Why, yes, Ms. Coco Chanel. You are indeed fashion. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for some other designers. Spring 2010 Fashion Week has descended upon New York City and I can practically hear the clacking of all those outrageous heels up here in Connecticut.
As with each and every Fashion Week, designers have given us the good, the bad, the spectacular and breathtaking, and...the I-Would-Rather-Gauge-My-Eyes-Out-With-A-Dull-Knife-Than-Wear-That. NY Mag has a very extensive collection of photos from all of the runway shows that have gone on so far and I highly recommend taking a look.
As much as I'd like to think that I "get" fashion... I just can't deal with "ugly" clothes. I don't care if it's the designers aesthetic or they're trying to make a statement. I don't want a statement. I want to look pretty. I want my body to look proportionate and I want whatever I'm wearing to be flattering. You want to make a statement? Explain to me why I should give a crap about your ugly clothes.
That said, I found quite a few designers who were speaking my own personal language this season. Here's the roundup of my favorites so far.
Christian's collection is very reminiscent of what he showed on Project Runway and I'm glad that he's sticking to what he knows and what he's obviously very good at. I think he's got a great sense of color and shape, and while the garments are still unique, they're not unflattering. Keep it up, Siriano. You're still fierce!
Next we have Cynthia Steffe:
I think these are some of the most wearable looks that I've seen yet. I absolutely adore the colors and the flowy ruffles. This is very much a type of look that I personally enjoy wearing so it's no shock that these particular outfits found their way onto my favorites list. I think they're girly without being all bubble-gum-poppy, I love the belts, and the loose, flowy fabrics seem like they would be very forgiving for a pretty wide variety of body types. It's easy to dress models that resemble clothes hangers, but people with actual curves are substantially harder to please and I think that this designer has accounted for that in this collection.
I love BCBG ready-to-wear clothes. They're a little on the pricey side, but man... When those 70% off sales hit (and they happen quite often) I am all over it. The thing I love most about their clothes is that they are exceptionally wearable, even if it doesn't seem like it on the hanger. I am far from being a teeny tiny girl and I can find plenty of stuff I love that actually fits, which isn't the case with a lot of contemporary brands. Even my mother, who is rather petite but has an almost disproportionately large bust can find tons of dresses that fit both her small size and her large chest without making her look like a disfigured Barbie Doll - quite the achievement. Anyway, back to their runway show. Granted, the looks above aren't exactly forgiving of any lumps or bumps you may have, but this is a high-end show after all. I think I can forgive them. But in general, basic shapes in fun colors and comfortable fabrics. How can you go wrong? Love it all!
As you can see, I couldn't even narrow down my favorite looks! This show was the biggest surprise for me. I wasn't expecting to like as much of it as I did, especially since I'm not typically a fan of any kind of bubble shape...but I just couldn't help it. The color and fabric choices are brilliant and the patterns are youthful and fun. There is some exceptional detail work and can I just say how in love I am with that coat? There's a bow! I love bows! Most importantly, I think these dresses are surprisingly wearable for a high-end designer collection and I think that a lot of people would be enjoy these styles (with a few tweaks here and there...some of those hemlines are absurdly short, but you get the idea). Bravo, Jason Wu!
There you have it. My favorites from Spring Fashion Week 2010.
I do have one question, though...
What qualifies Whitney Port to design clothes and then show them at arguably the most important Fashion Week on the planet? (Yes, I know, purists may be shouting BLASPHEMY and chanting PARIS or MILAN at their computer screens right now, maybe even damning me all to hell or voodoo cursing me or something...but it's my blog, so I get to say whatever I want)
Anyway, back to Whitney. Seriously. Who let this girl at a sketch pad? And did she actually design this stuff?
Her line is called "Whitney Eve" and apparently the tag line is that it's "Made With Love".
Love? Really? Or is it more like made with a lack of talent, not enough fabric, and a scissor-happy seamstress? I mean... WHY does the hem of that dress go up at the crotch? To make it even more awesome, it goes up unevenly. And it's kind of see-through. What. The. Hell? And is that flowered bottom a skirt? Shorts? Part of a dress? A truly unimpressive and poorly executed Diane Von Furstenburg (where Whitney coincidentally used to work) ripoff? I guess it could have been worse, but is this Fashion Week worthy? Abso-freaking-lutely not. Ugh. Go back to The City.
[photo credits: nymag.com]
I totally agree about Whitney. That looks so amateur and not anything that should have been in a 10 mile radius of fashion week. Lame.
ReplyDeleteBeyond lame! In an interview she even said that she'd kind of thrown it together at the last minute because she had the opportunity and the ability to do so. Slap in the face to everyone who works their butts off to get to Fashion Week on actual merit. Ugh.
ReplyDelete