Welcome Ladies and Gents to my Big-Fat- Fashion-Week(s)-Round-Up!
Yes, you guessed it, I am going to attempt to cover my favorite shows from ALL FOUR fashion weeks in one post. Crazy or what? It's going to be a long one, get ready and maybe grab some rations to keep you going, tea/biscuits/liquor/etc.
Basically it's just a time thing. I had absolutely none of it in the past few weeks with very long, very boring and very difficult Philosophy essays to write for college. I had intended to write a regular sized post about each individual fashion week but hey ho, didn't happen. But neither you nor I care about my academic life on this blog. As the subtitle says, this is a "Mediocre Fashion Blog", not a "Mediocre Megan's Academia Troubles Blog".
So without further ado, I give you Autumn/Winter 2012
New York
Mara Hoffman
Hoffman is a NY based designer who clearly has an awful lot of talent. Her collection this A/W was sort of Americana in style, but at the same time really soft an feminine as you can see from this floaty, black, chiffon dress.
I love the cut-outs at the neck. It's such a wearable piece. My way of determining what a "wearable" piece is is pretty straight forward. I just ask myself, "would I look super insane (even if fabulous) if I wore this?". And the answer in this case is, I don't think so. You could definitely wear this to pretty much anything.
Although, maybe I just have a particularly high insane threshhold when it comes to clothes, who knows...
Here again we see the almost Aztec prints done in a really mature and grown up way.
I particularly like the black draped dress with the gold statement necklace. So slick.
If I could get my hands on it for University Ball season (which is upon us at the mo, and which I am desperately shopping for) I would be a very happy girl.
Also, wouldn't turn down the oversized blazer either, just saying...
(Please excuse the very obvious watermark - it goes without saying that I wasn't at NY fashion week so I had to do a bit of "borrowing" from other people's photo stashes. )
Giulietta
A newcomer to NY fashion week, this label shows big promise.
Run by Sofia Sizzy I think this could very well be a label to watch in upcoming seasons.
Her collection was showing a lot of these puritan styles with a kind of retro 60's twist. Modest, with big belts and block colours, the collection was very clean and neat.
It's so cute!
If this is what puritan girls get to wear then sign me up.
Even her more flamboyant pieces retained the simpleness of the rest of the collection.
She mixes billowy patterns with defined waistlines to create something youthful, yet not obnoxious, if you catch my drift here...
London
Central Saint Martin's Collection
The CSM collection is a special collection every year. It allows the fashion world a look at what the new generation from the World's best fashion school are creating.
Always a bit more "out there" then the rest of fashion week, the young designers are given a freedom which they use to their full advantage. They aren't carrying the weight of a huge corporation on their back like a lot of these collections. This is what they've created for their MA. And pretty fine creations they can be too.
It can verge into "conceptual fashion", and the term "wearable" can't be applied to an awful lot of it, but it remains a stark example of fashion as art and expression and not just fashion to sell us stuff and make money for the multi billion dollar fashion industry.
Basically, it's pretty cool and here are my top 3 of the collection.
Anne Thorjornsen
I think the mix of the geometric patterning and the very loose, unstructured jersey is really effective.
Kind of billowy, kind of edgy, very slick.
It reminds me of origami, but with more silk and jersey...
And with the origami stuck in weird places, like people's calves and shoulders....
Helen Lawrence
On the wear-ability front, this collection is a little more tricky...
But, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
I love the exposed stitching and weird applique design.
I love the perspex, bubble bottoms on the skirt.
And fuck the begrudgers, I'd wear the sleeveless peach one out one night.
I'd probably get weird looks, but isn't that the CSM way?
Yulia Kondrania
Now, I'm not going to lie. This collection is sort of scary.
I think it's mostly the hood.
But in the same way I think it's scary, I also think it's really haunting and beautiful.
It's dramatic anyway.
But mostly I think it's fabulous.
A*** for all of this year's CSM's designers.
Mary Katrantzou
Nominated for this year's Fashion Fund award, it's been a good year for Katrantzou.
A show-stopping S/S12 collection and an insanely successful TopShop collab, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it could have all gone to her head.
But thankfully, Katrantzou is far more professional that that.
Instead, she just brings out another pretty sweet collection.
As an English student, I have to say that this type-writer dress is possibly one of the coolest things I've seen at fashion week this year.
But then again, I do have a biased interest..
The cuts and structure of her dresses this year along with the bold prints seem reminiscent of a CSM alumni, a Mr Lee McQueen? Am I the only one thinking that?
Her use of colour is so bold and it seems like a real natural progression from her S/S show.
The trouser suit, that floral S/S suit? Anyone else seeing a likeness?
Meadham Kirchhoff
These two are becoming quite a theme on this blog of mine.
Yeah, in case you didn't notice, I'm a pretty big fan of this house.
But how couldn't you be?
It's so kitch and cute!
A denim waist-coat, tartan, stripes, badges, a blue fur-stole and a wooly jumper all in one outfit? Are you insane?
No, and neither are these two.
Their work IS bold, brash and can verge on the garish, BUT they keep it controlled with their excellent tailoring.
If you look at the pieces, there isn't a seam out of place. It's almost precision perfect.
Milan
Dolce & Gabbana
Look at all that Baroque perfection?
This collection was opulent, decadent and bloody brilliant.
Based on period, Italian, baroque aristocracy the detailing in this collection was impeccable.
Just look at the detailing on that picture above. Jesus H. Christ. So intricate. Mind blowingly beautiful.
But beautiful isn't the only way to describe this collection.
It's damn right sexy.
The regalness of the baroque gold and black is balanced by splashes of leopard print, bare legs and that corset/hot-pant combination.
Fierce as fuck.
Paris
Miu Miu
Miu Miu gave us a gender-bending, 60's mod extravaganza of a collection.
It sort of reminds me of stuff Bob Dylan would have worn back when he was hott in the mind-60's.
I've loved the gender-bending look that's been on the catwalks of A/W now for a couple of years, and this collection is no different.
I love the touches of the Dr's Bag and those platformed loafers.
LET ME OWN THAT STRIPED SUIT, PLEEEAAASE!
That is all.
Even the tweed/pattern clash cape/mini dress is fab.
John Galliano
Oh Galliano! Welcome back
How I'd missed you my old, wonderful friend!
In this collection, Bill Gayton finally showed why he deserved to take over from the maestro himself.
The collection was feminine, sensual and painfully beautiful.
The colours were varied, but perfectly chosen and the material, a mix of silks and chiffon is nothing other than decadent and fluid.
My mouth literally dropped when I watched this collection.
And then I watched it again.
And again.
Valentino
Right lads, this is it, the last collection I'm discussing.
If you read my Couture Week post I think you'll have a fair idea of how I feel about Valentino.
To cut a long story short, I REALLY like Valentino.
If I could form some sort of civil partnership with a fashion label, Valentino would be a definite fore-runner.
Wow-Wow-Wee-Wow
I'm a bit of a fan of black leather clothes at the moment.
I'm also a fan of monochrome.
So, as you can guess, this collection was very well received by myself.
It's grown up. It's delicate. It's sharp and sweet at the same time. It's lovely.
***
Right, if you've lasted through this whole post all I can say is fair-fucks to you!
I hope you enjoyed seeing a little snippet of what I thought were the best moments of A/W FW 2012.
Now that you've (hopefully) wasted about 20 minutes reading this whole post, go and do something useful with your time!
xoxo
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