Alexander McQueen Fall 2010

I was going to write a review of Lee McQueen's last collection before he passed away but I felt that my words couldn't do it justice. I can only say that his absence will be sorely felt; for his clothes and his radical vision where a thing of beauty.

He was the only designer who wasn't afraid to take huge risks with his collections; will there be any more innovators, free-thinkers and dreamers like McQueen? I hope so.

Here is a review from the New York Times.

PARIS — With a pattern of angel wings undulating over her shoulder blades, the model walked through the gilded salon in one of Alexander McQueen’s final creations before he chose to leave this world. The private show that took place Tuesday, to the classical music Mr. McQueen had been listening to as he cut and fitted the 2010 autumn collection, was a requiem for a great designer. His vision of Gothic glory, with a world bathed in religious symbolism, was translated not just with immense subtlety and beauty but also with the urgent futurism that was the essence of his spirit. So the abstractions of Hieronymus Bosch paintings were not just printed on the sensuous and shapely outfits, where a taut bodice grew out of a multifolded hipline or emerged from soft fabrics flowing around it. Instead the images, with a focus in the British royal heritage of lions rampant or Grinling Gibbons’s wood carvings, were screened, manipulated and digitally woven. This was part of the designer’s exceptional reach from historic past to cyberspace future. But the anger and energy that had always driven Mr. McQueen to his finest work had turned to a mesmerizing calm for this 15-piece collection, which he completed before his suicide last month. The medieval headdress no longer had the wild, joyous madness that it had when Isabella Blow, his friend and mentor, wore one for a 1990s photo shoot. Everything in this collection seemed to be distilled from last season’s short and taut dresses balanced on animalistic footwear. Here sandals wreathed in gilded roses matched the salon’s ornate decoration, while the mirrors reflected the models’ golden feather Mohawks. The intense workmanship was of couture quality, which is the way Mr. McQueen had been moving his signature line. There were damp eyes among the small audience and sobs backstage — both from personal grief and at the scale of the loss to fashion of this singular designer. In this collection Alexander — Lee — McQueen showed his sensitivity to history, his powers of research, his imagination, his technical skills and his love of women, often misinterpreted or misunderstood, but here evident in every fold and feather.






For more photos of the show click here.

Update: Watch a video to see the clothes up close

Giddy'up!

My first experience riding a horse was quite memorable; mostly because the reason it was memorable was why it was also my last time on a horse. Let's just say it involved a fat horse called "Salt & Pepper" and me, a 10-year-old Girl Guide, flying off the saddle straight into the mud.

But that incident hasn't stopped me from loving horses and all things equestrian, especially where fashion is concerned.

John Galliano's haute couture collection for Dior today pulled from many references including equestrian dress with riding hats, nipped-in bright red blazers, ruffled blouses, long tartan skirts and even riding crops. Instead of riding boots, the models wore high leather boots with stiletto heels.

The second part of the show was less about riding and more about old Hollywood glamour. Lots of lace, pouffy taffeta and bows.

Maybe it's time to get back on that saddle.

Lindsay Lohan and Ungaro

There has been quite a big hubbub over "artistic advisor" Lindsay Lohan and designer Estrella Archs' collection for Emanuel Ungaro; most of the critics panning the collection.

Style.com called it a "disappointing debut" and "a bad joke of a fashion show;" WWD said the clothes looked "cheesy and dated" and the New York Times said the collection looked "as if a McDonald’s fry cook had been installed as the chef of a three-star Michelin restaurant."

Ouch.

I read all this before I actually saw the collection so when I took a deep breath and plunged right into the photos, I tried not to let the reviews colour my opinion of it.

The first dress, a skintight fuscia mini dress with patches of light pink I actually liked. I could see young Hollywood wearing it; however I felt that I had seen it done before (at Balmain and countless others) and better. It reminded me of something GUESS would design.
But after that first dress, it all went downhill. The second look was another fushia dress with an bias-cut neckline and a twisted belt. However the dress fit awkwardly on the model.

Most of the colours used were hot pink, neon orange, white and black. And while in the hands of an able designer, the colours could have been stunning, here, they were disastrously paired together, for example a look that had tulip pink drop-crotch balloon pants, dark red bra and a neon pink bolero looked like it came out of the dumpster of a bad '80s TV soap. The colours clashed!

And I'm sure by now you've heard about the hearts. Specifically, the heart pasties. I didn't find those offensive as much as the hearts hastily pasted onto the models' foreheads.

This whole offensive spectacle reeked of greed. CEO Mounir Moufarrige, clearly looking to the success of celebrity American lines such as Justin Timberlake's William Rast and Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B., is hoping to cash in on Lindsay's name; not because she is a good designer, but because she is an actress who makes more headlines throwing hissy fits than for her movies.

It's offensive that this collection was thrown by a French fashion house during the world's most prestigious Fashion Week. It's a slap in the face to all the other real designers.





(Photos: style.com)

The sexiest collection I've ever seen

And it's not Balmain! Rick Owens S/S 2010 was all geometric angles, layers of fabric that whipped awkwardly between models' legs and asymmetrical cuts; that doesn't sound too sexy right? But even though it wasn't obviously beautiful, the trapeze shapes, the angular leather motorcycle jackets and the spiky cuffs made me want to rip the clothes off the models and put them on me for a steamy night out.

There is something to be said about clothes that don't show off the figure of a woman's body; the shape may look odd but it's in that quirkiness that I find beauty and femininity.

Here are some of my favourite looks:






(Photos: style.com)

Caption this

(At the Prada S/S 09 show)

"The model, fed up with being taller than all the others, decided to crouch down the runway, with the help of her army of pink-shirted men."

Want to go to a Chanel show?

The Chanel 08/09 Cruise Collection will be showing at the Exhibition Place in Toronto this Thursday in support of Healthy Kids International.

I emailed the publicist to see how much tickets were selling for and I choked when she told me. A hefty $1000 a ticket. Still, if I had that money lying around I think I would use it to see a Chanel show. But I don't. So I won't get to see it.

But if any of you are willing to fork over the cash to see beautiful clothes, call 416 813-6166 ext 2026.

And if you have an extra $1000 take me with you!

L'Oreal Fashion Week: RUDSAK

I already stated that Morales was my favourite show of the week, but RUDSAK came in second with gorgeous leather jackets, pants, to-die-for bags and the hottest male model I've ever seen.
My co-worker whispered to me after the first couple of looks came out, "This is so you." And it really was. Short and tight leather bomber jackets in black, brown and best of all, coral; super short leather shorts; colourful scarves were wrapped tightly around the neck; white and black leather skinny pants; belts with large, shiny silver plaques; classic white blouses; mini vests; fingerless leather gloves and leather fedoras. It was all very rock n' roll and all-out sexy. Definitely my style.

And the bags. My favourite was a leather coral handbag which looked so buttery soft I wanted to take it from the model right there. The designs were so simple and classic. White shoulder bags with outside pockets and adjustable straps; black leather clutches with ruching in the middle; satchel bags that could also double for handbags; and for men, large carry-on and travel bags and beautiful side-bags.

My other favourite part of the show had nothing to do with clothes or accessories: a gorgeous male model who smirked his way down the runway had all the girls (and guys, including Project Runway Canada winner Evan Biddell,) swooning in their seats. He had blue bedroom eyes, perfectly chiseled cheekbones and a swagger to knock us off our seat. Hot.

My camera was dying at this point so I'll put up CP photos instead.