12.09 // the cold dark months are closing in…

Ugh. It’s reached that unbearable point in December – the wind is howling around outside at about 50 mph, creaking my windows and whipping the last few desperately clinging leaves off the trees. All throughout today, it’s been alternating between a disgusting slushy rain and icy flakes that have yet to stick to the ground for more than an hour. All that loveliness will no doubt freeze to the ground overnight, though, as it’s going down to 6 degrees.

Yes, 6.

Don’t move to Michigan.

In other news, I fervently apologize for my utter lack of post-age on here. Somehow, I’ve managed to not have any free time… or anything to post about, really… My NaNoWriMo novel is still unfinished, which constantly preys on my mind… That and my sub-par chem and math grades + disgusting, unmotivating weather = zero posts.

My fingers are freezing. I’m inside. The weather is outside. This isn’t fair.

In other news, Pre-Fall 2010 has rolled around once again… ridiculously preemptive, you say? Well, maybe, but such is the way of the fashion world. The Copenhagen climate talks are in full swing, and yet… nothing’s managing to get done. Such is the way of political matters interfering with non-political affairs… e.g., the future of our planet. Ho hum.

In other other news, I’m halfway through The Idiot (Dostoevsky) – it’s proved to be a pretty good one, once you get past the names (and get them all straightened out… I drew a character map, haha).

Chanel Pre-Fall 2010

Hanna Rundlof

Freja Beha Erichsen

Jessica Stam

Denisa Dvorakova

Versace

Charlotte di Calypso

Ha… and here I was thinking I’d be going to bed early because I didn’t have homework. Turns out Russian lit + impromptu naptime does not = early bedtime.  😛

bon soir, mes cheries!

~ r

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Chanel film et les choses autres…

Chanel Train de Nuit film, technically illegal to have unauthorised links to… seriously, does Chanel think it can regulate internet content completely? Desole, mais il n’est pas etre. Voici!

Copyright Chanel, etc etc. Audrey Tautou.

Oh, aussi: Richard Nicoll // Fall 2009

Jessica Stam.

…et aussi aussi, de VOGUE US sept ’91…

Sleeeepytime now.

~ r

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4.26 // I dream of summer, pure and simple and clean

Joseph Font.

Chiara Baschieri.

Spent all of today in a watermelon red sports bra and a sarong, perfect for these humid days. Tried to go to the beach, but was interrupted by unwelcome clouds and drizzle. Ate hummus. Napped. All in all, a very productive day.
So, swine flu. I can’t decide if this is one of those cases where everyone overreacts and goes crazy over nothing, or if it’s going to be Black Plague 2.0. I’m hoping for the former, thinking it’ll be somewhere between the two. What’s sure is that I’ll be washing my hands a lot, and i recommend the same for you.

On the brighter side of life… reviewing my favourite Spring ’09 collections:

Abaete // Spring 2009

Calvin Klein // Spring 2009

Chloe

Sophie Srej.

Elsa Sylvan.

DIOR

FENDI

Myf.

Sigrid Agren.

That dress might seriously be my favourite from Spring.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

The skirts, the seamlessness of the pieces, and the colours are what really sold me on this collection. This is probably my second to Fendi.

Another detail was the neckline (high & wide) and the open arm holes.

LANVIN

MARC JACOBS

Love the mini-corset.

MISSONI

PRADA (!)

Vying for third comes the wonderfully wrinkled PRADA… with those infamous heels…

Talk about bad ideas. But cute. But dangerous.

Love the ruched & wrinkled bras.

So freakin’ skeletal.

Mmm, VERSACE time!

I love looking at old (relatively) collections… it’s like talking to a friend you haven’t seen in ages.  🙂

Capping it off with YSL and the now-legendary CAGE SHOE!

DROOL.

/* end Spring 2009 runway looks */

/* begin street style */

I dream of endless summer

filled with warmth and light

laughter sweeps away any grief

wipes away the last tear

life is simple, pure, and clean

youth is renewed, innocence restored

sparks lit, flames rekindled

days spent lazing in the shade

long, hot nights together, forever.

Summer is the stuff of myths

the wond’rous legends of old

when anything is possible –

no story untold, no song unsung,

no limits, no bound’ries to be seen,

everything is new. Endless summer,

the last constraints tossed away

leaves life open and ready for living.

So go, spend your days carefree,

while away your hours,

dash into a field of flowers –

I’ll see you there someday.

~ r

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3.12 // Paris! Hermes, Galliano, & Elie Saab

Can it be? Fashion Week is over? *heart-wrenching sob*
Actually I’m ok with that. But anyway: Hermes, Galliano, & Elie Saab.

HERMES featured an aviator theme, which was a refreshing breeze (ha ha, get it? Aviator? Breeze? ….. never mind.)

Raquel Zimmerman. I love the runway itself!

Yulia Kharlaponova.

Natasha Poly.

Hannelore Knuts.

Heidi Mount.

Tatjana Patitz.

So yeah. A bit of Eskimo-esque-ness at the end there. Now for the glorious Galliano!
Very Russian, very winter-wonderland-y. Very very very gorgeous, it seems to bare the essence of Fashion itself. The amazing clothes were accented by an almost fairytale setting and a dusting of snow, perfectly complementing each other. Dark, luxe colours and fabrics mixed with a few bright looks – a red minidress (complete with lampshade skirt) and a brightish blue coat and dress stood out amongst the throngs of gentle grey coats, white sheer loose leggings, and hugely accented corsets and skirts. The shoes – oh, the shoes! – pompom’ed, platformed, tall, and cool. Ridicuously ornate and embellished headdresses and necklaces and chains were flaunted throughout, echoing traditional Russian decoration.

Maryna Linchuk.

Vlada Roslyakova.

Raquel Zimmerman.

Irina Kulikova.

Anja Rubik.

Sigrid Agren.

Toni Garrn.

Anna Jagodzinska.

Anabela Belikova.

Lily Donaldson.

Olga Sherer.

Georgina Stojilkovic.

Ksenia Kahnovich.

Natasha Poly.

Jessica Stam.

Viviane Orth.

Space pirate? John Galliano.

A truly gorgeous line – while it’s not really wearable per se, it really is… just…. wow-inspiring. The shoes are fun, too – perhaps one of the few really wearable pieces in the whole thing. That, and maybe… umm… the necklaces?
AHH who cares? It’s brilliant and gorgeous and we love it. So there.

Moving on to Elie Saab!

Following many of the trends, the line encompassed neutrals and sheers, bold shoulders and one-shouldered straps. It gave off an air of “cool, calm, collected, and crisp”, due to the subdued hues (pale seafoam green gowns, light grey dresses, black coats, and a few light blue numbers – all interspersed between white, white, white) and the minimalist display.

Jessica Stam – the new Michael Jackson? (Look at the glove…)

Anna Selezneva. More furry arms? (see D&G’s pink gorilla arms)

Coco Rocha in a feathered (?) cape and under that stunning hair. Agh. I want to go redhead (but that would look ridiculous).

Simple & minimalist grey dress.

Yasminka Muratovich. Not quite so simple… very D&Gesque shoulders. I like it though; the lace is nice. It’d be better without the monster arms.

Constance Jablonski. Sky blue, not really a colour we’ve seen much on the runways recently… good! Sky blue: not just for spring anymore!

Georgina Stojilkovic (one of my new favourites!) in electric blue. Love this colour – the neckline & shoulders are good too. Who else had that kind… agh.

Michela Kocianova. The jacket on this looks almost like the top half of a kimono.

Beautiful on Belle, more electric blue!

Tatyana Usova. Aaggghhh this is such a gorgeous shade, especially on her skin! And wearable, too. Very Grecian Goddess-y.

Georgina again. Gorgeous crystall-y crisscross & sheer floaty gown.

Vlada Roslyakova. Striking silhouette… and I should figure out how to get my hair to do that…

Nothing too wild, but still simply (literally) gorgeous.

Look(s) du jour:

Irina Kulikova. Duuuude, that’s sweet. More!

Jourdan Dunn.

Inna Pilipenko. Hehe, furry shoes!

With more homage to Mother Russia, Kenzo // Fall 2009.

~ r

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3.7 // Paris! Dior, Lanvin, & MMM

CHRISTIAN DIOR

Taking keys from Poiret (a WWI-era French designer), Dior’s collection had an Eastern theme: brocaded everything, harem pants, ikat patterns, and Eastern looks in general. Blip form Style.com:

“Happily, there was no sense of straining for a recession solution about it. After treating Dior’s standard suitings to a light, shortened adaptation of Poiret’s hobble skirt, Galliano moved on to paisley-print day dresses and thence to the drapey harems (best in cream satin with a pale beige astrakhan gilet). That opened a neat portal through which Galliano’s romantic, silver filigree Indian-embroidered chiffon cocktail and evening dresses could pass, looking effortlessly pretty. The result: grown-up fare for regular women, editorial-grade styling to appeal to the fashion press, and, in total, a clever feat of simultaneous translation from a well-traveled designer who knows how to reach his global markets.”

Turban and mini hobble skirt.

Very Poiret looking.

Yulia Kharlaponova. Very Asian-looking.

Anja Rubik. The top has traces of Asian influence in it with that side seam.

Tallulah Morton. Those headpieces are very Poiret-inspired. (I’ll put some pictures up after the collection)

Emma Maclaren.

Serafima Vakulenko.

Siri Tollerad.

Jessica Stam. Look at those pants!

Viviane Orth.

Lily Donaldson.

And just because, John Galliano.

And so you can see Poiret’s influence on Galliano without lots of Googling, here:

All images from here. Good read if you want to know more about Poiret.

A few sketches.

OK, moving on to LANVIN. (Yay!)
Lanvin’s show – staged on a water-covered concrete runway (to look like an average street) – combined Parisian chic with reality, basically; Albert Elbaz (the genius behind Lanvin) said he “thought with his heart of what women needed from fashion- dresses, suits, blouses coats. Life isn’t just parties and lunches” and gave it to them in the form of knotted dresses, drapes, bias-cut dresses, and simple shapes. The overall tone was ever-so-slightly 1940’s, but only just traces.

Vlada Roslyakova.

Siri Tollerad.

Ali Stephens.

Kim Noorda. Slightly goth, this one.

Anna Jagodzinska.

Lanvin, as always, came through.

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

Mmm.

Maja Perovic.

Daul Kim.

Belle.

Ines.

Emma Xie.

Ludmilla Dom Perignon.

Tara Gill.

Elcee Sharypkina.

This is too cool.

Those are so sweet…. and relatively easy to duplicate, it looks like… hmm…

Look du jour (more 30’s themes!):

Azzaro // Fall 2009.

From The Sartorialist. [Milan].

Backstage at Dior. (The Moment blog)

Ciao,

~ r

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3.3 // MFW: Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, and Dsquared2

VERSACE

Props to Donatella – while many designers have gone the way of the past (80’s, that is) with bright hot neon hues, wild prints and patterns, and rampant architecuring (?), she opted for a more refined look.

Raquel Zimmerman. A bit of glam, a bit of edge, a bagful of chic.

Sigrid Agren. Silky pale lavender, simple, timeless, elegant.

Blue fur!

Yulia Kharlaponova. Simple black pant with a slightly shiny navy one-shoulder top.

Vlada Roslyakova. Marilyn Monroe, anyone?

Natasha Poly. Nude silk dress with a sheer one-shouldered look (interesting how she sort of played the two trends against each other).

Yulia Kharlaponova. Gorgeous colour, sexy cuts, great floaty dress.

DOLCE & GABBANA

30’s, 40’s, edgy, luxe, and firmly D&G.

Katrin Thormann. Huge shoulders added to a huge, fluffy, totally luxe white fur coat. Simple lines on the skirt.

Karlie Kloss. A print slightly reminiscent of snakeskin with the iconic pouf sleeves. Bows on the head.

Lily Donaldson. More shoulders, more line… linebacker? Not at all.

Jourdan Dunn. Fur-looking dress, fur collar, huge sleeves.

Chanel Iman. Hot pink silk, ruffles, bows, glitter, and glam.

Jac. Loads of ruffles and bows, pouffy sleeves, huge necklace.

Karmen Pedaru. Blue checked silk dress, blue fur collar, black leather gloves.

Olga Sherer. Look at the shoes! Nice pouffy sleeves with a bell at the end; sheer skirt, blue, bow.

Natasha Poly. Gorgeous huge skirt with Marilyn Monroe prints.

FENDI
Raw, semi-destroyed, refugee-like, yet luxe materials.

Jessica Stam. Leather pants, rough-looking coat.

Ali Stephens. Camel-coloured fur and suede coat, looks so warm…

Gloves and, most importantly, the shoe-boots make a statement!

Leather corset, gladiator-esque bangles, fur-trimmed shoulders, and a hooded dress.

Nice thigh-highs, simple coat, bright red hooded dress.

Deep, rich red simple dress; bangles and bag.

Ali Stephens. Layered fur coat over a black… jumpsuit?

Catherine McNeil. Lace hem and top; stunning gloves and shoulders.

Black coat with overlay details and a feathery trim. Teal shoeboots.

DSQUARED2
Theme: simple mixing high- and low-end pieces; wearability. Featuring models with everything from Starbucks to Blackberries, this line screams practical chic.

Freja Beha Erichsen. Can’t you see this on the streets?

Heidi Mount. A bit of boho-chic in this. Very Olsen.

Giant scarf, cargo pants (?!?), lavender cardi under a leather jacket.

Great shorts: neutral, high-waisted (a bit), loose, simply chic. The vest and hat top it off.

Toni Garrn. Loose, sort of high-waisted khaki pants, cuffed up = trend, natch. And oh look, layering on top! Fur, denim, cardi, and a knit tee. And caffeine.

Daria Strokous. Matching shoes & bag – leopard print – with stovepipe jeans, a nude scarf, and a great black fur-trimmed coat.

Studded jacket, mixed layers, chic-in-a-bun. Ha ha, idk.

Look du jour:

Photo via The Sartorialist. Love her matching green shoes, gloves, and hat, all mixed in with the simple black coat.

SHOE DU JOUR:

Prada // Fall 2009. Utilitarian sole, luxe upper.

~ r

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