Sunday, February 27, 2011

Fendi

The latest Fendi show put forth a look suitable for a proper English countrywoman with eccentric tendencies. Or perhaps the woman of inspiration was an art student (or even teacher), with a sense of flamboyance, but also a serious nature enforced by the expectations of academia. Truthfully, she wasn't so serious that she washed the paint out of her hair after leaving the studio. Designers Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi integrated the less pragmatic elements with their use of color and the ruffle details that seemed to unfold from just below the models' necks. To be clear, the oddity didn't appear forced, but quite easy. Colorful tights and grown-up Mary Janes were just kooky enough, creating a balance with the more sober, buttoned-up elements. The obligatory fur pieces took shape as expected outerwear and in more surprising ways, such as down the front of the dress. All of them had a mixed-up quality to them without being as untamed as those patchwork numbers of Fall 2010. In an interview with style.com Ms. Fendi noted the intention to "invent furs that don't exist," but while they were in a way unnatural, they didn't look artificial. Another arguably unnatural moment on the runway was the two looks featuring chic sweatpants. Paired with matching cozy-looking sweaters, furry toppers, and enormous sunglasses, they gave me thoughts of the chicest possible hangover. I would err more towards the open shearling coat on Bianca Balti, my favorite piece of the collection. Perhaps I'd even wear it with shorts and a pair of tall orange socks that are rarely seen under my skinny jeans. This collection is one that makes you think about the way you get dressed and those "risks" you might avoid otherwise. For that reason and many others, it is a delightfully unexpected achievement.

Anja Rubik
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Abbey Lee Kershaw
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Jacquelyn Jablonski
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Natasha Poly
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Kendra Spears
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Daphne Groeneveld
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Anja Rubik
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Constance Jablonski
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Bianca Balti
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Kendra Spears
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Magdalena Frackowiak
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Jacquelyn Jablonski
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Natasha Poly
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Abbey Lee Kershaw
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Anja Rubik
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Photos via style.com

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Gucci

For Gucci's 90th anniversary show, Frida Giannini revisited her beloved 1970's, serving up a collection that was unabashedly glamorous. Furs in a manifold of shapes and colors appeared on a countless number of looks, as did wide-brimmed fedoras, sometimes topped with a feather. Giannini called this "hippie chic" but that doesn't seem an accurate description only because a hippie wouldn't look so together or so decked out. The fabulous Penny Lane coat on Alana Zimmer was a perfect adaptation of that era. This was the girl with her bow-collared blouses who adored the hippies and celebrated their spirit, but like to look a bit more put together. Anjelica Huston (specifically shot by Bob Richardson) was a major influence, especially seen in the daywear. Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine also inspired Gianni, who captured the singer's spirit in the floaty dresses at the end. This section was a bit of a dream, with hand-painted rosettes covering many of the dresses. Providing a bit of a contrast, the sheer chiffon and thigh-high slits gave it the sex appeal Gucci is so well-known for. While it was not my favorite collection I've seen all season, I've never coveted a long teal fur more.

Natasha Poly
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Joan Smalls
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Sigrid Agren
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Alana Zimmer
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Tayane Leao Melo
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Daniela Alves Rezende
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Chanel Iman
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Lauren Brown
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Jac
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Karmen Pedaru
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Natasha Poly
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Kasia Struss
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Yulia Kharlaponova
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Abbey Lee Kershaw
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Joan Smalls
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Photos via style.com

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Mary Karantzou

Just like her peer, Erdem Moralioglu, Mary Karantzou is a master of print. Karantzou is also a child of the future, digitally producing all of her prints herself. Her last collection—which I regretablly neglected to cover—placed architecture on her women. This time around, she placed her women inside of a decorated wonderland within some realm of possibility. I've always found to be peoples' living space absolutely fascinating—I believeThe Selby is better than porn, but then again, I say the same thing about various fashion publications and blogs. Fine art objects such as FabergĂ© eggs made appearances in the various prints, but my personal favorite (at least the one I could make visual sense of) featured a couple of lovely koi fish. In the grand scope of things, these amounted to a more humble decoration. Each piece was like a step into the incredibly luxe lives of women like Diana Vreeland and Coco Chanel. The countless egg-shaped skirts contributed to the magic. Even a wallpaper print in scarlet was worth a dreamy sigh. There were moments when Karantzou abandoned structure for more wearable options, but who really needs to sit down? In these fantastic works of art, I'd proudly stand.

Valeria B.
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Anna Schillin
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Emilia Skuza
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Kelli Lumi
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Charlotte Wiggins
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Tabea Weyrauch
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Katya Ko
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Caroline Corinth
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Anna Schilling
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Chloe Memisevic
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Liu Xu
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Photos via style.com

Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane has created a deep internal conflict within me. His blatantly nostalgic, uncompromisingly singular, and utterly ridiculous Fall collection is a marvel simply in its power to place a giant question mark over my head. A sort of granny-meets-ugly-carpet section opened the show, already challenging the idea of taste. These looks were nostalgic in a homey, crochet way, but were just the beginning. What came next was the dominant section, featuring mainly black dresses featuring multi-colored plastic squiggles that looked like a child's dream science project. For me they recalled Lisa Frank school supplies, gel pens, and those odd, water-filled plastic blobs that slipped around in your hands if you squeezed them. Kane's specific memories included a special pencil box he had in high school. Tavi has cited Fruit Roll-ups. Tasty. Whatever the case may be, it penetrated the granny section and was seen through the end section, a sequined-out batch of sheer dresses. The overdose of humor was jolting at first, but entirely refreshing. While there was a significant presence of childhood (exposed breasts not included), there was also something vile about it. Vile in the sense that these dresses were toxic. Perhaps that's why I feel so uneasy about assessing the collection. Kane seems to have some kind of spell on the fashion crowd. Even Anna Wintour sings his praises. He certainly has something. His work doesn't usually fall outside a specific and rigorous theme, but often works. Are we fools or is this man a talented artist? Perhaps it's both.

Azul Caletti
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Marique Schimmel
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Samantha Gradoville
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Jourdan Dunn
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Siri Tollerød
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Sara Blomqvist
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Jacquelyn Jablonski
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Kirsi Pyrhonen
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Alana Zimmer
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Azul Caletti
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Emily Baker
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Marike Le Roux
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Mirte Maas
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Photos via style.com