Monse resort 2019

Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim achieved something that seems as rare as hen’s teeth in the world of fashion these days … they delivered a collection that made you SMILE ... well, it didn’t hurt that the model actually looked happy wearing the clothes!!

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As  change of pace during this seemingly endless season, the team also managed to propose a collection that looks like what it is supposed to be … RESORT! Shocking as that may be, there is a travel/resort/spring like/approachable quality to the clothes. While I am not usually attracted to cut up/slice & dice /overly trendy fashion, I was oddly attracted to the grouping as a whole. Their logomania was restrained by fashion collection standards and they showed clothes that can actually be worn by human beings and not just on a printed page which is another thing that seems to be lost on so many of their peers.  The dirty word salable comes to mind!

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Most appealing to me was the graphic quality and the straightforward colorations which emphasized the ease of the collection. It’s rare that I am not sure how to describe what I see but what I see I find very appealing and inviting on many levels.Imagine... clothes that don't require blah blah blah

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Oscar de la Renta resort 2019

Here is a lesson in how a heritage brand evolves. The Monse team has not let go or abandoned the spirit of Oscar. From the broderie anglaise references to the dots and colors, to the tiers, to the elaborate ball gowns . . . they are all present and accounted for with great skill in the translation and evolution.

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What was a bit sad were the blue plaid pieces, some of the toiles and some of the more sportswear type pieces. The point being that there is enough here to please the “new” Oscar customer as well as the one who has morphed with the future of the brand. This is not the ladies who lunch anymore. These are clothes that lack any trend and are slick and chic and in many ways ageless or timeless.

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It’s my opinion that if Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia can hold steady and steer the course of the brand in this direction that there will be great cause for celebration. I don’t even want to know what the so called media elite has to say as their credibility has sunk to a level which equals that of Trumps popularity.

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With all this said ... if we were on American Bandstand I’d give this an 85  ... easy to wear easy to understand and in keeping with the DNA of the eponymous designer! KUDOS!!

Oscar de la Renta fall 2018

Now we come to Oscar which surely looked like Oscar 2.0… no question this is de la Renta massaged and manipulated to the 21^st century to reflect the interpretation of the Monse team as they envision Oscar de la Renta ... the brand.

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Most of the clothes were rather attractive and some even beautiful but once again marred by that ghastly dress length. I like the sweaters and skirts I like some of the dresses and of course there some exquisite evening pieces. The ghost of Oscar is felt but somehow I can’t abide by the super long sleeves and the boxiness of some of the collection. The colors are there, the details, the signatures are there but somehow not yet refined.

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Yes, the brand is in evolution, I just wish it would follow a clearer path rather than testing the waters trying out all these sort of one offs what distract from the overall presentation. These guts also run the risk of a bit too much overlap to the eponymous collection. As a general assessment I would say that if they dial down the trendy and focus more on body con/proportion rather than shock and awe ... this collection might have been a 5 star winner.

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NYFW Spring 2018 the stalwarts of 7th Avenue

Herrera and de la Renta are 2 names that have been around for decades. They are stalwarts and foundation for NYFW. Oscar retained his stewardship for 90% of his brand existence during his prodigious career.  Carolina, once known as “our lady of the sleeves” has and is still at the helm but both brands have been dipping their toes into the world of fashion as it exists in the 21^st century. 

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Oscar De la Renta in its current incarnation led by the Monse team has taken a more drastic approach to the brand’s newly forming identity. For me they are most successful when they stick closer to the brand’s DNA rather than veering off on the tangents of denim, tee shirts and excessive transparency. With that said Spring 2018, this team to still testing the waters in day looks but when they get to gowns and dressy clothes, the ghost of Oscar makes its presence known with more convincing and very appealing results. Everyone strives for that younger and possibly millennial client but few grasp that in actuality they don’t give a crap about these labels unless it is a jean brand or an it bag. Anyone with some fashion wisdom and some current smarts will testify that the current generation is much more concerned with their iPhone than they are with looking tasteful and chic.

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Carolina Herrera has had a succession of changes in her design rooms which have yielded some rather erratic and less than adequate results. Apparently there is this process by which they either toss out last year’s client in search of a new one or just totally obliterate any history of the brand whatsoever. The clothes always look to be impeccably made but the question is who and where are women of ANY age wearing these frocks. So, with all this said, every season is somewhat of a surprise in terms of what is presented. There are always a few pieces that stand out and this season is no different. Gone are the days when designers actually presented exquisitely rendered collections in total. We have become a pick and choose world sort of like a fast food buffet. 

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These 2 brands demonstrate the conundrum of fashion when it comes to heritage brands. How to evolve? How to stay in the game? How not to look dated? Is there a formula? My comments are merely observations laced with opinion….  You can decide to agree or disagree or agree to disagree!

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