the Iconics

The end of every season we all reflect on what’s gone by, what were the hits and what were the misses of the hundreds of shows on view. Everyone no doubt has favourites they follow and maybe discover new designers to follow in the future. Times are crazy just now, with  doors revolving at many major houses over the last year, and lots of strong opinions on the achievements of new designers at the helm.

Always comparing current collections with previous seasons, I’ve also been thinking what have been the best collections of the century? What have been the most iconic, inspirational and/or influential collections and designers that continue to stick in the mind?

Here's a few from my list- what would be on yours?

 Lanvin Fall 07. ‘Simple’and clean, classic but fresh. Fantastic colour. Sophisticated and strong but so feminine. The cutting is amazing. An utterly modern vision of high fashion that reflects the knowledge of a century of design, but is not beholden to it. YSL’s loss was definitely Lanvin’s gain when they allowed Alber Albaz the opportunity to develop his vision incrementally. This is possibly my favourite collection of all time and is the foundation stone for all the other wonderful work done at Lanvin since

Marc Jacobs Fall 12. Like an urban Galliano, Jacobs is a global citizen, infusing high and low influences from around the world, from throughout history. Lots of ‘grunginess’ in the colour palette and styling; lots of layers stacked upon each other and fabulous hats. Individual pieces are fantastic, but the way it comes together reflects the way people wear fashion today, a mix ‘n’ match blend of influences and styles in the quest for true originality.

YSL Fall 08 - so many of Stefano Pilati’s collections for YSL are memorable, but the first for me was this one. Ultra-modern, even futuristic, but not overtly so. Before any others had started paring back their aesthetic in the wake of the Great Recession, Pilati offered this vision of oversized silhouette that was so much more. Interesting shapes and proportions that have proven to be very directional, even if those that followed homogenised it to a sea of total beige. Will miss your collection Stefano, but rest assured, your work for YSL will become part of the archive that inspires countless generations in the future. A true visionary who added a distinct and modern take on the YSL label that never fell into cliché.

Alexander McQueen Spring 10. Not my favourite McQ collection of recent times (I prefer the previous Black, White hounds tooth collection for Fall), but Plato’s Atlantis ushered in the world of Digital print in a major way. He wasn’t the first to use print in this way, the sheer proliferation of this style of print since demonstrates McQueen’s direct influence. Another fantastic multimedia show (check it out online!) and the shoes of the century made famous by Lady Gaga. The Last great performance directed by the Last master of the twentieth century.

Louis V + Marc Jacobs: the master brings it all back home

old-new

outer-there

man-o-man

tickle ya fancy?

How long has it been since Marc Jacobs was notoriously fired from his designer role at Perry Ellis after a much maligned ‘Grunge’ collection? Ever since however, the spirit has remained, but today, after many years of rearticulation and distillation, Jacobs turned up and presented the many pretenders with what a thorough understanding of downtown urban looks like when combined with the money uptown of high fashion.

On cue, after a week (a month?) of grunge references that have produced so many column inches, Jacobs brought a true insiders knowledge of the grunge spirit incarnate, and yet polished enough to likely be appreciated by women the world over. 

Sexy, powerful, confident.

 It was a collection that could be only produced by a figure so closely connected to the rhythms of the street, but with the experience of the atelier. Jacob’s collaboration with Stephen Sprouse (R.I.P) a decade ago provides a lineage directly to the Warhol factory, and if this isn’t entirely consistent in the aesthetic of the clothes displayed,  it entirely embodies it’s spirit.

A little distance goes’ a long way.

St Laurent fall 2013: what's new

Prada fall 2013: irreverant cool

Givenchy fall 2013: ecclectic and chic

Following Hedi Slimane’s pastiche of a collection for St Laurent the other day, and the pasting I gave it (along with sooo many others) I thought a comparison was due to illustrate just how different it could have been, if he wasn’t simply mining his own backyard for inspiration.

As I had suggested, it wasn’t the influence that was the problem; there were definite Grunge references in Dries van Noten’s collection the season before and used to great effect. It was not a Grunge collection however, and interestingly, I would suggest, neither was Slimane’s; this was simply a simulacrum.

Second time round the block fashion revivals are nothing new, and neither are the forms they seem to take, dependent as the are on some shared understanding of visual troupes. Clichés abound; ‘Punk’ becomes studded leather jackets, ‘Doc’ Martins and a Mohican haircut, tartan and safety pins. In much the same way Hedi recycled a completely generic Grunge ‘code’ while completely missing any of the subtleties (and realities?) of the grunge proper. Grunge may linger in the popular imagination  with reference to baby-doll dresses, plaid, oversized cardis and big boots, but really, this is only part of the story that neglects so much. Hedi- you have been inspired with what Grunge has become- not it’s reality. “California-grunge?”- an oxymoron that could only exist in the 21^st century.

Hedi reckons the kids are (still) all right at St Laurent

YSL-WTF. (style.com)

High Fashion (style.com)

There were some great jackets and coats. In leather and wool suiting they were great classic cuts ranging from motorcycle jackets to tailored pinstripe double breasted. It took me a while to see these clearly however; initially I scanned through this collection, picked my jaw off the floor, and closed my browser. Mortified.

Going back, the above mentioned outerwear presented itself more clearly. The clothes that made up the remainder of the collection however, retriggered the gut wrenching feeling that resulted from my initial overview.

In relocating the Saint Laurent atelier from Paris to Los Angeles, much muttering eschewed, but many no doubt suggested you could take St Laurent out of Paris, but you couldn’t take Paris out of St Laurent. Today Hedi Slimane proved resolutely that you could. In a collection that reconfirmed (again) his predilection for urban youth street culture, Slimane presented a St Laurent collection that channelled 90’s grunge so thoroughly, so derivatively, that there wasn’t a hint of St Laurent the man to be seen.

Maybe in certain collared high neck dresses you could discern the influence of the 1960’s but it was really more about the unkempt, devil-may-care appearance of rebellious youth that Slimane was so evidently keen to capture. Kinder-whore baby-doll dresses- check. Oversize cardigans- check. Plaid- check. If Kurt Cobain had been alive, I’m sure he would have been front row centre.

There is certainly nothing wrong with these influences- it is of course how (and when) you use them. The 90’s vibe has been running through fashion for seasons now, particularly on the high street. Teens and urban hipsters the world over have been wearing this look for ages and ages. So what did Hedi bring? What was his high fashion spin on the most popular and visible trend existing in contemporary youth fashion? Well, there wasn’t one really. Sure the fabrics were undoubtedly expensive, but they didn’t look it.

I just don’t see how the St Laurent client is going to feel catered for y this totally unsophisticated look. Who would want to look like they’re dressed in the daughter’s wardrobe, AND have to pay through the nose for the privilege? No doubt the response is the intention to appeal to a younger demographic, but really I don’t know why. If you do want to put a younger spin on your collection, you have to do so with a certain sense of control- take Givenchy’s offering, both today and in previous collections; a great mix of heritage and youth to produce a unique blend of urban, edgy, sophistication.

As for the Grunge element. Too literal with no finesse. Done exponentially better by Dries van Noten last season. Sorry Hedi- I don’t know just how long this stubborn indulgence can last.

Dries van Noten, Spring 2013. all class.

Unexpected Upstarts

Victoria Beckham Fall 13

The Row Fall 13

 

Designers design clothes and celebrities wear them, right. Well if there has been one significant shift in the rules of who-can-and-who-can-not qualify as a fashion designer, it would certainly concern that of the celebrity designer. 

It was not that long ago that the mere mention of a celebrity designing a fashion line (particularly of high fashion womenswear) would have been very quickly derided indeed, but today not so. In many ways it is almost the expectation for a celebrity to try their hand at designing either their own line (Kardashians) or have a crack with an established chain (Rihanna). It seems it’s all part of them allowing us (an extra) little glimpse of what makes them tick, a chance to prove they are not all dressed by stylists; they DO have personalities and their own style. Of course these endeavours don’t necessarily mean they get taken seriously, and nor should they; choosing a few fabric samples and providing an item from your own wardrobe to knockoff hardly qualifies you as the next Coco Chanel.

There are however some notable exceptions.

 

There may have been a collective rolling of the eyes when Victoria Beckham announced she was to turn her hand to fashion design, but the naysayers were proved wrong. BAM. Beckham immediately came out firing with an uber sophisticated collection that was snapped up smartly! Sure it  looked remarkably like the kinds of pieces that may have fallen from her no doubt overflowing wardrobe, but there was no denying the polish of the execution AND presentation of the work. This wasn’t some slapped together in an afternoon by a  band of stylists- this showed true fashion design understanding- of cut, fabric and audience. Beckham was away and has never looked back. Recent collections have continued to develop and move further from the prescribed style of Beckham herself; if she used to design what was already in her wardrobe, today she seems to design what she (and thousands of others) want in it.

Another fine example, and one that predates that of the former Spice Girl, is that of The Row. The Olsen twins are all grown up, and with their sharp business acumen, have built on previous children’s wear experience to develop the hipper-than-thou label of It girls the world over. Channelling the New York cool and their own distinctive brand of urban ‘Glunge’ they helped popularise, Mary-Kate and Ashley have, like Beckham, developed their brand to encompass the sophisticated styling’s appropriate to bright young things with fabulous jobs with which to pay for fabulous lifestyles.

Both these examples highlight the way in which celebrities have become both inspirational and aspirational, allowing customers to buy a little into their lifestyles. Fashion is no longer dictated by those hidden behind the brand name or label, but being designed by those who we aspire to be like. And what better way than by sharing a little fashion-ness.