Prabal Gurung Spring Summer 2013 Review

Above: Heaven. Below: Hell

What started out great at Prabal Gurung’s spring show-tailored suits with long, sheer, draped tops-quickly devolved into bad taste and poor judgement.

Overall the collection was fussy and lacked polish. I don’t know who his customer is. I don’t know who’s buying or wearing, say, a flounced layered dress with feathers or a predictable looking white dress with cut-out details. And the prints. I mean, fuck me with shards of glass the prints were bad. They were uninspiring, garish, and confusing. The worst offender was a matching blouse and pant with what appeared to be small blue flowers. I don’t know, digital prints like this have been done a thousand times and with more skill so why bother?

Prabal Gurung has some interesting ideas but I think the problem is that he has too many and crams them all into one show. This collection would’ve been much stronger had he left out the prints and the flounce and just focussed on layering. 

Prabal Gurung Fall 2012 Review

After Prabal Gurung's last spring collection-digital prints and Japanese rope bondage-I was starting to perk up my ears at his work. Unfortunately his fall collection had me lost. Not for words (I have plenty of those) but just like, where is this collection going? Some people are seeing Givenchy references with the hats, the frills and the gown that closed the show. Whether or not he mimicked Givenchy intentionally or not is irrelevant because the show was shit. It started out strong with the first 5 looks all in black but then turned into a drag queens interpretation of Donatella Versace at a fetish club. It was all vampy cut-outs and sheer fabrics. But then the collection turned again with coats that had abstract lumpy fabrics thrown in. It was a pained experiment in texture that was totally not needed. Gurung continued his interest in digital prints from last season but this time around it felt tired and didn't look as though a lot of thought had gone into them.
There were also a few stand out pieces of what-the-fuckery that are worth mentioning, even if it's just for the lulz: The dress jacket with opalescent sleeves. Like, what is air? Those fucking frilled dresses and that sexy gold disco dress. Bitch please, you couldn't even get into a roller disco in that.

On a positive note, I'm not sure if this is a new collaboration but the sunglasses were made by Linda Farrow.

Christopher Kane Spring Summer 2012 Review

 Above centre: look 5. No.

I don’t know about this collection. Couture meets sports. Americans have been doing this for years. I loved his earlier stuff because it looked more experimental and now that he’s a got a following I’m gonna take a stab and say he’s trying to be more commercial and tone down the crazy a bit. But he’s always been fairly commercial anyway so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.
 As far as first looks go the collection is simple. I know that it’s not upon closer inspection but I think it still looks basic and well, boring. The 60’s shapes were a snooze. There were nice cuts thanks to some expert pattern making and they fit quite nicely with what other designers such as Prabal Gurung are doing. There were plenty of splits and slices but it was all too rigid and looked uncomfortable to wear.
The knitwear. No. The fit was terrible and why would anyone buy this when they can get something similar from an op shop for a dollar? If it’s knit from the tears of an arctic fox then I’ll make an exception, otherwise it’s just merino wool cricket attire.
I love the ideas in this collection what I don’t like is the execution. There were flowers that looked like giant stickers and they were rimmed in reflective silver, just like something you’d find at a stationery shop. The sandals were amazing. Like high fashion tourist slides, perfect for the beach and then buying cheap cocktails that get served in a bucket and then you drink too much and then someone offers you drugs and you’re all like well I am on holiday so I should live a little so you do and then you wake up in a urine-soaked hammock on the beach. Potentially awkward but you've got your Christopher Kane slides so whatever fuck you.

Look five is one of the ugliest jackets I’ve seen. There was the double split skirt which has popped up in a few collections and I loved it. Then it got all old school 50’s couture with Swarovski crystals. Meh. Took 45 hours to bead that top? Meh. And the oversized lapel-like shapes. Blargh. Do not want. Any woman with tits can cross that off their list. Fingers crossed Jade Parfitt will be on hand to slink into it. I just don’t know. I think I need to let this one simmer a bit more because there’s potential that in a month I’ll take back everything bad I said about it and then brand it a triumph.

Below The Knee Is Where It's At

Top from left: Altuzarra, I can't remember!!!, BCBG Max Azria

Above from left: Prabal Gurung, United Bamboo, Victoria Beckham

This is the new skirt/dress length I've been yammering on about. Pair with knee high boots for that perfect late 60's Lou Lou de la Falaise chilling with Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux look.

From left: Betty Catroux, Yves Saint Laurent, Lou Lou de la Falaise. 1969.