speedy sporty céline (March 4th, 2012)
Twitter hearsay has already pegged the Céline show for being an ultra-sport rendition of the label's iconic ultra-feminine aesthetic, and I am left to only agree with the general consensus after viewing the clothes myself. And when I say "viewing the clothes," I mean lazily scrolling through online image galleries, peeking through half-lidded eyes, all while scrunched up in bed as the TV drones on in the background, and a glass of freshly-squeezed OJ beckons me from the kitchen and urges me to get up. Lazy Sunday indeed. But back to the task at hand...
After three years under the helm of the French house, we can safely say that designer Phoebe Philo always delivers a reliably mod-lux collection each season, with each one being more re-inventive the previous. But it was this time around for Fall that she momentarily abandoned her three-dimensional perception of clothes and focused entirely on spotlighting her sculptural finesse. Pieces were strategically fitted in ways that offered a divided take on sportswear: both the form-fitting and the looser alternative. Knee-length maxi coats were body-conscious while cropped leather blousons seemed bulbous off the arms, creating a more elevated and oversized look. Both staples did however share generous color treatments at the hand of Philo, turning up as they did in stark whites and geometrically-spliced color patterns. One particular neoprene turtleneck sweater featuring a graphic black and white ziz-zag pattern lined in blinding neon pink trimmed fur was reminiscent of one graphic piece from Fall 2011 that lit up the eyes of retailers worldwide. As I said, reinvention always makes its way onto the Céline platform.
images via style.com
And as if the sportiness wasn't already efficiently conveyed by the overall silhouette of each look, some of which resembled genuine tracksuits (I'm talking about those cropped side-striped white trousers), Philo went the extra mile to include accessories in forms of leather scarves that featured bold chevron patterns- sportiness personified in sartorial terms.
All of this streamlined innovation comes from the woman that stands responsible for the ubiquitous street-style stuff we've all spotted constantly on the blogosphere. I mean, I'm willing to bet a good chunk of change (or rather not, I need it for tomorrow's lunch) that a pair of the brand's Audrey sunglasses or one classic Céline tote bag will pop up in one of tomorrow morning's Bloglovin's feed vignettes. All in all, this widespread popularity stands to prove that Philo has managed to singlehandedly convert the house of Céline into a commercial phenomenon without losing the high quality of the brand. We've seen many designers come and go for failing to do exactly that, but my gut says that Philo belongs to a group of special anomalies that refuse to sell their soul and integrity for the sake of commercial success.
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towards the west (March 2nd, 2012)
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towards the west (March 2nd, 2012)
Any sartorial reference to the old West normally encourages me to release some sort of begrudged groan, followed by mental recollections of clichéd stereotypes barging on tacky cowboy hats, chinky spurs, and the ever-spoken past-time of "saddling-up." But my reflection could just be a result of my living at the mecca of supposed country life (in reality, it's not as much country as it is pure suburbia). Imagine my surprise when earlier today courtier to the devil-may-care woman Isabel Marant ironically traveled to the far Wild West for her eponymous Fall 2012 collection, a Parisian reinterpretation of classic Western-wear that brought about visual hordes of flowery, leather riding pants- a Marant staple- and blazers sturdily tailored enough to help these women brave adventures in the countryside as female outlaws. All that was missing was the appropriate millinery but I breathed a sigh of relief postulating that Marant probably realized even she couldn't take the cowboy hat past its kitschy state.
images via style.com
Marant did succeed, as she always does, in embracing the feminine form not only through an already expected method of close tailoring, but through the use of subtle print. And what other way to introduce a visual depiction of the Wild West than with the prevalent wildflower? Well, I'm sure the designer could have opted for a heeled boot with the aforementioned spurs here and there in search of a more metaphorical debacle but clearly she preferred to pull the reins back a bit (thematic pun intended). The result was a wispily beautiful show. That particular wildflower print showed up in dual form- both embroidered onto a pair of side-studded jeans with flare bottoms that featured button clasps (a novel take on denim), and perforated in sheer lace (both forms graced model Aymeline Valade in last photo). A particular set of cropped suede bi-color trousers stand out as one of the few unexpected portrayals of Western culture, but falls short in comparison to the many other looks that reinforced the commonly adopted view of American civilization. I say civilization without the suggested prehistoric undertone. Marant is all about modernity anyway. Saddle up, boys and girls. Or actually, just girls.
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an oriental proenza (February 17th, 2012)
I've spent the past two days slapping myself awake from a mind-numbing turn of events that took place approximately... those two days ago. In blunt form, the short answer to my extended mental disfunction is Proenza Schouler. I know, just the two words send sartorial chills through your fashion-hungry bones. In explicit form, the answer lies in Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez' Fall 2012 exploration of the world's oriental corners that resulted in an exquisite amalgam of pristine white pantsuits (with an asymetrical kick), continual layering of cocooning leather coats over voluminous leather trousers, and the label's signature texture/print play. Honestly, I needed a grapple-hook to sling me back to my original birds-eye watching position after just the corner-turn of the first look of the show. No exaggeration intended.
After review of the twitter-verse shortly after the presentation, it became clear that the Proenza boys had undoubtedly boggled minds once again. Praise was ubiquitous. And although reviews are already sprouting up in military-like succession, I'm throwing in my two cents for further personal opinion's sake.
As a background brief, McCollough and Hernandez cited their desire to intertwine the spirits of Asia and New York into a single cohesive entity this time around for Fall. Their proposed inspiration from historic oriental uniforms like the kimono and traditional practices of martial arts was evident, with referenced thoughts narrowing in bulky outerwear and the particular set of ornate tunics that appeared towards end of show (literal take on the kimono). Adding the signature practicality element of New York to the Asian alternative, you end up with what the designer duo called the spirit of 'protection'. With Winter clearly making its presence known this season in the city, protection sounds like a sartorial wonder. Even more if its in Proenza Schouler form. The product of the duo's thought process took shape in tough all-leather looks, one featuring head-to-toe black and a memorable other pure sapphire with gorgeous quilted detail. However, a sense of protection clearly did not have to be constricted to its austere stereotype considering the designers' several stark white ensembles that opened the show. The jackets, collared shirts, and wide-pants were structured and fitted while offering a loose attribute. McCollough and Hernandez did mention that they were opting for more of a slouch this season, giving reason to the ease and volume injected in each look, no matter how rigid the piece. Of course, I can't forget the asymmetrical lining on the opening jacket, which no doubt signals the modernity of the collections' New York-based inspiration half.
Proenza Schouler would not really be Proenza Schouler without a certain experimentation of fabric, texture, and technique. Think of the boys as contemporary craftsmen, if you will, always managing to include the what-has-come-to-be signature constructing technique of weaving each season, as they did for this Fall. Crocheted skirts, quilted panel jackets, and intricate brocade embroideries are only some of the novel additions to the label's queue of innovative techniques, some of which we have yet to witness grace the runway. But for now, I feel basket weaving will at least last us until next season. At least I'll try my hardest to wait that long...
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wang's incognito (February 11th, 2012)
Amidst the bombardment of fashion week tweets circulating for the past few days from the source that is New York, as well as daily refreshments from style.com, it became quite easy to pinpoint the collection that's struck at my heartstrings the most thus far. While I do attempt to be impartial at all times, I must admit that I've always been a loyal sucker for dramatic sportswear so it would be fitting that American sportswear prince Alexander Wang created the ideal success story in my eyes this season. In previous shows, Wang has re-envisioned the unorthodox stadium map print (which oddly passed as navajo), re-modified the practicality of the anorak, reconstructed the business suit, and, tersely-speaking, drowned his girl in plain old cool clothes. This time around for Fall 2012, he covered up her up quite literally head-to-toe as the hoods and mesh mouth veils that adorned each alternative model signified "fashionably incognito" in its finest definition. I immediately thought "sombre ninja". Upon sight of the mesh detail and slouched hood on every other look, which included shimmery slicker coats, hooded tweed button-ups, leather skirts and padded puffer vests, I became inclined to grab the nearest katana/ninja star/samurai sword and prepare for action. I quickly realized I lacked the gut to go through with the plan. Either way, here are the eye-catching details:
images via style.com
Wang seems to be enjoying the fast track lately, what with his 'speed' inspired collection for Spring 2012 (I'm sure you can't get those chevrons out of your head), his soon-to-be-launched home accessories line, and his planned store expansion within the Chinese market. Now, with his new horde of veiled assailants for fall, he might just be nearing in for the kill.
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