Catwalk

Fashion Mathematics // Fuzzy Bear

Monday, August 16th, 2010

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Is it just me or was Karl Lagerfeld thinking Yeti meets Polar bear when it came to the Chanel autumn winter 2010 – 2011 collection?

The shaggy faux fur suits and boots were totally cave creature meets glacial bear.

Catch up on the rest of the Fashion Mathematics segment here.

Photo Credit: Images used in collage are from Google Images/ Style.com

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Proenza Schouler autumn winter 2010 2011

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

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To me Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez took as back to high school.

A dark seemingly twisted high school but high school never the less.

One that sees your high school boyfriend’s varsity jacket bedecked with fur in ominous tones at the collar. The humble Mary Janes, saddle shoes and school girl brogues are on steroids with warped heels. Pants and garments are scrawled with graffiti like angst fueled scribbles. School girl knee high socks go Lolita in sheer form. Plaid prints look twisted, the toggle crop jackets make youthful legs look even longer and the PS11 satchels put your old high school backpack to shame. Ivy League goes dark punk.

If my high school had looked as good as the Proenza Schouler fall 2010 – 2011 collection, I never would have left.

Hernandez and McCollough know where cool is at.

Photo credit: Images used in collage from Style.com

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Fashion mathematics // florist couture : christian dior couture autumn winter 2010 – 2011

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

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The John Galliano for Christian Dior autumn winter 2010 haute couture was all blooms and florist wrap.

Is it just me or did each look that wafted down the runway looked like a wonderfully crafted flower wrapped in cellophane florist wrap all turned upside?

Case in point…

The first look to hit the runway (as seen in fashion equation) was a purple tulip shaped number on a model sporting a Stephen Jones headpiece that looked like pink florist’s plastic wrap. Invert the look in your mind’s eye and it looks like a purple tulip wrapped up in pink florist plastic wrap.

A quick browse through all the exquisite dresses and well crafted garments in the collection felt like a walk through a home garden show. From pansies, to daffodils, parrot tulips to giant roses and much more, the Dior couture show was a bloom!

I adore how much detail there is in each exquisite creation. The colour palette is what dreams are made off. I can only imagine the number of man hours went into each piece. They look incredibly life like.

I wonder what my local florist would make of the bouquet wrap as headgear look?…

Catch up on the rest of the Fashion Mathematics segment here.

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What say thou? // Chunky

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

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Dries Van Noten’s autumn winter 2010 – 2011 collection was an interesting mix of high and low. I really liked the contrast of the luxurious with the urban.

Although the shoes had a slight orthopedic feel to their steady chunky heel, they had me at go. It was a mix of satin, animal print, leather, suede etc uppers paired with a slanting chunky heel. I would not say no to pair or five…


Read the rest of the What Say Thou poll segment here.

Photo credit: Images in collage from Style.com and Elle.com

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For the love of Viv

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

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Photo credit: Images used in collage from Style.com

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The quote is part of a thought I shared with a client.

I just went through images of Vivienne Westwood’s autumn/winter 2010 – 2011 collection again.

It had her usual elements of traditional English heritage, rebellious pirate, drapage, copious layers, the shambolic ‘I don’t give a toss’ air, the punk sensibilities, society class play etc.

Although it was nothing new per say, I adored the intarsia knits off the collection!

To me the garments are like the love child of say the fine gentry and rock club kids. Rock loving nu-ravers consorts with Georgian ladies in waiting.

Her ability to make impeccably tailored lady of the manor gowns look wearing/accessible in that dishelved off kilter way is her genius.

Westwood shows that fashion is supposed to be a lifestyle; a representation of one’s way of thinking, one’s culture, a true reflection of self. To me that is awe inspiring.

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fashion mathematics // Slots together

Monday, March 8th, 2010

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Photo credit: Forever 21 brogue ,image from Shoewawa. Lego images from justwhitelies.blogspot.com and Cmmonthly.com.Balenciaga shoe images in collage from Style.com

The above Fashematic (fashion maths) was so inevitable, it was itching to happen. As soon as I saw Balenciaga autumn/winter 2010-2011 collection, I thought the shoes look like Lego’s blocks!

It is something to do with their dismountable looking structure. I am enamoured with the fact that each shoes looks like the sole and heel look like the can be prised apart and then slotted back together.

The 70’s bright palette meets the angular parts of each loafer/brogue meets Nicolas Ghesquière ridiculously ingenious forays into technological innovation make for shoes that are one part toy and all parts art.

Catch up on the rest of the Fashion Mathematics segment here.

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Big And ERM BIG

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Photo credit:Style.com

Checking out the Viktor & Rolf collection was like wearing a pair of glasses that promises to ‘magnify everything to surreal cartoon-esque proportions.

The Jack and The Beanstalk giant would have been quite happy size wise in the humongous capes, gargantuan ruffs, and gigantic coats. There was heavy layering with at least seven to nine layers of clothes.

Kristen McMenamy (who opened the show in copious layers topped off with a tweed cape) deserves an award for not toppling over in that mountain of weight! Proving the wear all your wardrobe look is wearable maybe?

Viktor & Rolf’s collection have always dabbled in the fantastically surreal. Their latest offering is most definitely high fashion on steroids meets Sumo wrestler..

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Hermione de Paula Autumn/Winter 2010-2011

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Photo Credit Glamour magazine UK

Following her Merit Award for autumn/winter 2010-11 (Fashion Vauxhall ones to watch), Hermione de Paula’s show was one that I was looking forward to.

It was a collection with short and razor sharp silhouettes.

Her short tulip dress shapes had overlaid bibs which the designer explained was inspired by imagining a woman’s form squeezed, exposing spilt cleavage and hips. The overlaid bodices created an exaggerated Jessica Rabbit type female figure.

Hermione’s girl was punky with ruffles (on shoulder and along the edge of secondary bodices), panelled and bodice plastic, grey rose prints,

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Osman Yousefzada Autumn/Winter 2010-2011

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Photo Credit Elle UK

For his autumn/winter 2010-2011 line up, Osman Yousefzada known for his minimalistic chic, showed a line up of effortless draped dresses, palazzo pants, mohair check separates & coats, slouchy print cotton separates, tunics, boob tubes and jewel encrusted separates.

His colour palette was aubergine, grey, navy, pink, pale blue and accessories were suede wedge loafers and thigh high wader boats.

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Maaike Mekking Autumn/Winter 2010-2011

Friday, February 26th, 2010

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Photo Credit: Maaike Mekking

Dutch born, London based Maaike Mekking entitled her autumn/winter 2010-2011 collection ‘WITCH-CRAFT-WO-MAN-SHIP’.
Mekking’s collection was inspired by films such as ‘Badlands’(1973) and ‘Christiane F’(1981).

The designer’s fervent line up employed a palette of ochre, sand, blush and charcoal black fabrics. The line up explores masculine American classics ( denim jeans, leather biker jackets etc) with textured camel wool, dependable denim and jersey and ethereal silk chiffon.

For the collection, the designer (she has a postgraduate degree in womenswear from The Royal College of Art) collaborated with artists such as Joseph Xorto, Tania Leshkina and Anastasia Freyang.

More on Maaike Mekking here.

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