SS2010 Couture // Jean Paul Gaultier

Welcome to a Mexico of old… Aztecs, conquistadors, ponchos, the lot. I’ve been swamped with, you know, school and exams and other dull things that so often preoccupy the lives of teenagers worldwide, but when I saw JPG, I just had to do a post. The collection is just so much fun, in such a different vein from, well, everyone else. And that stands out. (And provides a much-needed break from the tedium of the daily high-school grind – a jump into another world, as it were, and a much more interesting one at that).

Starting with this ridiculously vibrant palm tree look, sported by the ever-striking Georgina Stojilkovic:

…and just a peep of those shoes, which I’d love to see more of, thank you JPG…

Maria Kashleva. HAT! The hats are fantastic, costume-y, but not quite – because they actually do hail back to a time gone by. Interesting concept…

Georgina again – those colors, so rich!

The hat, again – like an entire bird has been festooned onto her head!

Olga Sherer. Not-quite-electric-blue, Aztec-sun-shaped hat that matches the shoulders. Mmm. Deliciously fun!

Emina Cunmulaj.

Morgane Dubled.

Anja Rubik.

Birdlike? Queenlike? Warrior-woman-like? Ali Stephens, all of the above.

…and one of those looks that just makes you go Whoa, that’s cool.

Alexandra Rastovic.

Chloe Mortaud.

Kim Noorda.

Tara Gill: coconut pirate?

Magdalena Frackowiak.

Their fingernails and fingers – elaborately ornamented.

Emina Cunmulaj – gorgeous. I’ll be doing a post on her soon…

Sessilee Lopez. Colors, layers, cuts, hair, and – of course – a hat! Although really, “hat” is an understatement – these are more like headpiece art.

Hello!

Morgane Dubled.

The sheer amount of detail and the work that had to go into each and every one of these looks is simply mindblowing.

Iris Strubegger.

Crazy!

Eugena Mandzhieva. Space-age Aztecs? But their calendar runs out in 2012…*

Karlie Kloss.

Arielle Dombasle performing.

Overall: breathtakingly fresh and plain-and-simple fun.

~ r

*My theory on the Aztec calendar? Whoever was chipping away at that massive slab of rock that was their calendar finally got fed up. Can’t you see it? Some poor guys with their chisels in front of a massive wall for weeks and months and years until one of them finally gets fed up enough to point out, “Hey, we’ve got this damn thing done up till about 4000** years from now. I think the next generation can handle it.” But the next generation decided they didn’t want to – leave it for the next generation, right? And it just never got done. So there.

**Not sure of this date…

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8.16 // Upcoming hiatus: BAND CAMP 2009

Yes, it’s that time of year again, the time when we all pack up and squeeze all the clothes and sugar we can into our allowed one suitcase (ridiculous, I know) and bus off to a camp an hour away… for… BAND CAMP!!!

Band camp is a totally amazing experience. For those who have gone, no words are needed. For those who haven’t, no words can fully explain it. It’s just one of those things… it holds a strange, nearly tangible mystique. It’s like a cult, but more fun. Way more fun.

So to tide you over, I present you with some random stuff (street style, Fall runway looks I like all over again, etc). Enjoy and talk to you (ish) on Saturday!

Sigrid Agren

Liu Wen

Chloe // Fall 2009

Miu Miu // Fall 2009

Maxmara // Fall 2009 – the PERFECT coats!

Vlada Roslykova

Kim Noorda

Yulia Kharlaponova

Karmen Pedaru – notice the same twisted belt style as Chloe?

Lanvin // Fall 2009 – definitely one of my Fall favourites, 40s glamous and louche, slouchy suits all the way  🙂

Night!   ~ r

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6.15 // Resort 2010 Round-up

So not a full round-up, but a few of my personal favourites, starting with Balenciaga:

Chanel Iman. I love the peachy colour & cut of the shorts, and the neckline is to die for…

Alex Sandor. This is sort of weird/trippy… mixing 60s mod and futurism, I feel…

Floral, shoes, and the skirt!

DVF was another collection I liked:

Simple cut, wearable, sweet steppers, and a jaunty bow. Mmm.

Alyona Osmanova. Love the colours – I could do without the weird iridescent pocket on the tee, though.

…and Jason Wu, still riding on his Glory Wave from Mrs. Obama’s inaugural gown:

The colour (spearmint green) is such a bright one, perfect for sunny, happy places. And I also like how the shoulders, while obviously pointed & sculptured, aren’t overtly, you know, big.

Mmm, Gucci:

Abbey Lee

Lindsay Ellingson

Karmen Pedaru

…the much-raved-about Chanel:

Jourdan Dunn. Actually – and it may be fashion blasphemy to say so – but I’m not particularly fond of the Chanel resort line. I don’t know, it just doesn’t… strike me. It didn’t feel very cohesive, and some of the patterns were just… weird.

Kim Noorda.

…and lastly, Nicole Miller:

Jelena Jankovic

Is it just me, or is Resort season sort of a world unto itself? Largely ignored (relatively speaking)? Eh, oh well. *shrugs*

~ r

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5.28 // It’s beginning to look a lot like London…

Yep, for about the past 4 or 5 days it’s been cloudy/drizzly/foggy/humid/some bizarre combination of the 4. Great running weather though – 60 degrees, a pinch of humidity, and a light mist. Mmmm. (Just did an easy 4, my running-partner-in-crime-du-jour K wasn’t feeling too well. Oh well).

Ok, WHAT SEASON are those Chloe elf-like studded booties from? And why don’t I know?
Speaking of Chloe…

Pre-Fall 2009

Spring 2009

The Bootie

Mmmm love it.

Fall 2009 – the shoe.

Daughters // Spring 2009 – love the soft look of the grey crop sweater…

Eniko Mihalik

Want to get high and not go to jail? Cannabis to an all-new level: candle form!

via NYLON. Ridiculous, non?

shoelust

So pretty with the freckles & hair…

Turban! (I need to find me a sweet one)

More freckles.

Hehe, Keira Knightley.

Hmmm, nearly friday. Things to do tomorrow…
Oh, didn’t get that job. Ohhh darn, guess I’ll just have to tutor and babysit (and start a clothes rental service?? I pretty much do anyway… haha)

Sois sage, mes amies!

~ r

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5.13 // I am hot, and when I’m not, I’m cold as ice…

Ah, finally! Someone used “comprise” correctly (as opposed to what people say – ‘is comprised of’ – it should be used like this: China (3, comprising 1 in Hong and 2 in mainland China)” – NYT). So there you have it. Grammar tip of the day.

Back to school today. Of course, it rained on the way home. Good news: not a lot of makeup work (minimal). Bad news: I have to take a Bio test tomorrow. Ag.

I started using Google Chrome (their new web browser) yesterday and it’s already made its way as my main browser. It’s fast. I mean lightning fast. Greased-eel-on-a-marble-floor fast. (Yay for weird analogies?) At any rate, I highly recommend it.

Do you watch the Daily Show?

It was good yesterday, talking about how outrageous this Miss CA [Carrie Prejean] thing has gotten. Spun out of control, as it were. What was it Donald Trump said? Ah, yes, this gem: “Carrie is totally beautiful and her answer, because of that, took on greater importance. If her beauty really wasn’t so great, nobody really would’ve cared.”
…wha-wha-wha-WHAT? Holy Sweeping Sexism, Batman!

Also: [Jon] “…because apparently the photos would take away from the dignity of the bikini walking competition that she is required to do… Sexy photo SLUT; swimsuit competition ROLE MODEL.” Uh-huh. Yeah. Personally, I think that pageants (which I always manage to spell wrong) are – GENERALLY – sexist. If not that, then they should just be called beauty contests, because what else is there? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not pretending to be an expert on, ermm, pageants, but from what I (and basically the rest of the world, as far as I can tell) see, that’s what it is. You don’t see any average, small-chested, really smart girl up there talking about, say politics, in sweats. Parading around in a bikini – a requirement which is TOTALLY sexist and, hello, transparently a beauty contest, hands down – can be called nothing but a modeling thing. Really.
Here’s the video.

ANYway. On to fashion.

Hmm, just discovered a slight inconvenience using Chrome en lieu of Firefox: no drag-and-drop images. 😦

Ah, another bug – no resizing images in WordPress. Looks like I’ll be posting from Firefox, then…

Kim Noorda:

What is it with having animals (mainly cats of some type) in editorials lately? The Marchesa one in VOGUE a few months back comes to mind immediately, along with a few random shots I’ve stumbled across online…

Sigrid Agren

Did you know that the Grateful Dead got their name whilst playing a rousing game of “dictionary”?
…ah, the wonders of Wikipedia.

~r

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3.15 // Some spring trends & street style

Ah, spring – everything’s fresh and green and good-smelling… the sun is bright, the clouds are happy puffs, and the sky is blue.

In a word, gorgeous.

Note: I am not here. There. Whatever. Wish I were, though.

Even though there are a few lumps of lingering, stubborn snow, today managed to get up over 60 degrees. Yesssss! I started off the day by shaving dry (EDITOR’S NOTE: don’t.), which wasn’t fun. I have the scars to prove it. I look like I’ve been mauled by a very short bear.
Anyway, spring also means light cotton dresses, cute flats, blouses, cuffed pants, and loads and loads of skirts (pour moi, anyway.) I love how at the beginning of each season, you get the chance to totally revamp your look – go through your wardrobe and see what can be reused, what should be donated, and what should be straight-out set on fire and run from. Of course, not having the luxury of, you know, a budget slightly dampens my mood. I plan to counter this with excessive bargain-hunting and thrift store shopping.

Anyway! A quick note about the economy before I delve into fashion and whatnot.
I know the DOW and S&P and everything have been climbing steadily for the past few days, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Not to be a pessimist, but…

So sure. In the one-month view, it looks pretty spectacular: after a drastic drop, an equally impressive incline. But take it into perspective – one year – and you’ll see we’ve had numerous such bumps.  Not to be a downer… oops, too late. OK time to cheer you up with Springy fashion!

I know we’ve all been riveted on Fall Fashion Week (month, really), but now we must turn our eyes back to the present… not a bad deal. As I mentioned, as the weather gets warmer and life gets happier in general, we’re naturally inclined to dress brighter and happier than we do in the dead of winter [read: voluminous spring frocks en lieu of vintage fur and hundreds of layers]. To make your life a little easier, here are a few key trends for Spring:

Brights, big bangles, beiges and blushes, basic makeup, bold necklaces, chandelier earrings, slouchy trousers, bondage heels and cutout booties, wild wedges, retro-inspired denim (acid washes, high rises – depending on your taste, of course), boyfriend jeans, jumpsuits (if you’re daring enough), loose shorts, and girly skirts (with the proper footwear, natch)  are all (deep breath) on the trend list for spring.
It’s all relative – and I really can’t stress this enough – to your personal taste. If your preferred look is head-to-toe black, then you can still create a fresh, Springy look; just edit your outfits and make some changes in your wardrobe. Still need hints? Here are some highlights of the Spring runways:

Abaete // Spring 2009. Cute, classic dresses are essential for spring (but that’s nothing new)

Light, bright, and airy at Abaete.

All destroyed at Alexander Wang [Ali Stephens]. Lucky for us, easy to replicate, too!

Balenciaga’s alternative to the spring frock. Definitely a stronger silhouette.

And ah, who could possibly forget the BALMAIN band jacket? It seems that it single-handedly (double-shoulderedly, if you will) brought about the 80s revival that swept the fall runways.

Kim Noorda.

Snejana Onopka.

And how could we forget Marc’s obi bel-centric collection? Oh, another thing: Americana, traditional American prints and old-time styles, and layering granny pieces.

More Marc.

Karlie Kloss. Lavender, white, and tan crisp cotton = spring to a T.

Eh, enough runway looks, let’s see how girls are wearing it on the streets!

Bonnie, f21 dress & leggings. Ah yes, leggings & tights, essentials for those days when it’s not quite warm enough to show your whole leg (gasp! scandalous! haha).

Neutral coat + sweet wedges = perfect spring look.

For your more rock-chic look…

Black & white, especially when the white in question is a girly, floatly spring number, is a great transition look. Actually, it’s always in.

Rebecca Taylor // Spring 2009

Black harem-ish pants have also been frequenting the streets…

Simple oversize sweater + leggings = comfy & chic outfit in a minute.

Zippers and sheer, combining 2 big trends. (She made this!)

Classic tailored look.

Wow… I feel sort of lost without a Fashion Week to recap… it’ll probably take me a bit to get used to freelance posts. Alrighty. Look du jour:

Jourdan Dunn at John Paul Gaultier Couture // Spring 2009. Gorgeous, light, flowy gown.

~ r

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3.10 // Paris! YSL, Stella, and Viktor & Rolf

YSL, like so many other fall lines, was monochrome and dark – but not necessarily depressing and recession-y. Pilati took the classic moto jacket and revamped it, amping it up a bit; realistic streetwear was rampant. Yay!

Moulded leather trench, delish.

Kim Noorda. Big ruffles!

Yulia Kharlaponova.

Constance Jablonski. Love this.

Caroline Trentini. Deep V.

At Stella McCartney, we were treated to not only the miniscule-heeled vegan thigh-highs (!), but mini-trenches that doubled as dresses, part of her move – seemingly – towards a more refined look, as opposed to the sportier look of previous collections.

Natasha Poly. Big knits, vegan boots big hits. Belt.

Freja Beha Erichsen.

Lily Donaldson.

Maryna Linchuk. Burst of blue! Metallic jacket as well.

Sigrid Agren. Classic Blazer. Not Sure Why I Capitalized That.

Sasha Pivovarova. Turquoisey & sheer.

Ali Stephens. Love the sheer, but the sunbursty slices are a bit too risque pour moi.

Eniko Mihalik. Love this. Sexy but feminine & girly at the same time.

Catherine McNeil. Shiny!

Raquel Zimmerman. Big! Shiny(ish)! 80s(ish)(sort of). While I’m not convinced of its wearability, I love this coat.  😛

VIKTOR & ROLF were clear on their theme: theatre. With the models sporting white mask-like makeup and draping abounding (somewhat resembling theatre curtains, perhaps?), you were transported to a stage with Roman sculptures – another influence (draping) – and presented with look after look, a large number of which could easily be swapped from the runway to an event.

Enika Mihalik. Grey trench with ruffles, ruffles everywhere!

Such a sweet trome l’oeil coat. Texture!

Just your basic pant & sheer top – draped shoulders & sleeves, of course.

Liu Wen.

Anne Vyalitsnya.

Karlie Kloss. Beautifully draped copper dress. And boots to match!

(same look)

Draped, metallic copper and a sheer pink blouse.

Iekeliene Stange. Blush suit – love the lapel!

Anne Vyalitsnya again. Love the embellished pants with the draped & sheer top.

Liya Kebede. Statuesque, draped, & colourblocked skirt. Aaagh, so gorgeous!

Karlie Kloss. Corset top, spiky & sculpted skirt.

Tanya Dziahileva. Love, love, LOVE the skirt.

Well, with this collection, Vik & Rolf have convinced me to add them to my List.  😀

Look du jour:

Crazy sculpted & cut & wavy jacket by Salvatore Ferragamo // Fall 2009. Vlada Roslykova.

Arrivederci,
~ r

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3.9 // Paris! Lacroix, Givenchy, and Lagerfeld

Set in a grungy city car park, Lacroix seemed to create a miniature couture show – everything toned down while maintaining that Lacroix look.

Kim Noorda.

Siri Tollerad.

Tara Gill

Heidi Mount

Olga Sherer.

Mmm, luxe and classic.

GIVENCHY, as per usual, shower uber-trendy, chic looks… wearable?…

…not so much.

Perhaps.

Rebecca Chandler.

Absolutely adore this one.

More shaggy.

Cato Van Ee. Such a cool name.

Hehe, that looks like our band plumes…

Karlie Kloss.

Gorgeous gowns at the end there. So a few wearable pieces thrown in (for the fashion brave!)

Last, but most certainly not least, LAGERFELD. While others were content to thrive on the past, Lagerfeld focused entirely on the future (save for one straight jacket).

Sigrid Agren.

Toni Garrn.

Anna Jagodzinska. (Really, there’s not much to say – these all speak strongly for themselves)

Heidi Mount.

Hehehe (girlish twitter) this is so cool!

Sigrid Agren. Ears! And great makeup too. (Big surprise, right?)

Karmen Pedaru. Gloves! (I seriously need to make some customised sheer gloves soon…)

Freja Beha Erichsen.

Ah, so… Karl. While maybe not the most practical clothes, it’s still pretty.

Look du jour:

From JAK&JIL: Lily Donaldson, Emmannuelle Alt, and Anja Rubik are susceptible to the rain just like every other fashionista in Paris; the rain has become the bane of every well-heeled (ha!) fashion women – err, people (who knows?) – who’ve flocked there for the shows.

Brand new Alexander Wang F09 boots! (JAK&JIL)

While we’re on the subject of shoes, have you seen these?

[Fashionista.com] Martin Margiela split-toe shoes (hoof-boots, perhaps?) at $775 a pop. Yeah.

Ciao!

~ 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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