DIOR HOMME 2019

Kim Jones on his freshman outing has reminded us that the name Dior demands clothing that equate to the brand. Yes, I have purposely left out the clunkers for the wannabe thugs and the hip hop set as well as those who need to be the latest and greatest fashion victim of any brand.

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So as a sort of palette cleanser to the fate of pre fall for women I present to you the slick chic razor sharp tailoring of Dior Homme. I am not inferring that Kris van Assche was a bad designer or didn’t do the house justice but at the end he sort of fell under the spell of mamamiamaria meatball and out went the low key minimal fashion that he had instilled in connection with the brand.

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 Oh to be 30 years younger and rich enough to be able to own and wear these exquisite pieces. These are fashion for men of a certain sensibility not hedgies and not stock brokers but slicked out hot men who need to show they are cut from a different cloth than bankers and politicians; clothes filled with nuance and subtleties and bold silhouettes.

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 There are the clothes targeted for a discerning fashionphile and not the clothes of fashion victims until you find the pieces I omitted from my presentation. Jones is at his best with the almst Savil Row tailored pieces what just push that envelope far enough to be called designed and not just hum drum clothes or clothes that double for Halloween costumes or retreads found from a local thrift shop.

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 If I was forced to make  some sort of comparison I might go so far as to say there is a nod to McQueen’s menswear.

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Michael Kors Collection prefall 2019

In his own words, MK wrote to me when I asked ….Who or what is your inspiration/style icon?

“My personal style icon is Steve McQueen. My design style icon is a mix of everyone from Jackie O. to Lauren Hutton to my mother.” 

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Well I guess that ship has sailed just have a look at this. .. For one who hailed Babe Paley and her ilk as unmatched style queens and Babe as the high priestess of chic, this thinking certainly does belie that sentiment.

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This looks much more like a trip down memory lane via Second Time Around or Housing Works or maybe think the Pointer Sisters. The clothes are forgettable as well as regrettable for someone who really did classic clean slick American sportswear and was held up an icon of American fashion.

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Droopy 70s mini florals accessorized with long haired dirty looking mongolian lamb is so appealing not to mention the overly matchy matchy styling displayed here. Wouldn’t it be great if he actually went back to what his original intention and modus operandi  was instead of trying to forge  new path with been there done that looking clothes.

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PS.. did you ever notice that the print ads send a different message than the clothes ?

Calvin Klein 205 W 39 NYC pre fall 2019

I get it! Apparently the models got dressed in a dark closet wearing someone else’s clothes. Right? 

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Besides the obvious clunkers what exactly is new here? The puddling pants? The bicolor pants or maybe it’s the knock off of the Michael Vollbracht for Bloomingdales shopping bag? Maybe it is the ill-fitting clothes, the apparently poorly made clothes or the ones that look like they come from Chico’s.

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Okay that should sum it up ... as they say at the scene of an accident … nothing to see here keep on moving ... Sadly this was no accident... this is intentional… unappealing as it is!

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Get ready influencers, now’s your chance to rummage around thrift stores again or get out your sewing machines and work a miracle.

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My favorites are the Ungaroesque patent leather dress, the feather dress under the Chanel jacket and them  of course the over layering just in case you need to warm up or cool off and let’s not forget thaose Working Girl  suits for the female executive!

Valentino pre fall 2019

I will continue to reiterate year after year, season after season, designer after designer… pre-collections were never meant to be shown on a runway... at best they were to be seen via look book. Yes, times have changed and brick and mortar is no longer as important as the explosive online business but who wants this shit and at what price.

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What you see here are clothes for the sake of clothes, clothes to keep sample rooms busy and clothes that defy the credit limits and bank accounts of those who covet them the most. For the most part the clothes are unflattering overdone and one more time where the fuck is there any signature or germ of the brand’s DNA that Valentino once stood for ….. Oh excuse me it was red!

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Back to square one, what is the point of all this hoopla for clothes that are meant to be rack fillers or just another delivery period… seasonless meaningless unsalable clothes at extraordinary prices? Yes, there are a handful of pretty things but that is hardly a reason to present such an extensive and extended extravagant collection of clothes… just clothes for the sake of hype and hoo-ha… oh and Kaia!

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The so called fashion media will devour it with relish but then again, most of them could never afford or fathom owning any of it and none of them ever take into account the salability factor. 

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PS..a little grazie Giambattista Valli, the Japanese and Moncler to name a few