Storm Irene: Julija Steponaviciute

Friday, September 10, 2010

RICHARD CHAI LOVE SPRING 2011 RTW

JAC JAGACIAK (IMG)

For Spring, Richard Chai flipped the script on the typical fashion strategy of putting your flashy best on the runway while keeping those more subtle, plain-Jane pieces at the showroom for buyers' eyes only. "All the prints, the embellishment, the embroidery, all of those things are still in the collection," said Chai, speaking at his studio the day before his clothes hit the catwalk. "But what I'm showing on the runway is not that." That might sound counterintuitive, but the approach has its benefits. When you're not distracted by the sparkle of a sequin, your eye can focus on form—and form was definitely the story chez Chai this season.

FRIDA GUSTAVSSON (IMG)

The look could be described as chic urban nomad—all fluid layers built on a foundation of Chaplin-esque trousers, long and full Martha Graham-inspired skirts, flared culottes, and palazzo pants. Chai called the palette of nudes, grays, and blues "super-neutral," and in lieu of color, he created interest by playing with transparency in sheer-backed tops and by layering nylon body stockings throughout. The effect was a ghostly deconstruction, but that liquid element was grounded by sporty-sexy bandeau tops and tailoring in the form of elongating blazers and trenches in weathered-looking technical fabrics.

SHU PEI QIN (NEXT)

There might have been nary a sequin in sight, but the combination of transparency and layering did push the look in a fashion-y direction. Yet Chai insisted that, when dissected, the collection was full of simply great pieces to wear. "It's an amazing trenchcoat, an amazing T-shirt—that's the premise of Love," he said. The trick, of course, is to lend those items a fresh point of view, and happily, Chai continues to stand out in the same-y contemporary world.

JULIJA STEPONAVICIUTE (IMG)

HEIDI MOUNT (IMG)

Kamila Filipcikova

SOFIA PARAS (FORD)

Jacquelyn Jablonski

Ming Xi

Chloe

Anabela Belikova

Liu Wen

Ruby Aldridge

Ilva Heitmann

SIMONE

Hanne Gaby Odiele

Shena Moulton

Valerija Kelava

Irina Kulikova

Fei Fei Sun

Naomi Preizler

ROSE CORDERO

Alana Zimmer (FORD)

Suvi Koponen

Joan Smalls

Sigrid Agren

Patricia van der Vliet

JENNY SINKABERG

Melissa Tammerijn

RICHARD CHAI

Friday, October 16, 2009

Marc By Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 RTW.

Karlie Kloss

A funny thing has started happening at Marc Jacobs shows: Fans, content to sit and watch the big-name models strut by, jump to their feet to get a better glimpse (and a camera-phone pic) of the designer as he comes out for his bow.

Mark

He's fashion's biggest superstar, no question, and he earned that reputation all over again this week with his fantastic signature collection.

Julija Steponaviciute

Under the circumstances, it's probably no surprise that his little-sister show, with its best-bits-from-the-vintage-store mentality, can be something of a letdown.

Jac

But the Marc by Marc Jacobs line he presented for Spring today was one of his liveliest in a while.

Nimue Smit

Maybe that's because he borrowed some of the details from his own recent oeuvre. To start with, the models all wore bunny bows in their hair, echoing Madonna's Vuitton getup at the Met ball, albeit on a smaller scale.

Roy

Then there were the jackets and coats with the still-directional forties-by-way-of-the-eighties pinched shoulders. Fall's neons made a reappearance as well; the best of the bunch being a hot pink and caution orange striped dress with mismatched belt.

Kate Kosushkina

But not everything was reminiscent of Jacobs' previous collections. The African-inspired prints he used for easy, belted day dresses played into New York's burgeoning tribal trend. (Then again, all things tribal can arguably be traced back to the influential Spring 2009 Vuitton show.) Jacobs also showed a lot of jumpsuits—the cutest in sporty blue terrycloth. It's a look that a less confident designer might have avoided this season because of its recent runway ubiquity. Not him. Self-assurance is something Marc Jacobs has no shortage of.