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Only McQueen could pull off a look that lends itself to an ageless audience that wants to identify with the historical references that inspire the textile genius of this garment and the contemptuous direction of youthful styling at its best.

Indian Summer

This is the first real peak at Fall 2009 done right "a la" Matthew Williamson. Sienna Miller is radiant as the summer sun over the blazing desert sands in this ethnic print over lame'. Matthew's entire Collection for the season was a stunning spectacle of intricate prints that gave the audience the experience of being in a royal suite at a luxurious desert resort. The prints and beadwork were perfectly chosen & lavish symbols of the desert's beauty by day and by night. This show is easily going to be rated in my Top 10, so stay tuned for the video of this fabulous show in the May posts.

.

DVF: Spring 2009

When speaking of the design legend that is Diane Von Furstenberg, one would have to agree that it is a tale of a dynasty that has largely contributed to the shape of American fashion as we know it.   Her legacy is a myriad of iconic patterns and prints that have been inspiring the contemporary palettes of women from every walk of life for decades.  This season was perhaps one of her strongest ever in terms of developing abstract prints that are easily understood by the DVF woman.

Dots are always a safe bet when it comes to inserting a light hearted print to appease the buyer's requests for key items, but even here (above) we see DVF feathers the edges and adds an asymmetrical edge for a slightly more ethnic flavor, like that of an animal skin.
In both of these looks (above & below) oblong geometric shapes are fused together with moody yet complimentary colors to give the illusion of a floral softness.

Above, the hombre moment is interpreted nicely by achieving a swooping angle on the diagonal.  It is always characteristic of the DVF design squad to have a light-hearted look in the collection.  However, despite the fact that a tunic (below) is printed with the whimsical feel of  butterflies, the strategic border placements helps it adhere to the standard of sophistication that is always a part the overall initiative in her collections.  This show was fashioned after the likeness of a rock goddess with nostalgic hints of a "hippie" era past and is filled with looks and prints that will be adored for years to come.

A Look & A Jacket

Living in the era of "casual chic" it is imperative to find a balance of being comfortably appropriate and at the very least, dashing. It is very possible to pump a little personality into your Spring looks by adding some texture to the basic black jacket. Below, Comme de Garcon delivers a horizontal variable by printing the illusion of tie dye for a play on convention.

At Alexander McQueen, "extreme chic" is always the inspiration. The hombre feeling applied to the jacket below instills a sense of fearless style for the adventure seeker in all of us. This technique is nothing new, but, the vertical application is eye-catching and is among my favorite interpretations of this trend.

Stephen Sprouse

The Stephen Sprouse Exhibition at Deitch in SoHo is by far the most stunning season opener to hit New York in a very long time. It truly puts Sprouse's fashion initiatives in the light of great artistic conceptions that were always larger than any boutique window display. He made use of mass produced commercial imaging to give prints a familiar sense of Pop reference that stimulated a visual art movement in textiles. The installation refers not so much to the art itself as it does to the attitude that inspired it. You can definitely expect to see a surge of this very unique style resurge in home goods in the very near future to cater to the "i"-generation.

Make It Pop.

Sometimes.... it looks a little adventurous or maybe even a tad bit retro when prints are incorporated into the today's male wardrobe. It is, however, becoming more prevelant for men to show just how masterfully they have harnessed the ability to stylishly accessorize a look to garner fashion points on the style meter. 3.1 Phillip Lim is perhaps the season's runway favorite daredevil to defy convention. The house constantly reinvents the laws of design by overlooking the principles of proportion and creating contemporary formulas that are up-to-the-minute decrees of trend for the new-fashioned man. On this already great suit, we see just how powerful the hint of a pattern tranforms an ordinary look into a quiet statement that calmly whispers, "I have style!" This brand of expression and stylish tailoring is already taking a global and definitive stand and will hopefully govern mens design for years to come.

Reflections

The Spring 2009 Collection at Vuitton was a departure from the usual stoic French sensiblity of the house and methodically addressed the mass' interest in this luxury brand. The normal approach to achieiving this type of textured luster is to engineer a lurex woven and hope that the garment is always worn in optimal light for the desired luminous effect. Here, Marc Jacobs (Creative Director) prints right on the lame to create the right amount of radiance and sparkle for the fashionista looking for pieces that easily transition from day to night. The fabric is a genius display of technology and looks as though it is made from priceless vintaged coins as they would be worn by mythological dieties, or better yet, a fashion goddess. This is proof positive that gloss will be the new bling beautiful in the season to come.