Clean, Clear & Abstract

The eyes always react to pattern and color, but lately designers have been arousing the senses by exaggerating proportions in silhouettes that are interesting in beautiful and insouciant ways. Nicolas Ghesquiere @ Balenciaga always seems to build on ideas that extend beyond the mere conceptual novelty and stimulate fashion intellect by challenging what we "think"we know about design.

The variant proportions of the topcoat (above) combines the dexterity of street wear and the formality of gentlemanly essentials. As Spring roll outs are preparing to ship to stores worldwide it's exciting to know that there is something to look forward to for a change.

We saw a lot of skins covered this Fall/Winter in every market so expect more of the same in the form of theoretical updates for Spring/Summer 2011.

A very simplistic yet disfigured stripe (pants, shirt) takes on the exotic qualities of an animal skin by delicately pairing positive & negative tonalities for a superlative graphic effect.

*Style Note

"Menswear is looking to overemphasive the mid-section with visibly dramatic belting added above the waist & to outerwear."

The Queen! In The Pit?

Let's take the very decorative sensibilities of an aristocratic mindset and put it in the pit at the most private Punk show in Brooklyn and see what we get. If Gingee and the Gun were going to opening night at the Met I'm sure she would rock this frock and still maintain her cool rocker chic status where fashion meets music.

Only McQueen could pull off a look that lends itself to an ageless audience that wants to identify with the historical references that inspire the textile genius of this garment and the contemptuous direction of youthful styling at its best.

DESIGN WORKS INTERNATIONAL

If you haven't heard by now the Prince Prints Report is the newest feature and service at Design Works International in New York City. The new studio environment is conducive to the many new directions of fashion because of the the advanced technology of digital fabric printing and a full team of seasoned CAD artists trained to help bring your visions to life on fabric in as little as a few days. No more waiting for months and 3,000 yard minimums, samples can be rendered in 1 yard quantities and in full production quality to create wearable washable garments.

The season holds many new challenges for the publication as we reacquaint with the design community, but we are really excited about the development of thousands of original designs being created for Fall '11. It is important for new designers to stand out so we are seeing a surge of innovative and once upon a time "impossible" prints to produce. Forging a ready-made branded image by starting of with personalized looks that are indigenous to the house that has not yet been built "IS" the trend.

Also new to The Design Works Family is world renowned studio "Daniel Sagar Textile Collections" and the birth of an in house stationary brand. In this time of an economic downturn it is great to see the backbones of fashion and textile design joining forces to bring beautiful things to market for apparel & home furnishings.

YSL: Paris in Spring 2011

Fashion Week NY is right around the corner so I thought I'd trump the situation and report Men's Spring/Summer 2011 which showed way back in June 2010.  If you were't thinking about Fall all summer then you may as well bundle up and forget about it, because the Spring 2011 collections are casting as we speak.

Fashion is always desperate for something new & YSL always rises to the occasion to appease the anguished style enthusiasts around the globe.  This collection is a fraction more contained than usual in comparison to the languid silhouettes presented to us in the past few collections.
Jackets cinched & tied with the standard male elegance of a sash feeling of a cumberbun.  Smart and tailored if you're rocking washboard abs & a  30 inch waistline.  This look is definitely on the stunning side and reserved for the gauzy guys who put the skinny in and on the RTW convention.
As usual, Stefano Pilati (Head Designer YSL), is right on the mark with the latest in textile innovation with the unbalanced feeling of an abstract plaid.  It creates a casual mystery of texture and color that adds a quiet subtlety to bold idea.  
The color palette is chic and functional and will prove to have a long wearability factor with the stylings of today's modern man.

FALL 2010 PREVIEW

It's often said that you can't go wrong wearing black, so team Gucci ran with the idea to produce one of the most stunning collections to date.  A lacey mix of reptile references to create a luxurious palette of textures that bring energy and electricity to anyone looking for the sexy side of chic.

The addition of feathers adds a sumptuous layer of grandeur and magnificence to basic cocktail looks and will clearly be all the rage for seasons to come.

Full Frontal: The Crotch Shot

Givenchy

This Season be prepared to do a little more crotch watching than usual.  We've seen the now typical and overdone butt logos on the casual dungarees of many American Brands.  Now they are moved to the full frontal of menswear inducing the shock of actual wearability. 

Givenchy

A trendy military reference blended with a haunting and priest-like draping shapes the armor of a fashionable crusader.

Givenchy

Black on black is an emerging trend in prints and brings a futuristic texture to garments especially in large scale pattern designs.

Givenchy

Several icons of the moment (Lenny Kravitz, Tyson Beckford, Ashton Kutcher, and Zac Efron) have already incorporated the look into their new media image campaigns for the season.

Galiano

John Galiano is no stranger to delivering show-stopping looks, and delivers again (above & below) in this season's collection.  He explores a humorous side of male burlesque and gives men new options of style expression.

Galiano

sans formal: MORE LUXURIOUS

Nicolas Ghesquière 

House of Balenciaga

If Spring 2010 is about pushing buttons then this fashion elevator is stopping on every floor.  Balenciaga delivers a daring statement about the influences of modern technology without being an artistic reference to urban decay.
The horizontal stripe is playing a huge role in the way we see our torsos in the silhouettes of Spring 2010.  Draped leather is a feeling that will challenge the structural standards we've been seeing on the racks lately.

Vegetable-dyed leather gives birth to a luxurious texture that will take the place of any denim collection debuting on the racks.  Who knew denim would get boring?!?
Do I even have to mention the drama of the open toe boots that add to the casual luxury of the girl who wants it all, even in her down time.

The NEW COOL

If you are wondering what the Rock Stars' girlfriends are going to be wearing this SPRING 2010, then you better ask  the guy who dresses them.  Christophe Decarnin, (Designer/Balmain) for the past two seasons, has had the world's trend forecast embedded in his DNA. The House of Balmain has mutated and fused subtle textures and over-the-top drama. 
Keeping in stride with his flair for exaggeration ,again, the shoulders are addressed with details that define the focal points of his vision.  Above, the shoulders are strategically exposed by the extensions of corset string...minimal, and so effective.
The Balmain "RockStar/Alien Chic" look has quickly become the generic "go to" for the masses and it is so very obvious why.  Why else would all of the top models (who can fit the drag) be lined up to do his show every season.

The show itself was a runway masterpiece of gorgeous super-model show-stoppers who always deliver: Madgelena Frakowiak, Anja Rubik, Natasha Poly, Isabeli Fontana,  Daria Werbowy (Above) had 3 looks in one show!  When does that happen!?

PPR MB FW 2009 Fall

The CFDA In PRINTS: Soft, Indifferent, & Bold

Tracy Reese (Above), floated through a plush and cascading landscape of flowers that was soft and demuire .  The Season calls for a floral pattern that has intricate beauty and sits just like a Fantin-Latour oil materpiece painting, overwhelming subtlty.

It was really Great to see so many designers at this event in examples of their own work to salute and champion the initiatives of other (CFDA)member designers.  The patterns seen on the red carpet were up to the minute statements about this seasons approach to the trends and the

Coco Rocha, (Above) showed how an entire mood and emotional response can be envoked by a masterfully executed print.  Michael Kors is always very specific in his print stories, as this 

VICTOR GLEMAUD: Knows Modern Men

Clean, graphic, fresh, timeless....and NEW.  Victor Glemaud puts sexy into summer .  He has delivered The Look is that is shockingly appropriate.
Above the knee is the new men's mini that is sure to draw attention to the fact that, its very "OK"for a man to look alluring and in some cases, beautiful.
 In regards to heat, for those events where the weather is extreme this season, a neutral palette paired with minimal graphics is a necessary look as well as it is a  charming and debonaire one.

So 60's...so 80's.......so RIGHT NOW!