Spring 2012: a Reverie Part II - RODARTE

I'm always excited to see what the Mulleavy sisters are up to. Whether it be their use of exoskeletal elements, punk attitude or beautifully crafted laces and knits, I find their vision unique and inspiring.

The Rodarte color palette for Spring 2012 consists of sublimely faded yellows and blues. As the sisters were inspired last season by the film "Days of Heaven", evinced by their subtle corn-husked hued lace delicacies - they expanded on this color scheme with prints and color stories of Vincent van Gogh paintings. 

Rodarte Spring 2012 -   photos from collection at StyleBistro.com

The tailoring in this Spring's collection felt so feminine and mature to me. The sense of proportion and refinery seen here reminds me of the timeless elegance personified by Oscar de la Renta! And if there's anyone in fashion worth emulating, it's gotta be Oscar.

As always, looking forward to what the Mulleavys propose for next Fall!

Spring 2012: a Reverie Part I (GUCCI)

After viewing bits and pieces of the upcoming Spring 2012 collections a couple of weeks ago including many of the standard powerhouses of Milan, Paris, New York and London (several I've seen a few times over), I felt an overwhelming delight in observing an unabridged celebration of femininity.

To me, many of these collections embraced glories of the past while claiming an effervescent modernity by layering past and present emblems of beauty. The references to the past somehow did not feel overtly camp or like an exact mirror to the past, yet the recognition of the dedication to history was undeniable.

One of my favorites of the season (as always) and perhaps the best to help articulate what I'm rambling on about was seen at Gucci. Those decadent flapper dresses were absolutely 'flapper' and simultaneously so GUCCI. What I found remarkably clever about these flapper dresses was how brilliantly Frida Giannini referenced this iconic silhouette of the 1920's with the geometric spirit  from one of Tom Ford's collection for the brand in Fall 2000. Mr. Ford's 2000 collection featured his ongoing love affair with the 70's, and in this case personified with a palette of gold and copper lycras accented with black geometric patterns. Looking at the geometry in Giannini's flappers of 2012 I also can't help but recognize Gucci's own iconic tri-stripe logo embellished most often on its accessories.

Gucci Lycra Shirt for sale on  Kat's Luxury and runway photo from http://www.missladyfinger.com/

More from GUCCI Fall 2000  courtesy of Style.com:

photos below: StyleBistro.com

The heraldry to the past in Gucci 2012  took a rebellious turned chic silhouette of almost 100 years ago and  reintroduced it as chic yet rebellious once more. As the flappers discarded their corsets and padded bustles and chopped off their Rapunzel-esque hair they embraced the straight and loose fit of the flapper dress; they purposefully abandoned the beauty ideals of generations (tight fitting, long dresses with padding and boning to accentuate the physical symbols of female beauty and sexuality).

They claimed a new identity and spirit for future generations of women.

This spirit was captured masterfully by Giannini in this collection - absolutely LOVED this collection!

I'll try to share some more of my thoughts on the Spring '12 collections in the coming days ...

til then!