Hate to Love #2

I find it very difficult figuring out what I think about Alexander Wang. I used to be very comfortable disliking him, and being judgmental about the girls that wore his clothes, and would smugly dismiss his collections for being style over substance gone mad. And I generally still do think that! Remember his homage to baseball? Yeah nice concept and the styling was kind of cool but pick the outfits apart there's not much to wear. Same thing with his witchy office workers - for a guy who supposedly creates clothes that 'real girls' wear, the collection was more costume than wearable.

But then he had to go and throw a spanner in the works for me with Autumn '11 because goddamit I really really liked it. I even have some shoes from it! It's super glossy and glam and over the top and the heavy use of pom poms and fur was very compelling (critics can talk all they want about how fluffy fur is an intellectual, ironic take on new luxury or whatever, but deep down everyone just gets gleeful over a good pom pom). But I think what was impressive about the show is that he finally got smart with proportions and tailoring. It's like with  previous collections he had all these great ideas but couldn't translate them 100% because of a lack of dressmaking skills. Reviews made a big deal about how this collection was "Wang grown up", which was mainly a response to the inclusion of 'luxury' elements like fur and satin and big coats, but I think it was just the first time the clothes looked like they fit right.

Of course this is all last season. You might have thought this was a heartwarming tale of the hate of a designer turned to love forever - but for Spring '12 he was right back to annoying me with a bunch of ugly Nascar outfits. Ah well, there's always February...

all images from vogue.com

Sassy Lady

This is just a neat editorial from Vogue Russia which does ladylike 50s, just like every other damned magazine on the planet, but doesn't make me yawn. It could be due to the inclusion of some Meadham Kirchoff, and it could be in large part due to Meghan Collison who has that knack of always looking pissed off, and a little bit scary, and like she smoked at school and still smokes now. And come to think of it how did one reviewer describe her in the Miu Miu show? "She [Prada] opened with a model who let's just say doesn't belong to the Natasha Poly school of good looks". This could be interpreted as an insult, but Natasha Poly is totally boring, so really it's a compliment.

Here is also a still shot from a fashion film she was in for T Magazine a while ago, and here is the link the the 'film'. She got sent to real life clairvoyants all dolled up and the results were sneakily filmed. The video is overly dramatic in film-student kind of way, but still spooky and moody.

My sister just came in while I was finishing this post and said "she looks like Lorelai Gilmore" (you know, from Gilmore Girls) which could embarrassingly explain why I like her but could also explain why everyone else likes her too - maybe Miuccia Prada watches Gilmore Girls! I really hope she does. I hope that every time she makes a statement about feminism, Rory and Lorelai Gilmore are informing her opinions. One day an interviewer will be pressing her for more details on her views about the role of women in society, and she will throw her hands up and cry "Please I do not know! I just watch Gilmore Girls!".

Editorial images from Fashion Gone Rogue

Last image from T Magazine

Pre-Fall 2012

Pre-fall is generally pretty boring isn't it? I guess it's more of a business enterprise than an exercise in creativity (fun for those who can afford designer clothes and always want new things to buy, not so much fun for those of us who can only write about them). However sometimes pre-fall delivers gems because designers can be more frivolous than usual - they don't have to have the kind of 'serious' inspiration found in Spring and Autumn!

Case in point Proenza Schouler (I talk about them a fair bit don't I?): what was their inspiration for Pre-Fall '12? Sleeping bag quilting of course! The collection is pretty tiny and to be honest a lot of it was pretty meh, but they used this emerald green and dark navy that's very moody and regal so I'll show you those looks:

On the other end of the scale, Chanel delivered a pre-fall collection that was huge (78 looks) and much better than any collection Karl Lagerfeld has made in the last five years (at least). Old Karl was tired of everyone looking to China and Japan and stuff, and so being the envelope pusher that he is, did something <sarcasm>totally different<sarcasm> and looked to India of all places! I don't think he understands that the reason that fashion has focused on China lately is that they are having a huge middle-class economic boom, not because of some lame-ass cultural appropriation 'creative' reason. Lagerfeld himself has never even been to India, so insults the country by confusing their culture with douchebaggy students from 2001 who travel there to find spirituality or whatever (there were dreadlocks, it was terrible).
I guess it's kind of good then that this collection was met with some outrage! HOWEVER. It was outrage for the totally wrong reason. While the critics should have been getting all angsty about the condescending way that European/North American designers routinely borrow from, and homogenize, 'exotic' cultures, instead they were getting riled up about how extravagent the whole show and collection was. Because of the current economic situation in Europe. Because it's rude or something (totally not rude to India btw).

And so all things considered, I feel a little bit conflicted about the fact that - I really liked some of the collection. Chanel collections are always way too big for everything to be a hit, and more than half of this one was a miss, but what he got right here he got SO RIGHT. I didn't have a problem with all the extravagance (yeah yeah I'm contrary), so all those dripping jewels and gold embroidery satisfied the princess inside of me  (a lot of girls have this). A sari is far more fitting for a princess than any stupid pink taffeta. Here are the looks that are good, while bearing in mind that originally there were 78:

As a p.s. here is one look that didn't fit in with anything else, but the colours of the stripes and that navy are just so satisfying it makes me smile and sigh. Also Julia Nobis always gets the best, baddass looks.

An Ode to One's Bed

It is obvious now that when I said, over a month ago, that I was going to be "very sporadic" in my posting, I was very much lying. Not that I knew it at the time, but a lie nonetheless.

But that's ok! I'm back now! In celebration this post is about the thing that one (a.k.a. me) tends to dream about when sleeping on couches and uncomfortable trundler beds when you are overseas and have no say about where you sleep: your own bed.
One's own bed is a very special thing. You may not have spectacular linen and a fabulous mattress and a bronzed bed frame, but it is yours and it is where you rest each night and thus it is important. Beds, in my opinion, also radiate a special sort of calm. Looking at a photograph of a bed (in a bedroom, that is an essential) can be quite meditative, very peaceful. And World of Interiors, of course, produce the best, most peaceful photos of beds out.

So put on some jazz or white noise and peruse through these...

Going Away!

I'm going away! For a month exactly, so posting is going to be very sporadic. In the spirit of my departure, here is Jessica Stam by a boat. I'm not leaving on a boat, but you get the general idea.

Kelly in Japan

So Kelly Mittendorf is the new kooky girl, and usually kooky girls are immensely annoying, but luckily they usually only last one or two seasons. But Kelly Mittendorf is totally different. Sure she may have the strange, almost ugly face of a kooky girl, but if her latest editorial in Vogue Japan is anything to go by, she is way more versatile than your average oddity.

Check out her facials! Like, not her face (which is weird), but her expressions. There is variety there but she doesn't look awkward, and she's rocking some pretty awesome poses and they don't look awkward either. It's like she's been been practising in front of a mirror, and I respect a girl who swots up. But of course there's that element that can't be taught and I think she got it. 

Also, as an aside, Vogue Japan editorials are usually pretty amazing. The creative direction (not even starting to look at styling) is that much different from Vogue Japan's Western counterparts, and they do things with colour and composition that put other editorials to shame. And you can see its effectiveness here! Most of these clothes have been done to death, but now they look new again.

Just a Great Cover

Nothing really today, just this great i-D cover. I know you shouldn't judge a book by a cover, but magazines are about images so I will always buy a magazine with mediocre content if it has a good cover, and will hesitate to buy a magazine with great content if it has a truly awful cover.

These colours are amazing! The quality is so 80s! Jourdan Dunn is resplendent!

photo from Fashion Gone Rogue