Anne Valérie Hash Haute Couture Spring 2004

Much like the Kokosalaki post, this one is a testament to the genius AVH unveiled to us in the past. Her S/S 10 collection was pretty nice, but it's still such a far cry from the poetic, billowing yet restrictive clothing she's shown us in seasons such as this S/S 04 one. I mean, it's truly a dream; perfect silhouettes, brilliant textures, flawless proportions and the heavenly styling.

I always wonder if the switching of aesthetics and if the shifting down their overwhelming creativity is a conscious one or just a natural progression for the designer. I understand all too well the need to shed an old skin and move in a new direction, so perhaps it is trite to question the switch in a designer's output. Even if she never revisits this style, I guess I can only appreciate and be thankful to be able to look back upon the collections like this that she's graced us with.

Rick Owens Menswear Spring 2010

As per usual, thank heavens for Mr. Owens. It’s very recognizable collection yet still filled with many new and unexpected elements as well. Hmm, where to start? I guess with the vests, since they caught my eye first. The geometric cuts of the vest look great and provide a nice contrast to the less rigid pieces when styled together. It pretty much goes without saying that his outerwear and footwear are always very distinct and I adore how he’s transformed them for this season. The boots look to die for and I like that he switched up the silhouette of his ever-so-coveted trainers.

In fact, I’m glad most of his signature bits are switched up a bit from the past few seasons. I am thrilled he incorporated a lot of new materials, including drkshdw-ish denim into his main line. How long can one keep slgihtly altering the same few key pieces… especially while a ton of other designers are on his coattails, riding his trends? I definitely applaud this turn that he’s taken and I definitely think it’s for the best. His aesthetic just “is” and always will be – so, subsequently, there is no detriment in trying new things.

Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring 2010

Day one in Paris and not too much to write home about, overall. Balenciaga was drawing far too many “influences” from others, Julius was along the same lines, Juun J. continues the struggle to live up with his hype and continues fail miserably – you get the idea. But then there was Dries!

There are so many amazing pieces here and the color palette is stunning. While I generally adore his nerdy, romantic and slightly quirky aesthetic and not to mention his notoriously amazing print work… I love the relaxed formality of this… it is comfortable but nothing looks sloppy; everything is so sharp. The relaxed fit and air of ease of it all is so beautiful for this season. Outerwear is amazing also, I love the materials and shapes of the jackets. Proportion-wise, for me, Dries is always a dream and this is no different; the awesome silhouettes are subsequent to his perfect cuts and the shapes they create.

His work doesn’t show the ugly ambivalence of trying to balance trends and frills along with his vision – because he doesn’t. This is especially relieving in a time where designers are increasingly rehashing and borrowing from one another’s concepts. With Dries, we don’t have to look at his works meanwhile making correlations or comparisons with other designers, or to wonder if there’ll be an entirely new look each season or anything like that. And without these distractions, we’re really allowed to simply enjoy his work for what it is… and what it is is refreshing and consistently good.

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall 2009

For a change in recent seasons, I was pretty happy with a few of the haute couture collections which I had been pretty bored with. Above all though, is definitely Gaultier’s collection. While it’s not as good as his best ones, it’s certainly very beautiful!

From heavily embellished short dresses, to elaborate and dramatic gowns, all the way to sexy, structured suits, there is truly a little bit of everything here. Speaking of the embellishment, it’s beyond impressive; not only in intricacy but the compositions are really gorgeous on top of these already well-cut garments. I love the reoccurring smoke-like designs and the differed sized netted fabrics layered on one another or on solid fabric. It is a nice contrast to the sharpness of the designs in general.

The looks really speak for themselves, though. So many gorgeous elements here to admire and like I said, while it’s not his best offering, it’s nothing to shake a stick at by any means. However, whether they’re worth shaking a credit card at may be a different story.

Limi Feu Spring 2009

Another season, another amazing collection from Ms. Yamamoto. I was so pleased to see a lighthearted but conceptual and beautifully done collection from her this spring. The show seemed to be a good summary of her career thus far, yet not retrospective as she brought in many new elements and concepts in addition. There was a significant amount of color, from bright reds and blues, to bold pastels; great accentual pieces amongst the monochromatic scheme of the majority of the collection. She has a knack for constructing over sized garments with such a thoughtful – but not overt – amount of detailing so that they’re still very feminine; they always fall nicely on the frame and avoid looking boxy or masculine. Her clothes are not for the faint of heart, but in the same token are so well thought out and comfortable to wear. Her garments are often really dynamic and multifunctional as many of them include very large pockets, which could hypothetically replace a handbag for many women.

Limi’s styling is beyond refreshing amongst so many other designers who have the same boring, traditional visions of how a woman should look and how she should be clad. I like that not only does she challenge conventional views of sensuality but she also lifts many of the stereotypes and presents her girl in a more playful and nontraditional way. Another great thing is that she casts wonderful models; different heights, different ages and different builds. These women wear her clothes, the clothes are not wearing them. I think this makes a large statement… that her clothes have the ability to speak for themselves, but through the wearer’s voice.

The models wore headphones constructed of faux braided hair, a la Princess Leia, and were seemingly functional as they were plugged into iPods. As usual, she had great androgynous footwear and accessories, such as black-soled boots in a variety of colors, as well as neck ties and suspenders.

Ann Demeulemeester Spring 2009

Such a surprising collection from Ann this season! I love her but I am so glad she took on a re-invention of sorts this Spring. Her last collection was great, because her work is great, but it was getting to be very same-y without much expansion. She’s really outdone herself here… while breathing much new life into her aesthetic, she’s managed to keep the core of what, for many, Ann D. is all about (which is something many other designers could take a cue from). The color palette is really varied; I’m not the biggest fan of that orange but boy am I glad it’s in there. The stripes are always something I love to see popping up in her clothes because I just love how she works them. Accessories are also super fresh here; the necklaces are absolutely out of this world. The shoes are great although they remind me a bit of the lace-effect Alaia’s… though that isn’t a terrible thing. The menswear is beautiful as well; handsome and a bit refined but with much of her signature quirkiness maintained. Such a great collection… go Ann!

Maison Martin Margiela Spring 2009 - Anniversary collection

This collection is a riot. It really is. First of all, happy anniversary to one of the industry’s greats! What better way is there to celebrate the most well-known recent works of one of our most beloved (and cheekiest) designers than to have a larger-than-life sized walking cake? We see a showcase of the things he’s been best known for in recent years: the extended and raised shoulders, the humor, the art, etc. I think perhaps it could have been slightly less humorous and he could have possibly put a new twist on some of his concepts – particularly since half the designers in Paris seem to be taking a stab at MMM shoulders – but none the less it’s a joy to look at if you’re a fan of his. The hirsute pieces are absolutely hilarious and I love the backwards styling and all of the props. Here’s to many more decades…

Rick Owens Spring 2009

Oh, Mr. Owens, can you do no wrong? At first glance, this collection may appear fairly minimal – well, in comparison to the last few, at least – but there is so much going on. The subtle variation and expansion of different takes on each look via different materials and detailing is really admirable. The details are truly where it’s at… particularly in many of the skirts, which look as if you could endlessly peel the layers away like the petals of a flower.

What has always moved me most about Rick Owens is his idea of beauty… which is, I suppose, that there should be no singular idea of beauty. He breaks down the conventional concepts of how women should look… but not defiantly. Rather, he demonstrates his own unique vision of a woman, and somehow, she couldn’t look more appealing.

His color palette, while not a surprise, never seems to get old. The fabrics he uses always tell a story of their own, as well. They’re full of integrity, potential, strength and luxuriousness. I love how he tweaks his silhouette with each season, but that his unique traits undoubtedly shine through. The presentation is wonderful; veiled heads and veiled feet, and nothing but the garment in between.

Bruno Pieters Spring 2009

As usual, Bruno Pieters delivers a solid collection of powerful pieces. I’ll be honest, I was hoping for more of the over sized androgyny that last season had to offer, but that’s not to say this one was disappointing at all. One of the great things about Bruno Pieters is that, while you can definitely look forward to the aesthetic being maintained, you won’t be seeing the same exact thing two seasons in a row. The return to shimmering fabrics was a great one; it really enhances the signature structure and strong tailoring that the brand is notorious for. The silhouettes give off such an empowered feel but remain largely body conscious. I always love the direct presentations, as well… it’s always very no-frills but confident and beautiful none the less.

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.

Véronique Branquinho Menswear Spring 2009

Véronique delivers a solid, wearable, well-executed and appropriate collection for this spring / summer, which would seemingly be the point… yet not many designers manage to get it all quite right. More impressively, she pulls off all of the aforementioned feats meanwhile incorporating most all of this season’s hottest runway trends. We see stripes, plaid, the infamous pants under shorts and one bold accent color. Thankfully, no two toning or color blocking here which adds to this collection’s refreshing qualities. If I were a guy, I’d be all over this like white on rice. It is so flattering and so now, but at the same time, classic and also forward-thinking. I adore the silhouettes. Everything is just very well done… go Véronique!

Comme des Garçons Menswear Spring 2009

Rei has brought the heat this season as this collection is absolutely a dream. There are so many patterns going on, so many different layers and dimensions of complexity yet it is not sloppy or goofy looking at all. There are many skirts in the collection, and you hardly notice because of the pretty masculine styling of the show. The pants underneath the shorts and skirts look really great. The jackets and blazers are absolutely amazing as well. Very wearable but with so much of Rei’s signature charm and extreme attention to detail. The look I chose to feature above the collage, I chose because it sums up my feelings on the whole collection in one look; impeccable styling and layering, the mixture of extremely different prints which provide so much depth and complexity, the pants under the long, layered skirts, everything. Well done, I’d say. It’s an incredibly wearable collection for CDG but I also think it’s still very thoughtful toward her male market and not patronizingly feminine for the sake of it… like some of the other collections this season.

Richard Chai Menswear Spring 2009

I didn’t realize Mr. Chai was showing in Paris this season but I am thrilled he has and I love this collection! Everything about it is great, there is so much good in it that it’s hard to choose where to begin. As seen in the first photo above the collage, the model to the left of Richard Chai has on this divine white shirt and there are a few other similar ones here and there throughout the collection… I think those were my favorite pieces. The button downs are also superb and have really subtle yet intriguing details. I love the overall textures and the fabrics used; the mixture of textiles really makes the collection dynamic amongst it’s mostly subdued color palette. The pants are simply hot… the cut of them are so nice and I love how they’re rolled up and provide just the right amount of volume to create these lovely silhouettes in this collection. One of my other favorite pieces is the long cardigan which I may even consider getting in the future. It’s pretty much the ideal over sized cardigan, all the way down to the buttons. The styling is really exceptional in this showing as well, I thought… just good all around!