Bravo to my dearest Dan Thawley of Dan The Scout and A Magazine Curated By for the amazing interview he did with Kris Van Assche (who was the guest curator for A#7). [click the photo to read the interview]

Bravo to my dearest Dan Thawley of Dan The Scout and A Magazine Curated By for the amazing interview he did with Kris Van Assche (who was the guest curator for A#7).

[click the photo to read the interview]



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back at it like a crack addict.

HIII!!

I can’t believe my last update was in OCTOBER! It’s been the most demanding and stressful semester I’ve had yet in school. But, I’ll spare you the excuses. I’m here and not going anywhere.

AND BTW: JE SUIS AMY MADE A YEAR IN NOVEMBER!

Thank you so much for all the support and sending emails and following the blog! This year has been incredible for JE SUIS AMY, and I’m sure things will only get better!!

Those who didn’t get the second issue of LURVE Magazine need to do so immediately!! 

Zana, who styled the Rozalb de Mura editorial, was kind enough to scan the interview I did (both text and interview were done by me, there was a mistake in the credits).

Read More



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I know, I know.

Pardon moi

I have not been giving my blog much attention lately, october has been RIDICULOUSLY crazy. I wasn’t even able to do as many Paris fashion week reviews as I wanted (btw, MQUEEN=PHENOMENAL).

So many things were and still are happening at the same time. BUT I will get back on track immediately. I’ll get you some interviews and things to make up for lost times. Thank you for still following and supporting me!! Means so much <3

P.S. The fall/winter issue of LURVE Magazine is out, and looks beautiful!!! It feels good to be a published writer! Congrats to Lyna and all who worked on the issue!



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Paris Fashion Week ss10: Lanvin, MMM, Issey, Yohji

Lanvin

Alber Elbaz pumped out one stunning look after another for spring. Last season encompassed parisian chic. This season he is picking up where he left off. The collection was luxurious. It reflected a high-society, aristocratic glamour. Elbaz incorporated draping, which he also did last season, and soft ruffles reaching the highest rank of feminity. He also accentuated the waist by cinching it with a simple sash/belt. Elbaz is very aware of a woman’s body, and always makes sure that every piece is flattering.

Maison Martin Margiela

Like Christophe Decarnin, Margiela is not letting go of those shoulders! That’s one of the many issues with Margiela’s collection this season. It was not cohesive at all, and quite disheveled. It was almost as if MMM ran out of ideas and threw together a collection; nothing really made sense. The print with the post-card images of the beach palm trees (looks 10 &11)…really? Spring 2010 was too out there, and frankly went over people’s heads.

Issey Miyake

Dai Fuijiwara’s collection started off a bit simple with muted colors such as pale blues, and soft greys. We were under the impression that maybe things have toned out a bit for Issey Miyake. Lo and behold, Fujiwara was just warming up because about 10 looks in, there was an explosion of every color and print under the sun. Fujiwara uses color and print to its fullest potential. He incorporated tye-dye, grandience, stripes, zig-zags—it was literally a vortex of color and print.  What was interesting was that many of the prints that he used were representative of different cultures, so there was some sort of commentary in his collection.  The shapes, as per usual, lent themselves to movement and ease. Many of the sihouettes were quite beautiful. Though his collection seemed a little out of control, it was very much calculated and thought out. This is what he does. It is always seemingly random, but there is a reason for it; it’s organized chaos.

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji is really a master of technique, and that goes without saying. He can command attention for lines and silhouette in a way no one can. His collection for spring is a testement for that. Instead of big voluminous garments, he focused on leaner silhouettes and long lines, something he’s been doing lately. Most of his pieces were fitted, and structured as opposed to a sea of black fabric. He brought a bit of edge by showing leather motorcycle jackets. He did, however, throw in a curveball when he showed short skirts; looks like he’s broadening his horizons a bit. Texture was also key this season with his laser-cut, super-long, light-weight shirtdresses, which looked phenomenal when paired with a long white dress. Honestly, The man can do no wrong.



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Paris Fashion Week ss10: Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Limi Feu

Rick Owens

This was a very architectural collection for Rick Owens this season. Geometric shapes and asymmetry were created out of the folds of the fabric, with an emphasis on triangular shapes. It seems that every season, Owens tends to include something he has never done before or something we are not used to seeing from him. For spring, he softened up a bit. All of a sudden, it was not entirely about this tough, dark exterior. Fluidity crept its way into the collection with voluminous, billowy dresses. Softness also manifested in is his conceptual vision of a leotard. This elucidates his ability to transcribe his ideas into any facet of apparel, without compromising his aesthetic. Rick Owens escapes the clutches of triteness every time.

Gareth Pugh

Gareth Pugh’s garments are a lot more wearable for spring, but the the cyborg characteristics were still embedded. He, like his mentor Rick Owens, does not compromise his aesthetic under any circumstances, and his garments can easily be distinguished from others. The color grey played a prominent role in this collection, with all the different shades of grey tying everything together. Fabrication was also important. Pugh has a knack for creating anything out of any kind of fabric, and mixing and maching textiles. Pugh’s garments usually have an androgynous appeal, so it made sense that he showed both mens and women’s together. However, there is a little bit more distinction between the menswear and women’s wear, where as in past season the lines were a little more blurred.

Limi Feu

Limi Feu’s collection was beautiful, except the line between her aesthetic and that of her father’s (Yohji Yamamoto) is VERY fine. In interviews, Limi Yamamoto has always said that her clothes are different from her father’s. Kind of hard to back that up with her spring collection. Limi needs to find a way to completely detach her work from her father’s. That being said, this collection (though a bit redundant) preserved the Yamamoto spirit. The garments were easy and lent themselves to comfortability. Even with such voluminous pieces, you can still see the lines of the garment and the structure of it. This was also Limi’s first time showing menswear. Nothing was really new because obviously Yohji beat her to it.



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Paris Fashion Week ss10: Balmain, Balenciaga, Bruno Pieters

Balmain

Christophe Decarnin stuck to his guns, staying true to the Balmain that we’ve come to know so well. Speaking of guns, there was an apparent military theme that borrowed elements from different war periods throughout history. The color palatte reflected the colors of the modern-day army, with the muddy greens. Yet, many of the jackets/coats were reminiscent of things that might have been worn in a revolutionary war, with Napolean-esque shoulders. Remember when we thought bold shoulders would be a one-season-wonder? Apparently, they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

The tattered/distressed tees and jeans were a perfect way to add to to the war idea, and it brought about an effortless cool a la Emmanuelle Alt (who, lets be honest, is the archetype of the Balmain girl, seriously).

Balenciaga

Nicolas Ghesquiére has always toyed with structure and is constantly trying to one-up what he’s done before. He has a way with packing in many different colors into one look, but manages to keep the focus on the shape and silhouette. This season is no exception. Even with the inclusion of vertical and horizontal stripes, piping and patchwork, the silhouettes stood out; for the most part he kept it lean. The way he used color was interesting, as it resembled spin-art, with colors furiously colliding with one another. It is evident that Ghesquiére is  pushing the envelope a bit more this season, upping the ante on the edginess and injecting it with a bit of a futuristic vibe .

Bruno Pieters

Bruno Pieter’s collection was simple, and achromatic. The first few looks created the illusion of nudity, with nude-colored chiffon and tulle. The fabric was beautifully draped and wrapped around the body. Very clean and fresh, without distractions and elaborate design details. The range of colors were very limited: nude, white, black. This presented the essence of neutrality. As the collection progressed, Pieters showed that he can translate the same ideas of simplicity into geometric shapes and sharp lines, and still achieve this nymph-like effect.



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Ann Demeulemeester corset, in real life.

got a shot, well multiple shots, of this woman at the Jeremy Laing presentation while she was talking to Jak & Jil’s Tommy Ton.



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fashion week(s): Cram session [NY, LONDON, MILAN]

Rodarte

The Mulleavy sisters reinvented their aesthetic with what appeared to be a tribal interpretation of Resident Evil. There was a dark futuristic/space theme, this season, but infused with indigenous undertones. The fusion of such different cultural elements was quite thought-provoking and impressive. Despite the distracting body art, every detail in the garments did not go unnoticed. The weaving and interlocking of fabrics/patterns the sisters are known for, re-surfaced this season from past ones. At first glance it seemed a bit trite and too similar to what they’ve done before, however as the collection progressed, it became clear that Kate and Laura Mulleavy have an aesthetic that they stay true to but continue to cultivate and evolve. They are talented designers who know how to take one idea and interpret it in many different ways, always keeping it alive.

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang’s down-town, grunge it-girl, is now a tough, jock, it-girl. Must be difficult for his devotees to keep up with his girl’s changing personas. This season Wang cited “football” as his inspiration. The jock motif is translated clearly, (the letterman jackets, the football shoulders) but whether or not it makes sense is the question. The collection came from left field (no pun intended) and felt over-thought with the inclusion of stripes, cut outs, and ties/drawstrings (just to name a few). It’s also important to address the fact that big sculpted shoulders have been done (obviously) and the rounded/full sleeves are derivative of Jil Sander aw09. Come on now.

Komakino

Jin Kim and Federico Capalbo gave off a rebellious vibe with their take on formal dressing. They showed suits, that were obviously not your average suit. They ignored the fundamentals of constructing a suit and presented an interesting take on it. Slashes in the sports coats and black bands on the dress-shirt, were all ways that Kim and Capalbo breathed new life into the suit, a way of re-interpreting menswear.

Jil Sander

The idea of experimentaion rang through out Raf Simons’ collection for Jil Sander. He mixed new elements with signature ones, making clear that he is able to bring new things to the table all while preserving the minimalist, Jil Sander aesthetic. Simons played with texture and dimension by producing garments that resembled somewhat like an art project of some sort, with pieces of fabric randomly placed on the garment. New elements continued to surface throughout the collection, such as revealing skin through sheer fabrics/tulle. There were also tulip-esque coats; the shape created from the cinching of the waist. It was apparent that Simons piggy-backed off his mens spring 2010 collection with the cinching of the waists, and belts over coats. Simons made some bold moves this season, as the Jil Sander aesthetic this time around veered slightly off what we normally associate Jil Sander with; there was a bit more Raf Simons that shone through. In spite of this, he did an excellent job with keeping the Jil Sander identity alive and ominpresent.



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Fashion week(s): Cram session [NY]

First session of many...

Sadly, I haven’t been good with keeping up with the fashion weeks this season, so I’m going to cram my reviews of some of the collections thus far into a few entries. I promise I’ll be a good little blogger  by the time Paris rolls around!

New York:

Jeremy Laing

With soft drapes, muted colors and roomy silhouettes, the word “soothing” immediately came to mind at Jeremy Laings spring presentation. Laing was able to beautifully articulate through his garments what we so often times have trouble achieving in our own lives: tranquility. The sands and taupes, the whites, and the greys set the tone for the collection, but whilst keeping with a neutral color pallete, Laing was still able to infuse a bit of edge through detailing. The piping along the vests and tights, the perforated tops and the twists and folds here and there, created depth and showed an interesting point of view. Laing’s collection was well thought-out, foreshadowing a refeshing spring.

Karen Walker

This season Karen Walker served up picnic-in-the-park, with a bit of sailing-in-the-hamptons. It was too happy and a cliché association to spring. However, the collection was fun and uplifting, and if we’re reading deeply into this, we could say the statement being made is: dispite the rah-rah going on with the economy and such, girls will still have fun and look cute. But, when something can easily make its way onto Gossip Girl, then the cuteness level is at an all-time high. The burst of color, and ruffles were just a couple of the elements that were part Walker’s girly-girl movement. Despite the intense bombardment of feminity, Walker did present a cohesive collection, incorportaing signatures, but tweaking them for a bit of reinvention.

Yigal Azrouël

It appeared that Yigal Azrouel was really cognizant of many designer counter-parts. So much so that there were a couple of allusions to them in his collection this season. Bottom line, Azrouel showed things we’ve seen before. For instance, the skin-tight, bright yellow/green mini dress was very reminscent to the Balmain party dresses. Not to mention some Rick Owens-esque jackets, and Jil Sander fringe. It all seem platitudinous, but on a happier note, there was a level of casualness in the collection that was quite nice.

Photos: Amy Sall (might want to immediately refer to style.com for images, as these are not great)



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NYFW SS10: Damir Doma--SILENT preview

Damir Doma presented a preview of his collaboration with Paper Rain, entitled SILENT, at Soho Grand, where supporters of Doma were able to view his latest work in a casual atmosphere. In addition to mannequin displays, there was a supplementary video installation.

The collaboration sort of piggy-backed what Doma did for his spring 2010 mainline, with the inclusion of the potent, deep red and full silhouettes. SILENT also includes pieces for women (which were displayed in their video installation). It was nice to see Doma’s ideas translate onto the female form, however women can easily pull off his looks for men.



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