BALMAIN resort 2020

Before we get to the clothes, let’s speak of the designer Olivier Rousteing! This young man has talent to spare, he has mad talents and apparently he understands the making of his clothes. What he lacks is restraint, an editor’s pencil and a focus. This collection could easily be more than one or it could be one very concise very precise collection with laser focus than shows him and brand off to maximum effect.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Let me say that if a designer want to launch a handbag collection which apparently there is  a great push to do at  this brand, one must believe that there are better ways of doing it than slapping a B or some fringe on a wannabe Chanel quilted bag or onto an Hermes Kelly/Birkin bag. While on the subject of “influences” Rousteing needs to cut down the “Chanelisms” that he seems to use a little too frequently and flagrantly  during the collection.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Now, the thing here is that what’s the direction of the collection... it’s fitted, it’s shapeless, it’s long, it’s short it’s simple, it’s way more than just complicated and well you get the picture... he is all over the place. Yes, I love the art deco influenced prints and one might extrapolate the Chrysler Building from the print assortment BUT everything has a limit and there is a breaking point when it’s overkill. Overkill is something that pervades Rousteing’s offerings as he has a tendency to do so much that they all start to look the same and the potency of the collection is diminished.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

All of HIS Balmain signatures are in place, save the denims thank god,  and the maxi brim fedora adds great panache but again you gotta know when to say die and stop! Where is his “keeper” … the person whispering in his ear who says that’s enough or we already have that or why do we need that … and that’s what separates a great  collection from a collection killer.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Conglomerates are pouring huge amounts of euros into these brands without a watchful eye to rein them in or direct them so what exactly is the point other than the hype which we all know does not lead to sales especially at this price point!

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Carolina Herrera resort 2020

Wes Gordon might have learned via trial and error but this collection rings the bell! John Fairchild once dubbed Carolina “our lady of the sleeves” and Gordon has deftly taken that moniker to the extreme.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

No, it’s not a perfect collection but it is a collection that befits the brand’s DNA for the most part. Ms. Herrera has been a social fixture for decades and is personally known for her elegance and simplicity in her appearance. What I found a tad unnecessary and possibly even a tad offensive were the few pieces rendered in the serape stripe… she is Venezuelan not Mexican.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The clothes are far more grown up than what Gordon has rendered in his past collections for the brand and one would think that this collection will bring back and resonate with many of the stalwart Herrera ladies and their daughters. Yes, the head wraps were silly as were some of the lengths and silhouettes but for the most part the clothes echo who and what the brand stands for.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Understandably, all these young designers so eagerly want to put their mark on a heritage brand that they jump into the fray all too quickly and ignore the roots of the brand and such was case with Gordon since his start. Heritage brands like this must evolve not do a 180 in order so that a new designer can flex their design muscle. Just look at the mess of Balenciaga and what Slimane started and Vaccarello continues to do at Saint Laurent.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

As the saying goes … “you’re only as good as your last collection” so let’s wait and see how this unfolds.

Chloé resort 2020

Natacha Ramsay-Levi supposedly and apparently researched this collection which is aimed at the Chinese market…. Really? I guess she neglected to understand that much of the Asian market is logo driven and that the Asian woman is not on the average of 5’7 or better ... let alone that the colorations are not exactly flatttering to those skintones of the Asian market.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

 So, once again all this blah blah blah  and once again yawning… waiting for the real clothes to appear… but then again apparently the powers that be and the designer believe that fashion trends now revolve around the Chinese market.  What they neglected to take into account is that the the Chinese market have the greatest power of consumerism and but are certainly not great tastemakers or trend setters.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Be that as it may, still one more misguided collection with clothes that will dwarf their target customer…  if they are even interested in looking like any of this.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Burberry pre spring/resort 2020

All you fawners and "influencers"  better get out your Depends … and for what reason I am not quite sure other than to laud this collection which really is bipolar or schizophrenic at best. Tisci does prove one object lesson here and that is you cannot be all things to all people no matter how you rationalize it or how you try to explain it away. You can call it all encompassing ...  the collection is as cohesive as oil and water

 

click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge

The collection is unquestionably ageist as there is a dividing line between the ages of who will wear or even look twice at much of it let alone afford it. I find it rather amusing that no one ever addresses the fact that these clothes are astronomically expensive  whether they are a flimsy slip  dress or the new so called “bourgeoisie” which I translate to wearable and possibly yawn inducing.

click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge

The answer is to simply split the men’s and women’s I each into 2 separate collections ... one aimed at the so called millennial and the other for those who can afford whatever else there is to offer.

click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge

Yes, some pretty pieces and some wearable ones to but lost in the drama and the blah blah blah of it all. The images tell the story ... have at it

click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge