045. The battle with bag addiction continues.

I'm always on the fence with Diesel. Visiting the store on Union Square never ceases to confuse me. The bodyguards loom forbiddingly at the front door, giving any non-leather-clad-hipster the evil eye. The place is never packed but instead rather bald, with a paltry number of browsers cruising the racks of merchandise. I never know whether the atmosphere is elitist or street, because all manner of people can be seen wearing Diesel, from poor to rich. In short, I never know what image I give off when I myself wear Diesel...is it a covetable status symbol or representative of something undesirable?

Diesel does have the habit of producing unattractive crap for unreasonably high prices. I primarily like their accessories, although the European Diesels do offer something palatable in the way of clothing. Anyway, I was trolling online for bags (as is my wont) and what did I find but this:


Ssense.com
Does this honestly remind anyone of Diesel? The little oval insignia makes it look almost Versace-ish. The clincher? This bag is only $144. I mean, when was the last time you saw an attractive bag for under $200, sans discounts? All you can get for that price are Coach and Dooney & Burke, dreaded and detested scourges of the fashion world. Hiss! Flee!

I then discovered this equally tempting piece of utilitarian delight.


Ssense.com
Retailing for - shock - a mere $116! Who would have thought? The last bag I liked that was made by Diesel cost upwards of $600 and resembled an upside-down leather parachute. It was quite genius, although unwieldy. But this--could be useful! For my trip...for carrying--useful things...

Should I try to talk myself out of this one, or just succumb to the beauty of the splurge? I want that purple bag...

038. Marc by Marc Jacobs, redux.

With the recent explosion of fashion qua pop culture, many designers have jumped on the bandwagon to create diffusion lines. After all, everyone wants something with a designer logo on it, and designers can easily take advantage of this by creating a cheaper line. There are only so many wealthy clientele who can afford your $3000 dresses; why not make an additional profit? It's a quick fix for both consumer and producer, although I myself am getting a little disturbed at how mainstream designer goods are getting. The label isn't worth shit if you can buy a piece of Mizrahi on sale for $3.29. (That decimal point is not displaced. Although, diffusion lines usually range from the $90-$600 price range these days, and Isaac Mizrahi for Target isn’t technically a "diffusion" line, just a sponsored collection.)

Marc by Marc Jacobs has been a source of frustration for me for quite a while. I used to really adore Marc Jacobs. His collections were fantastic a few years ago, he was definitely one of my favorite American designers.

But my dislike of Jacobs' most recent work is a different subject entirely. I couldn't stand Marc by Marc Jacobs when it first started showing, for two reasons. First, the line wasn't even designed by Jacobs, so what was the point? Okay, so this apparently happens a lot - but honestly, it didn't seem to have any relevancy to the real Marc Jacobs line! It was just him stamping his name onto these cheaper, unrelated outfits! Second, the clothing and bags were literally cheap. I've been to MMJ stores, I've seen the clothes in person, the buttons are badly sewn, the seams are nothing like regular Marc Jacobs RTW.

I also thought most of the clothing was heinously ugly.

But recently, MMJ has been shaping up. Every season I notice more things I like. The prices have begun to reflect the improving quality and taste of the garments; I also like the bags more. I do find it hilarious that the so-called MMJ shoes are just as expensive as, say, a pair of Miu Mius. That will never cease to amuse me. Anyway, the clothing and bags are achieving more recognition as times goes on.

From MMJ Spring 2008:


Style.com
Um, how fabulous is this outfit? It’s quirky and adorable and all kinds of pretty. I must have it!...After I sell my soul on eBay.


Style.com
Available here at ShopBop
After traipsing around Neiman’s, Bloomie’s, and Cusp all evening eyeing the MMJ displays, I finally tried on this dress and fell in love. Well, I already knew I wanted it. But now I know I have to have it. "Sale" being the operative word here. If only ShopBop would make some obscene error and accidentally mark down this dress to 75% off, or better, 95% off, or…well, I can dream, damnit.

I know that dress has been splattered all over the pages of every fashion magazine that has enough revenue to print in color, but whatever, you’re seeing it again because it’s AMAZING.


Style.com
And finally, for a peek at fall's MMJ collection. Also looking quite good. Some designers have been focusing on the tailoring of garments lately, or the texture or shape of the clothing. Marc by Marc Jacobs' most noticeable feature is patterning. And who doesn't love a smattering of polka dots on a eentsy little black-collared cream blouse and criss-cross stitching on a pencil skirt?

Shaddup!

037. To file under blunders: The Baroque.

I started keeping an eye on Miu Miu back in Spring 2006. It was the little V-neck star print dress that captured my interest. I’ve always thought of Miu Miu as a quirky, sporty-girly brand with a lot of twists and turns in it. There are some consistencies in design, but the label seems more like a stream-of-consciousness project for Miuccia. Every season, I have to re-evaluate my opinion of Miu Miu, more than I would for some of my other favorite designers.

This spring, Miu Miu has decided to reuse the baroque ornamentation from their Fall 06 shoes. (I notice this, because I was obsessed with the collection and eventually bought the below shoe in patent red.) Whether corporate is just being manipulative, trying to reel in more profits by creating a new shoe with some of the old hallmarks of the original, I don’t know. It’s like the ugly stepsister of the first shoe. It’s disappointing that they would take such a beautiful baroque-inspired creation, strip off all the patent leather that was its hallmark, and rework the wood carving into a shoe utterly devoid of personality.


Style.com; Net-A-Porter.com
NOTE. I apologize most sincerely for the poor quality of
this image due to lack of Photoshop on the work computer.
It’s a spring shoe, people, not a lump of deadwood. This thing needs color! If I were given the opportunity to redesign the shoe, I’d paint the heel and the toe wedge gold or silver (with the same burnished feel). Then I’d market the shoe in several different colors of leather: white, light pink, and light green, with the option of patent leather for the white. And I would eliminate those glaringly dark threads used to sew the leather. I HATE when the stitching is ten shades darker or lighter than the leather. I know the Chloé Edith bags sport this design and are pretty popular, but I’m not appealing to the people, I’m appealing to you, Miu Miu!

For shame.


Miu Miu floral carved sandals, available at Net-A-Porter for $550.

032. Falling flat.

I hate to be repetitive, but the fashion this spring has been unusually bad. There have been a few good ones: Alexander McQueen (although it rested rather heavily on outsider-designed hats), Ralph Lauren, Givenchy, Moschino. But I have to give it to Nylon for making the best of a bad situation by picking the best of the worst to showcase and doing a damn good job with photography. Other magazines (whom I shall not deign to mention) have spectacularly failed in piquing my interest this season, interspersing vile editorials with humdrum print ads. Now that the screenwriters' strike is over, have the design teams for major magazines taken their place?

But I do have to admit that no publication is to blame for the shoddy fashion jamming up the catwalks. A few interesting designs here or there, but I'm not going to defend the bullshit. Anyone who tells me "We decided to break it all down and start at the bottom so we can build ourselves up again." - yeah, great idea. You've just created the fashion equivalent of the amoeba. Why don't you take us right on back up the evolutionary chain so I can wear something pretty again.

In essence, from what I've seen, many spring collections have tried to rest on flashy colors that border on radioactive. The shape and detailing on garments is minimal. That’s okay because minimalism can be chic, but it’s annoying when you don’t have that one unusual piece that stands out from the crowd. Shoes are going to be the saving grace of fashion this spring.

Now, about them shoes. A fashionable outfit depends on contrast (currently: drab clothing vs. interesting shoes), and I’ve noticed that as heels have risen in height (I believe we will be walking on virtual stilts by 2010 if this trend continues to grow – no pun intended), they’ve also risen in creativity. A little while ago, bags were the It accessory. They were and always will be a fab brag piece to flaunt, but shoes are fast returning to their spot as the collectible item of choice. Let me see if I can rack up a few examples.


Style.com
Here is a Chloé shoe from next fall. It is certainly something to look at. Not only is it produced in a vivid aquamarine, the front is plastered with some exotic variant of a leaf. I don’t know if this is a hail to environmental campaigning (there’s been even more plant-oriented clothing around lately, and not just because it’s spring). But this is a different take on footwear. Normally you’d just see a shoe that matches or complements the more extraordinary fabric, but this is the uniting component of the outfit.


Style.com
Prada’s token spring heel is even more flamboyant. I must say this shoe is much more aesthetically appealing (to me), but it is perhaps even more extreme, with the heel radically altered to form the shape of a flower. The shoe is practically becoming the staple of the collection, whereas Prada’s shirts float on ethereally by.


Style.com
Marc Jacobs’ latest shoes are bizarre. That’s all. They’re just bizarre; and they’re a disaster waiting to happen. That isn’t to say I don’t like them. I enjoy the exotic birds of fashion. But these shoes are extreme and I have visions of tripping in these, catapulting down stairs, dancing through my head. They’re another poster child for the “Look at us. We’re subscribing to the Shoe Extremism trend. Here, let us endanger your safety to prove it” movement.

I admit I am myopic when it comes to fashion. I'm young. I am only well versed in approximately the last half decade in fashion; I don’t presume to be an expert on trends. But clothing seems to be taking a new direction. Whether this leads to good or bad things, we shall see. I have hope that Nicolas Ghesquière will carry us through.

031. God's work, or so they say: Imitating the Imitation.

TheImitation.com
I remember the high-waisted jeans that Scarlett Johansson wore in an Imitation of Christ fashion show perhaps a year ago; I am also familiar with the infamous garment that proclaimed "Bring me the head of Tom Ford." But I wasn't paying much attention when IOC made its debut, and I was equally preoccupied with other things when it made its exit. And having now done some research on the label, I still don't find the salvaged and reworked clothing that constitutes Imitation of Christ's collection particularly appealing, although I am intrigued by the intellectual component of the subversive enigma that was Tara Subkoff's fashion brainchild. (Of course, how much the label was genuinely contraculture/contratrend is open to speculation. Any capitallist byproduct has its marketing strategy; and every revolution derives from a larger fabric, no pun intended.)

In any event, it was only when Refinery21 announced the premiere of IOC's diffusion label, Imitation by Imitation of Christ, that my curiosity was piqued. Aesthetically, the line resembles and yet is quite different from its extinct predecessor. In fact, Subkoff surrendered the reins to another designer, Kasia Bilinski, and has since gone off to work on other projects.


TheImitation.com
Imitation does not use vintage materials, nor does it have quite the same degree of high-end pricing as its predecessor, although it is also trying very hard to become a niche label and is available at only a few select locations (I haven't been able to find it online anywhere). To me, the simplicity of the pieces resemble IOC's (and are alleged to be produced meticulously with much attention to detail) and garments are in muted tones and solid colors. Imitation's innovation lies, in my opinion, in the sheer fluidity (the organic-ness) of the clothing. When examining the spring collection, I noted the hanging strips of cloth adorning the tops, the looseness of the garments, the freedom implied in the design. But there is also the eerie sense of being watched, of being followed, both in this and the fall-winter collection. The models are mostly alone in open spaces, unaware of the camera's presence, yet, they are dogged by the lens of the camera. This sends a very enigmatic message.


TheImitation.com

It's difficult to pinpoint the purpose of Imitation. The films used to publicize the label are produced by a studio called Dissent Films, and the artwork and design are clearly engineered to cultivate an "outsider" vibe, yet the brand is clearly also "luxury" - no matter how you look at it, Imitation is exclusionary - not that that's necessarily a bad thing. I wonder how long Imitation will stay around, whether its mission and design aesthetic will change dramatically, and who the real client base are for this label.

Imitation by Imitation of Christ, as selling at select stores worldwide.

030. Target's Go Collection a Go?

I'm not big on retail-giant attempts to bring designer clothing to the masses. For one, it's difficult to translate the unusual garments that designers like Isaac Mizrahi are famous for into something that people who shop at Target would want to wear. And for another, when the clothes cost so little, it's difficult (in fact, impossible) to replicate the fine workmanship that most good RTW - or couture, for that matter - possesses. And lastly, you can't mass-produce exclusivity. It defeats the point. But anyway.

I went to Target yesterday to check out the launch of the store's newest Go collection: the Jovovich-Hawk line. I was antsy about the collection, because I had looked at preview samples online and wasn't as excited as I'd hoped to be about the designs. Jovovich-Hawk cultivates a feminine, frilly look that is difficult to translate into cheap fabrics. The dresses I was looking at were cute, but pretty average, the type of thing you'd see at a JC Penney or Macy's.

What partially redeemed the Jovovich-Hawk for Target line for me was the last dress I tried on: a lacy little dress in eggshell with detailing at the neckline, waist, and hem. The reason I liked it so much is because it was a perfect fit: I don't have much of a waist or hips, and the dress defined the shape of my body instead of rebelling against it. It's difficult to find a dress that suits me well, so that made me happy.


Jovovich-Hawk for Target® Chiffon Dress, $39.99
Target.com
What I found annoying was the price. Although a cute dress, I don't honestly think it is worth $40. The material is not that fantastic a quality, and the design is not incredibly unique. It just happened to fit me particularly well. I'm sure I could find a similar dress for $25 for Forever 21. You're just paying for the Jovovich-Hawk label, on a Target tag no less.


Jovovich-Hawk for Target® Square-Neck Floral Dress, $39.99
Target.com
From this picture, the dress above doesn't look particularly fantastic, but in person, the colors attract the eye. The muted palette is pleasantly intriguing. I was torn between getting this dress and the off-white one, but I finally decided on the latter because this flowery one is absolutely shapeless. If you're thin as a pole with no boobs, go for it - you'll look fantastic.


Jovovich-Hawk for Target® Linen Shorts, $26.99
Target.com
The last item worthy of mention is this cute little pair of shorts. Somebody recently ridiculed the pleated ruffles, but I tried the shorts on and found the detailing adorably whimsical. The buttons are not really to my taste, but they're easily replaceable.

I also tried on some of the blouses the collection offers, but they have a pleat in the back that puffs it out and makes it appear as if you're a hunchback. Is it just me? Or do other people also have this problem? I suspect it's an error in design.

So, is it worth it to check out the Go collections by Target? Yes, if you're looking for a cheap designer fix. But don't expect anything stupendous--why would you? So if you don't mind that the clothes produced by fashion giants like H&M and Forever 21 are blatant, unsanctioned replicas of true designer RTW, I'd go there first, as they cost even less than the officially sponsored stuff.

Check out the real Jovovich-Hawk spring line on their official website. It's definitely worthy of notice.

029. Fresh picks from Nylon!

Go out and buy it. It's Nylon's spring fashion issue. I admit my faith in Nylon had been slipping in recent months, but this has restored it. Insanely good coverage of what's new and perhaps-hot. I'm only halfway through it and it's hella good. Go read it. That's all.

Also of interest: Nylon's official website, with many an extra goody not found in print.

028. TWENTY8TWELVE by s.miller: Worth the wait?

Word has been out everywhere about Sienna and Savannah Miller's new clothing line, TWENTY8TWELVE. I myself am not a huge fan of Sienna and consider her style to be rather blah, but hey, I'm a curious person so I decided to check out their spring collection online.

The style is true to the sisters' fashion sense, and I can't blame them for that - why would you want to create a line that didn't cater to your personal aesthetic - but unfortunately, that means overpriced drab plain garments with seemingly nice tailoring but little else.


Siegfried Jacket in Ebonised, $594
RevolveClothing.com
This thing is the demented lovechild of a dowdy housecoat and a raincoat. The three-quarter length sleeves do not work, and the fabric is abnormally thin. It might have some promise if it were offered in a rich purple or emerald, but the black dulls out the look and makes it look trashy.


Blair Tee in Emulsion 50's, $99
RevolveClothing.com
Okay, am I the only one who thinks this looks like a blatant reference to sadomasochism? Located on a bleeding heart, the S and M are strategically placed on each side of a graphic that could be an ampersand! who knows! Only upon close inspection do you discover that it is a pelvis. Is this some sort of jab about the dead seriousness of the label or do the sisters just think it'd be cool if they catered to the McQueen skull-and-crossbones fan base?


Calandra Jacket in Ebonised, $418
RevolveClothing.com
This jacket is the best of what I've seen so far. It's crisp and polished and quite chic. Again, it's the sort of thing Sienna has been seen wearing millions of times. I'm not trying to harp on her style (much), but if you're going to create your own line, might you at least create something you can't buy from OTHER designers?

I just can't decide if I like the line. The basic pieces and ruffled blouses are useful and fashionable, but I'm just not sure if they're worth the price. For basic, deconstructed pieces, TWENTY8TWELVE is your brand, but I'm too apathetic about the collection to generate any real excitement about the clothes.

018. Heimstone.

Heimstone is definitely one of my favorite up-and-coming designers. French in origin, the label has already set up shop in a number of boutiques across the world. The ubiquitous model showing off the collection has become infamous in underground fashion circles, and her look (slightly grungy touseled-hair chic) is exactly the kind of look I love.

In my opinion, Heimstone's biggest assets are its color palette and the hardware immanent in the design. Heimstone utilizes muted, earthy tones that accentuate what is actually very sophisticated tailoring. The collections then use a variety of hardware like grommets, cloth buttons, zippers, and all sorts of other three-dimensional "props" to incorporate a bit of a punk vibe to the clothing. Overall, Heimstone is the epitome of edgy. Which is one of my favorite words to use to compliment a designer, so yay.


Heimstone.com
I absolutely fell in love with this dress. Zippers, asymmetry, that glam-rocker look - this is everything I look for when I'm shopping!


Heimstone.com
This jacket is absolutely fabulous. Not only is it going to be pretty much universally flattering, it's a weird combination of military and Victorian with the tufted sleeves and straight lines that turns out a fabulous silhouette.


Heimstone.com
While I wouldn't wear this dress (trust me, I'd look abysmal in it), I can still admire it from afar. I adore the hooks connecting the shoulder straps, and as usual there is a fair degree of complexity to the dress but it remains a basic piece that can be worn with a lot of things.

Heimstone dresses are priced at around $450 a dress, which I don't find to be excessive considering the amount of workmanship that goes into these garments. But I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that they go on sale somewhere soon!

015. Fashion's Hydra: Sonia Rykiel Spring '07.

Sonia Rykiel's Spring Ready-To-Wear consisted of an eclectic mix of soft-hued dresses, bold jumpsuits, and frilly bathing suits. Usually I prefer when a designer sticks to a central theme, but every piece had its appeal.

I owned a denim button-up jumpsuit when I was in high school. I thought I looked so hot until someone told me I looked like J.Lo in it, at which point I quickly discarded said jumpsuit (it still hangs, gathering dust, in the deepest recesses of my closet). So while the word "jumpsuit" carries a sense of shame for me these days, Sonia Rykiel's jumpsuits' boldness of pattern and brilliance of color generate a highly covetable semi-vintage look. The sunglasses are the crowning glory of this outfit: I love how ridiculously audacious they are.


Style.com
Now on to the dresses. This is spring in all its glory. The silken, billowing dresses of the collection conjure to mind the pastel hues of lilacs and the gentle breezes of mild spring weather. I find myself quoting Wordsworth as I look at these dresses -- "I wandered lonely as a cloud..."

*cough* Uh, on to the picture.


Style.com
Even though this bathing suit looks as if it would fall apart at the mere mention of water, its complete lack of functionality endows it with a sense of delicacy. And being the type of person who literally avoids the sun for fear of getting a tan, I'd much rather wear this than some water-resistant spandex number.


Style.com
I'm not so sure about wearability, but I'll be interested to see how the runway pieces translate to what will be appearing on clothes hangers come spring.

013. Expectations plummet; but carpetbags save the day!

What in the name of all hell is THIS? Stefano, have you something to say for yourself? Domenico?


Style.com
Ew. Ewwwww.

Most of Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 08 collection failed to impress me. Some of it fell flat like this abysmally standard floral print dress, and some of it tried too hard to create a tailored look that was not suited at ALL for the type of material used. It mainly makes me sad because I always have such high expectations for Dolce & Gabbana. For the last half dozen or so collections, I'd hardly been able to find a single thing to hate.

But I'll admit, I liked some of the pieces from this spring. The carpetbag material used for both accessories and garments, even if it didn't work well with the business suits, was brilliant (see skirt below for example).


Style.com
The collection also had an adorable selection of eclectic shoes and handbags, with checkers and patterns taking the forefront.


Style.com
So in conclusion: it wasn't all bad, but it certainly wasn't all good...

012. House of Holland v.2.0.

House of Holland has come a long way in the past year, from esoteric obscurity to Style.com's front page. And Henry Holland has completely redesigned his look, and added a team of accesory-makers to the mix.


Style.com
The bag = gorgeous. And I love the garish rocker look being promoted for the spring. Compare it to this fall's look, whose colors and shapes reminded me of the all-too-bubbly Harajuku Girls line (see below).


Style.com
Speaking of London's Fashion East, here's the adorablest little frock from Nanou:


Style.com

Chromosomes as embellishments...who would have thought? Well, it works!