FASHION BY THE RULES

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Louis Vuitton spring 2020

I have never questioned the talent of Nicolas Ghesquière but I always question how it is utilized and how it takes shape. He is unquestionably a créateur; his collections range from absurdly insane to a collection like this which borders on the commercial even though at the prices nothing is commercial.

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At any rate, in a dress season, he certainly hit all the right notes from the very simple to the volumetrics of white dresses to the over the top prints. I look at the collection as being very item driven from tulip skirts to some wonderful jackets and outerwear. My point is simply that even though LV is far from dependent on ready to wear as a source of income, a collection like this surely puts a shine on the brand and is not dismissed as who cares or just filler for the stores.

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I wish he could harness his talents to find the happy medium between the over designed and some of the ultra-simplicity that he displayed in this collection. Oh, and by the way, yes it actually looked like a spring collection! Just a little note that this go round, the collection was over styled or over accessorized.

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PS.. I also had the thought that Ghesquière looked to the future while dear Hedi looked back!

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Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Chanel spring 2020

Before I even got too deep into the show, I realized something was off and that is the polish … that extra little touch that Virginie’s ex-boss was so famous for. The casting seemed wrong, the shoes for sure were a HUGE mistake as flat Mary Janes hardly equate to chic and soigné and then there were the sandals worn with hose … WTF are you thinking girl?

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The clothes are very Chanel albeit a bit heavy handed most of the time and lacking the spark that Karl was able to elicit from a tweed suit, dress or romper... yes romper! In general the collection might have looked a bit too
jeune fille."

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There were some exquisitely simple and light as air confections but they were few and far between. Amazingly I liked the logo print pieces, I thought done very well. This is a very item driven collection ... here and there a dress or a suit or a skirt but that’s so not what Chanel is all about unless you collect Chanel accessories.

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Back to the casting of long straight haired girls with very little make up and with interchangeable faces... it was just wrong and I feel sorry for Virginie had to follow in the footsteps of such a giant but that’s the way it goes. Karl got away with a lot but the one thing he never ever did was make the brand look cheap and here … well some of it looks mighty cheap.

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In the end I thought it was a rather ho hum collection with a few bright spots here and there and then of course the famous Karl clunkers which are as much a part of the collection as tweed suits. I can’t decide if the designer is afraid to step out or unable to do so but at this rate I don’t see Chanel ladies beating down the front doors of any of the Chanel boutiques worldwide unless they just want more of the what they have become accustomed to.

Monday, September 30, 2019

Alexander McQueen SPRING 2020

So this is how you mix tradition, DNA, trend, fashion, newness and innovation to a heritage brand and create a tour de force of creativity!

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Unquestionably Lee McQueen lives inside the body or brain of Sarah Burton. It is unendingly refreshing and exhilarating to see a collection that has remained in touch with its roots and has evolved since its founder’s untimely death.

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This is an ultra-feminine collection with an edge. This is how you do white, this is how you mix black leather and white lace to make it look as if it’s weightless, and this is how you do beautiful dresses, sleeve treatments and razor sharp suits and then girlie ruffles to ice the cake.

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It’s been a very long fashion caravan but this is so worth waiting for and puts most everyone else to shame with few and I mean with very few exceptions.