September 2009 – Page 2

2009-09-28

Throw Some Pink Neon Shapes

>> I had a bit of a mini-panic attack on my last day of New York as it dawned on me that the Christopher Kane for Topshop collection was launching on the day I was flying back with no time in the day to pop into Topshop (New York or London or otherwise…). I was just thinking about the first Christopher Kane for Topshop collection where the six eBay mongers rushed in and basically scooped everything up leaving a tumbleweed of neon lace behind. Then I thought about the press preview for this collection which seemed like eons ago and remembered how GOOOOD it was and how I basically wanted one of everything.

Turns out of course, I over-fretted. There's BAGS of stock and furthermore, by the end of London fashion week, I felt like I had seen practically every piece on show goers at least twice over with the croc t-shirt clearly winning the popularity stakes (um… lemme see…. I'd hazard that I saw at least fifty of them milling around Somerset House). So when I finally did get to Topshop last week, nothing was lacking save for maybe the croc tee in size 8s and 10s. At the press preview, they said that the neon stuff wasn't being produced and lo and behold here they are in yellow and pink bodies, leggings and lace dresses… naturally I opted for the pink body as I currently have a mild obsession with stabilising the pink with plenty of sheer navy… just need to find more of the sheer navy to keep the pink in check because looking down at it with all those mirrors and rivets can be headache inducing… even for me.

(Christopher Kane for Topshop pink rivetted body worn with American Apparel navy mesh dress, Raf Simons sheer navy trousers and Topman Design belt)

2009-09-28

Escape into the Other World

>> Presentations for presentation's sake (or more specifically, for finance's sake) aren't always as exciting as the prospect might sound. For financial reasons, a lot of designers opted for the presentation format this season, but not that many really exploited it, to take full advantage of the fact that you're eschewing the conventional mode of models trotting up and down a catwalk.

Last week at Peter Jensen's presentation, for about forty minutes so enchanted was I with the presentation held at the Carlton Terraces overlooking Pall Mall that I completely lost track of time. Actually, it was speaking to Peter Jensen and his collaborator/muse for the season, artist Laurie Simmons that really took up the time and I'm glad I did because as Jensen explained, there are things that can be a bit lost in translation on the catwalk and that he's glad he can speak in person at a slower pace at the exhibition (Vogue.com have a good set of presentation pics that I far prefer to the official lookbook on Style.com)

From Jensen's collection of Sindy garments, he then came across Simmons' surreal and often subersive use of dolls in her photography work which led to quite an amazing collaboration where Jensen made his collection in miniature and sent it over to Simmons in New York, who then photographed it all in a built set with the miniature clothes super-imposed on live-models. Even in real life, the retrogazing clothes have a slight play on proportion about them that mens that there's a bit more exaggerated volume. Though I'm never really fond of clothes that references one epoch and one epoch only, I do like that Jensen has made a return to that dream-like and whimsical aesthetic that his clothes have always evoked for me.

Here's some of my favourite examples of Laurie Simmons' work… best to browse through her extensive online portfolio me thinks… having already collaborated with Thakoon on prints and now Jensen… I spy more fashion collabs for Simmons…

Oh, and I'm also hoping that Peter Jensen will perhaps venture into homewares and do something with this ever-cut print that he has worked on with Tim Walker for the Dover Street Market installation that went up today… cushion covers, duvet covers and pillow cases…shower curtain?

2009-09-28

Chubby Chubby Changas

>> So the very odd and slightly disturbing Kim Fung Toy has been terrorising me about the state of my weight on Refinery 29… specifically making reference to my love of 'cheese' and my chubby face. Yes, I do have a chubby face but no, that's not down to cheese (in fact, I have a severe cheese intolerance problem… see below). This post will therefore add fuel to Kim Fung Toy's manic weight commenting, as I'm officially hellbent on going for the high-waisted printed granny pant that piqued my interest at Peter Som's presentation and was then finally consecrated at the finale of Dolce & Gabbana yesterday. That said, I'm still not about to go bare knickered to all and sundry so something sheer like an organza skirt or tunic will need to go over for some form of coverage.

Peter Som S/S 10

(Pics by Shawn Brackbill for DazedDigital)

Dolce & Gabbana S/S 10

(Pics from Swide and Dolce & Gabbana site)

This is therefore is a pre warning to Kim Fung Toy or any other human weigh-o-meters out there. Avert your eyes next summer. My chubby changa (inspired by a Chinese takeaway on my high street with the same name) thighs are sort of being unleashed with some enlarged, slightly garish floral prints covering up the chocha area (merci Daddy Likey… ). And for your information, it's the extreme amount of pork crackling, steak with a wad of fat marbling and creamy potato dauphinoise that keeps these cheeks extra chubby and I wouldn't give any of that up for anyone or anything.

2009-09-27

They will see us waving from such great heights, “Come down now”, they’ll say…

>> Like I said in the previous post, I've finally woken up from some silly motion-going stupor and have rediscovered my fashion enthusiastic ju-ju-juice. Yesterday we took a little detour to Digitaria, definitely up there in the most-interesting fashion retail ventures in London. Their guest-designer roster seems to have grown a fair bit since I was last there including the likes of Katie Eary (did her S/S 10 collection floor ya, did it, did it?), Gemma Slack and Ada Zanditon. I didn't realise however that designer Gabriella Marina Gonzalez, who I thought had already graduated, and has only just finished her BA at CSM, is also being stocked at Digitaria… with her super lace-up wedge shoes grabbing my attention immediately…

After walking with stable feet in Acne's Atacoma wedges and finally being able to confirm their comfort factor (walked fifteen blocks on the trot and kept them on all day… c'est proof or not?), I've now developed a somewhat blase/fearless attitude towards platform wedges but I'm guessing these will prove more of a challenge… still, Digitaria dares to sell them so somebody will be towering and looking at us from those great heights…

Gonzalez describes her collection as 'clothing for the emotionally dispossessed' and together with her sketches, you can see how she's imagined this female ragged, urban warriror complete with fear-inducing footwear, armour-like harnesses made more vulnerable by the patchwork imperfect knitwear and the girlish knee highs…