MILAN SPRING 2010 DOLCE-FENDI-AQUILANO RIMONDI etc;

DOLCE&GABBANA-When in doubt, do what you do best and that was the mantra for the boys of D & G.......sexy-fringed - lacy - and way over the top but these guys have built DNA based on it. The recipe works with a dash of denim, dollops of accessories and you get the visual feast which is DOLCE & GABBANA
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-DGABBANA/

AQUILANO REMONDI...With such lofty inspirations one would have hoped that the collection lived up to the likes of Capucci,Odicini and Lancetti..........those are the names that made me slack jawed as a young spectator of fashion.. These guys just produce collections on some far flung interpretation of some esoteric inspiration ...............somethings are better talked about than executed

FENDI-While I am not generally a fan of this collection I can honestly say that come Spring 2010 there will be lots to buy with your Fendi bags ......after all the Karl tricks fall away ----this is a beautiful collection
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-FENDI/

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE , AFTER HAVING LOOKED AT D SQUARED I CAN HONESTLY ASK "HOW LONG BEFORE THE TWINS WIND UP KICKED TO THE CURB " THE COLLECTION , IF YOU CAN CALL IT THAT , IS AN AFFRONT TO RETAILERS, ESPECIALLY AT THOSE PRICES ..................IF THEY WANT TO DESIGN CLOTHES LIKE THAT THEY SHOULD TRY THEIR HAND AT URBAN OUTFITTERS

MILAN SPRING BOTTEGA-PUCCI GUCCI - SCOGNAMIGLIO

BOTTEGA VENETA--I find that the more you need to explain clothes the more difficult collection and so hold true for this one ....there is so much intellectualizing about that the clothes that the talk doesn't live up to the collection ....The original brand had its DNA in leather goods/accessories and that segment surely does not disappoint...it's only the clothes !!
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-BVENETA/

PUCCI--Here is another case of what the original brand had which was its history of prints and for the easy shapes that these prints were incorporated into ..........now we have a collection which barely comes close to the original DNA except in the thinnest of comparisons----------these clothes are over the top sexy ..hardly what Would call sophisticated or chic in any way ................My big question is then why invest in the name or is it only a means to an end of creating a new collection with an old name ????

GUCCI--It is difficult for me to say that Tom Ford's collections looked like ANNE KLEIN in comparison to the current Gucci collections....even though I found this collection to be barely wearable, it has more merit than I have seen in ages...Thank god they rely on shoes and handbags to make money

FRANCESCO SCOGNAMIGLIO--Under all the drama and theatrics lies the heart and soul of a master tailor and dressmaker...If you could dial down all the surrounding extras you would see this young man knows how to drape a dress and tailor a suit ....I believe in due time and with proper leadership he will be harnessed into producing spectacular collections for the next generation
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-FSCOG/

MILAN SPRING 2010 FERRE-JIL SANDER- VERSACE---BLUMARINE

FERRE-where oh where have all the fabulous clothes gone >>>>They are certainly not here at Ferre....but if you are looking for awkward shapes, bad shoes, too much ruching/pleating, draping and folding ...then you are at the right place. Gone are the days of razor sharp, precise, slick , edgy, slick chic clothes that once inhabited this brand .............these guys are too busy trying to establish themselves without even a nod to the late Mr. Ferre

JIL SANDER- While I must say I was slightly disappointed after the last few shows, this new collection delivers but not with the usual hard edged beauties of recent seasons......There is plenty of Jil here just not fabulous Jil. The gimmicks used by Raf Simons are incorporated into the collection without taking over the collection for without some fun where's the reason to see a show
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-JLSANDER/

VERSACE-If ever there was a time to revisit the sexy days of Gianni Versace , now was the time and that is exactly what the Signora Donatella has done.....The show was pure Gianni with one twist----"what would Gianni have done for Spring 2010?"--------------And we have our answer within this presentation --short - sexy - tight-prints-color- studs -flash ----------------my only gripe was the shoes ---they really could have been less over the top
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-VERSACE/

BLUMARINE--While I have never been much of a fan of this collection I must say I have been won over with this presentation .........last season was fabulous and this season is a close runner up . It's Young without being teenish --it is colorful - flirty - sexy without being overt --colorful --prints galore and wonderfully accessorized
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-BLUMARNE/

MILAN SPRING 2010

Spring has always been the more troublesome of seasons for most designers and so far it holds true for the first 2 major collections of Milan

GIORGIO ARMANI--he has the blues for sure and in every shade --I found the clothes did not possess their normally polished soigne look...For a man who couldn't design a dress 30 years ago , this collection is dress-centric and light on the refined slick tailored look that Mr. Armani has built his reputation on. hile the collection offered a softer look I found it to be less than pleasing
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-GARMANI/

PRADA--This collection like 90% of the ones I have seen from this famous house ----is just incomprehensible to me ...pigtails???.............one reviewer wrote about "wearable" clothes...I say "What collection did I see?".............save for the chandelier crystal segment of totally unwearble not to mention the incredible weight of them ...it is all lost on me
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-PRADA/

LONDON SPRING 2010

I am going to do this one in a slightly different format as I waded through days of show waiting for something to bowl me over ..............The closest I got to that is ERDUM which I found to be exquisite--intricate--delicate and yet razor sharp .For me this is what clothes look like and this is why LVMH now owns part of it
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-ERDEM/

All the hype around BURBERRY PRORSUM is just that ....hype. No matter how hard I try and how many seasons I look at this collection , I have yet to see what's so great ..This season was no exception as I found the collection to be heavy handed and over worked. I can only think that the reviews it garners are based strictly in proportion to their advertising dollars spent.

AQUASCUTUM---If the underpinnings were less distracting then what would have been see is a fabulous collection of "RAINWEAR"...........with some good editing this is something to watch and possibly regain its stature
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-AQUA/

I would like to give special mention to LUELLA ,PRINGLE, MARY KATRANTZOU, SYKES, SCUTT, JOSH GOOT AND PPQ for showing collections that are certainly worth a second look

LONDON has always been the laboratory of fashion with so many young designers starting out , but I must say that there is a startling amount of shows with not much to "say".......................there were however unbelievable fabulous prints which I haven't seen in many years.............and certainly the term "ENGLISH ECCENTRIC" is well earned this season

READ ME WEEKLY AS WELL

I AM ALSO WEEKLY NOW !!!!
http://www.oligoville.com/2009/09/22/fashion-by-the-rules-922/

RALPH --OSCAR--MARC--ISSAC & DENNIS BASSO

This has been a very interesting week for the fashion flock ---we have seen so much shifting and squirming that is is hard to know what clothes belong to what designer and whether most designers know what their own clothes look like ..................................except of course for the very few
OSCAR de la RENTA
The man has a point of view and he sticks to it and he enhances and embraces it ...this was a stellar collection in a season where most designers needed a GPS system to find their direction ..there was Oscar strutting out the stuff that great collections are made of
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-ODLRENTA

Next up ........RALPH LAUREN -----from Okies to Astors he covered his bases and remained true to himself the man is smart enough and savvy enough to really on what he knows which is very simply "Why fix what's not broken"
While I would say that this was not the most fabulous of collections but I would also add that he has not deserted his ladies nor his DNA
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-RLAUREN

MARC JACOBS....While i am not the usual fan of his I have come to learn that his shows require digestion and dissection and therein lies the beauty ..it is visual overload, fashion excess, and every buyers nightmare but in the end it is one man's particular vision and he allows the buyers to draw their own conclusion.....One cannot deny the femininity , the colors , the tailoring, the folly of it all but without his single mindedness each season the FASHION business would be a dull place to live
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-MJACOBS/

If i can I would like to give kudos to MARCHESA for delivering a truly beautiful collection ...to ISSAC for his sense of humor and for his unerring taste and to DENNIS BASSO for sending out a truly fashion worthy coherent collection of beautiful dresses

NYC SPRING 2010 TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

This is a break from my normal routine and reviewing collections individually..Over these past few days I have felt that the collections are all over the place in look and in no way related to the times we are living through ---at least with rare exception and I will single those out later ..................The build up to Fashion Week has filled pages and pages with "inspiration" and goals for he new collections and now having been through most of the week .....................all those words---all that ink ....all those pages are just a load of CRAP................catch words--ACCESSIBLE (CHEAPER)--RELEVANT (HAVE SOMEPLACE TO WEAR THEM ) These words are not even close to what we have seen ..designers are scrambling to find a market for their clothes----one season it's Contemporary --one season it's bridge --one season it's aiming at a younger customer ---why is it so hard to stick to your guns and do what you do best ..................if anything at all .
Some of the better known designer collections had switched direction so many times that they do not have a customer anymore and DUH-----------why build a clientele for your look and then dismiss it like yesterdays news. The clothes are wildly expensive for what they are are and the purpose they serves so is it not possible to deliver wearable clothes for people who spend ???????????????????????? New York wanted to be first to show and now they are and now we find that we have the emperors new clothes

DVF--DEREK LAM --ERIN FETHERSTON--REEM ACRA

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG
With her own brand she throws a party for a collection that is commercial , creative and yet these are clothes for real people--from secretaries to socialites ...there is something for all --prints a plenty --colors galore all with no pretense
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-DVFURSTE

DEREK LAM--
It's decidedly young or young at heart but with prints a plenty ,lots of color, and a hint of retro

ERIN FETHERSTON
I am not sure why I always seem to find something to like in this collection and so maybe it was the color pallet which was soothing yet cool and maybe it was just that the clothes are very appealing without being over worked but with alot of CHIC!
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-EFETH

REEM ACRA--THEY WERE JEWELED--DRAMATIC --DRAPED--COLORFUL --SOPHISTICATED AND CHIC -----THE MAJOR DRAWBACK HERE WAS THAT THE "GIRLS" LOOKED LIKE RUSSIAN PEASANT STOCK WHO FOUND THEMSELVES ON THE RUNWAY FOR THE FIRST TIME WHICH DID NOTHING TO HELP THE CLOTHES
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-RACRA

CHADO -RALPH RUCCI

I guess that every generation and area of design produces its own genius and the fashion business has RALPH RUCCI!!!! I can't find enough words to use to gush over this collection which demonstrates the ART of apparel design...an art which seems lost in the trends of the day and the supposed youth audience.......Chado is distinctly Ralph Rucci crafted with perfection of shape-- line--- fit --detail and coloration.
If you study the masters of the 20th century then Mr. Rucci should not be denied his place with these masters......
My accolades pale by the accolades already deserved by him but please look and examine the fine art of design brought to you via a quintessential designer for the quitessential customer
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-CHADO
PS--imagine that he chose to use a shoe that looks like a summer shote and doesnt distract from the clothes---------WHAT A CONCEPT

JASON WU -YIGAL AZROUEL--ALTAZURRA

JASON WU -What a difference 6 months can make ..JW is all grown up with a less Artsy more grown up but not dowdy collection short on decoration and long on draping and dressmaking--waists--platforms-- defined shoulders--It's a direction which suits him and his customer http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-JASONWU

YIGAL AZROUEL--While not usually a fan , I find the ASYMETRICAL aspect of the clothes to be a trend with some designer thus far, and it certainly adds to the simple geometry of these modern sexy clothes....but the Back Suede Booties distract as does the high waisted pant
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-YAZROUEL

ALTAZURRA--These 21 st century Hippie clothes cannot hide the designers past with Givenchy but I fine these to be more appealing and less harsh than the French version ..Hippie Chic without the toughness of Givenchy --wonderful softly draped suedes, feminine whites, and flattering blush pink ....all for the younger "couture" customer or at least for the young at heart
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/S2010RTW-ALTZRRA

SPRING NEW YORK 2010

There's not much to report at the very start of what will turn out to be Fashion Month not just Fashion Week ......But .............even with the little that I have seen....I can tell you that bows, FEATHERS and platforms--color as well as black and white are here for the new season ................One newish designer of note is PRABAL GURUNG.............there is a master dressmaker there--note the BOWS and the grace of the clothes ..he reminds me of when Marc Bohan was at Dior ..............have a look for your selfhttp://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2010RTW-PGURUNG/

LA LOHAN and UNGARO

It is not often that I feel the need to vent but this morning finds me in a quandry ?????? What the fuck does Lindsay Lohan know about clothes and Ungaro ????? Either Mr. Moufarrige is a genius or he is a moron beyond anyone's wildest dreams .......................I just have to question what exactly is the positive side of attaching a personality such as hers to a house that is steeped in French fashion ........I was lucky enough , during my career to have bought Ungaro as a collection during the 80's when the house was peaking and I cannot justify in my head what this addled, confused ,talentless starlet could possibly know of the heritage of Ungaro ---someone please enlighten me !!!

UPDATE--AS IT APPEARED IN THE NY POST ON SEPTEMBER 11---Lindsay Lohan took the cake, however, at the Ungaro showroom on Madison Avenue when she darted out after two minutes and refused to have her picture taken with the company's CEO, Mounir Moufarrige. She hopped into a car and rode off, leaving her mother, Dina Lohan, stranded.

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