Missoni SS 2012 Review

This was a poorly conceived collection. Apparently Angela Missoni was on holiday and was inspired by her kids coming home in the morning after a hard night partying and dancing. Then somehow she got it in her head that Missoni is avant garde? Are you serious? Ange, babe, no. Let’s leave avant garde to the Van Bierendoncks and the De Castelbajacs. It felt like all the design departments (that Missoni presumably have) didn’t consult each other as the designs progressed. It’s like they were all given a brief and reconvened 3 months later with a finished product (a well made product) and then put it all together. So many questions. In no particular order: Why did nobody at any stage call bullshit on this collection? Why did nobody say hmm perhaps the shoes could be simplified? Why did nobody say, actually the fringing is too much? And the ruffles. Why don’t we pull back on those a bit?

Get ur shit together Angela

Marni Spring Summer 2012 Review

Consuelo Castiglioni sent out appealingly dorky 50’s housewives for her latest spring collection. Modest tunics-a Marni staple-were back, this time done in pastels. Skirts had sheer beige underlays that contrasted well with the pastels and an eye-catching pink number was nice. There were textured floral prints, geometric leather shapes and a lattice print which really pulled together the final looks. What I like most about Marni is that it’s reliably cool. If you buy Marni (god I wish) you’re never going to be disappointed because Consuelo gently pushes each collection in new directions without freaking you out. With this collection it was the colours and textures that felt new and exciting. Look 17, a top/skirt with some side cut-outs was a standout. What’s with emerald green looking so fresh?

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.

Bottega Veneta Spring Summer 2012 Review

 Gorgeous

Spectac

Delicious

Questionable

Oh Tomas Maier. This guy. He just understands design. He produces really beautiful and sophisticated clothes. The first six models that walked weren’t white which was great. More diversity you fashion people! There was a purple dress in what appeared to be either cotton or washed silk. It had a leather placket with sporty press studs. Loving it. 
Not all of it worked. There were some questionable denim jeans and whip-stitched plastic overlays on dresses and tops. Some of the tribal interpretations were a bit meh, like the top that had little rough squares of coloured fabric hand stitched in a grid formation to the front. There were some cool caftan-like tops that looked like they’d just been poured over the models body then tucked into a pair of trousers. So overall it was tribal without the whole....

Versace Spring Summer 2012 Review

It was business as usual for Donatella Versace. The collection was on-trend and had plenty of typical Versace touches : loud prints, sexy business attire that I’m fairly certain could only be pulled off at a Versace board meeting, pastels, and super jumbo stripper-approved Lucite heels. The high-waisted pencil skirt with crop top was here and has shown up in other designers shows too which editorially would look great but in real life probably not. But Versace isn’t for real life. It’s for Hollywood, for Jennifer Lopez music videos. (I’ve been shitting on J-Lo a lot lately, what’s with that?)
 There were pastel ocean prints with studded shells and seahorses. There were also many dresses that had layered and draped pieces of silk worked into them. Some of these looks were more successful than others. Flat gold studs were used to trace out the figure in a lattice design. Sometimes this veered into overkill perhaps out of fear that without them the dresses would’ve looked boring. I think it would’ve been cool if she’d left the studs out and let people appreciate the tailoring because it’s perfect. Oh and Lindsey Wixon fell over and sprained her ankle. Not perfect.

Fuuuuuuck