While it's always fun to see what's fresh and fashionable on the catwalks each season, as a Fashion Futurist, I've always found the designers' inspirations just as interesting as the clothes themselves - perhaps more so. I curated the most interesting collection-inspirations from NYC, London, Milan and Paris & chose the 80 collections with the most compelling backstories.
For fall 2014, many designers seemed to long for a return "better" days - kind of memory "comfort food" if you will - which manifested as a particularly a strong vein of being inspired by "primitive" crafts-as-arts, outsider art including fiber art, retro ethnic weaving. whirling dervishes & tribal tales born along the Silk Road. A more modern manifestation of this hankering for paradise lost showed up in the form retro advertising, comic book-ready sensibilities and a backlash against the juggernaut of commerce, particularly in the garish McDonald's-themed looks by Jeremy Scott for Moschino and the giant Chanel-branded supermarket fully stocked with everything from soap to food to bathmats bearing the interlocking Cs that served as the maison's pre$entation venue.
3. Where many of New York's influential designers
seemed to be under the sway of monochrome,
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez
instead took a detour into psychedelic. "It's
about energy, humor, and speed," Hernandez
said backstage. "We didn't overthink it; we said,
'Let's have fun.'" And they did, finding
inspiration in ceramist Ron Nagle's work at the
Venice Biennale, adding: "It got us on this
whole trip." And when the eye travels, good
things happen. Like this zippy collection.
Proenza Schouler
5. Although textile artist Sheila Hicks has been
making her critically-acclaimed 2D and 3D fiber
sculptures for decades, fashion designer Joseph
Altuzarra only happened to discover her during
Art Basel Miami Beach. He found himself
inspired by her work from the 1970s and
channeled it into colorful and beautifully lavish
looks that integrated easily into his elegant
aesthetic and unabashed love of luxurious
fabrications.
Altuzarra
7. When Eric Clapton put Gerhard Richter's
Abstraktes Bild (809-4) up for auction
at Sotheby's in 2012, it sold within
five minutes and set a new record the
work of a living artist: a cool £21.3
million. The Felder twins found
themselves under this popular artist's
sway this season, channeling his vibe
into mesh panels, mohair and pop
prints.
Felder Felder
9. Fausto Puglisi is a colorful character. "I want
to be a little Frank Sinatra of fashion—you
know he was Sicilian, right?" said the
Milan-based designer backstage. "This is
my American dream." Dreaming of nation
of technicolored immigrants, he sent out
exuberant shapes in an explosion of
brights inspired both by Malevich and
Delaunay. Plus a little Ballets Russes. And
via a few fun prints, even the Statue of
Liberty made an appearance.
Fausto
Puglisi
11. The magnificently messy paintings of Jackson
Pollock railed against excessive
luxury...which is why it's kind of ironic that
Sportmax used his work to inspire this
collection with its over-the-top energy. The
bold prints, luxe textiles and densely-
packed color created a sartorial statement
that is the opposite of restraint.
Sportmax
13. Designer Roksanda Ilincic likes her
modern art. She cited as influences the
bold use of color by both Jessica
Stockholder and Mel Bochner. The
pairing of burgundy with blue would be
an eye-catching way to sail through fall
and brave the dreary doldrums of winter
with some panache. Particularly if you
slip on some of the Nicholas Kirkwood
loafers that walked this colorful
collection down the runway.
Roksanda Ilincic
Jessica
Stockholder
15. Derek Lam's downtown-cool collection (which
recently moved further uptown) was inspired by
this weirdly-cool, mid-twentieth century West
German lava pottery. With its garish colors,
bizarre patterns and singular shapes, you either
hate on it or love it. Design director Elizabeth
Giardina apparently falls into the latter camp and
managed to channel these offbeat objects into
really cool clothes. Particularly awesome is the
textural ombré brushed mohair wool that closely
mirrors the ceramics.
10 Crosby
Derek Lam
17. Loretta Lux (b. 1969) is a Monaco-based, East
German born fine-art photographer known
for her surreal images of young children.
Her work includes interesting proportions,
which Francisco Costa was scoping out to
take Calvin Klein Collection in a hipper
direction. "It felt like the clothes needed to
be cooler, urban," he adds. And Polar
Vortex ready, too, with tons of mohair coats,
dresses and snuggly separates.
Calvin Klein
19. Don't let John Rocha's diminutive stature
fool ya. His aesthetic looms large and in
charge, with volume-rich silhouettes
adorned with yet more volume in the
way of oversize hats, unruly ruffles and
floral flourishes. He also loves the work
of Pierre Soulages, a French artist
known for his love of the dark side of the
paint palette. And for some reason, it all
just works.
John Rocha
21. If the term "900 gram double-faced cashmere"
doesn't ring a bell, you're probably not
shopping in the right spots. Suffice it to say if it
shows up on the Olsens' The Row runway, it's
the best in its class. Their quietly super-
spendy label specializes in amazing fabrics
and low-key designs for fashion'y jetsetters
like themselves. When they laid hands on this
amazing textile, they admit to being "instantly
obsessed." The only trouble with slouchy
ensembles like these is that they're so cozy
looking, it's like being wrapped in your own
cocoon...and you may never want to emerge
again - until the next runway show by The
Row, of course.
The Row
23. Corsets, construction, control. A gang of three Cs
that Sarah Burton is over this season for
Alexander McQueen. "I wanted to see the
woman's face again," she explained backstage.
"Free her a bit, touch her, feel her." The "wild
beauty" she found herself inspired by emerged
on a "catwalk" covered in heather and illuminated
by moonlight, cocoony-trapeze silhouettes that
were almost childlike in feel. Almost.
Alexander
McQueen
25. Although he cited hunting, mountain climbing &
other sporty outdoor activities involving
"extreme conditions and survival" as his
inspiration, Wang's stuff will always be more
suited to doing battle within the urban jungle.
Particularly cool was the heat-activated leather
used in the previous slide - it changes colors!
To finish the show, more than a dozen models
showcased similar ensembles made from this
fabric that variously morphed from black to blue
or from yellow to purple and then slowly faded.
Alexander Wang
27. Wow, a collection called "Fade to
Grey" based entirely on gray
flannel. How exciting. Not. Which
makes one realize what a talent
Giorgio Armani is to be able to
take this most corporate-climber
of fabrics and morph it into
something so stylish. The splish-
splashes of juicy lime green
throughout were pretty much
genius, helping to add zest
without upsetting the serene.
Giorgio Armani
29. A fun muse inspired Georgina Chapman and Keren
Craig for fall: a "Scottish woman who's a little bit
more disheveled in winter, with this static hair like
she's running through the fields in the Highlands."
But don't think Brigadoon or Braveheart. Rather
than a twee tartanfest, this sassy lassie stays warm
by layering on opulent, rich fabrics in the gorgeous
colors of the local landscape.
Marchesa Highland House by Ros Rowell
31. Even if you're not a Club Kid, you can still appreciate
KTZ's voluminous pleated skirts, tees made from
organza and leather cut into geometric patterns with
lasers. Designer Marjan Pejoski was still inspired by
the nomadic vibe for fall, particular the plush
Moroccan Handira wedding blankets. Woven by
hand using 100% wool, Berber women bling them up
with sequins and wear them during the actual
cerermony. Non-Berber globetrotters enjoy using
them as rugs, bedspreads and caszh-chic throws.
KTZ
33. Eco-minded Edun was founded by Bono & Ali
Hewson, is owned by LVMH and is
currently designed by Danielle Sherman,
former design director of T by Alexander
Wang and part of the launch team of the
Olsen twin's super-spendy label, The Row.
This season, her second, she visited the
archives of the Quai Branly museum in
Paris for a good look at their collection of
African textiles dating back to the 1800s.
"What was interesting to me," she notes,
"were the natural, earthy colors."
EDUN
35. The Hermès femme that
Christophe Lemaire
wardrobes so elegantly each
season certainly loves to
globetrot, has her own stash
of cash and keeps her own
council. If she
Instagrams...if....and if it's a
selfie (another big if), it's a
way to introduce her
followers to the latest
fascinating individual she's
met on her journey. This
time, she's been sharing
good, strong tea with her
Mongolian tribal hosts and
admiring the amazing
collection of Persian carpets
cozying up the inside of the
family yurt.
Hermès
37. Okay so maybe Veronica Etro didn't literally
channel the Silk Road proper, but her journey of
inspiration this season was certainly well-
appointed and a touch exotic, as always. The
rich fabrics, adept layering and visual feast of
patterns, embroidery, color, fur and
fabulousness were all spot-on for the
freewheeling globetrotter - wherever she the
Winds of Fortune direct her to touch down come
fall.
Etro
39. Designer Jonathan Anderson is a fan of making
shapes. He talks about it a lot and his
collections tend to toy with novel proportions
and fresh silhouettes. Which is something
that can either be offputting or put you
squarely in the category of fan. Which, come
to think of it, would make a cool shape-
inspiration for an outfit.
J.W. Anderson
41. What does one do with a heritage brand
approaching its 200th anniversary to stay
relevant - or perhaps even ahead of the
fash curve? Current Creative Director
Massimo Nicosia decided the time was
right for Pringle of Scotland to explore 3-D
printing. He teamed up with architect
Richard Beckett and they used principles
of engineering to create cool-looking
twinsets and warm wool coats. Very next-
level knitwear. And while it may not feel
like cashmere, it's awesome in its own
right.
Pringle of Scotland
43. From the ligaments and thumbprints of the
human body to the wood, rocks and
glaciers that make up the external
topography, it was the idea of
environment that inspired the gorgeous
quilted pieces at Threeasfour. "The
fingerprints told us what to do," observed
one of the trio. "It's like we captured a
cloud," added another. Whatever they
may happen to call it, I call it fabulous.
threeASFOUR
45. Lisa Birgitta Bernstone was born in Sweden
in 1911 and studied dance and art in
Berlin. When she moved to Paris to study
ballet, she was discovered in an elevator
by a photographer and asked to model
hats. Vogue got a hold of the images and
helped turn her into a modeling legend.
During the 30s, 40s & 50s, Lisa
Fonssagrives-Penn earned more money
than almost any other model of her day,
as well as praise and acclaim. And she
still continues to inspire. Most recently,
Christian Siriano. "A friend sent me a
photo of Lisa," he explained in a
backstage interview, and he loved the
"texture with light and shadow." And so,
she became his muse for the season with
a collection that looks like it walked
directly off the set of one of Lisa's shoots.
Christian Siriano
47. Starting in the late 1950s and into the 60s, a
group of fresh-faced French filmmakers
began making movies that were the
antithesis of the ponderous literary
novels of the day. Their youthful filmic
take on current social issues was shot
on location if possible, using
experimental techniques and especially
hand-held. Dubbed the French New
Wave or La Nouvelle Vague (everything
sounds better in French), Jean-Luc
Godard's Bande à Part and François
Truffaut's Jules et Jim inspired Gaia
Trussardi for fall. Her cool, menswear-
chic clothes would definitely be
something both Anna Karina's and
Jeanne Moreau's characters would love
to wear. Et moi aussi.
Trussardi
49. Knitwear has rising new star known as
Helen Lawrence, who infused her usual
dark Goth vibe with some fun cavegirl
chic. The result? Kinda cartoony, kinda
cool and kinda me-likey. A lot. Paired
with leather skinnies and cool boots,
this Fred Flintstone tunic would easily
transition from updown to downtown -
or vice versa.
Helen
Lawrence -
Fashion
East
51. Lifestyles of the born-rich and living-
debauched never cease to fascinate.
Kitsch king Henry Holland decided to
round up a group of "House of
Holland harlots" and outfit them in
glam, often-stuffy fabrics which he
treated with just enough disrespect to
make them modern. And fun in that
so-bad-it's-good way.
House of Holland
53. Okay so runway show notes tend to be rife with
purple prose and high-falutin' metaphorical
mysteries. Like using "minimalism" in the same
breath as this collection - and yet...there is
something undeniably zen about what Antonio
Berardi put together for this season. A complex
but at the same time uncomplicated elegance in
chic color combinations with kickass footwear.
Antonio Berardi
55. When Marco Zanini moved to Schiaparelli, he was
replaced by Alessandro Dell'Acqua. A Milan-
based designer, he's trying to focus in on
giving a recognizable sartorial signature to the
"very French" vibe at Rochas, which is better
known for its fragrance than fashion at present.
Rochas
57. Of all the reasons fashion designers channel the
past - cool construction techniques (less often),
inspiration (often), laziness (most of the time) -
Paul Smith's stated reason for mining the late
1970s was on the less lame end of the scale. He
is of the mind that during this period, women
didn't have the luxury of fast fashion and the high
street, so when it came to developing their
personal style, they had to be more resourceful. A
quality which is always in style.
Paul
Smith
59. Raf Simons has long been fascinated with
codes, from those who break them, like Alan
Turing, who cracked WWII's Enigma Code,
to the codes that hide in the everyday
clothing we wear. And his fascination has
certainly proved to be fertile ground for
fabulous fashion, season after season after
season at Christian Dior.
Christian Dior
60. Zero + Maria Cornejo
• Inspiration: school uniforms from her
childhood in Chile
61. Growing up in Chile, Maria Cornejo spent
many a year in wearing classic black
pinafore dresses over crisp white shirts.
She revisited this childhood sartorial
staple in this collection, which marks her
15th anniversary. Naïveté does have a
certain timeless charm that will no doubt
appeal to her loyal fans like Cindy
Sherman, Tilda Swinton, Miranda July,
and Karen O.
Zero +
Maria
Cornejo
63. A newcomer this season to the Fashion East
incubator was Louise Alsop. A young
designer - figuratively & literally - she
channeled her age group's youthful vibe
that flows on the streets of East London.
From tatts to the knuckles of street urchins,
if it was cool, it walked the runway.
Louise
Alsop -
Fashion
East
65. Gary Graham is kind of a fash-insider label but
definitely one worth knowing about if you like
Victorian'ish stuff that sort of looks like you
unearthed it in a really cool antiques shop. At
this point, Keith Richards kind of qualifies as an
antique (top shelf, of course) and one of
Graham's cooler references for the fall collection
was an old pic of Richards exiting the band's
private jet (previous slide). It inspired this
gorgeous jacket which has the same devil-may-
care sensibility and trend-free feel.
Gary
Graham
67. Osman Yousefzada is better known in his native
UK (he hails from Birmingham) than stateside.
He graduated Central Saint Martins and
continues to find inspiration in the costume and
clothing of ancient cultures. As did this season's
muse, Talitha Getty, the late-60s style icon
married to the oil heir and and philanthropist
John Paul Getty, Jr.
Osman
69. Almost 500 years after her death, the rise
and tumultuous fall of Anne Boleyn
continues to fascinate, resonate, inspire.
She was placed in the context of a punk
court by designer Simone Rocha, and
then outfitted in Tudor-inflected finery
with some bite. Which feels just right.
Simone Rocha
71. Known for her visually arresting digi-
prints, the designer gave the
eyepopping part a rest this season in
favor of "prints" of another kind: signs
and symbols. Obvious signifiers are
coats of arms but they can also include
the professional butcher's apron, a
tycoon's pinstripes and school
uniforms. Katrantzou even went so far
as to riff on men's rooms' signs to
balance all the hoity-toity'ness of
heraldic emblems with a lil' low-minded
pop-culture.
Mary Katrantzou
73. During a pre-show interview backstage, Bottega
Veneta designer, Tomas Maier, explained that
fall was inspired by "puzzles." Which could be a
fussy mess of #epicfail proportions in the wrong
hands. Fortunately Maier is a ninja at making the
convoluted look effortless, easy and completely
desirable. Sassy, even. How he manages to
consistently pull it off with such panache is, I
think, the real puzzle.
Bottega
Veneta
75. Chic clothing may not jump to mind when you hear
Porsche Design, but just about everything else
does, including watches, sunnies & luggage.
The brand's creative director, Thomas
Steinbrueck - formerly president of
merchandising and design at Kenneth Cole -
found himself resonating with both retro
grooviness and futuristic flair. "The collection
was inspired by late-'70s alpine wear, but it was
more about the mood," he explains. "We
wanted it to be retro-futuristic, not retro."
Porsche
Design
77. He may have been born in Germany, but
Markus Lupfer is quite the Anglophile.
And the English, they do love their classic
vacay weekends at seaside locales such
as Brighton & Blackpool. Some of
Lupfer's models sported fun, slogan-
sweatshirts with "Bingo" and "One
Sandwich Short of a Picnic" but beneath
the breezy exterior lurked some serious
style messages.
Markus Lupfer
79. Ordinarily, were a designer to note that a particular
collection was inspired by re-envisioning a journey
through the physical space of his office, my
response would be pretty unprintable. However,
Hussein Chalayan ain't yo' ordinary fashion
designer. Who knew an office could conjure up
such stylish loveliness? Beautiful draping, lush
fabrics, gauzy goodness, offbeat intarsia knits...this
is one office I wouldn't mind spending more than 40
hours a week in.
Chalayan
81. A: Using a high-pressure water mixture -
requiring TONS of water - to inject sand
& potentially-carcinogenic chemicals
deep into the earth and rock in order to
release the shale gas within.
Q: What is fracking & why is it so harmful?
Short for "hydraulic fracturing", the fracking
issue inspired Dame Westwood this
season in her ongoing crusade to raise
awareness of environmental issues
before it's too late. "Fracking We Need
To Talk" was the theme for Fall 2014,
which spun a story about woman born
into wealth but who remains engaged in
the world. And eccentrically well-
dressed.
Vivienne
Westwood
Red Label
83. Consider: 30 % of the human
genome is patented. "Pilfered"
is the word Iris Van Herpen
would probably choose and
dubbed her collection
"Biopiracy." It's not that she's
an alarmist or anti-progress,
she's just in favor of not being
asleep about what's happening
on the murky frontiers of
biotech."It is just raising
questions," she (modestly)
said about her show, which
included a runway flanked by
models vacuum-sealed in
upright sheets of plastic.
"Bringing an explosion of the
inside to the outside," she
continued by way of
explanation. Whatever the
actual letters of this code, the
overall language I understand.
And am here to tell you that
resistance is futile.Iris Van Herpen
85. Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E.
M. Forster and Lytton Strachey were
all part of the influential group of
English writers, intellectuals,
philosophers and artists known as the
Bloomsbury Group. Mostly educated
at Cambridge, they fancied
themselves arbiters of aestheticism in
early-twentieth-century Britain. They
liked to hang out at a country estate
called Charleston to carouse, be
creative, write, compose and paint.
The clothing on the Burberry runway
seemed tailor-made for the artists'
models to toss during breaks in being
sketched so as not to have to be in
the buff while strolling about
Charleston's gardens. Burberry's
Creative Director & now-CEO,
Christopher Bailey, has a longtime
passion for the Bloomsbury group. He
not only collects Bloomsbury artists
but is actively working with the trust
that preserves Charleston.
Burberry
Prorsum
87. Phillip Lim took a stroll on the sunny side
of the street, taking the edge off any fall
and winter chill by dreaming up a muse
named Soleil and kitting her out with
appropriately sunny gear. The
macaron-pastel shades were
particularly delicious, especially for
warding off any cold weather doldrums.
Life is short. Why not make it stylish -
and colorful!
3.1 Phillip Lim
89. The practice of whirling as a form of worship or "dhikr" -
meaning remembrance of God - emanates from
Konya in Turkey and dates back to the Sufi followers
of the 13th century Persian poet Rumi (Jalal ad-Din
Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi). "Dervish" is a term for an
initiate of that particular path. "I've always wanted to
reference the whirling dervishes," said designer Tia
Cibani before her show, which was decorated with
rugs from the region and show-goers served mint
tea and Turkish delights. Similarly delightful also
were many of the exotic looks she showed, like this
one.
Tia Cibani
91. Female artists Giosetta Fioroni, Carol Rama, and
Carla Accardi were on the minds & mood
boards of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo
Piccioli. "They were rule breakers," explain the
designing duo behind Valentino about these
ladies of Italian Pop art from the sixties and
seventies. "Nobody believed that women could
be artists."
Valentino
93. Ralph Lauren can always be counted on to
channel G-L-A-M-O-U-R. His cowboy
obsession is a tad ho-hum at this point and
Old Hollywood, well, there's nothing
surprising there. But Aztec, now that's an
interesting twist - especially in luxe fabrics
like satin, brushed suede and Mongolian
lamb.
Ralph Lauren
95. Anna May Wong was born Wong Liu Tsong
("Frosted Yellow Windows") in 1905, the
Chinese-American daughter of a
Chinatown laundryman. As Anna May
Wong, her screen credits include the
now-lost "Bits of Life" (1921) with Lon
Chaney and "The Toll of the Sea" (also
1921), the tale of Madame Butterfly as
told in Hollywood Technicolor.
As the first Chinese-American movie star
and queen of the silent movie era, she
was known for her fiercely fashionable
chinoiserie and Art Deco glam. All catnip
to a color- & print-obsessed fashion
hippie like Anna Sui.
Anna Sui
97. Karl Lagerfeld took somewhat of a romantic voyage
at Fendi back to the day when it was customary
for a women to receive a floral corsage from her
man when embarking upon a train journey. "You
bought me violets for my furs and there was blue
in the wintry sky," sang Billie. "You pinned the
violets to my furs and gave a lift to the crowds
passing by. You smiled at me so sweetly. Since
then one thought occurs That we fell in love
completely...the day you bought me violets for my
furs."
Fendi
99. The mega-talented Alessandra Facchinetti
always has an interesting design point of
view. Like using all that high-end leather at
her disposal working for the luxury goods
label Tod’s and coming up with something
fresh. She noted after her show that she
was more interested in the fabric-like
qualities of leather rather than biz-as-usual
and treating it like a skin. Which certainly
gave a nice bit of edge to her classic
silhouettes in cool colors.
Tod’s
101. Who wouldn't love having an eccentric father
whose hobby is collecting armor? And
who wouldn't love to wear looks like this
one? Tory Burch's surprisingly cool take
on the subject adeptly translated the
antique version into warrior wear suited to
doing battle in the modern world. Love.
Tory
Burch
103. When the Norman kings from the North
invaded southern Italy, they brought with
them their own myths and legends.
According to Stefano Gabbana, this was
when fairies entered Italy. Which is
certainly charming inspiration for a Dolce
& Gabbana collection brimming with just
the right amount of fairy dust for most any
wardrobe in need of a little magic to brave
the winter doldrums in style.
Dolce &
Gabbana
105. Some of us think about things like "warmth" and "royalty" one
way. And then there's Jun Takahashi of Undercover. The
crowns atop his models' heads were meticulously
constructed from tiny braids. Where actual monarchs carry
a jeweled sovereign's orb - the British one was created in
1661 for the coronation of Charles II & symbolizes their role
as defender of religious faith - the mannequins at
Undercover palmed a shiny, electronic version in red. Red
was also employed as a juicy accent color; not only in the
eerie red contact lenses with matching red mascara, but in
the clothing. A lovely touch as red looks particularly striking
paired with porcelain-blue.
So, do I understand this collection? Heavens no. Do I love it?
Hell yes.
Undercover
107. Under the full moon of the runway show design
that shone on the catwalk proceedings below,
Antonio Marras explored the shadowy world of
wolves and wolf archetypes. The wolf in Little
Red Riding Hood made an appearance, as did
the lone wolf of the steppes which inspired
Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf. Even the models
were gussied up like the beautiful dual-natured
replicant Rachael of Blade Runner. All wolves,
both literal and figurative, and mysterious. Not
the clothes though - though were beautiful (as
usual) even to the non-predatory eye.
Antonio
Marras
109. "The theme of the collection this time is MONSTER,"
explains the consistently prescient and thoughtful
Comme des Garçons designer, Rei Kawakubo.
"It's not about the typical Monster you find in sci-fi
and video games. The expression of the Monsters
I have made has a much deeper meaning. The
craziness of humanity, the fear we all have, the
feeling of going beyond common sense, the
absence of ordinariness, expressed by something
extremely big, by something that could be ugly or
beautiful. In other words, I wanted to question the
established standards of beauty."
Comme
des
Garçons
111. Manga artist Yoshiyasu Tamura was enlisted by
designer Sarah Burton to create a vibrant
print for the younger, zippier McQueen sibling
brand. The sights and neon feel of Tokyo
showed up on leather, denim, transparent
nylon and even a puffer coat. Anyone know
the street-slangy way to say "I want. A lot."
McQ
Alexander
McQueen
113. In his coverage of the Dsquared² show for Style.com,
Tim Blanks noted that Shirley Bassey was loudly
wailing "Tonight I gave the greatest performance of
my life"...at 10 am. In the morning. "Right there was
the very essence of extravagant female camp," he
writes, "in the spirit of the mid-sixties finest slice of
lunatic glamour, Valley of the Dolls." Seriously,
what's not to love about that?
Dsquared²
115. Pop-precursor artist Yayoi Kusama was probably
most famous during the early 70s, when her way
with psychedelic colors, repetition and pattern
influenced no less than Claes Oldenburn and
Warhol. After a period of being kind of forgotten,
the world has once again remembered that one
of the most important modern artists to come out
of Japan is still alive! Andrew Gn recently fell
under her spell, which certainly added a nice
anime kick to his relentlessly classic aesthetic.
Andrew Gn
117. "Cloth harbors the power of life," read the Issey
Miyake runway show notes. "Wrap yourself in it
and feel an instantaneous metamorphosis into
pure joy at the wonder of living." Um....if that
means the abstract leaf graphic prints and
infectious Art Deco feel that jazzed on down the
runway...then whatever it may mean, I'm in.
Issey
Miyake
119. Alberta Ferretti lives in a small forest and
decided to bring nature in for a catwalk she
characterized as "a metamorphosis of nature
and woman." Craftspeople from Florence
worked a feather-strewn palette of fall greens
and leaf-turning oranges into a lovely sartorial
homage. "Like sunlight through trees," she
observed. Indeed. Also lush, lovely and
lustworthy.
Alberta
Ferretti
121. The influential German photographer
Thomas Ruff has been spanning genres
for three decades, but is best known for
his manipulation of existing images. His
"Sterne" (stars) series inspired the photo-
prints Albert Kriemler put to good use
this season in a collection for Akris which
is, as usual, on-trend but in a trendproof
way.
Akris
123. Scratch a fashion icon and underneath, you'll discover
a uniform. Just look at any reputable "Best
Dressed" list, where the woman who haunt them
(literally...for many of them are dearly departed at
this point - Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn
Monroe and Katharine Hepburn and Dorothy
Dandridge) found their silhouette and stuck by it
loyally. Like a good soldier, or maybe on the
Versace runway, a toy soldier. But a smartly
appointed one, even if the uniform idea thing was
interpreted a tad to literally for my somewhat
eclectic taste.
Versace
125. Marni is kind of an oddball label, but for rich-hippie
type oddballs. Think Stevie Nicks in her prime with
enough Made in Italy decadence (& craftsmanship)
to temper any annoying American puritan
tendencies. For fall, Consuelo Castiglioni made the
collection about "our world, but more than usual." If
you're looking to hoist your fashion freak flag, this
is where you'll want to let 'er fly.
Marni
127. "I'm getting all New Agey in my own, abstract, do-
it-yourself way," explained Rick Owens about
his collection. Wha?? Did the high priest of
apocalyptical chic decide to ditch the dark and
switch sides? "Try and enjoy the serene
benevolence of presenting a story of love," he
emailed his models before the show. The plot
thickens. The procession of cocoon-like capes,
fabrics with a soft embrace and layered
goodness resulted in a most satisfying
denouement. All hail Love, the new black.
Rick Owens
129. Shibori-dyed fabrics. Zipper
embellishments. Mountain-
climbing rope embroidered onto
jackets. Drapey silk-cord fringe.
The joy of the artisanal and the
handcrafted were infused with
just the right amount of tribal
charm at Stella McCartney. This
collection is perfect for the
woman on the move who
happens to be in the mood for
some offbeat charm with her chic.
Stella McCartney
131. Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters.
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Page ages page ages page ages.
Wiped Wiped wire wire.
Sweeter than peaches and pears and cream.
Gertrude Stein penned these words in "Sacred Emily"
(1922). Sonia Rykiel's artistic director, Geraldo da
Conceicao, sees what he does the same way that Stein
sees a rose as a rose is a rose. Now, whether you
would consider items like a roomy bathrobe coat with
great swathes of yak hair or a jacquard sweater
festooned with a grid of roses to be "just clothes" - well,
that depends in large part on what it is you normally
spend your days (and nights) doing.
Sonia Rykiel
133. Lee Miller (1907-1977) was a New York-born
model turned photographer of fashion & fine art
in the 20s. Being stunning and talented has
always gone over well in places like Paris,
where they were mad for her. She worked as a
correspondent for Vogue during WWII,
covering the London Blitz, the liberation of
Paris, and the concentration camps at
Buchenwald and Dachau. A worthy, worthy
muse for the surprisingly classy clothes oozing
Jazz Age luxe at Roberto Cavalli. It would
appear that being a history buff *suits* him.
Roberto
Cavalli
135. The previous slide shows photographer
Lee Miller taking a bath in Hitler's
tub. When she entered the
apartment in Munich in 1945, it was
occupied by Allied Forces and
exactly as Hitler had left it, including
portraits of himself everywhere (like
on the tub ledge). Like Hannah
Höch (below), a Weimar period
Dada artist & originator of the
photomontage, these ladies were
fearless. "These women were doing
things which were quite radical at
the time, like wearing men's clothes,
but which today seem quite normal,"
explains Phoebe Philo, who used
the Miller photo as the jumping off
point for this kickass Céline
collection. "I very much wanted
women in men's clothes, but it was
a complex idea so we brought it
back to a quite feminine silhouette."
Céline
137. Dadaists such as Blumenfeld, Picabia, and Man Ray
were all name-checked by Carven’s Guillaume
Henry as helping inspire this retro'ish collection
which seemed to summon the ghosts of wartime
fashion glamour. People claim to want peace, but
the fab footwear as well as some of the bolder prints
could easily induce even the most zen fashionistas
to head straight for the shopping warpath.
Carven
139. In the #ohlightenupalready category of things, I would
place the Style.com fashion writer who sniffed
about "erstwhile high-fashion" bearing the image
of Darth Vadar as being "gimmicky" and possibly
smacking of "corporate bullying." Um, it's just
fashion, it depicts aspects of the collective
unconscious, meaning that what erstwhile ("in the
past" or "former") has to do with anything, I'm
unsure. What I am sure of is that I think it would be
fun to pay playful sartorial homage to the Dark
Side.
Preen
141. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away
there occurred an epic tale we all still love.
Including the Rodarte sisters, who took the
stuffing out of boring eveningwear this
season with awesome Star Wars-print
gowns. "Silly" sniffed the (stuffy) Style.com
reviewer. Oh, lighten up already. If red
carpet event you have and dress you need
- and cheeky you are...hmmmmm? - then
epic gown I've found for you to steal the
show in.
Rodarte
143. For many non-Americans, the culture and lore
of the Wild West holds endless fascination.
Toga designer Yasuko Furuta explored
pioneer America through the lens of the
spaghetti Western and came up with some
really cool looks. Perhaps non dude-ranch
ready, but certainly spot-on for round-ups
in the real world.
Toga
145. Visiting kin for a few months in
Mississippi, Ashley Williams must
have been bitten by the local rodeo-
queen glamour-girl vibe. The equine
motif even carried into the fringe/mane
(previous slide), which made for a
clever touch. Definitely kitschy/cool,
but sometimes that's just the look a
girl needs to brave the rodeo that life
often is.
Ashley
Williams -
Fashion
East
147. When Faye Dunaway won her Oscar for
"Network," Terry O'Neill snapped the
now-iconic image (previous slide) of
the star the following day, soaking it
all in by the Beverly Hills Hotel pool.
That small but mighty glint of gold on
the table? Her statuette, of course -
suitably accessorized with her
stiletto spike heels and "movie star"
robe first thing in morning. Peter
Jensen similarly paid homage to the
most beloved Faye flicks, including
"The Thomas Crown Affair" with
Steve McQueen and her campy turn
as that wire-hanger hater Joan
Crawford in "Mommie Dearest."
Peter
Jensen
149. In the early 1970s, Rainer Werner Fassbinder brought
his decadent, sadomasochistic & richly-dressed tale
of tortured love to the screen. "Die Bitteren Tränen
der Petra von Kant" is the 13th of 33 films he made
during his short life; this season, it lives on via the
Prada runway. "His humanity, his love of culture, his
love of telling a story," enthused Miuccia Prada who
recently appears to have gone on a Fassbinder
binge. "I had so much fun watching all those movies.
They gave me a relationship with something less
fancy, more dark."
Prada
151. Adorning designer Ennio Capasa's mood board at
Costume National were pix of the architecture of
Frank Gehry, a close-up of an Anish Kapoor
sculpture and images from the heyday of Debbie
Harry and Patti Smith, Capasa's "cool" ladies of
the moment. "They were women who mixed for
the first time in a very modern way this men's
energy," he explained.
Costume
National
153. "You know that moment in the day when you sit down for a drink
and it tastes like the best drink you've ever had?" asked The
Elder Statesman designer Greg Chait. "That's when this stuff
is for."
The cashmere-obsessed winner of the 2012 CFDA/Vogue
Fashion Fund limited his knitwear collection to tops only. The
palette was restricted to neutrals - black, white, and gray -
and the fabric featherlight. "I don't like things that are heavy
for the sake of being heavy," he continues. "I knew I wanted
the pieces to float." Well-heeled hipsters will be lining up for
his "Beer" logo'd stuff which may look like just another
sweater - until you fondle the fabric, inducing Shock #1...and
then get a gander at the pricetag for Shock #2.
The Elder
Statesman
155. Octogenarian John Baldessari has been
appropriating and retooling found art for a while
now. Longer than Hedi Slimane at Saint
Laurent, certainly, who is noted (and a tad
infamous at this point) for his obsession with
youth culture, from which he liberally borrows
(and borrows and borrows). But despite their
difference in age, both men seem to have been
separated at birth when it comes to their
magpie'ish take-n-repurpose ways.
Saint
Laurent
157. The Swiss brand's new design director, Pablo
Coppola, was previously at Christian Dior and
Tom Ford, which made for a well-attended debut
by curious editors. Known as an accessories and
shoe brand, Coppola described the clothing at
Bally as "accessories to the accessories," kind of
making them seem like an afterthought - which
they weren't. Rather, the timelessly-classic
collection felt more like a return to the days when
Bally ran those wonderful illustrated ads.
Bally
159. Jeremy Scott is no Franco Moschino. Where
Moschino was ascerbic and pointed in his
fashion commentary on consumerism,
Jeremy Scott approaches junk culture
more like a kid-connoisseur. The latter's
mutant golden arches and literal Sponge
Bob looks and Frito-Lay frocks are, to me,
less a worthy continuation of the Franco
days and more a symptom of the idiocracy
in which we live.
Moschino
161. The most newsworthy part of the Chanel show is
probably what happened afterward: the
supermarket setting was looted by the well-
heeled attendees. And what they wanted most
were the doormats which said "Mademoiselle
Prive." The shopping-center theme of the show
made for a supermarket-like variety of looks, all
on-trend and ready-to-move - which Karl
Lagerfeld is exceptional at. I found it fascinating,
though, that of the various "supermarket" show
props which were Chanel'ized and lined the
shelves, it was the doormats which incited such
a fashion frenzy. Strange creatures, fashion folk.
Chanel
162. About Lesley Scott
• Lesley is a 5.0 Fashion Futurist & the
eccentric EIC of Fashiontribes.com.
She writes, blogs & podcasts daily
using the lens of today’s tribes of
Fashionland to look at the sweeping
trends that are shaping tomorrow.
• Her latest book is "THE FUTURE OF
YOU" (2014) - covers all the hot
technologies & deep trends that will
impact your life in body, mind & spirit.
163. CONTACT
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