YSL is Dat Chu?

Tomas Maier has been at the helm of Bottega Veneta for almost 10 years now and has really expanded the brand beyond a luxury leather goods house.  His collections have always had a connection to Italian Romanticism, conjuring up memories of the days of Fellini and Antonioni films.  I was surprised to see what came down the runway for this season. I almost thought I was watching a collection from Stefano Pilati for YSL!  Normally, his collections have a subdued sexuality that runs through them, but this collection was very overt.  These girls were not hiding what their intentions were and were proud of that fact.  The color and mood were both much darker than what I normally expect to see from Bottega.  This was a very bold and courageous move for Tomas.  It brings a whole new dimension to the Bottega Veneta brand! 

Marc Jacobs Fall 2010

His collections are always something that I watch out for because they are a spectacle.  For the past couple of years, there has been so much inspiration that goes into each collection, that it becomes difficult to really understand where they come from.  This collection was a huge departure from that mentality.  There was a focus that I haven't seen from Marc in YEARS.  He even decided to strip down the normally elaborate staging of his shows to really focus on the clothes.  There weren't even any big name models walking the runway!  This was Marc at his most refined and elegant.  There weren't any looks that tried too hard or had too much going on.  The collection was also very romantic and nostalgic.  It was a perfect blend of the worlds that Marc normally connects together in an unexpected way.  This collection was just beautiful, and there's no other single word to describe it!

Proenza Schouler Fall 2010

I've ranted and raved about this New York design duo for sometime now.  Normally, they approach each season with a new eye, bringing a new dimension to their brand.  This season, they really tied in many elements that are associated with Proenza Schouler.  They mixed in many of the body-con elements that they are known for with the oversized outerwear that has become a signature for their fall collections.  The color palette was minimal, while adding in an extension of the prints that were shown in their last collection.  It was a refreshing take on Fall, but still stayed true to Proenza Schouler.  My only issue with the collection is that it was woven heavy.  In a season where knits have become so important, it would have been nice to see their take on this trend.  Aside from that, the collection was really great!  I also know many girls that would go into Gladiator battle for a pair of those shoes!

Rodarte Fall 2010

The Mulleavy sisters approach fashion from a different place than any other American designers.  They really come at each collection from an artistic point of view, both defying and creating trend. I admit - my love for Rodarte won't allow me to see any error in their work.  To me, they are true artisans and have helped propel fashion into another place.  In viewing their work, you get a feeling that they are not creating collections with the thought of commercial success looming in the back of their minds, which is something few designers do these days.  This collection was no exception in my mind.  They were inspired by the female maquiladora workers crossing the borders to get to work in Ciudad Juarez in the middle of the night.  Many of these women were murdered.  To me, the collection is a reflection of the ghosts of these women, wandering the night trying to find solace in their unneccesary deaths.  My Latin American upbringing can be blamed for this conclusion!  Either way, this collection managed to continue the artistic vision behind Rodarte while being more commercial than most collections they've produced.  It was a subdued version of Rodarte, mixing in many of the trends that are present in other collections while maintaining the Rodarte identity.  It was definitely one of my favorites of New York Fashion Week!

HUNX AND HIS PUNX

OMG I just discovered this band and I love them.  I love this song too, even though it does rip off the opening riff from New Order's amazing "Age of Consent".  That is made up for with the video.  I want to be in this band.

Erdem Fall 2010

In my eyes, Erdem Moralioglu is a hopeless romantic.  There is a quality to his collections that reminds me of the way things used to be;  they harken back to the ultra feminine and romantic collections of the 50's.  At the same time, his collections remain very modern.  The level of tailoring, paired with the incredible use of color and print, keep him in a realm of his own.  I've been impressed with his work since he began his collection in 2005.  That being said, the Fall 2010 collection left me feeling like Erdem wasn't walking to the beat of their own drum.  Throughout this period where the major influences have been dark romanticism and 80's glam dressing, Erdem stuck to their guns and showed effervescent collections that showed me a different side to fashion.  Now, when the trends are beginning to shift a bit, Erdem decides to show a romantic and dark collection.  This collection actually felt like a reminder of the days of Olivier Theyskens at Rochas.  Regardless of this concern, the collection was still very beautiful.  The color and print was amazing, as expected.  The use of print as applique, which has become an Erdem signature, was gorgeous.  I love the addition of leather into the mix, as well as the printed patchwork pieces.  Overall, I still have to give this collection the thumbs up!  It still feels true to the Erdem brand.

Alexander Wang Fall 2010

So, New York Fashion Week Fall 2010 has come to a close now.  What a season!  There have really been some winners this time around.  I'm glad to see that designers are starting to break away from playing it safe and taking some risk!

So, as has been the case with the last couple of fashion weeks, I'm going to post about my favorite collections!  Alexander Wang has really become a force in American fashion.  His ability to take trends and ideas and turn them backwards and inside out has garnered him a following of fashion critics and savants.  Of course, you can't forget that buyers love him and so do those fashion fanatics who are snapping up all the Wang they can get their hands on!

This season, Alexander took the idea of women's power suiting and delicate evening fabrics and reinterpreted it into a wonderful mix of spliced up suiting and velvet pieces for day.  There was also a good dose of leather in the mix, as well as wonderful menswear fabric backpacks.  It is an idea that moves is collection forward into another relm, but yet the ideas of what his collection stands for are still there.  It was really amazing to see this collection walk down the runway and to notice that instantly.  This is what will keep Alexander Wang at the forefront of American fashion.

P.S. - I NEED ONE OF THOSE MENSWEAR FABRIC BACKPACKS WITH CHIFFON DRAWSTRINGS!!!!

Giving Up The Gun

New Vampire Weekend video for the phenomenal song - "Giving Up The Gun".  Wow celebrity appearances!  Jake Gyllenhaal, RZA, Lil Jon, and Joe Jonas!

Basic Space

One of my favorites of the moment - the xx - Basic Space

Rude Boy

So, apparently, I'm one of the few that actually really likes Rihanna's new album.  I dare say it's her best yet.  The only thing is that I'm not into albums that are sugar coated pop from beginning to end, so I love that this album has a lot of grit to it.  One of the fun songs on this album is "Rude Boy".  Rihanna just released a video for this song, and I totally love it!  Granted, it's a bit of a knock off of "Boyz" by M.I.A., but it's fun and it's fashion.  Also, I am completely in love with the Grace Jones/Keith Haring inspired section at the bridge, it's wonderful!!!

Zebra

My absolute favorite new song - Zebra by Beach House.  Enjoy!

Tim Burton at MoMA

For all of my friends in NYC, you absolutely need to go see the Tim Burton exhibit at MoMA!  It's really incredible and a true inspiration.  His sketches are out of this world and are a true expression of what he presents to us through his films.  There are also amazing objects from his films that are really worth seeing.  I spent a good 4 hours in this small room, inspecting every single object!  You will not be dissapointed!

Viktor and Rolf

In this landscape of completely commercial designers, it's nice to know that there are still designers out there that are a bit more cerebral.  Yes, they've had their misses and they have tried to create very commercial collections(how else would they survive and keep their brand alive, after all?), but deep down inside, I know that Viktor and Rolf are really designing from an artistic place.  This duo has been creating clothes since 1993 and have never looked back.  Not every collection is viewed as commercial, but I thank God that these guys have been able to continue to produce collections despite this fact.  They are true artisans.  I was fortunate to get to see their retrospective at the Barbican Gallery in London, England a year and a half ago.  It was an eye opening experience.  The fall 2006 collection in particular really resonated with me.  It walked the line between commercial appeal and artistic endeavor more perfectly than any collection before this had for the design duo.  The collection was speaking to the fact that women are expected to look a certain way and carry themselves in a certain way when we meet them, but this is not necessarily who they really are.  They are living their lives with a task at hand and never letting us see who they really are.  Regardless of this fact, we consider women to be a precious object.  In the final look, the model is holding a bouquet of flowers dipped in 24k gold.  Amazing.

Anne Valerie Hash Spring 2010 Haute Couture

I know it's been a week since Haute Couture week wrapped up, but I felt compelled to post something about the Anne Valerie Hash collection once I heard the story behind it.  The collection is named 'Confidences'.  The story behind the collection is that Anne Valerie Hash asked some people that are well known in the industry to entrust her with pieces from their personal collections that they felt represented their personalities.  She then took those garments and reinvented them into something completely new. Obviously, the idea of taking something old and turning it into something new is not a new idea - Margiela has been doing it for twenty years through is Artisenal collection - but the fact that these are personal pieces from the wardrobe's of some of fashion's most well known people takes it to a whole new level.  I thought it was very clever!

Givenchy Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Riccardo Tisci has been able to create a buzz around the Givenchy label, which is amazing, considering that the house was a dying a slow death before he took the reigns in 2005.  His shows are some of the most anticipated of both the ready to wear and haute couture seasons, and with good reason in my opinion.  He is the leader of the pack when it comes to the gothic romanticism that has swept fashion over the past 4 seasons.  When looking at his haute couture collections, there has been a vast improvement on the quality of these collections.  Initially, they didn't seem that different than the ready to wear collections, which made them feel more like a mid season update than haute couture.  Now, these collections are a source of inspiration and lead one to understand why haute couture exists and why it is important.  They embody the artisenal quality of haute couture, while pushing fashion forward.  The spring 2010 collection was no exception.  It was a very beautiful collection!

Some Things Should Be Left On The Runway

Ciara has had a long standing relationship with Riccardo Tisci.  She has had him design her stage wardrobe for about two years now.  Because of this relationship, she has been lucky enough to get her hands on the latest Givenchy garb before anyone else has.  Lucky for her - unlucky for the rest of us.  During the Grammy Pre Party and actual Grammy ceremony, Ciara was wearing looks from the Givenchy Spring 2010 Haute Couture collection.  I really want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the reality is, she's just not the person to be wearing these looks.  Her style is Hip-Hop Sexpot and these looks are something a fashion editor would be wearing to a New York Gala.  Just my opinion!