This may seem like an odd pairing for a review but you will
soon find out why they have been placed together here.
 |
| CN |
 |
| JS w/ wasp waist! |
Jil Sander as seen by Rodolfo Paglialunga is theoretically
JIL for the 21st century. Here’s the rub with that and that is the collection
has lost its identity and its edge. Yes, still minimal and yes still spare but
no longer as sharp and as slick, in fact it is a bit too relaxed and looking
like there is a lot of Prada influence. Needless to say this is not a good
thing! Whether or not you loved JIL at its height, there was always this
amazing minimalist view which was rendered in the most luxurious of fabrics and
extremely particular in its appeal. It is understood that collections must
evolve and morph in order to survive but we constantly go back to the same
things ... it is only the skilled designer who can accomplish this without
eradicating what was to create what is!!
Now ... we get to Costume National by Ennio Capasa who seems
to have picked up where Jil might have left off. Are you seeing the why now?? In my mind Capasa has retained his DNA but in
doing what he does, he is filling the gap of the past JIL with what might have
been the new JIL. Costume National is a slightly trendier vison but surely has
the edge and sharpness that Jil is lacking but once had. The clothes are
greatly appealing to those us who might need a bit of flash and yet there are
surely pieces that would satisfy the evolving minimalist. My eyes see a touch
of retro Mugler without being as extreme and perhaps other referential touches
but the clothes retain an identity and a modernity that is inherent to the
brand. Don’t get me wrong here, Costume National is not for everyone but the
appeal here is based on many different esthetics which make the collection so
much more interesting than the new JIL.
No comments:
Post a Comment