Pre-Fall 2014.. Reem Acra .. Monique LHuillier

The 2 designers started in the same place and that was at the altar. Bother were initially known for bridal gowns which eventually morphed to red carpet which eventually morphed into cocktail hour. This is where it all gets sort of blurred as both are superb dressmakers each knows their way around a yard of lace or chiffon but this is also where they hit that fork in the road.

From what can be seen of  Monique LHuillier’s collection, it is safe to say that if “comfort” is her M.O. then she might have overshot the mark here. Again, do not suppose or assume that the collection is unappealing as that is far from the truth but we need to take into account the poor styling and some poor silhouette choices here. While the satin flat is very tasteful, it surely misses the mark with lace gowns, dresses and puddling pants. On the flip side there are fabulously sexy asymmetrical mules and flats that are a 21^st century of what Armani did oh so many years ago.  Back to dresses, there is loose sexy and there is loose matronly and Ms. LHuillier hit both ends of the spectrum, but why was there such a shortage of her beautiful, georgettes, chiffons and jerseys?

Reem Acra has been honing her skills for the past few seasons and surely she has figured out how to design great gowns and cocktail dresses. My question is why on earth do you show a collection on a model who is about 2 steps away from rehab or who forgot to brush her hair that day. Then of course, there is that odd booty which made no sense with the clothes. She has steered the collection to sexy and it may have been even more so if there wasn’t such a huge amount of black lace involved. To her credit, she employed a fabulous color palette and for the most part there are some truly beautiful pieces and like Ms. LHuillier, she hit both ends of the spectrum when it came to chic and not so much.

Pre-fall 2014 Versace

It is quite clear that “Donatellamamamia” has made up her mind who her customer is as well as who she wishes to attract with her latest fashion foray. Let’s say that she is not the classiest although she must have the bucks and she may not be the youngest but she has the body and lastly she surely does not go unnoticed on this earth!

Signora is  in a but of a conundrum as  Mr. Tisci sort of confiscated a few of these looks before and Mr. Slimane might has utilized some of the proportions for the new Saint Laurent BUT what I can say is that Donatella has used some pretty fabulous fabrications. The bright very Versace prints and the amazing black multi-patterned/collaged coat are standouts here. Her de rigeur pastels are once again present and of course the omnipresent black which always serves up some of the best pieces.

What would be so wonderful is that maybe, sometime, maybe soon ... , “Donatellamamamia” will grasp that short, tight bare and brazen are not the only approaches to sexy and maybe, just maybe, the clothes would be a bit more erotic and seductive rather than fetishized and cliché. OOPS!!! I left out referenced!

One has to assume that Russia is on her mind and maybe parts of the middle/far east but it is hard to tell who will be oohing and gooing over these frocks/shoes/furs and accessories!

Pre-Fall 2014 ... Michael Kors

Okay gang, so let’s talk about blurred lines here! Apparently the idea is everywhere... music, fashion, media and even literature but here we speak only of fashion. For many years, there was a differentiation that separated the main designer collection from its diffusion lines but today we can see that the edges are quite blurred which make it exceedingly difficult to tell which is the real McCoy, Subtract the ingredients of fabrication, place of manufacture, price and quality and there is very little here that is visibly definitive. Think about it!

So, we have reefers, chesterfields, polos, and bathrobes which are requisites for almost every Michael Kors Fall Collection. When the main collection skews younger and is presented in a way that is a departure from its roots and looks more like one of the lesser expensive or mass collections, well then, I say we have trouble or possibly an identity crisis afoot.

So, the good thing is that the colors are great and the mood is relaxed but what’s not great is that the slick and chic factors are absent and what you are left with looks like Jenna Lyons’ wardrobe. This is said in its most literal senses whether it applies to the clothes or her lifestyle. To say the least, this is a very unfortunate set of choices for inspiration for a collection like this whether it is intentional or not. Don’t misconstrue the words, there are great pieces within the collection but the overall look is surely sub-par for Michael Kors.

If one had to hope or even guess, Mr. Kors will pull out the stops for the runway presentation come March and if not, well, there is some form of reexamination and redefinition that needs to be done… post haste! Yes, it is a conundrum when you have 3 very successful collections, 2 of which are supposed to be watered down from the eponymous collection. It might be said here that the job falls onto the merchandisers and not the designer but as we all know… the designer has the last word, even if he is now working for a public company.

Pre-Fall 2013.. Giorgio Armani .. Bottega Veneta

To say that Giorgio Armani goes his own way, when it comes to his business, would be a gross understatement of facts. To say that Mr. Armani follows no trends and can be somewhat quirky when it comes to his collections, would also be a bit of understatement, but what is abundantly clear is that Giorgio Armani might be the Italian Ralph Lauren. Please think about this and digest the words.

 

Mr. Armani is a master of reconfiguring and reimagining his fashion vocabulary and DNA each and every season. That is to say he has his own particular way of expressing his sentiments about each season without regard to the rest of the flock; is this sounding like one of America’s own homegrown talent? He massages his iconography to suit his seasonal needs.

 

Pre-Fall 2014 offers no real surprises except that the consistency of the collection is staggering and yet he still manages to toss a few curve balls that result in a broadening of the Armani perception of fashion and his view on what constitutes good taste. The collection is slick, clean, chic, modern, a bit more  casual/relaxed than usual and yet so so Armani and that’s about all that one can ask for. No doubt about it, this is more for his ladies and maybe even a reason to gain a larger footprint in the world of fashion retailing as well as new clientele who want less gimmicks and more true timeless and perfectly pitched fashion.

 

Then there is Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta with who I have a sort of love hate thing going on; there are seasons that I am crazy about the clothes and then there these where I couldn’t even begin to try and figure out what he has  done. This Pre-Fall is collection is definitely leaning on the love side mainly because his theme or inspirations didn’t overpower the clothes. Simply said, there are seasons where he is too much of a “blah blah blah” designer and not enough of a merchant oriented designer.

 

What is noticeable here is that Mr. Maier is a man who knows his way around a dress as well as well as any architect knows his way around a skyscraper. It is interesting that there are pieces that might be a bit “over built” but it doesn’t take away from the slick lines and beautifully made collection. Bottega Veneta is a brand steeped in the legacy of workmanship and Mr., Maier has found a way to continually integrate that legacy into the fashion/apparel segments of the brand. He is technician, innovator and almost mad scientist when it comes to fabrications and applications.

 

One would be an idiot to ignore the amazing shoe of the season as it will no doubt grace the feet of so many on a worldwide stage and the fact that the handbags are fabulous certainly will not hurt the bottom line. Speaking of bottom lines, there is plenty here to satisfy the artisan slant or the cosmopolitan slant of his clientele which all translates to money in the bank for the brand. As its long forgotten logo phrase was “when your own initials are enough” these are the clothes that need nothing more than a slightly esoteric and certainly self-confident woman

Pre-fall 2014 .. Oscar de la Renta

Hey!! You fledgling, young and new to fashion … designers, you need to take a lesson here and see how it’s done. Yes... You,  I am talking to you!! Some would argue that Mr. de la Renta is from the old school and those who do observe that stance need to step back  and see why Oscar has out lived so many in the fashion  continuum.

 

Pre fall chez de la Renta is everything his clients can possibly want; he doles out color, silhouettes, classics, modern, dresses, suits and, of course, knock out gowns and evening wear. The concept of pre-fall is to withstand the test of time on the retail floor and give the client a little bit of wear it now, wear it soon and save it till the weather turns and yes it is all here.

 

The tweeds span from reminiscent to totally modern, the black and whites from sexy to a bit on the matronly side, the colors are inviting and tempting as well as tried and true. This is the kind of collection that as we once said “rings registers.” My biggest gripes are the below the knee leaning to mid-calf length and the bootie like shoes which offend my eye and upset the balance of the looks, but it is all overlooked when you separate the pros and cons of the collection.

 

The overview is simple here, the clothes reflect the brand and the clientele, the collection does not pull out all the stops but it is inviting, somewhat familiar and yet has just enough newness to tempt both the dyes in the wool Oscar lady as well as the uninitiated. For some, this may seem odd as there are no tricks and no gimmicks which leave you with pitch perfectly designed clothes for women who want to look fashionable and chic without looking like a victim of some designer’s momentary seasonal whim!

 

Pre-fall 2014 .. Chanel Metiers d'Arts

Is it too corny to say that there is a new sheriff in town? The metaphor of the Wild West, Chanel and Ralph Lauren is the combination that comes to mind and might I say “Whoa Nellie!”

This is the Chanel show that puts every other show to shame every year as this is the show that shows off the unimaginable talents of the ateliers that make up the Maison Chanel. The company has wisely acquired every one of these small shops who have mastered an art that is an essential ingredient to the world of Haute Couture.

Karl Lagerfeld enjoys the luxury of the world most astounding artisans and this season he has sent them to Texas, the Lone Star state, and in the process he has reinvented what we once thought of as American classics. Karl shows us lariats of pearls not rope and guns of gold not carbon and serapes, Indian blankets and ponchos of cashmere not coarse wool. This is, of course, all compounded by miles of fringe and just about every feather that could be found in the world all tied into embellishments that have never even ever been dreamed of before.

There really is no point in trying to dissect this as a collection of clothes that reach the customer as here is where the customer comes to the clothes and that makes this flight of fancy an amazing spectacle of what is possible when one has imagination and the means to turn fantasy into reality. Prairie skirts and chaps and knee high “quasi” boots and stenciled “Frye” cowboy boots and men’s clothes are only small part of what can only be called a fashion spectacle as well as a newly imagined Wild West. It is Chanel flexing its muscles and Karl showing the world that he is indeed still the Kaiser. One might even go so far as to say...Hubris! But then again, that’s not very shocking is it?

P.S. please take note of a new meaning for “saddle shoulder” as well as new definition for American Indian jewelry, 21^st century denim, couture Frye boots and fur mukluks!!!!!