Hyperventilating or Fashion Week Part I

Greetings tiny readership! get ready for an epic length post because Fashion Week has been happening and I've been keeping up and I'm so bursting with things to say that I created this here blog in which to say them and I'm going to do it all in ONE POST. That's a lie actually I'm saving my most most most favorites for a post to themselves because that would be way too many pictures. I have a lot of images for each collection because I don't think it's fair to show just one and because as an artist I think pictures are real important. SO IT BEGINS.


SUNO


If I could live with these patterns everywhere all the time, I think my life would be pretty great. Inspired by Kenyan textiles and patterns Suno is all about the print on print on print which I think is so great to have with something other than florals (don't get me wrong, I can't get enough of florals). I love that Erin Beatty, one of the two designers at Suno said that "Girls are too confident just to wear black." I'll get back to this point later.


I would live in these looks not only for the colors and the prints, but because this collection could've gotten really heavy, really fast but the sophisticated and crisp proportions and the cropped cuts keep it light, youthful and not too overwhelming.



CHRIS BENZ


Chris Benz is new to me this season and I'm so glad we finally found each other. "I want every piece I produce to be incredibly special," he said and luckily for him every piece radiates speacial and has earned a special place in my heart. I'll be writing cards at Hallmark within the week, don't worry. I love how the dress above looks like it was made from grandmothers apartment and never has my grandmother's apartment LOOKED SO FABULOUS.



BUT SRSLY GUYS. I love how this collection makes me feel like I'm living in a keyed up Kodachrome photo from the 60's or 70's yet doesn't feel like a gross vintage polyester dress I could find at the GoodWill. The colors are so fresh! More like what I want to wear in the fall than a sea of blacks, grays and metallics. These robin's egg blue pants with that acidic lemon yellow are making me shiver.


and dont even get me started on this quirky uneven plaid. and these giant fur gloves. like a bear.


ZAC POSEN



I just wanted to touch briefly on Zac Posen, most of all for the color in this collection. It started out with woodsy greens, caramels, ochres and 70's oranges and was really warm and full of candor. Then it got really cool with gray and lavender which was also nice. Lastly, everything was just red. Which was baller. When I was in the sixth grade I got this short red dress, nowhere near as nice or cool as this one, and I found every excuse to wear it to anything that even mildly required getting dressed in something other than boy's clothes and I totally wore it with red tights and shoes and thought I was the coolest especially when I wore it to the Valentine's day dance where it was extra appropriate. Zac Posen has proved my sixth grade self cool and thus I approve.


BIBHU MOHAPATRA


I'm really impressed that this is only this designer's third collection and I really loved the balance between retro cuts and a jazz age/militaristic feel and a modern edginess. The black pants in the look above I think are a piece that I originally overlooked, but the more I look at them the more I appreciate how well cut they are and how unique that fold along the knee which kind of imitates high military boots really is. Most of all I enjoyed that someone has tapped into the side of military fashion that isn't fatigues and olive and camel but is ceremonial costume and rich and overwhelmingly beautiful and crisp.


Perhaps this collection is so fabulous because it's inspired by the 1927 German Expressionist sci-fi film Metropolis which I highly recommend not only because it's an awesome film (look at me being all sophisticated) but because the future/the 20's is filled with 1920's garb, art deco everything, and robots.


TSE


I don't have a lot to say about TSE's new collection. It's not super edgy, it's not super fashion forward, I'm not excited by the artistry and yet I want to dress like this everyday. That would make me a happy camper.



and I REALLY want one of these hats. I'm gonna make one. watch me.


This is the part where I get annoying. Remember when I said I'd get back to that point? and that point was about collections that are all back for fall? WELL HERE I GO. I understand the allure of black. I have black hair which looks great with all black and black dresses and all sorts of black. I love black. I understand the draw of black in the winter when everything is a little bleak and the city is so serenely gray and white and you just want to look as warm as you want to feel and you wont feel like black once it's Spring and Summer so you'd better get it all in now. However, I'm really tired of collection after collection of all black for New Yorkers for Fall. Black for winter even makes sense to me. I'm definitely drawn to simpler heavier fabrics and colors in the winter, but the fall is so full of color and texture and crisp blue skies! How is it that Fall can look so bleak when it's so full of change? That said I did like these pieces from the two Wangs and from Philosophy.

ALEXANDER WANG



VERA WANG



PHILOSOPHY


I LOVE these crisp white collars where they don't belong. DIYing will ensue.


Then there were some collections that didn't make it into my hall of fame (a huge honor from someone as influential as myself har har) However I did really like a few individual pieces.


I love the way the skirt of this dress by Dennis Basso falls and how I imagine it would move.


This look from threeasfour is too cool for school.


and lastly I just really love the colors of this look by Tibi and that bitchin' belt pouch. I have one of those... but it needs the belt. I should get on that. (been sayin' that since 2007)


I'm feeling pretty pumped about fall now. Too bad these fashion shows are SO EARLY and fall is half a year away. Part II and my fall wants to come soon.

Variations on a Theme

Here are two outfits from last week

from top to bottom: headband from Target, scarf from a street vendor in Florence, Banana Republic sweater, American Apparel dress, thrifted slip, free leggings, J.crew knee highs, hand me down docs

from top to bottom: headband from Target, Rodarte for Target tulle shirt, Banana Republic sweater, Madison Marcus dress, thrifted slip, free leggings, J.crew knee highs, hand me down docs


Excuse this picture. Awkward face is awkward.


I was mostly inspired by Richard Chai Love's latest collection and in particular this look:



I didn't think the collection was particularly daring or super fun, layers for fall is not exactly a stretch, but I did like the silhouettes he created and would for sure wear all the clothes, especially to class during the winter when I just want to be warm and comfortable and somehow still end up not looking like a total slob? yeah, that sounds like a feasible plan.

I've also taken to wearing my scarf inside my sweater a la CDG because I'm still completely obsessing over this collection. Perhaps I will visit my friend in Tokyo and convince her to hold up a CDG store with me? and instead of raiding the registers we'll just load all the clothes onto our moped and speed away? AH HA HA MARRY ME. I really need to find a new deflection...



but seriously CDG let's get married.

McQ RIP

Holy Moly.

On the very day I begin my blog Alexander McQueen wonderful designer of visions and wonders passes away. Here are some of my favorite moments in his wonderous career:









We get jaded sometimes, when we are presented with a new collection made with professional perfection every six months and we forget to feel the joy and awe that should weigh when we see the amazing creation of an incredible human being. The fact that this is someone's vision which they have manifested into our world is more incredible than we take the time to acknowledge.
Thank you Alexander McQueen for a glimpse into your beautiful world.

Fresh Meat

I'm the newest girl (for about the next ten seconds) in the fashion blogging world. I've been interested in clothing and style forever, but I've only really been following high fashion and fashion history since late high school. I feel like being a part of a community of people that are interested in the same things so that I can stop roping my boyfriend (who to be fair, is marginally interested) into looking at full collections, fashion blogs and talking his ear off about Comme Des Garcons. I'm totally open to emails and comments, so please, become a contributing member of the internet!

In the way of introductions, I'm a junior General Fine Arts major at Maryland Institute College of Art with a minor in Art History and I believe this image laden post will tell you everything else you need to know: