Tribute

Coincidentally, Marc Jacobs' newest resort collection is a bit of an homage to the late Yves Saint Laurent. As he said, it's "Unfortunately, extremely timely." Lots of bows and hearts (some of Saint Laurent's favorite motifs) and modern interpretations of his iconic smoking jacket. I have developed a theory that Marc Jacobs is actually psychic. He always seems to know things. But I am a little peeved because I lost a button on my fairly new Marc by Marc cashmere sweater. Shoddily made, I say. Not a happy camper. Maybe he'll read my mind like he always seems to do every season and send me a new button.

image: source

Inspiration

My newest little bit of inspiration is, surprisingly, John Galliano's Fall collection. Not because John Galliano isn't a great designer, but mostly because his collections (especially this one) isn't really something I would simply assume would inspire me the way I know Balenciaga and Lanvin, etc. would. His collections are usually pretty riotous and loud, with tons of color and lavishness. I don't really dress like that (at least not with that much color). But I randomly decided to watch the video of his most recent show, and I was immediately mesmerized. The models actually seemed to have personalities when they walked, something you don't see much in shows. They actually posed, with attitude, even! There was this one moment where Mariacarla Boscono comes out with this strange, nubby pink hat and hair that is literally huge, glossy, black feathers (kind of like the ones I've been obsessing over), and she pulls her hands across her face in this awesomely unexplainable way that I just loved. There were lots of feathers as hair in the show, and even a whole stuffed raven carried by Raquel Zimmermann. And he was inspired by a poem I love, Kubla Khan. I will have to see how I can incorporate this into my wardrobe.

image: source

Yet Another GO International Line...

I just got word that Jonathan Saunders will launch the next GO International line at Target in October. I'm a big Jonathan Saunders fan, so I'll be waiting for those press pictures. I've been disappointed a lot by GO, but they do choose pretty sweet designers most of the time. We'll see if he incorporates some of the awesome prints he's famous for into the line. *crosses fingers*

image: source

Olé!

Maybe gigantic sombreros will be the new trend in headwear? They keep out the sun! I actually think they're kind of fun.
image: source

Comme on!

When I heard about H&M's newest designer collaboration with Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons, my first reaction was to be really, really excited. I didn't buy anything from any of H&M's previous collaborations, mostly because I'm a lazy bum and didn't want to face the frenzy (and also because Roberto Cavalli's collection looked like the cheapest, tackiest thing ever...sorry). I haven't seen what the collection looks like, but I'm looking forward to it. Comme des Garcons isn't a label I get to see very often, and can't really afford much of, but I love Kawakubo because she constantly pushes boundaries and challenges the way we look at clothes. Also, Comme isn't a label that a lot of people know, so opening day might not be as insane (although now that I think about it, Stella, Viktor & Rolf, and even Karl Lagerfeld weren't really household names and they drew huge crowds). In any case, I'm excited to see what she can do with this collection. I hope she doesn't sacrifice innovation or design quality to appeal to the masses (*ahem* Target *ahem*). At this point I'm still optimistic about the whole thing. Hopefully I won't be let down.
(photo from style.com)

Marni FW08

I almost bought a Marni bag this summer while in Milan. It was super awesome. I forget why I didn't get it. Marni is one of those quirky cool brands that not that many people know about and it definitely takes a specific kind of person to wear it. Consuelo Castiglioni has crafted some very cool collections. This one had an almost spring-y color palette, except with furs. Personally I liked last fall's collection better(I am still obsessed with those fur hood/hat things. Augh I wish I could have one of those things). This collection did have some outstanding accessories, as usual. I liked the peep-toe knee-high boots. I've been wanted a pair of peep-toe boots, as impractical as they are. The striped socks and bags were also pretty covetable. Whee.

Prada FW08

I love Prada. Most of the time the collection isn't easy for me to digest, but Miuccia has this amazing ability to innovate and predict. Even when I see a Prada collection for the first time and think huh?? (FW07 anyone?) it never fails to grow on me. But this collection was immediately likeable. The way she treated all the lace was great because it was kind of dark and masculine but didn't even reach the point of being gothic. And suddenly I want blue lace. And there was more of that modern minimalism we've been seeing all over the place. Also I loved the plastic ruffle necklaces. So bold but not in-your-face. I'm a jewelry designer (a rather bad one) more than anything else so I always love to see awesome jewelry on the runway.

Sorry, London

I'm so behind I don't have time to write individual thoughts about London Fashion Week, so instead I will compose a prose poem about it. Be warned, I'm an awful writer. Here goes nothing.

Kristopher Kane sheer and noisy no more neon colors I guess. So intricate with lace and prints blurring by Erdem. Not so much for Louise Goldin, it was more like space eskimos from the queen of sweater dressing. Luella kept it young and quirky with her witches dressed in checker prints and knitted hats. And then there was Marios Schwab, who drew long lines and cut out holes to textures that oozed out from underneath dresses like snakes. Neon insanity reigned at House of Holland with plaid antlers on Agyness and...a plaid eye patch?

Ok, scratch that. That wasn't a prose poem, it was just a bunch of words.

Zac Posen FW08

I don't think I've ever told anyone this, but Zac Posen got me into fashion. A little random, I know. But before I had discovered Lanvin, Balenciaga, Prada, Chanel, etc. I stumbled randomly upon Zac Posen's fall 2004 collection. I must have been a freshman in high school. I think it was probably the first whole show I had ever seen, and suddenly I loved clothes. My style has changed a lot since then, so I'm not so obsessed with him anymore, but I have to give him a lot of credit for getting me into all of this. Unfortunately, this collection seems a little out of place to me. It seemed almost too...childish. I've never been a bib-front person, and there were lots of them on the runway, and they made me scrunch up my nose inside. There were some pretty pieces, and definitely some great tailoring. Like most (all?) Zac Posen's collections it was pretty flamboyant, which was kind of not in keeping with the movement towards more simplicity that's been floating around the collections. I'm hoping Zac will catch on a little.

Marc Jacobs?

Soo...the Marc Jacobs show confused me. So this is not a real post. I don't know what to think about it. Do I like it? It does make me feel kind of warm and fuzzy outside, and I can really see how he was thinking about comfort and safety. But I still have to think this one over.

3.1 Phillip Lim FW08

I have some mixed opinions about Phillip Lim's fall collection. I do like the move towards a more refined approach to fashion, but this season's collection seemed a little...old. The silhouettes were pretty conservative, and most of the pieces were relatively tame. I really liked the 2007 fall collection, and this one just didn't seem as fun and immediately wearable as that one. I did really like Irina's little leater jacket with maxi dress. Transparency is a trend I'm really loving, and that dress seems more like the polished but not too stuffy prettiness I'm used to seeing from Phillip Lim. I haven't yet mustered the courage to wear a maxi dress like that. It's pretty hard to find flattering ones, especially since I'm pretty tiny. All in all I'm a little disappointed with this collection. There. A collection I'm not so excited about.

Rodarte FW08

I bow down to the Mulleavy sisters. I know, I know, don't I have anything bad to say about the fall collections? I suppose, but I'm not really into being all negative. I don't often feel like writing about things I dislike. Seems unpleasant. I already spend lots of time thinking about or talking about other unpleasant things. There's too much unpleasantness around anyway. In any case, I loved the new Rodarte collection. I like that it's like a natural evolution of the spring collection, which in a way is refreshing. A lot of time designers take new seasons as a chance to take their work in a new direction, but I loved Rodarte's spring collection, so I was glad to see them travel along the same path. The combination of tough and soft was gorgeous, with the spiked gloves and intensely awesome shoes alongside gathered tulle dresses and spider-webby knits. They referenced Japanese horror films in an unexpected and not-so-obvious way, which was great. The blood-red was deliciously gory. They are definitely incredibly talented.

Proenza Schouler FW08

I love Proenza Schouler. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are just full of surprises. What grabbed me immediately were the colors. The colors just latched on and wouldn't let go. That's saying a lot, considering I enjoy wearing mostly black, grey, and navy blue. The dresses were pretty, and, just like everything else, beautifully constructed. I loved the pants and coats, too. Basically I approve. I am on a serious search for colored pumps now.

Marc by Marc Jacobs FW08

I'm a fan of Marc Jacobs, as controversial as he can be. The Marc by Marc Jacobs shows always look like so much fun. I always think the clothes just look (and are) fun to wear. And this season is no exception. I loved the colors with the predominance of blue and black with shots of pink and green. The shapes were nice, kind of heavy and defined but not too stiff. My favorite part, though, were the zippers. I have had a strange obsession with zippers recently. I really can't explain it. It's a little strange, I know. But I have a lot of random obsessions. I've gotten used to it haha. So overall, this is a fun collection for MARC fans.

Diane von Furstenberg FW08

Sorry, I'm not really moving in any coherent order with these reviews. In any case, Diane von Furstenberg's show was a 40's inspired trip through Berlin, Shanghai, and Manhattan. I liked a lot of the pieces, especially the separates. I thought there was kind of a lot going on in the collection. The colors were nice but there were so many that it seemed a little disjointed. There seemed to be so many different prints, colors, influences, shapes, and ideas that it got a bit overwhelming. How did the collection manage to fit dainty, blue florals next to bold geometric prints? What was with the random flapper dress? I liked the mixing of prints in some of the outfits, though. And the variety of pieces means there are lots of ways to mix and match. In the end, Diane von Furstenberg pretty much does what she pleases.

Alexander Wang FW08

Sorry I'm so late with reviews. Life has been getting in the way recently. Annoying. Anywayyy...I already love Alexander Wang, so I was excited to see what he'd come up with for Fall 2008, and I have to say I love it. His tough, dark, slightly gothic collection has fueled my growing obsession with zippers. I want everything. The skirts, the jackets, the dresses, the boots. I love the styling of the ripped tights, even though I don't think I could pull it off in real life. The way he combines masculine and feminine in a hip, wearable way just oozes MOD (model off-duty) cool. It makes me very unhappy that I don't have any of his clothes. And he's expanding his repertoire with bags this fall. And the fact that he's a Bay Area local makes me love him even more. Basically he's awesome.

(photo style.com)