hills like white elephants

Celine resort 2011

Givenchy resort 2011

Lanvin resort 2011

Continuing on my discourse on the gravitation toward lighter colors, white is becoming more of my hue of choice. It’s association to purity and demureness could be part of the reason but not entirely. I think it’s beautiful on the body, no matter the complexion or skin tone. Just like when wearing black, wearing white makes you pay attention to shape and silhouette of the garment because there aren’t any distractions. 

The lightness of white is always refreshing. It echoes nonchalance, but also a savoir faire at the same time. It’s interesting that a color can connote different things the way white does

I’m looking forward to incorporating more white in various silhouettes into my wardrobe for the summer. 



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paris collections a/w2010: Rick, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Damir Doma

Breaking away from the usual monotone aesthetic, Rick Owens broadened his horizons, sprinkling color here and there and breaking up the palate through pattern-work. Those who were surprised to see the color orange sprout out of no where, should delve into his archives, and take a look at past seasons. He started with color. Yet, those earlier collections, pre everyone-and-their-mother-has-a-rick-jacket, were more sensible and wearable than fw2010. While this collection undoubtedly had attitude, it was bit muddled in terms of having a clear sense of direction. However, his ability to constantly re-interpret his classic design techniques, while simultaneously treading on new ground cannot and should not go unnoticed.

Roland Barthes associated wine and butter as tokens of the bourgeois and surely a Lanvin piece could be on that list. Decadence and indulgence were themes that came across clearly, staunchly advocating for the ideal Parisienne . Alber Elbaz is always able to capture a certain femininity without shoving sexiness down your throat. This collection also served as an avenue of experimentation for Elbaz, playing with silhouettes he has not really done before and incorporating a myriad of textures and fabrics, walking a fine line between cohesion and chaos, but thankfully had his feet planted on the better side of things.

Nicolas Ghesquiére’s collection this season was a bit of a loose cannon. A clear thread of cohesion was seemingly absent, and whatever the statement he was trying to convey, did not come across effectively, at least not immediately. Initially it came off as a some futuristic, space-travel narrative (which, frankly, we’ve seen before) but grappling with how the lace came into play and what purpose it served, is like some kind of brain teaser. Perhaps he’s toying with paradoxical ideas, juxtaposing things that have nothing to do with one another; the lace being angelic and feminine, the stiff coats representing an idea toughness or strength. If that is the case, then the collection makes a bit of sense. Or it could be that Ghesquiére just decided to go all willy-nilly on us and maybe  doesn’t care whether we get it or not.

Damir Doma presented a phenomenal collection, that piggy-backed off of his men’s a/w 2010, incorporating some of the same shapes and earthy tones, but also included distinct female silhouettes that fell beautifully on the body. Eliminating any traces of contrived, mechanical design elements (that many designers swear by) , Damir placed emphasis on volume, movement and the cuts of the garments which connoted a feeling of liberation. Being this was Damir’s first collection for women it was nice to see that not too much of his background in menswear impeded on his ability to design for a woman. Albeit, many of the looks were clearly inspired by menswear, he found a natural balance between androgyny and femininity.



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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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fall 09: yohji, Issey, Margiela, Lanvin

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji focused on outerwear this season, placing a large emphasis on coats. With the base color being black for this well-curated collection (no surprise) Yohji was able to weave in strokes of red where ever he deemed fit. Yohji fiddled with proportions incorporating sleeveless peacoats with long skirts and played on the notion of illusion by including a long jumpsuit, which at first glance looks like a coat. He tied in all of his signature elements being length, sharp lines and layering. As usual, they all worked cohesively. Though sometimes we know what to expect from a Yohji Yamamoto collection, it will never be ponderous. 

Issey Miyake

Dai Fujiwara created a commodious collection that easily lent itself to movement. All of the fabrics used, and the silhouettes that came from them, were non-restrictive. Fujiwara paid attention to detail with the inclusion of piping and baroque patterns in many of the garments. However, despite some the beautifully ornate pieces, there were a lot of components in one collection. The color palette ranged from reds, greens, blues, just to name a few. The collection was not well-edited in terms of colorway. The overall collection, however was daring and reflected a certain comfortability. 

Maison Martin Margiela

Monsieur Margiela juxtaposed drama and exhibitionism in his fall 09 collection. Many of the looks involved very form-fitting body suits, coupled with some sort of piece to divert the eyes from focusing too much on the faux nudity. Such pieces included asymmetrical, sharp-shouldered tops (for lack of a better word), and tulle, polka-dotted veils. The body suits re-emerged from past MMM seasons. They evoke a certain vulnerability, in the same way being naked does. Yet, it at the same time, it reflects a bold exhibitionist devoir. Whatever the thoughts are behind the body-suits, they are an interesting way to kick fashion in the ass, by showing that fashion doesn’t necessarily have to include “real clothes”. 

Lanvin

Alber Elbaz always knows what a woman wants, probably even better than a woman herself. This season he delivered a stellar collection, that played off an old parisian glamour, coalescing luxe, rich fabrics with soft, feminine silhouettes. The collection incorporated cinched waists and dresses hovering right above the knee, celebrating the modern woman, while paying tribute to the sophisticated women of the past. The accessories were appropriate and were in accord with the garments. The sinuous shapes and the draped effect added fluidity and a certain elegance. Elbaz has an innate talent and a great sense of a woman and this was fully represented in his collection. 



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Nothing like fresh-squeezed Alber Elbaz to start your day



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