Chloe SS 2012 Review

Well Hannah MacGibbon sadly got the boot from the director's chair and former Pringle Of Scotland designer Clare Waight Keller jumped right in and had a go at cracking the reins. And she did well.
"Fluidity and femininity, but boyish" is how Keller summed up the collection and that's exactly what she gave us. There were sort of Swiss dot lace shirts, low slung dresses and skirts with thick leather belts that I'm not sure were needed. The embroidered florals were a design lifted from Karl Lagerfeld's tenure which I thought was quite a bold move and I like that she cherry picked bits and pieces like that from a past designer because there's a nice history of great designers who've worked at Chloe.

Like Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo before her, Keller is selling the same dream. The Chloe girl is a care free, tomboyish character who'll always look back fondly at the 70's. If anything, Keller is dipping her toes and treading lightly across the Chloe DNA.

It's a solid collection but for a debut it doesn't scream at you and the Chloe girl never screams but Keller will have to work her way around that otherwise she'll end up in designer purgatory like MacGibbon and Paulo Melim Andersson.

Celine Spring Summer 2012 Review

Phoebe Philo's spring collection was another direct statement to minimalism and modern women who don't fuck around and have better things to do than spend entire evenings planning the following day's outfit. Anna Dello Russo would be the perfect example of someone who is not the Celine woman.

Philo had her interpretation of the peplum that was echoed in the shape of the opening coats. The coats had pockets flaring outward with military pocket flaps. 

Most looks were accompanied by a wide belt and altered the silhouette depending on their placement. Some cinched the waist while others were slung low on trousers for an androgynous work look. Some critics are calling Philo out on the wide belts as a reference to Rei Kawakubo's spring 2011 collection which I'm not entirely sure about. Maybe. Otherwise this was a cool collection reinforcing Celine's lightning quick ascent to one of the top shows of the season. 

Left: Celine spring 2012. Right: Comme Des Garcons spring 2011. Copycat? Or is a wide belt just a wide belt?

Marc Jacobs going to Dior? Phoebe Philo going to Louis Vuitton? Hell freezing over?

The Saddle. Early aughts it bag. 

From Louis Vuitton to Dior. Not exactly a huge stretch for someone like Jacobs. Those are the rumours currently swirling around Paris anyway in what has been months of presumed hand-wringing from Dior execs
taking their sweet time finding a replacement after firing John Galliano for his boozy racial rant at Paris bar La Perle. I can only imagine their leisurely search for a new designer was cut short after their latest couture collection. It was designed by Galliano’s right hand man Bill Gaytten and Susanna Venegas and reviews, including mine were fairly harsh. Execs are probably realising now that taking as much time as needed is seriously hurting the brand. They would be right in thinking that the brand can survive without Galliano but no head designer for three collections? The cracks are starting to show and they need a big designer to patch them up. And Jacobs will do just that. Jacobs is quite an interchangeable designer. You could slot him into any of the top tier luxury brands and he’d do well. Gucci, Chanel, Armani, Saint Laurent. You might not want to imagine him designing for these brands (at YSL? Gasp!) but you know he could do it.

From a fashion perspective it's quite uninteresting to see Jacobs put in at Dior and would be exciting to see them take a risk like they did with Galliano back in the 90’s. From a business perspective, well, Dior haven't had a major It Bag since the Saddle so Jacobs could obviously turn that around with his experience at Louis Vuitton. My other criticism of Marc Jacobs being put in at Dior is that he has never done couture but then I thought, who cares? The execs don’t. They just want hot shoes and bags. Couture isn’t dead but it’s not a bread winner for most couture brands excluding Chanel who manage a neat cut from Lagerfeld’s designs. I think if they hire him most people will just shrug their shoulders and be all whatevs about it.

Dior by Marc Galliano. It's whatevs

So if Jacobs does split for Dior that leaves his post at Vuitton open and rumour has it that Céline head designer Phoebe Philo could go there. I think she’s doing great at Céline and should stay put. With only a few seasons under her belt at Céline, Philo probably doesn’t have a huge emotional attachment to the house but she has total creative control and is able to design and work from London to be with her family, rather than be based in Paris. Maybe the offer of more money may prove tempting if her other needs are met.

Phoebe Jacobs. Don't do it Phoebs (we're like really good friends)

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. 

Harper's Bazaar Australia's Photoshop Fail

My sister gave me a Harper's Bazaar subscription for my birthday and last week I received my first issue.

It's a January/February issue and it's kinda disappointing.

There's a spread titled Sun. Sea. Slick. Style. They can add sloppy to the title too. On page 134 there's a model looking cool in Celine resort trousers and top. I was looking at it and geeking out at how much I love Celine and how Phoebe Philo is a genius when I came upon the model's leg.

Oh hey there, just standin around looking all kinds of tres chic and....bro what's up with your leg?

I name thee Ghost Pant! Go forth and haunt

It’s like a double vision weird out. At first I was looking at it and thought, how interesting, I don’t recall noticing a double cuff on any Celine trousers. I'm not sure what they were doing, lengthening legs maybe, but it's a fail. You would never see something like this at American or French Vogue. Or would you?

How you could you miss that? How do you sign off on that? How could you sully anything by Phoebe Philo!!!

Anyway, there's more Philo deliciousness in a spread by Victor Demarchelier and another spread with some to-die Balenciaga heels and a cool Zambesi top.

I Am The Celine Woman (true story)

Weird hotel lobby carpet printed outfit where have you been all my life?!

This looks inspired by Karategi (Karate uniform)

Love this top in Japanese denim

There's something ill-fitting about this look but it feels so right. Right?

Raw edges on the tunic. What is the scarf attached to? Herp derp I just realised it's around her neck 

Look at that subtle little tab on that...what the hell is that beigy flappy thing? I want one

Phoebe Philo described her inspiration as “the kind of woman that doesn’t care what she looks like when she’s dancing. “

That’s me! When I’m wasted at a bar I could give a fuck what anyone thinks of me when I’m dancing. Does this mean I’m the Celine woman? That’s fucking scary if I am.

For spring Philo continued with the same warm minimalism as she has been doing since starting out at Celine. There were boxy tunics with that wide cut sleeve I’ve been seeing on other runways such as Prada. There was an artisanal quality with the hand-woven fabrics and the Japanese denim which Philo described as quite unruly.
What I find most appealing about Celine is that the clothes are minimalist but still have a feminine quality to them. This is something completely lacking at Calvin Klein and to a certain extent Jil Sander. At Klein and Sander you still see beautiful clothes but they’re less accessible and often very cold.
You know, a lot of designers talk about their ideal woman as strong, independant, blah blah. They all say the same crap (have you heard John Galliano talk about the Dior woman? Jesus Christ!) but I think everything rings true with Celine. There’s no doubt in the pieces and you just want to grab them off the rack, put them on and forget about them because you look so chic.

Fuck Me In The Ass

Above: Givenchy Spring 2011

Above: Celine Spring 2011

Resort or Spring or whatever you wanna call em collections are flying in and the mood is different, the approach is more considered than ever before.

I've been finding these pre-collections quite interesting to observe over the past few years and seeing how designers and brands are coping with having to design 2 extra collections per year. For the most part a lot of designers are taking it on with gusto.
A few years ago resort was just that. Resort. It was marine inspired, light cotton clothes that you could stuff into an overnight bag before jetting off to St Tropez in a pair of blue and white espadrilles. Fast-forward a few years and it's like, who the fuck goes to St Tropez? Valentino?
So now we've got designers such as Stella McCartney referring to Resort as Spring. The angle has changed and so have the clothes. And for a good reason. The clothes that are coming out for Spring and Fall are equally as good, if not better in some cases than the main collections. I say this because a lot of the conceptual bullshit (which I dearly love) is cut out and what you're left with is a clear message and clothes that people want to wear.
Go to Style.com and take a look at Celine and Givenchy. The clothes are beautiful (Celine in particular) and none of them are beach appropriate. Yay.

The only concerns I'm hearing about Spring and Fall collections are that designers may suffer from burn-out and customers are being given too many trends and ideas, leaving the market over-saturated with clothes.

I think in a few years Spring and Fall will either collapse and burn or it'll be just like Summer Winter with a full runway schedule.

On a different ntoe, how badly is Phoebe Philo caning the industry right now? She's had 4 collections and she's already got an it-bag and it-bags are dead.

Derek Lam's Amazing Fall

Whoa. The collection opened with a dusty clay coloured jacket fastened with two small buttons; one at the waist and one at the neck. The sleeves hit the elbow and a dark leather looking sleeve emerged and continued to the wrist. Impressive.

There was a wild west theme but it was mostly kept to a bare minimum and not too kitsch. Cowboy themes have a tendency to look goofy and Lam could’ve done away with about half of this collection because the first 20 looks were perfect. Boot-cut pants looked fresh, jackets with leather inserts, a sexy leather and silk pleated skirt…arrrgh there were so many fantastic pieces!

I hope it was coincidental but it had whiffs of Celine’s Spring collection. It was just the caramel leather and minimalist pieces that did it for me.

MINI PRE-FALL ROUNDUP PART ONE

It's nice to see designers taking pre-fall more seriously rather than just churn out watered down filler. I think I read somewhere that resort and pre-fall sells really well so maybe that's where the enthusiasm is coming from for designers.
So far I haven't seen any knock-out collections but each one has had some seriously covetable pieces. Thakoon is doing an oddly chic looking pant that's quite boxy at the top. Unlikely to be flattering on most women but beautiful all the same.

Below: Thakoon

Pringle of Scotland have the best coats hands-down. Donna Karan did a gorgeous military skirt suit that will just melt around your figure. It's such a non-aggressive look for military inspired clothes. Jason Wu has some beautifully molded jackets, belted and paired with pleated skirts and wooly tights. It's good to see him do something youthful and more playful while maintaing that Fifth Avenue tag he has. Above: Donna Karan. Below: Jason Wu

Above: Pringle of Scotland

Currently I'm completely freaky for Celine and Phoebe Philo can do no wrong. Her work is so refreshing and sweet without being frothy. Crisp crease-front high-waisted pants make a return this time in olive and there was also a trim pair of red pants cut just on the ankle. Coats were strong, a sporty black japara and a long black one in what looked like felted wool was trimmed in licorice leather.

Below: Celine

STELLA MCCARTNEY SPRING 2010

Spring Stella McCartney had a subtle 70’s American feel to it. There were suits with ruffles in electric blue and bone. The daywear had very clean lines, a knit ombre romper looked summery and oozed comfort as did the button fronted denim skirts.
You’ll also be hard pressed to find anyone in Paris who does a better boyfriend blazer than Stella but now that Phoebe Philo is back maybe that will change.