FASHION BY THE RULES: Over The Top & Beyond

Chapter 2 in Paris couture includes one more unlikely pair of designers, one the new sweetheart and one a hall of famer. The 2 are Giorgio Armani/ Prive and the other Ricardo Tisci/ Givenchy.

While the lady days of Le Grand Hubert are lost forever, the latest incarnation of the label is a polar opposite to its founding father’s genetic make up. In 2010 the Givenchy woman, if I can call her that as she cannot be much older than 30, must possess the rock star gene or at best the movie star gene because if she does not wish to be the center of attention, these clothes are not for her. The small collection is short on the number of styles but miles long on embellishment, materials, and overall silhouette. Mr. Tisci is hardly shy about promoting the extremes of what his ateliers are capable of and the limitless bounds of his imagination. The absolute end result is a collection of boundless expense and extremely limited audience.

Now, the polar opposite of this is GIORGIO ARMANI/PRIVE, which is long on the amount of styles and short on a color palette that forces the viewer to experience a déjà vu within a span of 20 minutes. The repetitive nature of the colors and of his design signatures will no doubt please his ladies but doesn’t make for a press worthy moment. The clothes will always be exquisitely crafted but as in his ready to wear, they can simply be a yawn on the runway which can work to his advantage here as this is all about one customer at a time. The Armani red carpet segment is so discreet that I might compare it to the bride and the bridesmaids……no star material here except for in the most discreet possible way. Bottom line is……..there was no noise here.

Please have a look for yourself at Style.com and follow me at http://jeffybruce.blogspot.com

FASHION BY THE RULES: Destination…….Over The Top

It is that twice a year ritual that can only be described as “the wet dream of the fashion world.” It is HAUTE COUTURE time in Paris where one can bring to life the dreams that only the real “createurs of this art” can dream…………….no expense need be spared and the ateliers show why they have bragging rights in the fantasy cum reality time we know as HAUTE COUTURE.

In what can only be described as an exhibit, rather than show, with a cacophony of colors, John Galliano for Dior has once again opened the season with his own brand of brilliance. Even though one is able to discern the references from Monsieur Dior and from Charles James, one is so distracted by the laser vision of Mr. Galliano and his ability to bring that vision to the runway…….and that the references are obliterated by the spectacle of the clothes themselves. None of this acts to the detriment of what can only be described as over the top fashion, if one can even call it that. The point here is that Dior Couture is beyond just another garment, it is one of the quintessential Couture collections year after year. My biggest hope is that one client has been collecting these masterpieces so that generations to come can appreciate the workmanship and vision that enabled the creations to grace a runway.

ALEXIS MABILLE offers a concise collection that is driven only by one idea……….chic. Whether it is the full skirted lace or the divine slim column of a black gown with colorful “bow top,” there is a young but old world quality and esthetic to these clothes making them ageless

BOUCHRA JARRAR is another young designer who offered up what I consider to be the antithesis of the usual couture fare. What sets it apart is its apparent clean lines and extreme simplicity. It conjures thoughts of Geoffrey Beene whose name you rarely hear anymore but whose talent for razor sharp appearingly simple garments were anything but…………..

I urge everyone to see, for themselves, the wonders of HAUTE COUTURE at STYLE.COM

MIRACLE ICONS

http://www.oligoville.com/2010/06/28/fashion-by-the-rules-amulets-talismans-%e2%80%9cmiracle-icons%e2%80%9d/

KLIX and CZC

http://www.oligoville.com/2010/06/21/fashion-by-the-rules-klix-czc/

SHI !!!!!

For longer than any of us know or can remember, men and women have displayed their marital status by wearing a gold band or some reasonable facsimile thereof.

As we tiptoe into the 21st century, a new symbol has been created to alert the general population of our marital status – the Shi symbol.

Whether it is same sex or man/woman, one can discreetly tell people what they are looking for in a significant other, well at least in terms of gender.

The SHI symbol was conceptualized by Trevor Byng who with a clutch of friends realized that dating could be made so much simpler if one’s “status” was recognizable to others. So, in 2007, in Perth, Australia, the SHI signature symbol was born and since that time, there have been additional symbols to include male/male and female/female. In case you are wondering what SHI stands for, well it is simply Single, Happy, Interested.

So, in 2010, we have an accessory which is trendy and stylish as well as informative. What started out as a simple pendant has evolved into everything from that pendant to cuff links, to bracelets, to earrings and even into items of apparel. Now think of the possibilities that wearing “SHI” can cause, maybe even the significant other of your dreams.

MADE IN THE SHADE

http://www.oligoville.com/2010/06/07/fashion-by-the-rules-the-eyes-have-it/

WHAT NOT TO DO AT ANY AGE

At some point even people with some celebrity have to question their satorial choices.........http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=86983&id=696027710