Alexandre Vauthier couture spring 2022

In case you haven’t noticed Vauthier understands sex, hot, red carpet and tailoring. He has become a sweetheart on the red carpet for many performers as well as for women who want to look hot, not trashy, not cheap but hot, sexy, glamorous and desirable. Even the shoes speak to all of those qualities which is a rarity in these times when the bigger, flatter and clutzier the shoe the better it seems!

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My question, and it should also be yours, is how much of what we see will be toned down to suit the client as this is direct to client ONLY! I’m not speaking of the clothes that get loaned out but of the clothes that actually are sold; in particular the suitings which reflect his formative years before his eponymous brand. I have always said he is a tailor at heart and yet he has grown to become a wizard of “flou!”

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The clothes offer a much-needed dose of glamour and attitude which does not only translate to an evening gown or beads and sequins. There is a youth factor at work here but it doesn’t only befit young girls/women... it’s for women who require their clothes to speak for their exuberance and that age is but a number. Some scream, some whisper and some just slap you in the face with their intent.

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I’m a fan and I’m proud to be one since I believe he has talent to spare, and the best is yet to come.

CHANEL spring 2022

How sophomoric to think that a show’s excitement is created by how the venue is set up... Virginie or whomever staged, choreographed and styled this show sure got it all wrong when trying to recapture any excitement. I digress as I will speak first of everything BUT the clothes... like long straight hair does not equate to young unless you mean 16-year-olds, booking second and third rate “models” is no asset when all they all they had to do was watch REAL models (Marpessa, Dalma, Evangelista) work a runway in the 80s. A head/hair flip doesn’t make you model, knowing how to capture attention in a way that doesn’t suggest imitation but in fact is genuine certainly would have helped. Apparently, Madame Viard didn’t learn all of Karl’s tricks of the trade.

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The clothes: well, so yes, they were sort of Chanelish some more than others and some ridiculously not at all ... I did get a good giggle at the double-breasted blouse and mid-calf sequin wrap skirt on a full figured “model” complete with sheitel! Shirting patterns at Chanel... not! Then there was this tsunami of horizontal stripes and embellishments; now anyone who has ever spent a day selling clothes to women of $ubstance knows that a horizontal emphasis is the kiss of death. While we are on the subject let’s talk about those clumsy fat Louis heeled sandals when only ONE cap toe flat was shown in the first look.

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There were a few good pieces in the mix but nothing outstanding and certainly nothing to scream about unless in disgust.... a butterfly print at Chanel... where did that come from unless she wanted to go the whole 9 yards and do a sequin butterfly top that was all the rage around 35 years ago. The excitement on this runway left us forever when Karl left this life and she apparently is no match for what he knew and it does not matter how long she was his so-called right hand.

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I say no matter how long you stand in a garage; you won’t become a car!

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PS. This collection should ONLY be seen in motion and she did do one  right thing  and that was pile on the accessories

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Raf Simons spring 2022

YAWN

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YAWN

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YAWN

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STILL YAWNING

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ASLEEP

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Apparently he didn’t get the message that every other  designer  got when they designed  their spring collections hence 15  minutes of my  life I will never  get back!

That is all!

Balmain spring 2022

Here’s my conundrum with Olivier Rousteing and that is from day one I could see that this young man had talent and a skillset that was hard to match. Did I think he was a match for the brand? .... well, no but in his ten-year stint he has certainly redefined the brand with his own kind sex appeal, embellishments, tailoring and audience.

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While this collection was celebratory, I found that the last 15 pieces spoke more to the designer’s prowess than the previous 100 odd exits. Dust mop length pants and napkin length sleeves are a thing of the past and he is fooling himself to think that life will return to how it once was.

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Ignoring the past 12-18 months is a huge error in judgement as it has taken its toll on every business and everyone who has lived through it. No, I am not saying the world has become one big pair of sweat pants but it surely isn’t about barely there clothes which scream overt sexiness or complicated design. Case in point is that an editor’s pencil was needed here and given that he showed both men’s and women’s together and that they overlapped a bit too much, the collection became oh okay that again even if it wasn’t exactly the same!

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For some reason, I sense that there is something very childlike about him and that his thought process is very elemental in many ways, yet his skillset is far above many of his colleagues. Let’s just say it is a bit sad to live in a bubble when your talents can be steered to staggering heights. Not everyone wants to be mummified or nearly naked at staggering price points.

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Hermès spring men’s 2022

Even though the term sprezzatura is Italian terminology describing a sort of uncontrived way of men dressing, Veronique Nichanian proves it lives in her heart and certainly shows in her Spring collection for men. With very few missteps and not bending to the absurdity that has been weeping the men’s shows Hermès rises to nearly the top of the hierarchy of men’s fashion standing tall behind Mr. Armani.

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You might say it’s a bit like Cuccinelli or several others who have not fallen into the trend trap but at Hermès you are getting the supplest skins, fabric combinations and wonderful easy knits that have come to be shown this season BUT without a doubt this is collection jacket heaven. I almost forgot to mention she snuck in a print which was refreshing, to say the least, and paying homage to the brand’s DNA.

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I’m not saying I’d mind that epauletted camel suede tunic or a few pairs of those slouchy pants with rope belts or those dip dyed sweaters but jackets take a starring role ...oh did I forget that sueded croco dyed in pale turq, camel or possibly it’s washed denim but I do take offense to those bois de rose color and that one tee shirt that looked literally like some shredded rag.

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Ageless, classic, chic, soigné, unpretentious wearable clothes for men who can afford them and for young men to aspire to... oh the word aspire!