Kidult for Celine

Graffiti artist Kidult has collaborated with Celine on a piece for their Paris store. Celine's latest ad campaign features Daria Werbowy hanging about a house holding a skateboard so Kidult has sprayed 'SK8' over their Paris storefront. It's edgy stuff. He's embracing luxury consumerism and he's reclaiming graffiti and skate culture at the same time. Someone get ArtForum on the phone.

 

Celine Spring Summer 2012 Review

Phoebe Philo's spring collection was another direct statement to minimalism and modern women who don't fuck around and have better things to do than spend entire evenings planning the following day's outfit. Anna Dello Russo would be the perfect example of someone who is not the Celine woman.

Philo had her interpretation of the peplum that was echoed in the shape of the opening coats. The coats had pockets flaring outward with military pocket flaps. 

Most looks were accompanied by a wide belt and altered the silhouette depending on their placement. Some cinched the waist while others were slung low on trousers for an androgynous work look. Some critics are calling Philo out on the wide belts as a reference to Rei Kawakubo's spring 2011 collection which I'm not entirely sure about. Maybe. Otherwise this was a cool collection reinforcing Celine's lightning quick ascent to one of the top shows of the season. 

Left: Celine spring 2012. Right: Comme Des Garcons spring 2011. Copycat? Or is a wide belt just a wide belt?

Viktor and Rolf SS 2012 Review

 Okay ladies, srsly, look at that dress on the far left. How do you piece that together so seamlessly? Viktor and Rolf are witches. 

Viktor and Rolf chose dolls clothes as the inspiration for their latest collection. It worked well with their interests in proportion and shape despite being a little poorly received by critics.
Though it wasn’t their most avant garde collection there was a ton of stuff that was on-trend but still had that VnR touch without making them look like a bore. The wide, Barbie doll-sized belts were also at Céline and the brocade swirls were at Stella McCartney too. Some very simple cut A-line high-waisted skirts and dresses were like those at Miu Miu and the mid-riff exposing crop tops, well they showed up in a number of collections too. Whether or not crop tops will make a comeback is up to you.

There were a series of outfits that had cut-outs of baroque swirls. I cannot fathom how this was done because the construction is flawless. There’s not a single spot of puckering seam edges which can be quite common in this type of work but for Viktor and Rolf? Nothing. I can only presume these were laser cut but still, to piece these together with mesh inserts seamlessly is unreal. It honestly blew me away.

DW Kanye West SS 2012 Review

 Ugggh this is so mundane

  And what is up with those jeeeeans?!

Eniko Mihalik's tits wear dress by Kanye West

By now you’ve probably read a ton of reviews on Kanye West’s debut womenswear collection. My impression is that he thinks that by doing things (in what he believes to be) the right way will win approval from (what he believes to be) his peers. This is seemingly all he wants to do, to seek approval. Where is his interest in dressing women because I don’t see it in this collection?
Apparently the clothes were made by Central Saint Martins graduates in London. The inspiration was like, let’s take a Givenchy print but bead it like a Balmain dress and then cut it like a Céline jacket. Everything looked familiar and that always breeds contempt. A lot of fashion journalists are focussing on the major fit issues but honestly they were no shittier than Joseph Altuzarra’s. There was an awful pair of Céline inspired colour blocked pants with zippers running down the front and back of the thigh. These pants were in desperate need of a waistband. This was paired with a white long sleeved top that for some reason appeared to have no buttons to close it. Tits in a blanket. And a black long sleeved mini dress with a very wide and very deep cut in the front was almost tits falling out of a blanket. That was probably the most offensive look in the collection and I don’t mean that in a pro-feminist kind of way. It was just so poorly designed that it should have been vetoed but I’m thinking a lot of other shit was culled before show day and he may have felt forced to throw it in to flesh things out.
Another issue I have. A lot of reviewers are harping on about how there was too much fur and too much leather. Prada did fur last season and everyone chuckled and thought how marvellous and clever Miuccia Prada was to do so. So in Kanye’s defence, show as much fur as you want. And for all my Kanye bashing you’d think I could consider that this was his debut collection and I should ease up on the guy. No. This isn’t baby's first step. This is a career and sitting front row at a handful of fashion shows for 6 years is not adequate training. Neither is picking leather swatches at Louis Vuitton for a line of sneakers.
Also he should not have shown in Paris because he doesn’t deserve to. Designers work for years before they show in Paris because it’s the tippy top, the big league. Did Alexander McQueen debut in Paris? Marc Jacobs? Vivienne Westwood? A showroom in London would’ve been more appropriate. And here’s an abbreviated transcript from the after party where West had a rant and begged for a chance.

Thank you for anybody that didn’t believe, because they motivated us to break our boundaries ... we don’t know what the reviews will be, we don’t know what they will say, but I got a chance to go to Italy and feel those fabrics....This is my first collection. Please be easy. Please give me a chance to grow. This is not some celebrity shit. I don’t fuck with celebrities. I fuck with the creatives in this room, the amazing people who spend every day of their life trying to make the world a more beautiful place.

Other celebrities that have clothing lines such as the Olsen twins and Victoria Beckham faced the same criticism, scepticism and derision that West got. And to be fair, many fashion journalists were quite tame in their reviews (except for Eric Wilson of NYT). To do fashion you need to be incredibly focussed and determined and it is your sole career. You can’t be a rapper and a fashion designer and expect sparkling results. If he is truly committed to womenswear design-and I believe he is not-he would quit the music business. Currently this looks like a poorly conceived vanity project.

Marc Jacobs going to Dior? Phoebe Philo going to Louis Vuitton? Hell freezing over?

The Saddle. Early aughts it bag. 

From Louis Vuitton to Dior. Not exactly a huge stretch for someone like Jacobs. Those are the rumours currently swirling around Paris anyway in what has been months of presumed hand-wringing from Dior execs
taking their sweet time finding a replacement after firing John Galliano for his boozy racial rant at Paris bar La Perle. I can only imagine their leisurely search for a new designer was cut short after their latest couture collection. It was designed by Galliano’s right hand man Bill Gaytten and Susanna Venegas and reviews, including mine were fairly harsh. Execs are probably realising now that taking as much time as needed is seriously hurting the brand. They would be right in thinking that the brand can survive without Galliano but no head designer for three collections? The cracks are starting to show and they need a big designer to patch them up. And Jacobs will do just that. Jacobs is quite an interchangeable designer. You could slot him into any of the top tier luxury brands and he’d do well. Gucci, Chanel, Armani, Saint Laurent. You might not want to imagine him designing for these brands (at YSL? Gasp!) but you know he could do it.

From a fashion perspective it's quite uninteresting to see Jacobs put in at Dior and would be exciting to see them take a risk like they did with Galliano back in the 90’s. From a business perspective, well, Dior haven't had a major It Bag since the Saddle so Jacobs could obviously turn that around with his experience at Louis Vuitton. My other criticism of Marc Jacobs being put in at Dior is that he has never done couture but then I thought, who cares? The execs don’t. They just want hot shoes and bags. Couture isn’t dead but it’s not a bread winner for most couture brands excluding Chanel who manage a neat cut from Lagerfeld’s designs. I think if they hire him most people will just shrug their shoulders and be all whatevs about it.

Dior by Marc Galliano. It's whatevs

So if Jacobs does split for Dior that leaves his post at Vuitton open and rumour has it that Céline head designer Phoebe Philo could go there. I think she’s doing great at Céline and should stay put. With only a few seasons under her belt at Céline, Philo probably doesn’t have a huge emotional attachment to the house but she has total creative control and is able to design and work from London to be with her family, rather than be based in Paris. Maybe the offer of more money may prove tempting if her other needs are met.

Phoebe Jacobs. Don't do it Phoebs (we're like really good friends)

Kanye wears Céline. I die inside

It's not like, Kanye you're a dude you can't wear Céline. I could give a fuck. It's the fact that it's a fashion shout out like Phoebe Philo I respect you because I'm in the fashion game too.

Uggggh, he infuriates me because he tries too hard but acts nonchalant and shit.

I could be completely wrong too. Maybe Phoebe Philo sent it to him as a gift for name dropping her on his song Dark Fantasy.

Anyway, time to pull out my Bon Qui Qui gif

Almost forgot to add Lauryn Hill in Jil Sander. 

Me Gusta

Above: Celine. Georjizz

Oh Katie, stop

Above: Comme Des Garcons. There was even some bewb in this show! Above CDG is Viktor & Rolf. 

Above: Soft painterly Cacharel. Above Cacharel is Carven. 

Hola! (that's Spanish for hello)

Well fashion week is coming to an end and on Wednesday I'm taking off to South America for 3 weeks. I don't believe I'll be blogging in that time. I think I'll just be a bloated disgusting tourist experiencing the rich culture of Argentina, eating steak and drinking way too much wine.

Unfortunately I don't have time to riff on all the collections from Paris so far. It's been quite a week. Not an article goes by without someone mentioning Galliano or how orgasmic Haider Ackermann is. I have a feeling he may be the chosen one to helm Dior.
Christophe Decarnin has a major case of the sads and wasn't at Balmain, though you wouldn't know it by looking at the clothes. Same old pants, t-shirt, jacket combo. I actually liked it, the ikat details.

There's also been whispers that Hannah Macgibbon may be out at Chloe. Now that would not surprise me. Some people dig her quietly glamorous clothes but I find them a little too quiet. A little too vacant and neither here nor there.

Phoebe Philo makes my panties ping yet again. I know some of you guys are like fuck minimalism but I just can't help myself. The leather, the chiffon, the rough fabrics, the new doctor's bag. She's so talented and knows exactly what she wants.

 Cedric Charlier at Cacharel just gets better with each season. For fall there was plenty of layering and expert colours. I love this collection very much. Sorely underrated.

Also, Carven, amazeballs.

Waaah, I wanna stay up all night and write reviews.

So what do I think after 4 weeks of New York, London, Milan and Paris?

Harper's Bazaar Australia's Photoshop Fail

My sister gave me a Harper's Bazaar subscription for my birthday and last week I received my first issue.

It's a January/February issue and it's kinda disappointing.

There's a spread titled Sun. Sea. Slick. Style. They can add sloppy to the title too. On page 134 there's a model looking cool in Celine resort trousers and top. I was looking at it and geeking out at how much I love Celine and how Phoebe Philo is a genius when I came upon the model's leg.

Oh hey there, just standin around looking all kinds of tres chic and....bro what's up with your leg?

I name thee Ghost Pant! Go forth and haunt

It’s like a double vision weird out. At first I was looking at it and thought, how interesting, I don’t recall noticing a double cuff on any Celine trousers. I'm not sure what they were doing, lengthening legs maybe, but it's a fail. You would never see something like this at American or French Vogue. Or would you?

How you could you miss that? How do you sign off on that? How could you sully anything by Phoebe Philo!!!

Anyway, there's more Philo deliciousness in a spread by Victor Demarchelier and another spread with some to-die Balenciaga heels and a cool Zambesi top.

I Am The Celine Woman (true story)

Weird hotel lobby carpet printed outfit where have you been all my life?!

This looks inspired by Karategi (Karate uniform)

Love this top in Japanese denim

There's something ill-fitting about this look but it feels so right. Right?

Raw edges on the tunic. What is the scarf attached to? Herp derp I just realised it's around her neck 

Look at that subtle little tab on that...what the hell is that beigy flappy thing? I want one

Phoebe Philo described her inspiration as “the kind of woman that doesn’t care what she looks like when she’s dancing. “

That’s me! When I’m wasted at a bar I could give a fuck what anyone thinks of me when I’m dancing. Does this mean I’m the Celine woman? That’s fucking scary if I am.

For spring Philo continued with the same warm minimalism as she has been doing since starting out at Celine. There were boxy tunics with that wide cut sleeve I’ve been seeing on other runways such as Prada. There was an artisanal quality with the hand-woven fabrics and the Japanese denim which Philo described as quite unruly.
What I find most appealing about Celine is that the clothes are minimalist but still have a feminine quality to them. This is something completely lacking at Calvin Klein and to a certain extent Jil Sander. At Klein and Sander you still see beautiful clothes but they’re less accessible and often very cold.
You know, a lot of designers talk about their ideal woman as strong, independant, blah blah. They all say the same crap (have you heard John Galliano talk about the Dior woman? Jesus Christ!) but I think everything rings true with Celine. There’s no doubt in the pieces and you just want to grab them off the rack, put them on and forget about them because you look so chic.

Fuck Me In The Ass

Above: Givenchy Spring 2011

Above: Celine Spring 2011

Resort or Spring or whatever you wanna call em collections are flying in and the mood is different, the approach is more considered than ever before.

I've been finding these pre-collections quite interesting to observe over the past few years and seeing how designers and brands are coping with having to design 2 extra collections per year. For the most part a lot of designers are taking it on with gusto.
A few years ago resort was just that. Resort. It was marine inspired, light cotton clothes that you could stuff into an overnight bag before jetting off to St Tropez in a pair of blue and white espadrilles. Fast-forward a few years and it's like, who the fuck goes to St Tropez? Valentino?
So now we've got designers such as Stella McCartney referring to Resort as Spring. The angle has changed and so have the clothes. And for a good reason. The clothes that are coming out for Spring and Fall are equally as good, if not better in some cases than the main collections. I say this because a lot of the conceptual bullshit (which I dearly love) is cut out and what you're left with is a clear message and clothes that people want to wear.
Go to Style.com and take a look at Celine and Givenchy. The clothes are beautiful (Celine in particular) and none of them are beach appropriate. Yay.

The only concerns I'm hearing about Spring and Fall collections are that designers may suffer from burn-out and customers are being given too many trends and ideas, leaving the market over-saturated with clothes.

I think in a few years Spring and Fall will either collapse and burn or it'll be just like Summer Winter with a full runway schedule.

On a different ntoe, how badly is Phoebe Philo caning the industry right now? She's had 4 collections and she's already got an it-bag and it-bags are dead.

DKNY with a Dash of Celine

I didn’t like this collection. Newsboy caps, abstract colour blocking that looked like something from the 80’s but was rendered in shades of brown from the 70’s. There was a cool sleeveless jacket squared off at the shoulders and a brown suede jacket with chocolate leather sleeves.

This is the about the forth collection I’ve seen with leather trimmed coats and they can all thank Phoebe Philo who’s spring show featured the same trim. They can also thank her for the various shades of tan I’m seeing everywhere including DKNY. One look even felt a bit Balenciaga with the pleated skirts and abstract lines. The shoes were brogue platforms. The bags were mostly ugly, edged with zippers and had more abstract brown lines and squares.

Derek Lam's Amazing Fall

Whoa. The collection opened with a dusty clay coloured jacket fastened with two small buttons; one at the waist and one at the neck. The sleeves hit the elbow and a dark leather looking sleeve emerged and continued to the wrist. Impressive.

There was a wild west theme but it was mostly kept to a bare minimum and not too kitsch. Cowboy themes have a tendency to look goofy and Lam could’ve done away with about half of this collection because the first 20 looks were perfect. Boot-cut pants looked fresh, jackets with leather inserts, a sexy leather and silk pleated skirt…arrrgh there were so many fantastic pieces!

I hope it was coincidental but it had whiffs of Celine’s Spring collection. It was just the caramel leather and minimalist pieces that did it for me.