alexander mcqueen s/s11.

i can only agree with the words of tom&lorenzo on this one. quote:

"For the most part, we think she pulled it off. Granted, if McQueen himself had put this collection out, he likely would have come in for some criticism for being too self-referential, what with the lizard skin and butterfly motifs popping up, as well as the feathers, the gold detailing, the wheat, and the unusual silhouettes, all of which were to be found in previous collections. But Burton had one major task to accomplish: to prove to the public that the brand goes on. There's a sense of continuity here that was much-needed for her inaugural effort. It'll be interesting to see what she does going forward but for now, this collection does the job nicely by serving as both tribute and introduction. It's not all perfect, but it is exactly the direction she should take."

indeed. exactly. quite. most of the pieces here echoed back to previous collections, most notably (to my eyes) S/S10's shapes, the volumes of A/W08 and bird themes of S/S08 - arguably three of his stand out shows, though one could say that about any 3 mcqueen collections.

stunning, as always.

also of note? the shoes... (my favourites below. you know i love and ankle boot.)

...and the hair. utterly fantastic; probably the best hair/makeup i've seen all season.

imgs from style.com

lanvin s/s11.

this is the third day in a row i've brought my macbook into the studio and the second day in a row i've blogged when i've needed a break from drawing, cutting and sticking. loving my life.

on to lanvin - in many ways this was a typical lanvin collection, but there's something more here. i wonder if it's the colour palette and fabrication, even though neither are more (or less) sophisticated than the usual; and are still as 'lanvin' as any other season.

all the lanvin hallmarks - the rounded and oft oversized shoulders, the liquid silks, the ultra-feminine feel - are there, but this time alber elbaz has, i think, dialled down the girly. as i said, the ultra-feminine is going nowhere, but this time alber is the right side of that thin line between girly-feminine just plain feminine.

in fact, i will quote heavy heels when she said; "Normally, Lanvin is a bit too feminine and frothy for my tastes, but this season it's one of my favourites. The fabrics, silhouettes, colours, accessories and even the styling is superb." - quite right.

saccharine sweet just isn't cricket.

imgs from style.com

the liquid skirts in stunning shades - bright, but not overbearing - and great shapes in other pieces are gorgeous. and note, another swimsuit i loved. (see: michael kors. infact, refer to that post for some similar points. this is a grown up collection; and one not typically aimed at a 21 year old charity shop addict, but i have the wants all the same)

might i add; the racer cut dress about halfway down = perfection.

i was a little passive over lanvin x H&M, but if there's anything akin to this i will be ALL OVER THAT SHIT.

victor & rolf s/s11.

victor & rolf were inspired by mens shirts this season. but of course, in true V&R style, the simple mans shirt really gets a makeover (and, as usual the collection is inspired and interesting, but a little too much in places. therefore, a guide to today's graphic: there's the good (the majority, near the top), the 'almost' (the bright row of looks near the bottom), the somewhat questionable (not pictured...) and the batshit crazy and/or jawdropping (if i need to point these out to you, you may be beyond help).

imgs from style.com

i mean, look at that last one. amazing, crazy, volumous, sculptural....and quintessential victor & rolf.

but back to the good - the proportions on the asymmetric shirt dresses and sheer shirts with oversized cuffs (whether at the cuffs or halfway down the sleeves; sometimes both) are fantastic, as is the blue striped looks; a menswear staple. such a fan of the cuffs on the trouser hems too (see first look) - somehow it manages to be fresh and cute, even though it must have been done before.

i don't know what it is about any of the 4 'almost' looks i included, but there's just something a little off about each of them that i can't put my finger on it.

though, the shoes.... as much as a love leopard print; other animal prints don't sit right with me. zebra especially. can't get behind the zebra shoes, guys.

gareth pugh s/s11.

i'm a big fan of this graphic. it's like an army of robots, from grey to silver, with a big checky one in the middle. vidi:

imgs from style.com

a palette of varying shades of grey, plus black, silver, with a splash of white now and then, plus those shapes that pugh has become renowned for (A-line dresses, jackets and coats, skinny tailored trousers and leggings, the occasional bodycon dress) makes for a pretty standard; almost expected collection. i feel like i've seen all these pieces before (i even went back to check this was the latest collection), but then they all feel new, too.

but then, even an expected pugh collection is one which will please his fans (of which i am one). currently adoring: anything in that black/white or grey/white check, anything sheer over anything panelled, and the fit and flare silver number with long sleeves (♥) and black inserts on the inner arm. gorgeous.

sidenote: whaddup, x factor? some crazy-ass judging going on there.

pfw snapshot.

a bit of rochas, rue du mail and limi feu, now.

more at style.com

rochas

i found the collection as a whole to be a bit all over the place; in terms of colour and silhouette (though the florals prints and silky fabrics were pretty consistent), but that huge-skirted floral number is stunning and needed to be included. such an urge to throw big jumpers (or something in a poofy textured skirt for the first number) over these looks and mix some textures for autumn...

more at style.com

rue du mail

these few looks happen to be the opening few looks, but the pulled thread/ladder technique here really grabbed me, especially in the third look when combined with some sheers (and the blue/cream colour scheme).

more at style.com

limi feu

again, it was one look (the third dress with the curved, ruched, under-bust hem) which grabbed me here, and made me glance through the collection again. lots of great pieces, but these 4 looks were the ones which stood out to me, for various reasons. limi really has a way of making simple cuts look amazingly cool (must be a japanese thing; it's certainly a trick often pulled off by the expert hands of both yohji and rei at CDG) - i mean, look at the way that jacket flows, or aforementioned dress slouches in just the right way... marvellous.

carven s/s11.

this is a 'first' collection in two notable ways: the first i'm writing about from Paris, and the first this season that i went through the whole thing gasping and putting in mental orders, then swiftly mental-cancelling them due to huge expense.

seriously. in. love.

i was sure i'd written about carven before, but perhaps they were one of those brands i meant to write about...hmm.

but, as i said about jil sander below, simple-on-the-surface pieces which i just want to wear. though here, that need to wear is multiplied by 10. maybe 100. little jackets, interesting cuts on skirts and shorts, draped and gathered form-fitting dresses, cut outs and high collars all feature, but it's the GORGEOUS colour palette of peach shades, dark blue (not quite navy), black, cream, pale blue, and, of course, shades of khaki which makes me a little weak at the knees. and the prints are great! shift dresses, for example are so note my thing - no waist definition, no sale at this end - but that grainy photoprint number with the little collar is begging to be belted and worn POSTHASTE.

to illustrate just how much i am feeling carven this season, vidi this: the only show where i've pulled a couple of looks out of the ones i love because i love them even more. there are no words, i think, to describe how much i need this dress (particularly the printed one) in my life - the only item seriously still on my mental order list.

imgs from style.com

stunning!

jil sander s/s11

a strange turn of events, now - a collection by jil sander, a design house renowned for all things minimalist, that i was really drawn to...

imgs from style.com

on the surface, it seems a little basic and even plain, but the proportions - of the skirts, in particular - paired with the bright colours, stripes and washed out florals create great 'throw on' pieces; pieces that would slot right in to your wardrobe and could be grabbed when in a rush, but which would also form a put-together look with minimum effort.

i think the volume of the green or floral skirts are my favourite element, but the mix of the opaque/sheer vertical striped vest with the pink/white horizontal striped skirt was the look that hooked me and made me take another look through.

fyi, i already have A LOT to write about the paris shows, which i normally feign interest in, but so far this year is really the capturing my imagination. Pugh, Rochas, Limi Feu, Carven, Rue Du Mail? all on the list.

moschino cheap&chic s/s11.

i'm sure i planned to write something witty to accompany these pictures - i mean, i had a great line to add to this post - but now i can't remember it.

blogging lesson no. 1: write it down as soon as possible.

anyways, moschino C&C - as i affectionately refer to it - was bright and ripe with fruit prints (RIPE! maybe that was the witty line), big holey mesh skirts, and blouses with contrast cuffs and collars.

oh, and a LONG FLOATY CHECKY SKIRT WHY ARE THERE NONE ON EBAY?! one day; one day.

imgs from style.com

though i could live without the placket-framing ruffles and the 'smile' motif, this was a collection that made me smile - especially these looks, and especially-especially that 3rd look, right down to the pink lips.

surgical spirit.

if new york's defining trend (or a least one i picked up and posted about) was the sleeveless raglan, and london's was.... bright colour? leather? what?... then it was only a matter of time 'til milan had a collective thought.

the first clues were at fendi and prada, but following the 'three's a trend' rule, i waited for the third to come through, and come through it did.

in a season where white and sheer are aspects to be noted, it was only a matter of time until some looks bearing more than a passing resemblance to medical garb trod the runway - now you can get your scrubs at prada, your hospital gowns at fendi and your lab coats* at max mara...

all images are, of course, from style.com. click the links for more from all 3 collections.

Prada:

Fendi:

MaxMara:

* that's lab coats or axe murderer chic, of course.

marios schwab s/s11

this is a few days old.
/care.

imgs from style.com

i worried a little, at first. i'm a schwab fan, after all, and some looks came out looking decidedly... well, like vintage lingerie pieces i could pick up on ebay for a fiver.

but then some cut outs stepped out.

and we saw some leather dresses with lace trim and contrast panels.

and some witch-y, pentogram-y vibes, and some tattoo-esque print details, and some harnesses...

i don't think it was until the mid-blue dress with the black lace cut outs and the little belt walked out that i said "yes".

the good outweighs the questionable, and this is a great collection. it's the pieces such as said blue dress, the black number next to it, and the black gown at the end, which all straddle the lingerie/dress line really finely that work best (although the hard leather pieces with the subtle lace trims work so well, too).

really stepping away from the rest of the trends that are wafting about (although i guess the cutouts can be popped into the sheer category) but really working for me..

not the "kristen stewart in the runaways" hair, though. am i alone in thinking no one wants to look like k-stew? girl needs to cheer up.

david koma s/s11.

the gimmicks - and i refer to the bells and whistles and silver tubes on his often costume-y pieces - david koma relied on the past couple of seasons were lost on me, to be honest.

yeah i know cheryl cole wore one of his dresses on the x factor last year, and i know beyoncé wore (the same?) one to some awards show around the same time (i'm gonna go ahead and assume it was the EMAs) but despite my dissertation topic, i couldn't care less about which celebs wear which labels.

but maybe the bells and whistles worked - that is to say, he's made a name for himself and had his own show this season.

and i liked it.

imgs from style.com

great shapes, great graphic colours, great (and flattering) cut out and embellishment details. cute, but wearable as opposed to costume-y.

random thought: i find it interesting that gareth pugh trod the same costume-y to covetable path not too long ago, and he's one of my favourite designers...

antonio berardi s/s11

it wasn't until the 30th look (of, what, 39?) popped up on style.com that i took much notice of this collection, but the last crop of looks was just wonderful - nude and pale pink sheers with metallic or moss-y green toppers, with a silver dress and a silver coat plonked in the middle.

imgs from style.com

it's got asymmetry, it's got great colours, cuts, and proportions, and it has that silver coat that i just can't get over.

high necked, cinched waist, blouson, scrunched up sleeves, full skirt?! perfect.

lfw snapshot.

aka hannah marshall, charles anastase and topshop unique, thrown together because i only pulled a couple o' looks from each...

see more at style.com

hannah marshall

great sheers, high button up collars (and double collars) and the dark greys were lovely.

see more at style.com

charles anastase

i curse the internet for not having better pics of the mustard wedges(?). but yeah, again with the sheer and the buttons and the collars, yknow...i'm seeing a theme. that's why they call em trends, jenn.

see more at style.com

topshop unique

didn't like it anywhere near as much as their last collection, but the shoes are pretty great, and i could recreate that first look RIGHT NOW from my own wardrobe, which i always appreciate.

gosh, those were quick and snappy 'reviews', what? already with the ton of uni work; do expect a rise in the amount of outfit posts, and a possible drop in the number of words and/or posts for the next 9 months. big apologies; if you have a problem please take it up with the 4th year fashion design programme, kthnx.

house of holland s/s11

my good friend daniel won't thank me for this, since he's a holland-hater, but this season's HOH had some great looks. vidi:

imgs from style.com

course, you might notice i pulled only the pleated looks (also known as all the pleated looks), but the sun-ray pleated skirts in metallic shades and the floating dresses were gorgeous - especially the first two looks, paired with the oversized brocade affair.

House of Holland is always one of the most fun shows to see, and i always find the collections hit and miss - the good things are awesome and so very wearable (see above), but the bad have a tacky air which doesn't sit right with me. why something can't be fun without teetering over into tacky i'm not sure, but the metallic star patterned pieces were, in the words of tim gunn, "a little costume-y".

seriously considering seeking out one of the skirt, probably in the dark pink or gold, next spring. will, of course, see what the bank account says.

sass & bide s/s11

two tone prints, great colours (khaki, petrol blue, dark peach...) and lots of texture. and the first of many london shows i'll be posting - two days in and we're already hitting gold!

imgs from style.com

k, we're gonna have to talk about the bronze shoulder details on the khaki pieces. firstly, kinda super diy-able. secondly, perhaps this is the summer take on the shoulder cape?!? i would be very down with that.

outside of leopard print, stripes and polka dots, i tend to shy away from print, but the two tone abstract patterns in black/white and rust/white are gorgeous, and could stand alone or layer up*.

there's little else to add - i think the pics speak for themselves - although, i will say; i thought perhaps the jumpsuit was on the way out, but the black tailored look with the copper metal belt is wonderful.

-------------

*that's the print problem. only the truly skilled - i'm lookin' at you, susie bubble - can layer crazy prints without looking like a bag lady. and letting a print piece stand along and speak for itself just ain't how i roll, dawg.

michael kors s/s11.

i don't imagine that 21 year old students with limited funds are mr kors intended customer - nay, he's always designed for the 'resort' set; those who "summer" in the hamptons and whose wardrobe consists of a variation of swimwear, loungewear and evening gowns - but i couldn't care less. bright colours and simple cuts that are crying out for some layering were abound, and i need the white swimsuit with the tan strapping in my life POSTHASTE.

imgs from style.com

also the grey turtleneck dress; and the black asymm number which might be the most perfect example of the mullet dress that i've seen. how cool is the grass print, too?

although, not in to the flat platform shoes (?) or the hat shapes much...

ADAM s/s11

bit late to this one, since the ADAM show was a few days ago, but it had been bookmarked since it popped up on style.com...

there was something about this show that made me grin, and i'm gonna go out on a limb and call it a premonition. a style premonition, if you will. in that, somewhere between the topknots, the leather, the cropped jumpers, the collared shirts and the high waisted trousers is the feeling that this will be my wardrobe in a few years.

it's not quite me yet - note the fuller topknots, for starters, but also the slightly more grown up and sophisticated feel (but still young, of course).

see?

imgs from style.com

i mean, it's a simpler me, but that's what i mean. me in a few years, when my style has (maybe) evolved into some kind of chic affair rather than a slightly 'grunge-y', worn, rough around the edges look.

...which is, i think, the main characteristic of british style. nothing is too polished, right? which i guess is the thing here. this is new york me! this is polished and neat in a way that i could never be right now; it's just not in my nature.

this was rather less of a review and rather more of a "CAN YOU IMAGINE ME IN THESE?! I TOTALLY CAN!!" post, but really, look at 'em! great colour palette, great proportions (i can't resist a cropped jacket), and the epitome of new york style, which i am constantly drawn to yet can never quite simulate in real life.

also, a note to the red leather dress: oh how i regret forgetting when your vintage counterpart's auction ended on ebay, subsequently missing the end and losing out on the perfect cherry red number going for about 12 quid. sigh.

rodarte s/s11

11. 11! where does the time go?

two posts in one day; i do spoil you.

(still no postman.)

style.com finally updated yesterdays collections, and rodarte's was one of them. i am, indeed, one of those people who looks through every single look from every single collection - i am a fashion student after all, though i'm pretty sure very few people from my course share my slightly mental habit (it's very time consuming...)

i found it to be a bit of a departure for the mulleavy sisters - all the hallmarks of a rodarte collection are there, but something has changed; they've moved on a little, and i'm not sure i can quite put my finger on what...

imgs from style.com

...but i love it. i love this collection. or, i love this cross section of it.

and the thing about rodarte is, usually, i'm not a huge fan. their collections are often overly fussy for me, even though i'm anything but a minimalist. but here, there is a shift! it's probably as close to minimal as they'll ever get but it's my kind of minimal - check out the bottom 3 looks in particular. there's no fuss (see: 25 textures in one dress in their last collection), but there is structure, drape and amazing print, and then there are the printed minis and checked and dotted separates which are great together too (the 4th look! awesome.)

the best example of their move on would be the green ensemble in the middle - all pastel shades of one colour, with a hem line and shirt/collar detail that wouldn't look out of place in a celine or jil sander situation, but with this big drapey waist panel and shoulder detail. wonderful!

of course, there were pieces like the second one which were pure rodarte (though even this is cute and reined in from their usual look), and especially the last few looks of the collection, which lost it for me. and yet, i'm excited to see where they go next!

three's a trend.

...but 4 bodes well for me!

i speak of the raglan sleeve cut - or, more specifically, for SS11, the raglan sleeveless blouse, as seen below at Christian Siriano (woo, project runway represent!), Cushnie et Ochs (x2), Jen Kao and Peter Som respectively.

the raglan cut is something i've been considering in my sketchbooks, see. perhaps it'll carry on for a/w11 and my trend predicting will be proven to be some sort of god-given talent.

or it could go horribly pear-shaped.

sidenote: loving the leather pleated affairs at Cushnie, also.

some things i'm coveting as opposed to being inspired/reassured by include a tan swing leather jacket, also at Christian Siriano, and, of course, the fantastic trousers at Jason Wu (as featured on the style.com front page today).

oh, and this dress from Julian Louie.

the burnt orange thing is another sketchbook consideration. INTERESTING.

all imgs are, of course, from style.com