(no title)

COUTURE COLLECTION: VALENTINO

PARIS - of the many collections presented around the world, each year & season, the house of valentino is one i’ve become most affectionate towards. the house of valentino is one that i was always aware of & overtime, i’ve become much more aware. aware in the sense of the brand’s history, it’s development, it’s hardships & the point of valentino’s own retirement from the company; as well as the reasoning behind it. an in-depth knowledge of any fashion house, i feel, is necessary in order to really appreciate a direction, archival references or even trends. in the realm of haute couture, techniques take the place of trends as the traditional & historically valued take center stage before anything else. this season, the house of valentino continues to build a digital presence, as this season’s collection was the first ever couture live stream. the presence of film & media are currently surrounding the house, from my perception. upon valentino garavani’s retirement, the house has seen radical, modern changes in areas of style, branding & advertising. a move which has to be benefiting the house, granted i think they’re doing a really dope job at things. it’s always tricky when a fashion house enters a transformation, or goes through an image overhaul or, for lack of better articulation, a make-over. the modern transformation the house has taken on definitely takes into consideration the houses history & preserves the value of design that was put fourth by valentino himself.

speaking again in reference to the connections to film, remember that awareness of valentino’s history i mentioned? most of that uncovering of truth about the fashion house was discovered in my viewing of the documentary, ‘valentino: the last emperor‘. the documentary sheds a great deal of light on the rise & fall of valentino, while uncovering how ugly & tragic it can be for true artists & designers working in fashion, transitioning from the old ways of the industry, to the now much more globalized format. from the purchased stakes by luxury investment groups, to seeing the atelier bicker about construction of gowns; to valentino’s last runway show- everything was shown. the frustration, the glamour, the history & the future- it was all touched upon. it was that connection & understanding that really reshaped my perception of the house. what i love of current valentino creative directors, maria grazia chiuri & pier paolo piccioli, is their awareness. with the two working at the house under valentino himself, prior to their promotion; they honor the values & legacy of the italian label, which i completely admire. while sitting & watching the live stream, i welcomed the collection into my psyche. this season, i wanted to take more time to focus on each houses inspiration. i think an overall vision of a collection is better translated when you understand what was looking to be represented through design. the recurring theme of film again devoured this inspired collection even further.

upon seeing the valentino documentary, i decided to really bulk up on films that inspire me. in close reference to who i have become inspired by, people i have come into contact with; i’ve had strong connections to image, style & music but none as strongly established to film. over the last year & a half, i’ve been collecting films that represent a form of nostalgia for me or allow me to see something i haven’t seen before or just inspire my love of style & art, my love for design & aesthetics. amongst my collection are an assortment of fashion documentaries, historic re-tellings & concert DVD’s. usually, in an effort to stay inspired, i just let them play- i’ve seen every one multiple times & really only am interested in films that make me feel a certain way. through glamour, through love, through vulnerability, through triumph. one of the films? sofia coppala’s marie antoinette. i remember one day, alone in my room, i sat while the film just played. i remember hearing the same piano rift from kanye west’s “blame game”, from his ‘my beautiful dark twisted fantasy’ album. while the film played in the background, the sound of that rift stopped me. i sat, just staring at the screen- taking in the scene thinking of the creative process & how kanye must’ve heard this same rift from the film, which then provoked him to use it for his album. i posted a tweet of my discovery but due to lack of enthusiasm from my followers, ended up deleting the tweet. as others who’ve followed my work or me, as a personality, can attest; i’ve been very vocal about coppola’s antoinette, finding aesthetic inspiration in the costumes & setting of the film. while watching this season’s valentino couture live stream, as floral print from the collection began to hit the runway; delicate & feminine as if from another time, i thought to myself. “reminds me of marie antoinette”, then the same kanye sampled rift played during the show’s runway soundtrack. immediately, i sat up, much like i did upon my own discovery of the sample during the film. avril 14th, played by richard james. from the original motion picture soundtrack of sofia coppola’s marie antoinette. reading up on the inspiration of the collection, there it was- thirteenth century marie antoinette, in her garden of versailles was listed as this season’s inspiration for the collection.

there is a scene in the film that really struck a cord with me. in the story, marie antoi, as she was affectionately called by her mother, would meet regularly with a dress maker & hair stylist. in one scene, kirsten dunst, whom played the french queen, met with her dress maker & said, “i want something more simple, natural- to wear in the garden”. this soon followed an extensive garden seen. content & at peace, that same feeling is what i felt seeing the collection. the fact that i am able to pin point where the sound, style & film references come from is amazing. in this wide world of inspiration i’ve created for myself, immersed in sound, style & imagery- a sense of accomplishment. as an artist, i was able to translate a complete & total vision, delivered through design & sound. from milan, through a computer screen- i interpreted their vision, spot on. it’s these moments, these mere glimpses of creativity; that act as reassurance for the artist that i have become & the artist i am meant to be. while i could talk about the flowing florals, or compare this season to last couture season- i won’t. i’ll let you interpret the collection as you want. simply put i was stunned by the collection for it’s direction & loved every moment of the eleven minute show. collections like these are why fashion exists- they take inspiration from one place & house them for a world of people to see- vulnerably allowing them to be either persecuted or praised- much like marie antoinette. the symbolism that i am able to define, the connection i am artistically able to identify- that. is. fucking. fashion. [source]

01 26 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: ELIE SAAB

PARIS – faultless glamour through refined sophistication is what we get, each season, from elie saab. a lebanese designer who you’ve seen worn on the back of iconic actresses like halle berry as well as beyoncé, celine dior, rihanna, mila kumis, catherine zeta jones & royal princesses, queens & duchesses from around the globe. as of may 2003, saab became an offical member of the chambre syndicale de la haute couture, showing his first couture collection just two months later in paris. launching his label at the age of 18, from his workshop in lebanon, saab is a self-trained designer with an undeniable eye for elegance & glamour. now based in paris, with workshops in milan as well as his native of lebanon; saab continues to produce consistent quality & some of the best gowns seen on the red carpet. much like other designers this couture season, florals proved to be the spring inspiration for the season.

incredibly detailed beading & lightweight gowns are saab’s specialty, as made visible yet again this season. whereas repetition might wear thin on my impressions of collections from season to season, i find a sense of wonder in saab’s work; often times looking for his signature silhouettes or how he has refined certain concepts, techniques or looks. always an immediate win in palette, this season’s collection hosted a range of milky tones that were introduced with a set of white, that set of white soon cooled to a set of iced teal. beautifully, the icey toned teals became heated when a masking of blushed tones entered the set, eventually cooling to a prelude of nudes. the nudes warmed to a set of yellows which then cooled again into a set of blue. the collection closed with it’s bridal finale look, which was worn by toni garrn in a fade out in the tone most often associated with ultra-femininity, pink. in the collection, i loved most the looks in white- considering how minimalist i am about everything. there’s something about in a woman in white that is so powerful to me. the sense of purity, refinement- fantasy. whether worn or lighter complexions, golden browns & darker skin tones- white radiates & those looks, i feel, are completely timeless. overall, the collection serves it’s purpose, though no new ground was broken.

though a familiar set of designs were seen here, what i love about elie saab’s collections is the amount of beauty held in the collection. even in saab’s ready-to-wear collections, there is extensive attention paid to what makes a woman look beautiful. amidst a transitory period as a digitally based writer, i have been looking to only represent the best of the best, leaving only room for what i love here on my site. you may have noticed that haute couture collections from mega iconic fashion houses like chanel, armani & jean paul gaultier were not reviewed this couture season. this, i assure you, was intentional. for the past few years i’ve been writing here, i have felt an obligation to contribute valued pieces of writing on the most important houses in fashion, internationally. after years of doing this, i feel it necessary to review only the greatest collections, in an effort to better refine my approach & to, well, save me some time. im not willing to fuck with anything less than dope, creatively. elie saab is one of those designers that is incredibly dedicated to the beauty i, myself- as a writer, am dedicated to represent. as i near my last review for the SS12 haute couture season, i wanted to mention that no collections are ignored nor forgotten any season, each collection is seen & thoughtfully placed here for your valuable eyes to see. collections that represent a dimension of outstanding creativity have greater value to me & as a writer, in the context of fashion, i feel it necessary to give these designers, producing these collections; more of the spotlight as often as possible. as you know, each season is a hit or miss- what’s horrible this season can be incredibly chic the next, so on & so fourth. im always looking for collections that showcase surreal & an almost impossible sense of beauty, which in turn feels absolutely possible. i feel that elie saab represents that, completely. it’s those designers that push us as creatives- whether stylists or celebrities, writers or magazine editors; to reach even further for not just the hottest thing, but for the most beautiful. it’s all expression & execution- saab killed it. [source]

01 26 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: STÉPHANE ROLLAND

PARIS - seemingly merging the popularization of more minimal concepts to haute couture technique, the stéphane rolland haute couture collection was one of my favorites this season. at the age of 20, rolland became creative director of menswear at french fashion house, balenciaga, where he remained for 4 years. soon following, rolland parted ways with balenciaga & became artistic director of couture at jean-louis scherrer, in 2008. rolland’s first namesake couture collection made it’s debut in 2007, after he became an official member of the chambre syndicale de la caute couture, which allows labels to bare the prestigious title of, haute couture. in 2009, rolland officially introduced his leather goods collections with plans to unveil an accessories line, april 2012. as a creative force floating a bit under the radar compared to other designers, i feel like people sleep on stéphane. as evidenced in this collection, his attention & design resume more than qualify him to be a fighting force in the hum drum world of fashion repition. with his flourishing designs of couture, rolland is also a costume designer & that sense of theatricality, that attraction to dramatic silhouettes- it’s all seen in the way he designs & how those designs are executed.

usually, with couture- designers take one of two approaches. there’s the timeless, classic appeal often seen at houses like christian dior, valentino or chanel. then you have this new wave of more modern designers like iris van herpen or givenchy. both sides of the spectrum will thoughtfully combined in this collection, which merges more minimalistic shapes & design lines, often associated with ready-to-wear & combines them with select couture techniques on each piece. layered textiles, flowing chiffon- it was all very beautiful & contemporary. i loved the collection’s use of hardware as well as the variation in design of the neckline. off whites, blasts of yellow & red with use of black was all seen in the collection palette, which kept the momentum of the collection going & powerfully from start to finish. reportedly, the red bridal finale gown in the collection, worn by supermodel icon yasmin lebon; weighed 110 pounds, took 49 yards of fabric to create & required assistance from two design assistants to walk the runway. the collection, as well as it’s execution, was exceptionally sharp- hence it being one of my favorites this season. i think it’s extremely interesting to see how designers interpret the traditional couture techniques & morph them to appeal to this modernized age of fashion. mindful of rolland’s design past, i would say that he is doing a remarkable job & merging classic with modern. couture is about taking design fantasies & making them reality- a mission which was well achieved this season at stéphane rolland. [source]

01 24 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: GIVENCHY

PARIS – shedding his purified direction seen in the last two couture seasons, ricardo tisci returned to the dark side for the SS12 haute couture season in paris. in 1952, the house of givenchy was founded by hubert de givenchy. upon establishment, givenchy became a fixture in fashion history through his affiliation with film icon, audrey hepburn & his associations with the kennedys. from 1952-1995, hubert de givenchy was in place at his own label but retired after 43 years. following hubert’s retirement, john galliano was selected as the label’s new creative director, which lasted for a mere two years. as you may know, galliano then left givenchy, upon the offering of a creative directing position at christian dior; where he remained for 15 years up until 2011. following galliano’s departure, alexander mcqueen was then put in place as creative director at givenchy, which allowed a whole other level of fashion to be entered into. throughout fashion history, the house of givenchy has housed & introduced some of the greatest designers, catapulting them into the larger high-end design stratosphere. tisci remains within that lane of great artists that have been given a place not only at givenchy, but in fashion all together. for this couture collection, tisci mentioned the importance of ‘identity’, using this collection to recap all he has done in his seven years with the historic french house.

through all of the speculation whether tisci will leave his post at givenchy to make a move to dior, one would speculate even further once hearing of tisci’s train of thought during the creation of this collection. “the mark of a successful designer is having an identity”, tisci said during interviews about the collection; which definitely adds a sense of retrospect from the designer. no doubt, tisci has made his mark with his work at givenchy, but why would he take this season to look back at all he’s done? unless he was planning to open a new chapter? speculation has lead us to believe that belgian designer, raf simons, is in the lead for the race to dior; but even that has never been confirmed beyond speculated reports. time will tell if this collection is a simple design check point for ricardo, or if it is indeed the closing of one chapter & the opening of a new. cited inspiration for the hand-made collection were 20′s films metropolis (1927) & aelita: queen of mars (1924), which can be seen in the collections concepts of art deco & crystalized embellishments. always a stand out each season, tisci has been doing delicate & powerfully influenced collections of exotic birds & samurais the last two seasons, while this season sees him going back to his darker roots. one piece from the collection was reported taking 350 hours to create- signal enough that the collection is no laughing matter. i always love when designers take opposition, further contrasting themselves against seasons, in fashion. for spring, generally, one would assume that romantic direction would be taken with beautiful florals, like many of the other collections we’ve seen thus far. but tisci, like a true original, separated himself from that expectation; presenting something chic & darkly glamourous.

listed in order from left to right, the 10 piece collection was modeled by joan smalls, stella tennant, ana claudia michels, kristen mcmenamy, saskia de brauw, daria strokous, natasha poly, zuzanna bijoch, valerija kelava & kati nescher. im always extrememly interested to see how tisci opts to have each collection shot. for the pre-fall season, i heard the collection was shot in the streets of brooklyn. this collection? shot in what appears to be a basketball court, which is hinted at the hoop net above the 10 looks & the basketball that rests below the ten models’ feet. overall, the collection is still just a glimpse of design construction genius in images. even when seeing collections through video or strategic lighting, the art of couture is to be experienced in real life, off screen- something that digital media could never replace. what i value most about couture is, despite the advancements of sewing machines, laser cut leather & other modern technology- there is no greater value than a classical technique handed down from generation to generation, from one skilled individual to another. tisci demonstrates that even the most modern fashion houses can still rock with tradition in a way that truly blends the new school with the old. you don’t need me to say it, by just looking at the collection- the designs are impeccable & tisci, via givenchy remains un-fucking-touchable. [source]

01 24 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

PARIS – when looking at couture collections, i take into complete consideration that the pieces are nothing, digitally, compared to what they are in person. so many designers, low budget brands & miscellaneous kiosks in shopping malls have completely slained the meaning, historical value & heritage of haute couture. in looking to identify what true couture is, each season, i’ve made more of a concious effort to stay away from design hype with no delivery, concepts with no consistency & just all around poor design. giambattista valli is one design name that i’ve come to look out for during show season, during ready-to-wear also but more particularly during couture season. there is a presence of design drama that labels are allowed to present during couture season, which i feel is rooted in the true meaning of what fashion is.

giambattista in particular is one interesting design entity, with an incredible life that seemingly revolves around couture. after getting an education during his childhood at the a vatican school in italy, valli began to sketch. these sketches soon followed valli’s comprehension of silhouette, which lead to him duplicating illustrations done by yves saint laurent. valli’s first job was working along side cecilia fanfani, doing production of couture shows in rome. as if that gig was ill enough, he then transitioned into public relations at roberto capucci which eventually led him to a promotion as design staff. during his time at capucci, valli has said that he began to gain a better understanding of the technical aspects of both color & volume, two aspects which have a powerful presence in his own design work. amidst his beginnings in fashion for many years, valli presented his first couture collection in 2011. astonishingly, by looking at his design work, it’s able to hang tough with some of the best. with a collaboration with retail giant, macy’s, waiting in the wings- valli’s star is definitely one that is one the rise to greater commercial success & global recognition. already a star on the high fashion circuit, valli’s latest couture collection rests in great design & consistent execution through greatness.

even more interestingly, this couture collection is said to be a recap of all the skills valli has learned during his entire development as a designer & through what he was taught during his time in the ateliers. staying true to the season of summer/spring 2012, the collection was light, romantic & hyper-feminine; all aspects i love of design. elegant use of lace added just the right touch of style induced seduction while the clothes never lacked sophistication. voluminous bows accented the collection’s sleek silhouettes as floral embroidery was seen along with modern use of leather. it was a powerful contrast of soft & strong, powerful & delicate. as the collection drew closer to a close, the lines in the collection became almost liquified, spilling onto the runway while lavish floral head pieces added that giambattista touch, ever so slightly. use of pattern was seen more vibrantly toward the final look, which was colored pink, fuschia & purple with printed petals. overall, the collection blossomed beatifiully onto the runway. the show sequence along with the choice techniques to represent couldn’t have been produced or executed any more perfectly. one of the best couture collections of this season, for sure. this collection signifies a new level being entered, a raising of the bar for valli, who is clearly on the brink of making fashion history. what’s so dope about giambattista as a designer is that his past experience & heavy involvment in fashion have all cosmically prepared him for the work he is doing. an inspiring artist, a true visionary of fashion- hands up for giambattista, he killed this. [source]

01 24 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: CHRISTIAN DIOR

PARIS – after the disastrous FW11 haute couture collection presented by the house of dior, i had my reservations about whether or not this season’s couture set would even be of any value. under the direction of dior atelier’s bill gaytten, the collection presented was flawless. seemingly inspired by the same aspects of dior archives that had inspired john galliano for much of his time at the house, the collection presented classic silhouettes of voluminous skirts with a bit of sheer flirtation that was accented by hand stitched floral embroidery. sound tracked by lana del rey’s “video games”, the theme of fantasy was well played & clearly translated. opening the couture presentation, which boasted a front row seat for actress cameron diaz, was karlie kloss of next models ny. use of houndstooth & the signature cat eye were seen on the runway, driving the presence of classical beauty even further. theatrical just enough to remind you that the house has not fallen, i was floored by each look- completely. a controlled palette of black, white & nude was seen as shots of red & some deep purples were added to the mix, but did not disrupt the timeless appeal.

looks in leather, accented by long length gloves were seen alongside techniques of exposed stitching, belted waists & beautifully ombre’d dresses. the power was definitely in the details for dior this season, which was evident in the surprisingly strong collection. writhing in regality, each look was more beautiful than the last & the gowns which closed the collection became more & more dramatized. crystal encrusted beading, plaid & layers upon layers of elegant textiles were presented. with the position of creative director still in the air, i was completely impressed with this season’s couture collection & began to question the need for a new director. under gaytten, whom has worked alongside galliano for quite some time, could be a shoe in. this collection being evidence enough, the house of dior is heavily based on concepts of classic beauty & christian dior himself had created a lifetime of inspiration that could easily be referenced by the atelier who has produced these looks each season. while there seems to be no rush in filling the position anytime soon, ready to wear collections for show season are rapidly approaching. it’s clear, the beauty we’ve come to expect from the house of dior is still very much present & rests on the skills of the atelier, who has done a commendable job in the absence of a director. unendingly inspired by how classic this collection is; im excited to see what will be presented for paris fashion week, when womenswear collection are presented in february. applause to bill gaytten for stepping up to the plate this season to slay with classic style & complete sophistication. [source]

01 24 2012

COUTURE COLLECTIONS: ATELIER VERSACE

PARIS - in their return to the runways of haute couture, donatella stood in front of a gold mirrored stair case in paris to unveil 15 jaw-droppingly gorgeous, extensively detailed haute couture gowns. just when you thought you could count the italian fashion house out, due in large part to their collections with fast fashion retailer H&M, the iconic atelier versace collections come crashing onto the runway. in anticipation of the collection, i had been looking at archived collections, both ready to wear & couture of versace, designed by donatella’s brother gianni from the late 80′s into the 90′s. what i love of versace is their use of sex through sophistication. when gianni versace was still alive, death by murder in 1997, he had a way of taking flash & turning it into trend. he took the gaudy & unwearable, transforming it into the chic & ultra-feminine. this move made an indelible mark on high fashion & versace remains one of the most iconic fashion houses for it. in the heritage of the italian label, gianni became known for taking hardware & making it wearable- using taboo concepts & churning them out on the glittering runways of milan & paris. for a while, the couture side of versace had become dormant along with the labels diffusion collection, versus. through industry trials & financial woes following the death of gianni, the house of versace has definitely stayed in the fighting spirit. headlines of downward revenue have been circling for years but now it seems that the label is hitting their stride once more in the new year. take for example, the H&M collections. one thing is certain of H&M, they know how to produce fashion for the masses & the inclusion of versace with their annual design collaboration allows a wider audience to partake in the fashion festivities while not having to suffer the escalated price points. the success of this collaboration brough a new level of luxe to H&M, also proving to be a golden union for versace who has been looking to push their design presence even further into the new & modern market. following their fall collection, versace also opted to follow-up with a cruise collection in a continual effort to push themselves upon consumers who will never be able to drop a couple grand for a gown.

on the heels of their fast fashion domination, the house of versace, under the guidance of donatella, have clearly not forgotten about their home in the luxury market. i was extremely excited to see that they would be making a return to the couture presentation circuit in paris, considering that they had only been producing custom looks from their made-to-order division. all things considered, custom isn’t couture. a few altered hemlines so that your titties sit right is nothing compared to hours spent by the atelier, hand beading a custom gown with a metal neckline. absent from the couture scene since 2004, the collection marked a goddess like return sound tracked by operatic excellence that was beautifully contrasted by the ultra-modern, hyper-sexual image that versace has become known for & delivered so well. dubbed “warrior women” by donatella herself, video previews of the collection truly evoked this persona as models- in order- karlie kloss, daria strokous, maud welzen, jasmine tookes, kendra spears, kati nescher, josephine skriver, lindsey wixson who stole the show with super sass, kate king, arizona muse, sara blomqvist, karmen pedaru, sigrid agren, kasia struss & rose georgiou modeled the 15 hand crafted pieces. do keep in mind that simple images do not do pieces like this any justice. i wanted to take time to find high quality images for you to get a better sense of the artistry that is represented in each piece, with every detail & design technique. exaggerated silhouettes, hand beading, laser cut leather- the collection was a beautiful return to haute couture & im hoping that the house of versace will stick around, with such glamorous consistency, for the next decade. collections like this remind you that fashion is not ‘just clothes’ but an ar tform of historical proportions. [source]

01 23 2012

FALL MENSWEAR: RICK OWENS

PARIS – rick owens was always a designer that i was fascinated by but didn’t necessarily understand upon my getting better acquainted with fashion. it’s that lack of understanding that has pushed me to gain a better feel for what true ‘fashion’ is & how it is driven by style. in the context of style, rick owens is one of the best. if looking at just the clothes, just the images & never scratching the surface of the essence of what rick owens represents in fashion- of course you would never understand. as my last collection review for the FW12 menswear season, i wanted to close on a high note. this high note being the true mark of showmanship that can only be done by rick. with his legions of black, grey, white & the occasional bone toned fashion followers- rick is a true original in this game of fake fashion fucks. sound tracked by what i would describe as new wave tribal, everything from sound to stage, cut to seam- rick owens has mastered the art of expression while not worrying about what ‘everyone else’ is doing. while other designers find it necessary to expose nipples, shorten hem lines & add logos, sequins or fur; there exists owens. much of his approach to fashion, as a design force, is almost etched in the crevices of his runway show production. a show by every sense of the word; it’s magical to see sets of models sprayed onto the runway in sleek silhouettes of leather, platformed calve high boots & funneled necks. that is rick owens. it’s almost so mesmerizing to see his collection walk the runway that you become so engulfed in the production that you find yourself having to watch again, because the collection itself is dripping in details. details that stretch the mere style, into an essential.

what i loved about rick owens this season was his feel for that galactic aesthetic. stronger lines, more structure & a runway entrance that was cocaine white & glowing under stage lights. with an upcoming exhibit for his furniture about to commence, owens has taken every opporutnity to immerse himself in celebratory fashion for this event & his latest collection fell into that catagory. dubbed ‘magic mountain’ the collection is cited for it’s aspiration, inspiration & sportiff style direction. the essence of magic, i feel, is represented in the collections use of interplanetary lines that seem unbreakable when added to the rick owens silhouette. this season’s fall collection was praised for being aerodynamic, as rick’s favored silhouettes of relaxed pants & form fitting shirts that drift far beyond the waist were all meticulously combined. what i love of rick’s collection is that they take on even greater creative form in person, when purchased. the true art of rick’s clothes cannot even begin to be felt through simple images or show video- which seem to drown out details, which allow rick’s collections to be received on a greater, much more valued, style level. i am continually inspired by rick’s unbreakable sense of dedication to his own aesthetic, which has spawned many, many trends in high fashion & continues to puncture the culture & their perception of style.

01 23 2012

FALL MENSWEAR: DAMIR DOMA

PARIS – the globalization of fashion is well translated through each designers work & has been more in the past few seasons, over the past couple of years. whether it’s increased luxury demands in china or the incline in jobs of the fashion industry in milan- the presence of the international market is stronger than ever. damir doma is an interesting character, to say the least, amidst the flocks of fashion designers who circle in, out & around the realm of high fashion. of croatian & german nationality, doma cites his mother as most influential in his design career development. growing up in germany, where his mother had a clothing atelier, doma boasts a ravishing resume filed with studies in munich & berklin, followed by his graduating with manga cum laude at munich & berlin’s own l’ecole supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode- which in simpler terms is known as ESMOD, one of the top design education establishments in the world with 17 international fashion design & tailoring programs. after completion of his degree, doma went on to relocate to belgian fashion capital antwerp & worked alongside designers, dirk schönberger & raf simons. again, another designer that i gravitate to whom is based in antwerp; the same theme of experimentation that i seem to have grown quite accustomed to is present yet again. with menswear being launced by doma in the spring of 2008, followed by the launch of his womenwear in paris during the fall of 2010, damir is a designer well on the rise. coasting just along the right lines of the luxury market, damir is a name i’ve associated with high fashion but still also love for it’s under the radar appeal. with a hidden store location in the paris fashion district of marais, damir is also an official member of the fédération française de la couture- which basically certifies that you’re a fuckn boss on the design scene. overtime, i’ve come to appreciate damir’s love for flowing silhouettes, controlled palettes & internationally inspired direction. this season, he continues to represent that beautiful inspiration into the FW12 men’s fashion week season in paris, but with a few exciting new addition to his otherwise controlled concepts of design. though a minimalist myself, i more than appreicated this season’s opposition.

inspired by african, asian & slavic costumes; doma hit the ground running with this collection- presenting extravagent fur out the gate, for the collection’s first look. often thought to be uncluttered, minimalistically clean & less about flash, more about lines & construction- i did not expect the level of glamour we got from damir this season. i was every bit as obsessed as i am any other season with his simplified silhouettes as i was with his use of red prayer beads along with his extensive use of fur. i like when i can come to expect a certain direction from a designer & then they lean all the way left, creating a sense of unpredictability, pleasantly, through design. the inspiration of globalized costumes was very well translated & communicated by each look which was accented by stripes, rich tribal patterns, dramatic capes & flowing coats. there were some looks that hinted that the familiar doma was still present but an even more dramatic presence, with added depth was seen this season. beyond impressed is what i was upon seeing the collection, look by look & then in my taking a step back to look at the collection as a whole. not that i had doubted prior, but there was a greater presence of story telling in this collection from damir doma, which is another aspect i look for in collections each season. there is a message here, a perspective & actual thought that is going into the clothes. overall, a strong vision with amazing execution. i cannot wait to see how this direction, if my hopes are fufilled, will be mirrored in damir’s women’s collection in a few weeks. beautiful collection, love the inspiration & how each region, though very diverse, were combined & meshed perfectly. [source]

01 23 2012

FALL MENSWEAR: ANN DEMEULEMEESTER

PARIS – obsessed is what i was when i seen the jewel toned blue & ombre effect used by antwerp’s own ann dememulemeester. as one of those designers who basically doesn’t give a fuck about trend, i had expected a blacked out palette from ann & go the complete opposite- which was incredibly refreshing. inspired by poet, arthur rimbaud, this fall demeulemeester decided to change things up & go outside of her color comfort zone by creating something beautifully vibrant. last seasons menswear designs were inspired by the desert & this season, an entirely new direciton was taken. of course, ann created sophistication in her own way by again presenting that look of worn elegance that we’ve come to expect from her. as a designer of the iconic antwerp six, the theme of design experimentation that is so clearly translated was yet again seen. use of graphic prints, which was placed strategically to mirror the look of colored gradation was matched perfectly to the elongated design lines & stretched silhouettes of the fall collection. sleek & modern, the collection quickly departed from it’s usual black pieces & faded into a set of white pieces which were paired with the incredible ombre’d pieces that swam in & throughout the collection to it’s close.

the collections presented by demuelemeester always contain the usual leather pieces, boots & blazers- but this season it was a bit different. in palette the collection was already hit with white early on & soon following, waves of red were dipped into the collection- contrasting against the harsh blacks like lava. hot indeed, the collection palette then grew to a cool which was translated through a rich set of navy, which was followed by grey & then spun into a chic set of jewel toned blue. sharply tailored, the collection held a varied set of concepts in a range of tones that were, well, unexpected. i loved the collection so much for it’s use of color, especially considering how ann seemingly avoids over use of it. the inspiration of french poet, rimbaud almost added another dimension of lively hood. considering the poets literary beginnings during his teens, that same freshness was well translated into the clothes. models walked the runway with gelled hair matted & sticking about- which adds to the edge associated with the demeulemeester brand. likely one of the more intellectually inspired collections, i admire ann for her fearlessness in design & how well she is able to translate her design vision, each season. [source]

Follow “”