Tom Ford Spring 2013

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I guess we should all genuflect given that we were permitted by special dispensation to see the Tom Ford collection for Spring 2013. My issues is what’s the big deal here; for me this is a case of “nothing to see here ...keep moving!”

For me, this is just another pile of overly hyped clothes designed by one of the media darlings, he of the perfectly affected pose and expression and the ultimate control freak who fancies himself provocateur. I found the collection hackneyed and trite, not to mention pretty tasteless for the most part with very few exceptions. If it didn’t fall into those categories it might have fallen into the category of revisited from other collection from 40 or 50 years ago as if no one might notice.

 

View slideshow:International style; Paris Fashion Week Tom Ford Spring 2013

These are clothes that are meant to provoke and shock for the mere emotional and visceral reaction that one has when they see them. These are not clothes that are meant to be worn other than by starlets, fashion victims or the latest overly moneyed crowd… the Russians and oh yeah, and Wendy Murdoch.

Tom Ford's pile of clothes

Photo credit:

getty images

For the most part, the bike short (think Demi Moore’s boner of an outfit at the Oscars) / athletic inspiration is as tired as Tom's sneer , open collared white shirt and 3 day growth. The gratuitous overtly sexy pieces are just that; they might as well come with neon signs that scream “look at me “complete with flashing arrows open 24 hours!. And then there is the vintage Cardin pierce and the heinous over the top gladiator stiletto book to be worn with all of.
In the end, one has to ask … what is refined or chic about any of it? And who needs this?

Saint Laurent Spring 2013 Paris Collections

I am so pleasantly surprised to see this collection.  I had huge reservations given Hedi Slimane’s proclivities.  Some of them came shining through and yet he showed what he is made of and what he sees when he mines the archives of YSL.  I believe that a part of the issue with this show is the styling which should have had more variation instead of the consistency that was used throughout the show.  I believe the gloves were an Yves moment but the excess of leather was a Hedi moment that should have been tempered.  Accessories always played a major role in each seasonal presentation and yet we were shown almost none.  I am a bit sorry he chose the Talitha Getty Bohemian period but part of my regret comes from the styling rather than the clothes themselves.

Mr. Slimane has shown us his tailoring chops before he ever got to St Laurent where the tailoring is essential but what he has now exposed to the world is his softer and more feminine side which he exhibited to great affect with the dresses and underpinnings.  The sheerness and ethereal quality of Yves was apparent as were the tiers and ruffles but with far less flourish than the master.  Mr. Slimane gave the clothes a louche quality whereas Mr. St Laurent rarely “espoused” that quality in his collections. 

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/international-style-paris-fashion-week-saint-laurent-spring-2013-part-1

Let’s talk color or the lack thereof in this collection.  The choice of no color is surely a daring one for Spring even if St Laurent was a great proponent but with this lack of color and pattern, there is a loss suffered by the collection itself... namely it is difficult to appreciate what one is looking at when everything is so black.  More of those Yves moments occurred with the use of nude linings, that momentary hint of leopard or color, the point d’esprit, the tiers, the high/low hems and even the use of a hat.  Whereas Mr. Slimane chose a fedora in varying scale, Monsieur St Laurent would have used his boater or straw hats of substantial proportion.

http://www.examiner.com/slideshow/international-style-paris-fashion-week-saint-laurent-spring-2013-part-2

What has transpired here is a loosening of the codes of the house.  There is still that razor sharp tailoring but it is slimness rather than just a hard edge and the swagger of a St Laurent suit is altered to demonstrate the new found contemporary take on the suit.  Do I think there were too many pants... oh yes I do..., do I think he went a bit too black leather... oh yeah … am I sorry there was so much black... you bet... and most regrettably I was reminded of Rachel Zoe during the last color segment of the show.

Monsieur Slilmane certainly made a formidable outing for his premier collection for the legendary house/brand and he has certainly given us something to look forward to in seasons to come.  Last evening I had a premonition that there would be gypsy skirts and I was not far off.  Mr. Slimane may have indeed been able to marry himself to Monsieur St Laurent in a most complimentary way.

Bon Chance!

http://www.ysl.com/en_US/saintlaurentbabycat

Givenchy Spring 2013 Paris Collections

So, if one was looking for a religious experience, one might have had it at Givenchy today. I am convinced that either I drank the Kool-Aid or it was served to a select few in Paris when designing the Spring 2013 collections. Cases in point are here at Givenchy and then at Balenciaga, where both Tisci and Ghesquiere produced romantically infused collections as well as far more wearable and uber feminine. I am hoping that collections such as these signal a shift away from the shock value of past collections and are now heralding a new phase for these fabled brands.

As Mr. Tisci seems to be constantly battling with his Catholic upbringing he might have finally found some resolve by sending out thethe latest incarnations of the fashion nuns in their new chic mostly back habits and vestments. Quel Surprise! His newly found fabrications offer this somewhat ethereal tone to the collection as well as the introduction of ruffles which were also newly arrived to the Balenciaga and Gucci collections for this season. Oddly enough there are pieces which can be directly connected within these 3 collections, which is not to say that Tisci and Ghesquiere didn't push the envelope the furthest while Gucci was just an example of the ultra-feminine attitude for this season. Tisci’s tailoring and dressmaking skills hold up against the best of them !

 

View slideshow:International style; Paris Fashion Week Givenchy Spring 2013

 

Part of what elicits my enthusiasm is the knowledge that this designer is capable of turning out a collection that is chic and refined and feminine while remaining modern and “a la mode!” Alexander McQueen was quoted as saying first you have to know the rules before you can break them.” Well, now I know that Ricardo Tisci can do more than plaster Rottweilers and tigers on tee shirts and peddle them to the rappers and it is with this knowledge that he has made it known that he can take the DNA of the fabled brand and indeed bring it into the 21st century. Mon Dieu!

Sometimes you just have to be able to hang around long enough to see what you thought would never happen!

John Galliano Spring 2013 Paris Collections

Well, I think if it is safe to say that Bill Gaytten’s time at Dior was not wasted. I also think that his time with Mr. Galliano has enabled Mr. Gaytten to shine on his own; first after Galliano’ s departure at Dior and then when he (JG) was relieved of his design duties at his eponymous label.

Mr. Gaytten has taken the John Galliano collection and transformed it into a collection, rather than a bunch of ethereal looking bias cut georgettes with big hats and clunky shoes infused with a pot load of attitude, and now we have a decidedly more polished directional look with great influences from Rei and Yohji and most certainly from the House of Dior under the reign of John Galliano … geez … long thought!

 

View slideshow: International style; Paris Fashion Week John Galliano Spring 2013

I am generally not a fan of the Japanese designers but I can recognize and acknowledge their influence here which is certainly in keeping with the season. What I find so amazingly intriguing is the marriage of the Asian designers’ mentality to the school of thought that originates at Dior. The clothes have a freshness about them and most definitely have a personality that stands on its own, which is a helluva lot more than can be said of so many collections that have shown over the past month. I think that Mr. Gaytten will be responsible for turning the brand of Galliano into a more viable and evolutionary name rather than the usual bill of fare season after season.

Bill Gaytten for John Galliano

I bow to thee Bill Gaytten as you opened my eyes to many things and, most of all, made me a loyal acolyte and it is my privilege to be one.

ANDREW GN Spring 2013 Paris Collections

WELL … WELL … WELL, HERE IS A CONCEPT… a collection of exquisitely made and designed clothes with an eye on his clientele. Mr. Gn is a master of embellishment and thank god, never a minimalist, although this was far from over the top with respect to gilding the lily! The clothes are quite simply … beautiful.

The collection begins in the now “no color” mood of Paris except it slowly morphs into glorious color and combinations. The mood is decidedly classic and in [part somewhat retro but never tired or hackneyed. All of it rendered with superb technique and fit which is a lot more than I can say about a lot of collections from the past few days. If I go out on a limb here, the collection looked more Dior than Raf Simons’ version of Dior.

 

View slideshow:International style; Paris Fashion Week Andrew Gn Spring 2013

There is a beautifully romantic mood created with the portrait necklines and the perfect ball gown that deserve to go to grand affairs. The segment of Indian ethnic embroidery is beautifully handled in silhouette and coloration; one might say in spice colors or the colors of India. The black and whites are perfect all year round but my only gripe would be the mauvish/lavender color which I always find to be a bit menopausal when it comes to dressy clothes. It is a wonderful surprise to see the return of satin duchesse handled with such great élan; never does it look heavy handed.

Meet Andrew Gn

The bottom line is simply this is a wonderfully salable and couture like collection for the ladies of Gn and even for those who might be unfamiliar with his work. Was this a ground breaking collection? … No it was not. Instead Mr. Gn delivered a collection that requires no blah blah blah blah... how wonderful that is!

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Paris Collections

Well it was just another season at Jean Paul Gaultier … business as usual here. Ever the showman and ever the one to display his bag of tricks in a new way and so today it was all about music and musical icons: Grace Jones, Madge, Boy George, David Bowie, Sade and Michael Jackson.

This season’s stars were the celebrities in varying reminiscences of Gaultier’s golden eras. From trench coats to jumpsuits to nautical stripes to raffia to fishnet to Japonisme to deconstruction … they were all present and accounted for in what might be a greatest hits collection. I say that is the most complimentary way as Mr. Gaultier always seems to be current even when he trots out what may be familiar to the seasoned fashionista; someway these greatest hits look new to those who have never seen them before.

 

View slideshow: ational style; Paris Fashion Week Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013

Lest us not forget the sliced up suits, the pinstripes, the denim and men in heels with spandexed bare chests and all the other antics that Mr. Gaultier manages to squeeze into his 15 minutes “short subject!” One thing for sure, as I said, he is the ultimate showman who shows off his skills no matter how much of a distraction the production or the inspirations might be.

The master showman .. Jean Paul Gaultier

His serious side is reserved for the Haute Couture and we must never forget he needs to live up to his moniker of the being the “enfant terrible” of French fashion even though he is of boomer age. I look at very simply as he has put in his time, he has survived the ebb and flow of fashion for 30 years or so and this is his fun …VIVE JPG!

Haider Ackermann Spring 2013 Paris Collections

I always lived with the feeling that if you never expect then you are never disappointed and yet I was expecting more than what I saw at Haider Ackerman. That is not to say that the collection was not beautiful, but it does say that the absence of color has created some sort of pall over the collection. I had always, and obviously wrongly, assumed that color was part of Mr. Ackermann’s stock in trade but I guess not … he traded color for patterns this season and graphic patterns at that.

The DNA of the brand was all present and accounted for ... the signature wrapping and folding and accentuated waists but I somehow left wanting to see what some of this would have looked like if Mr. Ackermann applied his acumen when it comes to color. This season, one of the elements or several of the elements which have become emblematic for his collections have seeped into the rend category for this season and those namely being the Japonisme elements that have always been in a Haider Ackermann collection, no matter the season.

 

View slideshow: International style; Paris Fashion Week Haider Ackerman Spring 2013

Haider Ackermann

I am a huge fan as well as cheerleader for black and white and I certainly do understand the beauty of their combinations so, in that respect, I was very visually delighted. The clothes have not lost that slightly louche quality which makes them as appealing as they rarely look contrived or “outfitty.” One of the other things I do love about the collection is that despite the intricacies of each exit, there is a certain comme il faut which I suppose lends to that louche quality. Lastly, no matter how many layers and no matter the combinations, the clothes fail to ever show a heavy hand, the lightness is palpable.

Bottom line, did I love the collection? … No, Did I hate the collection? … No, but I was expecting more than what I saw and that has disappointed me more than anything but it still cannot take away from the quality and beauty of the collection.