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Kool Kids’ Trick

NYFW has been nearly a week and close to its ending. Accessories wise the first I noticed ever was of course Alexander Wang’s ‘Gang’ (that’s what he calls his girls this season). The super pointy pump looks very striking and crying out to fetch everyone’s attention. After having a decade of semi round toes and semi pointy toes, I was not sure at the beginning how to accept it, also because they also look quite painful!

But soon later, I started to notice that there’s a whole group of designers joining the trend of nineties-ish pointy shoes! And believe or not, if you’re a kool kid in NYFW showbiz, then your models would be rocking a pair of pointy shoes.

Altuzarra’s pointy shoes are less motorcycle themed as Wang’s and a bit more of a power lady look.

Daryl K’s pointy shoe boots are more rock n roll

Duro Olowu’s metallic pointy pumps are very pretty lady tasteful!

Thakoon and Peter Som’s collections are also included with semi pointy shoes. Now I realized most of the kool kids from NYFW are definitely at top of the new trend waves…yes bring back a bit of 90s and bring back some sharpness from those olden days!

Tags: Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Daryl K, Duro Olowu, NYFW, Peter Som, Thakoon

A Few Favourite Outfits with Liu Wen

Liu Wen for Proenza Schouler

Liu Wen for Anna Sui

Liu Wen for Dolce & Gabbana

Liu Wen for Roberto Cavalli

Liu Wen for Rodarte

Liu Wen for Alexnader Wang

Tags: Alexander Wang, Anna Sui, Dolce & Gabbana, Liu Wen, proenza schouler, Roberto Cavalli, Rodarte

SS11 Detail: Lanvin

This post is going to be a ooooozing long one followed by the hearted passionate Lanvin for H&M collection on post below. Zooming in all the details of Lanvin SS11 show, I still couldn’t stop oooozing in front monitor after these weeks, so imagine the ‘oooozing’ noise during the live show from people sitting there??

Tags: lanvin, Liu Wen

SS11 Detail: Kenzo’s 1001 Flowers

Many years ago when I was little I once read an article that said that Mr.Kenzo could redesign, remake and present flowers in print in at least 1001 different ways. I thought that was a very precise number and that’s how I’ve always remembered Mr. Kenzo, as someone who does floral prints well. The article was limited to six pages, and only displayed a few of his floral prints. I was anxious and desperate to see the other 987 ways he would draw flowers. The spring/summer 2011 collection from Kenzo has a lot of floral prints and other floral details. I haven’t counted, but maybe the article was right – Mr. Kenzo can certainly do his flowers in 1001 ways.

Tags: Kenzo

SS11 Detail: Underwear as outerwear

Fashion magazines, trend agencies and trend setters have been predicting that underwear as outerwear would become a major trend for I-don’t-remember-how-long. Now it seems like it’s finally happening, the hype is finally becoming true. A good example of this is Kenzo’s spring/summer 2011 presentation.

…another good example is the Proenza Schouler boys, who have just pushed this trend to the extreme.

Celebrities who have been rocking this trend include Chloe Sevigny and Zoe Saldana. These two have been channeling this trend since last season. I have no doubt believing that there will be a “trickle down” effect very soon and that the high street will pick up and transform this trend and give it a broader mainstream appeal very soon. Perhaps they will make it more acceptable for people by making garments where you don’t show the bra directly, like in first picture from Kenzo, but instead use sheer layers that just reveal a little bit – leaving a little bit of imagination to the viewers.

Tags: Chloe Sevigny, Kenzo, proenza schouler, Zoe Saldana

SS11 Detail: ‘Long Live McQueen’ again

So the man is gone himself, but the show must carry on. And this huge responsibility has landed on Sarah Burton’s shoulder, who has been Lee Alexander McQueen’s right hand for more than 15 years. After a great presentation of Resort11 a few months ago, people were guessing whether it is the right timing of her to be ready for a solo show for Paris Fashion Week season. Without a single doubt from the main critics, Sarah has once again delivered a spectacular show, and not just a presentation, but an actual catwalk show.

Sarah has added that female hand-writing to McQueen and this message has clearly marked out as the show background stage by striping off all the dramatic backdrop and just with simple wooden flooring and grass hinting the show’s main spirit – the mother earth. I totally embraced the idea, however, I couldn’t help but wonder, whether the mad dark magic is going to fade from McQueen?

I mean, Lee McQueen has laid the ground carefully in the past many years. The magic of his tailoring skills is just simply spectacular. And the richness what he has left could have driven this fashion house going on for a few more years without a single doubt. Below 2 images are obviously the same pattern, left is created by Sarah Burton and right was from Lee’s unique last show ‘Plato’s Atalantis’. Same pattern, same dress, just different material…do you think what I’m thinking?? — isn’t the left one becoming softer?

This was my main worrying when I watched Sarah’s first show for fashion house Alexander McQueen. The brand is famous with its powerful style representing the sadness and the anger. McQueen himself once said, ‘I found anger is very inspiring.’

I somehow can’t really feel that ‘anger’ inspiration any more from this show. The show its own is truly amazing to every single detail… as you can see the weaved hair detail…

…the applique detail and embroidery…

…the beading detail for the ‘Harvest Dress’… looks like just being weaved out of a gold corn…

…for a while, I lost myself and wonder whose show I am looking at… then I call this ‘moth dress’ came out…and suddenly all those darkness of true McQueen has came back again…

There’re still a right amount of darkness power presenting in the show. I am really glad that Sarah, an elegant female taking the leadership of this fashion house and I am grateful that she has brought the hope and sunlight to this brand.

As much as I am still mourning and appreciated for the entire history of Lee McQueen, I think it would be now a time to light up the torch and let’s search the end of tunnel, the hope will be soon at a near front.

all images are sourced from stylesight.com and edited by @QueenYoung.

Tags: Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton

SS11 Detail: Balmain

Ladies…boys…we’ve got some jobs to do. If you can’t afford the 4 digit figure of Balmain real deal, then it’s time to bring out some of your inner-hidden-creativity. The collection overall might not be any new concept, but, it will definitely sell sell sell! Just by checking up all these close-up details. Simple shapes + overly-done-embellishment = WOWZERs!

Anyone could tell it’s from last SS10 shape and idea – still in the liger pattern, only the silver studs are changed to safety pins.

actually coloured leather, not bleached denim…

…love the zip-off detail on multiple belts…

might need to do some burns and torns…

all images are sourced from stylesight.com and edited by @QueenYoung.

Tags: Balmain

SS11 Detail: Humble Chloe

There were no heels or precisely no high-heels through out the entire Chloe SS11 catwalk show. They were mainly in flats. Missionary sandals is getting a bit futurist by teaming with plastic and leather.

A more classic style of missionary sandal, a continue-success from SS10.

…summer ankle boots are turning into an essential…

leather ballerina socks/flats still keeps the dress floating and dress down the elegance high-level to a more humble level…

All images are from Stylesight.com and are edited by Qing for Fadeto#C5C5C5

Tags: Chloe

Your Taste…or NOT?

I’ve been wanting to say something about Rick Owen’s collection for Jil Sander since I’ve seen it 2 weeks ago. It’s a collection with silhouette brings my memories back to mid 90s. I remember of reading the article about Isaac Mizrahi, the title was ‘like statue, like goddess’. I think I was too young then to understand the subtleness and understatement Mizrahi tried to portrait. But 15 years ago, here I am again…with Jil Sander SS2011 collection in front my eyes, I finally realized my passion to these straight sculpted long silhouettes.

People always say T-shirt with ball-gown skirt is such an American thing. With belief of ‘less is more’, I could also recall how much I used to love the outfits of Claire Danes from 97th Oscar for ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Rick Owen was not just limited to T-shirt and peplum and long line tulips…he also strikes lots of  colours out. All seemingly-fighting brights are very well considered on proportion and percentage without looking cartoonish. I’m not sure whether this collection is up for everyone’s taste, but certainly we could all take notes from those colour combinations for next summer!

Tags: Claire Danes, jil sander, Rick Owen

SS11 Detail: A Debate to Prada

So when Prada’s collection came out, a big stir is created not only among the big high-up editors, but also in our own little office. My colleague Em and I had a heated debate on emails and I found it’s probably the best way to describe the show.

E: Is it just me or is the Prada collection a bit of a disappointment? Style.com must be run by Miuccia’s mum cos as per usual they love it…

Q: Sorry guys, I actually really really really love Prada!!! It’s very revolutionary. Nobody has ever done stripes without being look Nautical!

E: If you put that collection down a graduate fashion week catwalk you’d never get a job.

Q: The problem is ‘ that was not a graduate project’, it’s by Prada, she’s a communist and too thoughtful, she got the balls! She can foresee other people’s vision before people…. I think it’s a super break-through…tho it’s not up to normal standard of ‘beauty’. I felt the needs to adjust my own point of view of beauty. Whether next season high-street will follow or not, it is just a timing problem as it could take about more than 2 seasons for this vision to get around to a bigger audience base.

E: But if you take away the plush toy accessories and the monkeys and bananas you’ve got a bunch of Armani-esque unflatteringly cut suits and bold stripes that look a bit M&S swimwear. Love the stripy clutch bags though!

Q: The point is though ‘she has the monkey print and bananas’ and ‘she has the more daring colour-combo stripes than Armani’, but after all she is Prada, not Armani…    There is no ‘if’….the monkey really does the tricks…

E: If this collection was Henry Holland I doubt you’d say the same. Also something being good because it’s ‘prada’ is a bit emporers new clothes. I doubt style.com would have been so flattering if they were missing that very expensive Prada ad on every page

Q: Ahahaha….E, there’s no IF. And IF Henry Holland really has this brain to do this, then I will salute him! I get the point of Prada Ad money injection though.

Tags: prada