If you’re clicking on here looking to find reportage on New York Fashion Week which is coming to an end, I’m afraid it’s a bit of a dead loss. It’s not a lack of interest. Trust me when I say that there is some serious frantic clicking on Style.com, Nymag.com, Elle.com and Catwalking. However, perhaps it’s the mood of SS08 but it’s all leaving very little impression on me. Even Marc Jacobs who usually has something directional to say, left me with an ‘Eh?’. Perhaps it all needs further pondering and perhaps I haven’t fully gotten the whole picture (I never do until Paris when it all falls to place….).
One collection that did stand out for me though but only because of it’s one design feature is Benjamin Cho. I wanted to get on the Cho Cho train a while back and his SS08 collection has impressed me further. Style.com called the collection flat and one-dimentional and indeed, the scope doesn’t veer too far outside of cute minidresses. But those knots, the details, the decorative touches! Ok, I’ll be honest and say that I’m sold partially because of my current love and revival of macrame techniques, in particular, I’ve been looking at Chinese macrame trinkets (many an hour was spent as a frustrated teen making those things only to end up with botched up attempts), thinking how to scale them up and incorporate them into a neckline of a dress, or a waistband or perhaps some sleeves. Cho has trousers, tops and dresses doing the knotted dance with a mixture of rope and twisted fabric.
He also has done his interpretation of a Medieval shirt with ribbons and irregular shaped stones.
It has got me thinking what can I do with the limited macrame skills I acquired as a bored child (I seriously bought books to teach myself and ended up crying when I didn’t make a perfect macrame trinket….). Benjamin Cho’s collection has got the mind ticking…. let’s think a bit more…
Oh, and the random piece de resistance in the collection is nothing knotted/threaded but a pink flower of a top. It’s a Georgia O’Keefe painting blooming in a top. Doesn’t it look like petals will suddenly start curling in and out of the top. A shame that my midriff will never be quite up to pulling something like this off but worn over a long sleeved top…. who wouldn’t want to be a walking floral sculpture?
Check out some of the fashion week coverage on Refinery 29 (www.refinery29.com) Great site overal, and they are covering some of the smaller shows.
I was a fan of the colourblocky/pieced sweaters at Marc by Marc, but other than that, nothing cohesive seems to have struck me yet either.
J’agree, very you Susie!
i’ve been saying all week how nothing impressed me until ben’s collection, which i already knew was going to be great. but i was also aware that there wasn’t much to look forward to (in my opinion) until london and paris anyway. oh, i was curious what you thought of the preen collection though?
I’ve been totally underwhelmed by the new collections, but I remember seeing Benjamin Cho’s collection and thinking Susie Bubble will love that.
Glad to see you were somewhat puzzled by Marc Jacobs….I’ve been in the dumps reading some reviews of people who thought it brilliant; sorry, just didn’t work for me and I also liked Cho’s macrame work; it’s interesting and I am curious to see how it gets played out at the retail level. You must be exhausted; hope your trip to Paris is a good one.