A first shot...

...from Dolce and Gabbana's first ever Couture show, Alta Moda.


The length of time and amount of craftsmanship that has gone into this much anticipated collection has placed it in a league inhabited by few events in fashion history, before it even défiléd.


Now the first images are emerging of the collection- held this morning- and they promise a bountiful paradise of the kind of couture I used to dream existed during the reigns of the great talents of couture lore... Christobal Balenciaga's other-worldly draping, Elsa Schiaparelli's sartorial explorations of surrealism...


With this showstopping offering, Dolce and Gabbana have arguably transcended the current precedent set for couture houses, offering a level of quality and consideration matched only by the pure and totally pleasurable escapism it inspires in the viewer.


I need to see more of this, now.


Bravo.

Dior Secret Garden, Versailles

In light of Paris Fashion Week's recent couture statement from the House of Dior, courtesy of Raf Simons, I re-invite you to view this Dior promo video with a post-show perspective :) 


Consequently I will be heading here Friday to see Beethoven's 9th in time to celebrate the 14th July. 


Pics à suivre.

Couture Roundup: Raf Simons' First Turn as Dior Creative Director

The wait ended on Tuesday at 14h30. The Fashion world literally lined up to attend what was surely one of the most-anticipated creative hookups in years; prodigious designer Raf Simons' premier collection as Head of the House of Dior, which manifested itself in the form of his SS13 Haute Couture presentation in Paris this week.

The front row was almost as glittery as the creative offerings themselves; from actresses like Marion Cotillard and Jennifer Lawrence, to an array of faces normally confined to the other side of the catwalk curtain- we saw Marc Jacobs, skirted and booted, Donatella Versace and her junior, Allegra and Haider Ackerman, modern titans who had come to witness the first fruits of the relationship begun between the stately House of Dior and a smart, understated and visionary Belgian.

The collection was presented in truly sumptuous house style, played out across three rooms filled with a million colour grouped flowers.
This dramatic backdrop was maybe the only gesture that made made a viewer think directly of the 'old days'- the flowers displaying a level of decadence that the Dior chief's controversial predecessor might well have approved of.

Against this colourful background, the collection came out. And such is the dissidence between this new designer's collection and previous offerings chez Dior, that at first it was hard to adjust- leaving many, including myself, feeling confused at first glance.

But Galliano Syndrome- that is, a dependence on the glitz of coquettish frou frou- is just something that we have been conditioned to expect after a decade of seasons presided over by the ex-Dior head.  As such, to appreciate the new direction of the label, it is essential to approach Simon's efforts with an open mind.

As soon as you do this, everything changes. Simons has thrown down the gauntlet with this first showcase, in more ways than one. Dior's stock pastel colours, for example, took a backseat to some of the primary hues which marked one of the two most distinctive features of this collection. Lemony, structured, masterful dresses, were intermixed with bold pieces in vermillion and cerulean as well as ample, ample black and printed, multishade silk. There were light colours- but despite this inclusion the froth and frivolity seen in previous Dior collections was notably subdued in favour of a more distinctive, elegant and minimalist silhouette of a modern woman... one that will not have disappointed fans of Simon's previous output, renowned for these features.

The wish to draw a line under the work of his controversial predecessor didn't stop at cut. Simons' inclusion of a unique texture resembling cut wool or even balled tissue paper reflects the direction this designer wishes to take in his new role. To fill the gaping legacy left by Galliano is no mean feat for even the most experienced of couturiers, and what Simons does through the usage of this kind of fabric technology is to set out his mission statement: unafraid to mould the brand to reflect the personal, innovative and highly developed style which has already won him so many admirers, and probably his new seat at the head of this house.

The only concern I'd take away from this otherwise well-executed new chapter in Dior's history is that we might start to see a monopolisation of Simons' time as the head of this label, which could divert him away from his original creations with his eponymous line. If we're really lucky, Raf will follow front-row attendee Marc Jacobs in continuing to successfully produce his own line alongside his responsabilities at Dior. We'll see.

Kat Rutherford in Paris.

Guy Laroche

peachy
x

atsuro tamaya

impeccably dressed Japanese fashion elite partout

strong ethnic British references

mixed beauties

fur and pattern pouring out

quilting to go

some killer shapes

a melange- juste assez de couleur

some beautiful details

juste enough fur

progressive collection- starts more minimalist and unfolds slowly like Winter flower into magnificent bouquet par le fin du spectacle

pictures a suivre

 

devastee a/w12 paris

under pont alexandre iii

thrilling

kill or be killed

references to traditional french lifestyle was kind of mocked by the morbidity of the collection

i think they always do a/w better than s/s

the clothes don't whisper they chant, in a group of deep low and high pitched clear voices like the chorus of fate at the gates of hades

pics a suivre:

Gareth Pugh wants to dance with you- SS12 Review

The latest collection from the criminally covetable Gareth Pugh (SS12) has got me all hot and bothered, for a number of reasons:

1) The Pughmeister has really evolved his design from his first showings- ultra-modern fembot conceptions- to something that retains the otherworldly cool of this original vision whilst also managing to be both flattering and wearable.

Just look at the optical illusiatory lines here. The manage to make a skinny model look voluptuous in a way that is revolutionary and that avoids the classic usage of the fabric drape to create the suggestion of curves.

M.C. Escher is my favourite M.C.

2) The man has really got an original use of detailing down.

I used to wear skirts with this kind of cut when I was 14/15. I thought I was cool, but clearly I know nothing- GP has revolutionized what could be called quite a girly, subcultural design for the discerning haute-couture fashionista :)

3) Without a doubt, Pugh references the most vibrant and interesting subcultural trends, with nods this season to goth, punk, and fetish gear. Again, translating a street trend this extreme into something both commercially viable and highly interesting is no mean feat. This look in particular is something in which I would be proud to promenade down Shoreditch High Street...

This reminds me once again of CyberDog !!

Overall Mr. Pugh rests at the forefront of a blend between cutting edge street style and commercial wearbility that has me wishing I could afford some of his garments. In all cases I can still recreate the look... time to start visiting the batcaves of Parisian goth boutiques to get my fix...

Kanye West's First Turn as a Fashion Designer

Mention the name 'Kanye West' to someone and (if they're anything like me) they'll start singing All of the Lights or mimicking his anti-George Bush outburst during Hurricane Katrina's 2004 fundraising rally. His most recent trick, however, alludes the the man's hidden, but serious devotion to the world of fashion.

The news is this: Kanye has just launched his own ready-to-wear line, DW by Kanye West, which premiered at Paris Fashion Week this past September. Pulling in heavyweights like Carine Roitfeld and Ciara to the front row seats, the world expected great things from this afficionado of all things cutting-edge, and the show was one of the most widely anticipated of Paris Sept 2011...


It is surprising then, that what the waiting world eventually received drew gasps, not of delight, but surprise and...perhaps masked disappointment. KanYe's premier collection was a curious tale of last-minute fittings, heavy details and borrowed looks, that smacked not of the professional master-minding of Kanye's musical production, nor of the originality of his personal style, but of something sadly unfinished. 

The general consensus about 'Ye's premiere effort on the catwalk is one of details and cuts that were 'heavy'. But not G heavy. More clumsy heavy.

Abbey Lee kinda doesn't want anyone to know she's wearing that...

The details tended to evoke classic trademarks from other designers... we had the soft beiges of Michael Kors, the embellishment of Chanel...Without any doubt though, the designer which sprung to mind most in describing Nye's collection was Pierre Balmain. The military detailing, bandage dresses and risqué neck and hemlines allude to the same magnificence which has recently revived the French label. These details weren't lost on industry indsiders, with one critic even describing the collection as 'Baby Balmain'... 

Of course the models were beautiful (Kanye having enlisted some of the industry's heavyweights including Anja Rubrik, last year's highest paid model, and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, daughter of the illustrous Carine), but in general it seems he has a lot to learn in order to ramp his sartorial offerings up to the level of his music.

The faces of the front row seem to say alot ;)

and again

Colour co-ordination masterclass, Paris Fashion Week.

image courtesy vogue.fr

feel it all around

This is Julia.

She looks ravishing at Cacharel's PE 12 Show, doesn't she?

Emulation envy.

image courtesy of vogue.fr

teatum jones is lovely

A few of you may have heard of the designer duo Teatum Jones, who with their exquisitely feminine and covetably accessible garments are making big waves all across the fashion pond. I had the occasion to chat with them in more detail about their design history and ambitions during their exhibition at London Fashion Week, the details of which I'll share with you here... 

Teatum Jones made their acquaintance through a mutual adminartion for escapism. This idea underpins their work, and their new collection, Sometimes it Snows In April, pays homage to this complex dynamism through the idea of an opposition between apparent harmony and inherent disatisfaction. The sugary colours and seemingly effortless fluid lines of the collection attach to this idea, with it's disparity between reality and what seems to be apparent.

This strong concept, in tandem with the energy brough to the brand by its two creators, means that the company has gone from strength to strength in a very short time. Indeed this is only the duo's second full collection.


"We are fascinated by human behaviour and exchanges and find ourselves compelled to seek out beauty and refinement in what is ordinarily considered sinister or dark.” Such a catching idea is sure to keep many fashion fans coming back for more and more each season.

Chacun a son goût...

DEVASTEE- The Realization of Spring/ Summer 2012

starting point

polemica

a bit more wow