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F'09: RTW New York - Day Two

ADAM - Dear Charlotte Ronson,

Please make any future excursions into the world of plaid more like the above. Thank you.

This is a pretty bold show - big colors, lots of metallics and beading, and very youth-oriented ensembles.

Sometimes its sense of daring isn't successful...

but I think that even when it's a mess, it's kind of a successful one.

Lush:

ADAM makes me wonder if somebody made some kind of mistake like I did in the last post where they published something and it was all in caps and they didn't know how to fix it. I mean "ADAM?" Why not just, "Adam?" Or even, "adam?" It's a DAM curious name.

I spy "realistic faux-fur jackets" in the style.com review and I'm getting excited. Is somebody finally taking notice of me? Of the universe of people who appreciate the aesthetics but not the actual practice of furs and skins? (See last post)

But then? I get to the show itself. And this is the ONLY (count it: ONE) fur-ish jacket:

Is it an eyesore or is it kind of cool and weird and interesting? I can't decide, but I'm pretty let-down that it was the only thing thrown to animal-lovers. Regarding the rest of the show,
I agree with you. LOVE that plaid coat at the top!
Status: Between a "B" and a "B+"

Lacoste - Jesus, this is a long one. I often find myself completely charmed by Lacoste, and this season is no different. I'll hear none of your derisive comments about them, Lush - I love the Princess Leia-wear

I love the Annie Hall-wear

And I love all the sportswear variations in between!

I didn't love all the jumpsuits, and the final parade of monochromatic outfits left me cold, but I'm still drinking Lacoste's Kool Aid. Also, all of the male models are really cute. Except for this guy.

Does nothin' for me!


Lush:
Okay so I know you know I'm not generally a fan of Lacoste. Let me explain why. When I was a little younger, attending my public small-town midwest high school, these shirts exploded for the "prep" circle. They were really a status symbol, if you had parents with any money whatsoever you'd get them to buy you a pink alligator embroidered polo and you'd wear it at least once a week. That memory tends to make me shudder a little- it's not fashion if its lemming-wear. BUT Let me also tell you, my grandpa is a pretty respectable guy of French lineage who speaks French and Latin as well as English. I regard him highly. I DO cherish memories of him wherein he's wearing one of several Lacoste polos he owns, mostly older, weightier ones in classy forest green or sky blue. So I have a love-hate thing going for Lacoste, okay?

I'm excited whenever a show allows me to add looks to my "Les Hommes" pool since it's such a short lookbook. I usually have to like the clothes AND the model to pass it into that book. And the colors of this show were quite agreeable with me.

Status: Not raving, but Approved.

Ohne Titel - Largely uninspiring. The overwhelming majority of the collection is black, and the runway is like, radiating white light, which made even the most basic elements of construction on the clothes indiscernible, for me anyway. Truthfully, I don't think I would have been particularly impressed by them even if I could see them. The final gray pieces fare a lot better - paritally because they're actually visible, but I thought the detailing on them was pretty impressive.

Lush:
Ohne Titel needs to remember the first rule of the runway: it's really about showing the clothing. So many times designers get caught up in stylings and schemes and shenanigans that distract from their hard work. I understand that, when done well, a kooky idea or elaborate set can elevate the whole collection to another level. But it must be well planned and executed.
On this one that brightness effect is awful because it makes my eyes feel like I'm losing the ability to focus them.

I see style.com also panned this show, but for the reason that it was uninspired. It's rather sad when I'm more interested in the audience than the show. I mean, really, who was wearing these shoes??

Status: Fail


Elise Øverland - Ihhh. Lots of metallics and really bizarre silhouettes...a lot of it's really short, which: fall? Not so much for me. There's a tag on GFY called "The Evils of Satin," which I think was made for this show.

Lush:
Those fug girls are so clever. Evils of Satin? heh.
" A soft little blazer in what looked like purple lamé was in fact a spray-painted lambskin" Quelle Horreur! It also says some other stuff about sushi and shimmer, but..I'm still choked up on the phrase "spray-painted lambskin." Like, what? My fur and skins rant was a slippery slope. I'm going to have to shut my lips about it after this, it's just too much to handle. But you will all know what I think.
Status: I hope I never run into one of these outfits at a party. Not that I run among the elite and rich, but if I did, well, I'll keep a red cocktail at hand just in case. (FOR SPLASHING ON TO THEM.)

Ruffian - Ouch. Not good. It starts out a lot like Alexis Mabille's fall couture show, and gradually morphs into just...a tasteless mess of gorp. Weird sheer stuff and like, old-lady lingerie lace with tapered pants. I did not find anything aesthetically pleasing in this.


Lush:
How fun is the word "gorp," AcidQ? SO fun. Gorp gorp gorp.
So, let's notice the body suit-tight-thingees they're wearing under their clothes. These are complete arm, leg, and torso encasing nylons. I'd like to think I could like that...and sometimes just the arms or just the legs do look cool. But other times, well:

Imagine if Sessilee Lopez ever has to go to the bathroom with that on. Not. Happening. Btw, I really like Sessilee, don't you?
ALSO OMG look at the sHOES of the audience member on the left side!!! THOSE SHOES WERE AT OHNE TITEL LIKE I SHOWED YA! WHOSE ARE THEY? They're obviously somebody important enough to sit front row. MYSTERIOUS!!!
But yeah, I don't know, some of these clothes aren't so bad. Like say this girl walks into your party:


Instant attention, right? Like, wouldn't Roisin Murphy wear that? I think she would, and we'd like it.

Status: Better than you thought.

Koi Suwannagate -

'Nuff said, I think. Also, does this...

...remind you of this?

In kind of a rip-offy way?

Lush: Yeah that is definitely rip-offy but everybody is gonna rip off that show since it was one of fashion's pinnacles.
Status: U G L Y you ain't got no alibi you ugly.

Threeasfour - This is another "no" for me, dawg. But when Liza's at the Palace... makes its Las Vegas transfer, she should probably give these Threeasfour people a ring.

Lush:
"At Threeasfour's presentation-cum-performance piece at Greene Naftali Gallery, models pruned bonsai trees perched on oblique pedestals to the atmospheric sounds of the Icelandic singer Kría Brekkan."
Okay, please give it up for that concept. To be quite sure, this is a weird as hell show. But let's examine this:

Let's think of it more as a dream-image. Maybe she is a spirit guide gone amiss? In any case, let's just let her be. Okay so there's nothing "ready to wear" about any of these clothes. But come on, they're fun to look at. They're like statues in the garden of mystic learning. They won't tell you any answers but they'll whisper and scream and generally make you feel bizarre to guide you on your journey.
Status: If you could only open the door of your mind I think you'd see this a little differently.

United Bamboo -

United Bamboo Employee 1: ...Hmm.

United Bamboo Employee 1: *wince*
United Bamboo Employee 2: What's the matter?
UBE1: That is a lot of tweed.
UBE2: Is that bad? It's for fall.
UBE1: No, no, I know; it's just kind dated. That first one looks like something Jan Brady would wear during her junior year at Smith.
UBE2: Jan Brady is my style icon.
UBE1: ...Oh. I see. Well, let me put it this way: you should be trying something a little more...fashion-forward.
UBE2: Hmm. What if we did this?

UBE1: *recoils in fear* Ahh! I think you....Jesus Christ. I would tell you to find a happy medium, but I'm horrified by the idea of what that might be.
UBE2: I'm reading you loud and clear, boss!

UBE1: *saws off own nose*

Lush: That background set is a garish '50's christmas tree aflame. As for the rest, I think you've summed it right up.

VPL - This show is all fucking over the place. It's fairly long, and about a third of it play with volume in an interesting way, another third has seemingly no concern for fit or structure, and the rest is like, swimsuits and beach wear. Also, stuff like this:

No sir, I didn't like it.

Lush:
VPL stands for Visible Panty Line. Let's not forget that. And so I think they're less "swimsuits" and more "onesies." Again, how you gonna use the ladies' room? Status: Not in this or any other lifetime.

Vena Cava - Have you ever heard of that art installation called The Dinner Party, that's a big triangular table with a bunch of different place settings representing various historical women? That's kind of what the set up is for this Vena Cava show, except instead of place settings representing women, it has a mixed bag of suppositions on fashion of the future. Some have a lot of sequins, some have fussy construction, some are vaguely reminiscent of the 1920s...I don't know. It's intermittently successful.

Lush:
I'd never heard of that art piece so I looked it up. It sounds amazing - next time i'm in Brooklyn I definitely want to check it out.
So I actually did like this collection- even though I didn't lookbook any of it. It was refreshing and not hideous. I agree that "intermittently successful" is a perfect descriptor.

Karen Walker - I can't quite suss out just who is the woman Karen Walker is designing for this time round. Is she a high class grad student?

Is she hipster scum?

Is she a party girl sophisticate?

Or is she an elderly eccentric?

Suffice it to say, I couldn't really find a definite through-line in this collection, apart from well-defined shoulders. As a collection, it is enjoyable enough, but not particularly memorable.

Lush:
I like to think on different days of the week one woman can be all those things! After all, the designer herself admitted the theme was "she's Cracked." And I don't think that's even the nouveau "cracked" as in "cracked out." I think it just means fragmented. Which is a really cool and interesting motif for a fashion line in my opinion.
Alone this print
is waaaaay too over the top, but imagine it on a mid-length skirt with a layered blue tank and red form-fitting sweater? A long brown coat unbuttoned over that? It's really neat. Some booties? Yeah. And who wouldn't love this:


I really really like what that's saying. It's in the Moschino vein.
Status: I found this show clever and topical.

Alexander Wang - I give up. It's mostly an exploration of black (and fall's ubiquitous gray tweed, of course) manifested through PVC jackets and Lycra bike shorts. Shredded tights and a particularly awkwardly-placed bolero jacket also make cameos.

Those should give you a good general indication of the show. I did enjoy some of the black cocktail dresses that appeared near the end of the show, but then this shit happened:

And I was like, "I'm out."

Lush:
Siiiiiigh times infinity. This is meant to appeal to twenty-somethings, AcidQ. That's US. Maybe they mean twenty-something bored rich children who don't have to live in the reality of office life. Like, maybe we have bedroom and weekend lives too, but I wouldn't be wearing any of this stuff for either of those cases.

F'09: RTW New York - Day One

I'm not gonna lie - for the most part, I prefer the fall collections to the spring ones, so I'm going to relish this. Let's shag ass.

Abaeté - I think you'll really like this - it's smart and accessible streetwear, for the most part. The review mentions a postrevolutionary France influence, but it's handled with a pretty subdued touch; it remains a very winning and modern show.

Plus, it's pretty short, which is always nice.

Lush:
I totally agree with you AcidQ about preferring the fall to the spring collections. Let's turn this mother out!
You are so right -- this is chock full of stuff I'd love to own. I felt that the complete 27 looks was a complete wardrobe for one woman, containing basically everything she would ever need to wear (except a swimsuit- this ain't spring as we just said.) The looks were basic, but not too boring -- kind of like the Legos of a woman's closet.

Status: Well done! Bravo!

Yigal Azrouël - Are you pissed at the world? Swing on by Yigal Azrouël! This is a collection for thieves and shitkickers who'd like to be famous, who like a mixture of modern grunge - lots of heavy gray knits - and kind of unflattering silhouettes. In sum, hipster wear. I'm kind of half-and-half on it, but it's short and the pieces are well-constructed, so it's worth a glance.

Lush:
I see you are being klassy with a "k" and alphabetizing things the adult (rather than style.com) way, giving last names heed over first. Isn't that a fun last name? Azrouel? With an umlaut? Woo. Anyway, the clothes.



This is cute but there's no flair to it. Pretty much like the whole show. They were very New York clothes, but not in any special way. Kind of reminded of stuff you can find at H&M.
Status: Harrumph! I liked it even less than you I think, and I didn't lookbook a thing. Not one.


BCBG Max Azria - Aww, here it go. Do you remember that challenge from the first season of Project Runway when they had to imagine style in the future using deconstructed vintage clothes? This show is similarly themed; part of it is kind of matte and hunchy...

part is metallic and hunchy...

and the rest are fairly traditionally-made dresses with interesting color effects.

I liked it more than I usually like BCBG, though it's a tad long.

Lush:
I'm not quite certain I grasp what you mean by "hunchy" unless it's kind of "hunched over." While this isn't:


The clothes you had to show certainly were. I have to say, again, not that into it. BCBG, I'm just not that into you. (It had to be said) I especially think the metallic tights were a poor choice for styling: what, did you think you were Balenciaga? A far cry from it, in fact.
Status: No, thanks.


Rachel Comey - You know how nobody (and I mean nobody) likes the gangly awkward girl?

Yeah. And this show is not without its charms...

But still.

Lush:
Rachel Comey might want to reconsider naming her line Ganglasaurus Rex. Or possibly Layerama. Save this kind of drama for the Dalai Lama:

Like, those shorts? Hey, wha happen?
Status: HAIL no. The only two I even liked you showcased above in your section.

Christian Cota - This is an extremely short show that I was extremely not into in the beginning.

But I have to say, it eventually won me over. Once it moves into more flattering silhouettes, the construction and detailing really sing!

Lush:
So, this is the second look in:

You don't think that's cool lookin'? Kind of a shimmery plate tectonics theme? I agree your exhibits A and B are quite ugly. I'd love to know what this skirt is made out of:


Could it really be the laser-y sequin-y material it appears? In any case, I'd love a closer look. Some of this show reminded me a spackled jawbreaker, and that's good.

Status: There's something here definitely.


Costello Tagliapietra - Y'know, I really liked this show. It maintains a balance between understatedness and glamour that works really well for ready to wear.

Also, come on.

What charmers.

Lush:
Okay so I liked the looks you showcased, those extended elbows look cool, and sure they're a cute couple. But I have to say,
Status: Underwhelming
--- ---This is actually a good chance to insert a comment on the fact that one of the models (appearing in this and many other shows) has the name "Daiane." It reminds me of a flyer for a sublet I saw in a bathroom stall on which somebody's name was something like "Lacey Grejazjslblslski" and another person had written in "Damn, girl. Get some vowels!" Well, to this "Daiane," I'd like to say, "Damn, girl. Can I get a consonant?" That's all.--- ---

Cushnie et Ochs - Well, there's this:

But the rest...if I may borrow a phrase from my esteemed colleagues at Men on Film: hated it!

Lush:
Uh oh, if you hated it, I'm sure in for some fun. Not.
(really, people are still using the "not" comeback. I'm serious.)
So, "If it was a bit repetitive, that was likely intentional: The pair said they'd been influenced by concepts of mass production, spurred on by a photo of a German Volkswagen factory. The palette was as sober as an assembly line." is what style has to say about it. Now really, this could be a great concept if done right. It could also be rote and boring, which is what has happened here. And it's also trying so very hard to be sexy and that never works: you find a misplaced tit here, a supershort hemline there, and general tightness running rampant.
Status: I applaud the attempt but that doesn't mean it is good in any way.

Davidelfin - I'm gonna say...no. According to the review, though, the designer has some connection with the new Almodóvar film coming out this year, so I guess it might be of interest for that. And for that only.

Lush:
Another reason Davidelfin might hold a small interest is the name itself. Say it out loud. How do you think it's meant to be said? Kinda fun, no? Oh, what a mishmash t'was though. I mean, there was a uniform use of colors and material, so it flowed from one look to the next. But what I didn't understand was...anything deeper than that. It reminded me of 34 outfits in search of an exit. They just don't seem to ...be...good? And, is this a woman?


Thinking back on it, I think a common tie was "clothes you'd murder in. And not because you look so good people will die, but because you're actually psycho." Coming from someone who looks like this:

It's not so hard to see why now. The glint of madness is definitely written plainly there. Don't picture him before bed, okay?
Status: I agree with you.

Nicole Miller - A pretty typical showing here; she has a sort of spiderweb motif at the beginning, but it gets dropped pretty quickly in exchange for more plain-looking wearables. This one gets an overall meh, but it's not awful.

Lush:
When I think of this line the word "commercial" is pretty much the law. Like, I'm sure this is a nice LBD to own:
But could we snore any louder, really? We are living in an economic recession. If a dress is going to cost more than a hundred dollars, it better be hitting the "exquisite" end of the spectrum.

And let me tell you something else. Even though I may be a vegetarian, I actually DO understand fur and skins in fashion. They're exotic, they can be erotic for some, they come from living things. Every skin or fur you could wear is unique because it came from a different animal (or several- chinchilla capelet, anyone?)
That's freaking weird and titillating in the way the fashion world loves things to be weird and exciting.
Now, I'm not saying I approve of it -- far from it if you're asking. If I had my way, we'd only be seeing fake fur and skins in these collections. But that's not how it is right now, and I at least understand why.

That caveat aside, what is up with some of the leather jackets? I've seen them in several shows and they don't fit well and they look hideous. (end of rant. FOR NOW)

Status: Girls will buy and wear Nicole Miller, but me and you won't be among them.
Rag & Bone - Naw. It's like, "SPORTSWEAR!" in a dour and not terribly exciting way. It does have a lot of name models in it, though.

Lush:
Rag & Bone is an interesting choice of words to call your line since it feels earthy and common, perhaps one of these "mass appeal" schemes? Like, hey! I've got some bones! Maybe I can look good in those rags too! Okay, first, let's turn to this frontrow look:


Anna Wintour does NOT like to be made to wait, it seems. Also, is she wearing ...an entirely Fall palette there? Doesn't she realize it's not fall outside the tents yet? Finally, don't we recognize that ensemble from a Fall RTW '08 collection? I couldn't say which one...but definitely NOT Rag & Bone...curious, indeed.

Turning to the runway, I didn't mind this :


Until I noticed that funky right (model's left) sleeve. What's up with that? You're right about it being dour, too - especially the male models.
Status: Yeah, NAW.

Charlotte Ronson - Yes, Sammy's twin sister. Apart from a couple of bright spots...

I am not so into it. Sorry, Linds. Way too much inappropriate plaid.

And also, what is the deal with that last bitch?

Lush:

Oh how I wish I could skip this. There's so much about Lindsay Lohan I just want to keep away from, you know? But of course I had to look at this one. I do like this look:

Kind of mannish and edgy, but not too kah-razee. You summed up the rest pretty well, though I don't really like the first look you used mostly due to the model's face. I felt the raison d'etre for this show was lesbian valuworld girl wants to be an eighties punk. M I RITE? Oh, my.
And let's not even discuss how she unsuccessfully tried to mutate her initials into the shape of a heart for her logo.
Status: Oh, sigh, I guess it was passable.
Shipley & Halmos - Ugh. The pieces that aren't unflattering are very plain. Also, a lot of it is either gray or dusky rose, a color I find better suited for carpets than clothing.

Lush:
So, we kinda been hatin' a lot up in here, and it's only day one. But gad damn. Why oh why would two designers think 42 looks of THIS would be acceptable?
Status: INappropriate for LIFE.

Stærk - The Style review mentions that this collection was inspired by the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, and the influence shows in the attitude of the clothing.

In the end, I wasn't that into it, but I appreciate the show for its effort and its brevity. Also:

ANTM's Fatima! You know, the circumcised one!

Lush:
That's coolio for Fatima. And I won't comment on the fact that a lot of them are wearing stirrup leggings (well, that itself was a comment but whatever.) Huzzah for editing it down to the best!

Status: Alright! Phew!

Barbara Tfank - Mreh. Traditional to the point of being almost staid. Which isn't to say that it was ugly - it wasn't - but it was guilty of being boring. Quite short, though, so maybe worth a spin.

Lush:
I think perhaps we're just jaded. RTW might be a let-down when we take so long to write our blog it follows nipping at the heels of couture. Come on, there was TAD of elegance here:

No? Well, I seem to like this collection more than you. Can't say I like the bridesmaidsy dyed-to-match shoes of some of them, but they're not as "staid" as you say, I think.

Jason Wu - Designer of Michelle Obama's inauguration ball dress (the one-shouldered one. You know.) This show was a delight - it takes the gray tweedy feel a lot of the fall shows have had into charmingly unexpected places:

It goes off the rails a few times, but it doesn't harm the show. This is a very fresh show with something for every demographic - even (especially?) drag queens.

Lush:
Well finally. Something we both actually like!
Status: very verray nice!