Schiaparelli Haute Couture spring 2019

What I can’t seem to keep from wondering is... what would these clothes look like if they were shown on real models and not teen agers and minus the cowboy boots which were certainly not the direction that haute couture is heading. Then there is the styling issue of those pussy cat bows and that what she couldn’t wear she carried concept with these girls over loaded in stuff. BTW long stringy hair and no makeup didn’t help

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 I think there are some positively exquisite pieces within the collection but boy oh boy when Guyon fell off the cliff it was like leaping from Everest. Some of the prints over powering especially when they were used in pieces where the print hid the workmanship or the design. This is a collection that could have truly used a stronger hand when it comes to editing and styling as I think the overall presentation and take away would be miles apart from what we see here.

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The man is capable and the collections have been reasonably on target in the past but some of this is way out of line and way over the top and not in a good way.

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The fabrications are exquisite, the shapes mostly  very body friendly and for sure the ateliers have been put to the test, one black tulle down in a floral design achieved by gathering and ruching is a work of art for sure  as are some of the dressed that were more structured in more “moldable” fabrics.. The iconic print of lobsters etc. was delightfully fun and really should have been used more than once certainly instead of that ruffles apron front “thing.” Oddly when looking at it as a whole there was something very Lacroix-ish  about it but really the last pieces should have never seen the light of day given how many times it’s been done by many more than just one other designer.

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All in all this is good way to start and it surely good have veered off and gone totally wrong of not for the strength of the clothes themselves.

Chanel spring 2019.

Well this was reminiscent of a trip to the Lido in Venice but in my mind only the location rings a bell. I never equated tweed and sand not to mention heavy handed boxy unflattering tweed but then again who can crawl into the mind of Karl.

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All the ingredients were there: the tweeds, the trends, the pastels, the accessories, the bags, the swimsuits, the sundresses and so much more but then when put together let’s just say that the chef’s “soufflé fell flat!”

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The moving carton like jackets hold no appeal to these eyes but then again as it Karl’s wont, he gives you so many choices that there are bound to be pieces that hit the mark and then some. I found the bike shorts amusing paired with the body con jackets even though I’m pretty sure he pulled that out of his past bag of tricks. The criss cross quilted bags and straw Chanel box bag will no doubt cause a stampede, but what really stuck me was this is the first time  he has done denim that it looked right, it wasn’t forced, it looked young and it looked Chanel especially the dyed to match lace jeans and jacket.

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In total, looser shapes were in the majority and if there is one eyesore that is detrimental to the collection it is that length… that hideous below the knee length that rarely looks good on a runway let alone barefoot in the sand. Once again, Karl laughs at them all, he just does what he does and Chanel laughs all the way to the bank season after season because no matter what the clothes may look like Karl is savvy enough to always draw in his clientele with a must have of some sort and there was plenty of stuff here to choose from.

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The fact is that I found it disappointing and was truly hoping for a grand finale to a week of mostly lackluster shows and a lot of silly unwearable clothes to which Karl has now made his contribution. THAT, in itself saddens me.

GIVENCHY spring 2019

WELL!  I guess this was supposed to be spring but you’d never be able to tell by the unfortunate color palette or the opaque hose. Then of course there is this little thing that this bears the name Givenchy who blessedly passed not that long ago as this collection might have killed him to see his name attached to this pile.

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 Clare Waight Keller clearly has a fascination with pleating as well washed out looking models wearing bad shoes who seemed to be speed walk down the catwalk. There was no elegance, no refinement, no chic in this collection and much of it, at lack of a  better word,  was generic as in created in that communal  Parisian design room located on the outskirts of Paris…  or at least that’s where I picture it.

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The high waisted pants with yet another version of a motorcycle jacket, another trench, a few mumus, and some pleated flanges do not a collection make. The rather unspectacular men’s collection did nothing to bolster the women’s and if anything reinforced that Ms. Waight Keller better get back to the drawing  board and find a direction for this heritage brand since it is apparent she definitely took a wrong turn somewhere with this collection.

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PS… another long awaited arrival on the scene and yet another disappointment!

AKRIS spring 2019

To think that was once a line for dowagers is almost inconceivable but alas it once was around 30 years ago or more. 

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 Today it’s all about a spare and sometimes very minimal esthetic with a focus on weightlessness and use of very specific prints, fabrics and a multitude of silhouettes that create slick clothes for all ages. This is no easy task and yet Albert Kriemler makes it look so easy; be aware than I am no ardent fan as there are some seasons I don’t care for it all but when he gets it right it is so right.

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I loved the architectural photo prints done on georgette which gives them a totally different feel than if it was a cotton or silk crepe, then there was the use of another pattern printed on different fabrics all used in one ensemble but if there was something negative to be said it was about the pieces that included “the Dali-esque eye”

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 Kriemler is an art collector and has a penchant for getting into the artsy side of fashion which usually works for him but here it was a bit iffy. No matter, as the collection as a whole is exquisitely made and always precise. For spring, I must say again that the clothes look so light almost weightless and spring certainly is the right season for it especially or suits. 

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The choice of embellishment is superb and for me it is the small things that make me call the collection modern such a zip from jacket with beading or a bronze leather zip front motocross jacket with printed georgette pants, yes there are a few clunkers in the group but it hardly matters when you look at the grouping in its entirety. Oddly there was no orange which seems to be one of the colors of the season and a color that he has frequently used.

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 Akris is a collection that has balance and variety and warrants the price that it charges which is not something that can be said of most collections. It is innovative and discreet and yet so very much in fashion while remaining timeless.