All That Sparkles: Jason Wu

Why the sparkles?  Well, for one, to sparkle is to be happy.  Why live in a matte and cakey-looking world when it can be a shiny and shimmery one?  On a more serious note, in a fashion brand context, sparkle equates to Swarovski aka fashion's sparkle dust fairy godmother.  Their fashion designer sponsorship programme is well known enough and their list is increasingly impressive with this season names like Rodarte, Alexander Wang, Richard Nicoll, Erdem and Giles all getting somewhat crystallised (confusingly, the brand Crystallised now becomes known as Swarovski Elements).  I'll be covering the New York Swarovski lot of shows from a sparkly point of view to delve into the ins and outs of how designers specifically use Swarovski products.  On a cynical note and what I'm specifically interested in is, is it just a cash cow that designers eye up in exchange for bunging some crystals meaninglessly on a dress or is it actually being used in a significant way that shapes the collection which is probably why designer selection for the sponsorship programme has been key. 

First up, Jason Wu's set was a big fat clue to the opulence that he had in store.  This was incidentally my first Jason Wu show but frission of excitement meant the photographer's pit was very nearly leaking onto the mirrored catwalk, garnered by the Mrs O connection of course…

If truth be told, I'm too much of a mess to be a true Jason Wu girl/woman so the pieces that spoke to me directly were the ones that allowed for a bit of slubbing around – a grey cashmere sweatshirt with chantilly lace running up the sleeves – well I mean, no slubbing around that might involve catching the delicate lace onto anything…

Or for slubbing around on the streets, the ladylike meets sportswear combo of the  hooded woolen parka jackets paired with prim satin collared shirts again sheathed in lace….

On to the sparkle and as it turned out it came as set of reliefs built up with Swarovski Elements that was anything but subtle as the crystals were purposely varying in shape and colour and made up of filigree curls that encrusted the shoulders like a matador's jacket of an 18th century male Versailles court coat…

Any air of masculinity or androgyny worked into the slick tailoring was of course eroded by the clusters of crystal reliefs that added weight to the shoulders and worked hand in hand with the lace on the shirt that almost looked like a print…

…as well as the embroidery seen here that supports my 18th century Versaille thinking tract (incidentally Wu was also inspired by Robert Polidori's photographs of the restoration of Versailles though his final interpretated vision had more polish than the delapidation seen in those beautiful pictures)

Sparkle didn't just come in crystal form as it clustered around in sequin comet-like formations on dresses and tops that sort of remind me a little of the A/W 09 Miu Miu embroidered socks that spawned a few fashion blogosphere DIYs…

I had to do some subterfugal sneaking in backstage to get to the heart of the sparkle fix but that's the life of a shine-ensnared magpie.  How else to get to these reliefs that up close look like they SHOULDN'T work because there is so muc of a cacophony of colours and shapes going on, and actually reminded me a little of Anna dello Russo's brooch adorned trenchcoat that she designed for Lane Crawford last year.  But of course if its in a similar vein to ADR's  so loud, yet so right vibe, then it works, especially in the context of the mannish tailoring acting as a contrast point to the Swarovski jewel fest.

Did I want to steal one of these?  I can't lie… the thought crossed my mind…

The light was a bit out of wack but I'll end the sparkle dust with a gold smear in the hair, a trick that I think I'd like to perfect if it saves me from hitting the bleach bottle to get colour into these locks…

*This is not an advertorial but support to see the shows has been provided by Swarovski.