So, if Tom Ford, Christian Lacroix, Olivier Rousteing, Azzedine
Alaia, Alexandre Vauthier, Donatellamommamia and Ricky tickey tacky
collectively hatched a collection it would be this one! There was more leather,
whip stitching, grommets, studs and lashing than at the Folsom Street fair.
Despite all the over top leather pieces and so many other
extravagantly expensive and over the top pieces, this collection looked pretty
amazing. My issues are multifold and they will be enumerated below:
1-each season in my memory Mr. Tisci delivers a collection
that is meant to shock and defy any of the house’s original DNA other than the
DNA he has constructed. Many of these seasonal collections might be referred to
as outrageous or unwearable or just patently absurd. Let me rephrase that would
only be the case only if one admits to the reality and not to the media hype.
$500 tee shirts are his forte!
2-with all the new focus on what can only be described as
step down couture, meaning the techniques used by houses such as Balmain,
Valentino and other brands who have taken to using these most time consuming
techniques for ready to wear and charging accordingly, this Spring collection
fits the bill to a tee. The price tags for many of the really fabulous stand
out pieces must be upwards of $5,000.
3-how can any brand or maison develop a collection each
season that bears no common thread to the previous one other than a label. The
point is that either Tisci is the Sybil of all designers as there is no visual
recognition by style for this house or brand. Can it possibly be beneficial that
each season a particular brand needs to attract a different clientele other
than the seriously afflicted fashion addict? To what end??
4-at the risk of being totally impartial, even me... yes me...
must admit the collection is mighty fabulous but one could never guess what the
label would be or who designed it; let alone the laser focus of who could wear
this and Isn’t the point of building a brand to invoke a loyalty with a client?
My take here is that the mother ship, Kering, is all about buzz and bucks and
not about brand identity at all. It would be logical to assume as well that
Tisci is in this for the glory and the ego and flexing his media muscle! N’est
ce pas?
5-lastly, how long do you think this will go on? How long do
you think Tisci will be given free reign? It is my belief that he is perceived
as a commodity to the business of fashion and will used to generate dollars in
any way the mother ship sees fit and when they are done with him he will be
tossed aside like so many before him. Changes are afoot!
Always remember ... you are only as good as your last
collection and in these times if it aint selling you aint staying! And even
worse, you might be thought of as a shaman who can heal the lepers or the dying
if you catch my drift!
PS .. one last thing.. it is true, even I must admit, there
are some out of this world pieces here!
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