Regardez: SS2011 Thus Far

After a much needed brake from Blogging I am back! But in the time that I was absent I was busy at work on a new Publication that has recently launched entitled VENT Magazine. I am currently acting as the Fashion and Style Living Editor. So please discover all that myself and the rest of the VENT team has worked so hard to curate in our bi-annual magazine.

SS2011 thus far has been quite the season to say the least. With the fashion world buzzing over MBFW new home at the newly renovated Lincoln Center to the realization that McQueen is no longer with us, we are constantly being reminded that in fashion the only constant is change.

During my first season actually attending the shows in New York. I was able to see with my own eyes trends and ideas form that would continue through to London and Milan.

Jill Stuart who showed in the cavernous David H. Koch Theater Promenade adjacent to the tents gave us lady like appeal; I was pleased to see her return to what she is known for doing best. The collection consisted of mostly neutrals, lace, ruffles and plenty of pleats.

Alexander Wang, Matthew Ames and Proenza Schouler seem to be on the same page as far as ideas are concerned with tribal motifs rearing up several times during their presentations. I found that my mind wandered during most of the Wang presentation. There was however one section of frothy sea foam green looks that helped to change the pace of a seemingly endless stream of mostly white looks.  I feel as though Wang does best when working in fabrics other than white cotton. The hair and make-up however was spot on as well as the casting of Omahyra Mota and Karolina Kurkova providing a nice mix of old among the new.

Matthew Ames was my personal favorite out of the New York shows. His very intimate presentation at Milk Studios was perfection. Ames is truly learning to master minimalism introducing several colors that seemed to glow. The metal chokers, bracelets and anklets added the right amount of edge to the collection.

 The boys at Proenza Schouler ushered in a lady this season dressed in tweed jackets no less. This however did not last long the show closed with several loose tank dresses made from guipure lace in sharp fluorescent colors which any it girl sitting front row would clamor to be dressed in.

 Kate and Laura Mulleavy presented what I would consider their most commercially appealing collection to date. Taking inspiration from the great state of California, make that Northern California to be exact.

Minimalism is Maximalism according to Raf Simons. On yesterday at Jil Sander the idea of the new look was taken to new shall I say new proportions, fiddling with silhouette to entice the eye with each step? Raf’s play on cut and color over the years always stayed true to the essence of the Jil Sander look but this season seem to be coming into his own while still honoring the heritage of the house. The show opened with the classic pairing of a t-shirt and long skirt in all white; perhaps this was a nod Isaac Mizrahi.  It Lulled me into what was to come, pulling and pushing my limits of how the seductive shape of a woman could be made even more so without revealing a inch of skin. The music flowed from Bernard Herrmann's soundtrack for Psycho to Busta Rhymes “Give me Some More”. One would think this was an obvious message about excess but it was the opposite.

 Raf’s careful treatment of the wide and skinny stripes mixed occasionally with a bold floral made you sit up and pay attention in what mainly was a story about color blocking. The collection had such an interesting mélange of fabrics; a few models carried what looked like plastic shopping bags. The stripped looks came in sheer fabric to what was definitely some sort of taffeta. Raf certainly turned the desirability knob full tilt providing options for day, night and not to mention several parkas an anoraks in playful and practical color-ways.