Loan Shark

I was so utterly confounded and enthralled by the Rodarte show. At some points (meaning about half of the show) I felt like I had seen these looks before, in a strange, strange way. They mixed Lanvin's SS07 (tulle and silk cocktail dresses with strappy necklines and pleating, as well as slicked-back hair), Balenciaga from like 3 years ago (lace and skinny pants with metallics) and Chanel (one bizarre tweed suit and some frothy white dresses) into a revolting but kind of likable array of dresses and separates. And yet there were other looks, mainly dresses, that were beautiful, ethereal, and worthy of the most divine of fairies and princesses. I felt as if I had seen it all before, and I'm completely ambivalent toward it. I honestly don't know what to make of this show.
The influences:








The results:







Pictures from Style.com

Black Plastic

The Temperly for Target thumbnails are up, and aside from the fact that most of the looks are an exercise in banality, I'm loving the gamine-chic vibe of these cropped pants, and the swanky, swing coat-line of this sweater/belt combination. Alas, I'm not too excited for the rest of the collection, which seems to consist of drab babydoll dresses, strangely cut skirts, and one black and white printed sweater that is a total assault on the senses.



But perhaps even more dissappointing is the Devi Kroell for Target collection. Kroell's sumptuous accessories are reliant on exotic, expensive, beautiful materials. Without those resources, these simple shapes and colors just fall flat. They're made of cheap plastic, and they look like it. I love Kroell's main line, but this diffusion collection is really bland.

Spirit They've Vanished

Alright, so I like a lot of the clothes from Dior Resort '08. Even if they're not exactly something I'd wear, I appreciate the vibrance and silhouettes, and the fact that most of them are very chic while managing to be lurid and mildly ostentatious. However, this...

...happens to veer a little too far into the "Elizabeth Taylor on LSD runs into my 75-year-old step-grandmother in a bar and the two hit it off and decide to go to a party in her Florida retirement community and this is what Liz suggests for her to wear" territory. That said, I think the cut of the coat is fantastic. Alas, if I saw anyone, anywhere, at any time, wearing this whole ensemble together, I would have to fight very hard resist the urge to light fire to their hair.

Damaged Goods

It's anecdote time. So the other day, my friends who are going to Italy over spring break were talking about how "Milan is the fashion capital of the world." I overhear this, and I cannot help but interject and share some Cartier pearls of wisdom.
Me: "Uh, sorry, but Milan just isn't the fashion capital of the world."
Friend #1: "What? Isn't it, like really famous for fashion?"
Me: "Yeah, but I wouldn't exactly refer to it as the fashion capital of the world."
Friend #2: "Then what is?"
Me: "Paris. Even though Italian craftsmanship is fantastic, the variety and calibur of design seen in Paris is just, in general, amazingly better than what's seen in Milan."
...pause...
Friend #1: "Oh yeah, I remember on My Super Sweet 16, this girl went to Paris to buy her dress because she said it was the fashion capital of the world."
I then use all the willpower I can muster up to keep myself from smashing myself over the head with my French textbook until my golden locks are soaked with blood.
This are just some of the reasons, taken from the last day of PFW, why Paris is it...

Olivier


Alber


Marc actually making pretty clothes.


Sophia


The fact that Miu Miu is shown there, at least for the time being.

Tony the Beat

What do you make of a Chloé show where the shoes are atrocious and the clothes are actually decent? It's a change, that's for sure. Plenty of vinyl, truely insanely ugly shoes, backless dresses, and lots of red...oh my! The new Chloé girl is tougher, uglier, and much more adventurous than before. Although there was definitely more of an '80s influence, there were still nods to the now classic, Philo-60s-vintage style, with embroidered sheaths and plenty of shorts. New head designer Paolo Melim Andersson seemed to pull inspiration from a host of other designers. The shoes could have been from a Marc Jacobs show, the sunglasses from Karen Walker, and half the clothes themselves pulled from Marni. But mixed together, it seemed at least fairly new and a fresh direction for the long-standing look of the brand.

Dress Up In You

So, yes, runways have always been showcases for the most extreme and attention-grabbing of clothes, but for AW07, it seems as if this statement dressing, whether in the form of a brightly patterned Balenciaga dress or a sharply cut Dior suit, is emerging as a real trend. Outfits, even singular garments, that you really need moxy to wear properly are extremely prevalent this season. These clothes aren't the easy, breezy sack dresses and white blouses of former seasons. It takes a certain person to pull off these new pieces, be they harem pants, mixed textures, or vivid gowns. Maybe it's the designers' way of telling the public that fashion is still relevant, yet special, and deserves attention that's not in the form of weight debates or knockoff lawsuits. Or it could be a manifestation of the sickness people feel over apathy and lack of effort, whether it's in an H&M dress or a low voter turnout. Whatever the reason, it's pretty.
Thakoon


Temperley


Fendi


Zac Posen


Dior


Chris Kane


Marni


Balenciaga

Vampire Forest Fire

J'aime aussi...
This shot from the Sartorialist from PFW. The outfit is so chic yet street-wise, and this woman really seems like she knows what she's doing, you know?


Christian Lacroix's half-goth, half-acid-fairy confections.






Emina


Morgane and her new crop