Thursday, February 23, 2012

Across the Pond: LFW

Milan makes magic, that magic is in process, I’m a day late on the titled recap and even though on the Internets a day late renders irrelevant news, this is the Man Repeller, where everything and everyone has a time and place. So let’s stick out our pinkies, exaggerate our a’s and talk London Fashion Week: the incubator of interesting, emerging, albeit zany talent.

And there’s no better place to start than at Meadham Kirchoff’srunway show. This is fashion: limitless color, freedom of expression, parachute inspired tent for heavens sake! I had a conversation with a friend about New York vs. London in a fashion week capacity. We concluded that the U.S. relies too heavily on the saleability of clothes and so designers often lose the thoughtfulness and art their mind had projected their collections would emulate. In London though, bright colors, wacky silhouettes, unexpected accents like a sequin bustier peeking out of a checkered jumper–jumper in the American sense–reign. And there’s something to be said about the humorous dichotomy of a collection and simultaneous makeup so playful adorned by models so…serious. Fashion paradoxes: I like them, friends. I like them a lot.

Meanwhile, at Moschino Cheap and Chic which is not in fact cheap, eyeballs decorated by multi-color fur stole and lips decorated by the sporadic mustache seem to stay on trend with the happenings of MR. DANNIJO.First there was the ‘stache, now there will be the eyeball. It’ll all make sense in a few weeks time. Insert hash tag volume two right here.

Josephkeeps the individual garments simple, introduces new bounds when layered. Take that chiffon skirt, or dress, at left. Separately, she’s a feminine lady, ready for tea. Paired with sheer harem pants and a turtleneck though: man repeller with good hair. White shoes reign again and so do jumpsuits. My particular favorite rests at center, nothing layers like military green. If you learn anything reading this blog it should be that nothing layers like military green.

Which may be why Burberry Prorsum deemed such fluid eye candy. Military green velvet? Ruffles on said velvet? OWLS? Eureka. While the hint of peplum obviously traveled across the pond, there’s something to be about the element of carefree yet bad-ass injected into each of these looks. It’s the kind of style that makes you think: how’d she do that so fast. And then you remember the price tags attached and say oh yeah.
And on another peplum laden runway: Mary Katrantzou continues on the quest to obstruct the female hip line while playing with palazzo pants and introducing new silhouettes that beg your arms stay a couple meters away from your body. I do love gingham though. And at right: the tent dreams are made of.

Over at Topshop Unique, velvet overalls, color block herringbone wool paired with bustier, snake print over-sized sweater, vest and many an asshat or hot pant set a mood that eloquently reminded the female who likes to pretend she isn’t female, there’s still hope for us. Because nothing is worse than looking like a woman. And while a corduroy hot pant may allude to the truth about your gender, how else do you even out dinosaur arms so thick?

And on another runway that preaches the art of over-sized, Acne plays with pastel colors and some interesting shoes that may or may act as the successor to Isabel Marant’s Willow sneaker.Leather neck cuffs, goggles–yes, goggles, and a hint of green neon add the quirky accents that make the otherwise Swedish classic so eccentric, cool, covetable, if you will. And finally:

Peter Pilotto: a vignette of peplum jacket that peps at sleeves, watercolor floral prints and ambiguous cut outs that don’t read sexy. Now, call me a 2010 enthusiast but is it just me or do some of these prints bare a striking resemblance to those of what is now formally called The Best Collection Ever a la Proenza Schouler S/S 2010. I know nothing about surf culture other than if it means green, yellow, blue tie dye feathers on a high waist a-line mini skirt, hand me a board. Though I will take the pencil skirt at right under the same circumstances. In unrelated news: I just got these cool ear cuffs to satiate my thirst for multiple piercings. Age of the ear party is near.

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