First View Milan Womenswear FW2012: Dark Vision

Beauty and confidence are what designers wish for their models to spread in Milan.  ‘Importance’ being a more significant message for women then mere ‘power’ as Miuccia Prada stated. And that is what we recognize. Dark glamor in various signatures ranging from soft ‘Goth’ to dark romance and reminiscent opulence. The future is taking refuge in the past and historical icons are wonderfully mutated in futuristic executions. The mood is stern yet the detailing rich and affluent. The spirit dark but generating pleasure rather then gloom. Love for materials is translated into embroidered and bejeweled aspects, laser cut lace effects and lots leather and lush velvets.

Prada shows virtual princes, avatars of fashions digital age – where Etro frames its iconic patterns in androgynous sculptural tailoring, Versace taps into a more sacral and medieval inspiration adding armors, chain-mail and crucifixes. Gucci mutates menswear into fluid classical drama with a smooth pre-Raphaelite twist.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

Round Up New York Womenswear FW2012

This was an interesting week in New York. This season seemed one big exercise. Testing shapes, volumes and proportions. Trying textures, various embellishments, prints and crafts from different origins and inspirations. Probing periods, from 20s, 30s, 70s to 80s. And the fun factor is that it is hard to guess what comes from whom. It seems ideas are exchanged, copied, re-edited and re-interpreted. Identities mixed, profiles and signatures blurred. Scatter collection snapshots and guess its origins. It will be a wild guess this time!

We spot a feel for the extreme and ECCENTRIC, iconic and humorous as Marc Jacobs showed it, reflecting on grand fashion divas. Altazurra and Libertine are two among others staging artful embellishment and intricate crafts.

 

Ports 1961 hit on a SCULTPURAL trend, showing a peplum silhouette, one of the favorites this season. But there is more; masterfully executed by the grand master of simplicity Calvin Klein but also Philip Lim, Peter Som and Alexander Wang showed bold rounded silhouettes.

 

OVERSIZED is an understatement when talking about the Proenza Schouler collection. Also both Donna Karan and Y3 super sized items within their range. Y3 is one of the few collections faithful to sportswear as we were so used to in The Big Apple.

 

NY was DRESSED UP this season, Donna Karan hat topped ladies dressed reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich. Victoria Beckham shows shapely contouring shifts and Diane von Furstenberg sensual draping.

 

Friendly and relaxed were the global travellers; modern NOMADS in multi cultural referenced cuddly warps and layers. Rag & Bone, showed city nomads, Y3 global hybrids and Proenza Schouler went east.

This fashion mash-up makes us curious about what comes next!

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View New York FW2012: Sculptural

Here we sure have a silhouet statement for the season. Sculptural minimalism in dense wool. Luxurious layers of wool, double face or bonded materials, cut, folded and wrapped. New volumes curved and cut away from the body. Rounded shoulders, peplum jackets with wrap, pleat or belted waists.

A novel boldness that shows precision in tailoring, luxurious fabrics and a love for architectonic constructions.  Peter Som shows felt type wrap coats with linebacker shoulders, Thom Browne gloomy, monolithic sculptures with some intricate tailored details, Narcissi Rodriguez goes crisp and neat avoiding unnecessary details and concentrating on the perfect cut, where Ports 1961, shows a strong bold silhouette in interesting textured materials.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View New York FW2012: Oversized

Contours are moving away from the body. Silhouettes rely heavily on the look of seventies American Sportswear. Belted trenches, wide-legged jersey trousers and midi-length dresses. Wide shouldered blouses and bold masculine dress coats with long lapels. Technical parkas and super size rounded sweaters. We recognize David Bowie reflections in broad padded shoulders and zipper closures in almost any garment. Pants are huge and chimney legged and skirts are full, flared, pleated or slitted.

Proenza Schouler translates this look into iconic statements: boyfriends’ jackets in massive volumes, which make the women inside ever so tiny, skinny and lovely. Donna Karan alternates her dressed-up Marlène looks with wide sports coats, Marc by Marc Jacobs shows flared full skirts where Philip Lim translates masculine parameters into sensual feminine sportswear.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View New York FW2012: Nomads

A walk on the wild side shows us a myriad of decorative textures, contrasting layers, lovely decorations and a free flow of cultural heritage.

In the Year of the Dragon, global travellers pick up the local and turn it into a lovely metropolitan mash-up. A nomadic lifestyle is reflected in a rich layering of elaborate items. Most headed East for inspiration that reflects in a warm lava and volcanic colour palette combined with gold and copper. Cosy wraps and roomy, up scaled jackets show an interesting combination of urban glam and relaxed in some cases even cuddly comfort.

Rag & Bone masterfully mixes the 70s flavoured bohemian spirit with cool urban design, Edun confirms its favour of crafts and decoration, where Proenza Schouler realises an interesting study of eastern artisanship and kimono shaping.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View New York FW2012: Eccentric

Is this the kick off for an era of extremities? Or just another flow of reminiscence of the 60s en 70s, when pastiche and thrift shops came in favour. But now it get’s the luxury make over. The spirit of frivolous, brocante, scarce collectors items and precious iconic couture with a daring twist. Anna Piaggi and Iris Apfel are the muses to watch. Ab fab furs, chunky knits, lush velvet and corduroy, rich embroidery and tapestry. Proportions are blown up, giant is the size to go for. Supersized jewellery, hyper hats and bold stoles. Some take it serious and embrace the crafts aspect, some take it modern and throw in some digital printing and finishing, where others go for the humorous edge. Marc Jacobs most extreme with fluffy supersize hats, Nicole Miller revives vintage with some Boho touches, Libertine scatters dazzling glitter over luxurious crafted textures. Entertaining, exiting and fun is a good status for fashion.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View New York FW2012: Dressed Up

Sensual form-fitted peplum dresses show that a long lean contouring tube can take on lots of characters. Twisted, folded, tucked, pinned and draped in sleek jewel toned satins with sophisticated not-so-daring slits. Sculptural minimalism makes a powerful silhouette since the fabrics’ contour and shape the body neatly. Smooth curves, pure and severe. Peter Som refers to the traditional peplum dress, Diane von Furstenberg goes more drama with severe asymmetric draping. Victoria Beckham is in control, as she always is, in compact and dense bonded jerseys where streamlining colour inserts play a trick with the eye. Donna Karan shows the most masterful tailoring. Artful compositions create a ultra modern look, clearly inspired by a retrospect on Marlene Dietrich emphasized by the Stephen Jones Fedora’s for an androgynous twist.

 

 

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View New York FW2012: Fabric Manipulation

Kicking off this fashion season brings us a lovely series of highly manipulative as well as manipulated materials. Powerful polished jackets, high gloss and sculptural, framed, lean sensual silhouettes. Waxed and laminated fabrics have interesting stories to tell. Shrunken wool, lacquered tweed, bonded and laminated aspects. Embossed surface effects, skin textures and smooth plains.

Leather, lacquers and plastics. The shine, the pile and the pattern add a touch of sensuality and glam to stern, sporty and robust outerwear.

Alex Wang shows the most experimental and surrealist versions of all, Jason Wu goes for decorative quilting and padding, Prabal Gurung matches pile with gloss where Victoria Beckham lines the military with sensual skin. A strong statement to start with!

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

Kicking off this fashion season brings us a lovely series of highly manipulative as well as manipulated materials. Powerful polished jackets, high gloss and sculptural, framed, lean sensual silhouettes. Waxed and laminated fabrics have interesting stories to tell. Shrunken wool, lacquered tweed, bonded and laminated aspects. Embossed surface effects, skin textures and smooth plains.

Leather, lacquers and plastics. The shine, the pile and the pattern add a touch of sensuality and glam to stern, sporty and robust outerwear.

Alex Wang shows the most experimental and surrealist versions of all, Jason Wu goes for decorative quilting and padding, Prabal Gurung matches pile with gloss where Victoria Beckham lines the military with sensual skin. A strong statement to start with!

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

Round Up Paris Womenswear ss2012

Paris offered us a week of mixed emotions and mindsets. From thoughtful calmness and flirty elegance to sweet prettiness. The overall fashion feel was optimistic which makes a welcome escape from the ‘outside’ world.

Hardly ever before the overall look was that feminine and sensual, and surprisingly some of the most influential collections where inspired by some of the most iconic male drivers; cars (Akris), sex and sports (Stella McCartney). And that involves all global catwalks. Also nice to note that sea world inspiration was back on track with just one winter in between, it inspired Chanel to create organic sea shaped silhouettes and Givenchy to fuse mermaid and surfer looks.

Yet THE lead for summer 2012 is couture excellence and best staged by Celine: her COUTURE SPIRIT showed reduced fashion with sculptural quality.

 

Then we list the sensual impact of SLITS AND SLICES that made models floating over the catwalks. Long strategically placed cuts revealed legs, midriff and décolleté.

 

The fashion merry-go-round keeps spinning and brought us sugar SWEET fashion by Louis Vuitton. The word ‘pretty’ was banned from the fashion dictionary for seasons, but made a majestic comeback. Opulence, intricate embellishment and exquisite craftsmanship modernise romance by alternating laser cut silk cellophanes and crafted Broderie Anglaise.

 

Ann Demeulemeester showed just one of many fairy tale like collections with sheer POETIC VISION; featherweight translucent layers in fluid, floating silhouettes. Wrapped in silky veils, gathered and draped or enveloped in long, lush, layers of silk.

 

Then there was that single spark of freshness by Stella McCartney. Happy and FRESH, sporty and sexy, framing bright colours and white in bold ornaments and edging them with curvy cutouts.

 

Accessories where strikingly innovative in most collections; coordinated, iconic and all precious treasures that in some cases reflect the sign of the fashion times even better then garments do.

 

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View Paris ss2012: Slits & Slices

A powerful design-feature this Paris season is the slit. Nothing makes a look that obviously 80’s inspired. Immediately it’s taken out of the reigning 50’s couture prettiness to create a more daring and slick appeal.

Cutout, slashed and sliced and sometimes pinned, wrapped and knotted back together again. Cut-outs unveil long lean legs as well as deep décolleté and hints of midriff. Jean Paul Gaultier plays with wide gathered volumes and wraps, folds, turns and twists these. Where Lanvin unveils in a more cool and understated manner, carefully exposing hints of skin in a subtle and sophisticated manner, Maison Martin Margiela shows more brutal constructions and deconstructions where Mugler goes futuristic and uses cuts and slashes for streamlined, organic and a more architectonic shaping and sculpting.

Sure that it adds movement and flare to silhouettes.

Stylespot is a collaborations with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

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