Resort 2016

Resort is what is on the floor right now. Hard to resolve for those trapped indoors by the east coast snowstorm – a dream of sandy beaches and glistening sun dappled pools… For most, these clothes are something they are going to be saving for the Spring or for when the airports reopen! I realize of course that Resort is a small showing. A tease of what’s to come. Something to tide us over in that otherwise dull shopping season that hits after Christmas and before the first glint of Springtime. It can be just for fun or it can be a chance to fill in some gaps in your wardrobe left by a good Spring cleaning. Whatever the case, these are our favorites from the 2016 collections.

Kaufmanfranco

Clean. This is really kinda a great approach to Resort because it is seasonless. This could be worn in Spring as is, Summer as is, Fall with a cropped jacket, Winter with a coat. Great for travel as it could easily dress up with heels and makeup or down with sandals and sunglasses. All around versatility, really can’t ask for more than that.

Chloe

Love the length. Love the detail at the neck. Love the styling.

Burberry

Doing what they do best; the Raincoat. These were my favorites of the collection. I always say, do not undervalue the coat as it is often the only part of your outfit others will see.

The red is a perfect shade of crimson. The ivory lace is so charming. The graphic is vibrant and dramatic. Something for everyone here.

 Prada

So this is one of those collections that is more of a preview for what will be coming up. I love mixed prints and these are really creative and artistically styled. On their own they aren’t that intriguing – but the styling makes for a really fascinating and artsy gal.  I think this girl is someone who is confident and creative. She also might be a giant pain in the ass, but perhaps that’s just the models’ expressions. In any case, I do think the clothes look fun to wear.

 Lanvin

There is nothing particularity special here. I just love a floral floaty dress worn unexpectedly.

Rebecca Taylor

I chose this seemingly innocuous floral dress for the detail at the shoulder and the placement of the all the elements. All are hitting in a very flattering way. I also think the slits in the skirt coupled with the abundance of fabric are a very nice way to create movement. It makes it seem very ethereal.  Bonus – It is lined! Hooray for reality.

Elie Saab

I like the scarves with these as they add some drama. The use of a palm frond in the prints is great too. For some reason I have always had an affinity for the palm print you see on beachy rattan chair cushions, it’s so cheezy yet I love it. I also like the use of black which makes them a little tougher, more rocker chic. Pretty darn cool for florals.

Carolina Herrera

This! This dress is instant classic. The shape of the skirt is perfect with just enough fullness to make it dramatic without being a ball gown pouf. The color is sophisticated which is very Herrera, and the oversized print is almost cool like Andy Warhol. It’s more than just pretty. But it is definitely pretty too.

 Gucci

So I’m still not sold on the gimmicks being used by the new designer Alessandro Michele. They are distracting and unnecessary and frankly don’t vibe with the chic Gucci aesthetic. Yet another of these houses who are desperate to get the young customer into the stores at any cost, even the dignity of their label. If this wasn’t under the Gucci label I would like it much more. That being said I really do like the colors, the nod to chinoiserie (even though it seems kinda done already) and I even like the corsages of fabric flowers which are charming in their tattiness. I could live without the ruffles and tiers which seem like bad 1970’s prom details. And as I said before the styling is a distracting and unnecessary mess.

Givenchy

I don’t like the Easter colors. At all. no. What I love are the rosaries and the netted lace and the tassels and the chains, oh my!

The pinstripes on that suit are chains. That is such a cool idea (she says like a jealous fashion student) and I can’t imagine how long it took to tack those down. I’ll bet it sparkles and weighs a ton. Niiiiiiiice.

Valentino

This selection shown below from the collection is almost a big as most designers entire Resort offering. Leave it to Valentino to show a diabolical 82 looks. HOW do they deliver?

What can I say really? Time and again they are the bellwether for most other designers. Because of Valentino, runways are littered with long, narrow, sheer, beaded dresses in floral or ethnic designs. There are countless nipped in, lean, embroidered and embellished jackets and coats. Their influence is undeniable. Here it is so apparent why. They make impeccably cut garments that are detailed beautifully and artfully over and over again. When they do simple – it is flawless, when they go big – it is show stopping. My favorites of these favorites are the pajama romper ( and I hate rompers) the gilded coat at the end and the blue dress with the jewel toned and pale flowers.

Breathtaking and Covetable.

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Men’s Fall 2014 Review

Men’s certianlly isn’t as fun as women’s. The more outrageous the Menswear the more silly it usually seems. Where with women’s outrageous can be art – the gateway to the next big trend and so on.  My take is that men’s should be real, should make the Man the best version of himself – whether that’s a rocker, a gentleman or a dandy for example. That in mind, here are the standouts from the Fall 2014 runways:

 

Belstaff

The quintessential Biker from whatever era – the best of all? This man wears only the finest. This is the top of the line for Leather and the styling is dead on.  Another great showing.

 

 

 Haider Ackerman

This is a total throwback to the 80’s for me. When I first saw this I flashed on Men without Hats – Safety Dance… anyone else? But then I realized, I don’t mind as a matter of fact these guys look  pretty cool in that, I don’t care I just threw this together way. Not for everyone, but I see the next hipster here.

 

Alexander McQueen

Another revival here. The rocker will like this and so will the hipster. It’s classic punk from the vantage of a suburban bedroom window. Familiar and comforting in a way, not to mention extremely high quality. If your looking for your last shredded sweater look no further! (anyone else see Nick Cage from Valley Girl?)

Shoes

So lets take a break here and look at one of the accessories that are easiest for men. Shoes can do so much to an ensemble. They are often beloved by their owners when they find that perfect pair and for good reason. Shoes can notoriously say a lot about their wearer. Here are some cool characters we spotted this season.

Dolce & Gabanna

Saint Laurent, Prada, Bottega Veneta and  Thom Browne

Ralph Lauren

The Great Gatsby. This is simply beautiful. Lauren has clearly taken from the 30’s 3 piece here, which are my favorites because this is a man who is DRESSED. The collection also showed some nice looking clean casual pieces that make good solid staples in any man’s wardrobe.

 

Roberto Cavalli

Lets forget about the headbands here. That red jacket is such a standout and the snake print coat is so cool you should have to pass a coolness test to wear it. I don’t get the styling here at all, but who cares. Those 2 pieces are amazing.

Saint Laurent

So people have been going gaga over this new designer for Saint Laurent and I really honestly don’t get it. It’s derivative  and not really in a very successful way. Both the Men’s and Women’s lack polish and lack class. It all seems very sleazy and at the price you are paying that just doesn’t compute. So – yeah – I don’t get all the accolades. That all being said, these are Rocker clothes, and I cannot resist the rocker. Period.

I think it’s obvious to see that many designers can’t put down that torch they have for the past. Many creative people began noticing the world in fine detail at the time of puberty. Whatever they saw at that crucial time has burned into their psyche the same way a first taste of rock and roll does to a musician – that Chuck Berry or The Beatles will always be an influence on thier style. Here we see it is no different for fashion. It’s probably the explanation for why fashion goes in 30 year cycles. As the preeminent designers at the time will likely be in their 30’s or 40’s doing throwbacks to their youth – making that era come alive all over again for a new crop of aspiring artists. SO are we doomed to repeat fashion over and over every 30 years? I don’t think doomed is the right word…

Certainly in Menswear, the classics are classic for good reason.