Proenza Schouler I like Proenza Schouler but I’m not gonna gush. I hate reading blog posts where people are like OMG dying! Perfection! I need this bag from Alexander Wang! Clearly some bloggers are just joking and are trying to say how much they love something in a short and punchy way. I do it myself. Sometimes I’m serious but other times I’m making fun of myself and other mindless bloggers. And I’m also making fun of fashion as well. If you look back at some of my posts you’d think I was having a mild stroke the way I write about the cut of a sleeve or a particular shade of blue. Sometimes I just need to calm my tits. What gets to me the most is bloggers who give constant praise to designers because they falsely believe it’s going to help their ‘career’ and maybe get them front row at fashion week nestled between Sally Singer and Edward Enninful. FUCK YOU. I’m aware this rant is aimless so I think I’ll stop. And ragging on other bloggers when I’m equally absurd? Way harsh Tai.
Not doing what every other designer is doing doesn’t make your collection a hit but it does make you smart if you play your cards right. Let’s say you consult a fashion forecaster and they tell you for spring 2012 it’s all about pastels, peplums, white and colour blocking. You can take those cues and reinterpret them. Fashion critics and buyers can be all oh yes, very on trend, our customer will respond enthusiastically to those prints. You’ll get moderate to luke-warm but still positive reviews and Bergdorfs will buy 15 of the lemon pant and 10 of the sleeveless blouse with the cat print (Victoria Beckham you sly dog). So everyone wins, people buy clothes, designers get money. The hamster keeps running in it’s wheel.
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You can take that forecast advice and make a calculated judgement about what not to design and just how far you’ll push those trends. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez fall into the smart category. What I saw on the runway... A sickly looking Daffodil (I think) print. I’m not sure why I find this print unappealing. There was brown, a miniature zebra print, some sporty elements like jacket toggles, geometric printed fabric that recalled woven Pacific Island mats, structured jackets with inserts of maybe tweed. There was what appeared to be a woodblock print of a totem pole or tiki (though I don’t think it’s a tiki. Aren’t they Hawaiian?) on a brief jacket and that geometric print on a jumper in brown, yellow and black. The camera bag. This is going to be a hot item and whether or not it actually contains a camera doesn’t matter. But can you imagine if they did a collab with Leica? OMG dying! Re- mortgaging my house! Txt it.
The use of eel skin was smart as it complimented the island theme with it’s imperfections. There was definitely a story there and but they used restraint unlike Donna Karan and Michael Kors who both had tribal elements in their collections. In other words it didn’t drive the collection, it merely assisted. The story could’ve been something stupid like it’s about a girl who washes ashore a small island with an active volcano and she uses the materials of the land to make some smart, directional clothes. She builds a 2 bedroom villa and opens an exclusive shopping strip that revitalises the waterfront. I think Donna Karan and Michael Kors can both be thankful that PS have given legs to this ‘tribal’ trend so you can expect a Vogue spread with Sessilee Lopez coming your way soon. Two dresses with a sunny flower print echoed a beach sarong with their twisted fronts that then swooped up past their hips, elongating the body. Okay now I’m gushing. The more I look at this collection the more I love it. Proenza 4EVA! Creying. Ovaries. Call me and we’ll make a Proenza/No Trends sandwich.
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