PROENZA SCHOULER
I'm definitely a late-comer to the Proenza Schouler party, and what a party it is! My lack of attention to the PS boys is most likely due to the fact that they don't design menswear, and they shouldn't (yet) considering that their youthful, buoyant designs for spring are likely to sell-out fast. Until now, my only understanding of the PS duo (Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough) is that they are both brutally hot, once lovers, classmates and now business partners in a much-hyped and very lucrative womenswear venture. When I saw their latest show, I immediately responded to the colors: neon yellow, fluorescent blues and greens that gave uncannily simple sundresses some urgency, screaming: "It's party time!" The styling was sublime; the blogosphere was abuzz over the two-tone Manic Panic hair, and the accessories were lovely.
Seeing them in person gave me gender-envy - when dressed in Proenza Schouler, girls really do have all the fun!
GIVENCHY: THE ACID NEVER LIES
What more can be said of Givenchy design genius Riccardo Tisci if it's not some sort of ecstatic wailing? The man behind the red-hot revival of the storied French fashion house has stunned critics time and again, spinning dark fantasies that seem otherworldly, dangerous yet oddly familiar at the same time. Tisci hinted at the goth-luxe trend long before it became le mode du jour and quickly became a favorite among the style cognoscenti (Madonna tapped him to design her tour costumes 2 years ago). High-street retailers have co-opted his S&M aesthetic to the hilt, and with his most recent collection Tisci managed to trump Chanel's op-art bodysuit with this hallucinatory ensemble (shown above), a gauzy wonder and pure perfection. The psychedelic fever dream didn't stop there:
it extended well into the footwear, accessories and men's collection. Heavy stuff, and worth every penny I'm sure.
RICK OWENS
Rick Owens, along with his like-minded peer Gareth Pugh, has managed to turn the fashion world on it's head with a provocative and challenging design aesthetic. To me, Owens and Pugh represent what feels like the new new-wave; their work is radical, subversive and highly-coveted given the swell of praise they've received in recent years. But it was California-native Owens' year, and his is the ultimate fashion success story. He began making clothing in Los Angeles in 1994, and now, at the age of 48, Owens has achieved worldwide cult celebrity. His eponymous design house managed to turn a profit in a bleak economical climate, and his popularity has yielded two diffusion lines (Lilies and DRKSHDW) as well as the ultra-luxe fur line Palais Royale. His S/S collection was an attempt to temper the razor-sharp edge that is his hallmark, and the result was just as compelling as ever.
Oh, yeah. The shoes. TO DIE.
Seeing them in person gave me gender-envy - when dressed in Proenza Schouler, girls really do have all the fun!
GIVENCHY: THE ACID NEVER LIES
What more can be said of Givenchy design genius Riccardo Tisci if it's not some sort of ecstatic wailing? The man behind the red-hot revival of the storied French fashion house has stunned critics time and again, spinning dark fantasies that seem otherworldly, dangerous yet oddly familiar at the same time. Tisci hinted at the goth-luxe trend long before it became le mode du jour and quickly became a favorite among the style cognoscenti (Madonna tapped him to design her tour costumes 2 years ago). High-street retailers have co-opted his S&M aesthetic to the hilt, and with his most recent collection Tisci managed to trump Chanel's op-art bodysuit with this hallucinatory ensemble (shown above), a gauzy wonder and pure perfection. The psychedelic fever dream didn't stop there:
it extended well into the footwear, accessories and men's collection. Heavy stuff, and worth every penny I'm sure.
RICK OWENS
Rick Owens, along with his like-minded peer Gareth Pugh, has managed to turn the fashion world on it's head with a provocative and challenging design aesthetic. To me, Owens and Pugh represent what feels like the new new-wave; their work is radical, subversive and highly-coveted given the swell of praise they've received in recent years. But it was California-native Owens' year, and his is the ultimate fashion success story. He began making clothing in Los Angeles in 1994, and now, at the age of 48, Owens has achieved worldwide cult celebrity. His eponymous design house managed to turn a profit in a bleak economical climate, and his popularity has yielded two diffusion lines (Lilies and DRKSHDW) as well as the ultra-luxe fur line Palais Royale. His S/S collection was an attempt to temper the razor-sharp edge that is his hallmark, and the result was just as compelling as ever.
Oh, yeah. The shoes. TO DIE.
And last, but not least ...
LINDSANITY STRIKES THE HOUSE OF UNGARO
Okay, so Lindsay Lohan's turn as creative director at Ungaro was a total fiasco. Trouble is Lindsay's middle name, and her debut at Paris Fashion Week was rife with it. The clothes were mostly terrible: shoddy tailoring, questionable styling choices (pasties, anyone?) and overall failure defined Lilo's stay at the helm. But, let's face it, the sequined heart-print blazers weren't that bad?
