Yves Saint Laurent SS 2012 Review

Summing up this collection in one word is easy: Uptight. I've loved Stefano Pilati since he started out at YSL. He restored French elegance and gave dignity back to the YSL brand after what many considered a crude butchering by Tom Ford. Over the years Pilati has quietly spawned trends but never quite got the kudos for it. It seemed like every collection he designed had something that editors and buyers went crazy over but it's rarely been the clothes. For spring 2012 the stand out piece from the entire collection were the shoes. A nice suede heel with a curved gold plate mounted to the front is the shoe of the season but the clothes are falling by the wayside yet again.
Unfortunately when the clothes are noticeably forgettable it reinforces the rumours that Pilati will be dropped from the house at any moment. And I feel sorry for the guy because he designs beautiful elegant clothes but are they too elegant? I know that may sound like a stupid question but I think Pilati needs to shock and not let the shadow of YSL hang over him. I think he's trying so hard to maintain the YSL woman that it's getting in the way of designing interesting clothes.

The wrap-style tops were the highlight as was look 29, a flawless baby-doll style dress in midnight blue. The let downs were the ruffled dresses in pine needle green and some 70's boho hippie-trail skirts and dresses.
Pilati needs to be less afraid of doing straight-forward sex. Instead he piles a shapeless coat on a model with bare legs and thinks it's unexpectedly erogenous but it's not working anymore. Hopefully in the coming seasons YSL will be summed up in two words: must have.

Stella McCartney Spring Summer 2012 Review

The collection started out with clean whites and aquatic blues. Very fresh, very sporty. Up close you could see sports mesh inserts traced with embroidered curlicues which softened the clothes making them ever so slightly strange-in a good way.

The silhouette was slightly boxy thanks to an absence of belts. In fact there was no ornamentation at all, the clothes with their corded curls and bold micro prints were enough without the need for extra junk. The boxy shapes continued with pyjama shirts (a trend that's been rearing it's dubious head in a smattering of collections for the past 3 seasons) and McCartney's signature tailored jackets this time done with beautifully curved lapels and plenty of swing.

What resonated most was that despite the curves and the embroideries it all looked straight forward and easy to wear. The collection wasn't brimming with ideas but there were enough to make it one of the best of the season. 

Tom Ford SS 2012 Review

I’ve been looking at Ford’s latest collection for spring 2012 and I’m struggling to come up with a conclusion about it. It’s difficult because Ford’s positioning of his brand is unusual and confusing. On a retail level the Tom Ford brand is just like all the other luxury brands with advertising in magazines, stores in major capital cities and entry-level luxury items such as fragrance and sunglasses (I say entry-level but $500 for sunglasses is hardly a discreet purchase). But on a fashion level it’s confusing. Ford is yet to present a typical runway show with press, photographers, critics, journalists etc, just like all other brands normally do at fashion week. Instead Ford has held intimate presentations to a hand-full of tippy top fashion people with no photography allowed. Several months later Ford releases a look book to the public. His spring show look book was just published on Vogue.com, two months after the spring shows. When he did this whole secret show thing for his debut he definitely created buzz. It was exciting to read reviews by critics and frustrating not being able to see any of the clothes. But three seasons in and for me the thrill has worn off.
Once fashion month is over I feel exhausted by all the collections I’ve seen because there are way too many people showing at fashion week so when Ford’s collection pops up on Vogue.com I’m a little underwhelmed by it all. It’s weird, it’s like Ford is more than happy for me to buy one of his Private Blend fragrances and porn star aviators but the clothes are to be kept away from me which makes me feel like a peasant (which I totally am). He’s treading two luxury environments and getting mixed results. It’s masstige and super-exclusive fashion. At fashion week you’ve got a media circus all seeing the same shows and from that you get these runaway ‘it’ items that can get huge press coverage or brand buzz such as those YSL pumps with the gold armour plates. Ford isn’t getting that.
 Ford’s spring collection is a reminder of what Tom Ford did well 10 years ago at Gucci and YSL which doesn’t bode well because it makes him look out of touch. He has said himself that he isn’t following trends which is evident in the off-trend peasant tops and bow-ankled sandals. There was too much going on with many looks that were teeming with tassels, fringing, ruching, ruffles, bows, and gold hardware. This detail explosion is tiring as your eyes have nowhere to rest. Overall it was too fussy and too flashy. There were still elements there that make me like Tom Ford’s work but if you’re looking for trends and direction you won’t find it here.

Givenchy Spring Summer 2012 Review

The theme for Givenchy's latest collection was-according to head designer Riccardo Tisci-about a surfer who falls in love with a mermaid. For someone who usually does dark, romantic and gothic clothes I was thrown off a bit. I guess he's taking a mental vacation and lightening up a bit. 

Though this collection is beautiful it failed to spark interest. There was a strong focus on tailoring but many of the clothes were too rigid and looked like they belonged on mannequins rather than models or real people. Some of the shapes, like rippling waves of fabric overwhelmed the models and splayed out at odd and unflattering angles. Unflattering would have to be the major fault of this show due the the wide cuts used on so many looks. The worst look was on Fei Fei Sun, a silver sequined get-up that made her look bigger than she is. 

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Summer 2012 Review

Was Gaultier’s spring collection youthful or did it just look that way when worn by 18 year old models? There were cute bunchy knickerbocker shorts, tops with wide cotton sleeves rolled up, tattoo tights, slouchy military jackets in peach and cobalt blue, giant bronze feather earrings curved into hoops and a naughty section of corsetry and underwear. There were dresses with snoods and head wraps that were reminiscent of the work of Valentina Schlee, an American designer from the 30’s and 40’s.
The models came out with little numbered cards just like they did in the old days. Gimmicky? Sure, but it’s JPG and he pulled it off. Watching the video, it looks like a real fashion show. It didn’t appear organised to a tee which was refreshing. Fashion shows are becoming too slick and generic these days but this show looked like maybe something from the 90’s. Karlie Kloss opened the show and you can see her waiting to walk out and there’s a bit of confusion until Gaultier gives her the okay to walk. It’s awesome and I recommend you watch the video. Emina Cunmulaj fucking nailed it on the runway and gets a special mention (skip to 0:46 of video two).

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?

Comme Des Garcons Spring Summer 2012 Review

 Above: My favourite look from the show

I think there were a lot of big ideas in Rei Kawakubo's spring Comme Des Garcons collection. Birth, death, tradition, feminism. These were things that I saw and aren't necessarily correct.
Giant cream puff interpretations of dresses with giant sleeves were shown throughout. Depending on what part of the world you live in would change your perception of their meaning. Were the giant sleeves a reference to Japanese kimono, funeral clothes or Western wedding gowns? The model's hands were bound with giant silk bows. Are women chained to outdated subservient roles? The giant Elizabethan hoops were like a form of imprisonment back in the day, stopping women from doing anything other than needlework by the fireplace. And those giant sleeves even in an un-bound form would still stop you from doing your normal daily activities and leave you house-bound.

Carven SS 2012 Review

 Ladies, this is what we call perfection. Are you looking at the flawless tailoring of both the jacket and the shorts? Look at that fucking sleeve insert. And the colour palette is making me weak.

Guillaume Henry has been head designer at Carven for a few seasons now and the buzz surrounding his work is deserved. His clothes are light, fun, peppy and French without being fussy. The colours were cool. Lots of cream, mustard, blue and some folksy prints.
There were modern lace inserts, a heavy black leather circle skirt and plenty of flirty dresses with cutouts. And the shoes had bells on them. I mean ring a ding ding. I want bells on everything.

Chalayan SS 2012 Review

So Hussein Chalayan goes under just Chalayan now. Why did he drop Hussein? More palatable to a Western market? It seems strange that after all these years he's decided to change it. I could probably Google it and find an explanation. Okay I just Googled it. Apparently it's "for the sake of brand identity and consumer ease". Umm okay, whatever. He's also doing a lower priced diffusion line called Grey Label aaaand he's doing pre-collections too so he's really shaping up his brand identity which is sensible.
This collection was in some ways a best-of. There were references to his past collections such as the Turkish embroideries, flight, and as always mind-blowing drape and pattern cutting. So many of his clothes are deceptively simple but once you get up close you'll have an aneurysm just trying to figure out how he made something.
The biggest challenge for avant garde designers is when they want to cross over into fully fledged wearable clothes. Sometimes it's difficult to meld out-there concepts with everyday clothes. Viktor & Rolf are a good example of designers who I think have had less successful results from making that jump but Chalayan is working well because the clothes don't look diluted.

Christian Dior SS 2012 Review

 One-shouldered dresses? Paging Anne Hathaway. Also, stop trying to make Miranda Kerr happen. She's not going to happen. 

Inappropriate use of formica benchtop scraps. I've seen barbecue pit tile mosaics with more personality.

It must be odd for Dior's current head designer Bill Gaytten. He's really just a caretaker for Dior right now until LVMH bosses find a replacement for John Galliano. He had his chance for his debut spring couture show which did not go over well with critics but it didn't matter what he showed because critics would've been harsh with whatever he'd shown. 

For spring Gaytten did a very restrained collection. No drag queen makeup or geometric objects wedged in a model's head. Just clothes really. The show opened with variations on the classic Bar jacket done in a black and white grid pattern and a lovely-enough cream leather. The necklines dipped low and wide which added a point of interest to an otherwise been there done that look. 

Gaytten added some geometric embroideries that looked better suited to a 60's patio. Then there was the eveningwear which was just so blah. I'm surprised. If Gaytten knows he hasn't got the job he should've gone balls-out crazy but I'd say nothing got sent down that runway without a bunch of men in suits with clipboards. Dior is sad. 

Isabel Marant Spring Summer 2012 Review

Isabel Marant's latest collection was a mixed bag. There were craftsy hand knit tops that (as a crude assumption) had a Peruvian feel to them. She mixed this with straight up American sportswear, something that was looked at by Marant only a couple of seasons ago. Those matchstick jeans that are a Marant staple were back, this time in red tie dye. 
Model Dewi Driegen (who I've not seen on the catwalk for a few years now) made a comeback. Unfortunately she wore what is undoubtedly one of the ugliest patchwork dresses I've seen in recent memory. The patchwork frenzy continued on t-shirts, jeans and a parka. It's just like, stop it.
The knitwear was the strongest in the show and possibly the best this season. It was like they were made in Paris and then sent to a mountainous region of Vietnam or something to get jazzed up and sent back.
Even though there were some rather unfortunate looks in this show there was still fuckloads of stuff that would make even the most bitter, hardened critic be like oh fuck it, I need a Rajasthani embroidered vest. Isabel Marant falls neatly into that category of designers (such as Marni) who don't often push the envelope or do an about face each season but their clothes make you feel something. Even if it's just consumerist lust it's still something and a lot of designers would kill to have such a loyal fan base who return season after season and keep cash registers ticking over.

Maison Martin Margiela Spring Summer 2012 Review

What surprises me most about Maison Martin Margiela isn't the avant garde aspect-though fucking amazing-but the fact that seasons after the designer retired is that the design team keeps things chugging along. Spring 2012 was no exception and some people might strongly disagree with this statement but it's like he never left.
The first look, a silk dress in silver, appeared so loosely constructed that the model had to hold part of it for the sake of modesty. It was like she'd been dragged from her bed and had been forced to walk in a runway show. The first few looks explored this idea of being undone, haphazard, or rushed. There were straight skirts with fitted beige shell tops that had an upholstered look about them. The most interesting looks were the trio of outfits that were printed to look like Persian rugs. They were topped with clear plastic wraps as if ready to be put into a shipping container for export. There were shapeless white tops that fell a bit flat and a series of tailored suits closed the show. They were a little disappointing but one jacket in particular, a navy blue double breasted jacket with brass buttons was a knockout.

Lanvin Spring Summer 2012 Review

Each season is never terribly surprising. There's always an 80's vibe to his work. Big shoulders, flashy costume jewelry and bags, single-sleeved dresses. For spring Alber Elbaz went dark. He ditched the sparkly jewel tones and went for a palette of mostly black, taupe, white and grey. He hopped on the digital printing bandwagon and had snakes appear on shirts and pants.
I love that he still creates movement and space around the body. This is something he continues to push every season with varying results. The opening skirts were a sexy new look for Lanvin but there were still intentional folds of puckered fabric for an added touch of comfort. The waists on the skirts curved like the lip of an urn and looked beautiful. The built up shoulders of some dresses had both a strength and a softness to them. He wasn't trying to create a false or convincingly strong shoulder because when you look closely at it you can see it is spongy.

The most remarkable look was a black pencil skirt with a deceptively simple-looking draped top. The neckline looks like it is collapsing on itself, almost like a vase on a potters wheel falling apart.

Haider Ackermann Spring Summer 2012 Review

 Oh how deshabille, how French, so Fifth Arrondissement. No! just sloppy lesbian clothes

I don’t like Haider Ackermann. I can understand why people like his work but I think he’s overrated. His  spring summer show opened with tailored day suits in silk. So practical. He draped one side of a jacket, elongating the lapel and then tucked the other side into the pants. They were a nice, un-fussy opening but then he got carried away with his draping and yeah it’s his thing, I get that, but whatever. Meh.
The problem with Haider Ackermann is that his clothes aren’t extremely avant garde so it’s considered just ready to wear but it’s too avant garde for 'normal' people to buy. I don’t think that makes a lot of sense. Actually, Lady Gaga wearing one of his dresses on the cover of Vogue is the perfect summation of his work. Slightly avant garde to suit Lady Gaga but wearable enough for Vogue.

Viktor and Rolf SS 2012 Review

 Okay ladies, srsly, look at that dress on the far left. How do you piece that together so seamlessly? Viktor and Rolf are witches. 

Viktor and Rolf chose dolls clothes as the inspiration for their latest collection. It worked well with their interests in proportion and shape despite being a little poorly received by critics.
Though it wasn’t their most avant garde collection there was a ton of stuff that was on-trend but still had that VnR touch without making them look like a bore. The wide, Barbie doll-sized belts were also at Céline and the brocade swirls were at Stella McCartney too. Some very simple cut A-line high-waisted skirts and dresses were like those at Miu Miu and the mid-riff exposing crop tops, well they showed up in a number of collections too. Whether or not crop tops will make a comeback is up to you.

There were a series of outfits that had cut-outs of baroque swirls. I cannot fathom how this was done because the construction is flawless. There’s not a single spot of puckering seam edges which can be quite common in this type of work but for Viktor and Rolf? Nothing. I can only presume these were laser cut but still, to piece these together with mesh inserts seamlessly is unreal. It honestly blew me away.