photo: Mike Schreiber for LURVE magazine clothing: Rick Owens

photo: Mike Schreiber for LURVE magazine

clothing: Rick Owens



Comments (View)
beauty of modesty

There are cultural and religious reasons why women cover themselves up around the world, which within of itself presents controversy. Looking at it through a feminist lens, some believe this is a form of female oppression because they are stifled by their culture’s rules and traditions. On the other hand this is viewed as a form of respect and modesty. Not to undermine these reasons or bring them down to just an aesthetic level, but regardless of the age old debate, there is a mystique that surrounds the women who cover themselves. This could be why this kind of look is perpetually translated and interpreted in fashion. That air of mystery is quite enchanting and the idea of beauty radiating without bearing skin is empowering.

images:National Geographic

runway images: YSL F/W 2010, Givenchy F/W 2009 couture, Rick Owens F/W 2010-style.com



Comments (View)
men’s collections SS2011: Rick Owens

With white as the anchoring color, black and brown only served as instruments to form a defined palette; notably, this is probably the tightest palette from Owens in a while. But alarmingly, in the middle of all the subtle tones, a Gareth Pugh-esque, optical illusion print disturbs the peace. Perhaps this is more of Owens’ experimentation with prints. Uhh…

The collection began with some of Owens’ staples that followers of his are all too familiar with, such as the long, one-button coats. Along with his signatures, he showed variations of them, with minor tweaks; a long-sleeved coat conveniently turned into short sleeve, for instance.  As the collection progresses it begins to resemble a montage of past seasons of both men’s and women’s collections infused together.  It is no secret that Rick Owens likes to recycle the same silhouettes and ideas, with small changes here and there for a pinch of revitalization. For some RO aficionados, this is what draws them to him. However, the repeat button was pressed too many times and the collection ran the risk of becoming platitudinous. Sometimes what works one season, doesn’t always work the next or if it worked well for the women’s collection, doesn’t neccesarily mean it will work well for the men (i.e. the one shoulder tanks, note women’s SS2010). The androgyny aspect did not really work. Not this time.

Many of the garments are not even able to provide a sense of nostalgia because the silhouettes, from which these pieces are borrowed from, are still fresh in our minds; really they are no more than two seasons old. The mystique is gone and we are bored. 



Comments (View)
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.



Comments (View)
copyright 2008 Amy Sall. All Rights Reserved