Fashion Pressure

Wow. It’s been nearly 2 weeks or something since I last made a post here and I feel so bad for neglecting my site, but here I am once again with a new and exciting fashion update.

Fashion Weeks is amongst us once again and this time it’s Womenswear S/S 2011.  New York kicks off the 9th, London on the 17th, Milan on the 22nd and Paris on the 29th.

Personally speaking I think Milan Fashion Week, as always, will be my most anticipated week this season.  I’m looking forward to the direction Salvatore Ferragamo will be steered in by its new creative designer although last season left me scratching my head.   And what about Donatella? Is she going to baffle us again with a collection that will take weeks to like or is she gonna give us that cool Versace vibe right up front?  And perhaps one of the most newly reinvented fashion houses, Gianfranco Ferre, will produce yet another brilliant collection.

As for Paris…let’s just hope there’s improvement from Galliano.

I will start posting up the new collections as soon as they’re available so watch this space!

So I was thinking the other day about starting a new project.  Since I love drawing fashion and constructing sketches so much I thought I would finally take it another level upwards.  I’m thinking of buying graphics mannequins and building mini-garments on them to create miniature sized fashion pieces.  It makes sense since I know next to no sewing skills as well as most of my creations being nearly impossible to construct in real life.

I took this picture the other day at an art store.  I might buy a couple of these and go fabric hunting.  Thoughts??

Now I’m not really the type to draw attention to myself and neither do I enjoy being the centre of attention all the time, but I feel a great sense of accomplishment after having my first ever fashion article officially published in a New Zealand magazine, and I do feel like I should share it on this blog.  After all fashion IS important to me ^_^

Here’s a photograph of it:

Click on it for a readable version!

The magazine is called Metropol and it’s a New Zealand lifestyle magazine directed from Christchurch.  The article I wrote is about utilising black and white pieces for the NZ winter, by selecting pieces from a good range of NZ designers like Ooby Ryn, Ketz-ke and Oyl (check out their websites if you get the chance!).  They’re still growing brands but I was more than happy to write about them and I’d love to in the future again!

What can I say? Seeing my name up there (top left hand corner you can’t miss it… LOL) made me feel good ^_^

As insane and farfetched as the title might sound, it’s 100% true.  It seems that nature is catching up with technology.

The latest issue of Visionaire magazine is a public tribute to legend Alexander McQueen and is the first time that his memory will be addressed by a wide range of people that he influenced.  People like Steve Klein, Mario Testino and Lady Gaga are all pitching in this issue to remember their old friend.

But what’s perhaps the most magical about this issue is that pages of this McQueen article are actually embedded with seeds, that will grow once you rip the pages out and plant them in your backyard.  I would say “What on earth?” but in this sense it would be quite literal.
It’s definitely a brand new thing for the fashion industry.  I’ve seen previously in gardening magazines attached samples and sachets of seeds, but never ones INSIDE the actual page.

Now we can all have a Visionary McQueen growing in our backyard (or front yard)!

Mathematics, geometry and science are all things that are not usually automatically associate with fashion.  The conventional look is one that moulds around a woman’s natural body rather than forming its own shape around her figure.  However these conventions can sometimes be boring, which is why I love to experiment with more scientific conditions.

I love the idea of a “constructed” look, which is why I decided to draw this dress.  It’s an homage to the thing that makes everyday life possible: mathematics.  Shapes, lines, angles and symmetry (or rather asymmetry in this case).
I know it’s not the most wearable outfit you’ve seen, but judging fashion by wear-ability is uninteresting to me.

Slightly less groundbreaking than my last illustration is this week’s new badass.  Biker chic is an all time favourite look of mine for women as well as men.  It’s such a universal look and in my opinion will never go out of style.  I’m not big on “trends” or “what’s new”, I like to keep things a bit different rather than just copying everything else, so I added some slash-like slits in the jacket and gave the collar a bit of volume to up the danger factor.
The pants are a combination of leather and denim which can be very sexy.

I know the Haute Couture season is over but I definitely feel the need to cover this collection.

Valentino Haute Couture F/W 10.11 is a large concentrated does of girly-ness and romance.  And what better to represent these elements than bows.
Bows were present in nearly every piece in this collection, and in abundance too!  From top to bottom, the collection seemed to be swimming with bows.  I suppose if you want to really exaggerate a garment’s femininity, drowning it in bows would be one way to do it.

While this collection does nod quite respectably towards the old Valentino archives, I do feel somewhat insulted if I’m being expected to take this collection seriously.  Sure, it’s pretty (and I’m a sucker for overtly candy-like garments!), feminine and absolutely “Valentino-compatible”, it feels as if the designers have tried to shortcut themselves through to their clients by overloading the collection with bows.  I mean seriously, I bet a Hello Kitty convention in underground Tokyo would have less bows than this.

There is also the matter of the styling.  The runway seems too simple and minimal.  Was this their way of ensuring the audience’s attention stayed on the garments? Or was this money-related? A bit of both I’m guessing.  But if anything, this is a fantastic example of how an underdeveloped setting can dull down a collection.

But all of this being said, it is important to remember how well this collection sticks to the Valentino legacy.  Understated romance and extreme femininity.

Most of you might not know and will find it hard to believe that I have previous education in engineering and mathematics.  I have a very technological background.  Both my parents were and still are engineers, I graduated from engineering this year and I’m currently studying calculus.  Not the most fashion oriented subjects are they? Not really.  But these fields have given me a brand new way of looking at fashion, one that is not usually viewed as “beautiful” and certainly not conventional.

When I showed my mother this drawing she scrunched her face and said “This looks hideous”.  Not the most supportive mother is she? LOL.  But my mother is an engineer remember.

The inspiration behind this piece came to me during my time while I was studying for my calculus exam about a month ago.  The calculus text book was explaining “when a line and plane intersect” and “the slope of a function”.  Please don’t ask me to explain those and do yourselves a favour by never researching these things, but in the end I somehow concentrated my mathematical knowledge into this drawing.

Fashion inspirations include the phenomenal “Madame Butterfly” origami inspired Christian Haute Couture collection during S/S 2007, a little bit of Hussein Chalayan as well as the more recent Versace Fall 2010 collection.

Following the tragic suicide of fashion legend Lee Alexander McQueen, Gucci Group has appointed Sarah Burton, McQueen’s long time assistant and right hand woman, as the successor for the magnificent label.

Burton debut for Alexander McQueen is the Resort 2011 collection.  Full of strong McQueen references, the collection barely feels like Lee is really gone.  The prints, cuts and styling is almost identical to that of Lee’s.  There’s not much to say here apart from the fact that although it’s nice that Burton is staying true to Alexander McQueen with his signature prints and cuts, perhaps it’s TOO literal.  It would be nice to see some of Burton’s blood go into Alexander McQueen in the future.  But for now I’m loving all of the pieces in here.

My favourite piece, on the far left of course, is cool twist for resort of an ordinary dress and finally topped off with a McQueen signature historical print.  The collection isn’t extraordinary, obviously because it’s just resort, but it’s perfect for a chic cruise party or a warm summer night’s get-together.

Va Va Voom!
After some questionable moves by Donatella Versace we finally have some evidence that perhaps 2010 has just been a rocky creative year for Versace.
The Fall 2010 collection took me a lot to like.  The shapes, the cuts and the materials were somewhat confusing at first but I got used to them.  But this campaign is a perfect example of how photographic images can instantly make you love a collection.

The photographs carry the signature Versace badass vibe.  The makeup, the hair, the stares and the poses are all traces of the Versace personality.  The Versace woman has a great deal of attitude and a couple of bitchy girls posing in an abandoned factory with deadly stares is Oh So Versace.

The casting is pretty much awesome.  It’s not perfect but very suitable.  Iselin Steiro isn’t a favourite of mine, but she has cheekbones that kill and a stare that will cut anyone into pieces.  The other dark haired girl, Valrija  Kelava is as bitchy looking as they come- dark hair and pale skin, very Versace.  The third girl, Anna Selesneva, however I wasn’t quite sure of.  I find her too mousey and too cute for Versace.

The campaign’s drawback (and the only one I could think of) is the black’n'white.  I’ve heard many people complain about this, and I do agree that it is definitely a questionable move, especially for Versace who is FAMOUS for vibrant colours and deep winter shades, but you know it only adds more to the edge and I’m only too happy to look at bad chicks staring at me!

Enjoy the photos and leave your thoughts below!

Perhaps the most exciting collection this menswear season is Ann Demeulemeester’s.  With vibrant ideas and very vivid details, Demeulemeester always achieves high quality work.

S/S 2010 has been somewhat bland.  Designers seem to be taking a calm step back,  rethinking things and recalculating ideas.  But not this collection.  This is all about personalities, dominance and contradiction.  They’re not ideas we’re all used to, and they’re definitely not ideas we associate fashion with.  But that’s the genius of it, everything here is made for a meaning.

First of all notice how the collection is entirely black’n'white. And the vast majority of the outfits are either completely black or completely white, rarely any greys.  It’s such a typical woman’s view of a man: responsive like a robot and only sees the world as black and white – everything is either his way or everyone’s else’s.  While this is not necessarily true, Demeluemeester does poke fun of gender roles here I think.  Is she suggesting that men SHOULD be black’n'white? Or is she saying that men should be more flexible and more of a mix between what is egotistic and what is logical?

It’s also very important to point out the duality present in the clothes.  Notice how 2 of the outfits in the picture have a corresponding opposite?  The black and white motif is again present.  It’s a reference to a man’s split personality.  I think there’s a bit of humour here again.  Is Demeulemeester saying that men constantly battle against their egos? Or is she saying the opposite? That men are always resisting their modesty.  I think having dual personalities is obvious in most men (and that makes us interesting!), but ironically who is the gender that is more likely to break out into sudden emotional distress or burst into a frightening state of anger due to a certain hormonal process?  Clue: It’s not men.
Perhaps Ann D. is also laughing at herself? The collection isn’t easily seen as “funny” but it’s all about reading in between the lines…which brings me to the next point about these clothes.

The hidden details are amazing! The little straps, buckles, layers and lengths are not easily seen! They’re disguised with the outfit itself so the whole thing appears to be camouflaged.  And I think this is what Demeulemeester is really getting at: the hidden nature of men.  Some are black’nwhite and some are more concealed; some are clean and clear while some have dual personalities and alter-egos.  Maybe Ann is hinting that she likes to practice dominance over her men?  Or maybe she’s just pointing out the fact that men are different.  Like I said it’s all about reading in between the lines, and what a bunch of black’n'white clothes might appear to be are really something else…something more.
I dunno, you decide for yourself, it’s a grey area.

I know this collection was released a few days ago but my internet has been sick lately and I still think I should cover this collection because it explains a lot about Menswear fashion week this season.

Riccardo Tisci has quickly established himself as the rightful head designer of Givenchy.  Whether this qualifies him for both menswear as well as womenswear I’m not sure, but what I can say is that last season Riccardo’s menswear was MUCH more impressive.  But I think it has been this way in general as of late.

The collection quickly dives into an optic explosion of leopard print shirts, tight pants and shoes.  There was leopard print for nearly any piece of clothing a man would wear…and what he wouldn’t wear as well!  Yes I’m talking about the man-skirts.  I’m not sure if who came up with this idea, but as far as I’m concerned I’m SURE there are better ideas to draw menswear inspiration from than womenswear.  Can we please keep the genders separate? It would be nice to tell people’s sex apart without having to uncover their genitals.

Like many other of this season menswears, Givenchy seemed to lack the finer details the house has become respected for.  I know it’s spring, which means you have to respect the boundaries of weather and atmosphere but that does NOT mean you have to sacrifice craftsmanship! I was expecting more from Tisic’s shirts.  Pleats, foldings, asymmetry! Anything would have been more engaging than ordinary shirts.

The cannibal masks…I’m guessing this was a part of the whole “Wild Boy” theme, but they struck me more as a costume props than anything else.  I have a feeling they were just hurled in there in the hopes of spicing up the collection.

Overall I’m pretty sure you can draw the intelligent conclusion from my rant that I am rather disappointed with this collection.  But let’s be realistic, we can’t expect designers to dish one excellent collection after another (though Tisci makes it hard not to).  And who knows? Someone else probably liked this!  But I’m sure Tisci is capable of more than silly jungle games.