on doing her part by informing us that “(o)ne of the first things the new designer, Hedi Slimane, did was to remove ‘Yves’ from the label, thereby severing a symbolic connection to the founder, and everything he stood for, like good taste and feminine power. But it was also a test of the label’s enduring appeal…Many people said the clothes looked like stuff sold at Topshop or a thrift store, while others defended Mr. Slimane’s approach and identified pieces, like a pink fur chubby, that relate back to Yves’s designs of the late ’60s and early ’70s, when he got ideas — say, for a pea coat — from the street. It’s doubtful that customers will make that connection, but such comments serve to validate what Mr. Slimane has done. And the controversy is good for Saint Laurent. But mainly it was clear to me how strong the name is. In terms of design, the clothes held considerably less value than a box of Saint Laurent labels. Without the label attached to them, Mr. Slimane’s grunge dresses wouldn’t attract interest — because they’re not special. But a box of labels is worth a million.”  shaazaaam!

(watch the full fashion show video here)

paris fashion week: stella mccartney

(images via vogue)

so! at this point, after covering her work zealously for many, many seasons now (see a/w 2010, resort 2011, s/s 2011, pre-fall 2011, a/w 2011, resort 2012, s/s 2012, pre-fall 2012, a/w 2012, resort 2013, s/s 2013, pre-fall 2013), i don’t believe there’s really anything else i can say about how much i love the work of stella mccartney. i mean, unless she decides to go more diverse racially, or with ‘plus size’ models in her runway shows, or maybe begins offering some fantastic flats a’la lanvin, then i could love her more, but otherwise…i think this is it, kids.

and so, for her a/w 2013 exhibition at paris fashion week, i’m simply going to let the critics talk, as they (predictably) have a lot to say. anyway, according to the la times, we saw “(t)ailored menswear pinstripes and plaids reshaped for women. Mannish, over-sized coats with deliberately positioned lapels. Pinstripes contouring the body on asymmetrically draped skirts and dresses. A needle-punch plaid-and-denim jacket worn with a pleated short skirt. Great-looking sweater dresses with transparent lace insets. Sensible, lug-sole ankle boots and shoes (lug soles are a big trend for fall). And felted baseball caps, which are coming back in a big way too.”

then style chimed in that “(h)er new collection for Fall wasn’t exactly sexless, but it did have a cooler, less come-hither sensibility than usual, which seemed to play against her strengths. It started with banker’s pinstripes—the first look a double-breasted jacket with uneven, diagonal hems worn over a long skirt in a thinner stripe with a folded drape in front. More covered-up pinstripes followed: men’s coats that topped cropped pants, a buttoned-to-the-collar shirt tucked into pleated trousers, and an unstructured dress extending to the mid-calf. Backstage, the designer talked about ‘inserting the feminine into masculine,’ but the models’ willowy frames tended to get a bit lost in the clothes.”

and us vogue pointed out that “McCartney went all the way back to the days she was mining Savile Row tailoring for inspiration, but—a sure sign of how much she has grown and evolved as a designer since the nineties—she took the chalky pinstripes on navy or charcoal, a blown-up plaid, or an ivory wool of a white-tie tuxedo, and inventively fused them with the kind of experimental cutting and off-kilter oversize volumes of the Japanese avant garde when it hit Paris in the early eighties.”

ms. mccartney, “and her mostly female design team have a completely unfettered approach that keeps her brand distinctive,” the nyt‘s cathy horyn began. “For fall she shifts the mood away from the feminine prints and sinewy cocktail dresses of recent seasons toward pinstripes and dark flannels, a haberdasher’s dream — except everything is a little off-kilter. Lapels are exaggerated or displaced, and some looks have a swag of fabric at the side that kicks out. But despite the appearance of structure, reinforced by the pinstripes, the clothes move dynamically over the body.”

“There’s also an amusing sense,” she carried along, “that Ms. McCartney’s women have occupied men’s tailoring on their terms. If they want a looser fit, then so be it. Also strong were long knock-around dresses in gray knit with deep black lace hems and some roomy silk separates in a scarred wallpaper print. Ms. McCartney had lots of color in her prefall line, but she might have given more to the runway.”

meanwhile, we heard the telegraph offering that “(s)oft tartan bomber jackets and a grey John Smedley-ish knit dress that bottomed with a wonky window of black lace re-established McCartney’s masculine versus feminine back-and-forthing. Supersized mannish coats – some with only one ornamental lapel – in that needle punch tartan, imperial purple and McCartney’s favourite blue followed. The purple, and black too, was deployed beautifully in some silk dresses with delicately placed sheer windows and wide, elastication-puckered strips that circumvented their wearers at the knee or below the shoulders.”

and said wwd, “(o)ne of the many high points of fashion — and even this deep into the season, there are gleeful moments — is finding something fresh in the familiar. Gender play, girls-will-be-boys, call it what you will, the incorporation of mannish motifs into women’s clothes is an oft-used, classic conceit. In the collection she showed on Monday, Stella McCartney manipulated one of its obvious elements — pinstripes — into something new and utterly engaging. Part of the appeal was that she pretty much extracted the androgyny; her chalky stripes may be the ancestral cloth of the lords of banking, but she delivered them with no small measure of distaff allure.”

elsewhere, fashion week daily described how “(t)he designer’s Savile Row-style suiting showed up most prominently this season in oversized navy pin-striped blazer-dresses worn with tailored, striped ankle trousers and chunky-soled chaussures. Later, the stripes took on relaxed, calf-skimming dresses, sweaters paired with kicky wool skirts, and cartoon-y printed silk separates. As for McCartney’s other calling card, her lace-edged slip dresses, those came pieced together—some with a turtleneck tops mashed with lacy bottoms, others with a casual polo top sewn together with a lacy, fishtail skirt.”

then, we heard the iht‘s suzy menkes declaring that “this show was a triumph for Ms. McCartney, taking her to that magical fashion place where she has a distinct personality, vision and message. It could be summed up as a dynamic woman of today with a sporty energy who expects her clothes to work as hard as she does. ‘I could wear everything on the runway,’ said the designer backstage with her brood. But that might not always have been the case, for recently Ms. McCartney has chosen to divide her collections into different sections: business, Olympic influence, red carpet for Hollywood friends. This time the collection was united in its approach.”

“It started with pinstripes,” she shuffled along, “that most mannish of materials, but the big, generous touch of the 1980s coats and dresses had a smart way of covering the body yet letting it undulate beneath. That male/female thing was perfectly expressed by plain jersey dresses inlaid with lace. The boyish, even child-like side of Ms. McCartney came through in a sporty outfit with cartoon writing spelling out ‘SKATE.’ The evening wear was perhaps a little weak, given that there wasn’t much except a violet dress gathered at the bust and a white tunic and pants. But with the red carpet turning into a yawn, even that approach was smart, showing a designer who is on the go and on the fashion mark.”

and uk vogue announced that “‘(i)t’s about being honest to what we are, timeless classics but also inserting a femininity,’ she said. And all the Stella classics were there – the menswear fabrics for an extensive coat selection; the sportier side for easy sweatshirts, sweatshirt dresses (all of which came in pinstripe), and jumpsuits; and that sense of ease. But where last season it had been a breezy and light outing, this time round everything was a lot heavier – from those fabrics to the drowning proportions of coats and jackets (that redefining and repositioning of lines at play here)…Of all the masculine-feminine mixes we’ve been seeing this season, this collection had a clever new take and it was all very Stella.”

“This collection summed up where Stella’s at right now and the Paris season so far with its honest approach and confident spirit, its reconfiguring of boy-meets-girl clothes,” shrieked elle. “It is hard to watch a Stella collection and not make it personal: I could wear that! That would go with such and such! This is me! So what were the pieces to crave? The broad shouldered coats and skater dresses, the striped knit dress over the kick-at-the-hem pinstriped calf-length skirt, the quilted pinstripe coat, the peaked caps, those polo-neck-cum-shoulder-shrugs, the sexy masculine charcoal pants, the knitted tracksuit, the tartan jeans jacket, the knit dress that spilled into a lace hem, the hot pink coat.”

and, finally, said the guardian, “(n)otwithstanding some Stella classics – the grey wool sweater dress, this season with black lace inserts; the coloured coat, this season in deep violet – the centre of gravity of this label continues to shift towards eveningwear…The designer recently noted that eveningwear can be tricky as much of it tends to be either prematurely ageing, or inappropriately over-youthful. Having identified a gap in the market for eveningwear which is neither deadly sober nor absurdly whimsical, she is making clothes to fill it.”

(watch the full fashion show video here)

t’s about being honest to what we are, timeless classics but also inserting a femininity,” she said. And all the Stella classics were there – the menswear fabrics for an extensive coat selection; the sportier side for easy sweatshirts, sweatshirt dresses (all of which came in pinstripe), and jumpsuits; and that sense of ease.

But where last season it had been a breezy and light outing, this time round everything was a lot heavier – from those fabrics to the drowning proportions of coats and jackets (that redefining and repositioning of lines at play here). There was a continuation of the shoulder-wrapping trend that we saw at Jean Paul Gaultier and which we saw again at Celine yesterday. And we saw bandeau necklines, as we have been seeing this fashion season, make an appearance too.

Of all the masculine-feminine mixes we’ve been seeing this season, this collection had a clever new take and it was all very Stella.

paris fashion week: john galliano

(images via style)

do you know what? to be honest, i’ve been kind of dragging my feet regarding the a/w 2013 john galliano show presented at paris fashion week. i mean, i’ve tended to be a defender of designer bill gaytten in the past, both when he was heading up christian dior (see a/w 2011, a/w 2011 hc, s/s 2012, s/s 2012 hc, a/w 2012)and during his tenure chez galliano (see s/s 2012, a/w 2012, s/s 2013), because i’ve felt on the whole he was judged unfairly for a job thrust upon him–and one that he learned remarkably quickly. but.

in mr. galliano’s heyday, of course (and especially with his eponymous label–see s/s 2011 & a/w 2011), i really loved his work. and so that’s why i suppose it was such a surprise to see the romantic, vintage be-makeup-ed girls with their wispy sheer, layering dresses and their louis heels and outrageous headgear…utterly gone. instead they were replaced with chicas that looked full-on tough, with their little black caps, greased-back hair and heavy black eye makeup. the models barely looked at us with their downcast gazes save but to glare, and we were suddenly bereft of all the antics and frippery of yore.

and i missed it. to be sure, i really do believe mr. gaytten is coming into his own as a designer, and while i understand (but don’t necessarily appreciate) the tactics lvmh took in terms of unceremoniously replacing him with raf simons chez dior (yes, i know he was a temporary replacement, but given how long it took to find mr. galliano’s permenant successor, you can’t argue to me that mr. gaytten didn’t wonder and hope at the possibility he’d be asked to stay), i was pleased to learn that, in lieu of the actual john galliano, that he’d be staying on at john galliano. however.

if this presentation had been for, say, his own label, or one of a multitude of others at pfw, i’d probably say i could get down with it in a millisecond. as it stands, i loved some of the beautiful drapes and tailoring, those loose pleats and tucks, or the casual knots in a sweeping-yet-simple evening gown, while maria loks’ black lambswool car coat, with its sixties-esque slightly cropped sleeves and the just below-the-knee-length was a particularly divine item, and i honestly wouldn’t mind seeing those smart dressy culottes that featured practically everywhere as an up-and-coming trend come fall. so there’s all of that.

and yet, to me, there was nothing about it that communicated galliano, from those simple dresses featuring the jackson pollock-y splatters and abstract splashes of paint as the lone ornamentation from the blacked-out burgundy, navy, and straight-on midnight blackness of the colour palette, to those unfortunate ombré ultramarine-turning-to-magenta-red tailored pieces, like an oversized tailored coat that reminded me more of miuccia prada’s a/w 2007 range than anything (here again!) mr. galliano ever produced. and i’m sorry, but with an iconic designer such as this, it stuck.

after all, maybe raf simons can reinvent the wheel chez givenchy, phoebe philo at céline, peter dundas at emilio pucci or (in lesser examples) whatever the hell they’re doing these days at halston, madeleine vionnet, and emanuel ungaro, but in some ways like mcqueen (though i honestly hate to use that example, as the designer here isn’t deceased, but it’s the most relevant just the same, i think), when you’re working with a brand established by a designer only relatively recently, you really can’t start trying to reinvigorate the look when people clearly aren’t sick of the old.

i mean, yes, one can put their own signature on things, or introduce some new ideas to mix with the house standards (good examples of why sarah burton is doing such a brilliant job at alexander mcqueen, though i think we can probably also credit the fact that she’d been design director there some years as well–which is part of the reason i’m so puzzled as to what mr. gaytten is here up to), but to suddenly announced galliano isn’t that whimsical fairy tale-teller, the atelier that celebrates long-deceased 1930’s cabaret singers and silent movie stars, and is instead serious business? just…no, says i.

but! it remains to be seen what the critics think. and so, are you ready? you’re definitely entitled to your opinion, as are they, but i’m firmly encamped here, and methinks all this flack promises to be a doozy. and so, according to uk vogue, “‘I wanted to present a strong confident woman…We were more controlled. The staples of Galliano are all there – the draping, the bodycon, the embellishment but there’s also a smaller colour palette, to be disciplined,’ he said.Where last season volume, care of Japanese inspiration and modernity, had taken over and inflated size and proportions, here Gaytten had exercised that control to bring both something of himself and the house of Galliano to the collection, working to form a stronger identity than we have seen, or perhaps than has been allowed, before.”

elsewhere, style noted that “(i)f the Galliano ethos once embodied a lust for life so hungry and chaotic that it eventually overpowered its creator, Gaytten stripped his look back to a core of complete control—a pointy riposte, perhaps, to all those on-liners who endlessly carp about past glories. Over a sheathed body, Gaytten layered one big-sleeved, wide-pant silhouette that felt like a martial arts reference, or another peplumed shape that had a hint of WAC about it. But then he let himself go a little: red flocking on blue, a shiny print that looked like smears of asphalt, some darkly distorted woodland imagery. Acknowledgments, perhaps, of the DIsORder that Gaytten was once all too familiar with. He knocked it back with an evening group of penitential abstinence, languid glamour fiercely denied.”

and wwd relayed how “Gaytten amped up the volume with a subtle futuristic vibe, showing, for instance, a rounded cocoon jacket with a form-fitted skirt. There were also some nice coats, like the burgundy opener with folds across the front and a geometric peplumlike detail. While the designer did away with Galliano’s runway theatrics, he didn’t quite abandon the founder’s codes altogether. They appeared as soft hints with bias cuts, geometric folds and kimono sleeves. Much of it was appealing, and if the lineup lacked some of that Galliano punch, it was most likely intentional. Gaytten needs to continue putting his own stamp on the brand to evolve it with credibility. Fall was a step in that direction.”

“This was the season when Mr. Gaytten came out with a show on his own terms: not a minimalist but a pragmatist,” announced the iht‘s suzy menkes, “the designer knows that he is designing for a tough world when the power woman suit, softened with waves cut into the top half, might seem more appropriate than romantic gestures. The same strict lines continued in black, until there was a literal sprinkling of color, as a pink was splashed onto dark blue. But the style remained uncompromisingly linear, with scraped back hair and plain makeup toughening even a lush fur tunic — although a similar sleeveless fur top was partnered with a long, pleated black chiffon skirt just touched with pink. The brand has become a different John Galliano, with technique more evident that fantasy. But ‘chapeau!’..to Mr. Gaytten for being his own man.”

and fashion week daily chirped out that “(t)he maison hosting Gaytten’s severe study of structured, ominously dark getups seems a bit discordant, sure, but out with the old and in with the new, non? Restrictive ruched swaths of noir in the form of sack-like calf-length frocks alternated with cigarette tapered skinnies, either in the same somber hues or, occasionally, quiet  pops of teal. The more dominant, memorable trou option, though, went for more rather than less….The chapeaus and exceptionally severe charcoal brow treatments we could’ve done without, but for the unsentimental and harder-edged out there, Gaytten’s Galliano-branded latest had a smattering of pieces ready to be integrated into a sharp, no-B.S. femme’s arsenal of ensembles.”

yet, ultimately, it was surprisingly us vogue that captured, erm, a least a little of what i was feeling, writing that “(o)ne long, cap-sleeved teal satin dress with a wide black belt demonstrated exactly that restraint one imagines Gaytten was going for in that its silhouette was lean (as opposed to other pieces where the designer experimented with volume) and the fabric unembellished. There was nothing too tricksy, save for the styling: a thin black turtleneck underneath the dress. It, too, certainly filled its role as defying the notion of women as sex objects, but there were times when it would have been nice to see Gaytten lighten up in both fabric and temperament. This season it will be up to the woman wearing these clothes to find the balance.” so take what you will. and i’ve taken that maybe someone should give mr. gaytten his own label (i do still like him, after all), and bloody bring galliano back! please?

(see the full fashion show video here)

paris fashion week: hakaan

(images via vogue)

if i’m to be blunt (as i generally try to be), i’ll confess that i’ve never really ‘gotten’ how designer hakaan yildirim, with his eponymous hakaan line featuring photographer mert alas as creative director has managed to get so much love. i mean, sure, friends in important places and offering clothes which, each season without fail (see s/s 2011, a/w 2011, s/s 2012, a/w 2012) remind us of the ‘us vs. them’ mentality of the fashion industry, showing off exactly what the models have, whilst simultaneously informing us that if we don’t have it all to put on display, what’s the point in getting dressed up? (a notion the fashionies love), but is that really all it takes?

well. just maybe (as it turns out)…not so much. after taking last season off the paris fashion week catwalks when some of his collection was lost or stolen a few days before the show (a fact which, whatever else, i truly am sorry for), on his return with his a/w 2013 range, i was quite surprised when i was searching for background information to find that…there was surprisingly little of it. and not only that, but save for getting mariacarla boscono to open his show (and let’s be realistic, she’s picky about her catwalks, but isn’t like, retired or anything), he doesn’t seem to be scoring the mostly-retired catwalk veteran/borderline supermodel girls of yester-year to walk.

so. is the lesson that maybe when all one has (mostly, at least) is simply showing off the lovelies (and, to be sure, he still managed to score some of the biggest models of today’s catwalks) in their gilded body cages…even this, even this gets old eventually? i mean, like, i don’t totally want to rip the designer, or anything like that, largely because i do believe some of his tailoring is quite good, and when he shows pants or frocks on the more covered side, he can at once manage steamy and wearable, but on the other hand, much as i said with the anthony vaccarello show, surely these dudes realize there’s more to a woman’s life than simply looking sexy, alas?

well. maybe not. anyway, on the critical front (mainly because i don’t want to linger on these thoughts longer than i’m required to), we heard a clipped wwd offering that “Hakaan Yildirim returned for fall with a lineup of sculpted-to-the-body pieces that had a tough, dark edge. Imagine a biker chick glammed up for a black-tie affair. Dresses were either floor-length or ultrashort; some looks featured bustier tops, like the cinched white one with long panels in the front and back, paired with white transparent pants. The clothes were often executed with a heavy hand and didn’t always fall on the right side of sexy.”

and in a more positive vein, according to fashion bomb daily, the designer “has a knack for producing sexy standout attire, fit for the red carpet. His latest Fall 2013 collection is no exception, with enough embellishment, form-fitting silhouettes, and sheer fabrics to please celebs and party girls the world over. Sticking to a palette of exclusively black, red, and white, the designs are predominantly fête-ready, though a few functional wares are on display for those who prefer practicality over eccentricity.”

yet interestingly, style, too, was relatively unimpressed, arguing that “(t)he task for Yildirim today, then, was to give himself a jump-start….Working in only black, white, and red, he showed long column gowns with a gothic sensibility, tiny slipdresses that combined matte and shine, and elaborately constructed, peplumed bustier tops worn with sheer trousers or a see-through pencil skirt—plus a couple of leather Perfectos for tossing over it all. Yildirim is a fairly talented dressmaker. The long black gowns with a bit of white peeking out from a single sleeve or the neckline were special. Overall, though, the collection was a real mix, one that lacked a convincing point of view. It wasn’t the clincher he needed.”

finally, though, vogue remained more optimistic (as we could expect, of course): “They came one-shouldered and long, and body-sculpting and short to skim thighs with pleated little skirts and brush shoulders with spaghetti straps. There was detail on the bust and necklines, unfolding into shape to show off some flesh and there were sheer panels to line the length of the body on the side, while other dresses were sheer across arms and shoulders to be sexy and smouldering. Leather – the badge of being fashion fierce – was there too, but we had occasional soft lines for bombers and sweatshirts and the sparing use of feathers: wrapped around a waist, or curving and curling around the body…these are clothes that require gumption and sass to be worn. And if you have it, flaunt it.” so he has a few fans, still, so there’s that. i guess.

paris fashion week: lanvin

(images via style)

as much as most of the fashionies/critics/anyone still able to breathe (seriously, i had a friend who barely knew a thing about fashion who once happened upon a spread with alber elbaz and some of his designs, and after just a quick look was proclaiming, ‘that guy is badass!’) usually likes to exclaim and cry over the excellence that is lanvin, i’ve always tended towards a bit more ambivalent about it (see a/w 2010, a/w 2011, s/s 2012, a/w 2012, resort 2013, s/s 2013), albeit with occasional admissions that some particular collection was phenomenal.

well. maybe that has all changed for me with the drop of the label’s a/w 2013 collection at paris fashion week, however. for the first time, in…ever, i really got on board with what all the lanvin enthusiasts have long been about, and even some of the dresses that looked to be the simplest–like a relatively straightforward sleeveless midnight blue crew-necked midi-length sheath on kasia struss, for example–had me breathing in the rosewater air all around me just like the rest. goodness! is this what they’ve always been feeling?

but then again, there were more complicated looks aplenty, and amongst these many that could probably be considered on-par with couture, with the kind of delicate attention to the detail of the complex draping, ruffling, ruching, and the like that left your mouth rather wide in wonderment, as you puzzled over whether you’d known fabric could do that in the first place. not so much for me was the jewelry, which included various necklaces, brooches, and belt buckles emblazoned with the kind of cutesy messages we all of us put stickers of on our folders at school.

but i’ll tell you what: the fashionies will love them just the same, and we’ll see them (rather ironically) spawning knockoffs at forever 21, h&m and the like, as these stores giddy with glee that they’ve picked up on a seasonal trend rest unawares that they (and the teenage girls that sported them to begin with) were probably the impetus for the designs in the first place. is there a term for all of this? hmm. but do you know what!? i’m not going to dwell on it, as i liked the clothes themselves just too bloody much.

anyway, although i tended to like a lot of the black and navy quieter looks the best, such as a gorgeous v-necked velvet number on sigrid agren that perhaps brings out a bit of the inner princess, there were some louder exits that were equally compelling, like karmen pedaru’s marvelous glen plaid wool suit, with its little bit of slouch in the jacket and asymmetrical skirt, which kept a fairly stock item just the right amount of insouciant punky newness. and of course as a shout-out to mr. elbaz for including flats once again (we love him for this, yes we do!), those menswear–style oxfords were just the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas…and everything else.

alors. shall we on with the critics, then? right, so to start us off, the nyt‘s cathy horyn reflected that “(h)e created a collection that reflects a diversity of personalities. And he just threw them at you: the tough, the snooty, the flowery, the sedate, the overdone. The opening looks included a silk tunic splashed with ditsy chiffon flowers and a severe coat dress worthy of a board meeting. The show got better and better. One second you were questioning the taste of a bouncy print dress piled with chains, including one that said ‘hot,’ and the next, a beautiful dress in pale rose silk appeared, draped to one side as if someone blew on the fabric.”

and according to wwd, “(t)he craft, and his long-held belief that fashion, his fashion at least, is first and foremost for the women who wear it. The fusion of those two tenets made for a breathtaking collection, one that, while utterly singular in its beauty and wistful mood, offered a rich variety of spectacular clothes. He started with a basic building block: a long-sleeve stocking dress over which he layered a range, from bustier dresses to coats. If one could identify a single item as dominant, it was the black dress, shown in renditions from the plainest charmeuse to moody tiered lace to a divine strapless dancing frock with pale organza rose at the hip.”

“What’s so interesting is that although refreshingly modern, the structure of the collection played out almost like an old-style fashion show that would run through daywear tailoring, silk day dresses, prints, cocktail dresses, embroidered special things, gowns, and wedding dresses,” declared us vogue. “Elbaz understands, more than many another, that women are complex and can feel like one thing at one moment (like a plain sleeveless dress), or a dress or blouse bristling with conceptual multicolored plastic flowers up and down the arms, the next. The ultimate magic of this collection is that it’s so wonderfully hard to pin down and describe.”

and the washington post reported that the “diverse looks saw references that spanned from the furs of the 30s, the satins of the 40s, the full skirts of the 50s — right up to the inflated sleeves and shoulders of cutting-edge trends. Several satin looks even fused the flora and fauna of the garden, with dragonflies, moths, beetles and butterflies. With the myriad references, it’s little wonder several of the model worn gold necklaces with featuring the word ‘help.’ There were some sublime furs, dip-dyed jackets and the seemingly endless boas really conjured up pre-Second World War glamor.”

elsewhere, the daily beast described how “wearing flat shoes, emblematic of this collection for ultra-feminine women unafraid of their masculine side, Elbaz sent out a gorgeous, sophisticated-yet-easy line up, with eye-catching twists to the designs. There was a corset-like effect for a cocktail dress and two-tone chic fur jackets, and insects crawling across the surfaces of dresses in 3D. More mannish included a military-style ensemble and a suit created in men’s tailoring fabrics, with a skirt which swished across the body, with a wrap around jacket, proving the perfect answer for those tomboy moments.”

and style announced that “(a) teenage atmosphere permeated the collection, a schoolgirlish view that avoided the saccharine and cute and could apply to all ages. This was most noticeable in the shoes: Gone were the ballet flats; in their place, a scaled-down version of a men’s oxford. It was the sign that a much tougher girl was emerging for Elbaz this evening. She was no longer wearing prissy slippers, and her new footwear altered the entire silhouette. In one of the many standout looks, featuring a godet skirt and a top encrusted with winged insect appliqués and embroideries, the shoes transformed the meaning of such a mélange to one of a warped bobby-soxer. That was reinforced by the reams of thick gold chains, a constant motif in the collection, along with the letters that dangled from them. In this instance they spelled ‘cool.'”

“‘this is an elaboratory collection,’ explained Elbaz post-show, himself elaborating that he treated this collection like real luxury – because couture is experimental too and he wanted to show that it’s relevant and can be worn everyday,” related uk vogue, thereby helped to elucidate why the show was awesome. “His answer to this? Put flat shoes with those prom-style strapless dresses and Thirties slips, pleated skirts and femme fatale looks, complete with fur stole thrown over a shoulder. And when it comes to masculine tailoring, again with that Thirties androgynous underpinning, add a shiny, sparkly heel. Mix it up, keep it relevant and right for now.”

then, elle chimed in that “(n)ot a bride,’ said Alber Elbaz after his show, ‘No, more of an angel.’ The designer said he’d wanted to take time over this collection, get back to the spirit of what it is to be a Parisian couture house, a laboratory of ideas, away from the concept of a ‘global brand’. He wanted the craftsmanship to shine – and it did. He wanted it to feel intimate and ageless, emotional and precious; he wanted us to think and feel, if only for the duration of the show, about how clothes should make us feel: ‘Happy’, being one of the words he chose to emblazon in gold around the neck of one model. And ‘Love’.”

and, finally, there was the iht‘s suzy menkes, in her standard manner nailing down that “(s)uch a diverse vision offers a great deal of choice. But Mr. Elbaz has put his stamp on so many looks at Lanvin that he seems to own them. Even the choice of flat, laced-up shoes rather than high heels suggests him as an ally to women. There is also a feeling that the variety of a fox fur stole dangling around the neck, a plain, tailored coat, a black dress or a flowery print are all focusing on the same person with changing moods. The designer has the skill to ground his collections in reality yet allow them to soar — and that is why a few people were shedding tears of joy as the crowd roared its approval.”

(watch the full fashion show video here)

london fashion week: sister by sibling

milan fashion week: versace

(images via style)

oh, sigh. so like several of the milan fashion shows this season, i’ll be honest and admit i didn’t want to tackle versace. and it wasn’t for the length or anything like that. it was because–and much as i usually love the house (and you know i do! i always say so; see a/w 2010, resort 2011, s/s 2011, a/w 2011, resort 2012, s/s 2012, a/w 2012, s/s 2013), i just couldn’t this time around–of the concept. yes, as with the balmain s/s 2011 show which was drawn from punk culture, on this so too did donatella versace base her a/w 2013 collection.

anyway, although a part of me really doesn’t feel like getting into it, there’s that activist part of my brain that feels like i must trot the concept out (and i believe we also talked about it at the s/s 2011 balenciaga show)–that the antithesis of everything the punk movement stands for is in high fashion, and there’s something impossibly ridiculous about selling clothes with spikes and studs fashioned after the anti-establishment crowd to rich fashionies who are, in essence, very much what they were rebelling against in the first place.

now then. i certainly do believe that we can like high fashion, and underground movements, and that the two are not mutually exclusive. however. to try to mesh the two seems beside the point, like a meat eater saying they appreciate the macrobiotic diet, and going to a restaurant to try something new, simply to slip a little steak into the dish they’re presented. and do i think that fashion can’t borrow a bit from the punk culture? absolutely not. but this level, this obvious cribbing from the street kids…i’m sorry, but it offends me.

i don’t really like to get all up in arms about social causes on this site, or anything too political, as i believe it tends to distract from the art we’re here to view, but on the other hand, i also find it difficult to let issues like this one slide. it also reminds me a little of that louis vuitton show, for the a/w 2011 season, that allowed rich girls to play act at being hotel maids and the like…it ultimately feels insulting and degrading, like these homeless/poor punk kids, or public service staff, aren’t real people with real problems, and that the fashionies can simply play dress-up in their garb, much like a costume party, taking it off with the problems of ‘real life’ at the end of an enchanting night out.

perhaps you think i’m being too serious in all of this. and perhaps i am. but as a former warehouse rat that has spent some time dwelling one step above the streets, i have a hard time seeing all of these clothes as something that the rich can sample at a whim, without fully understanding the background, or the history that goes into it. there’s something deeper, a kind of art that transcends just, like, season fashion, and i doubt these people understand that. they just want to play, and i ultimately find it inappropriate cultural appropriation, whatever you want to say about it being ‘fun’ or the like.

and–one more thought and i promise i’m done–it ultimately makes, i think, the fashion community just look silly. i spend quite a lot of my time defending high fashion to people that don’t really understand it, but this just rings desperate, like some fashionies trying to up their street cred by buying haute safety pins to put on their (artfully torn, of course) clothes. all the while, not understanding the true punks are laughing their arses off about it. sigh. so go ahead. but in the end, is that really what one wants a person to think as they look at their decadent bracelet, or shoes, or dress?

okay, so i’m done! you know what i think about that, and maybe now it’s time for my brain to take a bit off, and just let the critics come ooze in to gush over the sheer/edgy genius. are you ready for that? right, so let’s go: the “collection was aiming to create a fresh chapter in punk’s history, one with a very Versace spin,” declared showstudio. “So forget the do-it-yourself vibe of Westwood’s punk, in Donatella’s version bin-liners were skin-tight shiny vinyl dresses, biker jackets came with fur detailing created by American artists The Haas Brothers, and studs and chains came in the form of lethal decorative spikes on collars, belts and stilletos. ”

and uk vogue stated that “(t)his was not a collection for the faint-hearted. It was a collection for the fearless, the brave and those who are unapologetic when it comes to wearing sex (or maybe sexiness) on their sleeve. Studs, vinyl, aggression, tight dresses, not-there dresses, nails, rivets, staples – you name it and it was there and then some in abundance. If ever there were clothes made to say ‘danger’ these were them. But then that’s what Donatella is about. You don’t expect everyone to suddenly go around and become a super vixen, but if they change their minds, this would be a good place to start.”

“See tiny tight vinyl dresses, the modesty for which was protected only by supersized militaryesque coats that perched on shoulders, thigh-high armed-and-dangerous spiked boots beneath, heels to impale trespassers with,” they prattled on. “It was about extremes – little and large, super shiny surfaces or those that had been plentifully attacked. Wrists and necklines were all ready for battle in spike arrangements, a force to be reckoned with. In white, black, red and yellow, even the colour palette became its own natural warning mechanism – the animal prints a collaboration with artists the Haas Brothers.”

meanwhile, the washington post described how “Versace called the collection ‘sexy, strong, brave and full of energy.’ While the designer claimed a musical inspiration for her ‘Vunk’ line, many of the looks had a distinct women warrior energy. Leather body suits were sculpted to look like armor, spikey leather bras were worn over dresses, and those spikes and nails certainly suggest a woman who can defend herself. The favorite material was vinyl and the colors monochromatic: white, black, fire engine red and canary yellow, for the girl who always wanted to shine. Vinyl was crafted into form-fitting dresses with spikes fitted down one arm, or perhaps as earrings or a choker interspersed with jewels.”

“One could note the presence of some terrific wearable clothes; ‘Broken down…’ is a typical WWD phrase,” shrieked–yes–wwd. “But it’s more fun to focus on the glam gowns that fell from halters of densely packed three-inch spikes and the looks trussed in bugle-beaded harnesses, or that when the girls weren’t wearing boots done up with heavy metal, they wore sandals boasting tufts of perky red and yellow fur. Best, of all, this collection showed the happy result of genuine daring exercised not by a kid with nothing to lose, but by a major designer who could have just looked nuts. Instead — Vabulous. With a V.”

and according to the iht‘s suzy menkes, “Donatella Versace had a new word, ‘vunk,’ for the upscale look that her brother Gianni unleashed in the 1980s, immortalized by the image of Elizabeth Hurley wearing a black Versace dress holding together her decency with a line of safety pins. If only Ms. Versace had been able to capture that sly, sexually charged glamour in her collection, rather than the more predictable styles…But the problem with a one-track show is: What do you wear for the rest of the day? The Versace answer was a fabulous fur in vivid colors, which was a tonic in this upbeat presentation.”

elsewhere, we heard style yelling that “Donatella’s presentation was fearlessly over-the-top. One word: vinyl! Its beyond-the-pale fetish connotations made it ideally unacceptable in the eyes of proto-punks like Siouxsie Sioux…But she was also taken by vinyl’s stark contrast with the luxe of cashmere, or the plushness of fur. Such extremes drove the collection: a coat as elongated as a military officer’s paired with a pelmet skirt; a sheath of pure white crepe bifurcated by a strip of lethal nails. Spikes and nails and bolts were all over earrings and chokers and bracelets. It was discombobulating to see the hardware of pain reconfigured as a fashion accessory, but that was, after all, what Siouxsie, et al., did back in the day.”

then, us vogue announced that the show “was about granting women the opportunity to enjoy wearing something wild and fun, if beautifully executed and finished in that most Versace of ways. Aside from the opulence of fur, there were a ton of draped dresses cut with the same skillfully wielded scissors that have produced everything else that’s come from this house. Or the plethora of luxe accessories given a harder edge, such as the cuffed ankle boots bristling with spikes, or the studded purses that discreetly sat under the arm, or the heavy silver chains that twisted and turned around the décolleté.”

and the nyt‘s cathy horyn mused that “I think the snarl of punk and sex-shop leather has aged out, or simply been absorbed into the mainstream…But I do think that Ms. Versace sent out a smart collection. She stayed on point — a consistently lean silhouette, the nice use of black vinyl (especially the kilts and as harnesslike tracing on black wool coats), and the blending of black or white vinyl with silk jersey for some great evening dresses. If she was targeting a potentially new (and younger) Versace customer, I think she hit her mark. The clothes would certainly pop on the Internet. At the same time, her sleek tailoring and coats tipped with vinyl would spike up any woman’s wardrobe.”

“Donatella sent out skin-tight PVC tailoring, black pencil dresses slashed to reveal flashes of flesh and fastened with oversized polished chrome nails, chokers dripping with heavy metal razor blades and talon heeled boots studded with spikes,” salivated grazia. “Then there were tartan mini-kilts…oversized furs dyed in cartoon tiger stripes and leopard spots and silk gowns that clung to every curve worn with dominatrix leather bras over the top.It’s safe to say that the Versace view of this, possibly the most influential street style in history, was far from understated. Seditionary-style T-shirts, for example, were printed with WILD but trimmed with mink, cobweb knits were finished with equally upscale pom poms and bondage straps were covered in gleaming Medusa heads. VUNK rocked.

and finally, to cap off all of this love-festing, there was elle, stating that “(i)n this, her slickest, most confident and comfortable collection in some time – in that this is Versace’s comfort zone, not that vinyl and silver spikes or nails as fastenings is in any way comfortable to wear – Donatella served up a huge hit. Of course the references channelled past punk – bondage straps, lacquered vinyl, tartan, studded leather, silver chains, aggressive red, searing yellow – but it was the execution that felt fresh, pristinely new, bang on-trend and ultimately right for the house.” okay. there you go! we’re done. you know my perspective now, and the critics. take from it what you will. the choice is yours.

(see the fashion show video here)

w magazine: cara delevingne, february 2013