Alright, back to reality. I am coming down from my NYFW buzz, and I realize all the yummy clothes I saw are not available yet, so I still need to get my Spring wardrobe buff.
Depressed, walking through JFK on my way home, I was hit with a lighting bolt, Kate Moss’ “W” magazine cover for March, 2012.
Kate Moss, like chameleon Linda Evangelista, is everlasting in modeldom. Almost 20 years in the business and Kate is still smacking us in the face with each image she presents to the world.
The photos inside are memorizing, I couldn’t put it down. These days I pretty much flip through a magazine in seconds, not this time, attention gained.
Check out this issue if you have time, as “W” has done an amazing job styling Spring for us this year. I want everything, well at least in a visual tapestry.
For those of you who follow fashion know that brands go “in” and “out” like hemlines. The power of a brand is to start with a powerful creative designer force that mirrors society for a moment in modernity. What becomes difficult is when a brand no longer speaks volumes by way of designer death, retirement, or bankruptcy. How does a brand go forward?
Like Hollywood studios, brands have become crippled by corporate rule. A brand must take what is iconic and familiar to audience, then reference past images to gain stability in today’s market place. Take for example, comic book film genre, which references nostalgia, textual material, and iconic symbol into box office results—now fading. Always reading the pulse of society, fashion has stepped forward with symbols of what is to come—style customization.
The romantic build of a brand has faded—a bit—think Galliano early 1990’s, when models helped financially keep a designer’s vision afloat—I know his current situation—but he has contributed to our fashion vocabulary. Galliano, McQueen, Ford, and Largerfeld created the blueprint to resurrect a Power House Brand; take the essence and symbols of the past and remix them for today’s marketplace—now what?
Post resurrection, designers are taking back what belongs to them—creative control. Corporations may own the name and supply the cash, but designers are taken fashion back. Case and point, Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, and Celine’s Phoebe Philo, who’ve taken creative control of these bands by way of stylization; by separating from past imagery, these two designers have been able to connect fashion in today’s world. Fashion will always be about fantasy because style built by identity through self-image expression is timeless. A band can no longer blanket society, but create discourse with a highlighted niche. Philo has taken what was Calvin Klein’s modern woman, and elevated her consciousness of motherhood by giving her style power and function at Celine. Tisci has taken Gianni Versace’s vamp and made her elegant and stylish in Givenchy.
Take a look at these images and let me know what you think.
The clock has stuck midnight and you’ve thrown off your tacky sparkle suit, it’s 2012. Winter is in high gear, so I guess the next thing to do is plan your spring wardrobe. Flipping through Style.com, I stumbled across an old-time favorite, Jean Paul Gaultier.
The Gaultier men’s collection is always innovative and sexy; he always makes me feel guilty for not pushing my male fashion style envelope; skits, tribal prints, and unconventional models—Gaultier is King. Like this spring/summer 2011 look, Gaultier pushes traditional men’s wear.
However, looks like a times are-a-changing, with volatility in stocks and jobs markets, people need to get back to work, including Gaultier. James Dean inspired looks were combined with signature Gaultier plaid, nautical strips, and bare-chested men to create a wearable wardrobe.
This Gaultier collection is not one of my favourites, as I normally dream of wearing each piece in a created fantasy, while this collection blends into my realty, Gaultier is my street style dream. I miss feeling bad about not having my tattoo print shirt and tribal skirt on as I walk to the nearest grocery store; Gaultier is men’s fashion at its best. The looks of this collection will keep you fashionable and sexy all spring and summer, while cash registers bulge at stores, but Gaultier’s whimsical spirit is left behind on this one. Anyway, the best thing about fashion is that a new collection is always on its way. These are the highlights of his latest.