Rick Owens
Rick Owens classed it up a little bit for fall 2010 presenting a more tailored and luxurious line up of looks. This is probably his most luxurious men’s collection yet, with the inclusion of fur and alligator skin. Owens toyed with the idea of classically constructed garments with beautifully tailored sports coats and overcoats, but at the same time infusing the Rick Owens spirit we are so familiar with (asymmetry, architectural draping). It was nice to see that the collecton was not heavy on the black side. The taupe and neutral tones were quite refreshing (he played around with it a little for ss2010 as well) and sat nicely between the blacks and whites. This collection was by far stronger than ss2010. Rick cannot be pigeon-held into this gothic aesthetic, because clearly he can do so much more, and this polished collection proves it.
YSL
Stefano Pilati kept it slim and lean for fw2010. However he left room to make some interesting sartorial choices for those who were a little more experimental. For those who who are fans of classic french tailoring, they could opt for the double breasted jacket. For those who want to break away from the norm of menswear, they could go for the low-cut, sleeveless jumpsuit. Pilati did a good job of covering his bases in terms of the YSL man. There was something in there for everyone. Also each of the looks could have easily been broken down and worn interchangeably and it still would have made a good outfit.
Dries Van Noten
Dries Van Noten’s collection this season was not too thrilling. It may have to do with the fact that it was a tad reminiscent of Raf Simon’s men’s spring 2010 collection. The same ideas carried through in Dries’ collection. The belts over the outerwear idea is something we’ve definitely seen before. Besides that, the prints that were used (we all know Van Noten is an aficionado of prints) were not strong. In fact, they were quite distracting. It was more so the pairing of different textiles that were off and did not enhance the collection. Van Noten managed to squeeze many different design elements into this collection, and the inclusion of piping was one that could have been left out. On the bright side, the cuts of the garments were quite nice, because they were weren’t too tailored and structured, but kept a sharp silhouette at the same time.
Givenchy
Showing probably one of the strongest collections thus far this season, Riccardo Tisci kept it very clean and crisp, while ignoring certain seasonal rules. For instance, sandals for fall winter is unheard of, but this is Riccardo’s world and we’re just living in it. The pieces were tailored, minimal, and classic. While other designers this season focused on the cinching of waists to create shape, Tisci focused on the proportion of of the looks, keeping it very slim on the bottom and natural up top. The dinner jackets, the crisp shirts, all of it was impeccable. Simplicity wet a long way for Tisci. There was no need for any extra tid-bits here and there. Riccardo Tisci made a strong statement, with a well executed vision.
