Gucci pre fall 2019

Here’s the deal... Raf got canned because the numbers dropped enough that he wasn’t worth the expense of having him combined with the stock dropping and dragging down the mothership so now we have the boy wonder of Gucci who could be next … take note… this bubble will burst sooner than later and the only throne he will be seated on is a toilet!

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The clothes are as usual absurd, sensorially overloaded and what’s worse is that maybe at the beginning it was shock and awe that morphed into some pseudo fashion statement but now it looks so forced and so intentionally unappealing that the fashion victims might revolt. Notice there is very little monogrammed Gucci canvas… almost every handbag is leather and when you break it down, yes there are things to wear but there is nothing new here except the irrational and purposefully ugliness and visual joke of it!

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There is no need to really review this as the images speak to all that has been said … it is another great season for thrift shops and of less than attractive models that are only heightened to look even more unattractive. The tide will turn and suddenly when Kering takes a financial hit there will be no more wonder boy who will be radioactive with his Johnny one note goulash of fashion. 

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This season is just a continuation of the same old same old since the day he took the reins... so what’s new, where’s the new, where’s the aspiration what is there for the victims to drool over? 

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So I say Alessandro … be very careful and Mr., Mr. Bizzarri... Take heed… the door of entry is also used as an exit. The days of mondo bizarro may be over sooner than you anticipated!

Piazza Sempione pre fall 2019

In this miasma we call fashion, there are times when you get to watch a designer evolve as well as what he brings to the table for those that he designs for; Federico Piaggi has caught my eye. I have watched him for years during his tenure at Ferré as well as during his time at Piazza Sempione. I have admired and followed his work and yet I never quite find the words to speak of his body of work but this season, I felt he has hit his stride and given me the words to write.

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  Piazza Sempione is not a brand on the tip of everyone’s fashion tongue but the brand has enjoyed a healthy relationship with Saks Fifth Avenue for many years and many others and remains an open secret. I can’t say I really knew why but since I’ve lately been drowning in some of the ugliest clothes to ever be seen on any continent season after season, this collection struck me like bolt of lightning.

   You may say ... why? You may say oh well it’s boring and where’s the news here? You may say what is Jeffrey smoking? I can happily say that what I see is reality… a collection of real honest to goodness wearable, slick, somewhat minimal, cosmopolitan, clothes for women who want to look simply and perfectly turned out.

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 The tailoring and details are exquisite, the hard edge bounced off the softness of the dresses and knits hit a note ... the note being this is a collection of fashion and not a collection of thrown together rags that are three sizes too big and either resemble a bag lady or a Halloween costume … imagine that!. The more I looked at the abbreviated collection, the more I saw its worth and value within the marketplace. It’s no brainer fashion ... you wear it as it is, you can break It up or you accessorize it with whatever but the clothes are a stand out especially for those  understand real workmanship…. Even more to the point the clothes are retail friendly in a stilted world when tee shirts are $1000 and trainers run at $500 and up are commonplace.

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 So you call it what you want, I call it cosmopolitan, sharp, sleek , chic, classic, well-designed, urbane, beautifully executed apparel for women who want to look strong and in charge without any gimmicks or looking like some kind of fashion freak.

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Think of it this way, if the clothes were show on some androgynous barely pubescent oily haired 18 year old and everything was 2 sizes too big for the model with puddling pants, the fashion media would be all over this like white on rice.

Think about what has happened to fashion!

Bottega Veneta prefall 2019

While consulting VOGUE .com in search of Tomas Maier’s replacement, I came across this quote from the new designer … “I think there’s a need for a return to elegance and sophistication. “ Daniel Lee, former assistant to Phoebe Philo of Celine fame.

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So my question is simple … whose collection was he speaking of or possibly he needs to define what elegance and sophistication means in his vocabulary AS THESE CLOTHES RELFECT NEITHER.

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Maier was a love hate affair when some seasons were just exquisitely beautiful and others not so much but they always reflected a certain refinement and precision that he infused and coupled with the brand. Here I see a whole lot of “meh” clothes with “geta” like sandals and yes prefall wouldn’t be complete with a straw bag from a fabled heritage brand known for their leathers and intricate leather work.

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I say the system is broken and the so called fashion media needs to call out these designers as basically being full of shit and I might as well say it  … talentless or clueless when it comes to reimagining these heritage brands.

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This is a stunning example of what can go astray…..  The future will be more than interesting to see… as for the men’s collection, I guess Mr. Lee has no idea how expensive these clothes are for those who wish to emulate his homies!

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the shame that is DIOR prefall 2019

I think she's got it!

By George, she's got it!

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Mamamiamariameatball has finally gone and done it in its totality! Dior now looks like a tired Ellen Tracy or maybe a weak Dana Buchman.

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She has transformed this incredibly prestigious heritage brand into a collection of jejune, banal, pedestrian,  common look alike clothes that were worn decades ago.

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I’m guessing this is their genius’s interpretation of commercial and what a pathetic showing this is for a brand of this stature… actually it looks more like Michael Kors than Michael Kors and even he has moved on from this 70’s kind of “Saturday’s Generation” kind of look.

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Can no one see that this woman has never had an original thought when it comes to reimagining Dior in her image which is now almost laughable if not pathetic? I’m sure there is blah blah blah to go with all this stuff that just reeks of thrift stores except for maybe 5 or 6 pieces which are barely about commercial. The shoes are old Vivier which might or might not have come from the Dior archive but c’mon who wants to look like a rehash combination of Annie Hall and Love Story for 1000s of dollars?

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Tired, humdrum, monotonous, numbing, wearisome come to mind and let us not  forget that she of course added her transparent gowns over turtleneck sweaters this season as a fashion statement and now what could be more chic that than that …… they should be ashamed .. She should hide her head. She has brought nothing to the table since her reign began other than some of the ugliest clothes ever produced with that label.

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Maybe since she has no clue about Dior she is going after the old Chloé and Celine customer!