tfs.

Ohh! Also, I have invites to The Fashion Spot to give out. I waited two patient years on their waiting list, & now you don't have to (:

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/index.php?referrerid=78550

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Before we begin, let me cast your mind back to February of this miserable year. Yes, it was that abomination known as Christopher Kane A/W '11. I shan't spent much more time discussing this, but suffice to say my heart was well and truly broken. Incomprehensible! HOWEVER;


Wow? Genuinely gobsmacked. Mr Kane, all your past sins are forgiven. The last time I was this stunned was when I browsed the final McQueen collection by the man himself. Now, I won't get too carried away here, this collection wasn't ground-breaking, there was few original concepts here. But for Christopher Kane, this is prodigious. His most beauteous collection to date, he explored 70's wallpaper prints, divine pastel silks (are you noting this upcoming trend also..?) and sharply tailored shirts. I have no doubt this is going to sky rocket Kane back to his reigning position, where he firmly belong. Although those pool shoes are horrendous.

erdem.

Erdem, wow. I have so much respect for the fact he can constantly revive and portray a new spin on florals every season. I never feel like I've seen this all before. I even love how the double florals are styled with such panache, truly exquisite. The structured pale-blue overcoat was my favourite piece by a mile, it's like nothing I've seen before and illustrates the designer's concept in perfectly. More hints of the 50's, again. But more subtle than previous collections I've discussed. I'd love to see that final dress on Scarlett Johansson, wouldn't that be sublime? Having a bit of a love affair with Erdem at the moment. Of course, that is until...

holly fulton.

I never really spent a lot of my time on Holly Fulton before, but the description on style.com had me before I'd even seen it;

"the idea of a woman who blows her vacation budget on clothes, and so instead of heading to Saint-Tropez, goes to the tacky English resort town of Margate."

However, despite the styling & the Versace hair, I thought this was a beautiful collection! I'm a bit of a proverbial sucker for bad taste, done well. The coral motifs were so intricate though understated, and the variety of prints she used was extraordinary. The 60's & 70's vibe this collection had was also invigorating, I always enjoy seeing a designer put a new spin on over-used eras. I really think this collection could thrust Holly Fulton into the spotlight a little more.

proenza schouler.

This season was a little more sophisticated and refined for the two designers adored so much by fashion editors everywhere. For me though, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez really created something special here. The past five or six seasons, Proenza has always been pioneering & edgy, to borrow an overused phrase. I feel this season however, they've managed to balance kooky with an air of cosmopol. They've taken the 50's silhouette and transformed it into something contemporary. Proenza Schouler is a brand that not only continually is, but strives to be at the top of its game. & I, as a new convert, have never been more appeased.

3.1 phillip lim.

God, who knew Phillip Lim was so young? According to an aftershow interview, Lim stated that his palette derived from the faded colours of his 90's childhood. I absolutely fell in love with it, especially the orange sorbets, pastel pinks & lilacs. Those tailored trouser suits hinted at a certain sportiness Lim carried throughout his whole collection. Simple & well-structured, but it would've been interesting to see him play around a little more with prints. Still, after a print-heavy few weeks in both NY & London, it was refreshing to have a touch of minimalism.

Rodarte.

I bet you thought you were in the clear, not having moaned or exuded squeals of excitement about Rodarte yet. Alas that is not to be, the Mulleavy sisters are, as you well know, always the top of my NYFW list. I'm not going to lie & I'm going to be very brutal here; I hated it. Nothing but the sweaters and the overuse of bunched-up fabric screamed Rodarte to me, I would never have known it was them had I to guess. They took Van Gogh so literally it looks like a Higher Art collection. I mean, just examine that Starry Night Dress, they've basically taken an exquisite painting and vomited it all over some fabric, bunched it up and sent it on the runway. I'm truly mortified by this collection, can you tell?

It did have some redeeming features though. The colour progression ensures that, at the very least, this collection did flow and the pieces seemed to gel. & the maxi length Sunflower dress is divine, I'd love to see it on Chloe Sevigny.

Preen.

When I first read that Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi were inspired by decrepit floral patterns & Virgina Woolf, I thought this could be interesting. Preen gives the impression of a thoroughly futuristic brand and they have never ventured too far away from this. & Then I read that said floral prints were to be pixelated and I thought oh, fantastic, here comes that awful trend that circulated around Topshop for a season that noone really bought into, partially because it was truly horrendous. However, Preen have totally changed the dynamics of the floral pixel print. These prints are on super zoom, with a plethora of vivid, bold colours. Plus the way Bregazzi & Thornton have combined the pixel print with the original floral works fantastically. More silks to love here, too. Best Preen collection to date.

Prabal Gurang.

Prabal Gurang is fast becoming one of my favourite designers. I mean sure, some of the concepts in this collection you could accuse of being a little derivative, but I see it more as an ode to McQueen. The prints are similar but the ideas are innovative. I don't quite have the vocab to explain how amazing this show really was, the palette blew my mind. Again, I'm loving the use of silk shorts & trousers which seem to be a key theme weaving through NYFW and I'm happy to report no sighting of a peplum. Peplums, really? I think they are visually revolting and the only figure they compliment is the sickly models they adorn. I hope this trend doesn't spill onto the London, Paris & Milan catwalks, or god forbid, the High St. I'm not sure I could handle the sight of a fat-laden girl increasing the bandwith of her hips with an unsuitable peplum dress walking down Buchanan St on a Friday night. Truly disgusting. Anyway, much love for Prabal!

Oscar De La Renta.

I always have a lot of love for Oscar de la Renta, he's the kind of designer I wish I was. Classically beautiful whilst still retaining some modernity. Those big ruffle-draped skirts I fell totally in love with, especially when paired with the Carrie Bradshaw-esque crocheted sweaters. Hardly pioneering, but I always take the time to appreciate the little details of his collections.

Diane Von Furstenburg.

Diane Von Furstenburg was verrrry hit and miss for me. There were some beautiful pieces, the printed skirts, blouses & pants were divine but the styling was a nightmare. The prints all clashed and it actually became a bit of a headache, paired with a neutral blouse or skirt would have made some of these pieces particularly arresting. But it all got a little lost and I stopped paying attention half way through. It's a pity really, the trouser suit was incredibly beautiful.

I think in recent seasons, Donna Karan is by far experimenting more than she ever has. I might even go as far to say she's at her peak, I've been so impressed with her recently, and this collection only gave me more material to go on, if you pardon that awful pun. The intricate tribal prints, feathered neck pieces & the use of butter-soft leathers in this collection is magnificent. Karan makes tribal print delicate and sophisticated like noone has before her. The palette is a little autumnal for Spring/Summer but that's only a small grievance from me.

Cynthia Rowley.

I have to admit, for some unknown reason, I have always had a complete aversion to Cynthia Rowley. I'm not sure if perhaps it's because of something or someone she's been connected to in the past, but I never really gave her much of my time. This collection however, really made me stand up and pay attention. The laser cut printed silks, the grungy, oversized sweaters, the simple, feminine but beautifully cut silhouettes killed me. It begins flouncy & feminine and ends edgy and, perhaps not ground-breaking, but certainly not so far off. I loved it, I can't wait to see more from Ms Rowley.

Alexander Wang.

Alexander Wang, as always, was a total minefield of conflicting fabrics & concepts. & as always, I absolutely adored it. I feel like Wang is coming into his own, even though at times, some of his pieces are a little first year art school. In terms of prints, I feel like he could experiment a little more, the cobalt blue & gunmetal grey floral print was a visual feast and he could've expanded that just a touch. There were so many great single pieces in this collection, & the cocoa leather dress Liya Kebede wore was sublime, as well as the royal blue velvet halter. Definite red carpet looks, but this collection still retains loyalty to Wang's urban beginnings.

Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Alexandre Herchcovitch blew my mind. I read that he found beautiful fifties-era fabrics, patterns & prints in an old fabric store in Brazil that was closing down, and those fabrics were his inspiration for this collection. Some he used, some were much too fragile so he replicated their intricacies, but to be honest, can you really tell the difference? The silks are a delicious bouquet of powder blues, sherbert lemons, caramels and soft neutrals all printed with a variety of flowers. Truly exquisite, it's amazing how something so simple can inspire. I just feel that some of the silhouettes & cuts are a little convoluted and could have been simplified, modernised even. The atypical 50's A-line skirts & boat necklines are a little expected, but the baseball caps are a nice touch, I definitely need one.

here comes another fashion week, & to think i thought i'd be able to bypass it without wanting to critique every inch of it. i'm tiring of the same formula i've been using for the past few years, i find it difficult to pad out this blog in between shows so i'm going to attempt to restructure this poor little blog. anyway, on with the shows..