Jean Paul Gaultier SS 2013

Oh, Jean Paul Gaultier! How we adore your humor and enthusiasm ... at least I do. Gaultier's latest collection was a tribute to some of the great pop stars of the 1980s. Models sauntered down the catwalk as replicas of such artists as David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust persona to be precise, which is not from the 80's, but this was so cool so who really cares?), Annie Lennox, Grace Jones, Boy George, Michael Jackson and one of Gaultier's most famous collaborators, Madonna.

Gaultier used the collection as a literal walk down memory lane, embracing the style and personas of these famous musicians; the clothes shown here were not the result of mere inspiration but seemed to appear out of  a time capsule closet from the 1980's Gaultier must have kept aside and decided to present to us for this spring's collection.

Ziggy Stardust model

Boy George model

Annie Lennox circa Eurythmics model

Grace Jones model

Michael Jackson model

photos from style.com

The Return of the Native

... and here's another post about jewelry! I must confess I'm a bit obsessed with jewelry at the best of times. My love of adornment began at a very young age, like most girls I imagine, and was greatly catalyzed by my beautiful and brilliant Grandmother, Onnie Millar, who made her own jewelry. My Grandmother favored large and colorful jewelry often made from wood, ceramic, shells and glass; she loved natural and organic objects. She fashioned beautiful sculptures of people from stone and made pendants of painted portraits on sea shells and wood. Her preference for the natural always reminded me of the spirit of Native art;  where found objects were turned into figurative and literal representations of man, nature and the earth.

There is a definite trend of Native inspired jewelry proposed by many designers for Fall 2012... and I love it.
Am I convinced of the practicality of some of these pieces? No, but that doesn't matter. The point of fashion is to express artistic visions and what is practical for some may not be for others. I enjoy these European adaptations of Native adornment - I would love to see someone wear one of these pieces with a tank top or poking from beneath a suit!

Akong, Fall 2012

Dannijo, Fall 2012

Aurelie Biderman, Fall 2012

Akong, Fall 2012

Pamela Love, Fall 2012

Pamela Love, Fall 2012

Lulu Frost Fall 2012

photos from style.com

Mary Katrantzou (... I heart you)

Speaking of gorgeous statement jewelry, I thought I'd share some samples from Greek designer Mary Karantzou's first collection made for Fall 2008 while graduating at Central St. Martin's. There are so many things I love about Katrantzou's work: her predilection towards bold, bright colors, geometric shapes and patterns, and of course its all about those prints, prints, prints! Her prints are perfectly drafted to caress every curve of the body. The technical prowess to achieve such mastery is simply astounding. 

She is steadfast in her aesthetic, which affords all fashionstas the ability to immediately identify a Karantzou from the rest of the pack. Her love of shift dresses and peplums combined with her fantastic prints and elementary color sense creates a  perfect marriage of contrast between minimalism and kitsch. If you took away the prints, I feel her work would resemble Calvin Klein or Gianfranco Ferre. If you took away the silhouettes, I'm left to compare her work to Versace, Pucci or Jean Charles de Castlebajac.

In her first collection, Karantzou utilized in her prints trompe l'oeil variations of massive statement necklaces. What's not to love?

Mary Katrantzou Fall 2008

photos from StyleGuru

Heaven Tanudiredja

Why have I not heard of Heaven Tanudiredja until now??  I am completely enthralled and inspired with this designer's gorgeous jewelry! The Balinese born designer studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and since has worked for Christian Dior and now Dries Van Noten where he is part of the creative team and is supported in his own line Heaven Tanudiredja . Learning of his work with Van Noten, I silently nodded in affirmation of the seamless aesthetic exchanged between the designers, as if it were the most logical and obvious thing ever. It all just seems to make perfect sense!

I am compelled by Tanudiredja's work for his brilliant fusion of materials such as plastic, metal, glass, his lively mix of colors and for the juxtaposition of the  aggressive, almost militant spirit (many of his pieces look like beautifully beaded and jeweled armor) with the feminine tradition of adornment. I am always personally attracted to jewelry that is chunky, bizarre and that manages to capture various tribal semblances and/or sci-fi/futuristic qualities. Lucky for me, these sort of desires seem to be trendy in fashion design right now and I'm finding more and more designers to placate my fantasies. More posts to come!

Ralph Lauren Fall 2012

I was so excited to see what the designers in New York had in mind for us for Fall 2012. I've yet to see all of my New York favorites (Rodarte, Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta ...) but so far it seems that Fall '12 has become an extension of of the Spring collections. I see many of the same silhouettes (sloped shoulders, pencil skirts) and color trends (orange, anyone?) this time around as were presented last Fall for the Spring collections.

Case and point: Ralph Lauren. It feels like Ralph picked up where he left off with his beautiful Great Gatsby-esque vision for Spring, but this time the ingenue has matured and has asserted herself with the masculine suits and textures of the late nineteenth century. Ralph has presented similar decadent deco beaded dresses and blouses, bowler hates, fur accessories and satin dresses as he did for Spring, with a few twists, of course.

For Fall, Mr. Lauren has offered a strong and elegant woman who lounges in muted plaid wool suits in tight and loose fits replete with luxurious rich velvets, fitted vests and black and gold evening wear that is sure to be at the top of any starlets' wish list for the upcoming red carpet season. The show took a modern edge with his leather looks: pleated leather skirts, impeccably cut jackets and body-con dresses with leather sleeves.

No matter what decade or inspiration Mr. Lauren chooses to revisit, the result is always a representation of  classic American luxury wear.

Photos below from syle.com