Jared Leto and his fab ombre locks and Lupita Nyong'o and her flawless face.
Not one but two Oscar winners turned up in Paris on Wednesday for the Miu Miu
show on the last day of Paris Fashion Week.
(And for those who are counting, there was a bevy of other notables there
too, including Rihanna, Elle Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen.)
On the runway, Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu collection had as much eye candy as
the front row. The fun, colorful mix of sweet-and-sporty all-weather gear proved
that even when it's nasty out, you can dress up.
Quilted nylon puffer vests, parkas and miniskirts resembling vintage, '70s
ski wear, were worn with Alpine sweaters, or shirts unbuttoned to reveal cotton
sports bras. Metallic brocades covered jumper dresses and sporty anoraks. And
slickers and short rain boots came in transparent candy-colored plastic.
Polar Vortex? No problem. Prada's stilettos have angled metal spike heels for
traversing icy sidewalks.
It was a lot of fun. My only question? What are the Hollywood lovelies going
to wear in sunny L.A.? Oh well, there's always the Sundance Film Festival.
A hybrid moto-meets-Mongolian lamb jacket. A gray flannel skirt with pleats
spliced with chiffon. A blazer cross-pollinated with an electric blue
fisherman's knit.
For women who want classic clothes with a kick, designer Chitose Abe's Sacai
label is becoming a go-to.
Her design aesthetic might be described as a softer, sportier spin on
Japanese deconstruction. And her collections just keep getting better and
better.
Her fall 2014 outing shown Monday at Paris Fashion Week was full of
sportswear separates that were as interesting to look at from the back as from
the front, including an orange menswear check wrap skirt with a lace back panel,
and a blue knit sweater dress with a silk print peeking out from the skirt
pleats.
It's that element of surprise that makes Sacai's collections so much fun, the
moment when you discover an emerald green burnout velvet blouse also has a cable
knit sweater side, and a Peruvian blanket coat with the sleek leather lapel of a
biker jacket.
Charming-looking mixed tartan and scarf print dresses were a respite from the
heavy wools and tweeds, and proved that there is more to Sacai than mixed
parts.
The collection was vibrant and challenging but also utterly grounded in
wearability. No wonder Abe's star is rising.
New York-based designer Alexander Wang delivered his third, and most solid,
runway collection for the French luxury brand Balenciaga on Thursday during
Paris Fashion Week.
He played with several classic Balenciaga standards -- architectural
outerwear and sculptural volumes among them -- infusing them with 21st century
knitwear techniques and action-sports-inspired utility details. The result was a
modern, urban look that felt like an elevated version of what he did for his
namesake collection in New York: luxury for the speed-demon generation.
Last season, I criticized Wang's work at Balenciaga for being more
commercially minded than creative. But this collection balanced the two, with
dazzling tactile effects and a vision of the way today's women really dress,
i.e., less vaunted couture, and more sporty street comfort.
The collection was anchored in strong, sports-inspired outerwear with fur
hoods, framing seams and zippers, worn with fur-apron or reflective-yarn
accessories. Other coats appeared to be knit but were actually embroidered for a
trompe l’oeil effect. But the most show-stopping piece of outerwear was a casual
yellow duffel raincoat that was anything but basic: It was made of a cable-knit
base laminated to glossy perfection. A future classic.
Other marvels of construction that will look impressive in the pages of a
magazine? Structured short-sleeve leather dresses hand-lashed together with knit
skirts and turtlenecks, and rugby-stripe dresses composed of laser-cut knit
jersey links pieced together like chain mail.
In the more down-to-earth category, reflective canvas chevron pinstripe pants
and wool sack dresses with more seam and zipper details looked cool and
wearable. There were also several tailored looks in black wool crepe -- a jacket
with a lapel morphing into caped sleeves, and a pair of pants with a skirted
side panel, for example, that had an edge.
For evening, Wang dispensed with gowns and focused instead on something more
modern -- tuxedo trousers topped by extraordinary tops combining draped duchesse
satin with sculptural "sea urchin" sweater knits dripping with clusters of
rhinestones and pearls.
And there were bags aplenty, including fur and crocodile totes with
industrial-looking metal handles, almost as if Wang were willing women to the
stores.
He needn't worry. This collection will be money in the bank for
Balenciaga.
What we love about Topshop is that this isn’t one of those elitist fashion
week shows that only the Anna Wintours and Susie Bubbles of this world have
access to. This season, shoppers at the brand’s Oxford Circus flagship were
invited to pop on a headset which allowed them to be transported to the virtual
front row.
And what a front row. Sitting ringside in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern
were model of the moment Kendall Jenner, Foxes, Poppy Delevingne, Lottie Moss,
Kate Moss, Sir Philip Green and, of course, Susie Bubble and Anna Wintour.
But what we were all there to see, whether virtually, first-hand, or via live
stream, were the clothes – clothes that, unlike the rest of fashion week produce
(Whistles aside perhaps), we mere mortals may have a chance of wearing this
autumn.
The only problem is, you’re going to want to wear all of it. From the cobalt
blue belted blanket coat, layered leather and lace skirts and dove grey ankle
boot mules (worn with socks, a huge look for AW14), to the oversized
multi-coloured patchwork faux-fur, the camel culottes, the quilted bombers and
the butter yellow short sleeved jacket. Get saving now.
There was a definite 70s student feel about the collection with the
over-the-knee suede boots, a peacock embellished yellow smock (worn by the
stunning Jourdan Dunn), patchwork sheepskin gilets, skater skirts and a grey
pinafore dress.
The colour palette was a fairly muted autumnal one with cobalt blues, soft
greys, muddy greens and tawny yellows.
And aside from some daring see through appliqué tops for evening, a couple of
little black dresses and some cute short shorts, this was all about luxurious
daywear. The blanket coats, chunky knits, roll-necks and long flared skirts were
all terribly (terrible for our bank balance) wearable.
In the cavernous Tate Modern hall, to the stomping soundtrack of Beyonce’s
Run the World (Girls), the show finale was enough to make every watching high
street shopper’s heart soar.
And was that the sound of girls stampeding to the tills come autumn we
heard?
Isabelle Armstrong is a new player in the field of bridal couture. The
company launched in October, offering fine materials (think French lace and
Italian silks) and detailed workmanship.
The luxury line, headquartered in New York, is coming to California this
week, with a trunk show at Saks Beverly Hills planned from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday.
The trunk show will be in the bridal salon at Saks, 9600 Wilshire Blvd.
Events:
Bobbie Thomas, style editor for the Today show and author of "The Power of
Style: Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Dressed Tomorrow," is on tap
to host a Valentine's Eve event launching the new Dove Advanced Care
Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant at the Grove in Los Angeles. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, attendees can receive style and beauty advice, plus free "PitiCure"
treatments focused on the underarm area. The event will be in the park at the
Grove, 189 The Grove Drive.
Tickets are on sale now for the next Simply Stylist event, a day-long fashion
and beauty conference. The event, which includes networking, panels, a brunch
and shopping, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 15 at the Grove in Los
Angeles. Catt Sandler of E! is slated to be the day's host, and celebrity
fashion stylists Tara Swennen and Anita Patrickson and hairstylist Jen Atkin are
among the announced panelists. Tickets range from $20 to $250. Tickets and more
information are available on the Simply Stylist website event page.
Openings:
Possch, which offers men's and women's ready-to-wear, has opened a new
boutique at 5144 Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood. The store is open from 10
a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
San Francisco-based menswear shop Unionmade is scheduled to open a new Los
Angeles store on Friday at the Grove. The store carries brands including Alden,
Gitman Vintage, Filson, The Hill-Side, Stanley & Sons, New Balance, Baxter
of California, Kaptial and Beams +, French Trotters, Berena, and Golden Bear and
Unionmade Indigo special collections. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through
Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday.
Los Angeles-based designer and 2013 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up JC
Obando showed his fall 2014 collection in grand style Thursday night at the
Academy Mansion on the Upper East Side during New York Fashion Week.
And as models glided through the flower-filled halls, wearing the designer's
floating, silk separates, it conjured images of bohemian socialites and artistes
entertaining at home.
There was no inspiration statement or run of show because, as Obando, who
launched his label in 2007, explained, "When you create a brand, you no longer
need show notes to explain who you are. You reach that point in your
career."
It's true, Obando has definitely arrived.
The look: Louche luxe. Icy-cool, self-confident beauty. Silk separates in
vivid blues, purples, corals and golds with the ease of chic pajama
dressing.
Key pieces: Silk charmeuse wrap blouses and halter tops trailing
streamer-like ties at the neck and wrists: flowy pants with elastic insets at
the sides: halter jumpsuits with scarf ties; exquisite seed pearl-beaded apron
top, pants and gown.
The verdict: Gorgeous, crystal-clear vision. Obando has found his niche.
