Roberto Caballi, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tobacco and leather
I must admit disappointment. I let myself get slightly distracted by the fashion weeks this fall and I got…nothing. Don’t get me wrong there were some really fantastic pieces such as the Roberto Cavalli trousers (which I’m thinking I would see my right leg for…or maybe not…might need that for those babies). And I loved almost everything from Cushnie et Ochs as my previous posts can attest (here).
Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs, studded hearts
It seemed that I could only name one or two looks from an entire collection that I liked. There was a lack of cohesiveness or perhaps I was just plain bored. From Rick Owens to Barbara Bui to Gareth Pugh (which I’ll get to in a bit), I kind of went “neat…oh geez.” And don’t even get me started on Balmain. Or actually do.
The first time I was a bit impressed and in love, I admit. But then it happened again and I was very unimpressed by it (not to mention when it happened yet again). This time the style veered a bit away, more toward a lighter side but it just didn’t cut it for me.
Balmain, Spring/Summer 2011/source: knight cat
The corset tops reminded me of something I could pick in a Frederick’s of Hollywood any day of the week and alter myself. The trousers were all extremely unflattering (perhaps the shortened length coupled with rolled cuffs and metallic shimmer was a bad idea, huh? And the jeans?). The t-shirts were very DIY (really, you can’t rip up a tee and put safety pins on the holes?) and the blazers were still the same. The studding on the jackets felt a bit needlessly showy. I can admire a DIY aesthetic but this is just needlessly wasteful. Spending that much money on something you could do yourself feels ridiculous. At least to me. In fact, spending that much money on any of this stuff (whether or not you're DIY-capable) is too much.
Balmain, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
I know I'm not the only one who viewed it once and went, "Where have I seen this before? Not Balmain, surely." Nope. It looks oddly similar to Isabel Marant's Fall/Winter collection that was presented in the spring.
sources: tfs
This is not to mention the fact that it looks as if the clothes were burned, bloodied and thrown into a dumpster for a good few months. I can understand the punk/rock chic aesthetic but this is doesn't even begin to really explore that style for me. Previous collections maybe have. I will give Decarnin that for sure. This, however,is just ridculous. Pure and simple. I don't care how wonderful the quality of the clothing is. I'm not paying money for destroyed clothing.
Balmain, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
Across the board I felt like a lot of collections had a similar look. Whether it was minimalism (which seemed a bit overdone this year or maybe it’s just the collections I chose to peek at) or cropped slacks (how many collections featured this) or leather jackets, I kind of started to see everything as too similar. What’s more, a lot of the stuff I viewed didn’t particularly seem “Spring” or “Summer” but the reverse.
This isn’t to say that I disliked everything. I loved the Ann Demeulemeester collection. The fencing vibe battled quite nicely with a sort of strait-jacket, medical mentality.
Ann Demeulemeester, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
And the flowing blacks and sheers in Yohji Yamamoto’s collection certainly made me smile. The sheers certainly were involved in my favorite looks from Domir Doma and Nicolas Andreas Taralis.
Yohji Yamamoto, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs, dirty flaws
Damir Doma, Spring/Summer 2011/source: dirty flaws
Nicolas Andreas Taralis, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
Despite how I felt about the repetitive nature of Pugh’s latest work, I did love the futuristic, almost sterile feel of the collection. I could quite literally see this as a “future” dress habit.
Gareth Pugh, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
I must mention Haider Ackermann and Jean Paul Gaultier. While neither collection really blew my mind I did find some things to like. Especially with the assorted compelling mix of looks in JPG’s collection.
Haider Ackermann, Spring/Summer 2011/source:tfs
I first heard people referring to it as the Joan Jett inspired collection but I completely get Ziggy Stardust off of it. Right? As a Bowie fan, I was much in love with this look. Can’t you just see him (in his younger days) wearing that?
Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring/Summer 2011/source: style.it
Hussein Chalayan made me shiver a bit out of excited fear. Watching the video I got goose bumps.
Hussein Chalayan, Spring/Summer 2011/source: tfs
Last, and obviously not least, Comme des Garçons. Rei Kawakubo offered the very best, in my opinion. By far, this was my favorite collection (seconded by Ann Demeulemeester). From the netted caps to the belted dresses to the overwhelming jackets that combined multiple into one, I was smitten. The sheer absurdity of dangling jacket arms hanging from backs and legs made a mess of undecided fun.
Comme des Garçons, Spring/Summer 2011/source: Vogue.com(ph: Marcio Madiera), tfs
And, of course, everyone seems to be interested in the Siamese dresses. The lesson here? Take everything you want to wear even if you can’t decide (because if you’re at all like me you have a million different ideas of what to wear daily)and throw it all on anyway. Screw the “fashion rules” and go out however you feel like.
Comme des Garçons, Spring/Summer 2011/source: Vogue.com(ph: Marcio Madiera)
Though something tells me that if I tried to wear this on public transportation, Midwesterners would heckle me until I got off (Minnesota nice my ass).
Comme des Garçons, Spring/Summer 2011/source: Vogue.com(ph: Marcio Madiera)
