Givenchy Spring 2013

This was by far my favorite fashion show of the season!  That's not new to any of you though - I'm addicted to Givenchy.  This time around, Riccardo cranks up the gothic realness a bit with some more deliberate references to the Catholic church - which is something that always looms in his work.  The graphic placements are fantastic.  The fabrics are beautiful.  I love the shot of unexpected baby pink in the show.  I can't wait to get my hands on some of this!

 

Atlas Cloud

Wow - I haven't been this excited for a movie in a VERY long time!  It looks like it's going to be fantastic.  Fall can't come soon enough!

Dries Van Noten Spring 2013

Hello visitors,

I haven't posted in a VERY long time.  I'm going to get better about this though, promise!

So - the Spring 2013 menswear season has come to a wrap.  This was one of the most exciting seasons in menswear that I've ever witnessed.  So much color!  So much pattern!  So much focus on silhouette and proportion!  It was the equivalent of a mens couture fashion week.  I'm going to point out some of my favorite collections of the season throughout the week.

Of course, I decided to start with Dries.  He's gotten into such a rhythm with his menswear.  His proportions are so recognizable now.  There's always a streetwise flair to his collections, but also an attention to detail that is such an inherent quality in his clothes.  I can tell that I'm looking at a rack of Dries clothing from a mile away!  This collection was amazing.  It was true sportswear with a twist.  I don't think anyone has made camo look so good!.....well Valentino was spectacular as well.......but you can tell that the camo trend (that many put into Nick Wooster's hands) is not going anywhere!

Rodarte Spring 2012

What a wonderful fantasy the Mulleavy sisters spin!  This collection was one of my favorites that I've seen from the girls in some time.  The artistry shown here is comparable to nothing else in American fashion.  This collection was oddly reminiscent of the first two Rodarte collections in terms of the couture quality of each and every piece.  Every fabric, color, and embellishment was in it's right place.  It was part of the allure that drew so many of us to Rodarte.  The other part was a heavy dose of fantasy, which was also present here.  What I also find so fascinating is that this collection returned to a truly feminine place, which is so in tune with another major trend that emerged in the collections this season.  The use of Van Gogh prints in these pieces added the right amount of surrealism.  I can't think of any girl that I went to high school in the late 90's that wouldn't kill to wear one of these dresses to prom!  That's obviously part of what I really loved about it all.  I can't wait to get to see some of these pieces up close.  There is so much to admire here!

Proenza Shouler Spring 2012

Wow, I'm so behind on my biggest obsession!  Well, I guess I'll speak about the collections that I cannot wait to see in stores over the next couple of months!  One of the standout collections of the New York season for me was Proenza Shouler.  I am pretty obsessed with them as it is, but they've just been killing it season after season.  This time around, it felt as if the boys took inspiration from the island of Cuba in the 50's and 60's.  The proportions were a little fuller than they have been over the past couple of seasons, which was a nice change.  I only say this because these boys were one of the few American design houses to somehow know that body con would become a major trend, infusing neoprene and skin tight clothing into their collections when the innovators of Milan and Paris were doing it.  Their signature cutouts and beautiful layering were all still present, but there was a wonderful addition of patchwork elements this season that felt in tune with what's happening in fashion right now.  This also signaled the return of the knee length skirt, which has been creeping into the scene for the past 3 seasons.  The prints were gorgeous and, as always to be expected, the level of detail and craftsmanship were outstanding.  The girls all felt very much like Proenza girls, which is an amazing feat when a house continues to evolve its aesthetic.  

A Case Of You

Another one of my favorite artists of the year.  He's definitely one of the most exciting artists to have released music this year.  His way of bending genres and flipping between dub step influences and creating some of the most beautiful ballads I've heard in a long time is unlike anything I've heard.  He rose to fame by covering a song by Feist, "Limit To Your Love".  Here, he covers the amazing Joni Mitchell and brings a new anguish to this song.  Don't get me wrong, even trying to come close to Joni is usually a massive mistake in my eyes, but James manages to take this song to a new place.  This video also plays a huge part in that sentiment.

You Can Count On Me

A psychedelic treat from Panda Bear - the new video for "You Can Count On Me", the opening track from the album, Tomboy.  This is one of my favorite albums of the year.  Does the fact that Panda Bear is a project by Noah Lennox of Animal Collective fame have anything to do with it?  Maybe.  There are similarities to their sound, but Panda Bear pulls most of their references from hip hop and R&B in this album, taking it to a very different direction from the otherworldly sound that Animal Collective has been building upon for several years at this point.  Ok, I'll stop blabbing now and let you enjoy!