GAME OF THRONES: THE FASHION EDITION

Alber Elbaz by Irving Penn

What is Lanvin be without Alber Elbaz? The designer’s peremptory and abrupt, and now acrimonious exit from Lanvin last November capped a year of dramatic changes in the world of fashion. 

Designer musical chairs are hardly new in fashion; But 2015’s edition seemed evidence of a trend of dumbing down to the masses, a trend that will shape the way we look at fashion for many years to come. Not all the new queens on fashion’s thrones sit comfortably. You can see that in Alexander Wang’s lacklustre three-year stint at Balenciaga – you can see everyone's palpable relief at not having to witness the products of Wang's struggles. One "cool downtown party" collection is enough and ought to be contained in downtown New Yuck, where it belongs. That sort of thing hardly sits comfortably at the Paris Collections, and can hardly be expected to replace Nicolas Ghesquière's work at Balenciaga. 

Ghesquière had spent 15 years reviving the nearly century-old Balenciaga before he moved on to Louis Vuitton to replace Marc Jacobs. His experiments here are also strangely both over-thought and underwhelming. 

Now there are two more mediacore collections to add to the general ugliness of what's out there.

Lanvin Pre Fall designed by Chemena Kamali and Lucio Finale

In 2015, the world woke up to the Gucci drama of an accessories designer, Alessandro Michele, replacing Frida Gianini as creative director. While many of Gianini’s collections during her seven year tenure at the helm of the label left critics scratching their heads and searching for polite euphemisms, although of course, when she succeeded the iconic Tom Ford (who truly revolutionised fashion for the Noughties), she was lauded with enough corporate praise to sink all criticism. Gianini was hailed as a second coming of sorts and beatified as a fashion saint, becoming thinner, blonder and altered beyond recognition towards the end of her reign. Now Michele is being thusly lauded too, for basically doing some pretty things, and some pretty commercial things, which in the end simply looks like a luxed up version of the hipster trend for all things vintage, a trend already a few years old, with a Wes Anderson aesthetic. It's a sort of Gucci version of the Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent 'strategy' - give them what they already want - just better made, and priced to appropriately. Note: Lanvin's first collection (Pre Fall 2016) not by Elbaz looks like Michele's Gucci doesn't it? 

And all that is par for the course - after all it's ready-to-wear - but what of a storied couture house like Dior? After Raf Simons stepped down last November, no successor has been announced till today, even though Spring Couture shows are looming. Hopefully they are taking their time to field a visionary creator, and not some gloriefied handbag designer-with-a-proven-sales-record to dumb down fashion even further. 

Hopefully they will appoint Elbaz - he surely fits the bill.      
    

PARIS MENSWEAR SPRING 2013

EASY DOES IT

A new austerity prevailed at the recently concluded Paris Menswear Collections for Spring 2013, which was all about a stripped down aesthetic dominated by clean necklines, a loose fit, a lack of decoration and a monochromatic palette. This represents a complete break from recent seasons which saw menswear trends escalating towards the baroque in terms of elaborate detailing, heavy accessories and rich fabrics. Even a label like Balenciaga (left), which routinely shows challenging, conceptual fashions, showed just 21 pared-down looks which highlighted an easy volume in its tailoring in grey, black and white, with nothing more challenging than a big Hawaiian print to leaven the monastic mood.

It was plain sailing (and very plain clothes) at Louis Vuitton. Inspired by sea sports, Kim Jones was all at sea in his third collection for Vuitton (right). The most successful looks were actually the most traditional, like the deluxe double-breasted tailoring which were sharp yet relaxed. Pyjama-pants, sailor-style flares and wide shorts (micro to knee-length) were shown with scuba tops and patchwork shirts; Yellow hoodie slickers, T-shirts and sweaters, though undoubtedly luxe in fabric, looked predictable and safe. It was the accessories that saved the day: Unfussy and practical bags, shoes and sandals, looked utterly desirable.

The archetypal sailor of Jean Cocteau and Jean Genet is something of a house icon at Jean Paul Gaultier and this collection was completely dedicated to this figure (left). The sailor theme sharply clarified the designs at this collection which previously suffered from a wild heterogeneity of ideas and inspirations. Forthwith, Gaultier’s classic suitings shone — sharp jackets (some with short sleeves) and gilets were shown with high-waisted sailor's pants, a couple of precisely-pleated kilts, and a few overalls that looked elegant, not louche. Sailor stripes, a bold slicker red and sporty yellow supported the seafaring theme, which looked modern and chic, not clichéd or lazy.

Kris Van Assche used a strict palette of regimental blue and grey at Dior Homme (right). This superbly un-hyperbolic collection was anything but boring, serving up a clean-cut military discipline (the models looked like cadets with cropped, shellacked heads) in classic jacket in every variation: some cropped, some sleeveless, some boxy. These were paired with sweaters and shirts that were buttoned all the way up, and easy-fit pants, or shorts that had the look of a schoolboy. The military theme was subtly hinted at in the brass buttons that never looked costumey. Everything unnecessary was edited away, so that the cutting and construction of the jackets were brought to the fore, especially in a passage where the cutting lines were traced in a contrast piping. This collection presents discipline as charm, perhaps an antidote to an age of excess.

At Rick Owens, it was Owens Lite this time around. Owens’s refined his usual propositions into more accessible form. The gothic robes have become roomy coats, the ragged dresses have become ascetic tunics, the skirts look less ridiculous designed as kilts and flapping shorts, and paired with what looked recognisably like zippered blousons (almost Police Academy),vests and turtlenecks. There was even a traditional black suit! A new trimness prevailed, with very few excessive flourishes. This season’s trend for black socks worn with everything here became chubby leg warmers and the footwear, usually an exaggerated Flintstones platform boot was simplified into a clunky toeless slide - on platforms.

Shorts, which are everywhere this season, were the startling highlights at Raf Simons’s eponymous collection. Styled with black dress socks and black lace-ups, the daringly short shorts highlight the bareness and vulnerability of the legs on the pale models. The fact that the shorts were paired with beautifully austere, perfectly correct jackets and shirts brought home the point that they were, in fact truncated pants, shorn off where the jacket ended, and made more revealing with splits and slits. The simple colour blocking (a pale powder pink was especially memorable) of the outfits had a tenderness, and combined with a passage of fine floral prints made this collection a study of how the genders have balanced out in sexual politics.

The collection Veronique Nichanian showed for Hermès (left)was colour blocked in monochrome outfits of blue, griege, tomato, absinthe and black but the effect was a youthful, unambiguous masculinity. The collection has a brisk, breezy feel that mirrored the season’s general vibe of ease and simplicity. These were simply elegant clothes that you can stride out in with great confidence on a sunny untroubled day. The high luxury of the label and its fabrics was made fresh and light by subtle design and tweaking of the proportions, so that the menswear classics like blazers, windbreakers, parkas, and coats looked athletic, clean and cool without looking staid or boring. There were shorts here too, but these, sensibly, reached the knee.

Perhaps the collection that best crystallises the season’s key messages was presented by Lucas Ossendrijver for Lanvin (right). Ease is in the generous fit of the tailoring: the jackets have a softness and movement and the pants have fluidity and waft. Shirts with wide sleeves, and wide necklines, were cut big, so that they drooped a little at the shoulders, and bloused at the belt. The volume is anchored at the (very) high-waisted, for some shape and sensuality. The silhouette is admirably clean, as every item seemed reduced and precise, shorn of details and embellishments. The palette too is reduced to a monochrome black and white, with a passage of futuristic shine right at the end, a pinch of florals, and sparks of blue as accents. The athletic sandals, which owes something to traditional Tevas, have a space-age shine and elegance. The pleated pants do not look back to any era past, thankfully. Instead, this fiercely modern, forward-looking collection gives the new austerity a positive spin.

No Galliano At John Galliano

John Galliano has been officially let go at his eponymous label. The firm's board decided to eject the disgraced designer and let the design team at John Galliano produce forthcoming collections. Christian Dior, which owns 91 percent of John Galliano, has received expressions of interest in the label from its Italian licensing partner Ittierre, as well as a Chinese group and a firm from the Middle East; however, a sale of the company is reportedly not now considered. Mr Galliano was recently spotted at the Los Angeles airport after recently completing an "intensive" one-month treatment at an Arizona rehab center and is now in extended "aftercare." A date for his impending trial — which will determine whether he faces months in prison and a fine of 22,500 euros on account of public insult — is expected to be announced on May 12.

The Official Word on the Dismissal

From the Dior CEO: “Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and its values, all around the world. What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal to us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be. Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples. These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent. Christian Dior’s values were those of excellence in all that he undertook, of elegance and craftsmanship reflecting his unique talent. The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsman, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the values and the vision of Monsieur Dior.” - Sidney Toledano

Galliano Suspended from Dior

Dior designer John Galliano, 50, has been suspended by the couture house following allegations of a drunken racist rant in a Paris bar in the Marais. He had been drinking at La Perle, a bar along the Rue Vielle du Temple last Thursday. Mr Galliano is alleged to have drunkenly told a woman sitting at a table beside him: "Dirty Jew, you should be dead. Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead.” He called her a “whore” and “ugly”" then ranted to an Asian man sitting with her: "Fucking Asian bastard, I’m going to kill you."
Witnesses called police during the incident, said to have taken place in front of dozens of astonished revellers. Police arrived quickly (9pm) and broke up the disturbance. Mr Galliano was briefly arrested and then released pending charges for assault.
Anti-semitic remarks are punishable by up to six months in prison in France, but Mr Galliano has not yet been charged with an offence. His lawyer, Stephane Zerbib, ‘formally denied’ that his client had made racist comments.
Dior's chief executive Sidney Toledano said: "Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any anti-semitic or racist words or behaviour. Pending the results of the inquiry, Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from his responsibilities."
Mr Galliano was facing criminal charges and would appear in court on a date to be fixed.
Mr Galliano has been chief designer at Dior since 1996.
Born in Gibraltar and brought up in South London, he is often seen enjoying himself in the bars and café of the Marais, the historic centre of the city’s Jewish community. The Dior fall collection is scheduled to be shown next Friday, March 4, at the Rodin Museum.

Miracle Photoshop Lipstick

Anyone would become a Dior Addict because this lipstick obviously comes LOADED with miracle photoshop serum - one quick swoosh and you too will look like a airbrush postcard from 1983. Only the eyeliner looks real. Oh Kate! Whatever will they do with you next?See what she looks like when she removes the lipstick?

Miss Drag Cherie

Is it just me or does Natalie Portman look just a little bit drag in the Miss Dior Cherie ad?

He Said She Said

"The Dior customer differs worldwide. It doesn’t matter the city really, I mean what’s interesting to me is the take on Dior and how she is inspired by it and how she puts it together, and I think that’s the inspiring thing. As one can see, in New York, they are groomed and glossy and as tall as the skyscrapers — which I love." - John Galliano

Lady D.I.'s Photoshop Campaign

I know it is Lady Dior's London campaign but they've made Marion Cotillard look like the young Liz Hurley? Marion, is that choo??? And that studded strap just looks just a bit suspicious, doesn't it?

New Yuck Fashion Week: Snooze 2011

The just-concluded New York Fashion Week (Amen!) unveiled some very patchy collections. Very copy and paste, I mean. And I'm not talking patchwork here, even though there was a lot of patchwork going on. Designers of every strata got busy clicking and pasting. Most unapologetically, Marc Jacobs paid an obvious tribute to Yves Saint Laurent, Halston, and Sonia Rykiel, with bales of Missoni’s signature patterned knits thrown in (pictured). So literal was this 'copying' even his champions like Cathy Horyn and Suzy Menkes scrambled for polite metaphors to defend his 'work' (this was fun to read, I must say). We can just about forget about objective fashion reporting. No such thing.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler (can you imagine having to type this long list of names? Some one spell check this!) was 'inspired' by Prada and Chanel, right? And further down (much further down) the food chain, Marchesa a patchwork of the Dior’s greatest hits by John Galliano. There's much more. And if I'm very good, I shall put it up although I shudder at the thought of having to trawl through those pictures again. Today’s “copy and paste” click click click culture, enabled by the readily available fashion archive on the internet, the readiness and abundance of information, engenders a new generation of lazy, uninspired fashion practitioners.Instead of leading to design breakthroughs and originality, the fashion information overload, the endless and immediate availability of this and every other fashion collection simply leads to a fashion maze where every tired idea is recycled in ever quicker succession. Endlessly. It makes for mind-numbing, brain dead fashion that is New Yuck Fashion Week. It's thankfully over.
(A much longer version of this rant will be in Saturday's Business Times)

Dior's Controversial Shanghai Dreamers

Dior commisioned fine art photographer Quentin Shih to shoot these pictures for the reopening of the Dior boutique in Shanghai. The controversial images, entitled Shanghai Dreamers, featuring the Spring 2010 couture, are displayed in the store windows.According to Mr Shih: "My inspiration came from a certain Chinese style of group photography but these ceremonial photographs marks a departure from a certain historical period and herald the future. I created some typical Chinese groupings; they replicate themselves, wearing plastic clothes. They stand on display in vast spaces or upon a stage - because they were, and still are dreamers. As China enters a new era, they begin to stand together upon a world stage, self-conscious and yet filled with power."The dozens of women and men who flank the Dior-costumed models, are copy clones of one individual, duplicated again and again. Critics are saying the Dior portraits are a blatant depiction of the idea that "all Chinese people look the same." Is this racist? There's no smoke without fire, let's just put it that way.

Daria!

The Vogue Paris fall (2010) round up stars Daria Werbowy, shot by David Sims. Big heart! I think it's thoroughly modern that a denim brand like Diesel thrown in together with high end labels like Dior.... And what can I say? Daria looks amazing, and the clothes look styled to suit her, which makes much sense of this season's ready-to-wear, which weren't superb to begin with.

Fall 2010 Couture: Dior

At last, an inspired collection from John Galliano. This sees this genius, so subdued of late (for how many seasons has he been lying dormant?), bursting into full blossom once again. Quite literally. This has the charm and prettiness of spring, whereas his last couture (spring: the horse and highway man one), felt heavy, like fall. Couture should be like this, bouyant and poetic, using the utmost in technique to imaginatively capture the utmost in beauty. The colours combined (the same optimistic note that sounded at the mens collection) does remind one of Christian Lacroix, and is in a slightly different mode from the colours Mr Galliano usually employs. Tulips, unfortunately, will always suggest Irving Penn now, I suppose, and I will leave the other writers to give you those heavy-handed floral puns, but I hope that the bouquets this collection recieves will allow Mr Galliano to emerge from under his recent creative cloud. Beautiful.

"His basic reference point was Christian Dior’s 1953 spring collection, which introduced the “tulip line” and included floaty prints." - Cathy Horyn