Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2016

I do not know if you can recall my dear readers, the monstrosity that was the Dolce & Gabbana show last season. Remember? It was the most disappointing clothing collection we had ever witnessed.
Well, one would have hoped that there had been even the slightest improvement, however to our dismay, nothing at all has changed. I believe this collection was more dire than Kanye West's Adidas one, now that is saying something!

Firstly, please let me put out a disclaimer to all you budding D&G fans out there, I do hope I don't offend thee, but I just want to stress to you that this collection was simply unacceptable.

Let me take a logical guess at what the main inspiration was this season... oh yes,'Italia is Love', Talk about major yawn. Season after season we see the same Italian inspiration and motifs- red roses plastered on a meagre laced top.

Can we also just address the fact that the Dolce boys ordered their innocent models to stop halfway down the runway and just take a selfie. It was cringe inducing.

In terms of the clothes, cataclysmic to say the least. We were introduced to a new pattern. To me it resembled tyre marks, it looked like the poor Dolce girl had been run down by the bus while taking a selfie at the fruit market. Now don't get me wrong but I know clothes should tell a story but I believe the Dolce boys have really killed their worldwide ecommerce with this one.

Tyre marks + 50s Riviera chic 

Following that, we had an array of potentially great looking caban coats. However they were of course wrecked by some pretty horrendous embroidery and colour combinations. Also paired up with those tiaras, the epitome of vulgarity.

What I gave up on was seeing the multi-coloured pom-poms they just threw onto everything. Onto the tiaras (Yes tiaras with pom-poms and fruit on them) and even on the shoes!! Probably the most grotesque shoes ANYONE could lay their eyes on.

              The product of ruining a perfectly pleasant Mary-Jane


They even dared to bring back the tiara headphone monstrosity, now that is something I just cannot comprehend.

This collection was Dolce & Gabbana at its very worst. Re-visiting every inch of its DNA and re-producing something so OTT it was virtually unbearable. The only touch which was vaguely 'new' was the feature of social media.

                                    Just NO!!!


        Note: I do not own any of these images- courtesy of Vogue.com

Gucci Spring/Summer 2016

From the deconstructed images of dated maps that plastered an iridescent skirt to the kaleidoscope trompe d'oeil ruffles and pussy bows that sat loosely around the neck. Yes, this season's Gucci collection was, without a doubt, the most beautiful art installation I've ever seen.

 

As you probably all know, I was apprehensive about Alessandro Michele taking the Gucci reigns from Frida Giannini. Their difference in styles and aesthetics are huge. Giannini was one to create an illusive, dark yet romantic Gucci woman, however Michele's vision for the house is far more experimental- 70s, androgynous, eclectic and nerdy.

Now, I have to say, I absolutely adored this collection. Talk about going big or going home. 

It was definitely a spectacle, we saw practically every piece seen last season, reimagined and reworked- taking on a new form of Michele's modern techniques. For example the invoking of the trompe l'oeil was certainly one of the main focus points in the collection. Now for any of you wondering, trompe l'oeil literally means 'deceives the eye', with this in mind Michele uses this as a technique, simply by taking a normal cut transparent piece of fabric and putting this special print over the top of it, appearing to us will be an object in three dimensions, however this is just an optical illusion. Quite clever I think.
Take the pink sequined skirt with the trompe l'oeil ruffles imprinted on it, anyone would have thought that was just a chiffon skirt, however we are wrong.

 

The clothes also felt more historical than ever. Perhaps it was those 70s bejeweled glasses, those boxy crocodile handbags which reeked 50s glamour or even the opulence from the graphic images which slathered onto a whimsical column dress.

 

 

As always the styling was unusually executed. You could tell that Michele was more bothered about the pieces individually and the fabrics and textures, more so than anything else. Lace, lurex, silk, chiffon, organza and eel skin, believe it or not- the list was endless.

my favourite pieces included the leather biker jacket with embroidered serpentine and oriental motifs, the python A-line midi-skirt with the red panel which sat on the hem, those garish primary studded strappy sandals that accented the geek-chic idea and lastly those psychedelic 70s wallpaper prints that gave a brand new definition to the word nostalgia.

 

  Please note: I do not own any of these images, courtesy of Vogue.com
 

Burberry Spring/Summer 2016

Christopher Bailey named his latest Spring/Summer collection, Functionregalia. A blend of two words, functionality and regalia. (describing the insignia of royalty)

I love this new path designers are taking, avoiding the conformity of trends and seasons, instead producing instant ready-to-wear clothes for all. It's somewhat refreshing to see, however what will happen to catwalk shows in general? The suppliers for seasonal updates will become virtually non-existent, brands will save money from producing a single trans-seasonal collection and the ecommerce will undoubtedly soar.

In all honesty, this was not one of my favourite burberry collections. Yes, we had a strong military leitmotif, the clothes combined utilitarian with that street wear edge, to make it more accessible for the younger global market. However, my general feeling was that the clothes lacked that quintessentially English vibe that Christopher always executes so perfectly. For example those pearl silk slip-gowns paired with those nylon backpacks (which I have to say will go onto my spring 'must-haves' list) just looked a bit, and I hate to say this, decrepit and frumpy. 

 

 

Saying this, I adored the resuscitation of some of the Burberry signatures- the leather biker jacket with the gold cord trim to assert the regalia decadence, the variations of the trench coat- paper thin and incapsulating a sporty mesh hoodie. And lastly, the well-structured black peacoat with gold buttons, so classic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do have to mention how incredible the craftsmanship that goes into creating these clothes is. Like that buttercup woven raffia mini is just stunning up close. I was also so impressed that Christopher brought out the lace dresses- they were impeccably intricate and embellished. My favourite was the delicate chiffon habit with the black flower embellishments.

 

 

Colours were subdued, we had a predominantly monochrome palette with fluctuations of this buttercup yellow, mint green and blush pink. 

 

        Note: I do not own any of these images, courtesy of Vogue.com

Topshop Unique Spring/Summer 2016

It was all about the eighties at Topshop Unique last night. Think Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, masculine tailoring, crazy hair and hallucinative polka dots. What more could you wish for?

 

 

 

Alongside this eighties motif, Kate Phelan (creative director for Topshop) also extracted from every angle of Brit culture, supplying us with what one would assume was an unlikely mish-mash of looks for the upcoming Spring/Summer season.
We had a Topshop girl who attended the Bloomsbury Group garden parties by day and then delved into fanciful soirées at Studio 54 by night- sort of as if this said girl was borrowing her grandmother's vintage classics, however mitigating them to fit in with her eclectic and high-street wardrobe.

From the rich faux-furs paired with leather cigarette trousers, or perhaps a gentrified 80s velveteen blazer over some playful strawberry-print Georgette shorts, to a delicate lace and chiffon dress with floral embroidery and maybe an addition of a pair of mismatching statement chandelier earrings. The styling for this collection was key and oh my did it pay off, take notes girls.

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite pieces from the collection had to be the asymetrical tangerine polka dot garden dress with the thigh-high slit, confusing us to whether it was sexy or sweet? I also adored the high-waisted jeans paired with a high-neck gardenia print blouse and finally, the look worn by Bella Hadid, a blush feathered coat with a denim mini. Love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure you're all wondering why a lot of designers this season have been showing more for the winter collections than for the summer. I think a reason for this is that designers are now adapting their brands to their personal style tendencies, avoiding the conformity of trends, perhaps for the best. 

As I said in a previous post, I think fashion is now being understood as a language in itself due to non-conformist paths and risks designers are now taking in order to assert their unique marks on the industry.

Note: I do not own any of these images, Courtesy of Vogue.com

Yeezy Season 2 NYFW

Well, it seems like the man who killed fashion is back with yet another installment in collaboration with Adidas Orginals, entitled Yeezy Season 2. Frankly, I am just so surprised that the New York Fashion Week board has let him show yet another monstrosity of a catwalk show.

As we all know, I have an extreme hatred for Kanye West, especially after his first Yeezy collection, which was proof to us that he cannot design clothes and he simply should never be allowed. If we go back to six months ago when he showed his debut collection, we saw flesh-coloured bodysuits, leotards and leggings, crazily proportioned outerwear and those Yeezy boost trainer things, which I cannot even bare to classify as a shoe.

 

In contrast to what fashion bloggers are saying about 'Yeezy season being the greatest time of the year', I respectfully disagree. This season's collection was truly disgraceful, we had exact repeats of everything shown last season but in this supposedly 'cool' tri-tone colour palette, consisting of what one could only describe as a stool brown, then a medium dusty brown shade and then those monotonous nudes, talk about yawn. Following on with that un-inspiring choice of palette, we had a selection of oversized hoodies, jersey mix lurex drop-crotch sweats (basically nappies) and an unlimited amount of bodysuits. The clothes themselves were quite utilitarian, although very futuristic. One look in particular stood out for me, probably for the worse- the deconstructed sandy green kimono torn to fit over a pair of cargos, it looked like Luke Skywalker had had a run into Nicki Minaj at the Spanx shop while on set for the Hunger Games.
I think the worst part was Kanye asking his pregnant wife and his daughter to dress up in those abhorrent skin-coloured rags and appear in the front row next to Anna Wintour, you could tell by Kim's facial expression of pure humiliation. 

Let us quickly address the shoe situation, the main hype to many was the debut of his brand new 'Yeezy Boost Boot', even more of an abomination than the original Yeezys. 

 

 

Can we just remember that this is the man who is running for president in 2020, how does he think he's going to be taken seriously?

 

                   Note: I do not own any of these images

 

 

Givenchy Spring/Summer 2016 NYFW

I think the whole industry was surprised when Riccardo Tisci announced that he was hosting his Spring/Summer 2016 Givenchy collection in New York. It left us questioning what exactly he would deliver come the day of the show.

Would he delve into the archives and dig up those inspirations from when Hubert Givenchy dressed the lady that is Audrey Hepburn for Breakfast at Tiffany's, or would he deliver pure Riccardo Tisci- adding his own dark, gothic yet extremely romantic aesthetic on top of that classicism? Or, would he stick to what other designers have been doing season after season at New York Fashion Week, conforming to this sport luxe trend? Perhaps he would re-define the trend which has just become so ubiquitous that,frankly, no one, except Michael Kors, has been able to escape from.

As this collection marked Tisci's 10th anniversary at the house, it seemed only fitting that he should showcase a re-imagined retrospective of his collections. By retrospective I mean a journey back through time, bringing some of his past iconic works into the future to, perhaps, give us a sense of who the Givenchy Woman will be now she has been introduced into the digital era.

Yesterday also marked the 14th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers. With both of these in mind, the main inspirations for the collection were love, faith and diversity. It was a remembrance and a meditation of both, however partly celebrating how America has developed into such a loving, diverse country, in contrast to let's say the 1950s. 

Personally, I thought it was great how Tisci brought together everyone for this installation, with a 2500 strong audience, including 800 members of the public (rare), practically every A-lister you could imagine, from Kim and Kanye to Julia Roberts and on top of that the most diverse model-casting I have seen in a long time. 

In terms of the retrospective vibe, Tisci re-introduced us to an accumulation of his special haute couture moments , from the silky bandage tops which sat loosely around the bust, over a pair of slouchy, sartorially cut trousers (as modelled by Kendall Jenner), and we had those luxurious lace slip dresses- which reminded us of the delicacy and intimacy of lingerie. Tisci also experimented with the classic le smoking tuxedo, playing with the ideas of formality and tailoring- adding couture details like tufts of lace and structured iridescent fabrics.

My favourite pieces were the fluid evening gowns, the attention to detail was literally incredible- the pearl beadings with ombréd feather trains. They definitely took us back to Haute Couture days.

The closing piece, the ornate balloon tulle gown, worn by Joan Smalls, actually moved me. I know you'll say we're only talking about clothes but it was so incredible to me to see something so beautiful yet so powerful on display. And that is perhaps why fashion is understood to be a language in itself.

In terms of the beauty side of things, Tisci brought in makeup artist Pat McGrath to resuscitate those extraordinary couture bejewelled masks and headpieces. As seen in previous collections like last season's Chola Victoriana, for example. I'm not sure about you, my dear readership, but I adore these. They just give off the type of pure beauty that is virtually unattainable.

The clothes themselves spoke delicate creativity and commerce yet on such a huge conceptual scale, delivered with the greatest audacity that the show verged on a performance spectacle.  I have to say, this was by far the most stunning Givenchy show I have ever seen. It hit me like a McQueen show, and that is very rare. 

We didn't really see anything new in terms of design; we did, however, see more fabrics like Givenchy's recent launch of their array of denim, and on top of that we saw craftsmanship never before witnessed. It was strong and liberated. It was definitely Tisci's best collection to date.

                               Ricardo Tisci



   Note: I do not own any of these images- courtesy of vogue.com

VMA 2015 Red Carpet Critique

Despite the fact that my last red carpet critique was less than a month ago, I believe that one never gets bored of ripping apart some truly horrendous celebrity red-carpet fashions.

Today I have a treat for you, the Video Music Awards red-carpet and boy oh boy it was an absolute train wreck.

Before you disagree with my truthful opinions, pause, I am aware that this is MTV and it is an extremely tacky event where celebrities have been given the go ahead to dress controversially. However I disagree, whatever the event, I think one should maintain dignity in some form or another, don't you? 

Firstly, I think it is only right we address the issue that is Miley Cyrus. Can I just say that my eyes have never been so offended. Her red-carpet look comprising of those iridescent braces and a chandelier- inspired loin-cloth was simply disgusting! Also let us discuss the fact that it was Versace?! Donatella Versace made THAT for her?! I am completely bewildered by this concept and I no longer respect Donatella, I am afraid to say.
Unfortunately Miley looks like she's come straight from one of those awful eighties sci-fi X-rated movies, do you not agree my dear readership, do you not agree? 

 

 

Then we move onto her cavalcade of equally atrocious looks of the evening, and do not even get me started on them. The one which can only be described as a plastic bag with blow up pom-poms stuck only concealing the bare minimum, was an absolute monstrosity. At that point I thought to myself, wow she even looks worse than Rita (Wh)Ora, and that frankly is very hard to acheive. Even her dad, Billy Ray, who accompanied her on the carpet, looked visibly disappointed. 

The only thing I have left to say is, better luck next time Cyrus.

 

Moving on swiftly to none other than Taylor Swift. (got that pun didn't you?!) Isn't she just so dainty and perfect, although not as perfect as Beyoncé, as that would be sheer blasphemy!
Embracing the end of summer with a sequined houndstooth co-ord track suit was definitely the right decision, plus with the addition of those jewel-toned metallic Louboutins- to die for. The only criticism I have with this look is the makeup. Now don't get me wrong but I love a sharp winged eyeliner, however, I think it just drowned her entire face out. You may disagree but opinions are opinions, my darlings.

 

 

 

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Kim you have let me down big time! As I said in a post a couple of months back, I had wished that her pregnancy style would have improved even by the slightest since her first pregnancy with North. Evidently my wish was too far fetched. We see Kim, everyday now, in figure hugging jersey dresses and enormous Tom Ford heels, like we get it, your pregnant. However, enoughs enough, I do not want to see a huge bum flailing about left right and centre. Linking this back to this VMA look, where she kindly impersonated a big bag of potatoes. Let's talk about inappropriate the look was- I want to scream, 'you're a mother!'. The breasts were out because that dress was about two sizes too small for her and the bum is simply inexcusable, it looks like a shelf from the side.

 

Kim of course brought her possy, comprising of that one who's begging for attention, hmm...Oh yes, Kris the dinosaur is her name. (Talk about botched plastic surgery) Also Kourtney and Kylie who actually looked flawless in clean, edgy Balmain looks.

 

Now to Kanye West, as you all know I love to tear apart his so called 'style' any day of the week. Let me give you some background for why he was attending this event, out of just luck MTV decided that he should be awarded the most prestigious award of the night. (When I say prestigious, I mean Beyoncé won it last year) So he wins the Video Vanguard award and he turns up in what one would assume were his pyjamas or perhaps an adult nappy, rolled up to his knees (total dick move there) and then to top it all off, those truly disgusting Yeezy trainers, otherwise known as the shoes that I cannot even classify as a shoe. However, this was by far the least significant event of the night, yes that is right, I am referring to his speech where he announced he would be running for president in 2020, I am sorry but what is the world coming to? 

Also Kim if you read this, I still love you.

 

 

 

Nicki Minaj. Who remembers when Nicki Minaj was beyond strange - dressing like a harajuku doll 24/7 with those horrific leopard wigs paired with unforgivably tight leather jumpsuits, perhaps the lowest point in her life. I hate to be one of those people to use the word 'slay', however Nicki definitely slayed on the red-carpet. She looked absolutely flawless. Maybe I liked this so much because she actually looked normal in contrast to the majority. its a strong 10 from me.

 

Amber Rose and Blac Chyna. Interestingly they have worn they're CVs out in public. It's very rare we see the pair out together, they must have been made redundant from their employers at the brothel.

I can now say that Rita Ora's 'walk of shame' status can be successfully passed over to this twosome.

 

Justin Bieber. I never thought the day would come when I would actually say that Bieber looks half decent. I know many do not like this new hair sweep, but I personally love it. The look is nice, not great, but just fine. He just seems awfully sad all the time, for example in his performance at said awards, he started crying, someone explain to me the emotions that a 7 year old feels? He just reminds me of try hard version of Brad Pitt circa 1997, long blonde side sweep and an apprehensive pout.

 

                  Note: I do not win any of these images-  Picture Courtesy of gossip.net