men’s collections SS2011: Dries Van Noten & Balenciaga

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten, the master of prints, showed a beautifully edited and a well executed collection. Mixing sharp, streamlined, traditional suiting, with relaxed fits and casual fabrics, Van Noten gave his men options that could easily be worn interchangeably. He created a collection that will be well suited (no pun intended) for any man on the sartorial spectrum. The paint-splatter print on a white dress shirt seemed to Van Noten encouraging men to allow some breathing room within tradition suiting. There is and should be some leeway for individuality and personality. The acid wash effect was a great counterbalance to the more sophisticated looks. Aside from prints, and the mixing and matching of them, Van Noten is also very well versed in color. Peachy and sandy hues worked well with the heather grays and dusty blues. Mustards and light browns threaded them all together, curating a perfectly, un-cliché spring palette.

Balenciaga

Apparently, Nicholas Ghesquiére is still holding onto this futuristic theme that has been more pronounced in his women’s wear. He’s transplanted a bit of bit of that in his menswear, but it came through mostly in the materials used. The perforated cummerbunds, nylon jackets, shiny pants just did not bode well because for such a small collection, it was a bit overkill. Perhaps Ghesquiére should loosen his grip on the space age thing.



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more than just a pretty pattern

It is always interesting to see how different cultures with completely different paths and histories can meet and intersect in the name of art or fashion. For Spring/Summer 2010, Dries Van Noten presented a collection inspired by the vibrancy of African clothing, very similar to the garbs worn by women of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania, with quintessential prints and colors that reflected the culturally rich continent. There was a hybridity between the bourgeois and the third world; paradoxically beautiful and unsettling. While it was a beautiful homage, and the collection was well executed, there are two ways of looking at this: it can be looked at as a designer in love with a culture and is visually alluding to it, or simply taking a part of a people’s history and placing it in a context surrounding aesthetics and capitalism: the fashion world.

African culture continues to inspire so many facets of Western society serving as a patron for art, music, fashion, et al, however, the exchange between the two worlds are uneven. The West reaps more benefits while Africa perpetually receives the short end of the stick. One cannot help but think about how for the price of any of these runway pieces, the very people who inspired the collection could live and eat for months.

Junya Watanabe, another designer who has been inspired by African textiles and the way the garments are worn, showed his interpretation of African textiles for his SS2009 collection (the silhouettes were a little bit more authentic, in relation to those of Van Noten’s). The “borrowing “ of African culture and its transplant into modern art and fashion begs the question: do the clients/ customers who buy the clothes really understand the meaning behind it all? Odds are, most people buying these “African-inspired” pieces do not get past liking them on an aesthetic level, thus turning it into a “summer trend.” They do not know that there is an entire history behind the patterns and the colors, and the weaving and dying techniques that have been instilled in African culture for years.

While it is great to see globalization and the cross-breeding of cultures taking place on a fashion stage, people still need to take it upon themselves to learn and familiarize themselves with the culture they hold a piece of when buying a certain garment or artwork. Yes it’s beautiful, but there is more to it than that.



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Men’s RTW FW2010: Rick, YSL, Dries, Givenchy

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.



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Men’s Collections s/s 2010: Dries Van Noten & CDG Homme Plus

Dries Van Noten

It’s no secret that Dries Van noten is a mastermind when it comes to prints and color. He’s not afraid to throw 3 different patterns/prints in all different hues into one look.  In this particular collection, they all worked in a weird and unexpected way. Van Noten bridged the idea of leisure and downtime with the “man-on-the-go” attitude. This juxtaposition is illustrated through his use of pajama-like prints and soft fabrics. The whole idea of a pajama motif is a bit reminscent of Yohji’s aw09 collection when Yohji actually incorporated pajamas and boxers as part of the looks.

Van Noten’s overall collection seemed to have been backed with an anecdote or some sort of story in mind. One that, perhaps, could only involve a Parisian or Italian man. Something to the effect of: A [rather handsome] man needs to meet his lover at some posh bistro for lunch, but lost track of time and threw a blazer over his silk pajamas and stuffed a pocket square in his breast pocket, ran his fingers through his hair, tussled it a bit and ran out the door. The looks are just that effortless. I personally prefer the the color volume knob to pretty much be switched to off, however Van Noten has yet again used his means of manipulation to get me to appeciate the role color plays in fashion.

images via: men.style.com

Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus

Rei Kawakubo definitely made sure she had all her bases covered for her customers because there was something in this collection for everyone…from the overtly eccentric to the simple, tailoring and drop-crotch enthusiast. Kawakubo unapollogetically packs in every print and color known to man into the looks. However, she never forgot the fact that not all of her customers gravitate towards that aesthetic. The fact that there was a spectrum of looks was much appreciated.

The collection is better when it’s compartmentalized. Kawakubo gives us the option to do so because of the spectrum she has created. The looks that followed a gray/white/black colorstory were more dramatic than the colorful fiasco. There was a certain austerity that came along with those looks. However, the dangling tassle-like accouterments added a slight playfulness, sort of creating a homeostais with the austerity.

If looking at the entire collection as a whole, I can only speak on the silhouette, which stayed pretty consistent throughout. Not close to body, full and a tad boxy, very appropriate.

So much of this collection (mainly the melange of prints and colors) reminds me of Kawakubo’s aw08 collection, where it was basically a regurgatation of tartan (which did not sit well with me). This season, needless to say, is better than the one aforementioned.

images via: wwd.com



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fall 09: Junya, CDG, Ann D, Givenchy, Dries Van Noten

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe struck an Elizabethan cord this season with his many references to the renaissance period. He put a modern twist on the old-age surcoat by re-configuring it into an architectural and convoluted (in a good way) puffer jacket. The dramatics of a Junya Watanabe collection were very much present. Other allusions to the Queen Elizabeth aesthetic included high collars, and long voluminous coats that bled regality. Watanabe’s take on 16th century fashion created a pacifist marriage between the past and the future. While we all appreciate those who offer fresh perspectives in fashion by designing things that have never been done before (though that becomes harder and harder each season), it is always great to see a morsel of the past re-invented to fit modern society.  

Comme Des Garcons

Rei Kawakubo stirred a huge pot of fabric gumbo this season. Kawakubo has such an extensive knowledge of textiles and is so well-versed in creating silhouettes and shapes. She effortlessly demonstrated that it doesn’t matter what kind of fabric is used, even if it resembles something that can be found on grandma’s couch. What matters is what comes out of that fabric. How one can manipulate a fabric and can take the attention off the less-than-pleasing print, really shows the skill level of a designer. Rei Kawakubo is undoubtedly a true, designer and master of manipulation. She was able to take tulle, a fabric that hardly ever dominates a garment, and create ponchos and coats from it. Kawakubo has the power to literally do whatever she wants with any material and turn out an amazing piece of work.

Ann Demeulemeester

The idea of a feminine masculinity was whispered through each look of Demeulemeester’s collection. Working with the staple black and white, Demeulemeester was able bring masculinity to women’s wear, while still showing the power and strength of a woman. The white, billowy peasant-esque blouses were juxtaposed against tough, black masses of knits, leather and textured fabric. The cleverness of the pairings presented a “Rosie the Riveter” type of attitude. This was a phenomenal collection by Ms. Demeulemeester. She was very focused this season and had a clear vision and story to tell. Though some of the military inspired looks may have piggy-backed some of those showed in her menswear for fall 09, it truly aided in presenting this notion of a tough, rugged femininity.

Givenchy

Ricardo Tisci’s equation must have read something like “fall 09=luxe+seduction” because that is exactly what each look reflected. The use of monkey fur (which I have unapologetically developed quite an obsession over), the drapery, the exposure of skin worked in Tisci’s favor to form quite a daring and unbelievably beautiful collection. Every look was perfectly executed, but the fabrication was what really stole the show. The netted, long dress with cascading black chains, along with the monkey fur that was spread out through the collection, brought a feeling of ferocity, but at the same time, a sheer coolness, like a woman seductively smoking a cigarette (in a cigarette holder) in the back of a ‘40’s jazz club.

Dries Van Noten

You can tell that fashion is becoming more and more season-less when pastels dominate a fall collection. Dries Van Noten decided not to over-power his collection with the color black or incorporate too many prints that stifled a garment. It was an easy-going, relaxing collection with soothing colors like peach, teal and lavender. The prints he used didn’t need disclaimers such as “may cause dizziness”. However, they were over-done and a bit trite (i.e. florals, leopard print). Nevertheless, Van Noten presented a well articulated conversation between the garment and the body, keeping to classic silhouettes with cinched waists and knee-length hem-lines. 




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