I've finally decided to start putting up fashion commentaries here.
Just a point to note - as I am neither professionally trained nor a female, my comments on fashion may not be very agreeable. Please note that I am merely trying to hone my sense of observation and fashion concepts. I am also practising my writing. Please bear with me for all the fashion posts I'll be having.
Anyway, this post'll be on the Olympus Fashion Week for Fall 2006. This first post will focus on designer Vera Wang's collection.
To begin, I would like to point out the photos that I use to make references to: http://www.olympusfashionweek.com/fall2006/designers/vera_wang/index.html
Note: The design numbers are given according to the file numbers of the design photos posted on the Olympus Fashion Week website.
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OBSERVATIONSTrends/Discerning Collection Features/Characteristics:
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Colour: Most in black and/or white with a little bit of colour surprises in a few designs. The colour surprises, however, are mild, dark-coloured hues (except for the blue waist ornament in Design No. 14). Otherwise, colour use is limited to earthy, tempered shades such as brown or washed-out purple (e.g. Designs No. 3, 4 and 5).
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Prints/Motifs: A few employ Nature motifs such as leaves and flowers (possibly to fit the Fall 2006 category). The leaf motif is most evident in Designs No. 2 and 10, both of which use the same leaf prints but in different colours with different effects - Design No. 2 takes on an earthy brown autumn shade (including the black) while Design No. 10 gives a pale, dusty look.
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Patterns: Regular repeating patterns such as plaid, chequered and animal skin prints characterise some of the designs in this collection. All these patterns make use of tiny repeating units and exhibit a softer and more subtle look instead of a loud, blatant effect.
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Textures/Materials: Chiffon is used extensively in this collection in a variety of ways. Its translucent qualities are exemplified in Designs No. 3, 11 and 14 - they add a hint of mystery and elegance to the design by shrouding parts of the exposed skin in its earthy autumn tints. Tweed is also used to emphasise the season this collection falls under - it appears as a key design component in Designs No. 5 and 15 (which probably form a set) in the form of a long-sleeved coat which in both cases is used over a dress made of a fabric with a flowing quality - e.g. chiffon and silk.
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Other Observations: Fabric belts tied around the waist characterises many of the designs in this Fall 2006 collection. Two types of belts appear most in this collection - a tight belt with a large fabric flower ornament in front (e.g. Designs No. 2 and 14) and a fabric/leather belt that is tied above the waist (for example, Designs No. 4 and 8). Three of the designs (4, 16, and 18) leave the remaining length of the belt hanging vertically before them (the fact that the belts are tied high above the waist ensure that the hanging belts do not make the design look sloppy).
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Overall Appeal / Impressions / Remarks: The collection's colours are exemplary of the season and are more or less consistent throughout the collection. The designs making use of the dark translucent chiffon add a slight element of audacity and sexiness, but unfortunately chiffon used in such a fashion is not a fresh idea and somehow strikes as being very familiar or having been seen elsewhere before (for those who have seen Project Runway Season 1, don't the black chiffon designs remind you of one of Wendy Pepper's designs for the Olympus Fashion Week challenge? - recall - the one where Michael Kors complained about the boobies?). In general, however, the collection exuberates an elegance that is characteristic of Vera Wang (in which she makes excellent use of the qualities of fabrics). The whole collection, however, is done in a safe manner - perhaps a little bit of zest and flair is required to really give the collection an X-Factor.
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Ok, I've written nothing but rubbish. Please read and comment if you wish. I don't think I've made sense - then and again, I AM a greenhorn when it comes to this =]
