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Design duo Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi behind Gianfranco Ferré and their own eponymous label have created a great and lovely collection of embellished outerwear and elegant chicness that has become their signature, and this is only their fourth collection. The duo clearly has a bright and productive future ahea of them for their own label, and will make many women seeking sophisticated elegance quite happy.
For Fall/Winter 2010, Karl Lagerfeld imported giant icebergs courtesy of Sweden for the Chanel prêt-a-porter collection, an extravagant show it was. Models strutting through icebergs on a sea of melted ice in furry coats, furry boats, furry bags and furry pants, there was more fur than any other Karl Lagerfeld show, but this time, it was faux… Supermodels and muses to the Kaiser; Freja Beha Erichsen, Lara Stone, Coco Rocha, Iris Strubegger, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Baptiste Giabiconi strutting in what Coco Chanel would probably wear in the North Pole, mixed with Chanelian chic ice jewellery, ice bags, and chicest ivory dresses.
The eternally romantic Belgian genius, Ann Demeulemeester never fails to amaze. The Demeulemeester woman goes hand-in-hand with the Demeulemeester man, and for a particular designer such as Demeulemeester, this is always the best formula. Continuing with the theme of feathers and crows (which is quite reminiscent of the cult classic film, “The Crow”), featuring beautiful and bold black pantsuits, camel jackets, trenchcoats, whipcord necklaces, a fierce shade of lipstick red and gloomy, romantic feathers.
The last collection by the late legend is a spectacle of absolute craftsmanship, reminding us of how the world of arts will miss such immense talent. Held at a private location for a select few, the show was a tribute in mourning for Alexander McQueen, models wearing the theatrics of utter genius to slow operatic music. Each dress was more spectacular than the last, filled with beautiful details and particular, brilliant tailoring. Each dress looked like a canvas of Renaissance painting; McQueen drew influence from Byzantine art, paintings by the Old Masters, Angels and Medieval beauty, one particular draped dress featured a print of painting with angels which was purely magnificent, all leading to the stunning dress at the very end, with gold statuesque feathered coat… Breath-takingly mesmerizing.
Now that Martin Margiela has left the Maison, and his team completely took over, this season the legendary house of über-cool is back to its design roots. For Fall/Winter 2010 the team pulled a few ticks; wide menswear pants (in trend for Fall/Winter 2010), some deceivingly tailored pants in the front but actually are leggings from the back, giant furry headpieces, velvet, beautiful sheer chiffon, and in one instance, a latex t-shirt. There are some fantastic investments pieces in this collection, and I am very glad the Maison Martin Margiela is rightfully back on track.
As Nicole Phelps of Style.com puts it, Viktor & Rolf are the performance artists of the fashion world. And I strongly agree. For Fall/Winter 2010 the spectacle was a total masterful performance, titled “Glamour Factory“, featured great clothes. The spectacle starring supermodel Kristen McMenamy, surrounded by the duo who systematically undressed her, layer by layer, then redressed other models waiting to wear the discarded clothes down the catwalk, then until she in a nude body suite, the duo attempts the reverse, dressing Kristen with the new clothes the models are wearing, all for the audience to witness. There were various crystal encrusted dresses and outwear, in black and gray, with a concentration on glamorous sporty looks. “This time around, we want to show that something can be both wearable and extreme at the same time. It goes beyond a mere idea; it is literally ready for production” said the designers.
Roland Mouret, the master of formfitting dresses that make women quiver is absolute desire, is back for Fall/Winter 2010 with a twist from the usual. For Fall, Mouret retained his sense of formfitting dresses, added origami drapes in all the alluring places, he concentrated a bit more on outerwear with the occasional fur an hooded pieces, all in that RM-glam way that make women love him so much: the “Subtle Sexy Sophistication” affect.
While it may not make sense to everyone (or anyone), Rick Owens described his collection as “a sect of nuns, glamorous nuns, with inner discipline”, and I will take his fashion-sect-priest word for it. The collection was classic Rick Owens, which will make his cult of to-die-for fans unnervingly delirious, especially those who adore fur in its trendiest, Rick Owens‘ Fall/Winter 2010 collection feature kangaroo and mink on asymmetrical jersey skirts, biker jackets and hoodies.
The husband and wife duo, Filip Arickx and An Vandevorst unveiled a great collection of harnesses, chunky knitwear, jersey skirts and thigh high boots in monochromic black, beige, wine, fuchsia and plum, with the occasional dash of chalk powder on certain outfits. The feel of the collection encompasses many themes; urban, education, combatant, protection… While it is not certain what the inspiration was for the collection, one thing is definite is that it worked quite well.
Alber Elbaz recently returned from Africa (his birthplace), for a post he will be taking on soon as a UNICEF Ambassador, mix that experience with his traditional Lanvin draping, chunky jewellery and luxurious fabrics and you basically got the ingredients of his triumphant Fall/Winter 2010 collection. Shoulders got plenty of attention in this collection; they came in various forms and shapes and in diverse fabrics from outwear to dresses. Fabrics include jersey (in trend for Fall/Winter 2010), gold and green lame, and some feathers here and there. The general vibe in this collection seemed to incorporate more masculine elements than previous collections, an attractive element we might add. “Women ask for masculine tailoring, but they want to feel fragile. They want daywear, but buy evening. I designed a whole lot of draped things, but then it looked like too much. An overdose of fashion” said Alber Elbaz of his prevailing passion to satisfy women’s needs.
“I was working on something domestic. Casual things mixed with classic. And a kind of rigidity,” said Nicolas Ghesquière; the mastermind behind Balenciaga, and wizard of scientific, computer-generated fashion possibilities of the 21st century. Nicolas Ghesquière continued his technical genius for Fall/Winter 2010 with a collection of severe complexity in every look, showcasing the possibilities of where the future of womenswear might go in the near future, combined with traditional Parisienne femininity and chic, and as always, a fantastical collection of footwear. Nicolas Ghesquière is a leader, and many are following.
The king of contemporary Goth fashion, Gareth Pugh showed a softer collection than his usual outings, which was an indication from his previous collection. For Fall/Winter 2010, the British designer opted for neoprene-leather as his favorite material to work with, adding a definite bold edge to each look for both men and women, mixed with asymmetrical lines and silhouettes, A-line cuts, and later topped with draped chains, all of which won’t disappoint Pugh followers. It would be a safe assumption that this collection might be his most wearable yet in its entirety. Pugh restrained his sartorial talents to his signature black and gray tones, beautifully.
The latest Fall/Winter 2010 collection by French designer, Anne Valérie Hash is a stunning rendition of utter femininity and sheer elegance in every look. The designer used subtle influenced from a typical male wardrobe, such as the cut of trousers, and added feminine elements to elaborate a brilliant contrast with beautiful sheer fabrics and slouchy looks.
Dries van Noten knows what being effortlessly elegant is always about, he is a master at mixing regular basic pieces with incredibly luxurious pieces at such an easy, for Fall/Winter 2010 he did just that. Incorporating key tailored pieces from your typical menswear and making them fit perfectly in a slouchy and incredibly chic and Parisienne way for women. One of the best looks were oversized sweaters on top of beautiful printed dresses for evening; the ultimate luxury in as casual as can be. Just like his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, this one is flawless.
Women’s creative director, Giampiero Arcese of Brioni, exhibited his utter reliability on luxury sartorialism with his often subtle ethnic touches, except for Fall/Winter 2010 there was slight element of surprise, the collection seemed a bit futuristic, not entirely though. Futuristic in tailoring, yet ultra feminine in “restraint” draping with a refreshing dash of sporadic colors. Satin, suede and wool all looked impeccably lavish in a very subtle and tailored way, as one would expect from Brioni, with the occasional Mongolian wool trim on coats (in trend for Fall/Winter 2010) and fabulous shoes.
Brioni women by Giampiero Arcese has become a favorite synonym with elegance.
