Rodarte Spring 2010

My favorite kinfolk duo (and fellow anime lovers!), Rodarte, are back and suffice to say they’ve brought along with them a beautiful collection. Darkness for Spring? Yes, please. These ladies are doing remarkable things and I love that they’re cultivating and fine-tuning their trademarks as each season rolls around. I love that their vision never falters, though they bring on new elements and overtones with each collection.

This one is so dramatic and has so much to feast the eyes on that it’s hard to keep your sight on one thing for very long. The textures that are happening within each piece is nothing short of mind blowing! Construction-wise, they are one of the most exciting brands for me – in person, their pieces are intense and unusual in the most lovely of ways and the intricacy is just so impressive.

The rich, deep color story this season was gorgeous as well and I adore their printwork. The contrast of elements in these pieces and how they masterfully overlap, intertwine and marry the different materials within each garment is such a beautiful thing. Truly sensational.

Their influences are always present but they translate and incorporate them with such nonchalance that they only add fuel to the already dramatic and visually orgasmic aesthetic that is the foundation of their label. It is a delight to witness the Mulleavy sisters continually flourish each season, enchanting us all along the way.

Rad Hourani Spring 2010

Thank heavens for Rad Hourani, this season especially. I am enamored with his directional progression; there’s little better than a designer with an original look that just gets better and better over the years, à la Rick Owens and Hourani is certainly on a similar path. The fact that his work just is what it is and is timeless in the sense that it transcends trends and has a distinct aesthetic, that he’s able to rework his look is showing that he has the potential to be a diligent and consistent force to be reckoned with.

I also applaud, not only the aesthetic progression in terms of detailing and updated versions of his signature pieces, but the fact that the construction and materials he’s using are evolving right along with it. Everything looks so clean and attractive and the different textures, contrasting panels and zipper detailing only further the appeal.

Jeremy Laing Spring 2010

Carrying over from his very nicely done and well-received autumn collection, Jeremy Laing is back with another one. I am really loving the range of fabrics he chose and worked into this one and the array of detailing that the collection possesses overall. Each piece is something special, when broken down, in addition to them all working as a cohesive unit. Laing’s work always feels so young and vibrant with a nice edge, to me – but it also has so many mature and impressive elements that it makes him someone who’s interesting and well worth following the work of.

NYFW + Gary Graham Spring 2010

NYFW is a mess this year, a huge mess of tired trends and dated or just completely redundant collections. Not that it’s usually an invigorating fashion week or anything, but this season seems particularly sad. The whole Erin Wasson x RVCA, Alexander Wang, neo-Herve Leger, etc, thing… not only has it been done to death but by now it’s all a bit of a joke.

In a time where finances are so tight that fashion greats such as Veronique Branquinho have to completely shut down their houses and inexplicably talented geniuses such as Yohji Yamamoto’s are also being threatened – it is terrible that this shallow crap is selling like hotcakes and is running rampant on the runways – the place where trends are meant to be set… not regurgitated upon.

At this point, these gimmicky ‘designers’ are basically pulling a Fight Club on their clientele, by selling back to them their own veritable excrement in shiny new packages each season – and according to sales, people are buying it right up. It seems innovation has gone down in priority and I hope that will change.

:straps on Optimist hat:

back to regularly scheduled programming:

Gary Graham is definitely a designer who deserves much more praise and recognition than he’s gotten so far. But in addition to his diligent talent, the feature he just shot for an upcoming issue Vogue (featuring his favorite model Ms. Pivovarova) should definitely help expose him.

I think this collection right here is such a breath of fresh air; from the clothing to the setting – I love to see such thoughtfulness. My favorite aspect is probably the unusual and varying waistlines, it’s a beautiful play on proportions and was furthered beautifully by the great styling. The dresses are all lovely but what really won me over were the structured pieces sprinkled throughout… they add just the right amount of rigidity to counterbalance the whimsical overtone and not to mention the proportions are amazing on them and I love how he uses them to subtly distort the silhouette. All in all, it’s just really well done, attractive and has real subtance, which is something a lot of collections this week are severely lacking. Well done, Mr. Graham!

Rad Hourani Fall 2009

Finally, it was Rad Hourani’s turn to showcase his Fall offering and thank heavens for that as he did what he does best and delivered another distinct and beautiful collection. There are some things I like about this collection more than his previous ones but there are also a few things that feel a bit out of place to me. I like that he changed things up but the collection is still undeniably Rad.

I think the integration of a few colors was a good idea… if for nothing else, to help showcase the literal depth of his designs to the common spectator. Apparently some people write off all-black collections to a certain degree. Clearly these people should be hanged, but never the less, I think the color will be an aid in helping more people notice the unique details of his work.

As far as what feels out of place to me, some of the new cuts he’s playing with here, I feel are a bit unnecessary. What I loved most about his previous collections was not only his unapologetic use of black but the consistent, distinct, slightly awkward silhouette that was so prominent and which didn’t have many variations. While variety is often a positive, I don’t think he should continue to stray very much further from his original aesthetic as far as trying a ton of different cuts and silhouettes – primarily because all of these new shapes remind me of another designer… one who’s done it much better already. Of course this is a very minor peeve and by no means is meant to imply that I don’t want to own much of this collection.

Moving along, I am pretty thrilled about the pants this time around. I was almost a bit nervous to look at the bottom half of the models and see another stackfest on the runway… I was not the biggest fan of the inseams that seemed to be about 99″ long. This season they’re really lovely, however. Not only the varied cuts and fit but the fabrics he chose for them are all pretty nice as well.

Last but not least, one of my favorite things – yet perhaps the only element of this particular collection which is not entirely unisex – the footwear, is fantastic as well. We see a couple of different styles of boots, including of course, the mother of all shoes… the thigh-high boot.

Y-3 Fall 2009

I swear I am not only posting about Y-3 because I’d rather be subjected to prolonged torture than to write about collections like Marc Jacobs or Alexander Wang. Even Preen, who I was looking forward to, sucked this season… so it’s nice that certain shows such as Y-3 were pleasantly surprising. Well, I have been glad with the progression of the brand over recent seasons now but I think this collection really shows the brand has come into it’s own. I mean, even I love it – and I have a severe to alarming fundamental aversion to all things sneakers and sportswear.

Of course, I have to mention first about these adorable children on the runway. I love that the clothes for kids are very sort of common looking overall – but where the Yamamoto genius lies is in the proportions and silhouette. The plays on volume and non conventional lengths but the clothing stays within a ‘friendly’ color palette and uses fabrics that are comfortable and easy to care for, so these designs are still completely feasible and right for the brand.

The rest of the collection was nothing to shake a stick at, though; I’d actually wear a ton of the pieces! I love how Y-3 brings the signature YY combined element of class and unusuality to even a genre like sportswear, which is usually hideous (hello, D-Squared!) and makes it look so slick. I am also loving the runway styling and I like the fact that it’s presented in such a way that blurs the line between the functionality and the aesthetics of the clothing.

Rodarte Fall 2009

Rodarte presented their collection yesterday and thank heavens for that. NYFW is such a dreadful bore save for VERY few designers, and naturally these two lovely ladies are on that short list. At this point I feel more than comfortable saying that the Mulleavy sisters not only don’t disappoint – but are also clearly striving toward new territories. This is so admirable because they don’t HAVE to do this yet. The last 3 seasons they sort of built a trademark and I definitely admire that they’re not confined within that. To be honest, I assumed we’d see another collection prominently lead by the deconstructed knitwear, which, you know… probably would have been fine, all things considered. But they are already moving along and aspiring to new heights – and while I see some strong influences here – I still think that’s pretty commendable.

These girls must have been working their tails off to have pulled this collection together and I have to say, for me anyhow, it was worth it. The silhouette and some of the bold detailing has not changed this season – but nearly everything else has evolved in some way. The textures here are nothing short of INCREDIBLE. All of the different fabrics intertwined give such a lovely effect. I admire a good print manipulator, such as Dries Van Noten. Blending prints and textures isn’t the easiest thing to do, but some people can just work it in that area and I think Rodarte have fallen into this category as well.

I mentioned above that I see some influences here, perhaps entirely coincidental, of course. The first one – and this was probably due to the boots and color palette – I thought of McQueen’s Fall 2007 collection. Also the textures as well as colors also brought Somarta Fall 2008 to mind, big time.

All in all, I like it. I like Rodarte. I support them a great deal and appreciate them, along with people like Rick Owens, bringing some credibility back to american design. I love that they’re exploring their craft instead of getting into a comfort zone. I can’t wait to see these girls in Paris. Someone make it happen already!

also – I will try to edit this post ASAP with detail shots and whatever else I can find because clearly with Rodarte, the details are where the magic lives.

Rodarte Spring 2009

The Rodarte duo are really a huge breath of fresh air in the realm of American designers. The few so-called ‘top American designers’ couldn’t come close to these California-based sisters by way of creativity, integrity or just overall fabulousness! The details here are nothing short of amazing; from devastatingly intricate knitwear to the use of contrasting, interwoven chains… there is just so much to admire. The colors are so refreshing and the way they’re worked together is so lovely. This is another show where it’s not a complete 180 from last year’s collection, but instead is an amplified version which has even better technique and construction than the previous one. Aside from the craftsmanship, what I love about Rodarte is the DRAMA… the fantasy element. Fashion should be fun, it should make you feel amazing, and I feel Rodarte really can offer this to women, without it looking like a costume. The clothes are gorgeous but, hello… look at the shoes; they’re absolutely deadly, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Rad Hourani Spring 2009

Hooray for Hourani! I admire him so much for always sticking to his guns, despite season and despite passing trends. Upon seeing this season’s collection, many criticized that the clothes look too similar to previous seasons. The Hourani silhouette is a strong one of veritable black armor and sleekness… and I, for one, am thrilled to see this look expanded upon and refined. Aside from the fact that there is a huge variety of different types of pieces, the garments themselves are much more streamlined and have tons of distinguishing qualities and details. I always love the fabrics used and the slashed pants are too awesome! The simple presentation is great, as is the casting of diverse models.