Haute Couture spring 2018.. observations

AUDACITY: audaciousness, effrontery, brashness, brass, brassiness, brazenness, cheek, cheekiness, chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa), nerve, nerviness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, temerity

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Audacity is a prerequisite of couture. The workmanship, the fantasy, the challenge, the insanity, the almost faux raison d’etre of it all but it is why we “spectate & salivate!” It is the witnessing of the most unimaginable come to life. We salivate for the craftsmanship, ornamentation and construction; it’s fashion at its most libidinous. 

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Sadly, there are many designers who seem to think there is a necessary narrative that comes with these clothes but alas as I have previously written, these clothes aren’t sold with romance cards that explain their existence. They are just are over the top, maybe even very simple to the eye, wildly expensive and sold in a direct to consumer situation situation… no middleman, no stores no merchandisers, just Maison and client.

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In my opinion, houses such as Dior have diluted the haute couture by employing designers who have no skillset other than to run their mouths. They offer blah blah blah and all this faux intelligence and prattle and all you get is a collection that only makes sense in the head of the designer and those who are paid to fawn, regurgitate and obey.

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The most intriguing is what each designer may stand for... signatures... clothes for the sake of clothes hold not much allure especially since RTW has become “a me too” kind of situation rather than one that engenders individuality and an individual signature. Let me clarify by saying that individuality is not defined as the most outrageous one can imagine.

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In couture you have designers known for structure, for fabrication, for ornamentation for overall finish, dowdy, young, sexy etc... The ones you can pick out from the crowd are the ones to watch. Not every collection is stand out from start to finish but there still remains huge talent and of course aspiration. This is a representation of pieces from a collection of designers who may not receive the bought and paid for praise and accolades of the big names but they are the ones who keep couture alive in its purest sense and on so many levels. They are the AUDACIOUS

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2018 Couture

That old black magic has me in its spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
Those icy fingers up and down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine

The same old tingle that I feel inside
And then that elevator starts its ride
And down and down I go, round and round I go
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide

I should stay away but what can I do?
I hear your name and I'm aflame
Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss can put out the fire

'Cause you are the lover I have waited for
The mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine

Darling, down and down I go, round and round I go
In a spin, loving the spin that I'm in
Under that old black magic called love

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Now, now... This just came to mind having looked at this collection over and over... JPG is a reason to examine and adore couture. He has signatures, fantasy, skills, vision, humor, and understands how to speak to his ladies. Each and every season I hear in my head one of my very first mentors who pounded into me that “don’t forget he is first and foremost a tailor!”

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Even though there was a plethora of black and white pieces, the bright colors were fabulously welcomed here. What is intriguing here is that many of the fabrications are incredibly couture quality and not in a subtle way. They are as over the top as some of clothes. They are clothes that require a closer look.

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Couture to me is a way of furthering and experimenting with one's DNA and he certainly does it with great aplomb... Take for instance the trench then the pinstripes, then the suitings and then we can speak of the fringe festival which adds humor and possibilities to pieces that most designers do not have the skill to work with. IMHO nothing is quite as simple as it seems and yet there were exquisitely simple modern suits and gowns that would or could appeal to just about anyone of any age, he rarely if ever uses gratuitous sex tricks to shock since he takes care of that through the clothes and the bad boy styling that he has become so famous for.

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Just about the smartest move this man made was to exit the RTW business and focus on the amazing possibilities that are only offered in couture. Off on a tangent, I believe that what he did for Hermes was without equal and proved that he was a helluva lot more than shock and awe and shoulder pads.

Valentino haute couture spring 2018

It’s clear to me that this collection was meant to be a departure for the designer and brand  but sadly it turned out to be more of a fashion parody rather than a serious fashion statement.

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First the positives... some amazing color combinations and a few ….  Very few... Beautiful pieces

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Then of course we come to the boners of which there many... let me count the ways... Let’s talk about fabulously over the top and absurd 50’s feathered pancake hats by Philip Treacy that stood on their own and yet looked as if the model was dressed by a child playing dress up; made no sense with the clothes.  Then we come to what was supposedly, I think, day wear, I can’t really be sure what some of it was and why. Then we can address the sheer black hose which I loved except they really they didn’t have to be on every single model. Of course there were the pieces that looked as if they were a joke as in a caricature of grand entrance making gowns ala Scaasi or vintage Oscar; some of them actually looked more at home at a Viktor & Rolf presentation. Lastly there were these oddly chosen prints which no matter the designer are always a sketchy situation because they are so so personal. Lest I forget paper bag waists from Isaac Mizrahi!! Really a lot of the looks appeared as if it designed by Rosie Assoulin… 

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The bottom line is simply... What was the point of all this... every so often there was a lapse back into those monastic looks that sadly have become so much a part of the brand and now that I think of it Pier Paolo’s former design partner showed far more transparency and Valentino looking pieces than he did … I just get the idea these 2 are very confused and that this collection was filled with distractions and references that divert your attention away from the fact that there was nothing really great here other than the shock and awe.

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Armani Privé spring 2018

WARNING: if you dislike Armani Privé then chances are you will not like this seasons offering. You might also think this is a “paid political announcement.”

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This is quintessential Armani. It is Armani at his most stellar, on top of his game. So what if he did those bloomers and a those little baby doll dresses … it’s not like he’s alone in the faux pas column

Whether silhouette, colorations or patterns this is Privé through and through. What strikes me so strongly is that the clothes appear almost ethereal ... light as a feather ... it is as if they carry no weight!

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Tailored suits and jackets came for those collectors including a hot pink croco and then easy peasy evening looks. Then dressy suit looks and then the confections which came at you fast and furious. 

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Take note here that these clothes do not require an instruction or any explanation; they are wear it and love and be admired

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There are not extraneous accessories and design tricks ... just exquisite clothes for those who appreciate his artistry. Okay so if you want to count hose that match the patterns of each outfit well then so be it!

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Lastly think of this … what other designer has built a couture collection of this magnitude from the ground up and thrives year to year?