>> Two runway walks have really stood out to me so far this week: Karlie Kloss' and Tanya D's.
Karlie walks slower than everyone else — substantially slower. Her head bobs back and forth, and her facial expression makes her appear as if in a trance.
>> Two runway walks have really stood out to me so far this week: Karlie Kloss' and Tanya D's.
Karlie walks slower than everyone else — substantially slower. Her head bobs back and forth, and her facial expression makes her appear as if in a trance.
Meanwhile, Tanya D. just walks it out — rocks it out. She has the uncanny ability to make any outfit she wears look good. Earlier today at Preen, she posed at the end of the catwalk like you might have seen Linda do in the nineties . . .
>> First, let me just say that I am a big proponent of the bandage dress, so I was really curious to see what Max Azria had in store for us at Herve Leger, ten years after he bought the label.
>> First, let me just say that I am a big proponent of the bandage dress, so I was really curious to see what Max Azria had in store for us at Herve Leger, ten years after he bought the label.
Clearly Mr. Azria grappled with how to make the Herve Leger legacy his own; his answer was to add a lot of feathers, ribbons, and prints on top of the bandage dresses, which just ended up looking like too much. He even tried working with woven knit pieces made to mimic the bandages, but again, the vision fell a little short.
I prefer a pared-down version of the bandage dress, one that works with the patterns of the bandages across the body — because, really, it is all about the va-va-voom factor. There were plenty of streamlined looks towards the end of the showing, thank goodness, because what I thought was going to be the final look, Lily Donaldson's peach princess gown, appeared more Project Runway and less professional design (save the feathered cape — that was cool). But I ended up leaving the show jonesing for a Leger dress, so I guess Max did his job.
As a sidebar, Catherine McNeil was the only one with what you might refer to as "cleavage" in the show — an interesting decision by casting to go for hipbone rather than breast, at Leger of all shows.
And for comparison's sake, the Leger of old (circa 1993):
This A/W 08 season, Adam Lippes of Adam drew inspiration from the geography of the Berkshires. Lippes, one very charismatic and handsome gentlemen, conjured quite a crowd for his A/W 08 show. Among a very becoming set of thirty to forty year-olds were Margherita Missoni and Anna Wintour. The collection was chic and conservative; wool trousers, silk dresses that came to knee, high waisted belted skirts. The attendees erupted with applause when the show commenced as if it was the collection to end all collections. We suspect though, however handsome the collection was, the enthusiasm was partly due to the atmosphere of the show and the personality of its designer. With so many well-dressed attendees (this is not your Miss Sixty crowd) and Lippes running around, twinkling his bright blue eyes, combing his disheveled blonde hair with his fingers, and talking about his house in the Berkshires, we suspect it was the whole package that had every one aflame.
People say that a collection should speak for itself, but we like to hear about the clothes just as much as we do see them. If a designer's inspiration is thoughtful, if their work is both creative and cognitive, it can bring to life an element of the collection that even the most poised model cannot conjure. The season, James Coviello was partly inspired by Neo Rauch, the German painter most often associated with Socialist Realism (this is not, Kundera territory). Rauch's work is highly narrative and, as Coviello mentions in our backstage interview, 'nostalgic'. Knowing Rauch a bit, and revisiting his paintings after the show, our appreciation for the collection deepened. The dynamic color combinations and theatrical accessories in Coviello's show, though lively on the runway, became prized-possession territory after the inspiration was revealed. 'Paranoia', oil on canvas painting by Neo Rauch, 2007
