Her Royal Highness Is Back

Tom Ford is back but did he ever really go away? Within one year of parting ways with the Gucci Group, Ford had already inked a cosmetics deal with Estee Lauder and an eyewear license with Marcolin Group. Less than a year after that Ford announced he would be producing menswear and opening a flagship store on Madison Avenue. Then there was fragrance, the film and now here we are with the ultimate: womenswear. Ford hasn’t strayed from the limelight and has said he “missed having that voice in popular culture”.
Ford showed his first womenswear collection at the Madison Avenue flagship to a select group of journalists and no photographers were allowed in except for Terry Richardson.
The first images from the collection appeared two months later. This was done because Ford feels the public see the collections too soon and by the time they hit the stores they’re over it. He said "I don't think it ultimately serves the customer, which is the whole point of my business-not to serve journalists or the fashion system.” Lol, that’s such a lie. By cutting out the blogs, the tweets, the tumblrs, Ford won over the invited journalists. Not because it was a knockout collection but because he made them feel special again. Cathy Horyn of The New York Times called it “extraordinary”. Suzy Menkes of IHT said it was a “heroic return to fashion”. Now, I liked what I saw of the collection but extraordinary? Heroic? Okay.
It’s no secret that most journalists dislike bloggers and hate having to make room for them at fashion week. Tavi’s pink feather bow hat furore sums up the general attitude towards new media.

As for the clothes it looks exactly like he picked up where he left off way back in 2004. Flared trouser suits, big hair, disco glamour, unbuttoned shirts. Ford said it won’t be too trend-driven like Gucci which I think is nice you know. He can relax a little more with that type of direction and not feel like he has to wildly jump through a new set of hoops every six months. This could well serve to make the clothes more special and less throw away if they have longevity. So yeah, it was a nice collection. It was sexy, less sleazy, straight-forward, easy to understand clothes.

The only thing that kinda grates me is that apparently he prefers to be called Mr Ford. What is this, an episode of Mad Men? You’re not an old world couturier ripping sleeves off jackets because they don’t sit right. You’re from Texas. But that’s the image he’s creating, a throw-back to what fashion used to be like with salon-style presentations, ‘private blend’ fragrances (which totes sounds like a top shelf instant coffee from the supermarket) and the illusion of exclusivity. All of which he’s remarkably adept at doing.

It will be interesting to see how he fits back in with the fashion industry. I feel like Marc Jacobs stepped in as his equally talented but much less hot replacement as the tippy-top American designer fashion darling.

Blue Blue Heart

These are the most striking blues I've seen. This is at Calvin Klein Collection Spring 2011

Rodarte

When I first saw this collection I hurriedly wrote down some thoughts and was like I’ll expand upon this later and it didn’t fucking happen.
I’m sitting here trying to write something measured and precise but I’m failing and can’t think.

why is this so fucking amazebomb?!

So here’s what I wrote-

Prints everywhere (duh)

V motif

Repetition theme with layering.

I love how their work evolves, they’re not trend driven like so many American designers

Mid-riff and cut-outs. Most overtly sexual work I’ve seen from them, very much in line with Miuccia Prada’s take on sexy.

Does this mean we’ll be seeing Tavi’s midriff soon?

I don’t think I’m perceptive enough to pin-point their inspirations. I saw Mormans, rural life, working the land, but there was so much more than that. (they were inspired by California and the gold rush).

Final looks felt Poiret-esque, maybe she’s a girl who lives in a forest-or is that tooooo themey?

Gone are their ultra-delicate, draped, twisted, ruched, burnt silks and in place was a far stronger Rodarte girl.

ps, the interview I did with Stella McCartney Lingerie head designer Chloe Julian is up at In The Void. You should check it out

Z-Spoke By Zac Posen

Zac Posen debuted his lower priced line Z-spoke. Half the price and twice the ugly. That’s harsh I know but the collection is dreadful.

He has now decided to show his main line in Paris because apparently Europeans ‘get’ his sensibility but I really don’t believe this will help.

Yes, he may carve a niche in Europe as the American in Paris but ughhh his clothes!!!! You know what it is? He’s not cool. When he first started out he got so much buzz because he was incredibly young-only 21-and he was doing highly sophisticated dresses. I feel like he’s run out of steam because he’s just not creating desirable clothes. They’re not cool or distinguishable from what’s already out there in a million stores.

To a point I agree that his work is better suited to the European market but he needs to work on what he’s designing instead of attributing a loss of business to Americans not liking or understanding what he creates. An ungly dress is an ugly dress in any market.

Take a look…

Jason Wu Spring Summer 2011

This is the best collection I’ve seen from Jason Wu. Prior to this collection I’ve had very little interest in his work. Everything was always so precious and a lot of people were dubbing him the young Oscar De La Renta whom I also have no interest in.
But this collection was concise, elegant and it wasn’t terribly fussy even though it had a French streak running through it; or more what an American thinks is French. Like, hmm, French women wear polka dots and bows and lace, tra la la let’s eat bon bons and listen to Serge Gainsbourg. But it just looked sooooo good mixed with all-American khaki and stripes. It just worked brilliantly. The stripes!!! When I first saw them I had de ja vu. I was thinking Marc Jacobs Spring. What year? 07? 08? Turns out it was Louis Vuitton Spring 09 and it was quite different to what was on Wu’s runway but I find it interesting that something as simple as stripes can become such a memorable print. Black and white? Forgettable. Mustard and black? Seared to my skull! Also the shoes and bags are going to be on many a wish-list next summer.
This collection is amazing and sure, giant bow tops may not fly off the racks but for 15 minutes on that runway it was pure vision of what modern American sportswear can be.

This is the Louis Vuitton look from Spring 09 I was talking about. I still love this collection. The hair is just fucked. I love it. And the shoes too. Those Spicy sandals were sooooo widely copied.

Costello Tagliapietra Spring Summer 2011

Design duo Costello Tagliapietra are masters at draping jersey. This was most evident in the first few looks that came down the runway but after that things became a bit strained. I usually love their work, it’s so subtle and beautifully made that a single dress from them is a major building block for an outfit that will last you years.

For spring it looks like they were experimenting and really pushing themselves and that’s admirable but there were so many looks that just didn’t work. Silk sack dresses with diagonal ruching looked awful, as did the questionable looking prints. But it wasn’t all bad. A gorgeous long sleeved dress with a fist-full of pin-tucks fanning out from the torso was testament to the restrained elegance they do so well.

Richard Chai Love Spring/Summer 2011

One of the most appealing collections I’ve seen from Richard Chai. He describes himself as a 90’s child and that’s evident in this collection.
There were plenty of layered gauzy fabrics that looked easy and comfortable without sacrificing style. The transparent pants were a bit much but the pallazzo pants more than made up for that boo-boo. Most of the jackets were unappealing except for one that was sleevelesss and done in leather and then sliced with something that looked like men’s suiting. Does that make sense? I’ll put in a picture.

I hate to say this because it sounds stupid but there was something very zen about the collection but without being all dirty hippie and barefoot. God I hate hippies.

Isn't he cute!

Richie Rich Spring/Summer 2011

Utterly disappointing collection. It was just so middling and felt very uninspired. It was like 50’s/80’s prom stops by K-mart to pick up some Maybelline eye shadow.
The hair and makeup-blue raccoon eyes?- did the collection no favours and neither did the venue; a clinical white expansive runway put the clothes in a very bad light. It was like thrift store finds mixed with Target basics. A 50’s looking prom dress then coochie cutters and I’m like, where’s the connection? In my mind I imagine Richie Rich is supposed to appeal to uber fashionable party kids and pop stars like Lady Gaga but after seeing this It’s more Lourdes Leon and Jersey Shore.
And this is completely the sort of show where everyone backstage says things like guuuurl that is so hot. Werq it bitch, werq it. Oh and Ellen was there dyke repping.

WTFUCKERY

 

Stunning Jeremy Lang Fall

Texture party! Jeremy Laing produced a solid show for fall. The soft draping combined with harder fabrics complimented the texture play.

Papery tops, sculptural leather and trembling silk with a startling lunar dust-like print. There were so many pieces you just wanted to pick up and look at more closely because there was a specialness (is that a word?) and attention to everything.

The fur may have been interesting if every designer and their dog hadn’t done it. I’ve seen too much fur in New York, it’s overkill (literally) and I get it. Buy a fur coat. If not a fur coat then a fur bag or a fur bum bag or fur sleeves or fur gloves or fur shoes!!!!