Dare to Dream

When news broke of Kate and William's wedding, I, like every other blogger on the planet, compiled a list of what dress she should wear for the big day.  My list included Elie Saab and Marchesa  as safe choices, because, lets face it, Kate Middleton is no style icon no matter how hard the press may push it.  I also included Erdem, as it was likely that she would choose a British desinger. 

Also in my list, I included a dress from the Spring Summer collection of Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton's debut.  Underneath, I wrote: "unlikely but I can dream right?"

Well.

Front page of the Sunday Times this morning was the story that Sarah Burton is designing Kate's wedding dress.  The Sunday Times is no The Sun, or Daily Mail, the newspaper actually researches their articles so I'm not taking this as rumour.  I'm taking this as fact.

Our future Queen will get married in McQueen.

Sarah Burton actually designed Camilla Parker-Bowles daughter-in-laws' dress in 2005, so why Burton's name was not mentioned more is completely beyond me.  It's pretty much a "doh" moment isn't it?  Word from McQueen camp is staunch denial but they cannot comment until the Palace does and the big dress will not be revealed until the big day.

McQueen's show is on Tuesday so expect more denials and "no comments" from Burton and her team. 

As for the dress, it's very unlikely it'll be quite so avant-garde as McQueen.  Obviously it will be white, probably quite traditional so as not to cause a big fuss but I imagine it'll have lovely details, maybe embroidery, an interesting cut perhaps? We will have to speculate for now until the end of April.  This wedding suddenly got more interesting.

Fashion's Best Defence

Well, what a week for fashion it's been.  Milan showcased strong collections oozing the sex and glamour it's known for and now we turn to Paris where the heavyweights of fashionprovide us with an inspiring finale.  Paris was also the scene of another big fashion moment, with the implosion of John Galliano's tenure at Dior.  Allegedly intoxicated, Galliano hurled racial and anti-semitic abuse at a Jewish woman and her Asian boyfriend. 

Over the last few days Galliano's week has gone from bad to worse, with an arrest, additional charges levelled against him because of his racist behaviour and an incriminating video that chillingly depicts Galliano declare his love for Hitler.

Unsurprisingly, Galliano has since been fired from Dior, he has made a public apology and announced he is going to rehab, although what for is at the moment unclear.  Additionally, Natalie Portman, currently being lavished in positive press due to her recent personal announcements and Oscar win, has announced she is severing all ties with Galliano - although not Dior itself which suggests she plans to continue as it's face. 

Currently Lagerfeld, Armani, Menkes and Sozzani are the only high profile members of the industry to speak out, yet stunningly, their defences are not "defences" but range from excuses to whispers of conspiracy. 

What seems to be the most shocking in this whole situation is not a talented designer's demise, it is the reluctance of the fashion industry to condemn it.

Menkes, while she does condemn his behaviour, laments the use of video-phones and the high pressure placed on Galliano -as if that was an excuse for his deporable behaviour.  Armani follows a similar vein, again citing pressure as a reason for his comments and saying "I am also very sorry that they videotaped him without him knowing", blaming modern technology and the instantly accessible nature of modern news for Galliano's mistakes. 

But it's not just with Galliano where the fashion industry has fallen silent.  A year ago claims against Terry Richardson branded him a sexual predator with numerous models approaching the Jezebel website with claims against his inappropriate behaviour.  Richardson was also publicly confronted by Rie Rasmussen, a Danish model who claimed the controversial photographer abused his position of power to harrass women. 

Constantly featured in high fashion magazines such as Vogue and it's counterparts and fixated on fetishistic photoshoots where models suck on lollipops and other phallic imagery, it's not hard to imagine these claims as true.  Yet nothing ever came of the allegations and Richardson continues to work.  As, no doubt, will Galliano in a year's time after a healthy time away from the industry and a chance to form a PR strategy.

Fashion is a billion dollar industry, one that holds incredible clout.  Yes, at the end of the day it is just clothes but with figures like Anna Wintour, Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs becoming household names, it is shameful that the industry does not speak out about these incidents.  Celebrated and profitable these Galliano might be, one cannot excuse racist behaviour. 

The fashion industry should own up and speak out, if not for being the decent thing to do, then at risk of being accused of holding such deplorable beliefs as well.

(googleimages)

What's your reaction to Galliano's comments and firing?  Are any of you shocked by the industry's silence, or do you disagree?

Hail Mary

 

Last season, Mary Katrantzou wowed the audience of her London Fashion Week show with her intricate prints and strong silhouettes.  While other designers concentrated on a minimal look with little print and colour, Katrantzou was a true patron of London Fashion Week's individuality and creativeness.  Critics of LFW argue that the collections are not as wearable, or more importantly, saleable than it's New York, Milan and Paris counterparts.  Katrantzou takes unwearable and unsaleable clothes to it's limit, using extradionary and at times garish print on lampshade skirts and structured tops.  Yet, somehow, it works. 

This season she softened those strong lampshade skirts into more wearable shapes, teamed midi-length dresses with eye-popping colour, high necked tops (a big trend this season) with surrealist and dada prints.  Last season Katrantzou offered us the view from her window, this season she concentrated on the antiques and collectibles in her room, porcelain tea pots, ethnic tapestries and Chinese bowls.  Styled together it was a myriad of print that pushed its limit, showing an excess with jarring images and shapes in one look.

Yet deconstructed Katrantzou's work is not just one for the collectors, editorials and the Anna Dello Russo's of this world.  Printed cardigans, skirts, trousers and shoes are bold enough to be teamed with plainer clothes for the more apprehensive customer, while a beautiful long-sleeved knee length dress in soft purple flower prints will appeal to the Erdem lover. 

But the highlight of the collection were the short dresses in playful shapes with skirts that jutted out from the hip and tight bodices.  Adorned with a myriad of print they were Katrantzou's show pieces, the ones the critics will be talking about for the next year.  Last season I did not think anything could be as exciting as what she produced, yet Katrantzou has simultaneously made her work more wearable and more thrilling in a single collection.  I cannot wait to see what she does next.

(style.com)

I'm in Fashion, Bitch

It's been a few hours since the show ended but it feels like a world away now as I sit in my warm bed trying to write this post before I succumb to sleep.  It's bizarre to think that so much time and preparation goes into a ten minute show.  I've never been involved in a fashion show on that scale before so I did my job with my phone in hand snapping pictures.  Apologies for some of the terrible quality, but as I ran out the door Sunday night (in an effort to get to Sainsbury's before it shut) I completely forgot my camera.

Interning at Peter Pilotto is an incredible experience, with the studio so small you get to see the designers make decisions in front of you and I really got a sense of the entire company.  As I have absolutely no design/pattern cutting/sewing skills I wasn't required at the studio until late Sunday night.  Almost everybody else had been there the whole weekend - and till late night up to two and a half weeks before - so everybody was bleary eyed, high on Redbull and furiously sewing buttons and hemming trousers.

In truth I had nothing of real importance to do until the taxi came at half five in the morning to take some of the interns to Billingsgate.  There we set up the food. Now I wish I had taken a picture of it because it was a shedload of sandwiches, croissants, yoghurt and fruit pots all from Pret.  Unsurprisingly, the food was finished almost right away, and surprisingly, quite a few models were munching on croissants!

At seven the models started to arrive and were whisked into hair and make-up.  It started relatively calm, with our show being the first of the day we weren't running late so models were catching up with each other, smoking and eating. 

And then it got hectic.  After a run through the models went back to hair and make-up and there was very little time left.  There was last minute hemming, pressing, stitching and new belt holes being made and suddenly the backstage was invaded by photographers so I couldn't walk anywhere without being caught in a photo. 

All the interns had a model to dress.  There was a confusion about one model turning up late and one not turning up at all.  Most of the models seemed a little dazed to be up this early but as the morning went on they were dancing and having fun backstage.  Typically there was a bit of attitude but that was to be expected, and I'm not going to say who.  I will say though, that Tao is stunning and sweet, watching the way she would model for the shoot was incredible.  Ajax, who was also incredibly striking, would shine when she smiled for the camera.

The show went off without a hitch (although a little late) yet it all seemed fairly anti-climatic.  After a maximum of five minutes the models had torn off their clothes (not literally of course!) and had run to their next show and the press swarmed into the backstage to talk to Peter and Christopher.  I was hanging one of the outfits on the rails when I realised Yasmin Le Bon and Hamish Bowles were standing right behind me; I almost died.

And then it was over and the next designer was putting their rails in the backstage and I was falling asleep on the tube.  What an incredible 10 hours!

As for the collection - I have to admit when I saw it in it's early stages I wasn't impressed but by the time it got to the models I was blown away by the beautiful tailoring, oxford shirts and printed knitwear.  The bright green - I want to say charteuse? - fabric had been sitting in the studio for a while and I wasn't a fan of the fabric at all but on the model the dress looked absolutely sensational and stunning with the knitwear.  Although I'm not too sure who could pull it off - someone either with fair skin and blonde hair like the model or very dark skin and black hair, two polar opposites.  The prints - what Peter Pilotto is known for - were incredibly daring, suits and dresses with strong red and yellow chain-like prints, which, when teamed with a cream knit sweaters and cardigans, were quite wearable. 

It was a strong collection, a world away from the ladylike dresses and prints of the summer despite the similar patterns, but there's nothing wrong with growth.  What Peter Pilotto is famous for is still there, the dresses, beautifully cut tops and skirts and strong prints.  But my favourite, rather unexpectedly, was the tailoring.  A surprising conclusion to a rather surprising day.

Isabel Marant

Well, what a fortnight it's been!  I had such a busy time in Los Angeles.  My cousin got married and as an Indian Hindu, getting married to a Polish Catholic, there were loads of dinners, ceremonies and traditions to uphold so there really wasn't time to sleep, let alone do anything touristy!  I shopped a bit, but was slightly disappointed with what I saw, although to be fair I didn't dedicate enough time for it.  I took a picture of Michael Jackson's star, saw the Hollywood sign from miles away and got rained on a lot (shite weather in Los Angeles the past week), but all in all, I had a fab time catching up with my family, which was ideal.

In celebration of Los Angeles, and in mourning of the beautiful sunshine that I left behind yesterday, are the lookbook images from Isabel Marant SS11.  Yes, I'm jumping the gun a bit, but if there are any readers out there not under the threat of cold, wet and windy weather - this is for you.

(fashiongonerogue)

Anyway, how were your weeks?

Alexander McQueen

So far, so beautiful.  Although I haven't managed to have a look at the entire collection there are a number of images circling the internet.  Despite the collections' lack of direction in terms of trends and while it is not representative of Sarah Burton as a designer, it feels like the cliff notes of Alexander McQueen over the last few years.  And that is in no way an insult.  The shapes, textures, colours and some patterns are so McQueen from his past collections, it's a beautiful way to not only celebrate McQueen but take us forward into the future with a designer who has clearly grasped his aesthetic and wishes to continue in his vein.  Stunning.

(tfs)

What do you think?  Has Sarah Burton done us proud?

Hussein Chalayan

I am pretty late on the Paris front, and I think I pretty much missed the boat on Milan. I'm steadily making my way through the images and reviews, and came across Chalayan's collection.  I've always been a big fan of his, especially his early work.  Chalayan is said to have been influenced by certain aspects of Japanese culture, but unfortunately, I'm not well versed on anything Japanese so would not be able to pick out any of these influences.  What I do see, however, is beautifully structured garments, with colour blocking olive green, blue and pink against black waistcoats and tunics - and of course, next summer's big colour, white.  It's a more avant-garde take on the grown-up womenswear trend.

Mary Katrantzou

And this is why I love London.  Yes, a lot of the collection is unwearable and will only look good in editorials and Anna Dello Russo, but its imaginative and creative, and entirely the designer, untouched by trends and fads.

(tfs)