New York Fashion Week Hangover: Part Three

I know that I should probably just stop with my reviews of New York Fashion Week when it's already Milan Fashion Week, but guess what? This is my blog so I can do whatever I want to do with it. I can take it out for lunch if I want. I can hide it underneath your bed if I want. I can even take it for a walk if I want to. With that being said, let's talk about the remains of NYFW before moving on to the London Fashion Week that ended a week ago or something.

When it comes to celebrity-designed labels, my brilliant instinct always leads me into thinking that it's really a design team that did all the work behind the collections and celebrity X slams his/her name onto everything. Bam! No work involved. Just another way to earn some extra cash so celebrity X can sit on his/her ass all day and waste money on things like a $34,000 backpack. Because you really need a $34,000 backpack. And I'm positive that you feel the same way too. So when I first heard about Victoria Beckham launching her own label, I thought it was just another attempt to commercialize herself into brand and to stop being recognize as a former-Spice Girl. After a few seasons, I have to admit that I was wrong. Victoria's designs are like a mixture of Raf Simmons for Jil Sander(so long, Raf) and Calvin Klein, except it's.. Victoria Beckham. And structured dresses with minor decorations. sharp coats and knee-high socks paired with boots.

Ever since I know how to walk and talk, I worship Donna Karan. Not just because she's a brilliant human being, but because she has this way of working with fabrics and turning it into something magical. Take, for instance, the fall 2012 collection because I'm so not doing the New York Fashion Week reviews right now. I found it extremely women-empowering and I approve this collection. After all, how can you not fall in love with a collection that has things like top hats and tuxedo-inspired dresses.

Apparently, designers decided that doing florals for fall is the next big thing. Like Nusardel(because I have no friends) said, maybe it's just irony... or is it? After all, Mary Katrantzou had been doing floral prints for quite a while and designers just all decided to jump on the "florals for fall" bandwagon since they don't have any good ideas and think they can get away with doing florals for fall love to experiment. Regardless of the whole florals debate, I really like the Preen collection because it's loads better than the spring 2012 collection and it has pretty shoes. Having pretty shoes is always a good excuse to like something.

I know you're having a "Florals? Groundbreaking." right now, but I'm just in love with Suno's print-blocking assembles. You know, putting together zillion prints while making it tasteful at the same time? Apparently, designers thing that not only do they need to do print-blocking for two seasons, but they would also mix in florals. But what I really like is the progression of the collection, from cheerful, almost-summery prints to darker, more somber ones. Almost like a fairy tale minus the fairies.

photo source: vogue

"That is so fetch!" + Spring 2012 Campaigns

If you are unfamiliar with Mean Girls — where have you been, stuck under the seashell Florence Welch performed in during Chanel Spring 2012 show since 2000? — you should go and reconsider the meaning of life. And watch Mean Girls immediately. For those who do, however, you would know that Greatchen keeps "trying to make 'fetch' happen." I don't give a holyfuck what Regina thinks, but "fetch" is going to happen. I'm going to make it happen. I can feel it in my bones, "fetch" is going to happen. In the meanwhile, please enjoy these Spring 2012 campaigns that I captioned(inspired by Fashionista.com) and imagined it all in Gretchen Weiners's voice. Remember, "fetch" is still going to happen.

↓ More underneath the jump, silly ↓

New York Fashion Week Hangover: Part Two

During the past 10 years, a wave of emerging designers arrived on the New York fashion scene to challenge the Calvins, Donnas and Michaels of the time. Their unconventional aesthetics, along with their refusal to accept rules, reconstructed the identity of the American fashion industry. Some sky-rocketed to the top, some did not. Among them are now-stables of American Vogue such as Jack and Lazaro of Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang and Olivier Theyskens of Theory.

Anyone who had closely follow the collections of Proenza Schouler, or just fashion in general, would know that spring 2012 is a huge downer flop. Egh. Backless dresses, patterned blouses, leather opera gloves... what? Well, worry not — Jack and Lazaro are back with their Cali, surfer girls-vibe they had first started with. With simple silhouettes, Eastern-inspired prints and leather trousers that would make you cry, this is what one would called "Asian in New York City" as the brilliant minds at Style.com pointed out.

I'm not on the Theyskens' Theory any sooner, but you have to admit that its fall 2012 collection is a perfect portray of downtown sophistication. Namely, the slim blazers, slouchy bottoms and loose knits tucked into midcalf-boots are nothing short of spectacular. Maybe not exactly "spectacular" but you get the point. Although the collections of Theyskens' Theory feel very commercial, I like how Theyskens balances tomboyish with feminine without overdoing either.

I love minimalism, so it's no surprise I love the collections of Calvin Klein and Reed Krakoff. For this season, Krakoff balances his simple collection with structural silhouettes and an emphasize on layering. Pantsuits and A-line coats were paired with simple tops and straight pants, pushing the sense of minimalism even further with a hint of sporty. Overall, I think it's really the simple colour palette — black, cream and bright cherry red — that makes this collection urban and conventional.

"The Calvin Klein company sure seems to be trying. Some of the models wore their hair in severely shorn inky black bobs, kind of a tribute to their honored guest. The crew had spent two days painting every square inch of the show space black, perhaps to make her feel more at home. And Francisco Costa, the designer, personally showed Ms. Mara the collection backstage." — "The Girl With the Front Row Seat," On The Runway

For Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa was inspired by post-modernism and the punk art scene in the 20th Century. And Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, of course. Before I go off to how beautiful my future wife Rooney Mara looks I just really think you should read TGWTDT and watch the movie. That's all. Anyway Rooney, who wore a sleeveless shift dress, sat next to Emma Stone and they really should become best friends already. They are both flawless human beings! They are both talented actresses! They have great style! Alex(@FuckYeahTGWTDT) and I got our fingers crossed for good measure.

Besides Rooney's surprise appearance at the front row, the clothes make me cry out tears of joy because of how subversive they are. Simple dresses that nib at the waist comes in various alternations — with a silver belt, made with leather or with chiffon panel insert. The collection has a very depressing simple palette of black, vanilla, and later coral pinks and orange. Along with the razor-short black bobs, the collection is very Rooney/Lisbeth in my opinion. Nothing really Oscars-worthy, though. Long-time readers would know that I'm praying that she'll wear something from Givenchy Couture, spring 2012. She better be.

Note: You probably expect Alexander Wang to be on the list, but guess what? The whole thing is so ugly! Bye!

photo source: vogue

Bitchy Staring Contests and Voodoo Charms

There are many things to be grateful about in life: livestreams for Alexander McQueen(note: the cam is shitty if you watched and livestream and know what I mean) London Fashion Week, stupid people on Facebook to make fun of and back issues of W from the 90's. Nevertheless, the brilliant Miuccia Prada never fails to amuse me with her witty aesthetic and designs. Say, for spring 2012, she used the 50's Americana Era as an inspiration and created things like print-blocking and fire heels. For Miu Miu, however, it's more inspired by the forties and mixing different trends together to make them wearable. The two collections are hugely different, but what collection by Miuccia is complete without an accompanied fashion film?
↑ Above: Tra-la-la-la-la. Think Mad Men except everyone has glamorous hairdos, bejewled and printed dresses/bodysuits and an ego the size of Texas.  What divas.
↓ Below: There are a lot of downsides when it comes to being overly obsessed with fashion. One of such is that you will start to believe that you can make dresses out of women by putting them in tubs and singing voodoo charms. Sigh.

New York Fashion Week Hangover: Part One

It's not just another season full of delicate embellishments, floppy hats and leather. Despite the possibility of Occupy Fashion Week and miraculously cold weather that freezes your behind off, designers managed to formulate intriguing collections with a twist. Think along the lines of Alice In Wonderland, Neville Longbottom's grandmother, high school proms and angels-gone-bad. Just when you thought the couture collections are amazing and this is only the part one of three installments...

First up, we have Marc Jacobs. The man who had convinced you that Gatsby-inspired dresses look beautiful with plastic boots. Or that structured military jackets look awesome with bare legs. For fall 2012, Marc is trying to persuade us that dressing like Neville Longbottom's grandmother is the next big thing in fashion. And obviously it will be. After all, doesn't everyone enjoy looking like sophisticated ladies-who-lunch on crack? 

I'm really in love with those oversize, fluffy hats though. Without them the collection would just fall apart. When you think more about it, the whole thing is just really inspired by Alice In Wonderland, except Alice herself is also on crack. Hence the heavy layering of knee-length dresses, unnecessarily fluffy coats and embellished bottoms. Marc Jacobs, reworking fairytales since late 1980s.

For unknown reasons, angels descending from heaven to hell(or vise versa) seems to be a popular theme among designers. See: Lanvin spring 2012. But that doesn't stop Prabal Gurung from expressing his own interpretation. The runner up for the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund said that he used this collection as a way to reflect his journey as a designer, saying that “I felt like I was in a place where I can slowly give a sense of myself in the collection."

The collection first began as all-black looks, such as dresses with cutouts and sheer panels, embroidered sweaters and slick dresses. On dark-haired models. When I first saw the collection I was just a little unsatisfied because gothic looks are so four seasons ago. But then it gradually turns to jackets and dresses exploding in blue prints, then dresses made of gold foil, tulle and lamé. All that good stuff, though not as exciting as the spring 2012 collection.

The Chicago-based designers behind Creatures of the Wind, Shane Gabier and Chris Peters, used the book The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies(written in 1961 by Robert Kirk) as the inspiration behind their quirky fall 2012 collection.“Basically the book was like an expose of the fairy world. Then, the reality is that he was found dead near a tree. He believed this specific tree was like a portal to this fairy world, so his soul was supposedly sucked into the tree and taken by the fairies and they sealed the entrance so there was no way into the fairy world, so it was kind of about that–these two parallel worlds existing and this doorway between them.”

There are a myriad of silhouettes, in the form of gathered waist dresses, blouses and cropped pants that may or may not be in prints. Think along the lines of what a grown-up Pippi Longstocking or Luna Lovegood would wear. My creys, that striped leather dress(top row, middle) makes me cry. But then again, everything has been making me cry lately — Mulberry naming a bag after Lana Del Rey, that Craig McDean editorial in W Magazine, the video of Nine Inch Nails performing "Hurt" in 2007...

I don't even know why I post about Oscar de la Renta when we all know he is a brilliant human being and his collections have really pretty dresses. The embellishments are just epic, the tweed jackets look timeless and fit for a Vogue editorial(US, obviously) and jewel prints all over everything from sheath dresses, skinny pants, micro jackets and nip-waist coats. That's all.

photo source: voguemagazine

Move Over, Mary Katrantzou for Topshop is Here

Think print-blocking and florals, and chances are you will think of Mary Katrantzou. If you have been listening to my ramblings on Twitter you would know that I have an almost unhealthy obsession with Katrantzou's intricate prints, which are first created digitally and replicated for a numerous amount of times. The Greek designer, recently awarded with the Emerging Designer Award from the British Fashion Award, created a wider collection for Topshop full of structured dresses, leggings and trousers.

"It's very exciting to work with Topshop for our third range together," said Katrantzou, when asked about the collaboration. "They've been so supportive of my work from the very beginning and this range will be the most ambitious one we've done and the most fun. My idea behind the collaboration was to design for the Topshop girl a range that is as close to the aesthetic of my mainline as possible, with great control over the quality of design and production. I can't wait to see the Topshop girls in the bowl dresses and for the most daring to see them try the print on print layering!"

The capsule collection, which will be available in Topshop stores tomorrow, is definitely something worth investing in. Unless you're Nusardel who absolutely loathes the repetition of floral prints in Katrantzou's collections.

The assemble almost reminds me of those leggings and dresses from the Versace for H&M collection, but then again Versace didn't invent floral prints or prints so my argument is invalid. As always. If you squirt your eyes just for a little it almost resembles a jumpsuit. Visual orgasm much?

Boom. Surfer-chic done to the perfection with things like prints that resembled tsunami waves, geometric shapes and tamed floral prints. But I'm not going to tell you to wear it while you're surfing because that sounds too cliché and straight from Seventeen Magazine.

This is, like, the highest form of print-blocking! What is reality?!? What is air?!?!? What is Nutella, my creys?!?!?!? The whole general point is that Mary Katrantzou is a brilliant human being, alright? Now I'm back to my geometry homework that I've been working on for three hours. High academic expectations these days.

photo source: vogueuk

“The act isn’t violent, but very loving.”

"Ms. Schmidt has been described as the little sister of the rebellious downtown art scene, fathered by self-indulgent bad boys like Ryan McGinley, the late Dash Snow and Dan Colen. Ms. Schmidt indeed makes loose references to those artists’ masculine work, like Mr. Snow’s semen-covered news clipping and Mr. Colen’s graffiti-sprayed phallic boulders. 'I kind of wanted to use some of their methods but make it girly,' said Ms. Schmidt, sitting cross-legged on her bed, in thermal long johns, a navy sweatshirt and wool socks. Instead of covering a canvas in semen, she draws the male anatomy in pastel tones, sprouting delicate flowers. 'The act isn’t violent, but very loving,' she said." — "Raw Energy, With a Girly Side," The New York Times

Despite the current events like, I don't know, New York Fashion Week, I've been spending quite a lot of time on the Internet and looking for art works. Because I'm an art major, obviously incredibly intelligent and like to impress you all with my smartness. I had recently stumbled upon(why do they say that, anyway? It's not like you literally trip over something on the Internet) the work of Aurel Schmidt, whose work I had first came across while reading the November issue of Vogue with Rooney Mara on the cover. 

I love how her style cannot exactly be categorize into, well, anything. It's minimalistic and a mixture of everything, while managing to be one of a kind. Egh, if I can be half an artist like Schmidt when I grow up I can die a happy duck. Or unicorn.

The juxtaposition between the different shades is just perfect without overly in-your-face, my creys.

The shape of the vase compliments the curves of the flower like a skin-tight Herve Leger dress.

I love how the exaggerated size of the rose doesn't look overdone, and instead finished tastefully.

photo source: greggslust, ilovewildfox

Ten Thousand Calories

“This was not a fairy tale, this was the real, the adult world in which frogs did not address princesses, and the only messages were the ones that people sent.” Ian McEwan, Atonement

She is one of those rare people who are so different from others. Trying to categorize her is like trying to argue with some headstrong individuals — just impossible, and something to avoid. Is she a punk, a pacifist or an introverted? Perhaps an environmentalist or a rebel?

Everyday she would board the 1 train at Penn Station at the break of dawn. The coordinator would nod his recognition at her, yet she would not show any sign of recognizing her surroundings. Not that it matters. Despite her lack of communication, regular riders enjoy her lurking presence in the corner of the carriage. She's just there, a beautiful and delicate being that you want to stay away from, yet to understand at the same time.

photo source: tumblr, weareglitter, luluandyourmom

Recap of Spring 2012 Haute Couture Collections

Despite the unfortunate event of recession and economy taking a deep dive, the haute couture industry is still going strong, both financially and aesthetically. As an industry that values intricacy and attention to details, this season emphasize the weight of different fabrics and materials. Yes, I do know that New York Fashion Week just started today. No, I don't really care. 

Georges Hobeika — Although my favourite quote "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking"does not necessarily apply here, "Flowers? For haute couture spring collection? Groundbreaking" certainly does.   All jokes aside, I'm actually in love with the collection since it reminds me so much of the spring 2011 collection of Chanel Haute Couture. I know, I know — so two seasons ago, whatever. Hobeika used details like fake dangling flower pedals to create the illusion of artistically torn and shredded pieces of fabric. Layering pretty fabrics can be really pretty! I would say that this collection is very Great Gatsby-esque but that sounds so stupid when you think about it. After all, pretty embroidery =/= Great Gatsby-inspired.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci — Gone were the days of romantic and angelic dresses. Despite being influenced by the Roaring Twenties and the Deco Era, this haute couture collection is very dark, very tough and very unconventional. In another word, very Lisbeth Salander-Rooney Mara. I can practically imagine your automatical-eyeroll at the mention of Rooney but I can't resist — she's a flawless human being! And she has cute dimples too! Moving on, the whole collection is build on crocodile skin, fine silk tulle and jersey along with chunky zippers spreading haphazardly across the fabrics. It's accessorized with "nose rings the size of their face and earrings so heavy they have to be held together by an invisible headband," as Alice of Fashionista.com had described. Embroidered with spikes and beads, it creates a simple silhouette, yet draws attention to the figure at the same time. Fashion can be full of paradoxes sometimes. It's unexpected and far from what I had possibly imagined — perhaps Tisci would continue the romantic direction, I thought naively — but since when was Riccardo Tisci expected and close to what you imagine? 

I can't really have anything against this subversive and totally fetch collection other than that annoying basketball in the lower right corner, because now I can't help but imagine these models playing basketball while wearing haute couture. Having a great imagination can be troubling sometimes. Beep beep shameless self-bragging. 

Stephane Rolland — Sophistication and quirkiness does mix when it comes in a palette of black, white, red and lime green. Despite its lack of any intricate embroidery that takes more than hundreds or hours — as seen in Givenchy — Rolland achieve the same level of delicacy by defining a waist silhouette with shapes on the shoulders and/or the sleeves. Inspired by the art of Michel Deverne, the collection is full of spiral structures and volumes that one tends to associate with pagodas and Asian temples. With the help of fabrics like organza, chiffon and ostrich feathers the assembles are sharp — silhouette-wise — but softened with the help of elegant fabrics. The tasteful gold embellishments and accessories, along with the cutout gloves, are not groundbreaking or anything, are innovative on its own rights. This is like an eye orgasm right there, ugh.

Iris Van Herpen — Think alienated-silhouettes and what do you get? Alexander McQueen spring 2010 Iris Van Herpen's spring 2012 haute couture collection, obviously. I mean, duh. "For me fashion is an expression of art that is very closely related to myself and to my body. I see it as my expression of identity combined with desire, mood and cultural setting," said the designer on her work and collections. Looking past the simple, neutral palette, Van Herpen used avant-garde materials such as leather, synthetic boat rigging, Plexiglas or the whalebones of children's umbrellas to create a futuristic collection that highlights the female body with a sculptural effect.

photo source: nowfashion

Fashion Universe is Still Not Over Cats

Not that it is a bad thing — I'm a cat lady, remember? Anyway, former-Spice Girl and currently-designer Victoria Beckham had launched her new lower-priced line Victoria, Victoria Beckham this season. To build up hype around the collection, which will be release in mid February by the way *wink wink*, Ms.Victoria had tapped Quentin Jones to directed the fashion film. It's filled with cats, quirkiness and simple dress that would appeal to both girls and women alike. Not surprising, since Beckham had said that “For the Victoria line I wanted to appeal to a slightly younger audience – super chic but with a sense of humour and an edge and that’s exactly what Quentin brought to the creative process. I really wanted to capture the essence of the playful feminine character at the heart of the collection and Quentin has realised that for me in her unique, innovative style.” Perhaps one of the best fashion films in 2012 yet?

Test Tubes Are Not Just for Chemistry

Here the words "test tube," and your mind instantly think of that chemistry class you had aced or failed, or mad scientists from those cheesy movies in the 80s. Same thing to me, until I saw these chandeliers made out of test tubes. Wait, what? That defies all logic! Test tubes are only limited to cosmetic factories in New Jersey and mixing vinegar with baking soda! Wrong wrong wrong!

Designer Pani Jurek thinks that objects should not only be functional, but also engaging in some way. Hence why you should hand test tubes over your head — to put weird things like shiny rocks you pick up from the streets and legitimate unicorn fossils. Or you can just hang plants because you are too cheap to buy real pots it saves space and creates a wonderful environment to live in.

photo source: trendland

Money is the Anthem of Success So Before We Go Out, What's Your Address?

Fine, I admit it — I didn't jump onto the Lana Del Rey bandwagon until Nusardel posted about her(I'm convinced that you're reading this. Um, thanks? I'm so glad that I have a friend with good taste in music?) and "Born To Die" exploded on Tumblr. Now, use your imagination and imagine me watching the videos on her YouTube channel for 23094720 times while silently weeping about quality music these days. Autotuning or talking are not considered as music *side eyes at Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry*

I read this article from New Yorker a while ago and I have a lot of strong feelings thoughts about it, especially these sentences in particular —

"Why is pop music the only art form that still inspires such arrantly stupid discussion? The debates that surround authenticity have no relationship to popular music as it’s been practiced for more than a century. Artists write material, alone or with assistance, revise it, and then present a final work created with the help of professionals who are trained for specific and relevant production tasks. This makes popular music similar to film, television, visual art, books, dance, and related areas like food and fashion. And yet no movie review begins, “Meryl Streep, despite not being a Prime Minister, is reasonably convincing in ‘The Iron Lady.’ ” 

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"'Born to Die' is full of rubbery, well-formed melodies and harmonic richness—who cares who wrote much of it—but the character of Del Rey, authentic or not, is so inconsistent that she fades from view, into her own photo spread."

Why does people argue about pop music like it's politics? Music is important, but it's not like anyone is going to die or get run over by a car if the artists don't create the songs themselves. Besides you probably listen to music to feel good about yourself, not because it's "cool" or "hipster" or on top of the charts. If you are, then you're probably a hipster-wannabe douchebag who cares too much about what other people thinks. At the end, does the critics' opinion even matter? Can't you make up your own mind whether you like it or not?

That was a long introduction. Here's what I think of the whole album —

Born To Die is very retro, very 50's, very pin-up girl. Although all the songs are slightly repetitive(I still can't tell them apart. Food for thought: it's like Born This Way expect the songs are... different?), they are intriguing without being overly difficult to understand. Soulful without being an Amy Winehouse, or the soundtrack to a James Bond movie. You lot had probably listened to Video Games or Blue Jeans or Born To Die so much times you can't even count, but National Anthem and Off To The Races are surprising dirty. I mean, Lolita references! "Light of my life, fire of my loins!" "Baby, put on heart-shaped sunglasses cause we gonna take a ride." Please excuse my absence while I listen to Dark Paradise and cry for the rest of my life.

This is longer than I thought What are you even doing here? Listen to Born To Die already.

Don't be a cheapo, just be a queen → buy Born To Die here or listen on Spotify