Kenzo
Kenzo has been around
the block, and went from fashion favorite to a little bit forgotten. Opening
Ceremony wunderkind Humberto Leon and Carol Lim brought it back to life with a
surge, though, thanks to saturated color palettes and retro-tastic details. It’s
French cool with an ‘80s-inspired twist and decidedly downtown in a luxe way.
Their prints are obsess-worthy, the colors are mandatory for a wardrobe update,
and that tiger sweater – enough said. I never thought I'd be so excited about an older brand showing up with some new duds.
3.1 Phillip Lim
3.1 Phillip Lim is a romance that's been blossoming for a while now. I didn't love the line at first, but my affection has just grown every season. For FW12, its signature clean and concise minimalism got the graphic treatment, adding statement-making appeal to the sharply contemporary aesthetic. It's still understated, still so sleek and city, but it's got a dose of modern art appeal. And it didn't hurt that I was even more over the moon for the SS13 collection, with its irreverent prints and feminine-meets-grunge attitude. So, this label will most likely be in my top five for spring, too.
Carven
Sometimes at night I can’t
sleep because I’m just lying awake crying over how good Carven is. My brain
just can’t comprehend how a brand can be so amazing, and I think it’s that
thing like how the human mind isn’t supposed to be able to comprehend the
existence of God. It’s just so perfectly tailored into sharp silhouettes, so
feminine but sophisticated, so French, so understated yet striking, so smart. The
colors that are almost ‘70s-reminiscent, the crisp menswear-inspired classics,
the structured skirts, the cutouts. And FW12 was just one of the best examples
of the label’s amazingness. That Renaissance print? I mean, really. Are you
kidding me? You’re just going to let that print loose on the streets? It’s too
good. That chartreuse color? I don’t care if it makes my skin look like I’m in
need of a Dramamine, I’ll be wearing it.
Balenciaga
You can bet your Darth
Vader nun hat that Balenciaga will be jaw-dropping good every season, but FW12
really touched my soul with its contrasting fabric and pattern splices, and
obviously those sweatshirts. I don’t even really understand them, but then I guess
Balenciaga’s power does somewhat lie in its status as an enigma. Do we always
understand why something is amazing?
No. We just have to know what it is. And I know
I need gorgeously cut minimalist coats, cobalt dresses, and leopard jacquard
jackets.
Dolce & Gabbana
To first understand my
obsession with Dolce & Gabbana’s FW12 collection, you must know that I am
an enormous history nerd. I’ve been drowning in volumes on Marie Antoinette,
Catherine the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and the Medicis since I was nine.
This collection was like my worlds colliding to the most harmonious results.
These pieces are what Catherine Medici would have worn if she were alive today,
or perhaps even just in her own time, but with that luxe, fashion-forward
twist. I really had given up on Dolce & Gabbana. They were so incredibly
mainstream that I thought they’d gone the way of the guido, to be honest. But
this line restored my faith in them and then some. It is the line I covet the
very most, I would gladly start working my way down a list of organs to sell in
order to own it in its entirety. I don’t even care that it’s unrealistic, I’ll
make use of every piece everyday, wearing that needlepoint lace dress to work
like it ain’t no thang, and choosing the sheer corset dress for drinks at dive
bars downtown. I just need to wear it, all of it, in its rich, opulent, baroque
beauty. I think this is Dolce & Gabbana either back with a bang or at its
pinnacle – however you view the line. The elegance is unabashed and artful
without ever teetering on tacky, backed up by the incredible craftsmanship.
* Images from Style.com
Handbags and Hugs,
Astor
* Images from Style.com
Handbags and Hugs,
Astor
DVF?????
ReplyDeleteHelllooooooo