Faster Fashion

Like the graceful deva above, fashion as it is currently practiced creates a kind of euphoria of the moment. Odd, isn't it, that all the fall "must-haves" in stores feel out of sorts with the SS13 shows for the next few weeks?

Perhaps we need changes in global production and distribution modes so that we can wear the moment in the moment.

The late Nan Kempner was lucky enough to buy fashion straight off the runway.

But then, Nan was always of and ahead of her time.

- AP

Bulletproof Fashion

Gentle Reader -

The traditional fabrications of silks in fashion might be a bit old-fashioned. Performance fabrics may have new uses in high-end, prototypical fashion design:

A moisture-wicking afternoon dress?

Suppose you have been informed that your security detail may be compromised. Shouldn't your clothing be your first line of defense? What about an evening dress that is bulletproof?

Just a thought for future couture.

- AP

The Magic Touch

Gentle Reader -

There once was a debate in fashion that went something like this:

Is a dress designed on a body better than a dress based from a sketch?

Chanel herself thought so, but in haute couture, it really did not matter - ultimately, a dress still had to move perfectly, and both methods could achieve this. How? Because the dress was made by hand...actually, lots of them.

There are still some ready-to-wear dresses that have a bit of that "made by hand" quality we ascribe to the couture, as evidenced at times by Lanvin under Alber Ebaz.

The importance of a stunning dress is what it does, how it moves, how it transforms a woman.

A bit of human magic, added to genius, is sometimes all it takes to make that happen.

- AP

Transitional Fashion: Not Quite

This dress is most likely circa 1830-1840. In many ways, it is easy to see that this is a transitional silhouette:

- not quite the high waist/bust of Grecian gowns from the Napoleonic period
- not quite the wide lower waist that would soon be the rage

Today's fashion is again approaching that "not quite" moment which signals a shift in silhouette. The question isn't a what so much as it is a where and when.

- AP

Retrospective Fashion

Gentle Reader -

Despite the due attention given to a certain dress way, way back on April 29, 2011, we have a most curious phenomenon developing quickly in today's fashion:

Museum-curated collections by dead designers which compete with current collections by living designers for fashion relevance, if not exactly for sales

In case you were wondering, yes, the Alexander McQueen dress above was on display in 2010 at the V&A. Yet a year later, we have "Savage Beauty" currently at the Met's Costume Institute:

http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/

Until next time -

AP

Grand Palais Tuesday: Chanel F/W 2011

Gentle Reader -

London, Milan and Paris have been exciting to watch for Fall-Winter 2011, as several collections have had real potential to yield key vintage pieces within 2-3 years.

Today we'll see if Chanel is added to the list.

- AP

The Sphinx Speaks: Dior Now

For those nervous about a Dior without Galliano, please remember that Dior has been Dior with (and without) the following:

- Christian Dior (the New Look, among many other looks)
- Yves Saint Laurent (the Trapeze, before opening his own house)
- Marc Bohan (polite suits and dresses - and underrated)
- Gianfranco Ferre (dramatic, bold draping)

The more pressing question for Dior is: what will be presented? The collection of a dismissed designer, or something else?

- AP

Message from Paris: Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2011

Gentle Reader -

Whether or not you liked any of the collections from last week's haute couture presentations, what was really registered was direction. That much was clear in the shapes and colors.

Gone are the days when collections tried to strike the balance between client preferences and trends - last week was all about trend.

Layering and draping in mostly pale colors, yes. Exquisite workmanship, yes. Dominance of pants, yes.

Despite geopolitical events, haute couture was intent on sticking to its own message that it is still relevant to fashion.

And a quick nod to Alexis Mabille, who presented two delicate options for summer: one in white, and a variation in blue and pink.

- AP

Jimmy Choo: Fashion from the Ground Up

Gentle Reader -

Many thanks to a fashionista who shares my passion for shoes that are just, well, ultimate. Yes, these shoes are Jimmy Choo, but that's not quite the point.

Where does fashion begin? At the neckline? The waist? Fabric? Color?

It can begin from any starting point, so let us consider starting from the ground up, that is: starting with the shoes.

Commonly, shoes are something that are chosen after the dress is selected.

Yawn.

Very last century.

What if one started with the shoes? What would then be the dress?

The collection?

A thought to consider as the round of A/W 2011-2012 shows continue.

- AP

postscript: for those who love shoes, please admire the curve of the cutouts and the paring of the shades of gold.

Future Vintage: Chanel P/E 2011

Gentle Reader -

Usually Chanel collections under Karl Lagerfeld are one of the following:

- very Chanel
- very Karl
- very Now

The recent collection for P/E 2011 (that's 'Spring-Summer' for the beginners), was something else entirely: all three at once, and it made for a unique moment in fashion.

Here was a ready-to-wear collection (or more correctly, a limited edition showing) that evoked everything that was exclusively the domain of haute couture alone: lightness, movement, impeccability, and mastery of form. Did I mention that it was even hauntingly beautiful?

This was a collection for the history books - if books will still be around. No, this Chanel collection was not the earth shatter of Dior's 1947 Corolle (ah, the 'New Look') or spellbound opulence of Yves Saint Laurent's 1976 Ballets Russes.

This was a breaking through time, the force of Karl's vision made current fashion look utterly contrived and out-of-date. For those who pre-order, I am sure you have done so already.

- AP

The Sudden Rush: Alexander McQueen at the V&A

LONDON SPECIAL REPORT: DAY 1

This is a key example from the late (Lee) Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection - at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.

Has fashion reached the speed when we bypass the retailer and the wearer?

Consider that one can also buy a copy of the complete oeuvre of McQ at quite a few stores in London that carry the more experimental fashion magazines.

Is it a rush to Fashion's Pantheon?

Welcome to a new age in fashion, one that breaks the time barrier between new, vintage and art.

- AP

The Aristocratic Principle in Fashion

Gentle Reader -

Fashion theorists and fashionistas alike are searching for something. Call it exclusivity, luxury or mystique, there is magic in fashion.

Let us call this a search for the 'Aristocratic Principle.' It is a tenet that is opposed to the Big Fashion of today, always in search of new markets.

Nor does it necessarily assume clothes for the wealthy. No, the Aristocratic Principle is quite simple: to be original without being outlandish. The rest somehow - magically - falls into place.

In today's fashion, look to Tokyo, small ateliers in any major Italian city, and (of course) the back streets of Paris and London.

- AP

Future Fashion: Couture Libre

Can you imagine a couture house without a directrice? That indispensable figure: part mother, part doyenne and always a diplomat?

Maybe it's time that the Chambre Syndicale take a strategic look at the role of haute couture and find some relevance not only in today's world, but in the future.

I am not advocating here, but there are indications that perhaps the venerable tradition of made-to-order clothing should undergo a transformation:

- Identify the techniques of haute couture and pass those on to future generations
- Produce limited examples rather than full collections
- Consider restructuring the traditional business model of haute couture

In other words, a "free" couture - without the pressures of selling.

Perhaps we will see the directrice as the real power of a couture libre, hiring couturiers to fit the need of clients.

- AP

Alex Light: Fashion Themes to Ponder

Gentle Reader -


We return once again to the serene light of Alex to ponder the following:

1. Jean-Louis Scherrer: in his heyday (when he ran the house), Scherrer was code for that elusive mix of bourgeois, sensual and chic. That mix doesn't work in every time period or place, but in the 70s to mid-80s, it was right. Vintagers, that's a hint.

2. The overuse of coral: both as material and color, coral fascinates. However, it is time to give both a rest - before it factors into another trendbook...again. Can carnelian and lapis lazuli make a return?

3. Moiré: it is amazing how impressive or tragic the iridescent ripples of moiré can seem - depending on the season. Use moiré with velvet for the best effects in winter; with white in spring.

Is it just this writer, or does moiré look completely wrong in summer and autumn?

Have a great weekend.

- AP

Rio Male Beauty Secrets

This just in -

The simplest dictum for the streets of Rio de Janeiro's Zona Sul:

- be easy and take care of yourself

Nothing is as hard to accomplish as effortlessness.

- AP

Orientation and Alignment

Gentle Reader -

How do you know when it is time for a change?
I am referring to the internal compass which, from time to time, indicates that some shift in direction must be made. It could be as simple as changing one's fragrance or shade of lipstick.

But there are other moments, much rarer in occasion, when a complete upturning, a revolution, is in order. In these cases, it's not just a matter of an internal compass, but a true shift of fashion's poles of attraction.

Examples from Western Civilization's Past:

The shift from robes to pants
The abolition of the corset
Pants as part of female attire
The abolition of ornamental male daywear

I am predicting that by the 2030's we should really see the transition to the future of fashion. This is really sooner than you think.

- AP

Weekend Assignment: Fashion 2016

Gentle Reader -

While togas are so yesterday, glimpses of the future can be had right now.

The weekend assignment: fashion in 2016. What does it look like? Why? How did certain trends emerge? How much does fashion diverge from right now?

In other words, become an armchair trend forecaster over the next few days. The results may surprise you!

- AP

Roman Toga: Material Wealth

Gentle Reader -

After several weeks of fashion collections in the now, a quick trip into the ancient past felt right. The lines of the toga speak of a time when wealth was in part indicated not only by the quality of material, but the length.

A marked contrast from current fashion, to be sure.

As for future fashion, who knows?

- AP

A Quick Word to Maison Ungaro

To those readers at Ungaro:

Strongly consider returning to the couture with a small collection from your new design duo.

You have created the publicity, now use it.

- AP

Sphinx: Collect Alexander McQueen Now

- Alexander McQueen's recent collection is instant vintage: directional, important and well-made. Arguably the best collection of the season. There are implications in those dresses. Also, were those shoes, or futurized chopines?

- Fragrance is so much better when it is refrigerated.

- A note to fashion editors everywhere: your subscribers need you to guide them through deconstruction.

- Vintage-vintage: late 60s Hanae Mori, 1970s Cardin, 1980s Mary McFadden.