I never did get those YSL Tribute Boots but I’m glad the shape of the boot is trickling down so that I can get another chance to snag that shape. These Luxury Rebel boots remind me of the YSL Tribute Boot style. I’m pretty smitten with them. I actually prefer the brown studded pair to the basic black. These will be available at Holt Renfrew at the end of June.
Greta Constantine Trunk Show Roundup Greta Constantine held a Trunk Show in Toronto on Friday and Saturday. I stopped by Saturday and grabbed some snaps of the crew. Kirk and Stephen were on hand to meet with customers and fans. I’m told the event was successful. Greta Constantine is available in Canada at Holt Renfrew. Holt’s is also carrying the Anita Dress in Navy Blue and Red Belt.
Balenciaga Resort 2010 was a mixed bag, linen, short party dresses, slim pants, volume, ruffles and prints . Like most of the resort collections I loved, there was a great pant selection. I loved the linen pieces. The fabric was substantial and raw. The collection as a whole didn’t really mesh with me like last seasons. There were pieces that felt completely out of place like this beautiful grey dress. The pattern in the fabric wasn’t recreated in any other pieces. It was still a great collection, just not as cohesive and directional as past efforts. Definitely not as futuristic as past collections. The super short tiered party dresses are super cute. The shoes, my god, the shoes. images: Style.com
Holt Renfrew Fall 2009 – 2010 Menswear Media Preview You have read about my adventures at the Holt Renfrew Fall 2009 – 2010 Womenswear Media Preview. I took a lot of pictures of things that appealed to me. Well the Men get the same treatment because I attended the Fall 2009 – 2010 Menswear Media Preview. That was a treat. I love menswear and wish I could include more of it in my coverage. It’s just impossible to be able to incorporate anything but the stray menswear post like this. The preview was a smaller affair when compared to the Womens. You realize the lack of true menswear media in Toronto. There was some overlap in the attendees but there were a lot of people I wasn’t familiar with. Barbara Atkin, Vice President, Fashion Direction for Holt Renfrew spoke briefly before Lanita Layton, Vice President, GMM Menswear took the podium. She spoke about menswear trends and how the economy has changed men’s style. The banker look is out and men are trying to distance themselves …
I love a Jonathan Saunders print. I know I should be shunning the neon like the plague, but I can’t help but love it’s comeback in small doses. images: Style.com
Phoebe Philo is back. Fashion fans have been waiting for her first collection for Celine to hit the streets and here it is. This is another collection that is all about the pants for me. Perfection. And Hello, this is the PERFECT leather short, drool. The angular jackets with dead straight lines have me drooling more images: Style.com.
Resort was pretty ho hum until Christopher Kane. Thank god someone got me to scream their name at the computer. That name was KANE!!!!! “I wanted something natural, but I’m so fed up with florals,” he explained in his London studio. “And then I came across these images of nuclear test explosions from the fifties to the seventies on the Internet. I like the crazy-bright chemical colors. The way they’re sinister—but beautiful.”(Source) What can I say, I have a twisted sense of what is beautiful. I’m speechless. I can’t articulate for you how much I love this collection. Amazing. See the complete collection Christopher Kane Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com images: style.com
This collection reminds me of the wonderful vision that was the Spring 2008 collection. I think the fact I saw this show in person in New York had something to do with my feelings for it. Regardless of my bias, this collection brings about those same feelings I had that fall in New York. See the full collection at Thakoon Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com: Runway Review. images: wwd.com
It was all about the pants for me at Burberry Prorsum Resort 2010. I want them all. You can also see the strong shoulder is permeating through all designers. I really liked new style of trench dress that Christopher Bailey presented this season. There is just enough minimal use of trench details for the idea of a trench in the dress to come across. See the whole collection: Burberry Prorsum Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com. images: wwd.com
Calvin Klein is usually a minimalist’s dream and that didn’t change with Resort 2010. There was a lot of sheer in this collection, pants, skirts, tops. It was endless. It was quiet lovely even if it has to be worn in layers. images: wwd.com
Greta Constantine put out a separate lookbook for their staple jersey dresses for Fall 2009 – 2010. The Anita Dress is part of this collection.
I wasn’t a fan of the Fall 2009 – 2010 collection. It wasn’t for me with the waders and boxy cuts. For Resort, it’s a much softer Prada. Miuccia showed a collection influenced by the beach. It was a much simpler collection, relying more on colour combination and prints for the wow factor. The shoes look walkable, also in contrast to the disaster that was Spring Summer 2009. I loved the print work from the Spring 2009 collection, so it was nice to see prints making a comeback. See the whole collection at style.com. images: Prada Resort 2010 – Fashion News – WWD.com.
I was reading the Footwear News section of WWD and came across designer sketches for the Spring 2010 collection. I find the different drawing styles fascinating in footwear sketches. The impossible arch and exaggerated foot proportions draw me in. Rupert Sanderson, Alexandra Neel, Giuseppe Zanotti, Max Kibardin, Omelle images: Spring Sketch Preview – WWD.com
I took the The Grumpy Owl to the Andy The-Anh runway show at LG Fashion Week. He making films so he brought along his trusty camera and this is the result of the evening.
The Greta Constantine Ready to Wear Fall 2009 – 2010 show as held at The Courthouse. I had been hearing good things from Kirk and Stephen for months. I got a look at the fabric swatches in the fall, but I never saw the collection. I would have to wait to see this so called amazing collection. So, I’ve been on pins and needles for months wondering what the boys will come up with. I was hearing about dresses named after people I know and how freaking stunning they are. There was some logistical problems getting into the venue due to all the people there. It’s an interesting venue but I heard if you didn’t have a seat you didn’t see anything. The room had high ceilings and it was a little dark. I was talking with one of the Holts crew and she likened the atmosphere to a Miu Miu show, which was very accurate. The runway was a problem too. There was a section where I was sitting that was wood and incredibly …
I wasn’t a fan of Marc Jacobs this year. He redeemed himself with Louis Vuitton. I’m so happy my girl Rose (pictured above) got to walk the show. Yes, Marc. Like the John Galliano show, I have video so I’m not going to bore you with photos. You need to see this stuff in motion. However you can see photos of the full Louis Vuitton Fall 2009 RTW collection at Nymag.com.
The John Galliano Fall 2009 – 2010 collection was stunning. I was so glad that John stepped it up just like Alexander McQueen. Paris was getting boring. I’m not going to bore you with pictures when the video is available but you can see the photos of John Galliano Fall 2009 RTW at nymag.com. image: nymag.com
Alexander McQueen thank you for bringing something interesting, emotional, strange and masterfully constructed to the runways of Paris. This is his ready to wear people, can you imagine the couture. I die thinking about it. Die, I tell you! I had to include some video in this post. They are only short clips but once the full video is up I will post it. Alexander Mcqueen Fall 2009 | New York Magazine Fashion Week Daily Video – This one shows you a lot of the looks You can see the whole Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com. images: style.com
For those of you keeping tabs on your models, NY Mag has listed the openers and closers for all shows during London Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week. Click the links to see if your favourites made the cut. image: nymag.com
I wasn’t into the leather bust part of the Hussein Chalayan’s fall collection but I enjoyed the rest of it. See the full collection at Hussein Chalayan Fall 2009 RTW. images: nymag.com
I knew Ann Demeulemeester wouldn’t disappoint. I’m in love with they way she has gathered shirts and jackets this season. See the whole collection here – Ann Demeulemeester Ready to Wear – Fall 2009 – 2010 images: nymag.com
Fall 2009 – 2010 has been pretty boring to me. I haven’t posted as much as I have in previous seasons because nothing has really grabbed me. Paris has had better shows than Milan and NYC. One of those shows is Rick Owens. He eschewed traditional black and send greys of all shades down the runway. It was a fabulous collection as always. I shall be salivating over his jackets once again this fall. See the complete show at Rick Owens Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com. images: showstudio.com and style.com
The Marni Ready-to-Wear – Fall 2009 – 2010 collection was a strong one. It brought me back to the Marni fold after a few seasons of ambivalence. It was the jewellery that I noticed once again. Here is a short video which has a brief talk with Consuela Castiglioni and she discussed fabrics and inspiration.
The power of video once again proves itself to me. I would have totally overlooked Mark Fast Ready to Wear 2009 – 2010 without seeing this video. The pictures of the collection on Style.com don’t do it justice. Mark Fast is a 27 year old Canadian born knitwear designer. He grew up outside the city of Winnipeg, in the countryside along a highway next to a forest. This minimal, peaceful lifestyle led him to wonder what life might be like beyond the familiar frontiers of Canada. Finally finding inspiration in London, Mark studied at Central Saint Martins for five years. He completed his BA there and went on to complete his MA in February 2008. Mark has also created knitwear for Bora Aksu, a collaboration that spanned three seasons. I’m always excited to hear about Canadians making it abroad. Sarah Nicole Prickett wrote a great article about Mark for the National Post.
SHOWstudio Louise Goldin UNRAVELLED video combines elements of backstage and the Fall 2009 – 2010 fashion show. The collection is beautiful. The panels look so much nicer in video, they tend to look a little plastic and hard in pictures.