Burberry Prorsum, Spring 2010

Every season, I wait to see how Christopher Bailey will advance Burberry Prorsum. Since he took the helm in 2001, his designs have remained consistently relevant and innovative. Bailey gives trust-fund kids around the world what they want: clothes that are exquisitely crafted and unapologetically cool. For Spring 2010, Bailey incorporated heaps of draping and ruching without compromising the label’s classic structural aesthetic.

At times, all the knots and twists bordered on histrionic…


… but the embellished shoulders gave the requisite coats uncommon elegance.

Droopy shirts with strappy detailing struck my covetous nerve.

My favourite pieces in the collection were these two trench-dresses: expressive and unique construction with a classic silhouette. Simply beautiful.

PS: I know there are no fashion rules anymore, but “no socks with sandals” is one I happened to like…

CHEEK magazine

Please check out my latest work for CHEEK Magazine:

Surveillance - menswear editorial shot by Ivan Otis
The Father, the Son and the Wardrobe - article by MOI

Roll Call

Generally, we roll up our pants out of necessity, if we just have to wear those new pants before getting a chance to have them properly hemmed. Recent seasons have seen ankles as the new erogenous zone for both men and women; rolled cuffs have become a motif in their own right. It can look either cavalier or sloppy, so take a cue from these Spring 2010 runway successes.

In response to economic skies falling, Ralph Lauren gave us page-boy chic in his collection, inspired by the 1930s.

I’m loving the sharp palette and French-cuffed pants on this modern-day dandy at Thom Brown.

Band of Outsiders continues to dominate contemporary menswear. Scott Sternberg’s tailoring creates strong yet easy pieces, perfect for young professionals and dreamers alike.

YIKES

I’m a huge fan of Marni, particularly their eyewear line, but this look for Resort 2010 is ten shades of ugly. ..



What do you think?

Separate Illusions: a design masterclass

Ask any Stacy or Clinton: quality separates are essential for smart dressing. Versatile and enduring, these pieces show their value in design and construction rather than trend or logo. This fall, a certain echelon of designers engages the savvy dresser’s penchant by creating the illusion of separates in single garments. Young designers take note: this apparently simple formal language is perfected not through expressivity but through artifice.

Alber Elbaz develops his oeuvre at Lanvin with the poetic folds of this suit-mimicking dress.

Miuccia Prada uses a truncated train to create the effect of a jacket over a skirt.

Nicolas Ghesquière conflates dresses and outerwear at Balenciaga.

Photos from style.com

Night of Fashion

Designer Forum Showcase @ The Ruby Tramp, Surfer’s Paradise, Australia
September 13, 2009

The Gold Coast has long been Mecca for sun seekers, but the recent influx of international students has created a burgeoning clientele for the fashion industry. Easy access to education has created easy excess by drawing the image conscious offspring of the West’s affluent with the promise of quickie MBAs and JDs soaked up with plenty of UVs. Add the leggy bronzed locals, the Riviera-weary jetsetters and mix well for a potent fashion cocktail.

Tara Rose Hyman, one of the top stylists on the Gold Coast, created a Night of Fashion to bring to life the shelves of Designer Forum, the pre-eminent Australian boutique and fashion consultancy firm. Although the party stopped being fun around midnight, the guests achieved effortless chic. Well, the ladies at least.

The room was a forest of sexy sky-scrapers, easily tossing hair and aussie bucks. These girls are more than stylish; they know how to work a trend. Strapping on aggressive heels, more apocalyptic than dominatrix, with neck-slung diaphanous frocks in blues and creams, they showed that innate ability to recklessly accessorize which only works in your 20s.

As for the boys (there were no men in attendance) most looked like they needed a good scrubbing. Outnumbered 5 to 1 at least, they managed to take graphic Ts and processed jeans to a new level of banality. Their crassness culminated as one guest, in the middle of the runway presentation, urbanely shouted “Show us your fucking tits!” Ah, Queensland…

The collections were hit and miss. Karen Walker showed some impressive jackets, but the accentuated shoulders felt de rigeur for the season and somewhat derivative. Zimmerman’s attempt at avant-garde draping made me yawn outwardly. The shutter pleating on some of the dresses was simply wrong in terms of proportion and position, and made some of the models look positively dumpy. Sass + Bide did not disappoint, striking a fine balance between structure and flow; this label is very right now. Sretsis, a last minute addition to the lineup, stole the show. With an unapologetically pretty aesthetic, this Thai label gave us frills, thrills and bows with origami precision. Using two-ply fabrics in contrasting colours, the garments emphasized internal lines and shapes, particularly in the first look out, a black and white cocktail dress that I’m sure is on every guest’s must-have list.

Designer Forum can be contacted through their website at http://www.designerforum.com.au/ or in their retail location at the Robina Town Centre, Robina, QLD.