There were airplanes on Dan Lywood"s soundtrack for the Belstaff presentatio
There were airplanes on Dan Lywood"s soundtrack for the Belstaff presentation. Amelia Earhart was a reference, and accents of blue and off-white suggested sky and clouds, but newly appointed women"s creative director Delphine Ninous was insistent that this wasn"t another one of those "daredevils ♥ Belstaff" collections. Instead, she wanted to convey the freedom and independence of the pioneer spirit. "What the modern woman is," Ninous said definitively.?
But for that definition, she"d closed in on the Belstaff man, he who would be Brando or McQueen in his biker, bomber, or peacoat. "The heritage is strong for men, but a woman"s journey is different, more personal," Ninous insisted. So, for all the hand-waxed leathers, aviator jumpsuits, and iconic Roadmasters, there was something gentle inside: maybe a silk blouse, a cosseting shearling, or a fur collar. Combat-booted strength was definitely Ninous" priority—even the knitwear had attitude—but then she used bouclé for coats because it was lighter, easier for a woman"s body. And the coats were reassuringly wrapped, almost like kimonos. It was that kind of touch that spoke to Ninous" track record—most recently at Paul & Joe, but before that at Isabel Marant, where masculine and feminine have synthesized into one of the most successful fashion statements of recent years.Welcome to visit my coach bags outlet store: http://www.coachoutletonline24.us.com
Well-cut, relatively simple silhouettes like shifts
In recent seasons Talbot Runhof designers Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof moved away from their signature draped gowns in favor of elevated daywear. Many designers made similar decisions as more retail-friendly pre-collections gained traction on the sales floor. But you can"t argue with the numbers: Those satin dresses were still Talbot Runhof"s top sellers, so for Pre-Fall they shifted their focus toward new, more inventive twists on evening. "We sometimes get tired of the conventional look of eveningwear," said Runhof. "We tried to design things that are elegant and flattering, but more modern for the red carpet."
Well-cut, relatively simple silhouettes like shifts, cardigans, and shirtdresses left room for the duo to get creative with fabrics. One standout textile was a jacquard of blown-up checks outlined by touches of glimmering lamé, which looked particularly red-carpet-worthy on a dramatic ball skirt. Paired with a simple cashmere top, it was also super wearable. Elsewhere in the collection were splashy floral prints and intricate beading inspired by a recent trip to Majorca. "We interpreted the idea of Spanish tile work in many different ways," Runhof explained. "The prints, the texture of tweeds and embroideries…all of these details are actually inspired by the same idea." However, he was most enthusiastic about a few simple stretchy dresses that were made using a high-tech knit technique not unlike the one used to make socks. "Each dress is knitted in one piece around, so there are no seams," Runhof said. The body-hugging silhouette and lower price point should attract new, younger shoppers and will likely be a hit for Talbot Runhof"s established clientele, too.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://official.uscoachoutletbags.com
The sun must have his shade
"The sun must have his shade." Kris Van Assche borrowed the cryptic line for his invitation from sixteenth-century poet Thomas Campion, which was pretty much in keeping with Van Assche"s track record. He"s often been partial to a little highbrow window-dressing. He insisted what he really wanted to convey was the incongruity of tuxedos on the beach. At Art Basel Miami Beach last year, he"d spent a lot of time baking in black-tie while working the art fair"s frenetic beachside social circuit. That struck him as some kind of metaphor for the mix of formal and informal that is his design signature at Dior.
The music today was Pet Shop Boys, "something that is fun and rigorous at the same time," said Van Assche. He was after that same quality in the clothes, too, but there, the fun was a little less obvious than the rigor. The designer repeated variants on jackets and pants (short, medium, long) in a handful of muted, compatible tones, all designed to be endlessly recombined. "Lots of choice within one idea," he said. Visual interest was provided by contrasting, often metallic patchworks inspired by the work of artist John Chamberlain. For Van Assche, patchwork embodied what he called "the opportunities of chance." (There were dice on his invitation, alongside Campion"s words.) That may also have been the rationale behind the big mirrored maze that filled the catwalk. In a maze, there is always the chance to take a right turn—or a wrong one.
But it seemed like an unnecessarily complicated device for a show that was so straightforward. Perhaps that was the point too. The musician/theoretician Brian Eno once stipulated that "repetition of a thing changes it." Van Assche might have hoped some of that magic would attach itself to his own repetitious offering, but just in case it didn"t, he made sure the audience had plenty of time to reflect on his clothes as his models trolled to and fro through the reflecting labyrinth.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://coachoutlet.kchbags.com
Such unusual analogies come easily to Jensen
Peter Jensen"s elevation of eccentric elegance reached an oddly logical way station with his Pre-Fall collection: the masked Black and White Ball hosted by Truman Capote at New York"s Plaza Hotel on November 28, 1966. Jensen has always had a thing for the "60s anyway, but "the chicness and exclusivity" of the ball hold a special resonance for him. "Those things don"t exist anymore," he noted, "because people are obsessed with almond milk and Kardashians."
Such unusual analogies come easily to Jensen, in the same way that his last collection could be inspired by the Peanuts gang and this one by Capote. Maybe only he can make sense of such idiosyncratic progressions, but what the rest of us see is a designer who has steadily refined his aesthetic until it has reached, with his latest effort, a new peak of polish, without compromising any of the quirk that has always made his clothes so winning.
The presiding sprite of Pre-Fall was "60s model Penelope Tree, muse of David Bailey and Diane Arbus. Here, she was evoked in girlish silhouettes like an abbreviated smock printed tone-on-tone with daisies, a corseted onesie in the puppy-tooth-patterned fabric from which chef"s uniforms are cut, and a crepe de chine shift printed with Jensen"s big-eared bunny logo. A gray jumper and bias-cut skirt set were inspired by Tree"s school uniform. Some of the models sported a version of the mask she wore to the Black and White Ball; others were wearing copies of the bunny mask that Candice Bergen wore that night. A blouse printed with swans was an obvious reference to the coterie of high-society women whom Capote called his Swans. An outfit consisting of trapeze top and pencil skirt had the distinctly dressy edge of such women"s wardrobes. So did the patrician color palette—black, white, pink, navy—and the bows on everything, though Jensen claimed he"d borrowed that detail from Patty Hearst"s wedding dress. The Plaza itself was abstracted as a print for a pair of pants.
One last detail: Jensen"s models were members of a professional tap-dancing troupe, who hoofed gamely through the presentation. "I was imagining the glamorous guests at the Black and White Ball tap dancing behind closed doors, smoking furiously," the designer said by way of explanation. Yes, that makes perfect sense.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://official.uscoachoutletbags.com
Maier never really lets go
Anyone who still imagines fashion remains willfully oblivious to current events would probably be surprised to learn that Tomas Maier was inspired by 2011"s Arab Spring, when he conceived the latest men"s collection for Bottega Veneta. The Arab world"s pursuit of democracy got him thinking about the integration of different sartorial traditions in a way that was about genuine synthesis, rather than banal ethnic influences. By the time they reached the catwalk, Maier"s creative impulses had been well and truly sublimated. A casual overview might suggest that relatively conventional two-piece tailoring ruled (even if the suits were crumpled). Still, a residue of the Great Elsewhere lingered in the unplaceability of a number of the clothes, neither Middle East nor Midwest, but with an undertow of both. The buttoned-up-tight mandarin-collared jackets and matching pants had a military mien—add sunglasses, a general"s cap, and a hundred kilos, and you"d have yourself a best-dressed dictator. That control was contrasted with a shopping list of fabric treatments: washing, creasing, over-printing, over-dyeing, dip-dyeing. Checks were bleared like they"d been hand-blocked. A tweed was really a printed cotton. Just a fashion illusion, but here it poked as much as it pleased.
Maier never really lets go. Even the peculiar denim and leather breakout he allowed himself today was pinpoint-precise. Will BV men be thinking of the Arab Spring when they"re shopping this time next year? Unlikely. But Maier"s abstract inspiration actually did yield a hint of out of control that his customers may find refreshing come Spring 2012.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://coachoutlet.kchbags.com
"Urban warrior." It"s a concept almost any girl could get behind
"Urban warrior." It"s a concept almost any girl could get behind, not least a New Yorker. Who doesn"t need a little stomp in her step to survive the morning commute? "I always walk to work with my headphones and sunglasses on, and you"re in your own world thinking about what you need to do that day. You need to be prepared," said Tracy Reese backstage after her show. Clothes aside, it was sound advice: Embrace the day"s challenges and conquer them head-on. To translate that sense of power into her clothes, Reese focused on rich textures like patent leather, lots of faux fur, and marled knits (knitwear is one of Reese"s strongest categories right now) that would make an instant statement. This fall there are still plenty of ponchos, and Reese"s looked great with fluffy fringe and tonal embroideries. More stand-out were the pieces that incorporated some kind of faux fur, like the black-and-white getup that opened the show, and a moto-jacket-fur hybrid later on. "I didn"t want it to be precious," Reese said. These fur pieces were better suited to a night out with friends than an opera house, and that"s what women are looking for these days. Reese is best known for her prints, and there was no shortage of them here. She played with African motifs with mixed results. They looked strong on statement coats and a few interesting head-to-toe knit ensembles, but on body-con dresses it was a little been there, done that. Another key influence was—you guessed it—the "70s. "I love the "70s influence, but I didn"t want it to feel retro," Reese said. "We really tried to think about how you might integrate a cool "70s-feeling piece into a modern wardrobe." Touches of suede were a subtle nod to the decade, while jackets and dresses with sharp collars and sporty zippers were a bit more literal. Overall, there was a lot going on, especially if you were at the show to experience the fog machines and DJ set. But mixing and matching is Reese"s thing, and there were some inventive new ideas to appreciate here.Welcome to visit my Coach Handbag store: http://official.uscoachoutletbags.com
For Ellery"s first-ever Pre-Fall collection
For Ellery"s first-ever Pre-Fall collection, Sydney-based designer Kym Ellery decided to focus on luxe. There were serious fabrics here—brocade, velvet, duchesse satin—and high-drama silhouettes, like the voluminous organza dress or the inventive bustier with fabric folded all across the front. Though the shapes were hardly traditional, the very dressiness of this collection made it feel a touch staid. Even the ladies who lunch like some ease in their clothes these days. Not that there weren"t individual pieces that expressed just that—the cropped brocade pants with a little kick out at the hem, for instance, or the motorcycle jacket in wine-red ponyskin, an aspirational lust object, indeed. But the standouts here had to be the simple sheath dresses with the trumpet sleeves: No trouble to toss on, and the effect was incontrovertibly soigné.Welcome to visit my Coach Handbag store: http://coachoutlet.kchbags.com
