Mary Katranzou A/W2012 London

How does Mary Katranzou come up with these dynamic concepts each season and produce another stunning collection of patterns and shapes? It’s concept fashion and I love it. This time she added some ruffled and billowing chiffon and sometimes kept to one particular colour within a dress, elsewhere the palette was gorgeously mixed. It’s extraordinary that the objects she finds to inspire such beautiful prints are often so mundane: you can see clocks, telephones, typewriters and tassels, cutlery, pencils, hedges and grass, developed into a geometry of pattern that is extraordinarily displayed across the tailoring.  It is the kind of fashion theatre I love.  A small quibble, but I have to say I don’t love the dark flick on the eyes which really doesn’t work on lots of the models’ faces.

Source: Style.com

Oscars Overview 2012

Because of the Oscars last night I have taken a break from Fashion Week write ups (now in Milan) to do Fashion Red Carpet write ups instead. In fact some of the best looks came from the Vanity Fair after party, which is a shame and a wasted opportunity. Anyway, in no particular order, the good and then the bad. Some stylists have clientele who have hit the jackpot and some others are being taken for a ride.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad. This shows off her curves in all the right places and yet she manages to look suprisingly demure. I would have preferred a bright nail colour to make this a bit younger; in fact there was a trend for nude nails which I find a boring option at a time when nail varnishes are really current and come in an incredible range of great colours.

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab. In my opinion this couture collection could have provided many more dresses for the red carpet this season; this is a great example of the beautiful beadwork and body sculpting shaping that Elie Saab brings to his occasion  dresses. The white is a little wedding and there were some lovely blue and pale yellow options from this collection which would perhaps have worked better.

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. I love the concept of this dress and the beading wrapped around the waist is really artistic, like frosty fingers. I think the top would be better a little more fitted and slightly looser hair would have made this softer but I love her so she gets a free pass.

Glenn Close in Zac Posen. Perhaps not the best pose for this dress but she does look amazing. The pleating around the bodice, the sharply cut jacket, the great colour make it a really flattering and youthful look for her, nice relaxed hair too to contrast with the formal column of the dress.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. I want to love this because it’s Tom Ford and I do like it. It’s cool in its simplicity and the cape/cloak is new to the A-list red carpet. She looks long and lean and statuesque but perhaps it works the Ice Queen thing a bit much.

January Jones in Wes Gordon. I hadn’t heard of this designer before and I really appreciate how different this is. I’m not quite sure about the brown material but the mix of colours works beautifully and I love the soft green top with her wavey hair. Also, I’m so excited about the return of Mad Men that it’s probably clouding my judgement.

Elizabeth Banks in Chadwick Bell. I’m going to criticise spots later in this post but here is the perfect example of how they can work. This is sophisticated and the softness from the navy feathers is lovely. She looks grown up and beautiful.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen. The intricate pattern detail on this dress is absolutely stunning and combines soft and hard edges into a great look. The gold suits her colouring perfectly and I really like the softer hair. It’s a statement dress with a lot going on so it’s good that accessories are kept simple.

Rose Bryne in Vivienne Westwood. Firstly she is way too thin, but that said, this dress is amazing. It manages to look like liquid but also like armour and it works really nicely with the simple haircut. A great look, made even better by being by a British designer. I just hope she’s wearing both earrings.

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli. I cannot believe I am putting Kate Beckinsale in the good column because usually her look is more contrived than this and overtly sexpot. Obviously this is still super sexy but I really love the pale yellow colour, the random patterning and the subtle see-through sections. A pleasant suprise.

Kate Bosworth in Prabal Gurung. I love this! It’s so pretty but edgy too, a flowery pattern but in hard jet beads.  I’m just not sure I love the shoes, they are a bit corporate.

Another Kate, this time Hudson, in vintage Versace. I don’t love the hair but she does look amazing in this red number. The fringe is so on trend and gave movement to the posed carpet shots.  It’s very low cut at the back and altogether really  flattering to her slim frame.

Natalie Portman in Christian Dior Couture. I don’t like this at all, principally because it makes her look old. Polka dots for me rarely work as an Oscar look, certainly not here.  Her hair is ageing and almost suggests a receding hairline. The jewellery is all wrong for this dress too, for me something more modern and chunky, perhaps in black jet, would have been better.

Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive. This is such a disappointment; the Armani Prive collection produces really stunning dresses and this is so bland. There is nothing exciting or eye catching about this 50s debutante look: the matching purse doesn’t make it any cooler and the ageing hair and dull diamond jewellery again give you an impression of her at 70! Sophia Loren look out.

Shailene Woodley  in Valentino. This illustrates my main issue with the fashion house since Valentino left, it has lost its sex appeal. This is matronly but also virgin bride; the girl is 20, why is she in something so covered up and boring? It’s disappointing that a stylist isn’t giving her young, fresh options like when Hailee Steinfeld hit the red carpet last year. I know ultimately it comes down to what the client likes but none of Shailene’s previous looks have been anything this conservative.

Viola Davis in Vera Wang.  This  is a Project Runway disaster. The frill swathed around the bottom of this looks like an afterthought hurriedly tacked on, the colour is unsubtle and the cleavage is overkill when there is so much else going on.

Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab. This doesn’t work for me. She is so charming and flirty in The Artist but this is an older woman’s dress with the covered arms and safe colour.  It doesn’t flatter her figure and as someone who knew she would probably have to be on stage to accept an award of some kind, I really think she could have worn something much more chic, stand-out and frankly French.

Colin Firth’s wife Livia in God knows what. This is so awful! Horrible frilly cups on the bodice, the bow on the high waist line and on the babyish bag, and what looks to be a train of some kind at the back. It’s such a mess and a mix of a christening gown and a costume for an Elizabethan drama. I’ve just found out this was Valentino too…I rest my case!

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli. This has no neck, a severe parting in the hair and very little make up: this isn’t young or sexy or modern and as other people have pointed out, it’s very similar to the Nicole Kidman dress she wore back in 2007.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton. Although I quite like the colour, I don’t like the straight across neckline which needs to be pulled down in the middle to make a V frame. The bow brooch and pink bag are silly girlish touches which are not needed becaase she is so feminine already. It’s also a little heavy on her small frame. and the back of the bodice is a nude colour which looks really odd and almost unfinished.

And surely the joke of the night is Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace. Why is she standing like this? Why in every picture is she standing like this? And why did she present from the stage in this exact same position? It’s so contrived: yes, we know there is a slit in your dress but you don’t have to keep sticking out your boney knee to remind us, it looks so awkward.

Source: Zimbio

David Koma A/W2012 London

There was something of a dog theme to this show, with the arched heads of greyhounds used as a motif and they also appeared on the heels of the models’shoes.  This idea was carried through in the leash theme of several looks, with their high collars, belts, often worn above a peplum, and also in the silver eyelets cut into the fabric of dresses and jackets, which were very effective and interesting.  There was a lot of black to start with, softened with some grey and cream, and then some maroon and airline blue.  I thought the hair was a little too severe.

Giles A/W12 London

The invitation to this show had burnt holes in it but that was just a small hint at how beautiful this effect would look when used on fabric.  Although some of the shapes were not for me, the materials and fabrics were stunning, not only this signature one, but also laser cut satins, subtly dyed feathers and metallic lace.  The look was part buttoned up sheltered lady, part damsel in distress.  I love how damaged and fragile these dresses look, and yet from the softenss comes great fashion drama.

Source: Style.com

Burberry A/W2012 London

This video is the complete Burberry show but for me the highlight comes from 15 minutes in with the stunning finale.

Vivienne Westwood Red Label A/W2012 London

I was lucky enough to have a great seat in Goldsmiths’ Hall for this show so I was looking forward to some good pictures until I was thoroughly upstaged and I think the first picture speaks for itself about my then somewhat restricted view! So I apologise for the below average photos of what was, in fact, a great collection, and I have put some images at the bottom to make up for it.

Vivenne Westwood has always been identified with British design, and national identity is at the heart of this season’s Red Label, reinforcing many of the familiar features: the plaids and the City stripes, the knits and the jersey, and in the mix of Edwardian tailoring with twisting and wrapping, but the whole collection came off as more sophisticated than sometimes in the past.  The colours were nicely autumnal with rusty reds, mauve, grey greens and I think it will feel very wearable come next autumn.

Source: Style.com

Ashley Isham A/W12 London

This was at Goldsmith Hall in Westminister, a beautiful venue where a number of shows were held this week. Ashley Isham sent down a big collection covering day and evening wear, using a full range of leather, jersey, lace, metallics and floral prints in some subtle and wellmatched colours. The models’ super high gloss red lips looked really strong under the lights.

Temperley London A/W2012

Get the Cossack hats out, ladies, Temperley has gone to Russia. Taking place at the Institute of Civil Engineers with its crystal chandeliers and painted ceiling, it did feel like a Romanov princess could have danced with a King here. The silhouette was lean and flattering, elevated with wonderful embroidery and beautiful beading; the colours mostly pale with red and blue highlights. Metallics and chunky Mawi jewellery completed the look and added the edge.

Todd Lynn A/W2012 London

This collection was both strong and simple, delivering clean lines without affectation.  There was perhaps a little more colour, the usual great cutting, especially in his use of leather, and some good relaxed suiting, the models tucking their wide legged trousers into slouchy boots for a less working-woman look. The music though was oddly eerie as if something dark was taking place.

John Rocha A/W2012 London

Sometimes it’s difficult to interpret into words the multiple combinations of cut, seaming, fabric and detail visible on the clothes close up, but I think my photos below give a pretty good idea.  This was a collection with a lot going on.  Ok, it was mostly all in black, but silks, satins, sheers, matts, knits and lace were all combined with big-scale belts, heavy footwear, kooky bags to create quite a show.  There was an interesting contrast between the big voluminous body-disguising looks and the clingy dresses and trousers with flashes of skin although neither particularly wearable.