tetris.

all imgs from style.com

Bold stripes and oddly shaped colour blocks are next up at NYFW.

Orange and black manage not to look hallowe'en-y at Preen, with an autumnal floral print dotted throughout the collection (looking best on a shirt paired with the perfect burnt orange trousers - weird waistbands are wonderful. I like alliteration.)

I can live without the cutesy belt bows on most of the skirts (as on the first blouse, though it works here with the clean, almost sporty look and the unusual colour combo) but I can't live without the purple-y blue/brown geometric colour blocking on the blazer and trousers.

Phillip Lim could just have sent the accessories out and I would've been considering applying for a credit card, but then he went and sent out a plethora of monochrome geo-colour blocking too and I was all *drool* and my computer was all *stop that please, I'm already working sporadically*.

Could all of the shoes, and that bag, and the dresses in pics 2 and 5, and the trousers in pics 9 and 10 (specifically the ones with the V-shaped cut out in the hem) make their way to my wardrobe in an orderly fashion, please?

All is forgiven for SS12.

Excuse me, there's now going to be a small Preen photodump, followed by a huge Phillip Lim photodump/fangirl moment.

Preen

3.1 Phillip Lim

*heart palpitations*

en why see - fashion week roundup

in advance, all pics are from style.com

'Ere, Lim, see what you've done?! Made me reconsider and do a roundup. Goddamn you.

These are random looks I dragged to my desktop for one reason or another. Let's talk about em.

Narciso Rodriquez
I remember looking at this and going "I want to wear that". Pure and simple.

Yigal Azrouel
Loved the extra thin knit with the cable-y shoulders.

Vera Wang
Stared at this for a good 5 minutes; giddy at the thought of sheer ruffly-poofiness. Nuff said?

Kimberly Ovitz
Gahhhhhh distressed knit and asymmetry drooool
Loved the asym looks in this collection vair much. It was similar, but done differently to both last seasons Haider Ackermann and (ofc) this seasons Philip Lim.
Oh my, I do love asymmetry.

Malandrino
This is just cool, yknow?

Marchesa
Marchesa tends to be, a bit, too 'redcarpetplzwearmestarletspeeeez' for my liking, no matter how beautiful the pieces are. But I love the way the top is tattoo-esque and blends into the skirt; remind of SS10 Givenchy Couture, which I adored. Coulda done without the printed tights (?) carrying on the tattoo effect, but I can't put my finger on why it is that I don't like that. Too matchy-matchy, p'raps?

Nanette Lepore

I think I ummed and ahhed over the first one, finally deciding if I was wondering whether to save it for later or not for that amount of time I should probs just do it. Another thing I can just see myself wearing. Love everything about the second look - casual sequins, grey tights, the cut of the coat, the colours of all the pieces, and the shoes. Oh my, the shoes.

Chado Ralph Rucci

The little peeks of sheers and cut outs here intrigued me. Sequins with chiffon done in a way which isn't overly girly, OTT, or infact anything other than classy and interesting is a success in my eyes.

Douglas Hannat

The blue blouse is everything you could want from a blue sheer blouse - let's face it, if you're gonna wear an almost neon blue, sheer blouse, you might as well go poofy sleeved and pussy bowed too. The red dress is like the perfect throw-on day dress, imo.

Tommy Hilfiger
I was surprised to find stuff I loved here, but then I found Hilfiger in my tags, so evidently I've featured 'im before. There were some standouts here - slouchy tartan jackets; some lovely looking grey jersey; this wonderfully perfect checked skirt that I need in my life, and the gorgeous peacock coloured and folded skirt in the first look all caught my eye - but setting eyes on the sleeveless trench with the jersey lapels made me say "YES" at the screen. For all the trenches I've seen, this is the most modern, sporty take on it. It seems to be building on AWangs SS10 outing, non?

Preen

Cut outs and delicacy under structural (but still soft) shapes; I like. But for a collection I pulled 4 looks from, I don't have much to say on it...

Brian Reyes
Here there be more grey jersey; more foldy/loopy/pleaty detailed skirts; interesting layers and sheeny shiny, loose fitting, extra comfy looking trews. Plus sequins, and that matte metallic-y tee in look 3, which might just be perfect. Yum.

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Resort 2010; Part Four

More favourites - only one part left after this!!

3.1 Phillip Lim

I like my collections either wearable or completely mental and unwearable. I'm not so sold on things that are technically wearable - that to me means you just haven't gone all out crazy; it's a bit half-arsed. Go mental or don't bother, mmmkay?

So here, all the boxes are ticked for me: It's wearable but chic, and the neutrals and grey tones (♥) look ace. The lace in the first look is reminiscent of Prada A/W 08, but the shapes are much more *now* with the cropped shape of the tee; and it's cute without being twee. I like the mix of polka dot sizes in the last look, too.

I find mixing patterns can be too much sometimes...I'm a simple girl at heart, give me block colours and fabric manipulation over print and patterns any day...but a mix of sizes/directions in simple prints is something I whole-heartedly endorse.

Jenni Kayne

SHEER!

NEUTRALS!

LAYERING!

'nuff said.

Jonathan Saunders

What did I say about colour blocking and simple prints?

Mmhmm.

What I like here is the technique - printing the same print onto 2 layers, the top layer being a sheer one, and laying them on top of each other, making the print blurred and change when it overlays the black. Or white, in the case of the first dress; which is where you can see this technique properly.

Bailey went for an interview at Saunders; fact.

She didnt get it. :(. But she's getting paid at John Lewis now so it all works out, ey?

Versace

I never thought I'd see the day I loved a Versace collection. Or in fact, any of those Italian brands which were massive in the 90s and often with a side order of tacky. Although I suppose the likes of Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana have upped the classy in recent years so why I'm so suprised I'm not sure.*

Anyhoo, the shorts are AWESOME. Another on the 'I might make a version' list. Except I'm going with a tan pair, as some sort of melding of them with the ones from Preen (below). And I love the bright prints! I don't think I'd wear them, but I do like them.

Preen

I will always have space to write about Preen. I find there's something to love in every collection; resort 2010 is no exception. The first look is one I can see myself in; if it weren't for that pesky lack of money...

Richard Nicoll

In some ways, continuing from where A/W 09 left off - the seaming on the first look in particularly. The third dress is, in many ways, my perfect easy day dress. Colour blocking in my favourite colour palette of nude grey and blue? I'll take three. It's the simple chic here that I really like. I'm not sold on the fringed scarf though.

I always state, often loudly, that there's a fine line between style and looking like you're wearing a costume (this applies to vintage too), and if you don't accessorise every outfit with attitude, you might as well just be wearing an old sweat stained jogging suit**.

This may or may not explain why I can often be found strutting - rather than walking - down the street.

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*This reminds me of a lecture we had last year in which our tutor compared the fashion capitals with the characters of Sex & The City.

Carrie was London - quirky; not afraid to try new things; individual.

Miranda was New York - simple and clean, chic, yet business-ready.

Charlotte was Paris - classic; elegant; feminine...

And of course Samantha was Milan - loud, sexy and often a little brash. I believe how she described the Milanese sense of style was akin to "women of a certain age wearing bright, figure hugging styles to recapture their youth". Or something.

Anyway, since I watched the entire series while in London, I was noticing their clothes and she has a point. You watch Samantha's outfits. Loud, sexy and often a little brash is a pretty accurate description of her wardrobe.

And her, actually. In fact, all their wardrobe descriptions could also match their personalities....interesting.

** Obviously, this is not a good look.