Fall 2012: Dries Van Noten

With colours and palettes more suited for Spring, I have to admit I wasn't as enthusiastic about this Dries Van Noten collection like I have been by so many from past seasons. That's not to say this wasn't a good collection, though.
Silhouettes were streamlined, and jackets and coats... Oh, the jackets and coats! All very lovely, and in true Dries Van Noten style- tailored and very chic. Parkas were adorned with fur, while skirts and dresses were in kaleidoscope of possibly every colour imaginable. All, in all, it was a fresh and very modern collection.

Top 10 Collections of Fall 2011!

Well, I have to say I was pretty impressed with this season's collections from New York right through to Paris, so to say it was hard coming up with this list, is pretty much an understatement. I loved so many collections, (Elie Saab, Emmanuel Ungaro, Miu Miu, Chanel, to name a few) alas, there can only be ten. So here goes; my ten fave collections for Fall 2010 RTW:

10. Haider Ackermann

Having produced my fave collection last season, I surely wasn't disappointed this go round. Sure, the mood was a little darker this time, but the aesthetic was generally the same- draping juxtaposed with new shapes, all seen through the prism of sexual tension.

9. Celine

To talk about the best that fashion has to offer today and not mention Phoebe Philo's work with the house of Celine is kinda not getting it. Her designs are cutting edge, completely modern (with just a slight whiff of vintage) and altogether very sharp and well-tailored. This collection was another excellent one. Oh, and those coats? Beautiful!

8. Alexander McQueen

I really hope they aren't planning to replace head of design Sarah Burton at McQueen any time soon, because if there were any doubts as to whether she can carry on the original designer's name, there should be none by now. Burton's aesthetic isn't as dark at McQueen's was, at his best, but you know what? It doesn't need to be- she approaches each subsequent collection with such reverence and purity, it's almost easy to imagine McQueen sketched these designs himself.

7. Emilio Pucci

Well, what can I say? Peter Dundas knows what celebrities want. And what they want is glamour and hot, hot sex. The colour palette this season was gorgeous, but it was the corseted figure and haute-edge that made this collection stand out for me.

6. Prada

It was a collection, for me, that was very 60's London-esque; but knowing how Miuccia Prada's brain works, I can assure you that the inspiration didn't stop there. So there was 20's-style coats, snakeskin, coat dresses and those really weird scale-like sequins. Some critics didn't like it, but who cares? This is Prada; bad press won't hurt her one bit.

5. Givenchy

So while rumours are still swirling as to whether Riccardo Tisci will be placed at the head of Dior now that Galliano has been sacked, the Fall collection for Givenchy couldn't have come at a better time. It's funny to note how critics and fashion people have come around to Tisci in recent years, considering his aesthetic has been one that they really didn't get at first. Sure, he's come a long way in terms of editing, but the fact remains that he constructs one-of-a-kind, wearable, beautiful clothes and accessories. Continuing with the theme of the Fall menswear collection, the show was more of an event, (with Kanye West, Florence Welch and Liv Tyler in the front row) evidence of how much impact Tisci has as a designer.

4. Marc Jacobs

Watching this collection via live stream, I was like Ooooooh! Aaaaaaaah! with each new look that came out. There were Dalmatian spots, latex, lace, fur; indeed, it was a wonderful juxtaposition of textures. The collection, touted to be influenced by sex shops and dominatrices, was soundtracked to Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People," and beautiful it was.

3. Dries Van Noten

Where do I even begin with this collection? Well...
There’s a sentiment about his collections I particularly appreciate. His vision of prints, mixed media, and easy draping is extremely likable for how effortlessly these fun looks can fit into everyday life.  His girl comes across lithe, well put-together, and somewhat quirky.  The mixing of fabrics is unique, the prints are delightfully fun, and the length and structure, for this collection, created a very relaxed silhouette.  Better yet, this entire show felt effortless; the clothes are beautifully cut while the fabrics give the impression of richly nuanced luxury.  What's mostly impressive though about his collections, and indeed this one, is how highly pragmatic Van Noten’s designs are; these are smart clothes for the smart woman made by a smart man.

2. Proenza Schouler

I'm surprised by how high this collection is on my list, but what can I say? It was excellent. Designers, baby-faced Jack and Lazaro are making me eat my words with each new collection, but when they're this good, that's fine. Every thing was beautiful and playful, and the pixelated prints were right on. More known for their accessories (shoes, bags) than their clothes, it's amazing how unlike their other collections, I was impressed by every piece that came out. 

1. Fendi

Here's an interesting tidbit- I didn't like this collection the first time I viewed it. Weird? I know. But the more I viewed it, the more I fell in love with it.

The collection best exemplifies Lagerfeld’s versatility and ability to make more than one line and to make them wearable and perfect, eclipsing even his work with Chanel. Teaming up with Fendi partner Silvia Venturini Fendi to create a wearable and wonderful collection, Lagerfeld presented colourful coats, all completely luxurious. The collection blended mink, chinchilla, sable and fox, creating some truly sumptuous and wonderful outerwear. Outside of the fur-work, there was plenty to love, too: the coloured stockings, the goggles, the bags and shoes- it was all a very quirky collection with so many stand-out, well-tailored pieces. Absolutely amazing!

Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2011

 

I can't even begin to explain how much of a fan i've become of Dries Van Noten as a label and the man as a designer. This collection, though, certainly explains why. Aswirl in prints (prints that were reminiscent, to me at least, of Tisci-era Givenchy), the collection masterfully mixed fabrics multiple fabrics, often in one look. The message was clear: everything matches.

His dazzling patchwork-potpourri of colour, print, texture, exotic skins and fabrics was perfectly in tune with the opulent gilded and frescoed interiors of the Paris' historic 17th-18th century Hotel de Ville where the show was staged. The mix-and-don't-match effect of the collection extended to the shoes and ankle-boots which came in a collage of coloured leather and python-skin, with heels in wood and even metal.
Peasant-dresses in blocks of up to six colours, had slightly raised waists, full sleeves, a square bodice, and a dirndl-style skirt; or in the Cossack-look tunics, with beaded sleeves or inserts of velvet.
Inspired by the Ballets Russes and the idea of meeting David Bowie, Van Noten combined up to five different silk patterns in one dress, applying a gilded finish to ornamental snakeskin appliqués, mixing three or four different coloured tweeds in a zippered bomber-jacket and and adding black sequined sleeves to gold brocade coats.

Best Spring 2011 RTW Collections!

It's a new year, and even here in Jamaica, we're all looking forward to putting these colder months behind us. What better way to look forward to Spring 2011, than to actually review the collections presented in New York, London, Milan and Paris for that specific season. Designers turned out their stuff for some unusually strong collections rich on colour and bold prints. As with any kind of top 10 list, it was hard to choose, but it had to be done. So here they are, the ten best collections for Spring 2011, in my most humble opinion, of course.

10. Chanel

I'm a huge fan of Karl Lagerfeld, but sometimes, especially for Chanel, his vision is sometimes bogged down by too much... stuff... Sure, this collection really was no different than most of the others aesthetically, but when you strip down each individual look, there were so many wearable, stand-out pieces, you would be hard-pressed to say this collection didn't work. Last season he gave us fur everything, this season he gave us practical everything.

9. Mary Katrantzou

To say I love Mary Katrantzou is an under-statement; I love even more, what she does with prints. For her first stand-alone collection, though, the designer kicked things up a notch, delivering a dazzling, artful, ornate collection that touched on Hussein Chalayan's functionality and Balenciaga's silhouettes.

8. Alexander McQueen

Ethereal, even vampiric, and altogether beautiful, Sarah Burton, now head of the Alexander McQueen label, continues to push the house in a direction it needs to be following the untimely death of its designer. While anyone could hardly make an argument of McQueen's clothes as being anything but state-of-the-art, it can be said that the label sometimes isn't very soft. Not so in the worthy hands of Burton.

7. Proenza Schouler

My fashion-forward friends supposedly view me as some type of heretic whenever I say this, but i'm not a fan of Proenza Schouler. I find their design aesthetic a little too safe and plain to warrant all the hype from the Vogue crowd. But call me shocked when I saw this collection, an indisputably pretty display of truly feminine pieces. It was very First Lady-like, not too edgy, but it hit all the right notes with its muted palettes, abundance of ruffles and emphasis on legginess.

6. Celine

You must be doing something right to get name-checked by the likes of Kanye West, and indeed, Phoebe Philo, designer for Celine, is. With her under-stated minimalism, she's spear-headed a movement in fashion that is all about sharply-edited, non-fussy, stand-out pieces. This collection was no different with its whites, tans and beiges, but Philo knew when to inject the exact amount of colour, resulting in pieces with plenty of pizazz and oomph.

5. Gucci

I'm still pretty surprised how much I loved this collection. But what's not to love about louche jump-suits, and glam crochet? It was a glamorous, provocative collection, with designer Frida Giannini riffing on Guy Bourdin, but forgive me if I detect more than a whiff of classic YSL.

4. Lanvin

At this point in the career of Alber Elbaz, the man can literally do no wrong. His collections for the house of Lanvin, probably the premiere house for sophisticated female fashion right now, are clear, intelligent and oh-so-beautiful. There were gorgeous pleating, lavish colours, the usually-elegant accessories all done with a precise sense of execution.

3. Rodarte

Seems to me the Mulleavy sisters didn't go too far for inspiration for their collection for Rodarte, if one were to go by all the wood-like fabrics used through-out. It was a beautiful collection; my jaw dropped several times, and i'm not even that big a fan of the label. What it proved, though, more than anything else, is that these two ladies are more than capable of stepping outside of their comfort zone (their usual quirky dishevelment) and deliver, truly deliver to a mass audience.

2. Dries Van Noten

Painterly. That's the first word that came to mind when I first saw this collection from Dries Van Noten. I was so impressed by the relaxed feel through-out that at first I didn't even realize how well-made the pieces are. But even more so than the clothes themselves, is how subdued and dream-like everything is thanks, in large part, to the hues and palettes chosen. With Chinese ceramics apparently being the reference point, the whole thing came across more as a display of art and less of a display of mere clothes.

1. Haider Ackermann

Emphasizing evening wear by wear of silk pajamas, the Spring 2011 RTW collection from Haider Ackermann was sensual and divine. With samurai elements thrown in for good measure, neckline plunged, pelvic areas went missing, tuxedos were backless, and everything was accented by bleeding reds, electric blues, or gothic black. It was a daring collection, not one for the casual fashion follower, but one that managed to be very soft and alluring right through-out. Sure, some of the pieces may have seemed a bit studied, but Ackermann deserves to be praised for unwavering vision. Absolutely delightful!