A.P.C. Autumn '10

JAX

via apc

Damn this southern weather, I'm ready for it to be fall already.  I want to be wearing everything from A.P.C.; they even made a hat that I can tolerate.

Humanoid

JAX

via humanoid

These knits from Humanoid look so cozy, and they're especially appealing to me now because one of my new roommates likes to keep the thermostat set at 70 degrees.

"Sexy/Easy/Shiny"

KATIE

The first time I saw the Isabel Marant Fall 2010 collection, I was not blown away, I was not taken aback, I did not have a heart attack, and I did not faint. I thought that I liked the edgier pieces and that the cigarette pants were a nice way to infuse more of a 50's feeling into a collection done by a designer who has more recently been skipping back to the 80's for inspiration. However, as the trends showcased in Marant (and on a few other runways) have begun to pick up speed and fly into totally full blown Fall fashion essentials, I now see the Isabel Marant show as somewhat of a guideline of looks for which to live my life by this coming Fall. It's funny how fashion can make you see things differently, yes?

-Katie

Erdem, Fall 2010

JAX

For some reason yesterday, I happened to stumble upon Erdem's Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear collection.  I honestly can't remember whether I reviewed these clothes when they premiered last spring or not because the amount of shows became so overwhelming, but in any case, I am now.  Looking through these slides with a fresher mind has given me a much greater appreciation for Erdem Moralioglu's work.  It's a sad thing to admit, but before this show, I don't think I had ever seen an entire Erdem collection.  According to the designer, this specific one was "about Picnic at Hanging Rock: girls surviving on the mountain.  Elegantly, sort of," which comes through most clearly in the color palate, and the graphic prints of leaves and birds.  Fringe, lace, and ruffles gave added depth to many silk numbers, as well as standing out on their own.  I have to say that one of my favorite aspects of the show was the use of gray. Although it's a color that has been seen more and more frequently on the runways the past few seasons, I found its appearance on the closing floor-length numbers quite unexpected and incredibly beautiful.  This collection really piqued my interest and made me look through several of Erdem's past seasons, and I have to say that I am now an official fan of the brand.  It can be so nice to take the time to look through some of the older works by designers to really understand their heritage and what they're trying to communicate on a larger scale to consumers, so you can definitely expect to be seeing more from Les Deux on Erdem in the very near future.  That is, hopefully, before we get totally swamped with reviewing new shows from NYFW come September.

jax likes...preppiness

j. crew fall 2010  presentation, via the cut

i love j. crew and i love jenna lyons (their creative director)... which is funny considering i very rarely actually buy things from there.

katie likes...lanvin fall 2010 RTW.

elbaz said he drew inspiration from africa, but all i could see was a mix between femme fatale of the 60's and the flinstones.

either way i loved the mysterious feel of the collection. that said...

...i'd prefer to just keep tying the collection to the flinstones.

ps, check out the shoes because they are killer.

katie.

jax likes...sunglasses

dries van noten was soooo good.  i love the glasses that were shown with many of the looks; i couldn't tell if they were all the exact same style though.  this was the best picture i could find of them.

jax gives...versus, B-

perfect little party dresses with an edge.  definitely can see the influence of christopher kane in the versus collection this time around.

jax gives...missoni, A++

like part tribal-part bohemian-part goth-part AWESOME, with a little bit of a celtic edge.  basically, i just completely loved missoni's fall collection.

jax likes...certain armani looks

as for the entire collection, i don't think it was super strong.  i did however like certain pieces, such as the little black drawstring mini skirts (as seen in the first look posted) and the elegant simple white strapless (fourth, obviously).  mr. armani also achieved something that very few designers have with their fall 2010 collections: he managed to incorporate velvet in a way that doesn't completely make me want to vomit, as seen with the asymmetrical dress and the little shawl over the cute little sparkly skater dress.  as for the second and sixth looks posted, i just really have a thing for short dresses with long sleeves, and these ones are exceptional.

katie dislikes...overdone trends.

i really wanted to name this one "katie dislikes looking like the animal print theme threw up on you," but i figured that might evoke a strange image. nonetheless, i think that look is what silvio berlusconi, the designer at blumarine, attempted (and succeeded) to achieve for fall 2010 RTW. just a few examples, but then i need to go gag myself a little:

all images from style.com

is it just me, or do the second and third models look a lot like a boa constrictor is trying to kill/eat them? or maybe like they're trying to be britney spears à la the 2001 MTV VMAs?

gross...

katie.

jax dislikes...ann-sofie back

let's be real here: models are scary enough as it is.  anyone even vaguely familiar with the fashion industry knows of the controversy surrounded how skinny runway models have gotten.  and now, when we are arguably at the pinnacle of this debate over what-is-too-thin, ann-sofie back let some moron who is obviously clueless of the issue, do the casting for her show.  i'm not saying these girls are necessarily any smaller than girls from other shows, but really, why did they choose to put a girl with protruding ribs in a torn up dress, and the girl with her hipbones jutting out in low-rise jeans and a crop top?  were there no other girls who could have worn these looks?  not to mention the slicked back, greasy hair, and whatever they did with the makeup (add dark circles?  or maybe those are natural) makes the girls look even more ill.  i'm fully aware that clothing looks better on those who are thin, but i honestly couldn't even focus on the clothes when viewing this collection.  the models look so horrifically underfed and unhealthy that the only things on my mind were how disgusted i felt and very much i wanted to feed these girls sandwiches.  if anything they are a complete and total distraction from the looks; ann-sofie back must be absolutely insane to let them walk in her show.  oh wait...

jax likes...marchesa, look 4

georgina chapman always leaves me absolutely beyond satisfied with her collections for marchesa.  this season was no exception.  it kind of reminded me of maison martin margiela's spring 2010 couture presentation, but i'm not entirely sure why.  to my point, i'm especially enamored with this tattoo inspired dress as worn by anna zakuslyo. stunning, no?

jax gives...basso & brooke, B

i honestly don't know a lot about the history of basso & brooke, nor do i care to do any research on them right now.  i can't remember any of their previous collections, which either means that the clothes were just that forgettable or i haven't ever viewed one (likely the latter).  either way, i really liked their fall collection which just showed in london.  i'm really into mixing patterns lately, and while it can be tricky sometimes, mr. brooke and mr. basso pulled it off with ease.  the prevalence of warm earth tones will be perfect for fall and winter, and it's refreshing to see collections using color for the season rather than just black.  the prints look like they were influenced by eastern europe, or possibly russia.  i hate to admit, i'm not very good at knowing my textile origins.  anyway, the designers apparently used a new fabric treatment to gives the clothes a "high-gloss aqua finish."  the classic silhouettes helped to counter balance the outlandish patterns, which kept the looks from being too overwhelming.  i kind of wish that the background of the show had been more plain, but other than that i have no major qualms.  overall, the collection sort of reminded me of alexander mcqueen's spring 2010 collection, which could never be a bad thing.