Alexander The Great

I do not wish to review this collection. I do not. And so I won't. Even though I kiiiiiind of want to, but something about it just seems kind of wrong. The collection seems a little unfinished. But that's probably because it is. See, that's why I didn't want to review it. Any criticism could rightly be justified by the fact that the designer passed away before he had the chance to correct said criticism. Ok, that's it. I'm done. Look at the pictures... And leave me alone.

   

The Cool

Stella showed her fall collection today and as usual it was absolutely perfect. I don't know if I've ever had anything bad to say about a Stella show, but looking at her clothes just makes me so happy. This is probably the show above all shows that I look forward to every season, because she just always always always gets it right. She makes the clothes that I want to wear, clothes that I want to live, breathe, eat, and sleep in. Not only that, but above all she makes things that are interesting and she continues to grow and evolve as a designer.

Alot of times it seems the more "wearable" collections are not always as popular editorialy, because wearable can sometimes negate interesting or dynamic. Stella however, has mastered that fine line. She makes the clothes women want to wear and editors want to shoot, and all the while she manages to keep it cruelty free. Its a feat, that back when Stella started at Chloe and shared her love of animals, and advised that none of her designs would ever use animal products, most people scoffed at. The idea of no leather, fur, suede, snake, or any other of the luxury products animals provide in this industry, not being part of her collections- EVER, was so beyond most people's brain wave, that she was dismissed by many. But Stella has never waivered, she's one of the most talented designers working today, her bottom line is steady if not climbing, and she's done it all while standing for what she believes in. This is no fashion fairytale, this is a woman on a mission and I'd say mission accomplished.

This season Stella presented slim slacks with patent, kitten heel sling-backs, and the knit cardigans which she always does so well. The slim pants and sweaters were enough for me, I was already frothing, although I wish the kitten heels were just a simple flat, because they'd be a bit more universal, the kitten heel is really only for a very specific business woman, and that, I am not. This is super chic, smart dressing, with strong tailoring and I'm sorry Isabel but as it turns out this is what I want to wear everyday.

Here's my Best Of...if 'Best Of' means things I want in my closet right now, immediately.

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Just a little throwback to my fave Stella collection ever, this is SS09. I still have dreams about this one sometimes...Ooh, that sequined jumpsuit brings a tear to my eye...

I Heart Isabel Marant

This may not be the most groundbreaking show of Paris Fashion week, but I just love Isabel Marant. She does these simple chic seperates, that are just perfect. This is what I want to look like everyday. I just want to live in her clothes.

Like a Rolling Clone

Siiiiiighh....I don't have much energy for this post. Unfortunately Christophe Decarnin's Balmain presentation has done nothing to re-energize me. Once again, we got rock 'n' roll; Rock 'n' roll dresses, rock 'n' roll pants suits, sharp pointy shoulders, gold lame, plenty of shine, necklines down to there, hemlines up to here... Am I having dejavu? I mean, I'm not saying it wasn't hot. It was definitely hot. Capital H. In fact, they're exactly the kinds of things I would L-l-l-l-ooove to wear out, any night, anywhere. The problem is, fashion shows are meant to inspire- new season, new ideas, breathe new life into the atmosphere. Even if its a re-creation of the old, it should be a new invention, a new adaptation at the least. This however, I cringe to say, was last seasons collection, done again, with slight alterations, and richer fabrics. From look to look, I felt like he took one pattern and cut the same dress 10 times and changed the embellishments. And I must confess, I actually thought to myself, 'I think I've seen that at Topshop'-GASP! Blasthphemy! I knooooooow...!  I don't want to think such horrible thoughts, I really don't! Really, its a shame, because I do love Balmain, and I do hate to speak poorely of the collection, but alas, I can not tell a lie! And well, the proof is in the pudding, take a look for yourself.

 On a positive though, despite the My-Rockstar-Barbie like interchangeable outfit duplicates, I did like the glam rock star gowns with the high slits and low cut neckline with wide waist belts, I can just imagine the celebrity stylists offering up their first born to get their clients into that one first. I also appreciated that he made the effort to do pants suits, they looked like the ones Mick Jagger and his crew wore, a hot pant suit for a hot young chick, maybe it wasn't ground breaking but it was atleast new for him, and the suits were well cut, nice and slim with a flair that's ever-so-slight to just cover the shoe and elongate the leg.

The clothes are definitely cool, and in the wearbility category he gets 10 stars out of 10, which is worth alot considering the cost of one of these hot little numbers. But there is a fine line here, making clothes that are wearable and pyt's (pretty young things) want to be seen in, that's great. But please, let us not forget that this is not topshop, where catering to the current trend is not only neccessary, but part of the job description, this is the house of Balmain, a major fashion house with a major price point, so as much we love the dresses that would make any girl feel hot and sexy, we also want to see something new, something fresh that, while whithin the same motif perhaps, is atleast somewhat innovative.

So all in all, not bowled over, but the looks are hot, and wearable and I'm sure they'll be popping up on a red carpet starlette near you very soon.

Balmain's pantsuit

  Ok, have we gotten sharp shoulder's out of our system now...?

Balenciaga takes us back...To the Future

Sometimes I look at a collection, and I honestly don't know what to think. So many words come to mind, but none really work together in the way my mind would traditionally group them, so I stare, puzzled.

Such was the case with Balenciaga. At the top of Paris fashion week Nicolas Ghesquiere's Balenciaga was futuristic, industrial, basic, unadorned, yet decadent, modern, and altogether pretty unwearable. So you can imagine my confusion in where do I begin a review? Well, I think we can start by saying, Ghesquiere is doing what Ghesquiere does, and that is challenging our thoughts and beliefs about what belongs where and how. He's taken us on a journey to the moon with this collection, and quite frankly my head is still spinning.

There were winged astronaught jackets that made it look like the models might literally take flight from the runway. There were leather skirts and tops perforated with starbursts, which I found reminiscent of a doiley, and about which Ghesquiere exclaimed, "like french buscuits!". There were platform shoes in minty shades of crocodile, with wooden heels, all encased in the kind of thick plastic, one would normally see wrapped around a cell phone. There was suede, there was leather, there was fur...there was matte, there was shine, and thats just in one jacket! In typical Ghesquiere fashion it was all pretty stiff looking; The contrast of strong structure, soft shape he's always done so well. These are not the kind of clothes you want to curl up in, but with Balenciaga they never are. 

Ghuesquiere's cosmonauts

I thought style.com's Sarah Mower wrapped it up well when she said, "...Some might call him out on the issue of wearability in certain areas, but fashion desperately needs experimenting talents like his to push things forward". So I won't attempt to put this unconventional designer into a conventional box, and attempt to categorically explain this collection. I can't. And even if I could it wouldn't be right. So I'll just say that I agree with what Ms. Mower had to say, and I appreciate Nicholas Ghesquiere's ability to create something from nothing. By nothing I mean his extraordinary imagination, but without any seeming reference to current trends or the collections of his peers. But more than that I have a beyond-words admiration for the fact that he is willing to continually invent something new and interesting and always different, even if it doesn't get the Barney's buyers all hot and bothered.

Geometric/futuristic, but in a classic, almost traditional shoe. Great colors.

That may not sound like a big feat, but in a world where there is insurmountable pressure for designers to produce something, not only, interesting, and creatively groundbreaking- but also, sellable, and wearable, while steadily driving that bottom line higher, Nicolas Ghesquiere is something of a renogade.

He creates things of beauty, uncoventional and maybe sometimes unwearable, but he's one of the few designers who is consistently standing on the edge, and pushing forward ever so slightly, pushing the edge, pushing the edge. And perhaps not to challenge our beliefs, but to stay true to his own. I agree with Sarah, so what if everything isn't wearable? He's one of few designers who are setting the stage within which everyone else is acting.

There's like 5 textures going on in this jacket

I love the illusion the astro zip up suit creates (r) and the graphic geo print (l), the bright colors and writing remind me of Andy Warhols pop art, but made futuristic instead of modern.

I love how delicate this looks, even though its actually leather with astrics punctured by a machine, it looks dainty and hand made. I love the contradiction of tough and sweet-and what it says about the woman wearing it- that she can be both.

Balenciaga gives you Wiiingszz!!!