One of the big trends this season is the inspirations drawn from the 60’s. One particular inspiration used over and over is actress Ali McGraw whose personal style defined in the movie “A Love Story”. For his Fall/Winter collection for Pucci, designer Matthew Williamson jumped on the McGraw bandwagon. Both on the show notes and backstage the designer repeated over and over his obsession for styling of McGraw and his crafting of the look from the clothes to the hair and makeup.

In the opening section of the collection Williamson jumped out of the classic Pucci print dresses and into flared bell-bottoms. The standout pant look was the purple bell-bottom pants worn with a matching cashmere turtleneck sweater. Williamson also showed the look in alternative colors, Magenta was the most decadent worn with a matching poncho. Williamson expended his use of trends that we’ve season on the runway season, from the knitwear to the outerwear. A low note in the opening section was the repeat looks from last season, all of the military style overcoats.

In the second section Williamson focused on more outerwear. Two standout looks in this section was first the soft brown overcoat that is pleated at the waist to create a bell shape to the coat. Williamson gave the overcoat a sophisticated twist by adding fur to the collar and cuffs of the coat. The second standout overcoat was the knit cashmere poncho with a stripe design he used on several pieces in the collection. Williamson took the poncho and offered it several looks in a handful of solid colors.

One of the most delicate pieces of the collection was the brown mohair knit dress worn with a satin ribbon around the waist. What is so interesting about this piece is that it really is not a Pucci look or piece. The chance you could actually find something so unique in such collection built off of a strong vision of its history is priceless. Another strong piece is the 60’s Pucci print that is very reminiscent of the Baroque influence

The must have looks of the collection are two cocktail dresses. The first is must have dress was a silk jersey dress. Printed on the dress is a classic Pucci print interpreted in to a new geometric design. The other must have look is a long sleeve black/fuscia/purple printed silk dress with a plunging v-neck. The skirt of the dress is flared with the silk cut into panels with darted panels of black lace from the hem of the skirt. Overall this collection was okay, its very simple and certainly a safe play with classic Pucci styles for Williamson. There certainly were a lot of 60’s looks in the collection, but you can say that about every Pucci collection over the past 30 years. The key pieces of the collection that really stood out were the ponchos and bell-bottoms. I was impressed with Williamson sense of venture out of the normal and expected looks for the Pucci collection. But his exploration did lack a little focus overall.

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In the last 10 years Miucca Prada has slowly help guide Italian fashion into a very refined and defined lady like look and style. This season she notes that’s all over, its time to bring the Prada woman in a new era of change. Of coarse the opening section was the standard Prada Olive Green and black pallet. The looks in the opening section are very relaxed and lacked the standard Prada tailoring. Some of the strongest pieces in the opening section were all the poncho jackets. First was the olive green taffeta hooded jacket with raccoon fur on the back of the jacket. Another was darker green and both jackets were gathered at the bottom of the coat creating balloon shape to the jacket.

One of the main themes in the opening section is long form in the dresses and jackets. The shape or tailoring is focused around the balloon shape that we are seeing more and more this season. Prada played with several looks this season and she also played with textures. I found the bustier looks a little to constricting to the form she played with in the remainder of the collection. Although one great piece was a oversized wool knit v-neck sweater which was worn with one of the. Another low point to the collection is Prada’s use of animal prints and fur. The animal boustiers prints are repeats from her menswear collection and the abundant use of fur kind of kills the idea of this collection for a woman who is a activist! On a animal note, one of the must have pieces was a pleated leather skirt worn with a collarless fur coat.

The must have pieces from the collection are two sequin looks at the end of the show. First was the sequined strapless top worn with a pair of olive green taffeta pants. Another must have piece was the closing look of a black taffeta skirt with a beaded floral design covering the skirt. The skirt was worn with a black velvet top and black silk taffeta bomber jacket. The first thing one can notice about this collection is how Muccia Prada is starting to loosen up in this collection. Her tailoring is more relaxed and the overall structure of the looks is a little more mixed up. Prada said she wants to move away from the detailed girl who likes stylized pieces and looks.

In short this collection is a sign of what to come. I am here to warn you, your going to start dressing like you really don’t give a damn about what you look like. In Paris the younger generations (15-30) are already taking this look and building off of it. Women in Paris do tend to care about the quality of the pieces they buy and wear, their styles are becoming more and more relaxed and almost borderline “rolling out of bed”. Women in Paris are spending less time on makeup and hair and more time putting together looks that are very monochromatic and functional. The idea that American fashion might have pushed us this route sounds ridiculous, but there may be some truth. Even designers such as Jacobs and Posen are seeing and adopting the trend and jumping right into it feet first. It’s not grunge though; think I am starting to wear my boyfriends clothes more and more. On a negative note, I was a little upset with Miucca’s use of several accessories and looks from her menswear collection last month. Although I was not favorable of that show either.

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Posted by turlie at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Season after season luxury brands like Bottega Veneta pride themselves on bowing only to luxury over the creative force and trends that rule the fashion world. This season designer Tomas Maier continues his winning streak of moving the brand into a new chapter. For Fall Maier opted to give his clientele more elegance while catering to there needs. Although trends are never a hot topic at BV, one of its strongest opening looks was a gray cashmere dress with a half-moon ribbing design in the weave place around breast line of the dress.

In the opening section Maiers focus was on creating very sophisticated yet clean looks. Another trend that Maier tried to play with this season was the balloon/bell shape. He managed to create several looks that incorporated this silhouette; one that didn’t work was the gray wool skirt with bell shape waistline. A standout look with this silhouette was a light brown a-line dress which Maier molded the hem of the dress into a ballooned shape. A very simple dress with no embellishments or detailing, the flat seaming down the front of the dress creating a clean silhouette.

For Fall Maier also offered several suit looks for the BV client. The strongest looks were two skirt suits, first was a purple wool skirt suit. The sleeves are ¾ length with a wide cuff and empress high collar. An obvious inspiration is certainly St. Laurent from the late 50’s and early 60’s. Another great suit look was a gray tweed cropped blazer with long sleeves and high standing collar and lapels. The worn with a darker gray wool skirt that flared from the hip. Some might say these looks are to safe but the tailoring and attention detailing with the collars and lapel is evident.

The second section moved away from the conservative side of the brand and into the adventurous side of the brand. There were only two real standout looks in this section. First was all the cotton jersey, which really did not fit into the collection. Then there was all the tartan looks, Maier showed 2 different tartan prints in several color combinations. I was really excited to see my family tartan hit the runway this yet again. The green/black/orange tartan was used on the jacket and pleated skirt with a matching mini-bowler hat. I liked how the plating was gathered at the waist in a fan creating triangle design to the tartan.

The third section of the collection Maier showed several cocktail dresses that were short version of his evening gowns. The standout looks were all the silk chiffon with silk satin detailing. First there was the dark mauve silk chiffon long sleeve dress with a plunging v-neck line and matching silk sating sachet around the waist. Another strong dress was a black satin dress with a simple neckline and ribbing design around the waist. The dress was worn with a skinny gray silk necktie knitted at the bottom of the neckline. This look certainly is a nod to the masculine looks earlier in the collection. Then Maier shifted into a number of silk crepe dresses worn with a simple strand of beads or charm necklaces. I felt this transition really did not fit the collection or the brand.

In the opening of the BV collection Maier seemed to really be focused on a tailored and sophisticated woman. Unfortunately the evening section moved away from the classic BV style and into a Grecian almost bohemian styling. The must have pieces from the collection this season are not the clothing pieces. Its was the Bottega Veneta accessories, mostly its bags and purses. The must have pieces were the tartan design leather purses and bags. The color combination included purple/green tartan and a red/green tartan. The thatching of the leather creating the tartan is very detailed and the little rivets give it a modern twist. On the bags along I must give Maier a Bravo! But he also deserves one for the Tartan looks as well. Bravo Monsieur Maier!

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Designer Rifat Ozbek joined Pollini in 2003, and today is still moving looking to take the brand into a new future. The show notes list his inspiration for the Fall line was Edie Sedgwick, Capote, Swans and the Belle of the Ball! The focus is hinting on the 60’s and the opulence of Truman Capotes world of wealth and decadence. For the opening section Ozbek focused on two prints, which he used over and over. The prints looked like chintz and brocade designs; overall Ozbek was reaching to far back to the 60’s. I did not like all the printed jackets and a-line dresses and the all snake skin leather outfits.

Ozbek is a strong designer with strong beliefs and voice. This season he opts to take the Pollini look and keep it true and less trendy. One great piece is all the baggy pants, I love black crepe pant that is so baggy that it almost looks like a floor length gown. I love how Ozbek cuffed the pant by tying leg off ankle, creating a romantic cuff. The second section was full of decadent dresses and outerwear piece. One of the strongest looks in this section was the peacock print beaded dresses and gowns. One of the best peacock print looks is collarless jacket worn with black a-line dress with a shooting star design beaded on the breast line of the dress.

Ozbek has always had an eye in creating or recreating strong and bold prints. This season he hit the make with on really strong print, a gold on gold Moroccan screen print. The print is very simple and bold; he used the print on several looks. One of the strongest looks was a simple a-line dress, although I did not like the matching boots, way to into the 60’s. There was one print that Ozbek should have thrown into the scrap bin, a tiger striping that he add edited into one continuous print.

The must have looks in the collection include the tangerine wool coat. Tailored loosely and very clean looking. The other must have look is one of the Moroccan screen-prints pieces, this look was the last look of the collection. A simple tunic dress but the sleeves on the dress are fuller, they don’t flare, and rather they are just cut very straight. Sadly I felt this collection was too safe for Ozbek, although I am sure his trying to respect the Pollini Group’s wishes. Bottom line, Truman Capote is so passé, I am sick of Capote being on the runway, I am sure it’s the same for Brokeback Mountain.

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Posted by turlie at 01:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Alexander McQueen's footwear line with PUMA is now available to the public. Whether you buy it online or in the store the shoes are still over $200 each.

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One of the big trends at Milan Fashion Week is several designers are moving into a very masculine and clean look for Fall. At Marni, designer Consuelo Castiglioni moved away from the young and playful style the label is known for. This season Consuelo and her design team showed one of the most grown up and sophisticated collection in a long while. For the opening section Castiglioni focused on a straight and clean look combining little pinning detailing here and there. This straight style also opened the collection to a more relaxed and loose form. Consuelo abandoned that tapered leg pants of seasons past and showed several baggy and full legs pants. One the best look was a baggy gray wool pant worn with a dusty rose crepe blouse.

As the opening section progressed the collection slowly moved into some odd directions. One of the sour notes from the collection was the makeup on the models; the look is noted as “no color on the face, ghostlike and delicate”. They models didn’t look ghost like at all, more like they just dropped out of a body bag at a morgue. Another miss for the section was the prints, I didn’t like the leaf prints used on blouses and dress. I also did not like the printed sheer organza dresses.

One of the strongest looks in the opening section was a gray pinstripe collarless wool jacket. The shape of the jacket is very straight with the sleeves fanning out at the cuff, creating an almost balloon shape to the sleeve. On a odd note, the real belt for the jacket was used as a neck scarf, while a white belt was put around the waist of the jacket. For the evening section Consuelo focused on a very flowing modern silhouette, made up of boxy evening gowns. The models looked like they were covered with a sheet and tied with a belt. There is one evening coat that really stood out, a navy blue and ghost white paneled coat on Carmen Kass. The contrast seaming of blue on white creates a 60’s geometric design.

This collection as a whole really presented a lot of outerwear options. The must have outerwear looks included a cropped short sleeve brown wool jacket with a Cardin collar. The jacket was worn with a large polka-dot print blouse detailed with sequins and a pleated loose pant. The other look was a navy blue wool long sleeve overcoat with the fabric laser cut into a lace design from the waist down. The jacket was worn with a pale gray dress underneath.

Outside of all the great outerwear looks, the collection was a little lacking. The only other strong items were the accessories. The must be noted items were the necklaces and bracelets. The show seemed to be hit or miss with other, personally I felt like the collection was put together in a rather odd manner. Some of the looks seem to repeat from section to section. The coloring was not defined in one section rather reused over and over. I did find the collection a very clean and grown up look for Marni. Certainly a change from the 60’s edgy shapes and prints. The small selection of prints was the down point to the collection.

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Posted by turlie at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Season after season so many designers have tackled the Jil Sander signature look and this season newcomer designer Raf Simons showed his first women’s collection for the house of Sander. In the opening section alone it is obvious that Simmons abandoned the conventionalism and creativity by respecting the German intellect styling and minimalism that Sander herself built her brand off of in the 80’s and 90’s.

To the untrained eye this collection is just simple and textbook, but you have to look at the details and combinations of piece that Simmons built each look. One of the strongest looks of the collection is the pants suits in the opening section; Simmons added a little length to the loosely tailored jacket. Simmons also lengthened the sleeves. One strong look was black satin pant that was paired with a clean white dress shirt and muted black wool jacket. What is interesting is Simmons slowly added white dress shirts into the collection. A strong look was a white dress shirt worn with a black silk jersey skirt that is cut below the knee.

Simmons only showed a few skirt looks in the opening section. His attention to adding little details is evident in two looks. First was a black silk crepe pencil skirt worn with a sleeveless black crepe blouse. As the model walked you can see hidden pleating in the front and back of the skirt. With each step the pleats would fan out and then disappear. Simmons also played with this season’s big trend of a balloon silhouette. He showed a black crepe bubble skirt that was cut below the knee and worn with a black wool blazer. The length of the skirt is what really makes it a Sander style.

In the second section Simmons add more color by shifting the pallet to white and eggshell, then into grays. The strongest looks in the second section was all the outerwear another trend for Fall. Raf showed several wool overcoats in various lengths, one of the strongest was ¾ length overcoat in dark brown wool. Simmons also showed a handful of leather coats. One of the best leather looks was a white leather coat that was tailored with a lot of straight lines, creating a very modern and sleek jacket.

For his evening section Raf Simmons moved back to a all black pallet. He focused on a long and clean look for evening, showing gowns and even evening coat that were all floor length. One strong evening look was a black silk crepe long sleeve gown. Another great evening look was a black wool p-coat worn with a black cashmere turtleneck and black pants. Simmons also showed a couple of black cashmere cardigans for evening, worn with floor-length black gowns

The must have pieces from the collection are both from outerwear looks. First is one of the ¾ length wool coats. This one is in a bold brown color and tailored a little closer along the breast and loose along the hip. The other must have is a cropped wool jacket in eggshell. The jacket has a peter pan collar and the sleeves are loosely tailored like the bodice of the jacket. The jacket almost has a 60’s look to it but it is certainly a classic Sander look. This season Simmons proves his grasped the Sander Styling. Although there is something about the collection that does lend some hope or hint of more! I think Simmons attention to all the little details adds up in each look, from the hem length to the little twists of fabric on dresses and skirt. Bravo Monsieur Simmons!

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Posted by turlie at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s always nice to see a show celebrate Christmas during collection week, a very rare moment these days. For Fall the design duo Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana vision a winter wonderland. Obvious inspirations were from the St. Moritz to Madonna wannabe ski Bunny’s. The whole opening section was in all white and all knit. The D&G duo took this seasons big trend of knitwear and showed numerous looks built on a their chunky knitwear. Two jackets that really incorporated the knitwear and outwear combination is the white cashmere cable knit jacket. As well as the cashmere knit lace jacket worn with little brown and white knits shorts.

The knitwear options are endless, I love the chunky cable knit jackets, dresses, cardigan and sweaters. One of the first strong pieces was knit shorts look worn with a cable knit strap suspenders over a embroidered and knit organza sleeveless top. The top is a organza shell over a white satin lining, the organza is embroidered with a flower design. White cashmere ribbed knit is draped on the shoulders and and formed into a turtleneck collar. The detailing of this look has a couture quality, which is odd since their D&G line is their lower end label. This couture quality continues through the collection. Another striking piece is a white organza jacket with panel of cashmere knit floral design around the bottom of the jacket and a matching rib knit along the lapel, pockets, collar and cuffs.

Some of the low points of the collection were all the chunky leather clog and boots. Dolce and Gabbana also added one tartan look to keep with one big trend of the season; unfortunately the tartan blouse was too baggy. Another strong look in the first section was the white organza mini skirt with a snowflake design beaded on the skirt. Worn with a white cashmere cardigan covered in beading and pallet and cable knit strap suspenders. I also loved the white knit sweater top and matching skirt with a organza shell encrusted with a embroidered and beaded diamond design over the knit.

The second section was a little less covered. The duo showed several micro-minis and hot shorts worn with skimpy jacket or shirts. This section seemed to be a cross between a disco queen (with all the silver sequin pieces) and a ski bunny with all the hot shorts and leotard. Overall the second section seemed to be filled with a lot of repeat look from the first section. For the evening section Dolce & Gabbana only showed a handful of looks. Nothing really stood out in this section, the coloring of the looks jumped away from the stark white section but a few looks really popped out at you.

The must have looks for D&G this Fall includes the cocktail dress version of the organza and cashmere knit skirt seen earlier in the collection. The skirt is longer showing the detail of the embroidery and beading design. The look is topped off with white cashmere sleeveless halter turtleneck sweater. The must have look is the white cashmere rib knit body suit worn with a matching knit head scarf. The body combined with the chunky cable knit jacket is very dramatic. Overall I found the collection to be a little lost. I think the design duo tend to think their customer wants that whole rock-n-roll chick look each season and throw in looks or even sections that destroy the overall vision of the collection.

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Posted by turlie at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Designer Graeme Black fall collection for the Ferragamo is homage to styles of the 60’s in a very 70’s color pallet. In the opening of the collection Black showed 4 looks of dark rust colored suede used on a skirt, dress and jacket. He also continued his use of this color on a couple of rust color silk dresses. These monotone looks were decadent in the medium used, but his tailoring is to boxy and lacking in definition. Black moved away from the monotone looks and incorporated some prints that look to be reworks of some classic Ferragamo prints. First was a print of silk jersey, the coloring of the print is what really sets it off. But the strong point of the look is actually the bulky chocolate brown knit cardigan worn with the dress., The cardigan has wooden balls woven into the knit, completely covering piece.

Graeme showed all of the looks with dark hosiery or leggings, which created a completely covered, look on the models. A low point in the opening section was big puffball skirt, a little to far into the 60’s for the woman today! Certainly on trend that Black adopted for Ferragamo this season is knitwear. One of the best pieces is the camel color knit dress with a bubbled hem and the sleeve flare into a balloon silhouette towards the cuff. Another great trend that Black worked with was outerwear. I love the camel wool coat that is lined with magenta colored fur. Worn with an interesting velvet dress with a vertical and horizontal line box design.

The second section moved in more red and purples. Black also incorporated a new logo print, which he used on several dresses, and blouses, which really did not fit the style of the collection. The strong pieces of the second section are the pleated a-line dresses of silk chiffon. Graeme showed these dresses in a array of colors from burgundy, navy and chocolate brown. Graeme also showed more knit looks in this section, a standout look was a purple chunky cable knit sweater worn with a matching cable knit skirt.

For evening Black showed a very small selection of looks. His focus for evening the detail of beading and embroidery paired with a lot of rich fabrics like lame and mixing in delicate fabrics like tulle. The only real standout look in this section was a purple silk satin tube with a sleeveless purple tulle shell. The tulle shell was covered with tiers of frayed tulle and then crystal beads and purple pallets accenting the tiers. This look was the only striking look for evening overall.

The must have pieces from the collection are very different. First was a short sleeve cashmere cardigan with printed silk satin used for the short sleeves and on the front of the pockets. The other piece was a sisal weave wool coat that is reversible, chocolate brown on the outside and pale nude on the inside. What is interesting is how Black managed to mold the 70’s and 60’s into the collection. From adding earthy pallet of browns and reds to simple accessories. Some of the key pieces of the collection were the outerwear pieces. Black made sure that his clients had numerous options for outerwear as well as day wear. Unfortunately the overall look that he was focused on seemed to get lost in keeping the collection in a luxury brand style.

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Posted by turlie at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Giorgio Armani’s Fall/Winter collection for 2006 continues with his exploration of bringing his classic Italian tailoring into saga for his namesake label. The open looks included several suit and skirt combinations. The strongest pieces of these look are not the well-tailored jackets and blazers. Rather the pencil skirts that Armani created with flared and ruffled hems. The standout piece was a pale gray silk charmeuse skirt with the tailored to create ruffles. Worn with a simple black blazer. Another striking piece pencil skirt was the purple and black stripe silk jersey worn with a black pinstripe jacket.

The opening section was certainly all about creating a flounce to Armani classic relaxed tailoring. Whether it is a ruffle affect or even the placement of seaming to create new lines. One piece that defines this new introduction of a softer look for the Armani woman is a navy blue wool skirt with a matching jacket. The skirt has a cascade of ruffles down the front of the skirt and down the lapel of the jacket. Another soft but strong look in the collection were two blouses and two jackets that were made up of individual scallops of crepe laid one on top of the other. The blouses were worn under a very loosely tailored jacket and the jackets are shown in soft pink and purple hues.

Armani has never really been a big fan of creating prints but from time to time he will adapt a special print into a collection. Two pieces really stood out in this collection, first was a floral print on silk crepe dress with a plunging v-neckline. Another great print was in Gingko print that Giorgio put on a blouse and skirt. The standout piece was a black and white version of the print used on cropped long-sleeve dress jacket. The jacket hem is cut at a bias complimenting the draping lapels that go over the shoulder. The jacket lapels are lined with jet-black velvet, the draping of the lapel showcases the combination of the white background print with the black velvet.

For the second section Armani moved from the day to evening looks very smoothly. In this section he offered more geometric prints and focused more on detailing of lines in each of the looks. I was not a big fan of all the 80’s velvet looks he created in this section. The strongest looks of the collection were certainly in the evening section.

Armani certainly focused on all black evening section with little hints of color in the accessories or beading. One of the strongest looks was a black velvet evening gown with a crystal beaded bodice and a sliced panel of black velvet that is embroidered and embellished with more crystal beads. The velvet ends halfway down the gown and the bottom half is tailored into a balloon silhouette of muted black satin. While Armani’s use of velvet in this look was striking, he did show a flared and ballooned hem version of the same gown without the embroidery and beading. Which was not as dramatic! Another striking evening looks were the closing look of the collection, a plunging v-neck evening gown. The gown was completely encrusted in crystal beads with a soft white floral print around the bottom of the skirt. Although I didn’t like the hounds tooth print chiffon wrap worn with the gown. Overall the evening section consisted of two looks, long crystal beaded gowns that just moved like they were in movie. The major look was a number of velvet gowns, a big trend of the season.

The must have looks from this collection are two evening pieces. First was the black satin spaghetti strap gown that completed covered in multi-color palettes. The structure of the gown is close to the body with a flare at the knee and worn with a shredded silk satin and crepe wrap. The gown looked like it just fluttered with every step. The other must have look was the black silk satin strapless gown with a black tulle shell over the entire dress. The tulle shell is covered with little crystal beads and silk flowers in the collection colors of red and purple. Overall I found the collection very feminine and striking. Armani in the last few seasons has really come to understand that the women today like life and color in the clothes they wear. Bravo Monsieur Armani!

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Posted by turlie at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A staple during London Fashion Week, Fashion East showcased designer Marios Schwab’s first collection at the Bluebird restaurant. Schwab’s first section was very simple and very textbook. To embellish the looks Schwab added gold arch pins along the bust line or shoulders of simple long sleeve dresses and gowns. His focus was on a long and clean silhouette. He played with this look, like with the half short and half long dress. Schwab also added a few velvet looks to his collection, making sure he had some trend looks for the season. Sadly the opening section was lacking in vision or any signature look for the designer.

In the second section the designer took the opening section looks and embellished them. This turn in the right direction created some tailored looks that showed his attention to detail. I loved the red jersey top worn with a black stretch skirt with sheer cutouts along the stomach. Another standout piece was the short beaded lace dress with a drape of black chiffon from the waist gown to the ground on one side of the dress. Which is similar to the half and half look that Schwab used earlier in the collection. Overall the options are limited in this collection and overall Schwab was to safe with the use of textbooks shaped and looks throughout the collection.

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Posted by turlie at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For his first collection, designer Richard Nicoll listed his inspiration for this season was Victorian maids. In the opening section my first impression was not a Victorian maid rather the combination of this seasons Wild West mixed with a Azzadine Aliah form. The opening section was great in concept but the green apple color used on several looks did not compliment the overall concept. Although the gray wool skirts that are draped with a bubble shape are very dramatic and flattering on the models.

In the second section Nicoll kept with the Wild West template with a strict form close to the body. Unfortunately he tried to embellish one several looks, like the bulky velvet pants or black lace overlaid on gray wool skirts and pant. Nicoll also opted to keep with the tapered leg pant. Sadly these ideas really did not compliment the overall look that Nicoll was attempting to achieve. Later in the second section Nicoll moved back to a draped skirt look. I love the gray wool skirts with the fabric draped on the front of the skirt. Another strong look was a draped front gray wool skirt worn with a navy blue velvet biker jacket. Certainly one of the best velvet pieces I have seen so far in London.

Right before the evening section Nicoll showed several sequin looks that added decadence to the collection. First was a navy blue silk crepe pant covered in navy blue sequins, the pant leg is full with tapered cuff at the bottom. If Nicoll had kept the cuff loose like the pant leg, the pant would have been even more dramatic. The other sequin look was a short sleeve navy blue sequin jacket worn with a ballooned sleeve dress shirt and white denim pants. I was not to impress with all the polka-dot looks in this section, a look that was seen a lot last season.

The must have pieces of the collection includes the bias draped gray taffeta skirt with a bustle of the navy blue satin covered with navy blue sequins around the waist. The draping of the skirt is very modern but worn with a matching gray chiffon blouse bring the overlook down to classic look. Another must have look was a gray wool draped skirt with a high waistline and low bust line supported by straps of navy velvet. The low bust line dress was worn with one of Nicoll’s striped collarless dress shirts. I think if this dress is worn with a simple white men’s dress shirt would be stunning look. Of coarse the top three buttons need to be unbuttoned!

The collection as a whole was a little contrived, there were to many themes or looks mixed together. The high point of the collection was when Nicoll let go of the controlling forms and embellishments he used in the early part of the collection. Like the one of the gray wool jackets looks that was covered in lace. Although the first half of the collection was a miss Nicoll was able to bring it back with later half, providing several looks and pieces that are strong looks for the season. Bravo Monsieur Nicoll!

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It’s rare to see a designer really point his inspiration towards an artists work. Some might say its too cliché, while others find that focusing on an artist limits your options. For his Fall/Winter collection Jonathan Saunders looked to iconic art patron Peggy Guggenheim and her collection as a whole. So Saunders options are endless considering she had the largest collection of modern and contemporary artists works from the 20 century. For the opening section Saunders chose to work off of a Richard Floresheim prints. The opening looks consisted of tank dress and sleeveless turtleneck gown with the Floresheim print cascading up from the hem and from the down the neckline.

As the opening section progressed Saunders moved into converting several artist work into the structure of several pieces. I love the black satin dress with the gray and silver organza draped over the breast line around the neck and down the back. As well as the black and mauve striped chiffon skirt. The stripes were actually tiers of the colored chiffon that lies on a white organza shell. As the model walked the dress seemed to float up and down. The down side to some looks was the stretch leotard tops Saunders paired with several looks.

As Saunders moved on with the collection he showed various version of the Floresheim print as well as a geometric line print. He used the geometric line print on a empress waisted chiffon gown. With a black bodice and the crisscross print starting from the hem and moving up to the hip line. Another strong Floresheim print look was a simple strapless chiffon floor length gown with the print cascading down from the breast line to the hem. The coloring of the silk chiffon in the second section of steel blues mixed with gray is amazing. Matched with the long flowing forms of the dresses complimenting the bold Floresheim and Braque prints.

In the later half of the second section Saunders added more color with red and blue splashed into several looks. One look was a silk satin cocktail dress that combined a cascade pale blue and steel gray on silk satin tiered on a bias. The bias layering of the fabrics allowed the dress to move in every direction. For the evening section Saunders showed several full-length gowns. One the strongest look was a floor length tank gown with the silk chiffon dyed in tie-dye print. Cascading from black to gray and to white. Certainly a gown that Peggy Guggenheim would have worn in her earlier years!

The must have pieces of the collection include a cascading dot print on a silk chiffon tank dress, very reminiscent of Pollack. The other must have look is the black strapless silk crepe gown with panels of chiffon draping from the back. A star burst design is printed on the chiffon panels. The focal point of the black column dress with the print flowing out from behind creates a very dramatic affect as the model took each step. So many argue that fashion is not art! This season Saunder has proven that fashion and art are one in the same in terms of creating something amazing with inspiration and vision. Like the Mondrian dress back in the 60’s, this collection is full of inspiration and Jonathan really understood an artists vision. Bravo Monsieur Saunders!

view collection here

[images via style.com]

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For his second women’s wear collection designer Paul Smith noted his inspirations for the collection was the 40’s and female barrier breaker Katherine Hepburn. In the opening section Smith focused on a number of pant looks and versatile masculine looks worn with skirts. One of the first pieces to really pop out was the 50’s bobby sock mohair sweater in off white worn with a knee length skirt. Smith is known for his menswear and tailoring and his focus on tailoring in this collection is not at a extremely level. A large portion of the opening section is very relaxed. He did show a number of tapered leg pants but the best pant for the Smith women was a wide leg pant. Like the Windsor check pants with a shortened pant leg.

Smith was certainly open to playing with color this season and his gold taffeta skirts; blouses and jacket were a big miss for the designer. The opening section was very understated and clean cut; Smith seemed to be light on the experimentation of tailoring. Two looks that were certainly not fitting into the opening section and were great looks was the fur coat and cape that were lined in 60’s geometric print on silk satin. And the blue and gray plaid print pencil skirt in wool worn with a printed silk chiffon blouse.

The second section was all about experimenting with color and mixing several prints. A lot of the prints were a little too busy and were paired properly in several looks. The best looks in this section were a lot of Smith’s signature pieces. First were the chocolate brown cashmere cardigan and a matching wool pencil skirt. Another was a printed silk jersey dress, which Smith showed 3 different versions. This one incorporates a tailored silhouette with and a matching jacket. For the evening section Smith showed several Polk-a-dot dresses and gowns. Sadly the Polk-a-dot was a look from last season.