novembre 5, 2009




The Marc Jacobs cape ! It’s been a very long time since I haven’t been so obsessed by a fashion item. I mean, it’s not every day that I think – even for just a minute – that I might eventually spend 1200$ (!!) to buy a Marc Jacobs cape ( plus you all know I don’t like him very much ). But this is: futuristic. Military-esque. Eighties. S P R O U S I A N ( if you haven’t buyed Stephen Sprouse’s book yet well, buy it ). And I could go on and on, I’m simply infatued with it… you could play a modern Dracula, or a Jetson-stylish-girl like Anna Selezneva. Anyway. So, I’m not gonna buy it, but I’m gonna ask a tailor ( no, I’m definitely not able to reproduce it, sorry ! ) to do something similar. So the big big problem now is to decide myself on the color, I love it in B&W but perhaps I’d like even more to choose my own color, it would be a total fake but it doesn’t really matter. So.

Purple-blue ? Emerald green ? Red ? With white profiling, black, other… ? And wouldn’t pearl grey look fantastic ? And what about gold buttons instead of silver ones ? Wouldn’t a day-glo color be more sprousian ? Or even crazier… bicolor ? This would also remind middle-age paintings ( you know, the tights they used to wear back in time ), which would be great, but I also would look like the king’s buffoon ?!

Well well. Which color would YOU choose ? I really need help… and photoshop isn’t very helpful nor realistic, isn’t it ? xD

mjcolors

Anyway. Thanks again to the greatest seriale-modeuse for this outstanding collage, now I know what I need to buy to go with the cape… UFO shoes, mon amour ! What was that Tim Walker story I loved so much……


And also: remember my magazine project ? I’m still working on it, but this page fits so very well with that cape… (click on it for HQ)

BONUS – “The Jetsons” quotes !

George: Yum, it’s been lightyears since you programmed synthetic brownies.

Jane: Our home food dispenser broke and I had to wait 20 seconds at the check out counter, such inefficiency. (ahah, this sounds blairish ! )

<3 Judy Jetson: Hey nice clothes, Elroy. Designer diapers.


Last but not the least, thanks to Mariù for the lovely award, my answers are here !


octobre 30, 2009

Halloween . . .

mood

flash costumes:

color-tricks !

Muglerian heroes and others !

… for a couple: Legend’s “pair”, 80′ but… classy !

… and last but not the least, a trend I loved very much in latest season ( I know, it’s allegedly for spring but it’s so sinister halloweenesque… even cynical if you think about models and weight issues, but anyway the BODY as a CORPSE is the latest trend: wounded and broken, needing nurses … white as a symptomatic color, frightening and constantly on the verge… )

 

octobre 25, 2009

A la fashematics !

Mirador building in Madrid + Maria’s Robot in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis = the new Balenciaga silouhette <3

Of course this is a pastiche of fashematics !

See you soon dears !

p.s: talkin’ about Legos… the holy bible has never been this cool & fashionable

octobre 15, 2009

In & Out

The wonderful La Couturier gave me the idea to write an ” In & Out “. So, what’s been In lately ? What’s gonna be super In ? To me it’s…

IN

Going to Athens. I am actually in Athens now that you’re reading my article. Athens gave me envy of summer and beach again, partying, wear only dresses and dresses. I’ll sing ” Vamos a la playa ” all the time, I guess. Plus did you know it’s actually an italian song ?

My inspirations ( I did all these collages this summer so they’re kind of rétro now ! ):

Other two collages: 1, 2.

Turkey & Armeny ‘making peace’.

Alexandre DE BETAK. Thanks to fashion copious I’m now officially in love with the ” Fellini of fashion “. I love the work of decorators and metteurs en scènes for theather, opera, ballet… but I never really thought about the fashion producers. And this is in fact totally fascinating. I just discovered the shows that marked me the most over the years ( Dior Couture 2005, Rodarte, Chalayan… ) were all De Betak’s productions. Priceless. Here and there the 2 videos.

Paris fashion week. It was so good and totally unexpected. I also love the subtle, intelligent trends for spring. The cinematographic/theatrical mood, etc. etc. etc. Talkin about FW, here are the ’saved’ looks from London, Milan and Paris.

Kate Lanphear. I know, she’s everywhere, but her style is still the example of perfection. Join the lanphearites on facebook !

Pastel-punk. Postpunk. Punk tout court. Also latest Vogue Italy turn. I’m so excited about the october issue… funny hair, Iris, Hanne-Gaby ! Love.

Jac & Anna Selezneva & … Iris <3

This song. And this other. Patti Smith is so in. And the last one.

Le Colonel

Julia is incredibly talented and I simply adore her retro-militaristic-with a twist accessories… You really have to visit her website because btw the layout is also exquisite… I love the thematic of her new collection, as she writes to me  Terminus, Constantinople! The final destination…. The Orient’s charm, in full face of the west. Sprinkled with gold and bronze, the city’s sensual and spicy colors blend with the deep blues of the mosques. At the heart of it’s streets: it’s mysteries, it’s story…. ” And I’m in love.

Fashematics… one of my faves here:

Italia Independent ( Lapo Elkann’s line ) collaboration with Giambattista Valli: fantastic sunglasses !

Courtney Love. Her tweets are too good. And she tweets soooooo much !

Best DIY project with studs : where on heart are my kilts ?

Vanessa Traina with her stunning Givenchy headband… I know you’ve all seen it but it’s just too beautiful !

Luxirare playing with Chanel shoes. So so good. I also loved her bento box.

My favorite editorials lately on my album here. Many from Tim Walker, ça va sans dire… I want to live in here. Exspect a huuuge Walker post soon !

Then I also rediscovered the best editorial ever… Daphne Guinness, of course ! Future Couture have all the best italian funny / trashy references…

This one in POP is also wonderful, I love the ‘colorful, happy’ but still’ Pina Bausch effect ( chairs ! )… and again, scenarist work = love.

… Franken-fashion was also intelligent and stimulating, I especially loved Tisci’s and Chalayan’s masks !

And because Halloween is coming, trick or treat ? That red used in the photoshoot is too beautiful… Tim I definitely love you ( Walker, Burton looks like an amateur compared to him ! ).

… and then, what’s out ? Since it’s depressing to do such a feature, I’ll just say that Milan fashion week was super out, but out out out were Dell’Acqua, Theyskens and Facchinetti absences. Perhaps next time ?

X.o.X.o my dear readers !

And sorry again for my absence !

octobre 4, 2009

Finally ! I’m sorry for being so long, but I must say Paris was really rich of surprises and beautiful, moving shows. Perhaps not new trends or new ways to think fashion, but well done and meaningful fashion. I can’t really decide which show I liked the most, so the order is kind of random. Bonne lecture !

p.s: I’m off to Athens this week and then to Madrid the next one, so there will be a lack of post and commenting. Pardon me please !

Balenciaga: Balenciaga was probably my favorite show of Paris fashion week. And perhaps of the entire fashion month. It has fascinated me because of its incredible novelty. You’ve never seen that before, which is a very good point. And then, it’s visually striking and quotes tons of things I like very much. Talk about history of architecture and art: Dudù from modainsegni points the De Stijl reference. I agree, but it’s at the same time pre and post-Mondrian, pre-modern and post-modern, pre-futuristic and post-futuristic. You could think all this is just a linguistic blabla, but it’s striking to observe the atemporality of this show. It reminds me a lot of Blade Runner, but more of the toys J.-F. Sebastian builds in it than anything else. Hoffmanian dolls, intriguing vertical objects: Ghesquière’s volumes are very tight, unlarge, also very geometrical. The idea of toy is everywhere, in the robotic aspect as in the color blocks, which could be blocks to build with. The experience of looking at this show is therefore very strange, because it looks like a memory you never really had. The dramatic use of make-up, orange especially, enhances that fascination for an unexpected construction which you also feel very dreamy, very close to you. This is the sweet, almost positive interpretation. You could also see these girls as automates – Hoffmann, tenebrous presences of an industrial ( but here again, post-industrial ? pre-industrial ? ) world, a very cold product. It’s not only sci-fi constructivism, these Balenciaga silouhettes have an enigma-quality in them which makes it a very interesting and complicate show.

Comme des garçons: Rei Kawakubo’s superironic fashion show is also very, very subtle. Think Gillray in an alternative gladiator universe… pastels and orange and polka dots become clear, playful, sweetly childish. War-dresses, because made of/from different shoulders… but also escape-patchworks, oniric visions aiming for white purity. The processus of collage is of course very dangerous in fashion, but Rei manages to balance it very well with the calm stability of the bottom. Strawberries shoes, mint hair: fruity nature brings disorder to the army of impossible soldiers, which may vaguely remember a Maupassant tale. Irony, caricature, parody: as style.com’s reviewer noticed, Rei is having lots of fun paroding other designers almost plagiarist approachs… You want a wonderland-military world ? Only she can give you the perfect oxymoron response. Arena has never been so close to playground.

Alexander McQueen: I guess De Betak did the production ? I’m all very De Betak these days, I’ve seen tons of Dior Couture ancient shows, Rodarte shows, etc. etc. But anyway. SHOW. You could be sure to have one with the… great Alexander. And the name is well deserved, because this time he plays with  smart mythological and greek references. He quotes Plato’s Atlantis, but it’s also an Odissey, it’s also an ode to the four elements, ending with the ethereal air. Heavy shoes – litterally, because they’re also steampunk inspired – symbolising earth, aquatic shiny dreams symbolising water. I especially adore the ‘cake’-shoes, they could be perfect even in a post-Hoffmanian fairy-tale. Yes, because McQueen’s greatness is in his talent of historian: he mixes periods with such ease and grace: of course you can see the Satyres, the devious creatures of greek mythology, the depth of the ages ( remember ? L’âge d’or and such stories… ), but it’s also very, very, very Middle Age. Knights, here again, from an alternative universe: the ‘fantastic’ Middle-Age, the futuristic past. It’s just like technology ( very modern technology ) was here to enhance past dreams, to make ancient legends alive again. It’s not very new perhaps, nor very diversified, but it has the great capacity to make dreams come true. And dream is often a mistaken word in fashion sense.

Givenchy: Mythology again ! The form is here the one of the phrygian hats, often related to Dionysos, and generally to what’s distant, foreign. Tisci’s tale is an harmonious mix of his Couture’s marvellous efforts ( the Pina Bausch collection ! ) with his pragmatic and beautiful resorts or rtw ones. The result is that you have meal and you have fish, but still in a very coherent mix. Minimalistic psychedelic blazers, structural black & white… and then delicate pastels or nudes or whites ( Tisci’s talents ). The fil rouge ? It’s the sense of adventure, of travel. But here again, it’s probably a spatio-temporal travel, following psychedelic roads, which means twisted roads. The genders, in pure Dionysos style, are confused. There you have the ultrafeminine dresses – and then the almost man-alike ensembles. Playing with subtle references and draping of great quality, Tisci sure knows how to achieve a beautiful collection.

Viktor & Rolf: Another unique show: pursuing last spring’s effort, V&R manage to do a spectacular show, which could metaphorically be named a ‘tart’. Or a cake, or a gâteau, or as you want. But it’s pâtisserie, it’s fun, it’s preciosity, it’s an overdose of pastels and tulle to eat, to break, to cut as slices of cake. Almost a parody of nuptial dresses, an overdose of kitschy rococcò meeting surrealism. A rather intelligent product, in fact, because it questions fashion itself but it’s still having – lots of – fun. There’s also an optimistic message in these impossible dresses: impossible doesn’t mean the end of fashion. It means accept experimentation and offer a product to… savour. Because of course you have to digest that amount of roses and trickling sentimentalism. Worse than St-Honoré, much worse than macarons… It’s a baroque digression, creating caves and architecture of the laugh in mountaigns of tulles. It’s almost landscape fashion, playing with perspective and perception, cutting the edges, ‘cultivating’ the flowers of the dresses. Viktor&Rolf’s clothes, which are probably unwearable for the most, are alive. They also remembers comic books magic, impossible things, superheroes with large wings, perhaps evoking a V form. V as victory, and this was definitely one.

Miu Miu: In Paris much was about the child in us. But at Miu Miu Miuccia managed to create an unbelievable ambivalent product. Take these fabrics: these are baby sheets. I may even have some in the closet, somewhere, full of dust. Baby sheets for an adult woman: here is the décalage of a scaring Lolita, wearing nude and flames… with cats. Cats very similar to the Aristocats, weird products of bourgeoise fantasy. The preppy necks of the clothes enhance that curious sense of je ne sais quoi that makes these outfits scary and somewhat unappropriate. Pink panthers seeming to escape from the clothes, ’sweet’ playing cats on innocent braids… But the excess of prints, the use of red also evoke something rather dangerous. Sweet and spice and everything nice, but also lunatic as a cat. Miuccia plays with the very essence of the line, the “baby” line of Prada, accentuating the kitschissime aspect. But in doing that, she somehow manages to find great tailoring ideas on a very disturbing theme. It needs further ponderation !


Valentino: Beauty: finally Chiuri + Piccioli are claiming Valentino as theirs. And it’s working: whereas first shows were painful Valentino’s – bad – revisitations, here you can clearly find the quality of the accessories they did before: a subtle romanticism, very Rock n’Rose Couture, a sapient use of ruffles and transparencies and soft fabrics. The palette is beautiful, from nude to grey to black, the details are simply awesome: it’s beautiful to see couturiers taking Valentino’s heir. Even if the conceptual beauty, the supreme beauty of it isn’t as spectacular as Facchinetti’s, the magic seems to happen. Enjoyable clothes with an almost carnivalesque – but as in venetian, melancholic Carnival – atmosphere: delicate, soft, feminine, subtle. And very, very beautiful. Which was after all the first quality we looked for at Valentino.

Haider Ackermann: Paris was great, but I also missed Theyskens very much. So it was kind of nice to see Haider Ackermann take a little Theyskens-y turn ( even if sometimes too obvious ). ‘Passage to India’ is an ode to the new Botticelli beauty. The column look Ackermann is so good at was omnipresent, in greys especially. But the intricate ‘bowing’ and draping gave to it a very statue-like quality. It has the dramaticity of Bernini’s statues, but also the postcolonialistic India look: safran and beige-pearl tones. Fabrics moirées, knotted to the neck, full of holes and ‘fluid’ voids: there’s an expressivity on the body in Ackermann’s work that is quite extraordinary. I can certainly say that I want to buy every clothing piece in the collage. And that is not quite often the case.

Ann Demeulemeester: Remember Fall’s trend about birds ? Well it’s back. And it’s actually better. I loved Demeulemeester’s simple and efficient rhetoric. Two main themes: cages and passion. As in Jesus one. But it’s fun because it’s treated in a very protestant way, with retenue. Black and white, white and black: you can discern lots of moral, or psychological references in this show. I love how the ‘caging’ begins on the head but continue… to the shoes. Burdens, showed as spined crows, could be interpreted in many ways ( most obvious and boring being the recession-cages-fashion one ). But what’s also extraordinary is the beauty of the clothes themselves, which are very basic after all. All the pathos comes from the prints and the accessories: litter-y ( thanks to Leslie for the comparaison ) chain necklaces, remembering here again medieval knights. And this is very fall 2009. You could also spot a spring 2010 trend in here, a.k.a the sport one: aren’t these ‘chain masks’ similar to rugby ones, for example ? Isn’t this leather very sporty ? There are many levels in this show, and it’s gonna take us more time to explorate them all.

Yohji Yamamoto: Fontana. Arte Povera. Nouveaux Réalistes. But also Dario Argento. Polanski. Legend ( Ridley again ! ). Frankenstein. Etc, etc, etc. The Yohji Yamamoto is a very smart divagation on the horror theme. The gun holes on the clothes look so very Argento in their ironical effect. The green hair is sooooo creeps. And of course the paroxysm is in the Polanski-esque Legend-esque white ‘Wendy’ long dresses. Creepy but very very cool. Never before the ‘eaten by the termites’ grand-ma’s old dress has been so fashionable. But thanks to Yamamoto it becomes conceptual. Even artsy. Everything is black & white, but he litterally shoots on the basics. Smart little details, spoiling these clothes, making them more interesting. I love the asymettrical cutting of one dress, the unexpected leather jacket matched with violet eye make-up. It’s dramatic, it’s fun, it’s intense. And it looks just like on a movie set. So, well done.

Rick Owens: Told you I didn’t classified shows. Because Rick Owens is sure one of my very favorites. It has everything I love: minimalism with a twist, futuristic references, edgy cuttings. The bracelets in themselves are pure art, remembering me a loooot of futuristic fascist art. I know, this sounds oxymoric but in fact it exists, at least in Italy. Fascism managed to create beautiful architectonic ensembles, such as the EUR ( one of my favorite places in Rome, it is an entire district built for an expo, I don’t remember which year exactly ). Well, I see much resemblances between Owens’ show and the EUR. This may sound not really like a compliment, but it is. The way everything is straight and perfect and geometrical and lighty remind me of the ‘organized’ architecture I love – I do admit – very much. Then of course it’s Owens, so the shoes are here to trouble the geometrical effect a little bit, but you still have the feelings these clothes are made with a square. The fantasy ‘wing’ element is also very beautiful because it escapes from this ‘tidy’ trend. There’s place for imagination, dream, even a little fantasy. But still, this army of perfect black-grey-black knights remain a little bit troubling. Masks for perfect -architectural- robots ?

John Galliano: I spoke about Gillray before – Rei K. seemed to evoke him. One that does love him for sure is Galliano. But this time it’s a twisted Gillray-ish product he sent on the runway. A cacophonic micro-apocalypse, surrounded by an awesome production (and here I could swear it’s De Betak). As usual at Galliano make-up and hair are one of the most striking aspects of the show. Sad faces, almost clownesques, lost between historical periods. There’s Gillray’s world, than it looks like what, war-times ? And everything is worn together, which makes it even quirky. The product is ugly, but the interesting thing is it’s clearly meant to be ugly, disturbing, overly kitsch and de mauvais goût. It’s like Gillray depicted the Hell: everything is the wrong way, upside down, colors aren’t matching and textures either. It’s perhaps the most personal psyché of the woman that appears here: cahotic, confused, but in a certain way beautiful. A melancholic ” bellezza brutta “, striking and difficult to forget.

Tim Hamilton: Remember those super scaring nurses or sick people pictures from…. well I’d say 19th century ? They had these glasses precisely. And they were SUPER scary. And troubling. And Tim Hamilton’s show impresses me because of that. Because of this consecration of the sickness-theme (we’ve seen it before in N-Y, London, Milan and it’s indeed an intriguing and revealing trend). White nurses, or red patients. Even if those sunglasses only symbolize extraordinary travels the connotation is still super strong. Here again, it has a little bit of a steampunk inspiration – but in an aseptyc, monochromatic world. The setting is interesting, the clothes are beautiful. That makes an enjoyable show…

Lanvin: I found this show marvellous at first sight. Then I have to admit I’m almost bored with it. I mean, it’s really beautiful, it’s great, it’s plenty of different beautiful elements, it’s very Elbaz whilst remaining totally wearable but… I weirdly haven’t much to say – or should I say to write – about it. Colors. Draping. Volumes. Orientalism ( remember Aqui+Ri? ). Transparencies. Beautiful use of black. Great hair. Then ? It’s perhaps a little bit disappointing that Elbaz seems to stick at beautiful clothes, and that’s all. It’s still a very beautiful show, don’t get me wrong, but…. what’s gonna happen next time ? Because this feels very repetitive after all.

Gareth Pugh: And finally Gareth: he does a beautiful silver army. He seems to exasperate Alex Wang’s try – Snejana’s outfit mixing sporty shoes with apocalyptical deep fantasy clothing. Crows and triangles are everywhere, very strongly ‘cabalistical’. It’s a dark vision of angels or birds, perhaps with broken wings, perhaps only fallen ones. An ode to quirkiness that looks kind of good after all.


__________________________


As you may know I’m from Sicily… actually from a place very, very close to Messina. So I’m deepely shocked by what happened there, and I hope it won’t be rapidly forgotten as usual. There is such an amount of tragedies these days, there are no words to describe my sense of anxiety and sadness.
Mia of Un ago nel pagliaio has written an important article on the subject here – but I can give you the count the city of Messina has given:
C.C. IBAN IT 91Y0102016598000300034781; C.C.P. N. 1406398
You have to intest it to “Comune di Messina – Servizio Tesoreria”, the cause being: “pro-alluvionati”.

On another matter, because this is still a fashion blog despite all the tragedies of the world – perhaps to forget about them ? – here’s a little preview of my Paris impressions – the Polanski quote isn’t ironical, I assure you: incredibly beautiful shows ( Balenciaga, Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Lanvin, unbelievable ones ( Viktor & Rolf !! ) . . . Givenchy looks also very promising, so: chapeau, Paris !

septembre 29, 2009

Milano WTF ? Let’s pray the berlusca-effect ( thank you suzy ! ) or the mediocrity-effect if you prefer ( I’m not good at politically correct ) won’t stay long… though I’ve seen some beautiful exceptions…


Aquilano.Rimondi: You know they’re my chouchous, my favorites, my ‘it’-stylists: even if I preferred their architectural, more dramatic signature ( Ferré last year ! ) I love the preciosity of every outfit, the subtle detailing, the delicate gold palette. I agree with style.com’s review: each piece is a standout. Embrode, drape, ‘ruffle’… There’s such a simple energy in every movement of dresses, militar-inspired coats, shirts. The belting is very clever, the shoes (here again, bandage !) are simply perfect… I even love the greenish tones. But the greatest standout is of course (at least to me, I’m sorry but this ‘review’ is made just of ‘I love’/'I like’… ^^) the purple dress… the purple dresses, I’d dream to wear one of these ! So: this collection isn’t the greatest, isn’t unforgettable, isn’t spectacular, but I like it for being so serious. Nothing is random, everything matters and you can see this beautiful fil rouge allover the effort.



Jil Sander: Ispiration? Zabriskie Point. I’m superdelighted of course because it’s one of my favorite movies. And Raf Simmons makes a wonderful job with that theme. I also see tons of Burri-references, again !Following last autumn’s trend, here is a very land artian collection. Clothes as earth, desert, dust. But also ashes, holes, desertification. Even forests and water… The show is traditional Jil Sander minimalism, but the Burri moments ( especially on beige clothes ) add to it an interesting, though perhaps too intellectual touch.Of course white pieces are always wearable, which makes a good balance between experiments and tangible pieces. Here are some images I think could be related to Jil Sander’s collection, both from Burri and Antonioni. I find fascinating the way two similar references can make a link between two really, really different shows – as Rodarte and Jil Sander.



Prada: Here again, not the most beautiful Miuccia’s season ( of course we must say last one was really epic ) but if you forget those awfulbeach prints you still have an interesting collection, experimental but weirdly good looking after all. The neoprene coat look more sartorial than silk or anything that precious, and even the kitschy shoes become strangely glam. You could say that it’s more a Resort collection than a spring-summer one, but at least it’s something both new and appealing. And in Milan’s general poverty, it’s really welcome.



Gianfranco Ferré: At first I was super disappointed: I still had last collection – more than 10/10 – in my mind. But then I thought about Gianfranco Ferré’s desperate financial situation and realized how clever and still beautiful was this fluid, light, uncomplicated collection. Plus the shoes are a real bonus !! So, I can accept the compromise… for now ! But I’m impatient to see Aqui+Ri’s next efforts !



Gabriele Colangelo: Another light, pure, conceptual and very well done collection. The young ones are doing beautiful things in Italy, that’s perhaps the only consolation ! I like Colangelo’s work, and I also love the electric inspiration in his collections, which makes it not the usual ‘neutral-minimalistic’ effort but a show with a deeper and more brilliant signification.



Bottega Veneta: Imagine these clothes without the unneeded details a.k.a. jewels and bags and ’sportsy’ accents. You have then beautiful withe dresses, very similar to white canvas to paint on. It’s that extreme white, almost blending, that makes Bottega Veneta’s show interesting and very spring. A nice collection, as many usually are, but this season sadly this is the last one !



A note of optimism: Paris has started and I already like and I’m intrigued by Balenciaga and Gareth Pugh, so let’s hope it will make us forget this mediocrity !

Anyway, I’m really really sorry for my poor ‘reviewing’, I guess Milan really hasn’t inspired me hat all, which makes me very sad ( even more thinking about Dell’Acqua’s absence )… If I look at last season’s Milan post I see a huge, enthusiastic voice… ” Milan is always my favorite week “. Well, I hope next time I will be that voice again !


septembre 24, 2009

I think I liked many things in London: hair here, initial idea there… it was generally not bad, kind of relaxed and soft and pastell-ish and really calm. I guess I expected a little more from some designers but in the end there were nice surprises and very very nice ‘guidelines’. This ’sexy in pastels’ trend is awesome and well done by Kane, Burberry ( how cool ! First time I really liked a Burberry show ), Louise Goldin,  Richard Nicoll, etc. etc. etc. ! Everyone added a touch of pastel, but combined with edgy looks, most of the times on the ‘bra’ or the shoes. I was also amazed by Paul Smiths reference to the sapeurs ( if you ask me my stylistical ‘icons’, I may tell you about them ) though the show wasn’t good enough. Even if I don’t like ‘Bonne Maman’ print (marmelade) à la Christopher Kane, I loved the way he demolished the Bardot-St Trop’ obvious reference. Meadham Kirchhoff was stunning as well, and I like the way they’re evolving, not so intellectually but also with feminine and very appealing pieces. Yes, London was a bit of fresh air, and even if I expected more from the 25th anniversary I realize how much I enjoyed everything. Nothing exceptional, nothing coup de théâtre, but damn great. As for Milan, I’ve seen the first Prada pictures, so promising ! And Marras has stolen my heart, as usual. Anyway. London faves !

Meadham and Kirchhoff

Last season was already very good, but this time Meadham and Kirchhoff did a truly fantastic collection: it’s poetic and conceptual at the same time, it’s shiny and B&W, it “even has pink”. I want right now these pants with the holes (DIY?), the ribbony shoes, and I want to learn their draping. That white shirt only is already an achievement in itself. These have grown up in lyrical yet still goth-appealing clothes, between Tim Walker and Tim Burton, fairytales and nightmares. It’s also a dreamy collection with really wearable stuff, such as the amazing t-shirts ( it even has a 80′ vibe ! ). The ’swan’ white dresses are so beautiful, they remind me of earlier Nina Ricci / Rochas, but with that londonian edge. This is really a no-fault show, and these designers are already in my heart.

Christopher Kane

Wooow, more than twenty-one looks saved ! And I said I hated the Bonne Maman Vichy look ! I really hate Vichy usually. But this is too well done ( though here again I see a loooot of that Dell’Acqua season, I don’t remember exactly which one, but the OBI japanese pastel one. Avant-gardiste ! ), especially the pink pieces. I love the way Kane deconstructed the theme of Lolita with that much skin exposure. More than sexuated, yet à la garçonne because of the tux. There was a coherency troughout the whole show that was really admirable ( and we don’t see that quite often ). Perhaps the shoes are a little bit low, but I love the pink nails. I also love the way Kane incorporated creamy white and nude in his baby blues and baby pinks. And I loved the lingerie mix – please, it is a Dell’Acqua topos ! Of course I loved it !… Kane proved his talent, even if this show could seem ’simpler’ or less fierce than usual, I’m glad to see such controlled maturity. Crazy London days are over ? Perhaps these aren’t such bad news.

Burberry

Best London surprise by far: for how many seasons have I been disappointed by Burberry ? That unfinished, unpolished, extremely boring look made me crazy. But this time… magic happened ! Perhaps London is a better place than Milan, but I found here everything I loved: trench, of course. I can’t choose the one I like the best, they are so different but so strong, and that pastel palette is truly unbelievable. Green one perhaps ? ( by the way, thelike-an-ice-cream-color’ trend is stronger than ever, since three seasons now it has been the it coloring thing ). But not only pastels: metallics, of course, socks ( told you !!! ), and a beige or pearl grey that never seemed so glam and so right. The only thing which is almost boring this time is how the show is perfect and without any sartorial ‘mistake’. A liiiitlle bit more imagination next time ? But who cares, these trenchs are so yummy…

Johnatan Saunders

Seriously, still not sure about the PASTELS trend ? I don’t even know if you say pastels in english btw ! But: lime, light violet, light peach pink, bluette, cream, light mint, celadon, cerulean… SO delicate ! SO refreshing ( like an ice-cream, told you. Spring spring spring ! ). I love the lightness I’ve spotted in London ( or perhaps just in these shows I loved the most ? ). Johnatan Saunders made a stupendous work; I see references to Malevic ( and actually Malevic’s best art period ), Lissitzsky and the great Suprematists. It’s one of my favorite art styles, so I couldn’t be happier. Plus the layering is so smart, uncomplicated, light. I admit it: I hadn’t realized how I loved so many things in London before writing this article and looking at all the pictures again. I’m just like an enthusiastic kid ( and I thought London was disappointing first !! ) with big, big eyes. Spring-summer has never seemed so joyful and light and fresh and clean ! For the first time I think I’m gonna like a lot spring-summer 2010. Well let’s wait for Milan and Paris but this is promising ! Anyway. Saunders, Saunders, Saunders ! Scottish genius. And how good made to him working at Pollini ?

Richard Nicoll

Another usual favorite of mine, doing a ‘bilan’ collection. I still madly love his military keffieh + medals (!) ( as in resort ), and the mix of purple and orange or blue and grey is very very delicate. Perhaps it lacks a bit of coherency in a global inspiration ( too much of everything ? ) but some looks were so appealing I couldn’t resist liking it. And I totally need a medal-belt right now !!

Louise Goldin

Juicy and spikey: I adore the punk Lolita theme. Of course it’s very Madonna, but these pastel ( great, you say pastel in English ! ) tones are here again doing the difference: kinda reminding me of those little umbrellas which you put in desserts, the skirts of the dresses are really, really beautiful. And if you don’t really feel the pointy bra you could still have those freakin’ shoes ( best London shoes for me ), perhaps in pink: the punk Barbie, awesome oxymoron ! I don’t remember any Fashion Week with so much paralleles and general coherency as in this London one: perhaps the magic of the 25th ?

Perhaps not as peculiar as the shows I mentioned before, though with many good and suitable outfits, I also liked Pringle of Scotland ( did you spot the bandage shoes ? See, another confirmed trend ! Yayyyy ! ) for the beauty of its essential simplicity. I’m starting to get quite fond on that yellow-lime-lemon color, also !


Final outcome: a very mature season in London, soft yet always sexy, with amazing colors ( and that was a huge + point ) and relaxed but impeccable cuttings.

LONDON BEATS NEW-YORK without a doubt !


septembre 17, 2009

New-York shows part II

RODARTE. My first real coup de cœur. I have litterally tons of things to say about this show, mainly positive facts. Why do I love it that much ? At first sight I tought Rodarte was being predictable – not so different from like three seasons ago. But then there were the tattoos, the make-up, and new techniques on the clothes. The way the Mulleavy sisters worked on the garments reminded me very, very much of Burri: he was an incredibile italian artist, well known for his Land Art works but also for his ‘paintings’. He was in the Arte Povera movement and did some works you surely know. The ‘textures’ in my collages are from his works. He is besides one of my favorite painters and related to my favorite movie, Deserto Rosso.

But this isn’t about Burri ! I said painting: the show also had massive references to both cinema and comic-books: from an italian point of view I could recognize some of the fumetti I read when I was little (Diabolik for example), but I guess we can generally see a post-colonialistic adventure mood. The time setting is very complicated: I find myself thinking about Gothic (the pathos of Füssli, or architectonic gothic work), but also about preraphaelite’s dark colors and atmospheres AND also Salgari or Verne’s adventures around the world… Of course the location setting is easier: they speak about the Death Valley, I also see something amazonian, especially with that poison green – curare perhaps? I really loved the fact that the Mulleavys did a linguistic game with spring-summer: the warmth isn’t in the colors nor in the textures ( kind of autumnal ) but it is in the overall feeling of anxious asphixiation, which was a very interessant transfert. The bloody bordeaux was also very smart: it wasn’t too trashy-obvious-Dario Argentesque but wasn’t neutral either. Like these unbelievable lips: red as blood but surrounded with black, dead, ground color. The tribal tattoos also suggested some ‘death’-idea. I almost forgot cinema: you can picture yourself Herzog obsessive amazonian works ( Aguirre and Fizcarraldo ) but with Dario Argento or Pulp movies costumes and horror details. I can picture myself a gothic house, perhaps on palafittes, and these macabre presences around… you can almost feel the warm weather, the rainy hell, the poisonous nature. I love the way Rodarte make me travel with my mind. I imagine a hunt for a precious mask in the amazonian forest, or for a relique in the Death  Valley… anyway.

The main problem is the un-wearability of the clothes ( which isn’t a problem to me because I love fashion-for-art collections ): interesting options were the black t-shirts + black pants, a very minimalistic Rodarte piece but a stand-out anyway. Second problem – more serious: what are they gonna do next ? I’m afraid they’ll arrive to a point where there’s nothing more to do with their ’signature’ techniques. But only time will tell, and this season I’m just happy to see a collection that speaks that much to me.

Marc Jacobs ! I never, never, never tought I was gonna like or at least find some MJ’s show interesting ( even if he was a friend of Sprouse ). I love the circus trend for spring-summer ( I love really many of these future trends btw ). Also loved the way Marc mixed it with pastel, lingerie effects. It is a little bit too much something Antonio Marras could do ( and Marras do it better ) but this theatrical flour-dust and this mix of military and feminine does wonders. I don’t know if I would’ve like the clothes so much without that make-up and chignons: but I love the way it reminds me of Fellini’s clown, a more melancholic image of clowns and Pierrots. There is a sad softness in these figures, something subtle and touching. I’d say well done.

Matthew Ames. I love his work, mainly because of his minimalistic search of void and nothing. His show wasn’t certainly very new, but it was refrershing and well balanced: I especially love his t-shirt dresses ( the yellow one ! ), more couture than any baroque complication. Pink and turquoise is also a beautiful ensemble, the asian sporty sensivity gives a metaphysical, almost religious intensity to the all-white clothes.

Donna Karan: I’ll use the word ‘refreshing’ again, but this time it’s thanks to Modainsegni ( best blogger for passionate fashion debates ). Donna Karan does draping – not new. But she does it in such a confident and midimalistic ( sorry for the expression ! ) kind of way, adding a rare balance to her work. Perhaps, here again, the make-up makes much of this enchanting spell, but the clothes in themselves have a soft solidity that will do wonders.

Calvin Klein: Not my favorite Costa’s effort, but it was still a solid one. I think the fluidity of the clothes may erase a little bit of that beautiful architectural minimalism Costa is capable of. But even with this minus, this is another refreshing show: light colors, not so obvious cuttings and textures ( though Prada-inspired? ), interesting ton-sur-ton layering. My favorite piece is the little light blue dress Sasha is wearing: it could appear like a… tissue, but it doesn’t because of a sophisticated balance. Perhaps here it’s the triumph: it’s of course very difficult to do minimalistic / geometrical effects on extralight and fluids and without squares dresses. Not bad.

Proenza Schouler: Sophisticated looks ? Awesome. ‘Simple’ looks ? Obvious and boring. Tedious. Which was really sad because the ’sophisticated’ looks were interesting. I love the way they worked on the chemise blanche, giving to it a more sinister effect. It was disappointing that only 2 or 3 models (?) had coloured hair. Why not more ? I also liked the mix of day-glo tones ( Sprouse anyone ? ) and the unexpected color duos ( blue + shining green ). So it’s very fifty / fifty to me !

Jill Stuart: Bloggers seems to looooOOOOOooooOOOOOOve this collection. I found it cute but if last spring was my one of my very favorites ( dancers ! skincolor ! shoes ! ) this one is just a decent collection with some cute pieces. I’m still a little bit disappointed.

Dennis Basso. Ok, just because I love the tutu form. Otherwise there isn’t many to say about a cute but very messageless collection ! Perhaps the veeeeeeery light reference to Degas.

SO. Remember last post spotted trends? I added a few. The list tells:

Chaussettes
Bleu-vert (turquoise clair aqua green)
Yellow dress
Bandages / anatomy
Kids painting
Seventies ( Totally. You can see it in London )

SPOTTED TRENDS – PART II


Ballroom / soccer / rugby / sport uniforms
Obi belts ? ( copy of Dell’Acqua btw )

Circus (<3)
Masks
Butterfly
Ultrapale make-up – circus // burning-red / burned / sand make-up – desert
BEIGE IS THE NEW GREY

Cool looks.

septembre 14, 2009

N-Y fashion week part I

It’s that time of year again ! And I couldn’t be happier… Dear Fashion Week genius, this year I … Anyway.

Spotted MASSIVELY on N-Y’s runways ( around a half week ): ANATOMY-BANDAGES-BONES trend / AQUA GREEN-BLUE / LITTLE YELLOW DRESS ( mostly mustard ) / SOCKS ( massively indeed ) / kids painting ( this one is not so noticeable but I find it too cute ) / SEVENTIES ( way too much for my taste ).

My favorites until now ? For once I’d say Alexander Wang and I’m really happy to say that. He didn’t try the ‘mature’ approach, he stayed Wang-Bang and that’s what he does the best. Plus the rugby theme is brilliant: even if I only know football ( god, for you american football is really THAT ? Sometimes you scare me ) because of Any given sunday and this monologue:

You find out life’s this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game – life or football – the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They’re in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!”

More quotes here. Anyway, even if I don’t unterstand rugby I can’t deny its pathos and its beautiful rough aesthetic. Wang puts sexyness in a really male world, he successes to achieve the perfect balance between sporty-négligé ( I adore the hair ) and runway look. The apotheosis is to me Abbey’s look: a quarterback angel, a wonderful figure for sport ( because seriously, we always wish for miracles – and I know that being a huge soccer fan ) as for fashion. Candid and rough, paradoxal and functional. So so beautiful. I also adore the stripey items, unbelievable !

This red sweater is THE key piece…. I love the holes, and I’m just desperate because my mum had a pullover just like that and I would’ve diy-ed it… such a shame she found it uninteresting – and perhaps I did to at the time !

Btw, I also supermegaadore the eyebrows: they’re the perfect detail !

Second collection I really liked. Weirdly enough I hate beige. And I don’t really like khaki. But Erin’s interpretation – as in Fetherston – is so soft and sweet that I still find these clothes simply beautiful. They’re not as magic as last season, but they’re perhaps more tailored and acheived. Also more bourgeois with that pastel blues….  but there’s still aristocracy-irony in the fake tuxedos. So great to go with that short tux on a red carpet…

Beautiful try. Not exciting but well done !

Other beautiful show because of its cuttings – and here it’s more flagrant – was Preen. I love the simple complexity about it – I swear I’ll stop with oxymores. These aren’t clothes to be analyzed or commented much: just admired because of that edgy cut. Yellow + grey = great.

This is more a crush or coup de coeur: litterally because it’s all about anatomy and veins and blood and everything. Of course it’s way funnier than biology classes. VPL also does beautiful clothes, but with a clear message: I love that boney assymetrical jacket and I absolutely love the ribcages ensembles. Looks even cynical on a model but… I’d wear it right now. I also love the use of sequins, unexpected messengers of lust and parties in a world of sickness… or perhaps are the party girls the strongest ? Flirting with the Hippocratic Oath makes a wonderful result. Even with that horrible orange color.

What’s about asymetrical cuts for New-York designers ? It really seems more than a trend. It may be boring but these clothes are still accomplished, almost too perfect to be interesting. I’d say Cushnie & Ochs did it the best way ! Way sexier than Léger. But that’s only my opinion…

We all know the Majorettes, the Voguettes, the Mistinguettes, the…. but did you know the Thutankamonettes ? Crazy egyptian modernisation done with some taste at Ohne Titel. Colors are of course more Mondrian than egyptian but the poses, the hair, the draping is perfect: momies’ coming back, yay !! I love the dress Maryna’s wearing. That’s the ‘kid painting’ part. But it could also be Art Brut. Lovely.

Girly girly trend at Cynthia Rowley, but there’s something intriguing, perhaps a little bit Chadwick Tyler in a Crewdson land in it… Some dangerous force laying down. Get ready for the cream attack ! Love the cream shorts. And the pink ones.

See Cushnie & Ochs above: Azrouel is also doing beautiful dresses with cut-outs…. but the really stunning item is of course that wonderful bleach grey jean jacket Tao is wearing. Priceless.

Here are the unexpected ‘like’: I like post-victorian psychology, victorian’s architecture in a horror way ( read Hitchcock ) but I’m not THAT into victorian normally. Tough Greene’s ensembles and the general mood are really appealing: especially that sweet-and-strong white blazer, here again it could be the one of a nurse or a sick woman… There’s something scary about those poses and those hair. Kinda like it. What do you say?

I admit it: I like it only because of the Pina Bausch’ quote. Tough some white dresses were really beautiful and ephemere. I also liked – again – the bones / rib-cage look. But it still looks kind of predictible… I don’t know, I ain’t decided really what I really think about Chado Ralph Rucci

Now. Some random notes I wanted to write about other collections.

1. That outfit Sheila’s wearing is a killing one. It’s simple, yes, but I love the yellow-greenish shade of the nailpolish, the militar cut and… I don’t know, it just screams perfection. It’s the same for Irina’s outfit ( n.8 ). How to wear la marinière ! I needed this.
2. Leather ethereal punky nun. WAY too good.
3. Pina Bausch seems pretty influencial, no ?
4. Erin Wasson copied H&M for this look – and the H&M’s dress is actually BETTER. Scary.
5. Don’t you love architectural maquettes ? This looks like Princeton University studios. Brilliant.
6.+7. Military but not so much… if you don’t want a too evident message wear it on the bottom. I want that. Need that. Need to DIY that. Lol ?

9. Loving the Renoir / Lautrec mood about it. Why ain’t fashion more inspired by art ?
10. That silky a la leather gilet is SICK. So so so beautiful. The color besides…
11. When I say bandages… Revenge of the mummyyyyyyyyyy !! Love this horror-movie turn. Expect more about it.
12. Beautiful example of LYD.
13. The perfect leather jacket. I always love silver one but this is neither tacky nor too eighties-related. So beautiful ! It looks like little redhood cape. Only silver and leather.
14. Pure victorian. So much it’s quite fun.
15. Again, the simplest the best ( at least for the ‘ to wear ‘ shows )
16-17-18. Juan Carlos Obando, I love you ! I know the Magnificent Seven by heart ( or is the english title the Seven Missionaries? I don’t remember ), I’m so obsessed with western.
21-22-23. Aqua androgyne the right way. Effin’ love the shoes.

…Last but not the least, the other ‘interesting’ looks !

BONUS: FW looks I love so very much…


septembre 9, 2009

I wasn’t in time to send my picture yesterday but this is something very, very important: Italian women protesting against violence. Thus Tuzi had the idea of joining forces and voices. The idea was – is, you can add your voice putting this logo on your blog – to wear something WHITE : here are my contributions, and the ones of the other italian bloggers. I can’t say how proud I’m of Tuzi for this idea. Make this happen: protest too ! Here is the government manifest.

Stop ! Don’t forget about it…

Copy the logos !

Logo 1:

<a href=”http://www.pariopportunita.gov.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1208:g8-conferenza-internazionale-sulla-violenza-contro-le-donne&catid=45:comunicati-stampa&Itemid=226″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i32.tinypic.com/zjuy5e.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Clicca”></a>

Logo 2:
<a href=”http://www.pariopportunita.gov.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1208:g8-conferenza-internazionale-sulla-violenza-contro-le-donne&catid=45:comunicati-stampa&Itemid=226″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i26.tinypic.com/mt55w1.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Clicca”></a>