Maison Martin Margiela Spring 2010

I don’t usually waste time writing about the things that I don’t like, but this surpasses the realm of dislike and is in full-on offensive territory. How little respect does Rosso and his new team have for not only MMM’s fan base but for the man himself? This is supposed to be an improvement on Margiela’s slow-crafted, precise and directional vision? Please.

How despicable that he reckons we are so stupid that he can wipe out Margiela’s essence and sell this gimmicky bullshit and have it be as successful. This is not Diesel, man. They didn’t even manage to get the silhouettes right, never mind all of the precision, grace and integrity that Margiela had. They should have just shut the house down when he stepped down; do we really need to witness another sad slaughtering of someone’s good name, à la Helmut Lang?

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P.S. – while I’m ranting here: hey Gareth, please return to what made you so special in the first place. Don’t sell yourself short by becoming a bad gothic parody of Rick Owens. Still love you, though. <3

"Wearability"

‘Wearable’ is a word thrown around far too often in the realm of fashion and I just have to say how absolutely ridiculous I think this is and how annoying it’s become. Of course some things actually are unwearable, such as really brittle couture gowns or things equally as perishable, but the majority of things are indeed wearable despite an unusual surface or silhouette. Technically, everything can be worn; the whole point is to look deeper than that.

I guess it breaks my heart a bit when I see someone call a collection as a whole ‘unwearable’ solely based on their impression of the runway presentation and styling being outrageous, without even a deeper look to try to grasp the clothing itself. Is this as deep as we are looking now? I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that something can be outrageous, overly dramatic, overly embellished, ridiculous, whatever… and still wearable. None of the aforementioned adjectives which describe the aesthetic alone should ever be considered synonymous with the actual feel, function and quality of the item itself.

Something can look absolutely uncomfortable or very strange, but for the wearer, is completely comfortable due to the thoughtful construction and materials of the item. If books shouldn’t be judged by their covers, then neither should all clothing. There’s an entire school of designers out there currently who are specializing in modifying the human silhouette but also put an equal amount of thought into what is inside/underneath. I worry sometimes that if this term is too loosely used, that the designers in question could be pigeonholed despite their relevant talents.

Since Gareth Pugh seems to be the designer du jour who’s being widely dubbed as creating unwearable clothing, I’ll use him for my example. When people say his work belongs only on runways and museums, I have more than a sneaking suspicion that these people haven’t actually worn or even handled his clothing. His runway presentations may be very severe – but his clothing is much more impressive technically than his reputation eludes to. I’d like to try to show how disarming the majority of his pieces actually are, off the runway.

I’ve had this jacket since about November, if I remember correctly, and I’ve found that I wear it about once per week on average. As you can see – this unwearable beast is simply just a short, embellished blazer. The embellishments are attached to only the outer (of 3) layers of fabric. These triangles are indeed pointy to the touch – but don’t effect the movement or anything of the piece. They’re solely decorative and don’t interfere a bit with the functionality whatsoever.

^ Here is what I mean about not being able to really judge, based on a quick glance at the exterior. As seen above, the blazer is lined with Gareth’s signature star print. Also, the sleeves have a different lining in them, which is more smooth to the touch, as you slide your arm in. It is a shame that some people are missing the amount of thought and creativity put into these garments.

Here are a couple of the other Gareth things I have got, if you’re wondering about the more basic pieces. I adore them all very much and I wear them very frequently. If you have any questions, please ask, as I have rambled enough, unprovoked. :p

xoxo

Gareth Pugh Fall 2009 film screencaps

I forgot to post the video to the collection in my previous entry with the photos. Anyhow, I thought I’d make some screen caps to accompany the link. I love the video… perfect model and the editing shows off the clothes so well.

–> Gareth Pugh FW09 video <–

enjoy!

Gareth Pugh Fall 2009

Let me just preface by admitting that yes… I am well aware that this is far too Rick Owens for Gareth’s own good. I think he should be mindful of this, as far as his integrity as a visionary goes… HOWEVER, being the rampant Pugh/Owens-obsesser that I am, you’re not going to hear me complain about the aesthetic love child of these two men.

While the silhouettes and cuts scream Mr. Owens, the materials definitely make this collection undeniably Pugh. He’s managed to encompass a lot of the detailing from his FW09 menswear, while seemingly has pretty much abandoned the aesthetic of his SS09 women’s line. I think this is more to the core of Pugh but to be honest, I was actually looking forward to seeing how he’d mesh this aesthetic WITH the one of SS09 womens. Maybe in the future he will go that route, who knows.

I think an important progression to mention is that these clothes look so beautifully constructed although he is still using very a-typical, industrial type materials and detailing. There is a definite refinement taking place which is admirable… I appreciate that he is upping his ante without losing himself and his original vision.

The outerwear for instance is to die for; those classic Owens cuts mixed with Pugh’s very inorganic materials is such a clear win. The metallics really enhance some of the silhouettes and give a cool effect. One thing I am not thrilled about is these wide leg trousers. I don’t hate wide leg trousers by any means… I own and wear a few pairs, but the ones here look sort of awkward and dare I say it, a bit matronly. What more than made up for that, though, are the amazing, ridiculously long goth dresses/skirts. I’m always a lover of long skirts and combined with these textures, they definitely made my heart skip a beat.

Overall I am fond of the collection. The outerwear, the boots, the beautiful textured tights – it’s all beautiful and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more pieces.

Gareth Pugh Menswear Fall 2009

Well, it has happened! Gareth has shown his first all-menswear collection in Paris and in my opinion, it went off quite well. The collection isn’t nearly as androgynous as I was anticipating, but I can definitely appreciate where (I speculate) that he is coming from here.

As far as the theme… well, let’s face it, you’d have to be blind not to notice the industrial/goth/club overtones. I think perhaps he could have taken a less literal approach – but I have to say, that is one of my only gripes. I think the overtness of such a throwback and rebellious genre may not work in his best interests as far as how it will be perceived by others. However, I am fine with it, but then again, I am pretty sure he and I have similar backgrounds as far as that whole scene goes.

Given that he’s been producing and showing menswear for a while now, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a solo mens show – particularly after the extravagant SS09 womenswear collection he just graced us with. While I don't think this is the greatest collection ever, I do think it’s pretty impressive that this FW09 menswear line was not only a complete departure from his SS09 womens, but it was actually a progression upon the menswear he’s been working at for quite some time now.

He went with the patent leather triangle garments to act as the centerpiece of the collection, providing a great array of different takes on the design, including suits, trenches, puffy winter jackets, pants, etc. It’s safe to say the best part of this is the outerwear, and surely that’s no accident. After owning one of these pieces – I have to say I am really excited about the prospect of more. But unfortunately, I think people who haven’t handled or worn his pieces easily write them off as ‘unwearable’, when really they’re anything but.

Pugh’s work is funded in part by Rick Owens and in turn, is produced at the prestigious Olmar+Mirta factory – the same place as Rick’s stuff is made. When people say his stuff looks cheap and poorly constructed, it’s a sure sign they’ve never worn Pugh’s stuff themselves, as the construction is actually quite great and the materials are the same ones that are used in Rick’s lines.

I also have to mention the boots, which are phenomenal. I love severe and heavy footwear and, well… who doesn’t love a good skullkicker type of boot, anyway?

overall – bravo to Gareth. Can’t wait to see what he’s got lined up for his next womenswear show

Gareth Pugh Spring 2009

Paris… Paris is here!

And Gareth is there! It’s Mr. Pugh’s first venture into the world that is Paris Fashion Week and oh my, what a first impression to make. Pugh, who’s known for his boundary-pushing designs and unmistakable exaggerated silhouettes, absolutely WORKED the first day of PFW. First and foremost, he has proved in a large way that he does indeed have the ability to edit and restrain some of the theatrics, but most important – this collection is still undoubtedly his aesthetic. He’s taken some of the muscle out of the theatrics and put it into the detailing and what a fantastic shift it is. With a somehow robotic, Elizabethan samurai look… the pieces are each a work of art in their own right, yet they’re very thoughtful and actually quite body-conscious and have lovely accentuation. The color pallette is divine, but then again I am always a sucker for white/black/off-white, a la Tao S/S 07. There’s not a bad word I can say about this, in all honesty. If you know Pugh, it’s easy to recognize the work and the thought he put in to this one and I applaud it a great deal.