Tuesday 27 November 2012

Looking Back: Alexis Mabille SS11 Men Ready-to-Wear

Image source

I have to confess I am not very well acquainted with men's wear (nor women's, nor fashion in general..), but this collection caught my eye with all the flowers tossed in tousled hair, plus how could one resist a dapper bow-tie?
I can't say if I'll be looking at more men's wear any time soon, but anyhow, here are my picks from Alexis Mabille's SS11 men's collection. 


The rough, raw mineral look for accessories always gets me.
I think it adds some refined toughness to an outfit.
The slashes on the jacket, also - trans-seasonal and aesthetic, too.
I reckon striped pants are really cool and the belt matches.
The incorporated bow-tie is a cute detail and the subtle contrast in colour.
Great lines/shapes in the shirt. Oh and also the shoes, they add a nice
layer to the look. Not so much a fan of the beaded bracelets but I 
do like the symmetry of having them on both wrists.
I'm a sucker for applique and flowers.
The weave of the fabric is fab. And the flowers, used sparingly,
are whimsical but not too girly.
I am quite liking the dark shirt under lighter jacket/pant combo right now.

Image Source: style.com

Looking Back: Valentino AW10 Couture


Anything remotely scallop shell shaped, I fall immediately and
uncontrollably in love with. Do I need help?
Blah blah blah we get how much you love Valentino etc. etc. Can we please move on? Sorry, but no. Their collections always make an impression, and a warning... more Valentino is headed your way. Enjoy! :)

Ok so it is couture, but I'm still not sure about the birdcage.
Almost lol-worthy actually.
Pretty kitten heels. I can just imagine these with a flowy maxi skirt.
One of my favourites.
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Quite like the hems they've done, like a drop-waist, ruffled hem.
Don't think it'd look good on my frumpy self, though;
everything looks better on a model.
The only point I'd like to make here is that it shouts 'architectural' to me.
Like there's the roof and the boxy white windows.
Again, one of the pieces not everyone can pull off.
Ah, reminds me of the Valentino perfume bottle design...consistent.
They really hit it off with the bows. So adorable.

CUTE
Simply lovely. Natural too, it looks tied.
I actually want to make a skirt like this but without the ribbon edges.
You know, I never really liked Karlie's lips...
The eye make up was lovely and sparkly fresh. 
Image source: style.com

Monday 26 November 2012

THIS.

Useful to know:

RTW (also known as “pret-a-porter”) stands for ready-to-wear and it encompasses designers’ main collections: spring-summer (S/S) and fall-winter (F/W) or autumn-winter. Spring-summer collections are shown in September and mark the beginning of the new fashion year, and fall-winter collections are shown the following February.

Resort (or “cruise”) is shown in May to early June and has traditionally been for wealthier customers who desire to escape to warmer climates during the colder seasons. The clothes are often lighter and more colourful and there’s heaps of swimwear. Most designers opt for lookbooks and presentations rather than a full-on runway show (except maybe Chanel). Resort collections arrive in store in November, just after the fall-winter clothes in September but before the spring-summer arrival in March and April the following year.

Pre-fall is shown between December to January, is a little more vague. They exist to bridge the gap between the S/S and F/W collections in a more casual environment and are much more commercially driven. They arrive in stores in May when the spring clothes from the previous year are being reduced, and the fall clothes which arrive in September are still being manufactured. Pre-fall also offers the fashion media a chance to see designers’ influences for the coming F/W collections.

Haute Couture is shown twice a year in January (spring couture) and July (fall couture). Unlike ready-to-wear, which is made in standard sizes, couture is made for a unique client and the garments can cost more than your house. Designers can do things with couture that they can’t do with ready-to-wear because then the prices get too expensive. A real couture house is approved and regulated by the Chambre Syndicale in Paris.

Note: Juicy Couture is not a couture house.


(From katemess on tumblr, edited slightly for formatting)



Thursday 15 November 2012

Valentino SS13 Ready-to-Wear


Don't even get me started on Valentino. Valentino is swoon-worthy every time. Never hits a miss. Perfect. Just so damn perfect. And without further ado, I present to you another success that is the SS13 Ready-to-Wear collection shown at Paris Fashion Week. Here are my favourite pieces.


Plastic fantastic is totally a thing now, and the leather trim
and stud detailing all go so well together.
The applique flower fabric is so summery.
The perspex is so clean and so beautiful, and the chain even, just, argh.
Another interesting thing they did this year was the front panels that
sorta remind me of bibs - which are lovely with a collar I must say.
The dandelion detail though...I prefer my dandelions simply embroidered
or printed,with less beading and embellishment.
Nevertheless they are a whimsical detail of the dress!
The cutwork is reminiscent of Louis Vuitton SS12 but less pretty.
The colour blocks are nice.
I don't know about you but the embellishment for me totally harks back to
the AW11 couture collection (e.g. this)
Adorable dress and particularly the beading.
Impartial to the clutch/bangles though doubles seem like a chic idea.
Beading is so, so delicate and lovely.
I am really liking the slip dress and how simple and elegant and
delicate it is. And there were a lot of "and"s in that sentence. 

Also, I always appreciate a good pocket detail which seems to be just
visible through the almost opaque material.
That dress is worthy of a god. Or a queen, Queen Nobis hah.
Up close.
Curse the lighting on this photograph!
Trust Valentino to come up with the most unfathomably genius rain
coat trench EVER. Because who wouldn't want to show off their gorgeous
dress even when it's cold?
 Now let's move on to transparent shoes.
This is probably one of the nicer ones out of the collection.
And this one is probably the chicest transparent shoe ever made.

Image source: style.com

Friday 9 November 2012

Looking Back: Jil Sander AW12 Ready-to-Wear


What I really love about Jil Sander is the whole crisp, clean aesthetic. It is so simple yet there is some unspoken sophistication about it all. The runway design was also lovely. Good job Raf, props to you, bud.

Most romantic-slick (it's a word now) dress. The bodice most of all.
Pockets, too.
Fab jacket.
Hi Julia.
Mmmm clutchey goodness and a knitted sleeve detail.
Shoes were...MEH.
Metallicz.
The blocking and the colours and the textures and.
The high-waisted pant and bodice combo is always chic.
And you need them shoulders to pull it off...
THE black dress.
To be honest, I wouldn't ever wear a navy or dark/bright blue dress.
I just never liked the colour, I guess. This dress, though, is a lovely meeting of off-the-shoulder glam and modernity.
Close up, I can't really tell but is that a sheer panel?
A better, classier choice than a cut-out I reckon.

Image Source: style.com

Looking Back: Marc Jacobs SS10 Ready-to-Wear


Ah...I think it's time we take a trip back to 2010 and admire some of the beautiful, beautiful pieces in Marc Jacobs' RTW SS10 collection shown at New York Fashion Week. I have to say I'm not really a fan of the make up, but I can see that it does enhance the whimsical feel and feminine poise of the whole collection...Enjoy!


This is my favourite. Love love love it. 
DETAIL. So organic and dainty.
Perfect. The shirt and then the frills, oof. But the bag...
Close up.

Reminds me of power shoulders...
Lovely jumpsuit.
That jacket and the layers.
Another cute jacket.
Did I mention I reeally love the choice of fabrics for everything?
And look at them pants/leggings SHINY
Shoes are interesting and kind of have a boho vibe.
Pretty much the only bag I liked in the whole collection.
Gorgeous, especially the velvet zipper pull! It's more of an evening bag, don't you think?
A closer look at hair and make up.