MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA SPRING 2010

It’s been confirmed that Martin Margiela has stopped designing his collection and it’s now done by a team. For his fans, that kinda stings. Most editors and journalists frown upon teams doing collections because they feel the work lacks vision. This may or may not be true, I guess it depends on the brand. If you look at Chloe a few years back their reviews were slammed when done by a team. Maybe with Margiela, because it’s such a niche brand and a small brand that the loss of Margiela is not being well received.
I actually liked the collection (paper-like jackets, one looked like a holiday poster unfolding over the model’s breasts, another in hot pink appeared to be peeling to pieces) but if I were in a position to buy these clothes I think I wouldn’t. If I wanted to buy Margiela I would want it to be designed by Margiela, not an assistant, regardless of how many years they’ve worked with him. I think he needs to name a head designer, if only for the brands preservation. Whether one of his assistants steps up to the plate or they bring in someone else they better do it quick otherwise the mainstream press will continue to be negative.

BRUNO PIETERS SPRING 2010

Frankly I get a bit tired of trying to be constructive with reviews. Even if I don’t necessarily like a collection I will always find something positive. I found for Spring, Bruno Pieters was joyless. The entire collection had a colour palette of nude, white and black. It was beyond stark. Designers like Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy often work with a strict palette too but the clothes still draw a reaction and stir the viewer. Not so with Pieters. The collection was heavy with unwearable clothes: sheer tops and trousers? Are you kidding? If he’s trying to make some aesthetic statement using sheer fabrics then he’s far too late to the game. It’s not ‘out there’, cutting edge or avant garde. It’s boring and no one wants to buy boring, ask Escada.
Now for the positive note. Pieters worked up a big shoulder with very organic, rocky shapes on several tops. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sleeve like this and it was beautiful.

GILES DEACON SPRING 2010

Prehistoric cyber 50’s arachnid. One of the trickiest themes to pull off in Paris but Giles Deacon did it mostly with ease and irreverence. Overall the collection was youthful but quite grown up at the same time, particularly look two, a lady-like buttoned day-dress with a, what was it, a rock print? an animal print in lime? Either way it was pretty. The triceratops plush bag? Yes please. There’s something not quite right about his clothes and a different type of beauty is evoked, perhaps damaged. Was that lurex? PVC? Yes, some of the fabrics were very late 90’s. The effect was cheap looking and the irony was noted however a silver tulle net dress with silver stripes missed the mark, looking like a suburban costume shop sale bin item.

GET INSPIRED

Viktor & Rolf Spring 2010, Paris. Thats a pregnant Roisin Murphy to the right.

Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2010 Review

Ultra-late review I know but better late than never. This one's for you Simone.

Opening look: Some sort of angular cut leather jacket, grey top fluting out around hips, trail of white fabric coming from beneath the top, slouchy navy boots. Umm, A-MA-ZING.
Trying to write a review of work such as this just doesn’t do the collection justice. It really was just beautiful and so graphic that the clothes speak to you immediately. Black jackets with a white lining were terrific and the floaty dresses at the end were a girl’s dream summer wardrobe. They were crunchy squishy clouds. Imagine how cool that would be? I know right?

LOUIS VUITTON SPRING 2010

Jacobs pandered to his Japanese fans for Spring at Louis Vuitton. Actually, he pandered to anyone who loves their look to be kawaii. It was a Hippie trance 90’s girl tramping to a rave with some beautiful little bags jangling with doo-dads and fur tails. I liked the garment panels broken up into sections and highlighted with contrasting fabric, particularly a pleated skirt and a jacket. The bike shorts looked fun and Jacobs had done this for his signature line as well as the bum-bag too. I guess it doesn’t hurt to cover your trend bases at both houses.
The fur moccasins were not chic nor flattering. It looked like the models had stomped a poodle to death with the remains left stuck between their toes. Ghastly. The tweedy looking jackets with green military pockets felt like some attempt to be conceptual rather than chic. I dunno, sometimes there’s something so self-conscious and art-world approval seeking about his work that it reeks of insecurity. Is he trying to keep up with such friends as Elizabeth Peyton and Sophia Coppola? I don’t know.

COMME DES DARCONS SPRING 2010

The clothes for Spring Comme Des Garcons were like miniature landscapes full of texture and bumps. Jackets looked roughly hewn from fabric scraps including an off the roll machine made sequin one. There were lycra bike shorts and trench coats that looked like the shell had been torn off to make a lighter, summer version. It was making do with what you have-perhaps a statement on the current economy? The seams on the trench were puckered and tortured, showing that you don't have to be perfect to be beautiful. It amazes me that after 40 years Comme create relevant, avant garde collections.Bravo.

JEAN-CHARLES DE CASTELBAJAC SPRING 2010

This man defines ‘working a theme’ and there’s nothing subtle about his crack-head designs which I love. At first glance I thought, ok, pirate theme, whatever, but then he brings in Donald Duck, Prince and Elvis sequin dresses, grass skirt shoulder pads, Honolulu postcards, souvenir tea towel printed dresses, admiral rope, sailor stripes, tropical fish, coral…well you get the point. The tribal mask dresses were cool, they were worn by models of colour and it’s like you’ve got to be kidding me. If it all sounds a bit Pirates of Penzance (which it was) there were some subdued looks like the cute shirt dress with built in bra detail that was a good balance between prude and whore. It’s annoying when silly styling tricks (parrots?) detract from a collection rather than add. The square handbag with tassles was seriously cool, I want one now. Donald Duck sequin dress? I’ll take two.

HAIDER ACKERMANN SPRING 2010

I’m not sure what it is that’s so appealing about Haider Ackermann’s work. I find it a little dull. Perhaps it’s work that needs to be viewed up close and worn because apparently his jackets have an amazing cut and fit. His spring collection had an air of a well-traveled woman ready to weather a dust storm. There were some nice leather jackets with epaulettes and military pockets on the front. This theme extended to silk cargo pants but it didn’t work as well and looked dated. A neat little crinkled jacket with epaulettes looked modern as did the dresses that were cut short at the front and long at the back (the mullet of dresses?).
His work has a romanticism and sensuality in his work like that of Olivier Theyskens and Alber Elbaz of Lanvin. Maybe that’s the appeal.

CHANEL SPRING 2010

Spring for Chanel initially looked like a barn yard romp but it was more of a barn yard stroll. That whole out-doorsy, get a tan, ride a horse Chanelism was there in what I think was hosiery with a white criss-cross imprint that made the models look like they’d been out in the sun all day and got some tan-lines on their legs.
The sugary pink looks at the start were waaay frou frou but it is a spring collection and a fun one at that. There was a dreadful set of dresses in red, white and blue with tacky flowers dotted over them but nevermind. The appeal of a Chanel show is that you can always find at the very least, one thing that you want. For me it was the fluffy jackets that reminded me of spring chickens. So cute right? As for the clog heels. I dunno about clogs, I mean fuck, did you see the hot clog mess at LV? No? Let me remind you.