Céline Spring/Summer 2016

As expected with a Céline collection, it never fails to let us down. This season was a retrospective of everything we love about Phoebe Philo (creative director for the house). She is able to create clothes that women actually want to wear and could wear (despite the price tag). Asserting the idea that clothes can be easily adaptable to the way women want to live their lives, instead of feeling victimised by fashion.
However today, Philo played more with the ideas of femininity, gently moving away from minimalism with the introduction to prints and a wider array of fabrics.
Femininity through the more accentuated silhouettes and voluminous dimensions- crepe trousers and puffed up shoulders; cinched in waists and severely sartorial structures.

We saw pieces that we would have never of dreamt of seeing at a Céline show. Take the silk slip dresses that have deemed rather popular this season,(seen at Givenchy, Burberry and Calvin Klein)which had lace details that carefully drew attention to the female form. Or perhaps that deconstructed moss green overcoat which Philo re-worked, offering us a confliction between the cinched-in elasticated waist and the boxy, masculinised shoulders.

 

 

Lace silk slip dresses

 



 

Morphed shapes in moss green

 



My favourite looks were the leather tunics that sat over asymmetrical jersey dresses, they just screamed aggression yet downplayed by the fluidity of delicate fabrics. Almost resembling a suit of armour.

 

Leather tunics implied powerful futurism

Also Céline is generally well known for its rather grandiose array of accessories, in particular bags. From the phantom tote to the trapeze, these bags are pure dreams. This season exhibited a brand new selection: pillow bags, the box clutch and those auburn bucket bags.(literally to die for)

 Pillow bag

 

Violet Crocodile box-clutch

Amidst this perfectly conveyed notion of masculine vs feminine, we also had this portrayal of almost quite a pertinent futuristic 'urbanista' as one now calls it. A woman of the utmost class and dignity, who believes only in a non-mainstream and alternative way of dressing. Someone who can easily adapt their style to their surroundings, as it were. Definitely open for interpretation.

For me, Phoebe Philo remains one of my favourite designers. Her visions are simple, raw and dynamic. Season after season she brings us more than just clothing collections, they are art installations.

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

Trending Fall 2015- Brisk Boho

70s Bohemia was the defining aesthetic brought to us by designers this new Fall season. We saw Christopher Bailey at Burberry produce a British Boho Burberry girl, comprising of patchwork, fringing, whimsical folk dresses coated in embellished florals and paisleys.

 

 

 

Lanvin's Alber Elbaz combined his Moroccan roots with the Lanvin archive, creating a raw sophistication. It was dark, texturally complex (fur, goat hair, snakeskin yokes, leather harnesses, embellishments), but at the same time screamed luxury.

 

 

                                        

 

Others labels such as: Etro, Dsquared and Dries Van Noten all formed an embodiment of  boho beauties or Aztec princesses. Laid down in front of us:- printed ponchos, gauzy gowns and earth-inspired hues, all spiced up with a generous handful of eclectic ethnicity.   

 

 

                                      Etro

 

Another trend, relating closely to the boho chic was a gypsy, medieval revival. Think Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Gypsy dresses covered in quaint waistcoats, suede tunics draped in strips of fringe and,lastly, flowing patchwork skirts in all manners of textures (seen at Chloé). With gypsy boho, one can have the freedom to experiment- there is no conformity in this trend, it's all about that element of  uniqueness.

 

 

                                      Chloe

                          Picture Courtesy of Style.com

Balmain Fall 2015 PFW

I have always admired Olivier Rousteing's work for Balmain. He knows how to dress women and make them look young, edgy yet totally glamorous. Glamour was the main theme at Balmain today, a long side the hype which surrounded Queen Kim Kardashian and her new platinum locks.

It is safe to say that every piece in the collection, Kim would wear or has already worn in some incarnation. From the billowing pleated skirts to the tight-fitting bandeau tops submerged under a sheer chiffon day dress. She was the muse for the entire collection and we all knew that.

We had a sense of opulence; perhaps the vintage-toned riche colour palette, consisting of the most luxurious colours- metallic mustard, a bronzey orange, forest green and fiery fuchsia.
The iridescent fabrics were a marvel, especially in pleats. We had the most volumizing balloon trousers which sat below a tailored blazer.

It was out with the 80s (last season) and in with the 70s- well,  as much as possible. Flares were still a big feature throughout: saw in lace, pleats and with 10x added volume.  In the last half of the collection, lighter than light chiffon jumpsuits in all manner of prints (florals in particular) graced the scene- contrasting to the fierce, strong and seductive woman as seen in the first segment.

The casting for the show screamed sass. Victoria Secret Angels left right and centre: Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Karlie Kloss; combined with the model greats of the moment, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. It was evident why he chose these girls to convey his sexy, glamorous Balmain goddess.

We had less of the skin and more of the cover up. Less sex appeal but more business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of Style.com 

Zac Posen Fall 2015

I have always admired Zac Posen's work. He is able to produce the most beautiful evening wear which is always red carpert worthy.

This collection was dramatically glamorous. On the one hand, we had the Grace Kelly influence; cinched in waists, silky foulards and volumizing skirts. True elegance. 


 

                

 

 

On the other hand, I felt that this collection was targeted at the more mature, sophisticated woman; seen through the fitted sage green suits (very Christian Dior in the late 40s) and the complexity of the built up appliqué on the evening wear pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was made apparent that Posen had prepped this collection with the thinking that A-listers will choose his brand ahead of the Oscars.

I can tell you one thing, my readers, that that ball gown which Naomi Campbell closed the show wearing. I predict that someone will be wearing that in a couple of weeks time.

 

 

Picture Courtesy of Style.com

 

 

The collection had body. More strong, elegant glamour than sweet, sexy and seductive (a trend for this current season).

 

 

 

Alexander Wang Fall 2015

Dark, gothic goddesses at Alexander Wang last night. Wang produced an entirely black collection, featuring grungey plaid, Frankenstein boots (double-soled) and a myriad of heavy metal hardware that doused black silk robes and boxy tailored suits. 

 

There were influences from Marilyn Manson and Gene Simmons of The Kiss; figures who lived their lives covered in notorious noire. Japanese references fluctuated loosely through the collection. Perhaps the masculine silhouette: cropped trousers which sat loosely on the hip paired with a heavy, square jacket decorated with miniscule metal plates to create the look of a bulletproof jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hints of the dominatrix described the evening wear. The iridescent fabrics which layered over sheer skirts, tied together with an obi belt; had quite a menacing quality about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture Courtesy Style.com

 

 

 

Normally an all black collection has a tendency to be quite safe. However, with the right amount of styling and attention to detail, as shown, we see a extremely dark and powerful portrayal of the Alexander Wang Woman.