royboticsteez

I'VE MOVED

2010-03-16T10:53:00.003-04:00

HERE.

felt like it was a good time for new beginnings.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

2010-02-11T17:55:00.005-05:00

i remember the first time i ever heard about mcqueen. it was a saturday evening about 6:30 and i was still in high school doing what i usually do at around that time every saturday evening, watching fashion television.
i've never heard of the designer who was being profiled at that moment. all i remember thinking to myself was how pompous and pretentious i thought that guy was for turning his face away from the camera while he was being interviewed. at that time london was more known for being this circus in the fashion calendar where the only thing that mattered was to shock and very little else. so my first reaction to the collection with the ripped tartans and lace with the freaky contact lense was just another gimmick from another flash in the pan. and bumster pants...yeah right.
that was my first introduction to mcqueen. and while i dismissed him at first as just another attention seeker, i found myself almost helplessly attracted to his work. in many ways he was the one who introduced me to the idea that fashion doesn't have to be "pretty". it could be provocative. it can be a political statement. or a big fat middle finger to the institution. when he opened my eyes to the possibilities of fashion, it made me realized that it wasn't just this adolescent hobby, it was something i really connected with. a medium that became my passport away from the mundane suburb i grew up in and over the years it took me to some of the most amazing joyrides of my life.
through mcqueen's romantic, and renegade sensibility it enabled me to define my own aesthetic. to not be scared to be different. to dream the biggest dreams you can and wear your heart on your sleeves because it doesn't do anything covered underneath your skin.
i'm pretty sure many will remember him as fashion's enfant terrible or his memorable runway presentations. but for me he was so much more than that. and as i read threads all over the internet the most poignant thing many has said was that he was the one who gave them that connection with fashion. its not easy to be inspirational in such an uninspired world, and the world has gone much dimmer. good bye mcqueen. thank you for having the guts. i just wish you had the guts to hold on a little longer.

COUTURE CLOSE-UP: SPRING/SUMMER 2010

2010-01-28T01:18:00.003-05:00

photo: 1-3 CHANEL, 4&5 DIOR, 6-8 GAULTIER, 9-12 GIVENCHY
style.it

PARIS - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY FOUR

2010-01-25T19:28:00.001-05:00

PARIS - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY THREE

2010-01-24T22:09:00.002-05:00

PARIS - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY TWO

2010-01-22T21:53:00.006-05:00

at first glance, walter van beirendonck's most recent collection seem to be surprisingly tame for someone who is notorious for marching to the beat of his own drum. to see suiting (in traditional check patterns at that!) and shearling lined parkas worn with something as timid as a pique polo, that even when topped off with giant plastic earmuffs courtesy of milliner genius stephen jones, it was almost disappointing in its apparent lack of the mind boggling visual assault of his previous collection. no penis shaped masks, or tubular exoskeletons, nor big bird wings. not even big furry men as models. but as one of the infamous antwerp six who challenged the popular opinions of fashion in the eighties with their avant garde and belgian sensibilities, one has to realize that despite of its modest and cartoonish appearance, this collection was packed with van beirendonck's subversive take on the violent state of the world. amidst the colourful sweatshirts with keith harring-like illustrations were guns and tanks, a scarf that was shaped as a missile in flight and "w"s that signified war printed on sweaters in big, bold captial letters. when asked what it was that prompted him towards this direction the designer replied by saying that nowadays he always feels like someone is holding a gun to his head and that world feels like its always ready to explode. given the seriousness of the issue it shouldn't be taken as the designer taking a lighthearted approach to such a weighty topic. as one of the most underrated genius in the business, it takes someone with an intellect like van beirendonck with a deft hand with communicating austere issues that makes him one of the most provocative designers in world.

photo: catwalking.com

PARIS - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY ONE

2010-01-21T21:44:00.002-05:00

entitled "hidden", korean designer juun j presented a collection that implied everything the title suggested. swathes of fabrics cocooned the body. a trend that has become one of the biggest themes that has come out of paris in the past few seasons and continues its momentum for 2010. voluminous coats were worn over drapey light weight jersey or fine gauge sweaters, a staple in every juun j collection realized in his familiar colour palette of greys and blacks in oversized proportions paired with drop crotch trousers that limited its volume to the upper half of the leg. he also displayed his ingenious way of using zippers not just as a decorative touch, but an added element that heightened the dramatic volume of the clothes that when unzipped revealed another layer in contrasting fabrics or colour. every part of the body was covered from the snood that acted as hood to protect the head to the gladiator style boots and sandals, no flesh was exposed. in summary it had all the trademarks of the young designer. surprisingly, after all the interpretations of military influence we've seen first in milan and then in paris, with special attention given to the trench coat, it was notably absent from the korean designer's runway. the same designer who has built his reputation partly because of his never exhausting ability to find new ways to tweak the iconoclast since his debuted his collection a few years ago. still, even without it, this was still a collection that displayed the growing confidence of a talented young designer.

photo: catwalking.com

MILAN - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY THREE

2010-01-19T17:47:00.010-05:00

for moncler gamme bleu to succeed in such a narrow field such hi-performance luxury sportswear, it needed someone with thome brown's sense of humour to add an interesting dimension to what could otherwise be another bland hi-end performance line. his new take on the sartorial codes that has defined masculine dressing has influenced and provoked as much as it has been criticized for entertaining too much of his own personal fancies. since collaborating with the prestigious italian company he has proven that he is a much more capable and flexible designer that can take into consideration the needs of the moncler customer and its heritage, and at the same time be able to offer that man his own distinct aesthetic. which is his highly individual take on formal dressing that he has managed to adapt into moncler's repertoire. with his sense of theatrics, browne staged the collection with models asleep in the barracks in a uniform position in the same sleeping attire and suddenly awaken from the sound of a bugle horn. with the discipline of soldiers, all simultaneously arose and began to put on their parkas, anoraks, ski jackets, cable knit sweater and quilted suiting. ready for a trek on the italian alps the house originated from. for such an irreverent designer, it was surprisingly commercial without losing browne's trademark whimsy that his critics crucified him for before. browne has always been a very focused designer and it shows in the cohesiveness of his signature line, but here it was grounded in reality, give or take, because let's face facts, even the most adventurous of us won't step out of the house in a satin/fleece shirt nightgown. if he can find that focus again for his eponymous collection next month in new york, then maybe he can have the pleasure of for once silencing his critics.

consuelo castiglioni has always had the penchant to toy with ideas that recollect our childhood memories. with her every presentation it always feels as if we are watching a young boy playing dress-up in old man's clothes. the proportions are always a bit askew, the colours a bit odd, yet there is a formality about them. so there is always this playful naivete that makes her clothes so delightfully endearing. and it is that charm and youthful spirit that has made the house such a resounding success. but whatever childlike nonchalance the collections exudes, it is anchored with that milanese craftsmanship and some of the most developed textiles in the industry that gives the clothes a timelessness that makes it attractive to consumers of a broad age range. what we see during the presentation is castiglioni's vision. what consumers see on the sales floor are well tailored coats, luxurious fabrics and some of the most coveted accessories around, but all injected with that quirky marni signature so they never become mundane.

the versace man has always been a portrait of virile masculinity. while gianni versace's take was more about high gestures that verged on camp, this new versace man owes its character to its warrior instinct. this man is defiantly younger and more aggressive than his eighties and nineties predecessor, but at the same time its masculinity is on par with the versace of old who measured his manliness with his ability to enjoy the luxurious lifestyle he could afford and unapologetically flashed it with every opportunity. and the common thread that these two distinct male version of the same house share is their understanding and appreciation of the craftsmanship the house is synonymous with. displayed at this collection were some of the most impeccably tailored coats and suiting with some of the most complex pattern cutting shown in milan. solidifying the house's reputation with producing some of the most intricate cuts and fabrication in the industry. courtesy without a doubt by ex cloak designer alexandre plokhov's creative influence. since he was hired as a creative consultant for the menswear branch of the house, he has helped steer the brand out of its, for lack of a better word, gaudy reputation into one that is more congruent with the times. after all he was one of the designers who's work influenced today's definition of modern masculinity. and to further validate the point that this is still a classic versace collection, there was the reappearance of the iconic versace chain-mail mesh worked to appear as armour underneath those precision cut jackets.

photo: marni-menstyle.it, versace-gq.com

MILAN - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY TWO

2010-01-18T11:09:00.010-05:00

such is the potency of miuccia prada's vision that she is able to drastically shift direction from one season to next and never lose that inimitable factor that stamps her signature into everything she produces. abandoning the uber-urban aggressiveness of the past few seasons, her combined presentation for her men's fall 2010 and women's pre-fall collections saw prada revisiting some of the references that helped form the hallmarks of the brand during the nineties. this collection echoed much of england in the early seventies in the colour palette and geometric prints which ranged anywhere from abstract camouflage to three dimensional diamond shapes, to smart jackets worn over shrunken knits that gave it a sense of boyish naivete that gave a lot of her early menswear collection its inherent charm. it still retained the same youthfulness of her previous efforts, but after two consecutive seasons where all we saw was black, grey, and white on a predominantly narrow silhouette, to see this collection maneuvered around a serpentine runway with a soundtrack that was as erratic as the numerous video presentations on the wall with models coming out in groups reminiscent of helmut lang's old runway presentations, it was somewhat hard to dilute the clothes from the environment it was shown in. it didn't make sense. but then again when does prada ever make sense at that moment? its all the paradoxes, the little peculiar quirks such as the double collars on coats and shoes with a flapping tongue and her obsession with challenging herself by using fabrics she has no affinity for, which this season was moleskin, that she somehow manages to amalgamate together that eventually will form into a clear picture a little while after for everyone else. and then suddenly it's influence is omnipresent.

military inspired looks always surface with every menswear collections. it has become one of the most dominant sartorial influence in the western world where epaulets, brass buttons and pea coats have become iconic pieces in every man's wardrobe. masataka matsumura also chose to go with the military vein, but it was his homeland's historical soldiers the samurai where the designer drew inspiration from. such a powerful figure could have been overwhelming, but matsumura's work is always about a fluidity and serenity that it was the samurai's sense of honour, restrain and discipline that eclipsed the warrior persona. and it was that sense of restrain that gave the collection its focus that even with all the layering with different levels of volume which was directly inspired by the samurai uniform, it all worked cohesively as one picture. as the models paraded down the dimly lit runway they played the part of matsumura's young army in billowing pleated pants that was so full in volume it appeared to be a skirt, with most looks worn with an apron like appendage and to give it an urban edge, the designer injected the collection with plaids, leather and hi top trainers. presenting a modern take on an ancient idea. while the character looked like he was ready for battle in the urban jungle, he also gave the clothes a spiritual dimension. the same zen like spirit that permeates with all his collections where a fluid line works so harmoniously with a stricter, more defined cut. let's not forget, as brutal as the samurais were in the field of battle, they also considered the meditation of floral arrangements to be as equal a form of martial arts as sword fighting.

photo: catwalking.com

MILAN - MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2010 - DAY ONE

2010-01-17T14:20:00.017-05:00

ever wondered what princess leah and mad max's child would look like? designers tom notte and bart vandebosch certainly did for they claimed to have been inspired by the movies star wars and thunderdome for their most recent collection. as disparate as those two reference points could be, somehow the designer were able to find a common thread to fuse the two together into a collection that didn't suffer from good showmanship with little real life substance. the duo actually managed to accomplish to send out a collection that had real commercial viability. yes its for a more adventurous man with the ingenious way they turned biker jackets into interesting blazers with knitted lapels or arms with zip closures and one's with padded shoulders to give it the appearance of an armour. pants came in a variety of silhouettes from slim to cropped above the ankle with pleats to provide a dynamic contrast with the usually narrow fitted jackets. at one end it had the peaceful countenance of a yoda, and on the other end that barbaric ways auntie trinity. it displayed the duo's highly original approach when it comes to re-interpreting classics and applying their own point of view to frame a clear picture. even with their strong inclination for schizophrenic references. and that sense of courage and humour is bound to attract more attention to these two highly talented designers.

"protect, explore, inspire". those were the three words designer christopher bailey used as a the backbone for one of his strongest colletion for the house that he famously rescued from duty free obscurity over a decade ago. the heritage of the one hundred fifty three year old house has always been the lifeblood of bailey's work, and for autumn/winter 2010 bailey revisited all the hallmarks that helped forge the spirit of the brand. the military and aviation history of burberry was the pulse that gave this collection its virility. the trench coat of course being the most famous which was so named after it became part of a british soldier's uniform during the trench warfare of world war one done this season with a sloping shoulder cinched on the waist that agitated its volume and one in leather with the same deep petrol blue. aviation flight jackets with an exaggerated shearling collar which will undoubtedly be a blockbuster success once it hits the sales floor came in various lengths and fabrication. and about every other incarnation of the military regimental uniform was sent down the catwalk adjusted slightly for the man who faces not battlefronts but the daily trials of the modern, urban way of life. though this collection is an homage to burberry's military endeavors, it also displayed the technological advances in fabric innovation that the house greatly contributed to which gave the clothes the functionalism to perform for some of the most reknowned explorers of the twentieth century. and bailey clearly didn't seem to neglect infusing this collection with the same spirit of masculine adventure.

raf simon's take on the evolution of the jil sander man since he first took control of the house three years ago is reaching the point where his sensibilities is becoming the dominant persona over jil's. that doesn't mean however that the spirit of the house and its values are about to be deleted. the genius of raf simons is his sensitivity to history and the meaning of the house that over the years have acquired some of the most devout followers in the industry. to compare his first collection for the brand and all his subsequent collections that followed that lead up to this, his most recent one, one gets a clearer picture that he's not supplanting sander's legacy, he's merely adapting his own vocabulary with the house and in turn it has produced some of the most well executed collections in recent memory. his ability to fully develop an idea with such precision and focus is extremely well suited with a new definition of minimalism. at sander where tailoring is paramount, simons' directional approach with the craft and his subtle way of playing with proportions and adding surprising elements, which this season was exemplified with the way he added geometrical shapes on jackets and coats as closures or flaps to cover pockets that were cut with a more arabesque line, he has managed to find the perfect symmetry with his own aesthetic and sander's practicality. while the looks that will have the most editorial exposure in a few months are the more experimental ones, there were also plenty to satisfy consumers who values the brand for its craftsmanship, fabric innovation, and timeless appeal. there were suits in traditional wool checks, oil slick puffa jackets, classic over coats and a growing focus on accessories guarantees that for the new decade will ensure the success of the brand and help it navigate the current economic climate. a testament to the power of raf simons' unyielding vision.

photo: catwalking.com

PRE-FALL 2010

2010-01-16T11:02:00.004-05:00

maybe i have fashion attention deficit disorder and i'm just too zealous to see new things from designers, but why do i like the pre-fall collection from the five houses above loads more than the main collection shown three months ago? i mean pre-fall and resort collections aren't exactly laboratories of ideas. they're meant to be straightforward whose main objective is to be commercial. there aren't complex reference points that would put these clothes in a trajectory that some will describe as "directional" (those balenciaga harem/track pant hybrid is of course an exception). yet it could be because it isn't weighed down by such things as narratives or themes that allows the designers a certain sense of freedom that it gives them liberty to make simple, beautiful garments that in many ways gives them a certain of longevity because it isn't likely to be as overexposed as some items from the main seasonal collections. and in this economic downturn, shopping pre-fall and resort seems like the most sensible option.

photo: style.com

THE BEST OF THE 2000s - THE COLLECTIONS

2010-01-04T21:36:00.004-05:00

at first i initially made a list of the collections that had the most impact and the ones that really shaped the decade, but as i was forming that list i felt that a lot of the collections that i myself personally loved was going to have to make room for the ones i really didn't have as much affinity for. so i thought to myself the hell with it. its not like i'm suzy menkes anyways. my opinions about fashion are just that, mine. it has no value or influence in the real world only to me. so here are the fifteen collections that really pulled at my heart strings and the ones that have directly formed my opinion on what fashion is and the one whose influence are reflected in my closet that i am staring at right now. mind you my closet is a very very very cheap imitation of the clothes shown above. i don't have jay-z money and my magazine collection probably costs three times more than my entire wardrobe. ok i'm exaggerating but i'm pretty sure that rochas dress from fall/winter 2003 is worth more than every single thing in my bedroom combined.

p.s. i tried to be somewhat diplomatic and not have one designer on the list twice or three times, otherwise a third of the list would've been taken up by prada, balenciaga or dior couture. the ones above are my favorite collections of the decade by said designers. peace out!

THE BEST OF THE 2000s - THE MODELS

2009-12-23T20:59:00.023-05:00

in the beginning of the new millennium the runways of the fashion capitals was ruled by the brazilian bombshells spearheaded by the likes of gisele bundchen, caroline ribeiro and fernanda tavares. models who's bodies and searing sensuality was the direct opposite of the boyish waif frame that has been in vogue for the better part of the nineties. these models however, much like the supermodels who preceded them a decade earlier, were able to balance high paying and high profile jobs such as victoria's secret and still be in demand with high fashion clients who normally tend to favour more directional looking models which has been de rigeur since kate moss exploded into the fashion consciousness. however since fashion is a notoriously fickle industry, the demand for something new, and by new meaning the complete opposite of the popular, the brazilian domination of the catwalks was about to make way for a new crop of models that defined their own respective timeline in the industry.
perhaps the first real trend to come out of the naughties was "butch chic". personified by eleanora bose and omahayra mota, they took fashion's long fascination with androgyny into a whole new level. it's aesthetic was harder, more aggressive and during the spring/summer 2001 shows when one of the biggest themes to emerge was a play between masculine and feminine tailoring, it was perfect timing for bose and mota.
the "butch chic" look however became victim of fashion's incessant attention deficit disorder and by next season a new wave of models, this time hailing from belgium came in vogue. kim peers, the first of the belgians to break out and favored by marc jacobs and tom ford for her brooding, intellectual beauty paved the way for an oost, anouk lepere, anne catherine lacroix, delphine balfort, and elise crombez. the latter who's career skyrocketed when she was chosen to front prada's spring 2003 ad campaign. one of the most influential campaigns in the business which has been responsible for launching the careers of many successful models. one of which would be the most successful model of the decade, daria werbowy.
the canadian model that holds the record for most show opened in a single season. she became the face of prada's first perfume campaign and went on to star in its ads for four consecutive seasons lensed by steven meisel who also put her on the cover of italian vogue three times in 2003. contributing to the well known fact that canada produces high quality models that continues to carry the torch once held by linda evangelista and yasmeen ghauri. and when modelling entered its next phase, it was canadians jessica stam, heather marks, and lisa cant that would capture the photographers' fascination with the doll like face that became in demand in the middle part of the decade.
as prolific as the canadians were in this new school of beauty, it was australian gemma ward that perfectly encapsulated the doll like aesthetic. with her wide blue eyes, round shaped face, button nose and downturned lips, ward became a favorite among many highly influential photographers. her chameleon like ability to be girlish and sweet in one shot to a vamped up woman in the next frame, then rebellious street urchin next, ward's versatility made her one of the most in demand models of the noughties. starring in ad campaigns for prada, burberry, balenciaga, and dolce and gabbana to name but a few.
russia too had an answer for the doll like craze in vlada roslyakova. a favorite of christian lacroix who chose her to become the bride for his last four couture shows. a position once held by another doll faced beauty, english model lily cole. the last few years of the decade saw an explosion of russian beauties on the international catwalks. currently on models.com top fifty ranking, there is an impressive fifteen russian models that occupies the spots. with the number two slot shared by sasha pivovarova and natasha poly. with the amount of magazine covers, campaigns, runway and editorial work that have been accumulated by pivovarova and poly, the top honor for russian model of the decade however goes to natalia vodianova. the only other model who can contest with werbowy's success.
one of the handful of models who was able to land a solo cover for american vogue, vodianova has managed a level of success that even after taking three separate hiatus from modeling as a result of giving birth to her three children, she is still in demand with fashion's most influential movers. rarely appearing on the catwalks and when she does its to open balenciaga, vodianova's timeless beauty with it's lolita-esque appeal with an expressive face has made her the choice representative for brands as diverse as calvin klein who she was the face for for most of the decade, to louis vuitton and l'oreal. in vogue's "model as muse" issue in may of this year she potrayed nine of modelling's most iconic faces. i think its safe to bet that in a few years she too will be remembered as one of the great ones and many future models will channel her timeless appeal.
in the latter part of the decade, one of the fashion world's most unresolved and undiscussed issue was brought into the forefront, that of the lack of models of colour on the international runways and magazines. not much has changed in the new millennium but as the decade ends it is showing some signs of promise.
after ten years jourdan dunn became the first black model to walk the prada runway since naomi campbell. chinese model du juan fronted the armani campaign and for the autumn/winter 2009 collections liu wen top the list of most shows walked. however it was vogue italia's landmark "black issue" in july 2008 with an all black cast with four covers that became the loudest statement about race in the history of fashion publication.
one of the models that graced one of the four covers for that issue was ethiopian beauty liya kebede. her career was jump started when tom ford discovered her and had her flown to milan to walk exclusively for gucci's autumn/winter 2000 show. he then cast her the following year to star on the ad campaign for his second ysl collection and soon got anna wintour's stamp of approval who made her a monthly fixture at american vogue. it wasn't just american vogue who fell for kebede's charm. in may 2002 paris vogue's editor carinne roitfeld put her on the cover and dedicated the entire issue to her. the following year she became the first black woman to represent estee lauder cosmetics.
since then she has broadened her horizons and became a good will ambassador for the world health organization, bringing attention to the plights of her fellow africans. it is this humanity that shines through and has made her one of the most beloved models in recent history and to highlight her humanitarian work she graced the cover of american vogue in 2006.
everything in fashion always comes full circle. and just as 2000s opened with the brazilian, it would be a brazilian to close it. but unlike giselle, raquel zimmerman doesn't exude heated sensuality or latin heat. instead there is a purity in her face. a classicism that has universal appeal in a form that has the ability to be molded into whatever a client needs and a personality that afflicts everyone around her.
while she is the most successful model right now, her journey to the top has been a long one. she first started making the international rounds in 2000 but it wasn't until she opened prada autumn/winter 2004 collection that her career truly sky rocketed. now a perennial fixture on all the top shows and a superstar in her native brazil, zimmermann has become the girl that everyone wished would be most likely to succeed.
with the idea of beauty being constantly challenge to adapt to the times, modeling has become a fast paced business that is always trying to catch the definitive. however it really isn't about being the perfect face for now that makes a good model. yes it is an important foot in the door, but its their ability to adapt to the needs after that initial demand has passed that tests their abilities as a model and gives their career longevity. it is their personalities however that makes them a star.

unlike their female counterparts, male models have never really enjoyed the attention or salary that female models have commanded for many years. there are obviously exceptions to the rule such as marcus schenkenberg, mark van derloo or tyson beckford who enjoyed substantial success in the nineties. although they were never able to match the earnings of the girls, their chiseled good looks and defined bodies made them household names and help contribute to the growing popularity of male models.
as the new millennium approached, a new crop of boys emerged who's aesthetic was far removed from the beefcake image of beckford and schenkenberg. and with the growing influence of hedi slimane's new definition of the modern man he first exhibited with his collections for yves saint laurent, and then at dior homme a new sensibility was to take shape that would continue to assert it's influence throughout the decade.
models such as scott barnhill, greg payne and charlie speed, boys with a more noticeably youthful appearance and smaller frame perfectly captured the essence that was beginning to rewrite a new definition of masculine beauty. although this new wave of models were beginning to redefine the aesthetic, the picture of an underwear clad jeff aquilon under the miami sun shot by bruce webber in the eighties for the calvin klein underwear campaign was too potent an image of male sexuality that would forever influence the definition of male perfection. it was because of this that enabled more "traditional" models such as robert petrovich, will lemay and gabriel aubrey to continue to represent the long lasting ideal in the first years of the new millennium.
as the decade progressed and with slimane's vision becoming more and more influential, the demand for the new aesthetic began to dominate the prominent catwalks and advertising campaigns. matthew avedon, the first bonafide star of the two thousands and grandson of legendary photographer richard avadon along with fellow american tyson balou came to embody this new sensibility. their boyish good looks but with a hint of rugged masculinity made them the perfect avatar that represented the kinetic energy of youth, yet their classical features perfectly bridged the old school of thought and the new one that was beginning to form.
just as the females that became muses for some of fashion's most creative minds in the past, the noughties saw the boys beginning to inspire some of the most important designers of the decade. j.r. gallison became tom ford's male muse at gucci, just as damien van zyl and travis fimmel came to represent the calvin klein man. but no other model became as inspirational to a designer such as brad kroenig, who's career was launched to dizzying heights when he caught the attention of karl lagerfeld who shot kroenig prolifically and used him for every campaign for all the houses he designed for.
as the years went by the youth movement was in full momentum and with designers and casting agents looking for the face that could fully represent the trend it ushered in some of the most unforgettable faces of the decade. boyd hollbrook, shaun dewet, danny beauchamp, and jeremy dufour all embodied the youthful spirit and with a face that had all the charm of a young boy with a swagger that gave them universal appeal that transcended the age barrier. but it was danish model mathias lauridsen who emerged out of this new school to fully represent this new romantic and youthful aesthetic. his career was catapulted to the top when jil sander hand picked the young dane to star in the first advertising campaign for the house she had just returned to. and while many of his contemporaries eventually faded, lauridsen has been one of the few who was able to maintain his level of success and in the five years he's been at the top, he has managed to bag some of the most coveted campaigns in the industry. closing off the successful decade with the gucci pour homme fragrance campaign.
while teenagers were the norm in female models, it was virtually new in the noughties. suddenly the need to capture the essence of youth became a priority and it sidelined the archetypal image of aquilon and van der loo and the new male models became noticeable younger and younger. regardless of how prominent the youthful ideal was, when a model like andres segura with all his searing masculinity and with the noticeable sexuality he projects, few could resist the prototype of the perfect man he embodied. he became the face of louis vuitton, chanel's allure campaign and even one of the most powerful editors, vogue paris' carine roitfeld who profiled the model in her magazine was unable to resist segura's charm. when photographers inez van lamsweerde and vinoodh matadin shot him in all his naked glory for arena homme plus, his status as one of the industry's most iconic figures was forever cemented.
just as the nineties was able to make room for both the classic beauty of the supermodels and for the likes of kate moss and alek wek, the two thousands was able to duplicate the same revolution for the male modeling industry. today, models like david gandy with a face and physique that seems to have been carved from ancient greek marble and lanky framed and tatooed cole more walk the same runways. this decade wasn't about redefining the male archetype but expanding on it. and with this new sense of freedom to look anew at the old palimpsest, the next ten years promises to be a very interesting one.

VIKTOR & ROLF - "RUSSIAN DOLL" HAUTE COUTURE AUTUMN/WINTER 1999

2009-12-23T13:27:00.008-05:00

the "russian doll" collection presented by the dutch duo's haute couture collection for autumn/winter 1999 is regarded by many as the defining moment when the designers gained the reputation for being two of the most innovative talents and established viktor and rolf as two of fashion's most provocative showmen.
inspired by matryoshka dolls, that beloved icon of russian culture, viktor and rolf took the idea and built a collection based on the theme of layering. casting model maggie rizer for her unobtrusive and pure doll-like beauty, the show opened with rizer standing on a rotating pedestal dressed in an unassuming burlap slip dress with frayed edges that resembled more like a potato sack than a couture dress. without the obvious grandeur that is usually attached to a couture show no one was to expect that magic that would eventually unfold. after each complete rotation of the pedestal, viktor and rolf would re-emerge from the darkness to add another layer on top of the dress. the new one more beautiful and more elaborately embroidered than the last. after the seventh and final layer was added, a massive coat with a sculpted rose made out of the same burlap that opened the show sprawling across the front, rizer was covered in approximately seventy kilograms of beautiful and ornate creations.
this collection struck such a chord because it displayed in essence the true nature of haute couture. the sublime beauty in the process of making hand made garments. how every hidden boning, every seam, each panel of cloth and everyone of the thousands of beads embroidered onto the fabric is just one part of the complete, resplendent picture.
in the many years i've been following fashion, there are only a handful of collections that i can only describe as incandescently perfect. this is most definitely one of them.

AUTUMN 2009

2009-12-15T18:34:00.000-05:00

it might not be summer anymore and the air is a bit colder, but friends are always loads of fun.

KATIE EARY - SPRING/SUMMER 2010

2009-12-08T18:29:00.001-05:00

designers have always used fashion as a tool to sculpt and perfect our outer shell. there are few designers however who's fascination with what lies underneath our skin is as apparent as british designer katie eary. whose recent collection for spring/summer 2010 presented in london during the MAN show explored on the idea of "inner decay on the human body and its twisted beauty".
this translated into gauzy t-shirts printed with an anatomically correct diagram of the respiratory and digestive system caged by rib bones worn underneath metal works that covered the models' torsos resembling the human skeleton. macabre and slightly disturbing yes, but also extremely fascinating because of its originality.
as a woman who designs fashion for the other gender with a background that is heavily influenced by classic british tailoring and military uniform, eary brings to men's fashion what many of her male contemporaries fails to offer, a romantic fantasy that isn't suffocated by the rigorous rules attached to sartorial traditions that governs menswear.
underneath all the theatrics and shock value, there is above all a woman dedicated to her craft. much like a young galliano or mcqueen, the real testament to eary's talent is in her highly accomplished tailoring and her ability to easily adapt technique with her imagination. after only two collections, eary joins fellow MAN show presenters j.w. anderson and christopher shannon as the leading torchbearers of british men's fashion.

photo: catwalking.com

WILD AT HEART

2009-12-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

VOGUE - september 1991
photographer - peter lindbergh
creative director - grace coddington
models - cindy crawford, tatjana patitz, helena christensen, linda evangelista, claudia schiffer, naomi campbell, karen mulder, stephanie seymour
one of the most unforgetable editorials of the nineties featuring supermodel heavyweights shot by peter lindbergh and styled by living legend grace coddington, "wild at heart" featured one of the first important trends to emerge in the early nineties. a look the heavily borrowed from biker culture and jewelry that was at that time, mostly associated with rap music.
the trend first emerged on the chanel catwalk for autumn/winter 1991. where chanel's classic quilted leather and gilt chains was luxuriously amalgamated by karl lagerfeld with the biker uniform. the "biker" look would not only emerge on other catwalks, but found its way to one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the decade, the calvin klein jeans ad with carre otis and marcus schenkenberg.
after almost two decades, the influence of of the biker culture has permeated every aspect of fashion. from ricardo tisci to frida giannini, countless designers have presented their own take on the biker look.
what was once a sub-culture that developed its "uniform" to give itself a visual identity, fashion has turned the black leather biker jacket into a modern classic.

GREATEST HITS: PRADA (PART TWO 2000-2009)

2009-11-30T23:14:00.000-05:00

for the woman who was so instrumental in giving the nineties its minimalist identity, it is no surprise that it would be that same woman who would once again re-direct the course of fashion for the new millennium.
since her seminal "lady like" collection for spring 2000, prada continued to develop on the ideas of traditional notations of femininity by delving into the past to source inspirations and then finding the prada way to apply it for the times.
whether it be a sex bomb or post-war england's "make do and mend" philosophy, in the early half of the noughties, prada took the practicality of minimalism and slowly introduce new layers to the idea by introducing more and more decorative elements to her designs. a move that one would assume to be the complete antithesis for the woman who was responsible for stripping fashion down to its bare minimum only a decade before, prada somehow managed to utilize such decoration to heighten the potency of her message. a message that always crystalized the general feeling in the air and one that was never frivolous or superficial for the sake of fashion.
towards the latter of half of the decade the prada pendulum was about to take a dramatic shift, and for the fall of 2006 she went back to the utilitarian roots of the house and injected it with her own take on urban savagery that completely abolished any remnants of the "lady like" look she herself pioneered.
this marked the beginning of a more aggressive prada woman. complex, determined, and unapologetic. dressed in parkas, knits, nylon bombers and raincoats, the very clothes that were the backbone of the house in its early years, reinterpreted as armour for the modern woman.
this new confidence was followed with more sexually charged collections where her subversive take on female sexuality and the things that people closely relate to it made her work some of the most provocative collections of the decade.
towards the end of the two thousands and the arrival of the greatest economic crisis since the great depression, prada answered the gloomy global climate by sending out a collection of forties inspired suiting rich with texture in a sombre colour palette that signaled that these aren't times for which to play. it is a time for strength and these are the clothes that you will wear to battle.
for over twenty years miuccia prada's singular perspective has defined eras. from minimalism, to geek cheek, to lady like conservatism and a new form of power dressing, her talent is a testament to an uncompromising, unyielding vision. a vision that sparks movements and changes ideas and challenges institutions.
as the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close it would be useless to assume the direction prada is to head off to next. but when she finally reveals that destination, one can be sure that by next season everyone else is there. and by then she probably would've already moved on leaving the rest of the pack trying desperately to catch up.

GREATEST HITS: PRADA (PART ONE 1990-2000)

2009-11-26T18:58:00.000-05:00

throughout the nineties, prada has been one of the most influential force in fashion. spearheading the minimalist movement that would eventually define the decade.
since launching the house's ready to wear line in 1989 which at that time the world at large was still unfamiliar with miuccia prada's design sensibility, many criticized the collection as being out of step with the general mood of that moment. it wouldn't be until a few years later when prada's innate sensitivity to the needs of the modern woman and an uncanny ability to "predict" the direction fashion is meant to go that made the world finally took notice and realized that she isn't a designer who is out of step with the times, but one who is constantly ahead of it.
as the woman who is responsible for the nylon bag craze of the eighties, one of the hallmarks of the house is in its fabric innovation. utilizing materials not usually associated with luxury goods such as velcro, rubber or plastic and using it in a way that is so obviously practical one wonders why no one has thought of it before. by combining design and an understanding of modern needs and pragmatic solutions, prada steered the fashion world out of the excess of the eighties and into a new sense of modern dressing where women did not have to sacrifice function for beauty.
the irony however with prada's take on beauty is that she also constantly challenged our perception of it. first with her introduction of minimalism after the world was so used to idea of over the top glamour and supermodels, only to radically change it again just as the rest of the world was getting used to it with her "geek chic" collection of spring/summer 1996 where the seventies reference and odd colour palette threw the world a curve ball that surprisingly caused a ripple effect that can still be felt even now, thirteen years later after its debut.
for her first collection in the 2000s, prada managed to take control of the helm yet again and after a few years when everyone in fashion continued to experiment with the idea of good and bad taste, prada unleashed to an unsuspecting world a collection that played on all the traditional notions of femininity with all it's lady like qualities and toyed with the idea of prada's perverse and subversive take on sexuality. it obviously profoundly affected the rest of the fashion world in the beginning of the new millennium, but that is for part two. i'm hella hungry and i needs to eat.

p.s. new layout. i like big pictures so i changed my template but i fucking hate my banner and i pretty much suck at photoshop. if any of you want to make me one i will love you forever.

michael lau

2009-11-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

when one thinks of avant garde fashion, he/she usually tends to associate that specific genre with london or paris, or antwerp. fashion capitals that historically have been the cradle that has nurtured the avant garde idea. paris has given us schiaparelli and gaultier. london, an exhausting list that includes alexander mcqueen and gareth pugh. and antwerp entered the global collective consciousness with the renegade sensibilities of the antwerp six.
while the documented emergence of the avant garde has been traditionally associated with europe and the art movement that found its epicenter in paris in the beginning of the twentieth century, over the next decades its profound influence stretched across the globe.
as the first decade of the twenty first century comes to a close and the arm of fashion has extended its influence, more and more international designers are embracing the avant garde idea.
in hong kong, a capitalist jewel capriciously set in communist china comes michael lau. a fashion designer and artist who presented his work during hong kong fashion week's spring/summer 2010 collections that, like all the great visionaries in fashion, blended concept, art, and clothes into a collection that challenges and provokes our notion of what fashion is and where the lines between fashion and art get blurred.

matthew

2009-11-13T21:45:00.001-05:00

first off apologies for not updating recently. i've been hella busy working on a gajillion things and as a result i've come down with a right nasty case of the flu. last tuesday when i thought i was feeling a bit better i helped out a friend with her lookbook. it's a women's line and we shot it at one of those really sketchy motels along the lakshore. it was so sketchy we found a tiny garden snake inside the room, not to mention a cigarette butt behind the bed. we also had a boy model in it just to add a little something extra to the picture. i don't think i'm allowed to actually post any of the actual images just yet since its still in post production. however since the boy was graciously given to us by his agency we promised to devout some time specifically to him and take some shots so that he can use it to build his book since he's very new to the whole modeling thing. his name is matthew, and he's a pretty swell kid. he even picked up the little snake and held it in his hand.

i'll try to post more often but to be honest i'm not finding anything exciting enough for me to talk about. is it just me or is fashion getting pretty fucking dull lately? anyways, i'm about to down some neo-citrin and hopefully pass the fuck out and wake up finally feeling like a human being again. adios.

the drums - let's go surfing

2009-10-27T13:58:00.000-04:00

my homeslice, burnsy got me into this band and now this song has been pretty much on repeat on my itunes. why didn't i have this song during the summer???? it would've been fucking perfect!

hometown heroes

2009-10-23T17:47:00.000-04:00

it's fashion week in toronto right now and even though the collections are for next spring, the weather outside is being a total antagonist. outside is what you would imagine to be a really dreadful fall day. it's wet, freezing, windy. one of those days that you can easily spend the whole day tucked underneath your blanket and thanking god for ninjavideo.net so that you can catch up on all the episodes of glee that you've missed.
don't get me wrong, it could be bright and sunny outside and i would still be under the covers instead of being at the tents and watching the collections. because to be quite honest, toronto fashion week sucks.
while i do feel rather guilty for hating on an event that gives canadian designers a platform to present their ideas my reasons are quite sound and rational.
designers who should be given the chance to show what this city has to offer because of their unique point of view are never given the opportunity to. talents that if properly fostered and supported by the governing bodies of the fashion council can give this city a reputation that can cultivate independent thinking designers whose ideas can stand on its own right beside more established, world recognized ones.
look what its done for london and antwerp, even copenhagen. these three cities have produced some of the most exciting young designers in the industry and they owe a lot of that success from their respective cities who supports local talent from a grass root level. those cities nurtures the creativity and point of view of its talents and at the same time helps them develop their labels as a business where they can eventually support themselves.
sure toronto has the fashion incubator, but what do they do after they leave that nest? toronto fashion week shouldn't be an event people mark on their social calendar. for a lot of designers in this city, they do what they do because they love it, and they will continue to do it without the support of the FDCC. there's a lot of blood, sweat and tears that aren't given the opportunity to shine and canada is missing out on it.
but to end on a good note. there were two designers who presented their collection during fashion week. of course its no surprise that they weren't part of the offical fashion week calendar and also no surprise that it ended up being the two best collections, i would even say the only two good collections throughout the entire week. well the shows don't end till tomorrow but i'm pretty sure its safe to say that we won't be seeing anything better or on par with these two.

presented in the historic burroughs building on queen west for the second season in a row, philip sparks presented a collection that is brimming with canadian identity with an international appeal. inspired by the canadian pacific railway ads from the fifties and cottage life (can't get more canadian that that), sparks' ability to narrate a story and pull all the elements together into a cohesive collection is remarkable. it displays such a high level of taste that he can make a postcard inspired print and the humble anorak effortlessly luxurious. and as always the story that he reads aloud through his clothes transports you to that familiar place that only us canadians know. he's like the canadian version of ralph lauren. only so much cooler.

rita liefhebber, a former model, former fashion editor, former stylist, turned fashion designer was the most charming surprise of the week. presented at the quaint and lovely and extremely delicious charcuterie the black hoof on dundas west, the guest who were forced to wait outside the restaurant for over half an hour after schedule quickly forgot their dissatisfaction when they were greeted with drinks and food courtesy of the house. as fantastic as the food and vodka was, the real treat was having to walk down the restaurants insanely narrow walkway to the brightly lit back patio covered entirely in white where a row of models stood on the bench that surrounded the space with another row of girls standing on ground level in front of them. to walk through such narrow, and dark passageway and end up in this brightly lit up room with all these pretty young things, wearing some of the most beautiful clothes my eyes have ever seen in person was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. minus the dying part of course. after working in so may different aspects of the industry, liefhebber has such a developed aesthetic that she can put them all together into a collection where every piece flows so seamlessly to the next. she has such an understanding and sensitivity to what appeals to a woman with a true sense of fashion. kinda like phoebe philo. high praises of course but extremely well deserved. the clothes were effortless without sacrificing any of its beauty and charm. it was pure heaven.

photos: philip sparks - fashionmagazine.com, rita liefhebber - textstyles.ca

gehard demetz

2009-10-16T20:21:00.000-04:00

what i find fascinating about art is it's ability to constantly adapt to modernity. every medium has the capacity, in the hands of a highly imaginative artist, to once again be relevant, poignant, soulful, and moving. gehard demetz's beautifully realized wooden sculptures of children has the ability, like all great works of art to provoke intense reactions. it is all at once confrontational, emphatic, which comes with a longing to understand what the inanimate children wishes to convey.
not much is known about the artist, asides from his nationality and his date of birth every other fact about him is a mystery. perhaps, like the great author and recluse j.d. salinger, he doesn't feel the need to explain his work. every answer anyone wishes to know is carved into the grooves of a dead tree brought back to life in the shape of a child. a child, like what we once were, who can manage to live in a world where dreams and rationality can be one and the same.

spring/summer 2010

2009-10-13T20:25:00.000-04:00

over the past few years, fashion has become one of the greatest ways we pantomime the collective mood that hovers in the air. it is one of the few things that, unlike everything else in the world, have become more and more democratic. with the advent of mass market retail stores with their wallet approachable, fashion conscious merchandise and the surge of popularity and influence of bloggers (as witnessed during the dolce and gabbana show where a front row seat was reserved for popular internet celebrity tommy ton of jakandjil fame), more and more people have become exposed to fashion and the culture it cultivates. as a result, the fashion landscape has become more competitive and ideas are churned out in almost supersonic speed so as not to be left behind by a growing number of competitors. while the surge of ideas that is produced in this arena is remarkable, the rate of which it comes out becomes somewhat damaging. it doesn't give those ideas enough time to evolve organically.
the lifeline of trends have become so narrow that in three months time when the pre-fall collections are debuted, the ideas that stemmed from this show season would've already been forgotten, even discarded. for fashion to not collapse under its own weight a sense of restraint has to be put into practice. that form of restraint manifested itself through designers who stripped off their collection with unnecessary artifices and focused on the things that really captures the essence of their respective houses.
nowhere was this more evident than at dolce and gabbana. after almost thirty years in the business, dominico dolce and stefano gabbana returned to the core essence of the brand and by doing so presented one of the strongest collections of the season. after several seasons which saw the design duo toying with ideas such as surrealism, madonna, seventies london and contemporary art, they went back to sicily. the island where the designers drew their early inspirations from and helped cement their status as the go to label for provocative, subversive, sensual designs. i mean, let's face it, anna magnani is a far sexier and more potent muse than jesus luz's sugar momma.
other well established houses such as givenchy and balenciaga continued to redefine its storied legacy by injecting it with a youthfulness and modernity that continues to dictate the direction where fashion is heading. and fashion's most infamous enfant terrible/showman, lee mcqueen, managed to crash a whole website from the amount of people wishing to see his show aired lived on what else, the internet. which unfortunately robbed millions the chance to witness one of the most poignant show of the season.
younger labels such meadham kirchhoff, louise goldin, sharon wauchob and ohne titel, houses that are just establishing their identity therefore have more space to experiment with their vocabulary, they nevertheless have managed to gain enough confidence in their young age to assert their own personality in this highly competitive arena.
and as usual, fashion's greatest intellectuals, miuccia prada and rei kawakubo never ceases to give us a cerebral challenge as to what fashion is, what it can be, and what it should be. by always challenging our perception of fashion, these two women never fails to become a huge voice in the discussion.
although there were some strong collections presented during spring/summer 2010 collections, generally speaking, the word to summarize everything as a whole was "adequate". there were plenty of sellable clothes that designers sent out because it was a sure way to have customers who are still frugal because of the economy to open their wallets. but perhaps that is where the problem lies. designers were so focused on putting out the best of what they know how to do that it left little in terms of experimentation and development. a new course that could've taken root, detoured in favor of guaranteed commercial success. in these still uncertain times, one cannot fault the designers for playing it safe, albeit it to their respected strengths. last season when the wound left by the crash was still fresh, there were talks of how in times like these, a creative surge erupts, unfortunately it seems that that seed has yet to sprout.

miu miu - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-10T22:38:00.002-04:00

photo: style.com

alexander mcqueen - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-10T22:38:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

givenchy - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-05T23:12:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

comme des garcons - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-04T23:42:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

lanvin - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-04T22:21:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

sharon wauchob - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-04T22:19:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

balenciaga - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-02T21:45:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

limi feu - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-02T21:44:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

gareth pugh - spring/summer 2010

2009-10-02T21:43:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

dolce & gabbana - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

gucci - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-29T20:06:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

prada - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-25T00:27:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

j.w. anderson - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-25T00:26:00.001-04:00

photo: catwalking.com

christopher kane - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-22T19:53:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

meadham kirchhoff - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-22T19:52:00.000-04:00

photo: style.com

marios schwab - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-22T19:51:00.002-04:00

photo: style.com

todd lynn - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-22T19:51:00.001-04:00

photo: style.com

eley kishimoto - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

photo: catwalking.com

louise goldin - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-21T23:01:00.001-04:00

as one of the designers who spearheaded the knitwear renaissance, it is no surprise that it is the vanguard of the movement who continues to push the art of turning spools of thread into architectural masterpieces for the body. while the space-age futurism is inherently part of goldin's DNA, most of her collections start off by looking into the past. this season it was the work of two highly influential designers of the early nineties that became the starting point of the collection. the late gianni versace and blonde ambition era jean paul gaultier. however, by the time she has digested her references and it gets sent down the catwalk, her initial inspirational points merely becomes a faint echo. the versace influence came out in the soft pastels and baby doll dresses, and gauliter was the cage like construction that framed her pieces, and yes, the cone bra. the genius of goldin is how she is able to personalize such influences through her technique. even the minutest detail which appears to look like lace is, just like everything else she presents, knitted. achieved through a computer program written by the designer herself. there is the obvious sci-fi element with her collections, but unlike many designers who create pieces in the same vein, her's is actually, and tangibly achieved through using the most forward technology. the surprising twist was, that although this collection bears all the hallmarks of goldin's sensibilities, it also evoked a past more distant than the early nineties. the ethereally beautiful creatures that came down the runway with their flowing, wavy golden locks could've been a thirty first century version of botticelli's venus. the fan like details on the diaphanous dresses and skirts mimicked the lines of the clam venus stood on in botticelli's famous "the birth of venus" painting. there was something more poetic, more lyrical with this collection that wasn't as pronounced with her previous work. and that is the most promising sign that a talented designer is evolving into a great one.

photo: style.com

mark fast - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-21T23:00:00.000-04:00

egyptian silent film epics and erin brokovich? these were the two things that mark fast claimed to have inspired his most recent collection. disparate as those two references are it still produced a collection stamped with fast's trademark cobweb like knits that continues to display fast's ability to fully exploit the flexibility of knitwear. his signature body con dresses came as usual, short and tight but instead of just showing it on traditional size 2 models, he also cast three larger size women to walk down the runway. an act that is rumored to have made his stylist so irate that he quit. an event that has gotten a lot of attention and has in a certain degree overshadowed this brilliant collection which saw fast adding new elements to his expanding repetoire. dresses and skirts were finished with feathery fringe and cascading ruffles added an unexpected girlish femininity and playfulness to his sexually potent peekaboo dresses that manages to finely thread the line of good/bad taste. now that he has proven that he can add new elements to his work it would be interesting to see how he can continue to move into that direction and hopefully not fall into the trap of being a one trick pony.

photo: style.com

marcus constable- spring/summer 2010

2009-09-21T22:59:00.000-04:00

to celebrate the twenty fifth anniversary of london fashion week, houses such as burberry, jonathan saunders, antonio berardi and matthew williamson all decided to honour the occasion by returning to london for the silver jubilee. the return of these highly recognizable designers have caused a great deal of excitement and received massive media attention. marcus constable, a central saint martins graduate who returned to london after a ten year absence might not have gotten the same amount of attention as christopher bailey or matthew williamson but he delivered a collection that was so precise in its execution that was more successful than some of the returning expats. there is an architectural element in constable's design that has traceable references to claude montana. the iconic french designer who constable worked for early in his career. unlike montana who preferred a stricter form, constable has a more rhythmic feel with the curved lines, his choice in fabrication and how he manipulates the materials to drape a certain way. with london in an especially jubilant mood where bright colours and computer generated graphics have been key trends, constable was a refreshing palette cleanser where the colours were more muted, the presentation more serene and with a minimalist sensibility with just the right amount of experimentation to give it that electric surge that made it so exciting. when he graduated ten years ago there was a lot of interest that surrounded the designer but he waited until the moment felt right to launch a label under his own name. and if there is one intangible trait that can make a designer successful is intuition. marcus constable seems to posses that exact quality.

photo: catwalking.com

hannah marshall - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

the eighties is an era that although many consider to be a faux pas in fashion memory, it nevertheless continues to be an inspiration for many young designers. but considering all the eighties references that went down the catwalk last season as designers sought to respond to the global economic climate, one would be hard pressed to find something about that decade and interpret it into something new once again. fortunately hannah marshall didn't take the literal route and instead offered a collection that while based on the idea of eighties power dressing with the sharp shoulders and menswear inspired suiting, gave it a contemporary twist by subduing her colour palette and injecting it with references from vintage lingerie. the result was an architectural sexiness where the dresses were tailored with a peplumed waist achieved by ruffles that started out at the hips and tapered down towards the knee. while oversized blazers and men's inspired shirts in chiffon feminized the tailoring. after so much regurgitating of eighties ideas it was refreshing to see it done without carbon copying the past but giving it a new relevance for the present.

photo: catwalking.com

odyn vovk - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-18T00:51:00.000-04:00

meaning "one wolf" in ukranian, designer austin sherbanenko could be easily described as the lone wolf of american gothic. now with rick owens showing in paris, and who like sherbanenko founded their respected houses in los ageles, the designer shares the same obsession with the dark and the macabre with the godfather of modern american gothic. inspired by industrial landscapes and polluted urban streets, odyn vovk was a stand out in a season where prints and colours dominated the new york catwalks. with the gothic theme heightened even more so by presenting his collection at the historic st. marc's church. while the vocabulary of the collection, the deconstruction, layered draping, the streamlined silhouette, a predominantly black colour palette, and down to the model casting had all the ingredients that could be identified with highly romantic, goth influenced designers such as owens or haider ackermann, what sets him apart however is how he controls that dark romanticism into something practical and not weighed down by the theatricality that is inseparable from the gothic sensibility. there were straight forward leather jackets that could easily appeal to a broad audience yet specifically target those who share's the designer's aesthetic. whether he took into consideration the taste of middle america one cannot know, but this collection will undoubtedly make this lone wolf the leader of a growing pack.

photo: odynvovk.com via thefashionisto.com

patrick ervell - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-15T23:19:00.000-04:00

patrick ervell is on the verge of being the archetypal american men's label. there is a comfortable familiarity with his work with just enough wit and humour with the boyish proportions, naive colour palette, the almost geeky prints that culminates into a collection that is both endearingly charming, yet totally contemporary. this season ervell sourced his inspirations from a place familiar to his childhood, california. the state he grew up and where he first became enamored with the lifestyle and uniform of american workers. the rusted colour palette came from railways and dilapidated buildings and was transformed into prints that gave off a tactile expression in the opening jacket followed by shirts, trousers, and even a tie. the rusty colours soon gave way to washed out pastels that seemed to have been bleached out by the californian sun. there is a casualness, and easyness in how he creates clothes that evokes a sort of postcard of a different side of america. a country built through hard work and perseverance. ervell and his american contemporary menswear designers have managed to tap into the core of blue collar workers yet they've managed to elevate it's quality without mocking the history of the men who helped build the country despite their meager earnings. it is this respect and gratitude for the past that is helping re-write a new tradition for american men's fashion. it is something more tangible, more honest, and most importantly the most unmistakably american.

photo: men.style.com

rad hourani - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-15T21:06:00.000-04:00

rad hourani's singular vision continues with his most recent collection. his aesthetic is so defined and it evolves with such subtlety that you would think he would be constantly criticized for being redundant. he escapes this criticism mainly because his point of view is so individual that it never becomes tiresome. no one else does what he does. it is a melange of sci-fi and goth references that he is able to translate into a new form of urban minimalism that manages to hit a zeitgeist that defines a contemporary climate. continuing with his experimentation with volume with his previous collection, this season it evolved into a cape. fabrics that billowed out from the back against hourani's trademark narrow silhouette with flashes of silver courtesy of metallic straps and zippers that injected the collection with that subtle newness one can expect of hourani season after season. the positive reaction to this collection and his recently launched secondary line "rad by rad hourani", which will undoubtedly acquire him even more devout followers, hourani is quietly evolving into a brand that is proof that one can still succeed in this industry without compromising their vision. and with new york's lackluster show season, at least there are still some designers showing at the big apple still worth getting excited about.

photo: elle.com

richard chai (man) - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-13T14:25:00.001-04:00

in this struggling economy, more and more designers are trying to reach out to as much potential customers as they can. some have opted to release secondary lines with a lower price point to lure in consumers and not alienate existing ones. many young designers however, have chosen to reach another target entirely. in richard chai's case it is the men who's attention he is fishing for. already established as a womenswear designer, chai debuted his first menswear collection last season. since then he has been building a reputation as a designer that manages to combine an american sensibility with european sophistication and eccentricity. as a product of a more culture sensitive society, chai has mastered the ability of filtering various reference points and re-interpreting it in his own vocabulary. which in turn is the sensibility of the young, urban male whether he be in new york, buenos aires, or london. a man who is aware of fashion, but has a life that dictates that his clothes serve a purpose higher than just mere decoration. and being from the u.s., where utilitarian fashion was conceived, many of his clothes delved into historic americana but with a twist. denim, the fabric that defines america was cut into a double breasted jacket paired with cuffed shorts and worn over bicycle shorts which demonstrated chai's awareness of current global trends and still retain the designer's identity. yet full legged trousers that epitomizes the very spirit of american sportswear was a direct contrast to the ubiquitous slim silhouette that has dominated menswear for the better part of this decade. it shows an individuality that isn't afraid to go against the grain. while this is only his second menswear collection, it displayed an intriguing, individual point of view that is sure to warrant more attention in the future.

photo: men.style.com

ohne titel - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

since launching ohne titel almost three years ago, designers flora gill and alexa adams has since established the new york based label as a brand that can stand on its own creatively, and technically in the international market. while american sportswear can often suffer from too much commercial consideration, gill and adams are part of a new generation of american designers such as the mulleavy sisters of rodarte, that can harmonize conceptual ideas without sacrificing the essence of american design, practicality. inspired by ancient egyptian wall paintings, the designers found a perfect launchpad to demonstrate their highly adept way with experimental tailoring. the way the garments wrapped and draped around the body elicited images of mummy wrappings. heightened even more so by the prints that seemed to follow the figures natural curves. they also continued their fascination with textures. best exemplified by body con dresses in white with shots of red and azure blues in highly texturized fabrics. there are few designers showing in new york that has an extremely pronounced identity. even more so for a brand as young as ohne titel, but what gill and adams have managed to accomplish in such a short period of time reminds the world that there is still a spark of hope that can once again ignite new york's reputation as a fashion capital that is capable of delivering creative ideas, and commercial success.

photo: style.com

wayne - spring/summer 2010

2009-09-13T13:48:00.001-04:00

young new york designers could pretty much be divided into two parts. the first follows the tradition of new york's fashion aristocracy such as oscar de la renta or bill blass, and the second has a sensibility that is rooted on the city's urban environment. wayne lee belongs to the latter. and just like many of her contemporaries who belongs to this new school, her work brings a new treatment to the idea of minimalism. a minimalism that is defined by a strict, lean line which when juxtaposed with draping provides something new and current to a familiar idea. there is obviously some helmut lang references to this collection. the strategically placed slashes, the fluid way she layered pieces and the sudden bursts of lemon yellow against the black and whites gives it a dynamic visual punch that echoes the work of the highly influential austrian. but lee isn't just a regurgitator of lang's formula. she is also able to bring her own influences, which this season happens to be sculptor richard serra, and translate the artist's arabesque pieces into clothes that contours the woman's figure. there is a sensuality in the way she cuts and wraps fabric around the body that threads the thin line of being sexually evocative, but never sacrificing the femininity of the clothes. this acute awareness to that fact is perhaps lee's most powerful weapon in her arsenal.

photo: style.com

an unhappy circumstance

2009-09-08T23:29:00.000-04:00

i think we're all pretty old enough to know that there are certain episodes in life that are inescapable. break-ups, getting old....death. landmarks that happens during our lifetime that is consistent with everyone else. but what do you do when all those things occur in a span of a week? a day even? are we in a position in our lives now that we are able to absorb all those experiences and regurgitate it into something positive in a small bracket of time that is allotted to us?
last summer my grandfather died. to be honest, and i feel horribly guilty about it, i've never thought much about my family back in the philippines. i was so young when i left that my childhood memories never really got nourished until i went back almost a decade ago. but when i did land back to the country of my birth all these memories, long since dormant because of the bitter winters spent in canada came rushing back to me. and when my mother called me at work telling me that my beloved grandfather passed away just a week shy of his one hundredth birthday, i couldn't wait to get a bag check and run to a quiet corner outside work and break the dam that held my tear ducks dormant for so many years.
i couldn't help but feel guilty for being so nonchalant about not making any effort to go back home. i guess i just thought that death will wait for me. but it didn't. and till now not a day goes by that i don't regret putting in the effort to see the people who invested and hoped for so much love to be returned that i've ignored.
a good friend of mine experienced two deaths in a span of a day today. one which isn't corporal, and one which is very much physical.
when i heard about the unhappy news i couldn't wait to rush out of my house and just be beside one of my bestie's side, but for the life of me i couldn't find my keys. as i rummaged and turned my room upside down all i could keep on saying was "god..please not today. my friend needs me". and it reminded me of a simpson's episode when bart was in really big trouble and lisa caught him praying and in her always brilliant soliloquies said "prayer is the last refuge of a scoundrel". a few moments later i found my keys and i didn't know what to say to god.

antony gormley - total strangers (1997)

2009-08-27T22:15:00.000-04:00

its been a while since i posted anything remotely attached to the art world. while i did study art in college and focused on it all throughout high school, i must admit that my contemporary art sensitivity has been extremely, how do i say it, rather pathetic. i haven't even been to the AGO since frank gehry renovated it. since i'm on vacation and too poor to actually go anywhere all i've been doing is cleaning like a maniac and surfing the digital wave. so i just happen to randomly click on an art link from someone's blog and was wowed by british sculptor antony gormley's work. i ain't gonna lie i'm pretty old school when it comes to my taste in art. i find most art instillation dull and boring, and quite honestly pretentious but i love it when it uses the space to engage the viewer. and this is exactly what total strangers does. not only does it use the confines of the gallery, but to take it beyond the walls into the real world is fuckin bonkers. its such a simple thing, but then you begin to think that in the extremely fast pased world we live in where we cross paths with gajillions of people, it comes to a point where those strangers are no different from a faceless, lifeless, bronze sculpture. i pretty much have tunnel vision when i'm walking down the street, today i went out, went for a walk, ran some errands, had pho by myself and i took the time to look at the people around me.

the t-shirt issue

2009-08-27T12:29:00.000-04:00

t-shirts are probably my favorite thing ever. and yes i know i talk an insane amount about fashion but in reality i'm a jeans and t-shirt kinda guy. while my t-shirt collection is pretty diverse when it comes to cut, collar type, volume, length, colour, fundamentally they are still just humble t-shirts. so when i saw the t-shirts issue for the first time i'll admit, i cried a little down there. i've always liked the idea of taking something simple as the basic inspiration and through the simplicity of that come up with something such as the results of this project.
i can't really explain the process of making these t-shirts without plagiarizing the entire content of the website. so just click here to get a better understanding of the project and the designers involved.

p.s. if anyone ever gives me that wolf t-shirt, i will carry your child. i don't know how since i don't have a uterus, but i'll figure something out.

where the wild things are

2009-08-16T20:59:00.000-04:00

i want to be twelve again and feel like i can have the world at my fingertips.

future couture

2009-08-15T20:54:00.001-04:00

the couture debate has been going on for ages. is it relevant? do people actually shell out a gajillion dollars on dresses they will probably only wear once? is spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes very un-p.c. during times of economic stress when so many people are struggling to support their basic human needs? while many will answer yes to those questions, i however am an unabashed lover and supporter of couture. if the purpose of fashion, the industry i should say, is to provide a sense of dreamlike fantasy realized through the sheer beauty of the craft, then isn't couture the archetype of what we perceive fashion to be?
the times we're living in right now is totally different from couture's heyday of the fifties, and let's face facts, the days of women like nan kempner, mona von bismarck and c.z. guest isn't likely to happen again any time soon. sure there are still women like mouna al ayoub, daphne guinnes, or becca cason thrash that are still perennial front row personalities and continue to order one of a kind creations, but what happens when they too are gone? if couture is to survive another generation, then it needs a new generation of designers to inject the tradition with a youthfulness and modernity that will attract a new generation of clients.
clients which hails from countries not traditionally associated with couture. they come from russia, china, or india. places that are suddenly becoming economic power houses with a growing population of billionaires that suddenly have an abundance of disposable income and are not afraid of flaunting their new found wealth. what these women want aren't demure suits or extravagant ballgowns, they want something young and sexy and the exclusivity of knowing that they own something nobody else has.
coverage during couture week usually only shines the spotlight on venerated houses such as dior, chanel, or valentino, but sandwiched during the three days the collections are presented are a slew of relatively unknown young designers who are redefining what couture is in twenty first century. the craftsmanship and innovation is still present, but what sets them apart from the lacroixs and lagerfelds are their unique interpretation to the traditions of couture.
their point of view is focused towards pushing the concept of hand made clothes into garments that are meticulously crafted, yet doesn't have the obvious grandiose opulence of its predecessors. the cut is the focus rather than the ornamentation. it takes into account the needs and wants of the modern woman of today. and it is that sensitivity and consideration to meet the requirements of today's woman that might extend or even resurrect the life of the cornerstone of fashion.

HEAL

2009-08-11T20:33:00.000-04:00

an adequate name for a brand who amidst a sea of generic and mass marketed creations, design duo hervé and alice presents a collection that manages to thread confidently between an avant garde sensibility and real world practicality and offer a respite from all the blandness that pollutes today's fashion industry. as the label's name suggest, heal is able to mend the lack of confidence many fashion followers have on the current state of the fashion. while many can admire and be immensely inspired by the most outré designers, heal is a perfect example of how to apply directional ideas into clothes that can still be sensible without any hint of banality. a dress decorated with a giant crawfish that seems to embrace the woman's body gives a clue as to what their fall/winter 2009 collection is about. like the shellfish's exposed exoskeleton, the designers have created creations that mimics the reticulation of the animal in the way they have pleated, piped, paneled the clothes or how the cut-outs followed the natural lines of the body. simple design details that achieves maximum results and allows the viewer to fully comprehend the designers' vision. giving the clothes a type of symbiotic relationship with the wearer that gives it life and in turn turns the girl into the hottest babe in the room.

www.healfashionlab.com

j.w. anderson

2009-08-05T14:40:00.000-04:00

menswear is on the verge of entering a new renaissance. propelled by designers who's sensibility is rooted and respectful of the past, yet are filled with an urgency to push the idea of masculine beauty into territories it has never been before. where else but in england, the country responsible for the sartorial codes of the modern man's wardrobe, can the new messiah of men's fashion come from.
born in northern ireland in 1984, j.w. anderson first gained the attention of the fashion world in 2007 when he participated during london fashion week and presented a collection with a few pieces of jewelry using real insects as an element of his design. that collection ignited a buzz around the young designer and his following collection for fall/winter 2008 cemented the all the hype that preceded him.
based around the mythology surrounding the infamous grigori rasputin and his relationship with the royal romanov family of turn of the century russia, anderson delved into the psyche of the historically sinister character and explored on the themes of sexuality, vulnerability and isolation. the effect of layering and coats that wrapped around the body gave it a false sense of protection. betrayed by the shell fish and crabs that decorated the garments. creatures with exposed skeletons that signified the vulnerability of the czar in the company of rasputin. he further elucidated on this parasitic relationship by creating rings with real insects trapped inside resin balls. an omen of the czar's inescapable and brutal future.
his following collection for spring/summer 2009 is regarded by many as his landmark collection. although this was not his sophomore presentation, it was the one that proved that he can not just live up to the hype, he can surpass previous expectations of him. a talent that has the ability to bring a new perspective on men's fashion and do it in a conceptual way that doesn't get buried beneath the story line.
his spring/summer 2009 collection was mainly focused on the tension brought about by the brutality of adulthood, and the naivete of youth. wicker voodoo dolls inserted on the button holes of jackets reflected anderson's fascination with the sinister and the macabre. such symbolisms penetrate throughout anderson's work. there are three dimensional lions embroidered on trousers that represented the protection of the archangel saint michael. or acorns, representations of eternal life adorning garlands made of straw that crowns the head. every detail acts as a puzzling hieroglyph that needs to be deciphered which then pieces together a complex story. the clothes however never suffers from such indulgent fantasies. he managed to attain a perfect balance of english eccentricism and british practicality. school boy brideshead revisted references anchored this collection to reality and provided a protagonist against the evils of growing up.
his past two collections might have earned him a reputation as one of fashion's most competent historical researcher following on the footsteps of his fellow british designers vivienne westwood and john galliano, but his last collection, compared to the everything else he showed previously, didn't seem to be as heavy with conceptual narratives like its predecessors. instead it was a re-interpretation of old world ideas of masculinity and the primal need to explore new territories. again he displayed a capacity to marry his avant garde sensibilities with the backbone of men's fashion, tailoring. giving his affinity for volume and edwardian loungewear, this time it was a more controlled. more disciplined. it was masculinity stripped to its simplest form. through anderson's interpretation of course. this level of control signals a maturity that separates him from other fashion enfant terribles.
for a designer as young as j.w. anderson to not only manage to animate his elaborate thought process through his craft, but to do it exceedingly well and not fall into cliches of avant garde pretention, proves that he is a designer who is on the cusp towards achieving great things.

photos: spring summer 2010 preview - coute que coute, runway - catwalking.com

my spring/summer 2009 collection

2009-08-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

yeah i know i don't blog as much as i used to but try living in canada where winters are brutal, daylight savings time equals 5:30 pm sunsets, windchill factors, a million layers of clothes, so much hassle actually that you couldn't be arsed to go out. hence the spike of bloggin activity between the months of november and february. and then march rolls around and your seasonal affective disorder miraculously vanishes, the temperature finally starts to hover over five degrees celsius and suddenly all you want is to be is outside. and by outside i mean the park. where else can you spend countless hours with your best mates drinking two dollar tall cans from the beer store all for under ten dollars!!! and be proper knackered at the end?? i'm not gonna lie i do sob like a baby when the leaves at the park start turning orange. its the gloomiest harbinger of the unavoidable that is to come. but for now i'm enjoying the sun (the little bit of it we're getting because its raining every other day here), enjoying the company of my besties, having an excuse the dress like a slut because its hot out, and always up to carry the party on because i can walk everywhere since my toes aren't about to fall off. oh summer, you never fail to lift my spirits up. although as a consequence i have been perpetually bloated the past couple of months because of the insane amount of lager in my stomach. but its well worth it yeah.
the last two pictures below aren't from the summer. it was actually from the winter time. summer might be my favorite time of the year, but last winter gave me two of my favorite memories of the year. they were these two lads from durham in northern england. they became really good friends and i still feel gutted everytime i think of them. but they're family now and who knows, maybe if i actually save some money i can go visit them next year. but there you have it. a little corny snippet of my life. hope you guys are having as awesome a summer as i am. peace out!!

givenchy - haute couture autumn/winter 2009

2009-08-04T19:54:00.000-04:00

the validity of couture, its contemporary relevance, has been strongly debated and garners impassioned acclamations from those that staunchly support it, and a sly cynicism from those who no longer believes in the values and traditions couture stands for.
it takes someone like ricardo tisci to open a dialogue about the current state of the dying art. to remind the world about the fantastical, transportive quality that can only be accomplished through the craftsmanship and boundless imagination of the designer and the ateliers that work towards realizing that vision.
what tisci is able to bring to the table is couture that isn't lamed by traditions. it isn't by any means a vulgar disrespect towards the old masters that came before him. quite the contrary. what he is doing is following the footsteps of balenciaga, schiaparelli, and givenchy himself. which is having faith in his own ideas. there is no compromise with his work. it is his vision. a romanticism that although not aesthetically comparable to that of monsieur givenchy, it has the same romantic spirit that makes him an obvious heir apparent for the house and the one who successfully gave givenchy a new, modern identity that his predecessors alexander mcqueen and julien macdonald never really accomplished.

this season tisci continued his exploration on ideas that he presented for givenchy homme a few weeks ago. the references to indigenous costumes of north african berber tribes, morroco, and muslim veils and using the same pattern that can be found on the keffiyehs worn by palestinian men that he printed on shirts, t-shirts, and trousers for his male customers resurfaced again, but this time in tulle done in white that was so transparent it only whispered as a fine detail on the hem of the closing dress. it is these little touches that demonstrates tisci's couture sensitivity. the gold face masks and the spike crowns and cuffs might be a bit much for real life, but the delicate way he draped the dresses in the middle sequence with feminine, but never heavy embroidery, and the way he manages to make the ombre hem of a dress dance is a testament that despite all the pomp and drama, there is a valid couturier behind the avant garde facade.
despite being critically acclaimed by many, tisci also garners criticisms accusing him of being exploitive and insensitively pirating other cultures. critics aside no one can argue the fact that his work evokes a powerful reaction. it triggers an intense emotions. a feat that is becomingly increasingly impossible to do given the current state of fashion where its pace has become too fast many barely take a second look. tisci's work is able to stop anyone dead in its track.

barbarella

2009-07-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

VOGUE CHINA - AUGUST 2009
photographer - greg kadel
stylist - brian molloy
model - eniko mihalik

handsome boy modeling school

2009-07-22T18:51:00.000-04:00

every season there are always fresh new faces that breaks out out of the hundreds of models that swarm paris and milan during fashion week and out of the many a select few captures the attention of casting agents because those new crop of models perfectly epitomizes the current mood of designers and the current state of fashion. they crystalize, body and flesh, the idea of where male beauty stands at this specific point in time.
contrary to popular belief that models are merely beautiful (extraordinarily beautiful) clothes hanger, in fact they are probably entrusted with the most important job of all...to give the clothes life. to give the garments movement. a relationship with the body that highlights its perfections, and masks its imperfections. avatars of what we aspire to be next season.
while the fashion pendulum is still swinging against the masculine ideas of the eighties and early nineties, these new crop of male models brings to the table what everyone came before them had, youthful virility. not in a physical, obvious way of rippling muscles and testosterone. it is something more about the idea of youth. of youthful dreams and wide eyed idealism. at once nostalgic for the past, and then brazenly excited for the future. it is romantic and dare i say even optimistic. everyone, especially these days can do with a little bit of youthful hope these new crop of boys represents.

yves saint laurent: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:49:00.002-04:00

damir doma: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:47:00.000-04:00

there has been a strong feeling of romanticism during the paris collections. on one hand there are designers who are feeling the need to project a form of escapism by taking its audience to far away exotic landscapes, or presenting a collection where the lines between poetry and design seems to be thinned out. damir doma is one of those designers whose work invokes a specific type of poetry. there is a brevity in his work that is able to provide a new perspective on men's fashion. i guess if his work is to be put in poetic terms, it would a haiku. there isn't a lot of ingredients and his work is never over wrought, but it has a powerful impact. as complicated as his aesthetic might be to some, in many ways his work could be look at as a sort of new minimalism. not the austere, almost surgical approach of the nineties, but an evolved state of minimalism where it isn't all about function and utilitarianism, but also an expression. there is something about his clothes that breaths and provides the garments with a personality that is often missing in menswear. doma also has such a strong sense of presentation, that his clothes might appear to be too specific, or too directional for most consumers. but dissect each individual piece and the thought that doma puts into each garment displays a consideration for the life of his clothes after the runway. sure his clothes appeal to the more adventurous variety, but one of the things he does best is tweaking classics. such as his jackets that asymmetrically wrap around the body in such a fluid way that one side of the lapel gently drapes over. considering that doma has been one of the first menswear designer to experiment with draping and still use the skeleton of men's clothing, there are very few who did it better. it has been a watershed season for up and coming designers, and it appears that doma is one of the contenders to be the leader of the future pack.

photo: thefashionspot.com

miharayasuhiro: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

mihara yasuhiro is almost like an oddity within the japanese cabal that show their collections on an international platform such as paris. sure there are some japanese trademarks that are consistent with yasuhiro's body of work, but what really sets him apart from his contemporaries is an unabashed, almost irrational romanticism. his clothes are emotive, but unlike yamamoto who is also able to unleash a well of emotion with his collections, yasuhiro takes his inspiration from points that aren't as grandiose, or at least not obviously. inspired by antoine de saint-exupery's beloved story "the little prince", the designer presented a collection that like the book, was both charming and poignant yet it never drowned in saccharine adulation. the author's personal life, which yasuhiro also used as a reference, grounded this collection and prevented it from turning into a fairy tale. what yasuhiro is able to do season after season is present a collection with a narrative that is so finely threaded together that he can combine something like a fairy tale about a boy who lives alone on a little planet and the experience of man who has lived through world war one and somehow find the common ground that relates one story from another. there are many great story tellers in fashion, hopefully in the very near future, more people will want to hear the magical tales of this criminally underrated minstrel.

photo: men.style.com

givenchy: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:45:00.001-04:00

it takes a cross cultural alchemist like ricardo tisci to combine polar opposites such as desert nomads and bronx boriquas into a collection that offers new hypotheses that sparks a heated conversation about the idea of what clothes represents to the modern man. while his critics will argue that such a highly romanticized and stylized vision gets a bit verbose, his supporters on the other hand can lay claim that since his inaugural presentation for givenchy homme a mear one year ago, the house has had a profound influence in the world of male fashion that might even surpass his influence for his contribution on the women side. perhaps because of the amount of idea and work that goes into the pieces such as his treatment of layering print on top of each other and his unusual choice of fabrication (lace and metal mesh anyone?) and an experimentation with cut and silhouette that challenges the traditional confines of the male wardrobe which is regulated by a much stricter code as opposed to his female counterpart that such renegade sensibility can be viewed as an almost vulgar disregard to traditions and concepts of male sexuality that can prove to be challenging and hard to digest for many. but men's fashion, needs someone like tisci. the perennial envelope pusher that acts as a conduit for new ideas and disperses it until it eventually percolates and become reinterpreted into a more diluted, understandable and eventually a more commercial form. and one has to be reminded that it has only been three seasons since tisci took control of the givenchy man. although he already asserted a strong personality for the house, just like with his womenswear it may take time for everyone to finally clue in on what he is doing. and in just four years he not only stabilized the future of the once uncertain house that has become a revolving door for designers, he also managed to give it a new sense of relevance and idenity that has become one of the most influential force in fashion.

photo: men.style.com

cerruti: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

when nino cerruti retired in 2002, the house which has earned a reputation for its high level of understated luxury struggled without a solid foundation and two years later declared for bankruptcy. in 2008 under new financial backers and designer paul knott at the helm, it marked a new era for the much beloved brand. with the ripple effect that started with knott's debut collection last year, spring 2010 saw the designer's reinterpretation of the house's heritage but injected it with a youthfulness that has been absent with his two previous collections. while the quality is still clearly visible, knott's played with proportions and volume and gave it a feeling of boyish naivete that places the brand on a more congruent level with what his contemporaries are doing. although the spirit of the collection as a whole is a much younger one, within in it are pieces that will still appeal to the traditional cerruti customers. impeccably tailored suits and coats in the most luxurious materials will without a doubt tempt quality connoisseurs. and as youthful as this collection is, it doesn't take on a personality that overshadows the history of cerruti. a proposition that will undoubtedly earn back the status the house rightfully deserves.

photo: nymag.com

rick owens: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:43:00.000-04:00

it wasn't that long ago when rick owens, the one time los angeles based designer began showing his eponymous collection during new york fashion week. and although he developed a devout following and became a cult figure in the world of fashion, it wasn't until he relocated to paris in 2003 where his avant garde and gothic sensibility found its spiritual home. it takes a city like paris to unleash the full potential of owens' romantic vision. in the few years that he made the city of lights home, his aesthetic has evolved and blossomed and ever since, his vision has become one of the most influential forces in fashion. it was owens, along with olivier theyskens who was responsible for the gothic trend that captured the zeitgeist of today's youth movement that eventually percolated onto the streets. spawning countless of imitators that through owens they found a sensei to lead the dojo of the urban environment. owens' success, like all successful and influential designers, lies on an extremely personal point of view. when all his collections are looked at as a whole, there is an obvious language that contains the words together so succinctly, yet each season he adds just enough to enrich and progress the vocabulary. this season all his trademarks came out in full force. the asymmetric layering, the blacks, the apocalyptic footwear, the playing of proportion. these are trademarks one always expects to see at an owens presentation but it was denim that gave this collection a new twist that kept it from feeling redundant. while this sense of slow evolution in an extremely fast paced industry such as fashion could be detrimental to other designers, owens flourishes because as imitated as he is, he still manages to beat out his countless doppelgangers because let's face it, he is the best at what he does.

photo: men.style.com

julius: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:42:00.000-04:00

considering that historically, japan was an introverted country that made no associations with the outside world, how ironic is it then that out of all the designers in the world, it is the japanese that has embraced the influences and ideas of other cultures, yet translate it in a way that retains a japanese identity? tatsuro horikawa, much like his compatriots in the industry, is one that can take such unorthodox references for a menswear collection, and turn it into a collection with such poignancy and relevance that it produces something rarely experienced in a menswear presentation...emotion. maybe because it is rooted in religions that has a deep focus on spirituality. the costumes of buddhist monks and muslim women was the major influence this season and what came out was cross between a mummy and a nun. consisting mostly of languidly draped white tunics and trousers only occasionally interfered with black, it provoked a a feeling of watching someone attain nirvana. there was a romantic serenity that lent its behavior to the movement of the clothes. this season in both paris in milan the art of draping fabric turned up in almost every collection. it was one of the few trends that was consistent in both cities but it was at julius where this trend reached it zenith. it was beautiful, fragile without sacrificing any masculinity. it provoked not only emotions but also a discussion of what can be part of a man's wardrobe today. considering this show incited such passionate discussion, it can only be a sign of greater things ahead for this label.

photo: men.style.com

juun j: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:41:00.001-04:00

it is an exciting time in the world of men's fashion. the boundaries that once caged ideas of the male uniform in a suffocating box is collapsing with a certain sense of urgency fueled by young talents that grew up in a rapidly shrinking world where every information is collected and amalgamated together resulting in a new vision for the modern man. korean born designer juun j. is one of those designers that continuously pushes the sartorial direction every season with his innovative contribution to the male fashion vernacular. known for his modern take on iconic pieces of the male wardrobe like the trench coat which his first paris runway presentation was based from and this season re-interpreted into a one piece romper, most of his past collections had a sharpness and strictness that gave his clothes a more geometric, rigid silhouette. this season however there was a lightness not only from his use of sheer/semi-sheer fabrics, but also because of the billowing volume that added a new word to his growing vocabulary. the contrast provided by such opposing factors best exemplified by baggy, translucent knee-length shorts layered over drain pipe trousers gave the collection a tension that kept the presentation immensely intriguing. while his past collections talked to a limited audience, this collection proved his ability to combine his own sensibility with the concerns of retailers and consumers. giving this lesson learned, juun j. might just be that designer that suddenly sneaks up on the collective consciousness and be men's fashion's next wunderkind.

photo: fashionspot.com

hugo by hugo boss: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:40:00.001-04:00

last season was bruno pieter's first runway presentation for hugo. the visual assault he unleashed with all the bauhaus and constructivist references gave way to a collection that still owed much of its sharp lines from the past collection, but all the severity the palette of red/white/black and graphic prints contributed to dissipated into almost a feeling of clinical serenity. a cleanliness that almost burns like when you slather your hands with purel. maybe this was a way for pieter's to move away from last season but at the same time retain his trademarks. which is all about his tailoring and play with proportions. there was still a rigid angularity with the clothes but somehow to do it all in white, icy blues only momentarily interrupted by navy, red and gold gave it a sort of calmness which was only augmented by the clerical collars of the shirts and the nautical colours of the collection. and while the navy and white striped cropped double breasted jackets paired with pleated sorts somehow channeled the spirit of eighties montana and mugler, or even sometimes armani, pieter's vision is so identifiable that he actually managed to evade falling into any retro cliches. clearly hugo is a brand that is not catered for the masses. that is for hugo's older brother hugo boss. hugo is for boys who aren't scared to play expensively and confidently.

photo: men.style.com

giuliano fujiwara: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-30T21:36:00.001-04:00

its a beautiful paradox, the old world craftsmanship of milan meeting japanese obsession for the future. and to see it realized by giuliano fujiwara's creative director masataka matsumura is a burst of fresh air in a city which is ground zero for houses steeped in decades old tradition and heritage. the offspring of such two diverse cultures is one that retains a certain level of romanticism and nostalgia with trousers and jackets full of volume and then combined with hi performance apparel one might don while mountain climbing. a bit schizophrenic perhaps, but somehow matsamura managed to make it work because he never took his inspirations too literally. what looks like a harness actually serves as a belt, braces, or straps with pouches. it didn't act as stylistic touches or mere decorations. they actually had a purpose and gave all the looseness a strict frame to contain it before it loses control. in a way it reflects the attitude of italian and japanese men. at one corner the archetype of robust masculinity yet are often called the most romantic men in the planet. and at the other, soft spoken and reserved yet bound to strict codes of honour and conduct. a sort of irony that when combined sometimes produces beautiful results.

photo: menstyle.fr

prada: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-22T21:47:00.000-04:00

count on prada to deliver the first real statement of the season. while season after season there is an element that defines a prada collection, whether be it studs, lace or this season's mesh which was transformed into everything from cardigans, gillets, or the humble t-shirt, at the core of each of her collections is the tailoring. particularly in her perennial re-interpretation of the suit. which this time around was limited to a strict palette of greys. while the variations of the colour varied, she also managed to give it texture by juxtaposing traditional fabrics associated with menswear. houndstooth ,herringbone and checks somehow, in prada's adept hands, managed to work in unison even when injected with a jolt of black and white floral patterns. the visual and intellectual punch of a prada show is never dampened by a wroughtness that can easily alienate because her ability to challenge generic assumptions about fashion is never hampered by unwearability. while the true force of the prada engine is miuccia's boundless creativity, there is also an acute sense of business that has made her a template to follow for many other designers. the range of the suiting alone she presented can easily translate to a plethora of age and body. it satisfies both the consumers who looks for a high level of quality, and the ones who appreciates fashion and design. there are countless who follow the beat of miuccia's drum, but there is still no one who can ever take the lead of the march.

photo: men.style.com

neil barrett: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-22T21:46:00.000-04:00

last season, neil barrett, the designer known for tweaking the idea of formal dressing decided to detour his usual route and presented a collection that was an exercise in experimental tailoring. this season there was still that experimental spirit in the presentation, but this time it had more to do with the process to achieve the desired look of the garments, rather than the actual finished product. the result was leather and jersey seamlessly fused together on shirts, jackets, and a myriad of interpretation on the classic trench coat. despite all the fabric innovation involved with this collection, barrett also played with proportions, and volume. the now ubiquitous long tops that skims and moves around the body to create a sense of volume was paired with trousers that had bit of room that gently tapered around the ankles. offering a new dimension to the slim pant conversation that has been going on for the better half of this decade. the volume however wasn't limited to fine jersey tanks or trousers, it also appeared on more tailored pieces. the most interesting of all was a black double breasted jacket that had a swing in its movement it almost felt like a tunic. there is a confidence that is becoming more and more apparent in barrett's work. a voice that can eloquently convey his love for formality, and his new found interest in pushing that formality into something directional and maybe even something that is a lot more personal. a direction that is quietly making him one of the more interesting talents developing under the radar.

photo: men.style.com

jil sander: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-22T21:45:00.000-04:00

because the philosophy of the school of minimalism is rooted in the idea of subtracting elements to achieve the purest, most undiluted form, how raf simons has managed to continually expand on the very limited vocabulary of minimalism is nothing short of remarkable. and to do it for a house that has its own history and visual identity already established, where his own personal vision has to be respectful of the past and yet have the vision to successfully move the brand forward is a feat achieved only by the most talented of designers. as one of the most capable and innovative tailors, his usual strictness and sharpness gave way to a collection with a lightness that was so ethereal in the emotions it provoked that shone a new light into the belgian angst and melancholy simons is so closely associated with. the palette which consisted of mostly white and a hint of glacial blues and the palest of beiges further amplified the atmospheric lightness of the collection. there was also the work of artist tsugoharu foujita, faces that gave a sly glance or a waiting wink that appeared on semi sheer shirts that will without a doubt become a regular fixture on editorials come january. aside from such rare flights of fancy, this was a collection that will undoubtedly cement simons' reputation as one of the leading visionaries of contemporary men's fashion.

photo: men.style.com

burberry prorsum: menswear - spring/summer 2010

2009-06-22T21:43:00.000-04:00

it is indeed a heavy burden to procreate a legacy that is over a hundred and fifty years old. christopher bailey however has managed to not only re-establish burberry's contemporary identity, but also expand it's vocabulary that makes the brand relevant in a climate that is so familiar and accustomed to houses that only retains a level of hype and attention for a few collections. regardless of how unfamiliar bailey's point of references are season to season, the one legible line he always draws from is an intrinsic english perspective that draws on all the history and tradition that is integral to a brand like burberry. last season's turn of the century industrialism with all its underlining dark romanticism was transformed into a modern utilitarian excercise of form following function. every design aspect adhered to a philosophy that it had a purpose. whether it be through jackets inspired by gortex outerwear or fishermen uniform some quilted or adorned with multiple pockets, in true burberry form, it was a celebration of the marriage between practical utilitarianism and luxurious details. a hallmark that bailey has always been consistent with since he was appointed as creative director of the house almost a decade ago. in the new millennium, burberry has transformed itself into a label that has survived predictable cliches into a brand that has forged a new identity in a manner that is congruent with a modern perspective on luxury that has its roots planted firmly with the needs of modernity. injecting it with the spirit of urgency and pertinency that is guaranteed to extend the lifeline of the house for years to come.

photo: men.style.com

tara's boys

2009-06-21T21:24:00.000-04:00

about a year ago i finally decided to grow some balls and pursue this lifelong dream of mine to work in the fashion indusrty. granted that i live in toronto my choices of where to go was more limited than lady gaga's vocal chords. but there was one place that i've always wanted to work at, and that was elmer olsen. for those of you who don't know, elmer olsen was the one who put daria werbowy, amanda laine, alana zimmer, ryan taylor, taryn davidson, kori richardson, alex loomans and basically all the best canadian models on the map.
one day i finally decided to just go for it and i e-mailed elmer about an internship position. this was around paris fashion week so i really wasn't expecting a reply considering how busy he would've been and really who opens an e-mail from someone they don't know nowadays. but to my surprise i got a reply back the next day from tara who is the men's booker and they had asked me to come in the following morning.
after i cried a little and then worked up a massive butterflies in my stomach syndrome, i came in sweating like hooker at a police station and not expecting to meet the man himself when he came right around the corner, shook my hand and thus began one of the best working experience of my life.
you always hear so many horror stories about people in the fashion industry who are cold, ruthless, and downright nasty but everyone there are some of the nicest people i've met my whole entire life. i've learned a lot from working at the agency, but the best lesson i've learned is that being a good person is by far a lot more rewarding and sensible that having anna wintour's reputation.
the boys i put up are in europe at the moment for the milan/paris menswear shows. i've met most of them except for alex cause he lives out west and these kids are pretty fucking amazing. i don't wanna brag and all, but it was me who uploaded alex and rob on the website.
i can only imagine how tara is feeling right now. she must be beaming with pride. and she totally deserves it.

de ja vu - reperasian

2009-06-01T23:33:00.000-04:00

i've had this little corner in cyber space for a couple of years now and since a lot of you kats are new readers i figured i should re-post some old ish that i had done when nobody read it, and also cause i'm way too busy to constantly post new things all the time. for reals i need a job where i don't have to fold clothes eight hours a day. this entry was posted just over a year ago and i thought it was still relevant. because i still don't see any of my asian kin properly represented.

hye park, philip huang, ling tan, han jin

du juan, devon aoki, ai tominaga, daul kim

considering that the two strongest emerging markets in the world are china and india, one would assume that to target these enormous potentials, advertisers would obviously use asians to promote their products. so why is it that mega fashion houses like gucci or louis vuitton, companies that owes more than half of its profit as a result of asian consumption, never uses any asian models? as someone who grew up in an asian country and where i spent the better half of my childhood and has experienced first hand asian society, i think i'm allowed to say this: asians in asia don't want to see people who look like them. they want to look at what everyone else considers as perfection. ergo, like the rest of the world, they want to see alabaster skin with angelic blue eyes and golden blonde hair. in asia, the west is this dream, a fantasy world they all want to be a part of. a utopian society where money grows on trees and everyone is beautiful. just a look at young people in asia today and you see the complex influence western culture has had on them. they dye their hair blonde, dress like over zealous western teenagers, and in more extreme cases go under the knife to acquire a more prominent nose, or something as banal as a crease on the eyelid. there is this tug of war that pulls them from one side the tradition of their families, and on the other side, the hedonistic allure of the freedom the west promises. most of us who actually lives in a western society knows for a fact that things on our side of the world are far from utopian. i can honestly say that my parents had a way better life back home where they had maids and drivers and where my mom didn't have to commute two hours to work every day. but i digress. in asia the standards of beauty strives to be the one closest to western ideals: the fairer skin, the wider eyes, the slimmer body, the perfect symmetry. they want to project themselves in a form based out of western images. the idealistic hope they naively believe is readily available on the other side of the world is really what they're buying. logos become status symbol to let everyone know that they to have managed to achieve the great western dream. as a result they become on par with the very images they are seduced by. as much as the image of the west can be intoxicating to the east, the east is as seductive to the west. the power of eastern art and imagery has provided inspiration to movements that gave birth to modernism. what would the paintings of van gogh or monet have looked like if they never encountered traditional japanese art? or where would have the ballet russes derived inspiration for their costumes for? granted that many of western interpretations of eastern ideas are exploitative, there are some artists who have really shown an earnest appreciation for eastern beauty. in fashion, the early mavericks of modern fashion were the first to use asian models in their fashion show. pierre cardin, one of the most influential designers of the sixties chose japanese model hiroko matsumoto as his muse. cardin, courreges, and saint laurent were among the first to use models of all ethnicity in their runway presentations. during a time of optimism and an urgent need for change, these designers envisioned a world where fashion has been democratized into something not reserved for white european and american socialites, but to a woman of any nationality. as saint laurent's popularity rose during the seventies, his universal appreciation for beauty flourished and he continued to use black and asian models for his shows. eventually more designers followed the direction of saint laurent and during the eighties a fourteen year old of asian and black heritage by the name of kimora lee became the face of chanel. the eighties was also the time of philippine's (yes i'm being patriotic) anna bayle. the model who was widely touted as "the model of the eighties" with an infamous walk that graced the catwalks of gianni versace, oscar de la renta, thiery mugler, carolina herrera, chanel, valentino, lanvin, jean patou and worked with photographers from helmut newton to gilles bensimon. when the waif movement gained momentum in the nineties and the demand for fairer skinned girls rose, asian models were once again few and far between. but during the end of the decade, malaysian model ling tan, navia nguyen from vietnam, irina pantaeva, the striking russian with mongol heritage, and the other wordly beauty of devon aoki reminded the fashion world that asian models can offer something to the camera their white counterparts could not. recently, the fashion world has witnessed a succession of asian models in the business. tom ford launched the career of ai tominaga, and miuccia prada cast korean hye park for her normally all white runway. chinese model du juan has been in high profile ads like yves saint laurent and roberto cavalli and has walked for basically every designer that matters. and in the world of male modeling, philip huang is one of the most recognizable models in the business right now. as fickle as fashion is, and it does appear the fad for asian models are quick to come as it is quick to go, hopefully the realization that beauty isn't reserved for western archetypes will finally seep in and more importantly, one day an asian can represent the market the big houses are aiming for. but it'll take asians demanding to be represented for any change to manifest. will an all asian vogue italia make a difference? i would buy it. but to be honest, i don't know if it'll sell in asia. i mean, they did need gemma ward sandwiched between asian models for the first two issues of vogue china.

keep candles handy

2009-05-27T18:53:00.000-04:00

i-D magazine: april 2009
photographer: vanina sorrenti
stylist: marina burini
model: alana zimmer
i want to know why alana zimmer is ranked #36 on models.com and someone like ubah hassan is at #32! don't wanna hate on ubah and i give her all the props and love i give to all the canucks but seriously....one campaign and barely no runway presence the past show season. i don't get it. meanwhile alana has dkny, anne klein, gaultier jeans, and top shop to name a few. plus the gajillion editorials she's done for all those directional european magazines and even lading the covers for numero and vogue russia, annnddddd a runway mileage that would put a lot of working girls to shame. and seriously...this editorial is fucking bananas. not as bananas as the one where she looked like the virgin mary for numero a few years ago, but almost as ridiculously good. if models.com had a "most underrated" ranking, alana would be number one. and hold that spot for as long as daria held her number one top female model position. which was a long ass time.

alexander mcqueen timeline: 1994-2009

2009-05-23T17:47:00.000-04:00

its been fifteen years since alexander mcqueen's debut collection, and despite all the praises and criticisms, mcqueen's renegade sensibility that fuses romance, history, violence, and macabre gothicism has produced some of the most potent visual imagery of modern fashion.
mcqueen first caught the attention of the fashion world when isabella blow, the late fashion editor with a knack of launching the careers of new designers bought mcqueen's central saint martins MA graduate collection in its entirety. in the beginning, there was a raw, aggressive, and confrontational aspect in mcqueen's work that culminated in his now infamous "highland rape" collection for autumn/winter 1995 that was based on the exploitation of scotland at the hands of the british empire. with its torn tartan plaid and ripped lace paired with his signature "bumbster" pants, mcqueen was criticized for what editors perceived to be a misogynistic treatment of the sexual violation of women. despite of all the negative publicity, or maybe because of it, the attention brought to light that underneath all the showmanship and theatricality of mcqueen's shows, there was a saville row trained master tailor who's technical abilities was far more mature for a designer who was barely in his twenties and a talent that deserved to be noticed.
around the time mcqueen launched his label, the cultural spotlight was staring to shine on london. once the city that during the early eighties gave the world john galliano, vivienne westwood, and katharine hamnett, during the late eighties/early nineties london fashion was more known for designers with outrageous theatricality and no longevity. at the tail end of the decade however, a creative spurt suddenly found the city with talents such as hussein chalayan, stella mccartney and antonio berrardi. designers who graduated from the same alma mater as mcqueen who, while tended to lean towards the avant garde, also had a contemporary relevance that brought them above being a novelty into designers with real credibility.
this time was a fertile time for mcqueen and bernard arnault, the CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH took notice. he was appointed as head designer for the revered house of givenchy designing its ready to wear and couture collections. and although he first gained notoriety as fashion's enfant terrible, he showed his softer, more romantic side with his emotionally wrought collection for his signature line for spring/summer 1999 that had model shalom harlow in a dance between two robots sprayed with yellow and black paint on her ivory dress. it was so moving, and poignant that it brought people to tears. it was the collection that finally killed any doubt about this young man who proved that he was able to produce a show that was so cohesive as a whole and present it in a dramatized story that captured the theme and emotion of the collection.

while his first efforts for givenchy were received with mixed criticisms, customers warmed up to mcqueen and his new take on the givenchy woman. but tensions were rising between mcqueen and LVMH and in 2001 gave the gucci group, LVMH's biggest rival, the majority stake of his eponymous label. severing his relationship with givenchy and LVMH once and for all.
under his new financial backers, his autumn/winter 2002 collection was met with resounding success with barney's buying everything from the collection. proving that he can combine his avant garde sensibilities with commercial consideration. having to finally answer to a big boss however presented new obstacles for mcqueen who now had to take into consideration expectations to perform commercially and finally turn a profit.
the pressure to create something that is commercially understandable affected mcqueen and his collections for autum/winter 2005 and spring/summer 2006 are the best examples of mcqueen's percolated vision. it still had his signature, but it was short on soul and personality. the two ingredients that are the most vital part of the mcqueen DNA.
but redemption wasn't far behind. for autumn/winter 2006 mcqueen unleashed a collection that was flooded with all the mcqueen trademarks. the romance, the tartan, military frogging, and the drama came in full force. every exit rich with ideas traced with mcqueen's hands that had all the emotions and bankability buyers had been waiting for. and just like shalom's legendary battle with the robots, the hologram of kate moss hovering above the ground fresh of her recent drug scandal again had a well of emotions that had people in tears. for a designer that started out his career labeled as a misogynist, no one can create a vision of feminine beauty like mcqueen can. it is at once fleeting and ethereal. a beauty that evokes the past and looks towards the future and yet be so decidedly of the moment. it is a testament to the power of fashion that lifts it from banality into something sublime. with a sensitivity and compassion that is more than enough to warrant a tear to those privileged enough to experience it first hand.

bad blogger

2009-05-18T21:17:00.001-04:00

i know i know i know its been almost a month since i last put something on here. i've just been hella busy and i'm still photoshop less. i keep getting this error message everytime i try to set up so i've basically given up on even attempting. i just really don't want to take it to a computer guy to see why my laptop is being stupid cause i am broke as a joke. i've also been super busy doing a whole bunch of stuff. i got to interview a designer that many of you might know but i can't really say who it is because i don't know if i'm allowed to since it hasn't been published yet.
i've also been helping my homegirl out with her collection. she basically does all the sewing and i act as the creative director. but not really since it's totally symbiotic and i love having pow wows for ideas. which we actually did yesterday when she got to meet the photographer for the first time who i've only met once. but like every broke youngins trying to get into the fashion game here in toronto, we're all working for free for those holy prints we can all share and put in our own respective books. it's pretty rad actually. there's this dope sense of a little grassroots community where everyone is hungry and passionate and excited. we're going to be shooting the look book in a couple of months. hopefully it doesn't take me that long to actually put something here. but yeah, i'm alive. just super busy or super lazy. hope you guys are well and how stoked are you that summer is fucking finally almost here!!

it wasn't P.H.A.T.

2009-04-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

new york, milan, london, paris. these are the cities that universally site as the four global centers of fashion. so where does toronto, canada's most prominent city and in a country that is one of the seven power players politically and commercially fit in?
for a country that gave the world such great talents as jeremy laing, rad hourani or up and comer knit wear wunderkind mark fast, the local canadian fashion scene is to be brutally honest, bland and uninspired. struggling to find the perfect balance between commercial viability and directional ideas. regardless of how many top models such as amanda laine or coco rocha strut their stuff during toronto fashion week, the lack of individual and forward thinking direction is the broken foot that keeps the canadian fashion industry perpetually lame.
at an entry level cost of $5,000 canadian dollars to show during toronto fashion week, although quite considerable in other parts of the world, is quite steep for independent designer's struggling to attract attention in an environment that doesn't foster forward thinking ideas.
call it canadian insecurities, but for those who are able to fork out the considerable amount absent of any financial backings, what ends up on the runway is usually a regurgitation of ideas presented the season before. it always feels as if local homegrown talents feel too much pressure to be on par with world wide trends that their individualism is compensated to be consistent with what is going on everywhere else. thus resulting in collections that are either trying too hard to or seem like they're not trying to bring anything new to the table at all.
obviously someone had the same sentiment so toronto alternative fashion week, better known as FAT was launched as a vehicle to promote artists that hung outside the peripheral of what the majority considered as the "norm".
while it garnered massive support from the public, it has yet to translate all that promise into something tangible. a sky-rocketing admission price and haphazard organization that is most evident with a panic stricken backstage where upwards of up to six designers sharing the same model in a two hour span with no time to switch hair and make-up and an anorexic sponsorship list is undoubtedly bound to result in collections that suffers from second grade production.
given that the event is more focused on the "alternative" cripples designers with a more sophisticated taste level that can elucidate ideas into its simplest incarnations. their work, compared to the circus like presentations and theatrical bravado of some of the designers that FAT champions unfortunately ends up getting sidelined. while the event has noble purposes, it never really nurtures or promotes those who has the ability to prove this country's commercial punch coming from young designers with a valid individual point of view.
this event is where bath rugs turned into a ball gown and costumes poorly executed from a technical point of view are given the loudest applause, its no wonder why toronto is stuck in a fashion limbo it can't escape from.
theatricality is fine. but unless you have the highly sophisticated eye and the talents of galliano's atelier to manifest that vision, then FAT is just a circus of fashion freaks. a post-raver/cyber goth week long fashion event where people give standing ovations to collections with a lot of flash and no substance.
it is common knowledge that fashion is born out of the street, but in this case it's stuck in the gutter. ideas, the one's which is entirely a designer's own is eventually what is going to attract attention to the creativity of this city. not the imitation of what the rest of the world has already done or a failed attempt to be labeled "avant garde". hopefully FAT and toronto fashion week will finally realize that it's success lies in those who create fashion for its provocation with collections that has an underlying conceptual story beautifully realized with an integrity and not for its gratuitous photo op's.

i'm actually embarrassed to post this link here because i swear to all of you that toronto is so much more than this. but if you need a good laugh or at least like the feeling of having the food you just ate travel back up your esophagus then this is for you. while most of what you are about to see is quite horrible, there are some good talents there. but unfortunately you only get to see one or two things from their collection.

model rennaisance - us vogue may 2009

2009-04-12T21:37:00.000-04:00

to coincide with new york's metropolitan museum of art exhibition entitled "model as muse: embodying fashion", american vogue featured nine of today's most in-demand models to grace its may cover. unlike its european sister publications, american vogue has for the past few years opted to use celebrities instead as the vehicle to push newstand sales and has only occasionally fronted the issue using models. which is quite puzzling since it was american vogue who in many ways fed the supermodel phenomenon during the early nineties. who could ever forget vogue's one hundred year anniversary issue exactly seventeen years ago with a landmark cover that featured the ten supermodels that defined that era (linda evangelista, christy turlington, naomi campbell, yasmeen ghauri, karen mulder, tatjana patitz, elaine erwin, cindy crawford, nikki taylor, and claudia schiffer). and it wasn't just the perfect amazonians who was given the honor being the face of the magazine. atypical nineties models such as stella tenant and kristen mcmenamy proved their commerical flexibility with the support of vogues editorial forces. but as the nineties turned into the two thousands and the influence of celebrity culture were becoming more and more pronounced, fed by the public's curiosity and obsession, many american publications, including vogue, saw themselves fighting over newstand sales and using hollywood's hottest stars as their ammunition.
as a result of featuring personalities not closely affiliated with the fashion world the readership of vogue expanded to include readers not interested in fashion, but with the celebrity wearing the clothes on the cover. this shift in readership had a huge impact on the publication. where once it was a beacon for directional fashion, to adapt to its new customers the material inside the magazine became more commercial to the point of banality. editorial spreads had a more noticeably toned down imagination usually featuring looks straight off the runway, absent of any individual stylistic touches.
across the pond however, vogue's european sisters, most notably vogue italia, vogue paris, and the newly launched vogue russia started to build a reputation as three of the most influential monthly fashion publications. with its more forward direction and avant-garde sensibilities, franca sozzani of vogue italia, carine roitfeld of vogue paris, and aliona doletskaya of vogue russia became the three most influential women in fashion. able to launch a model's career to the stratosphere just with a cover. as was the case with daria werbowy, jessica stam, and coco rocha's steven meisel lensed vogue italia covers and most recently, a whole issue devoted to lara stone for vogue paris.
the tide however might be beginning to change. the general interest concerning celebrities is finally appearing to subside. perhaps these troubled economic times has the public worrying too much with their own problems that they don't have time to take on someone else's affairs. what they could use right now though is a little bit of fantasy. as marvelous actors are at emoting their feelings on the moving screen, no one can make pictures as transcendent like only models can.

photo: steven meisel for vogue

photoshop limbo

2009-04-12T00:03:00.000-04:00

so i've made a terrible mistake by accidentally deleting my photoshop which is why i haven't been posting for a while because i can't do anything with my images (well also because my internet provider suspended our connection for a week because one of the puter's in the house had a virus). so until i finally download a photoshop that will actually set-up then i can't really do much here. anyways its just over mid-night i'm still suffering from the longest hangover of my life so i'm gonna hit the sack and have a marathon session of watching "skins". oh and happy resurrection day.

autumn/winter 2009

2009-03-24T00:17:00.000-04:00

as phlegmatic some try to act in regards to the global recession, the truth of the matter is that we are facing the worse economic crises since the great depression. the great depression however also gave birth to one of the most creative time in fashion. it was the era when elsa schiaparelli and the avant garde idea flourished side by side with vionnet's beautiful classicism. where hollywood glamour became the opiate for the people. but times have changed and in this day and age where hollywood has lost its mystery and aspirational beauty have become passe the only thing that really stands out now is individuality.
for most of us who are part of a generation that never experienced those situations first hand, there is obviously going to be a lot of uncertainties on how to react against it. those doubts, the fear of having the life we've become accustomed to for so long ripped from right under our feet creates a sense of panic that the world of fashion isn't immune to.
to fully summarize what the recent autumn/winter 2009 collections felt could be summed up into one word...confused. on one end of the spectrum there is this need to mask the gloom by painting it with over the top exuberance and opulence by channeling an era reknowned for its excess, the eighties. on the other end is this decisively aggressive movement that almost feels like a battle cry where clothes become metaphors for strength and tenacity. either way, both evokes an image of a woman who is in control of her destiny and sexuality and for whom fashion is the visual vehicle she uses to convey the confidence of her personality. and while these two muses, though aesthetically different, it still creates a potent image that can become quite overpowering. push one idea too much and it becomes a caricature of the past and do the same thing for the other and it could easily take away too much of a woman's femininity.
while the eighties and noughties power dressing will for sure be the two strongest trends for the upcoming season, the best collections to come out have been the ones that were so independent with their vision. it came from designers who have always traveled their own distinct routes. these designers went back to what their core beliefs are and they used it as the inspiration and the catalyst that resulted with the most provocative collections of the season. and because of its conviction, there is a confidence that comes through that is able to stand on its own regardless of the seasonal trends emerging.
it has been said that it is during these times that creativity is fostered and the best designers proved it this season. maybe finally after years of brand obsession and trying to have the latest "it" bag or "it" shoe everyone else will finally realize that fashion isn't about looking like everyone else. its about you looking like you, but the best you only you can look like. hopefully individualism becomes the silver lining during these uncertain times.

photos: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - miu miu

2009-03-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

miu miu has always felt like prada's younger, and somewhat naughtier sister. this season however there was an elegance and a sophistication that was quite unexpected and turned the miu miu girl into a lady. since showing in paris, miu miu has managed to acquire a certain type of parisian character. there's a frivolity and sophistication underlined by sexual subtexts that is a hallmark of french fashion. and considering that nobody does subverted sexuality better than miuccia prada, miu miu has become no longer simply regarded as a secondary line, but a line that is beginning to forge its own identity totally individual from its older sister. while there are obviously going to be similarities that ties both collections together (this season it was the upholster fabric type prints), what this miu miu collection had on its own was its more graphic yet fluid shapes best demonstrated by the coats that opened the show and a lightness in fabrication and movement that was a direct contrast to the signature line's aggressiveness and structure. where in the main line prada used embroidered felt wool and leather to give the collection a harder edge, here she embroidered nylons and silk crepe skirts worn with a sheer blouse with a decolletage so low it revealed a nude coloured brassiere. while it didn't have the intellectual punch compared to what prada showed in milan, it did have an abundance of refined sex appeal that is guaranteed to temp consumers to pull out the old credit card and swipe blindly.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - comme des garcons

2009-03-09T23:20:00.000-04:00

so confident is rei kawakubo with her vision that a little thing like a recession cannot force her to sacrifice the integrity of her ideas. her singluar vision, the one responsible for forever changing the face and idea of what fashion is remains unnerved. even when other designers who have consistently been praised for their directional vision have decided to play it rather safe this season in comparison to their previous efforts, kawakubo is one of the few rare ones that continued to forge ahead and take fashion and the meaning of it beyond its suffocating box. fashion is, and has always been the vehicle in which kawakubo mediates her intellectual dialogue with the public. rarely speaking and notoriously reclusive with the press in this age of media saturation, her work is her speech. and this season it was perhaps the most provocative collection throughout the fashion calendar. its poignancy is in its elusive metaphors. there has been this combative atmosphere throughout the collections. an aggressiveness that is so defiant that it almost defeminizes the clothes. but here kawakubo wrapped all the aggressiveness of military uniforms in tulle. its reminds us that just because women need to be strong in the real world, especially now, it doesn't mean that they have to sacrifice their femininity. with everyone talking about how creativity is fostered during these troubling times, kawakubo is one of the very rare few to actually live up to that.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - junya watanabe

2009-03-09T23:19:00.000-04:00

count of junya watanabe to take one of the most banal things in fashion and turn it into an intellectual exercise one just how desensitized westerners are to clothes they've been accustomed to all their life. this season, watanabe's object of affection was the down filled jacket. true to form, he took the idea of a puffa and deconstructed it in a way that it became dresses, cocoonish capes, scalloped skirts, or even a ruffled trench. all done in black that gave it a slickness like spilled oil. his ability to re-interpret garments that we have long lost affinity for because of its ordinary-ness and forces us to re-examine on how we can so easily disregard certain things is enough to make you feel guilty of taking those things for granted. but that is what makes watanabe so special. to make something sublime out of something so utilitarian as a down filled jacket justifies his immensely original talent and vision. and to do all that and still retain the spirit and original purpose of a down jacket gives his work a ground on reality. not only did those clothes look like exalted winter coats, they actually looked and i'm positive functioned the part. its no question that everything in fashion is done and really everything that can be done, has already been. the only thing we can do now is to reinterpret the past. and especially this season when the reality is that many designers aren't interpreting the past but basically plagiarizing it, watanabe is a reminder that while the past is a brilliant source of inspiration, as with all things it isn't perfect, therefore it can be made better. and he proved that again this season with resounding success.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - haider ackermann

2009-03-09T23:18:00.001-04:00

columbian born designer haider ackermann has been one of those designers who has for the past few seasons been flying under the fashion radar. for those who hasn't failed to notice this antwerp trained designer, they are familiar with the sensual way he has managed to drape fabric into romantic, sinuous dresses that is able to combine a certain type of latin drama with a melancholic sensibility that is a hallmark of belgian design. this season, when there is no real confident trend emerging and other designers are maniacally scrambling for ideas, ackermann's distinct aesthetic signature is able to stand above other designers who seems to be confused as to how to react to the current climate. hackermann's response in these dire times is to up his own ante. the confidence in his own vision was so apparent in the way he elevated all his distinct trademarks like the said draping and his ability as a tailor to produce some of the most coveted jackets come fall. there was a fluidity with this collection where one look moved so effortlessly with the next. where an intricately folded sequined gold jacket paired with high waisted slim trousers can follow after a boiled wool floor grazing skirt and then continue on with a one shoulder evening dress with a thigh high slit. there was such a rigorous effort in this collection but without looking too worked or too thought out. he simply made the effort to produce the best work he can using his own vocabulary. the result was that not only were the clothes exceptionally beautiful, but the confidence that showed through the pieces is what might possibly and finally take ackermann out of the underground and into foreground.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - lanvin

2009-03-09T23:17:00.000-04:00

from new york to milan to paris, the fashion pendulum has either swung to an eighties revival or to something quite dark and aggressive. leave it to alber elbaz to remind everyone that in these times when everyone is trying to answer the question on how to confront the gloomy economy, the answer lies in the simplest, purest purpose of fashion...beauty. its the same formula he's always referred back to since becoming creative director at the oldest surviving house in paris. and it is that formula that turned a what was once almost forgotten house into one of the most successful brands of the new millennium. and it owes it all to the sincerity of its designer. he's never once ventured away from what the true purpose of a designer is. and that is to enhance the innate beauty that lies in all woman. this season he sent down a parade of clothes that bears the now unmistakable signature of lanvin through elbaz's hands and did so by giving what most of the collections lacked this whole entire show season, clothes for every occassion. there were forties inspired suiting with a peplumed waist line worn with a knee length pencil skirts that attenuated the woman's silhouette and cocoon coats for day. and when the sun comes down there is of course the beautiful cocktail dresses that seems to dance around the body with the lightest movement. all done with the luxurious sophistication that comes with everything elbaz touches. and while the colour palette was sombre, this collection erupted with optimism. but not in a blatant excessive way. it didn't need bright colours or sparkles and big shapes to achieve it. as always he was able to express all the strengths of a man, but with all emotions of a woman. elbaz managed to accomplish that by giving it what he's given every single collection he's designed. a soul. a commodity more precious now than ever before.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - nina ricci

2009-03-08T23:25:00.001-04:00

olivier theyskens is to fashion what john keats is to poetry. both share a profound romanticism that wells with passion and emotions that transcends beyond its occupied medium. like the great romantic poets of the past, one feels that theyskens uses emotional intuition rather than intellectual rationalization to provoke some form of elevated aesthetic experience with his design. since he burst into the collective fashion consciousness over ten years ago, theyskens's highly romantic and gothic sensibility has won him fans such as madonna during her new age/spiritual phase, to eventually being universally lauded by the fashion community when he revived the dusty house of rochas and made him one of the most influential designers of the noughties. when the house was suddenly closed down, theyskens was immediately hired to revive another iconic french house, nina ricci. in the two years that he has been at ricci, the general opinion of his work has been, for lack of a better word, uneven. while his collections produced some of the most beautiful and ethereal creations we've seen in the past couple of years, as a whole it seemed to lack the coherence of his work at rochas. for his final collection for ricci, theyskens not only produced one of the strongest collection of his entire career, he also created his most commercial collection for the house. which is rather ironic considering that it was probably the criticisms he got for being too fantastical during his tenure that it was no longer understandable from a consumer point of view that was most likely the cost of him being let go. but instead of sabotaging next season and presenting an intentionally bad collection, theyskens instead bowed out gracefully and gave the nina ricci customer the practical based fantasy they've been waiting so long for. it reminded the world of the promise that this young designer is capable of fulfilling. that is translating all his grandiose romanticism into clothes that don't only exist in theatrical fashion editorials or runway presentations, but on the most emotional stage of all, reality.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - balenciaga

2009-03-07T22:58:00.001-05:00

nicholas ghesquiere has never been a revivalist. while he helms one of the most revered houses in the world with a history that involves revolutionizing the modern women's wardrobe, ghesquiere never takes the balenciaga ideals literally. instead he has managed to adapt balenciaga's legacy and philosophy into a modern vocabulary that while hints at the past, is stoically moving into the future. the way he can reference the great master's work and infuse it with his own sci-fi/futuristic sensibility has been one of the most influential factors in contemporary fashion. making him one of fashion's north star that other designers use as a compass to look for direction. for his latest collection ghesquiere again used the house's archives as the beginning of his story. particularly balenciaga's use of draping. although balenciaga's work is synonymous with architectural forms, him being one of the most proficient couturiers in history was also superb with the art of draping. after so many season witnessing ghesquiere push the atelier's tailoring techniques to its limit, this season he presented his softest, most feminine collection yet. to witness this versatility done in the most sophisticated way and still retain the ghesquiere identity is a testament that this heir apparent of paris fashion is a venerable well of ideas that shows no signs of drying out. and while it is balenciaga that ghesquiere always goes back to, this season he also paid tribute to another designer who asides from chanel, has had as much impact on modern fashion as balenciaga himself, yves saint laurent. there were echoes of saint laurent's rive gauche chic with the ruched, diaphanous printed chiffon dresses, the rich colours, and the play of masculine and feminine best demonstrated by the pairing of grey wool trousers with a floral top and a lace bandeau worn undereath. it had saint laurent's sexually subversive touches that was able to combine something feminine and sexual without being vulgar. this collection also had something many of ghesquiere's runway presentation never really had. while they were all rich with ideas, its commerciality was not its strongest point. everything that came out of this collection was understandable, sellable, profitable, and most importantly, beautiful.

photo: style.com

paris autumn/winter 2009 - gareth pugh

2009-03-04T21:16:00.000-05:00

what gareth pugh has achieved with his most recent collection is the goal that has eluded many unconfident young designers, maturity. with his latest collection, presented through a seven minute film, pugh's concerted effort to established his house as a money making brand and not simply a fashion event has allowed the young designer to meld his own dark references with a commercial sensitivity to produce a collection that was rich with clothes that are a viable option for consumers with the signature pugh aesthetic. while his previous efforts were based on strict and precise geometry, this collection played on the contrast between softer silhouettes anchored by more structured pieces. best displayed on a tailored shift dress overlayed with chiffon whose attached sleeves acted as soft, diaphanous wings that moved like water in the video presentation. this softer, delicate touch is a reflection on how the city of lights have affected this young man. since showing in paris, pugh's dark and gothic influences that used to be expressed through something quite aggressive has become more soulful and feminine without relying on hyper exaggerating the female form. also there is the fact that luxury goods powerhouse LVMH is now financially backing the young designer. affecting and adding pressure to pugh to translate high concepts into profit in order to continue having the support of bernard arnault. and last january he presented his first separate menswear collection. now that he has the luxury of showing a collection for both sexes each with its own identity yet share the same spirit he can establish a real, and distinct identity for his male and female customers. although there are many visible similarities with the menswear show he presented last january such as the reappearance of the pin head sweaters and trousers and a flattened out pattern of geodesic domes, there was nothing androgynous about this collection at all. that being said does not mean that this show was short on strength. actually, it might've been been his strongest effort to date.

photo: style.com

milan autumn/winter 2009 - prada

2009-03-02T16:45:00.000-05:00

undoubtedly one of the most anticipated collection throughout the entire fashion calendar where everyone has been wondering with heightened anticipation as to how one of fashion's most intellectual and renegade minds would respond to the global recession. miuccia prada's response was surprisingly not surprising. as the woman notoriously known for being impossible to predict, her collection with all its aggressive, dark, and slightly primitive references had all the hallmark pradaisms one expects from a prada show, but without the sexual overtones from her last few collections. it was a decidedly stronger collection that was a welcome respite from all the eighties revival that's been rampant in milan, london, and new york. the collection was full of forties references most evident on the coats with wide peaked lapels and nipped in waists. there was an interesting use of fabrics with the way she combines something masculine with something feminine such as a dress with a tweed skirt and the top half made of luxurious mustard coloured velvet. and of course, quirky and charming touches from a stylistic point of view and with her accessories. in short it was a textbook prada collection. prada when its not about the lady-like chic she pioneered many years ago, but the one who ingeniously mixes utilitarianism with an intellectual luxury that never loses its sense of clothes with a purpose. that being said however doesn't imply that this collection did not deliver the same amount of provocation as her previous collections. perhaps because of its obvious response to the economy that her answer becomes even more provoking. for one of fashion's most influential minds, the reply that in these times women need to confront the reality in an aggressive manner as oppose to reliving the excess of the happier pasts is a profound response to what other designers are doing. prada is after all one that is focused on reality and the ever changing needs of modernity. this collection is for the woman who is not looking at the world through rose tinted glasses. she knows that these are dark times and rather than escape it, she puts her game face on and tackles the challenges head on.

photo: catwalking.com

milan autumn/winter 2009 - jil sander

2009-03-02T13:57:00.000-05:00

minimalism characterized the nineties. it was surprising that in the beginning of the boom in the luxury goods industry it would be this sparse, undecorated aesthetic that would eventually define the decade. and considering today's economical climate when designers are either referencing eighties opulence or a protective and aggressive sensibility, raf simons proposed the idea that especially in these times, the understated, unpretentious confidence of the minimalist ideal is not only a valid option, but also the most sensible choice. but as practical and functional minimalism is, raf is also one of the most directional minds in fashion who has always pushed the limits with his eponymous menswear brand. so what do you do when you need to be respectful to the house's identity and at the same time stay true to your own convictions? raf's answer is simple, split the show in two. the first sequence was an homage to the house's founder herself. it was a parade of monochromatic and exquisitely tailored pieces paired with flats that added a jolt of colour to the otherwise neutral palette. proving that the perfect execution of pure design and craftsmanship has as much impact as the most decorated couture ball gown. as the lights dimmed and flashes of coloured strobe lights hit the runway the second act demonstrated simons' adept hands at handling the jil sander tradition, and injecting it with his own personality. inspired by the seductive and arabesque lines of ceramicist pol chambost, simons twisted, draped and folded fabric around the body giving the clothes a sinuous, languid sexiness where underneath the fold or inside a neckline are shots of colour that referenced chambost' pottery. while the house of jil sander is not one that is traditionally associated with high concepts, raf's unyielding vision and sensitivity with the house's history gives the label a new sense of contemporary validity that will undoubtedly continue to exalt its influence in the years to come.

photo: style.com

london autumn/winter 2009 - ann-sofie back

2009-02-26T23:06:00.001-05:00

over the past few years, the horror and gothic genre have been one of the most influential force in fashion that is not segregated to one fashion capital. paris has rick owens and ricardo tisci. miuccia prada did her own take on the trend with her most recent menswear collection in milan. even in new york, the most commercial fashion capital of all there is rodarte. and in london, where the gothic sensibility was born and has been taken to its avant garde and conceptual heights, there is ann-sofie back. the swedish born designer/stylist who has used the gothic influence as an oeuvre since launching her signature line in 2001. this season there was a much more heightened sense of the macabre in back's collection not only because of the eerie contact lenses the models wore, but also because she noted that her main source of inspiration were cult american teen horror movies such as friday the 13th, carrie, nightmare on elm street, and holloween. that translated into slashes and rips on distressed denim and button down shirts. jersey dresses and tops with interesting cut-outs that formed overlapping patterns that resembled marks left by a knife. and lace pieces which hinted at traditional prom dresses, worn by the girls who are favorite targets amongst the silver screen's infamous serial killers. as a stylist that regularly contributes to dazed and confused and self service magazines, back understands how stylistic touches can fully elucidate a story. the powdered white faces and scary contact lenses might've been over the top, but that didn't distract the obvious point that underneath all that theatricality, there were plenty of beautiful and extremely covetable clothes.

photo: catwalking.com

london autumn/winter 2009 - mary katrantzou

2009-02-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

since opening the central saint martin's graduate show last year, greek born designer mary katrantzou has established herself as a young talent to watch for her innovative use of bold graphic prints, a strong sense of colour, and a slightly surrealist sensibility executed with a vision all her own. since her graduate collection, katrantzou has continued to explore the possibilities of using digital tromp l'oeil geometric prints to enhance the silhouette of the clothes she cuts. while her graduate collection and her debut presentation last season concentrated on using blown up prints of jewelry to basically act as intended adornments, this season she was inspired by art-deco inspired illustrations of perfume bottles which she had blown up and printed on every garment she presented. ingeniously she had the neck of the bottle landing on the waist line giving the illusion of a perfectly formed hour glass silhouette. while at first glance there might be assumptions that there are hardly any differences from her first two collections, upon closer inspection one realizes that the designer is starting to slowly incorporate new ideas into her design. more specifically with new shapes. where her first two efforts concentrated on the shift to highlight the print, this time saw her playing with a softer, drapier silhouette and using the print to accentuate the movement. no doubt a lesson she learned during her tenure at sophia kokosalaki. it'll be interesting to see how this talented young designer will evolve her now signature style and use it as a foundation for future ideas or if she regretfully falls into the one trick pony trap. but for the present, no one will deny that this show has been one of the strongest and most focused collection we've seen throughout london fashion week.

photo: style.com

london autumn/winter 2009 - christopher kane

2009-02-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

christopher kane burst into our collective consciousness with his explosive graduate show at central saint martins three years ago and since then he's become the darling of the london fashion scene with one of the most consistently well received shows season after season. that much lauded graduate show has been so stuck on everyone's mind that it's hard to remove the designer from the over the top sexuality of that infamous collection. but to constantly connect and expect that same spirit from kane is an injustice to the talent and flexibility the young designer has. since then he has displayed the ability to present collections with such a focused idea and so precisely executed based on themes as disparate as prehistoric times, the horror movie "carrie", or virginia wolf's "orlando" that it only strengthens the young designer's growing reputation. for his most recent collection kane took a surprising route with perhaps his most somber collection to date. the drab colour palette and the heavy menswear inspired fabrics that opened the show was a departure from his previous collections. but as the show progressed kane began to introduce the lightness that counterbalanced the heaviness of the opening sequence. slowly skirts started to appear made out of straps of velvet and organza paired with lightweight plaid and prince of wales printed knits. it all culminated with kanes signature dresses. whose ingenious construction, this time made of layered appliqued organza and geometric shaped panels will without a doubt, despite its hefty price tag, sell out in shops days after arriving. kane's talent to realize his vision, and not compromise its integrity and still manage to succeed commercially, is a testament to this young designers unique and impressive talents.

photo: style.com