Jil Sander Spring Summer 2012 Review

Humble cotton took centre stage at Raf Simon’s collection for Jil Sander. The opening looks were a study in layering and construction before Simons moved on to a paisley print in precise skirts, dresses and tops. I’m not a huge fan of paisley but the one done in pink, green, black, and purple on a white base was cool. My favourite looks were the black dress with little jewelled clips at the waist. They were kinda like miniature wings. I loved the forest green jacket that had a kind of 40’s shape with these little ties near each shoulder. The jewelled clips appeared on another dress in that same green with a powder blue hat and a sort of watermelon coloured bag. Flawless.
Some of the later looks in all white were too clinical but they skimmed by fairly quickly and made way for some knits inspired by Picasso’s ceramics (I think). The show finished with bridal-esque gowns done in white cotton. Cathy Horyn described the collection as post-modern without the irony. That’s an accurate, if not highbrow summation. Definitely a top show.

Raf Simons Taking Over at Yves Saint Laurent?

If Raf Simons ultimately takes over the helm at Yves Saint Laurent — as those familiar with the situation in Paris suggest — the designer will have found a sweet spot for his meticulous modernism.-Suzy Menkes, journalist, gossip mongerer
[nytimes]


Can this just not be true? Raf Simons is one of the best designers in the business right now but Stefano Pilati does wonderful things for YSL. I know Pilati doesn't grab headlines like Miuccia Prada or Marc Jacobs but his clothes do the talking. It's quiet, modern elegance.

NVR 4GET

UPDATE!!!

The rumors are false. Stefano to stay at YSL

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. 

GET INSPIRED

Boot by Jil Sander. Bag by Alexander McQueen. Would you just look at that little skull nesting in fur! So cute. 

Long flowy coaty shit is best for next fall or if you're like me and live in the Southern hemisphere it's best for right now. From top left: Theyskens Theory, Antonio Berardi, Gucci, Gareth Pugh, Alexander Wang, Doo Ri. 

Camilla Skovgaard. I diiiie

Creepy 40's flesh boot by Prada. Weiiiird. And glittery, suede bootie from Miu Miu. Coooool.

Jil Sander: What In Art Therapy Hell Is This?!

You know how lots of designers are all I just love putting opposites together you know? Like blah I’m so conceptual, hard and soft, light and heavy. Well, Raf Simons actually pulled it off. which I find weird because it was obvious that that’s what he was getting at but it wasn’t a big deal. In this case it was high versus low fashion. Rich versus poor. If you had told me this without showing me the collection I would’ve rolled my eyes in the manner of bitch please

There was casual-plain t-shirt and plastic shopping bag-and then there was formal- couture gown shapes and matronly leather handbags.
At first it looked high concept but bust that shit down and it’s totally wearable. T-shirts, crisp white boxy trousers, a chopped up cut n paste floral print, giant vertical and horizontal stripes.
The only thing I didn’t like was the weird ship signal flag vibes Pierre Cardin painting smock in yellow. What the fudge is that? Maybe it’s some weird psychological colour thing. Maybe I hate it because it’s worn by Hanne Gaby Odiele who has a Grimms fairytale sized forehead like me and it just reminds me of myself. (note: Just Googled Hanne to check spelling of name, decided to read Wikipedia profile and she was hit by a car in NY in 2006. She broke BOTH her legs! I feel bad now.*)

Overall this is one of the highlights of spring and made Milan a powerhouse this season. Go Milan. Go Raf. Go 10-head Hanne.

*No I don’t. I just found out she lives in Chinatown and drives a vintage 1970’s Mercedes Benz. TOTES JELLY

We're practically sisters

WHAT DOES YOUR BAG SAY ABOUT YOU?

So there’s this book written by some fashion hack (not me by the way) who thinks you can tell a lot about someone’s personality by what type of bag they have.
Is there any truth in this? Let’s find out. With my snap judgements, totally unfounded opinions and savage wit I’ll take a stab.
The book suggested for example that if you own a fringed bag then you seek out artistic types for potential bf material. Forget the fact that fringed bags might be in at the moment (they’re not, bar Jil Sander’s gorgeous fringed clutch two seasons ago) and a fistful of other possibilities as to why you own the bag you do.

Jil Sander Fringe bag, 312.50 Euros @ Luisaviaroma.com

Take me. I used to have a bunk-ass Country Road duffel with a busted zipper and sun-bleached canvas. It used to be black then turned into an orange mess. Perhaps it suited me. I am a mess after all. Maybe a big bag suggests I’m ready for anything and prepared for all occasions. My friends would laugh at that statement but I was prepared. Once. I went to Parklife and brought four plastic rain ponchos. They were labeled as Emergency Rain Ponchos.

They certainly weren’t ‘fashion emergency’ ponchos though, because I got the memo on sheer dressing for summer but it didn’t make mention of bin liners being du jour. I and my friends resembled a Puerto Rican couch sale on crack.

I also bought a pack of cleansing wipes and was promptly told by one of my friends that that was the gayest thing he’d ever seen. I hadn’t even shown him my cooling under-eye gel at that stage.
So that was the one time I was truly prepared because it just so happened that a down-pour occurred at the end of the night and indie kids were begging for them. One even managed to hibernate under mine for a full 20 minutes like a possum hiding in a tree until I realized she was there. I swiftly kicked her out into the pouring rain, tan in a can and all.

The cleansing wipes were a godsend by nightfall. The eye gel didn’t catch on though I’m not sure why, I mean, I was the only one there who had visibly reduced lines and puffiness by up to 70%, I can tell you that.

Two of my friends both have mini duffel rolls. One is printed tartan with extra long straps by Schwipe, the other is black faux-patent by American Apparel. What the hell does this mean apart from the obvious that they’re both gay? They’re both skinny nimble fuckers my friends so I think the size is relative to their bodies. They’d look ridiculous lugging my parachute sized bag around town. Plus they’re cooler than me, they’d never dare shop at Country Road. I have a theory that if they were to step foot into a CR store they’d burn to ash like Kirsten Dunst in Interview With The Vampire. Much like how my skin starts to bubble and smoke when I walk past a Fat store. I just don’t belong.
Hell, maybe this woman has a sound theory. My apologies for the hack insult, I’m projecting again.


NOTE: Since writing this article I’ve gotten myself a Raf Simons/Eastpak bag. Trust Raf to drag you out of bag purgatory.