Fashion Scribbles - Jean-Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2006 RTW

As everyone can see, I've got a new header! Whee! *jumps up and down in joy* I never realised that those haute couture editorials featured Julia Stegner - I only figured that out last night when I doing the banner and I was really really surprised!

Anyway, reviews =] I'm in a kooky mood so I'll review a kooky collection - Jean-Paul Gaultier's Fall/Winter 2006 collection. Here goes (photos from Style.com):



The first outfit shown in a collection on the runway is very important because it creates a first impression and sets the mood for the rest of the collection. Let's see what we can glean from this first one ...

First word I think of - "grungey", in the Gothic, dark-attic-with-old-rundown-Victorian-wallpaper sort of way (and not the Marc Jacobs sloppy kind of way). And that doll proves it (the Victorian thingy, at least). The model looks like a teenage girl who woke up on the wrong side of bed and has got the complexion (and dark, panda-ring eyes) to show it. On the other hand, this is one stylish ghost-chick - her light-grey shirt and knee-length pleated skirt are trimmed in soft ruffles and puffs - they're made of this very light and sheer material that's very, very feminine. The colour gives it the grungey Gothic feel and the ruffles and puffs suggest a sort of antique classiness.

Which means we've got three words to expect from the rest of the collection - "grunge", "Gothic", and "antique". Lessee.



Gothic? Check.



Kooky in a fashionable sort of way. The crocodile skin belt (strictly speaking, a semi-corset) comes across as being a bit Gothic (or perhaps even a sort of dark, female sexuality) while the greenish-brown trench coat and dark dirty green pants further the feeling of grunge.



OMG *heart*. This is one smashin' Evil Queen outfit *AHEM* Let's be serious. We see the corset-belt again, but this time in ... velvet? The trench coat suggests a decadence along with a heavy Victorian Goth feeling ... and the pantyhose hints at a sort of Gothic eroticism.

Yup - Gothic? Check.




Wunderbar. I love the knit halter top - it shows a progression from revealing something to completely opaque - very clever. And that fur-trimmed trench coat continues to push the theme of decadence along. JPG is a genius, gah.



This piece screams "avant-garde". The idea of a human being put in a dog funnel ... it's almost a sort of cynical questioning of the things we do to our pets and how they would feel. On the other hand that's a very chic dog funnel - it's even got detailing around the narrower end. That top Lily Cole is wearing fits perfectly into the themes of decadence and of grunge, and also of the whole antique idea that's very strong in this collection. Hence we can give a "Check" for all three keywords.

I can't say how much I love this outfit. The greenish stains from the bust down, the maroon trimmings at the end of the top, the puff-ended velvet pants ... it's very meticulously done and every single detail fits perfectly into the themes and the mood. Even the little critters the models bring out on to the runway - they suggest something about the whole concept behind the collection.

Gah, JPG is a genius.



Maybe it's the fact that I love Morgane Dubled and hence have a bias for everything she wears, but for some reason something about this outfit is very .... strange. It could be because of the loose clump of threads from the centre of the top and the asymmetrical lines along the front - it suggests a sort of deconstructionism. I think the deconstructing of the top is very very well-done - it's not just some sloppy ripping apart of the threads and the apparel structure but in fact a very carefully designed feature that looks both deconstructed and artistically done at the same time.



Just one last one (have got a nagging headache that won't go away). This is ... beyond-a-million-words-brilliant. The generous use of velvet puts the theme of decadence at its highest and the return of the doll in a much larger size pushes to a high point the idea of Victorian Goth. The pattern on the knit-top is frighteningly intricate and seems to refer to the carvings found on antique furniture. The fact that everything is a rust-brown heavily suggests grunge.

Which means -

Grunge? Check. Gothic? Check. Antique? Check.

Gah, Jean-Paul Gaultier is a genius. Gah.

Fashion Scribbles - Gucci Resort 2007

I'm back again with a review of the Gucci Resort 2007 collection.

There's been a flood of resort collections lately - most of them are somewhat bland and plain - but there are a few which caught my eye. Gucci is one of them.

(All photos from Style.Com)



This is the first outfit that was sent onto the runway. What strikes me about this suit is the way it is cut - it creates very subtle and smooth curves on the body which gives it a very professional feel. The blue floral print, however, evokes a feeling of fun - this is definitely the perfect suit for any lady who's on a cruise for an executive meeting but still wants to hang around at the cruise bar and flirt with the sailors (pun on "cruise" is definitely not intended).



This outfit fits perfectly into the resort theme. The short row of buttons down the front, which resembles those of a polo tee, gives a very sporty feeling. The mini-skirt and tassel-ended belt suggest elegant playfulness (oxymoronic, but yes, that's the only way I can find to express it) and a bit of fun (darn - not another double entendre).



It's a switch to something a little more evening. I love the panels around the edge of the dress (and there's a little lace too if my eyes aren't mistaken) and the floral print is beautiful. The frills around the bust edge are very feminine. The only qualms I have are that firstly, the empty white space around the centre cause the proportions of the dress to feel a little awkward. Secondly, the panelling around the waist are a little too oversized ... it creates a somewhat strange visual illusion. Someone with a large waist definitely shouldn't try this number. Otherwise, I love it...



...although I must point out that when I first saw it I was reminded of this dress above from Roberto Cavalli's Fall/Winter 2005-2006 collection. But now that I've had a closer look ... they're quite different.

Still, both remind me of Chinese porcelain vases and it might be because of this that they both have this beautiful, exotic feeling to them. Love 'em all.



I *heart* this outfit. It's a halter top and a miniskirt (lemme practise my terms a little) worn with a printed scarf around the neck. I love the fact that the belt, the scarf and the border prints around the edge of the top create a very strong suggestion of playfulness, frivolity, and also flirtatiousness (they also match very well and create a feeling of continuity). This outfit is perfect for the lady who enjoys going on cruises, flirting with sailors, and occasionally playing pool. She's also the sort who doesn't mind a little sun.



I know it's not very flattering to say this but when I first saw the prints I immediately thought of Moroccan screens. But I didn't mean this in a bad way at all - the fact that they resemble the patterns used on Moroccan screens means that they create a very exotic look and really suggest that the wearer is enjoying herself on vacation. Lace is supposed to be old-fashioned but here, they aren't dowdy or gaudy at all but in fact suggest girlishness and echo the more solid maroon floral prints on the rest of the outfit. The tassel-ended belt is used again yet it still continues to suggest an elegant playfulness (kind of like, I'm playful but I don't do it in a loud, attention-grabbing way).





I don't know why but these two designs are really pretty! It could be the use of solid blocks of colour or the fact that they both use very casually tied belts which suggest a holiday mood - either way I think they're both perfect for a resort collection! And does anyone find that the dark purplish-pink shades somehow resemble those that are in Gucci's Fall/Winter 06.07 collection? Perhaps part of the palette was carried over, just like how Galliano carried the bloodstain patterns from Dior HC S/S 06 over to his Dior Resort 2007 collection?



Last outfit - let's just say that I wasn't satisfied with this one. The lace around the edge of the dress is a little too long and the green just doesn't look right. The bottom looks somewhat "matronly" (to quote Michael Kors on Project Runway) - luckily the feeling dimishes significantly by the sight of the décolleté top, which adds a very strong sexiness. Strangely enough the lace around the top feels a lot less matronly than those around the dress edge - instead, they heavily suggest a vintage elegance and sophistication (hmm - I just realised that that isn't very far from "matronly"). Alas, this strongly contrasts with the very youthful tassel-ended belt (as we have seen TWICE so far), which comes across as a sort of deus ex machina to salvage this very mature dress and remind us that the image of the whole collection is supposed to be youthful and fun.

Ok, that's all I'm going to review for this resort collection. (I know this is an abrupt way to end, but I don't think I've got anything else to say for this post ... or do I? =])

Fashion Ethereal

Having recently bought the Spring/Summer 2006 Haute Couture issue of the GapPress fashion magazine, I happened upon numerous collections and pieces that I had never seen before. From these discoveries came a further realisation: some designers really work well with sheer fabrics, translucent tulle and gauze and lace. I became infatuated with long white flowing dresses or the layered, soft-looking white outfits complete with lacing and veils.

Here are two of those dresses that left a deep impact (note that only the Christian Lacroix one is from S/S 2006; the Dior one is from F/W 2005).



Edit: I forgot to point out which belongs to what collection. The one on top belongs to the S/S 2006 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture collection. The one at the bottom is Dior's F/W 2005 HC collection (by Galliano, of course).

See what I mean? Both look absolutely ethereal. The dresses look like something Greek goddesses would wear. They're out-of-this-world, but beautifully so. The idea of flowers, the use of planet and star motifs - it all makes the whole thing much more supernatural.

Absolutely gorgeous.

(Blogger's being difficult today, so that's enough for this post.)

Blogging at the Most Unearthly Hours.

It's an unearthly time - 04 15 in the morning. Here I am in a classroom in a school typing a blog entry. It's kind of interesting because here I am skipping sleep and feeling concurrently the effects sleeplessness inflicts upon me. My eyes occasionally lose focus and my language becomes very hampered. Words stop before they even hit the tongue and sounds just get all jumbled up in the mouth. It's like a pasta gone wrong.

Eep. Utter madness, utter delusion.

I feel like typing random stuff hahaha.

Am curently listening to Madonna's "Forbidden Love" (the "Confessions on a Dance Floor" version) and my right eye just got quite dry (I'm not wearing my contacts hmm).

Well, Media Camp has been, so far, very crazy. Our original thought of coming here to relax and watch things from behind the scenes have been very cleanly dashed. It sucks but we have no choice except to just follow along.

Ok, am I to belive that I am going to raise the status of this whole exercise to a brand new level by terming it " aerobics"? How very silly.

Oops, I just typed something that was very random hahaha.