Spring/Summer 2015: Part Two
Spring/Summer 2015
Lucas and Alber doing Saint Laurent better than Hedi at Saint Laurent. Slimane transplanted '60s pop iconography, replete with a Jimi Hendrix costumed model, to the catwalk for his latest collection. It was yet another confirmation of his skills now being confined to mere styling rather than actual fashion design. Yes he can be a master stylist, but he is hardly a fashion designer these days. The Lanvin collection was to my mind everything Saint Laurent should be producing if Slimane would like to continue with his current direction. It was more interesting, more elegant, more relevant, and an actual fashion collection. I doubt it will sell anywhere near the volume that Saint Laurent shifts, but then Ossendrijver and Elbaz hardly have the star power of Slimane, and as evidenced by the choice to boot Ghesquiere for Wang at Balenciaga, star power eclipses the need for talent these days.
Spring/Summer 2015
Beautiful clothes for everyday life. Yes please.
Spring/Summer 2015
I was happy when I first heard that Umit would be moving his shows from Milan to Paris, and this collection, his second in Paris, was beautifully executed. Paris is quite simply where the best show, and so I am glad that Umit has made that leap. Although thinking of Milan Fashion Week, if Armani ever steps down, I would love to see Umit (or maybe Pilati) take his place. His tailoring skills are incredible, his collections are always masterfully narrated, and he has proven that like master designers of the past, he can change the story each and every season without losing the distinctiveness of his voice. I own two pairs of Umit trousers, one of from his '80s investment bankers inspired collection, and the other from his soldiers on the day after the truce inspired collection, and both are some of examples of some of the best construction I have seen, second only to my Yohji pieces. Umit is a storyteller at heart and this collection was no different, being based upon the idea of a tennis club in Cartagena, Columbia. An elegant collection as always and you had to laugh at the tennis shoes with pieces of fake gum molded on the soles as a nod to Umit's childhood.
Spring/Summer 2015
Y-3 grows stronger from season to season as of late, and for me it provides everything I wish DRKSHDW and Silent by Damir Doma still did - nice casual sportswear for going to the gym or having a lazy weekend (odd how those two are interchangeable in terms of the clothing they require, but sportswear is darn comfortable). Obviously there are the bright prints and more overtly branded pieces for those who are into that sort of thing, but for me it comes down to the black and white garments. As long as you avoid the louder pieces you could construct a perfectly versatile and practical small wardrobe based almost exclusively on Y-3. I like the fact that Y-3 aims to cover all options these days, from casual suits to sweats, and the footwear is far more versatile than the majority of Adidas collaborations (the Rick Owens trainers are too bold for day to day wear, and the Raf Simons trainers are fine if you live in a technicolor world made of Lego, but otherwise happen to be a touch too loud). Y-3 seems to be my personal answer to sportswear, but looking at these images that is perhaps not much of surprise to regular readers.
Spring/Summer 2015
Two words = HECK YES.
Will no doubt have to do a proper review, including photographs of the back of the garments, in the near future, but needless to say this was Yohji at his best. I am so excited to see this in store and try it on.
xxxx