Fashion Forecast

For Quis Sum, fashion is not about trends per se, it is about taking what is out there and injecting this with your own spirit. However, it pays to know what is out there to pick and mix from.
Key ideas for the upcoming season are:
1. Future florals - Balenciaga's lavish florals, some culled from the archives, exaggerated and mixed with sculpted silhouettes are the epitome of this, but abstract florals could also be found on many other runways
2. Fifties' silhouettes - ample skirts and nipped in waists
3. Electric brights - colours from all over the spectrum, but the brighter, the better
4. "Tribal" prints - the influence of traditional American, African and Asian prints

Name To Watch....Alexandra Vidal

Photograph courtesy of Alexandra Vidal.
A contestant on the first series of Project Runway, Alexandra Vidal now has a burgeoning, eponymous fashion line. At the moment, it is only available in New York and Miami. However, we are predicting that her company is going to grow and grow and we suggest you keep your eye open for her name in the future.

The current collection, inspired by the macaroons and gateaux of famed Parisian patisserie Laduree, is a wonderful selection of delicate yet striking cocktail and evening looks. The palate is muted, with an emphasis on exceptional surface detail. It is no wonder than Vidal's designs are starting to be seen on some of New York's top social figures. Vidal also provides a custom ordering service.
See http://www.alexandravidal.com for more details.

Just Another Man - ic Monday: Tretorn Hockeyboot Paninari

Photograph courtesy of Tretorn.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of "Just Another Man - ic Monday". From now on, Monday posts will be dedicated to the world of men's fashion and accessories. Some of my male readers have been pestering me to do this for a while. So, enjoy, and excuse the pun!

Tretorn Hockeyboot Paninari
I would like to bring your attention to a stylish alternative to Converse high-tops. Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with Converse, quite the contrary. However, there is nothing wrong with a little variety.
Tretorn, a little known Swedish company, is slowly building a well-deserved following further afield. Whilst Tretorn also produces apparel, its sneaker line is especially successful. I am told that they are extremely comfortable. This model, the "Hockeyboot Paninari" is new for this season and features a padded, quilted-look upper which is a reference to the "Paninari" movement (apparently) which inspired the boot.
The boot is available in several colors and with either leather or polyester upper. Depending on how brave you are, you can pick anything from utilitarian black to bold orange. These sneakers are distinguished from the rest of the field by their discreet yet quirky design features married to innate practicality.
Tretorn also stock apparel, womens footwear and accessories.
http://www.tretorn.com
Stockists worldwide.

Spotlight on.....Dover Street Market.

Photograph copyright Louisa McKenzie.
Dover Street Market is a neat, multi-level boutique on Dover Street in London. It is favoured by fashion insiders due to its range of highly-sought after but hard-to-find designers, for example L'Wren Scott, Charles Anastase and, of course, Comme des Garcons (the store was the brainchild of the founder of that firm). Accessories, especially those by Pierre Hardy, are especially sought after. In addition to clothes, shoes and bags, there is jewellery, a vintage section, watches, perfumes, collectibles and much, much more. I could recommend specific items, but Dover Street Market is such an Aladdin's Cave, stocked with items to suit all tastes, that it is far better for you to explore it for yourself. Men's and women's ranges are equally well represented. There is a wonderful cafe, Rose Bakery, on the top floor. Dover Street Market also has an e-shop selling limited edition items and originals.
Dover Street Market 17-18 Dover Street, London, W1S 4LT. http://www.doverstreetmarket.com

Trend - watch - fall/winter at a glance

Whilst it might seem a little precocious to consider what we will be wearing in winter when it isn't even summer yet, it is never too early to plan ahead. Indeed, a capsule of the Balenciaga collection was already available as a trunk-show in Barneys in New York in March. Here are a few predictions for what to expect. As always, its a good idea to mix and match and pick your favourites from amongst these "trends".


Dior by John Galliano

1. color - there was a tussle between kaleidoscopic color and neutrals for the soul of the catwalk this season. Pink was a particularly popular color, with hues ranging from pastel to acid bright (as spearheaded by John Galliano at Dior, in a nod to the haute couture collection). Also, there were splashes of blue and red (notably at Chanel and Marc Jacobs, but elsewhere too) and the odd green. Neutrals remain popular, particularly tan to brown and grey to black, sometimes brightened with color, otherwise a statement in their own right.


Balenciaga (left) and Alexander McQueen.

2. body-aware detailing - this is the season for details on clothes which reflect the shape of the body beneath them, from the bold: Dolce and Gabbana's sequined collar bone and breasts shirt (not recommended for the faint of heart), Maison Martin Margiela's super wide shoulders and Alexander McQueen's moulded breastplates to the more subtle: waists cinched tight with belts on many catwalks, beaded and tailored details emphasising busts and waists at Roberto Cavalli.


Gucci

3. luxe dressing - luxe details and fabrics abounded on this season's catwalks: fur, embroidery, sequins, chiffon overlays, shimmering evening wear, leopard print. The key is not to overload your day look with luxe items. Take a hint from Gucci and wear fur trimmed items with simpler basics such as tweed. Mix leopard print with basic black. Evening wear allows you to be more adventurous.


Louis Vuitton

4. headgear - many different styles were evident on the catwalks, from fringed creations at Dior to oversized soft berets at Louis Vuitton and flamenco style hats at Kenzo and many more. Capes which extend to head scarfs were also very popular.

Trend-watch - the upcoming season, part 1

Lanvin
1. neon brights - this season, it is the brighter, the better colour-wise: electric blue, pink, yellow are very popular. This is not a look for the faint-hearted. A good idea is to stick to accessories, such as bags, belts and jewellery.

2. super-high or flat as a pancake - for the second season running, there isn't much hope if you are a fan of kitten heels. Designers have continued their love affair with super (and I mean super!) high heels in the 4inches+ range. There are some amazing, sexy, chic designs out there but that doesn't make them any easier to walk in - so start practising now. Either that, or choose to go to the other extreme and pick a dainty, elegant flat. Look out, in particular, for the round toe flats and for some very exciting Roman and Native American influenced sandals.



Gucci (above) and Balenciaga (below).
3. architectural pieces - designers like Hussein Chalayan and Dolce and Gabanna showed some amazing, structural pieces on the catwalk, like this example with panniered hips, which looks a lot like armour. Pick a slightly pared-down version of this trend (for one thing, it'll be easier to get through doorways!), such as this dress by Fendi.

Dolce and Gabbana (left) and Fendi (right).
4. metallics - a big trend this season, almost everyone showed something metallic. If the idea of Balenciaga's gold robot leggings frightens you, stick with one of Marc Jacobs metallised jackets.

Balenciaga
Check back soon for part 2 and for a look at the New York shows.

Karl Lagerfeld - A Profile

Photography courtesy of and copyright Chanel.
After a career spanning six decades, Karl Lagerfeld is still at the top of his game. He is director of collections at Chanel, a label synonymous with high fashion and couture. During Lagerfeld's time in this role, the label has once again attained the zenith of creativity it had in the glory days of Mademoiselle Coco Chanel. In addition to designing for Chanel, Lagerfeld has his own labels Karl Lagerfeld and Lagerfeld Collection, his first New York based lines and works as an artistic adviser for Fendi (a collaboration which began in the 1960s). As well as designing, Lagerfeld is an accomplished artist, having taken a break from his fashion career in the 1960s to study this subject.

A prodigy, Lagerfeld gained his entree into the fashion world by winning a design competition in 1955, at the age of seventeen. Also at the competition, winning a different category, was another young, unknown designer, Yves Saint Laurent. Lagerfeld's win gained him a position at the fashion house of Pierre Balmain, then incredibly popular. Vintage Balmain has always been sought-after, but is starting to become very collectible. The mark of the early years of Lagerfeld's career, both at Balmain and then Jean Patou (another very fashionable, innovative label at the time) can be seen in the incredible cut and tailoring of Lagerfeld's designs for Chanel. However, as anyone who has watched Chanel's collections from the Lagerfeld years knows, classic tailoring is tempered with a palpable sense of modernity. It was perhaps this desire to be free from the stifling atmosphere of 1950s and 1960s couture houses which prompted Lagerfeld to quickly move into a career as a freelance designer and then take a break to study art. Scenes from the recent documentary "The House Of Chanel" showed just how marvellous an artist Lagerfeld actually is, sketching quickly and accurately the ideas which come into his head, but with the skill of an illustrator.

The fashion bug had not completely left Lagerfeld however. He returned to the industry in the 1960s and made his name at Chloe in the 1970s. His work for this label again showed his desire for the designer and the consumer to be free from the strictures of contemporary couture.

Joining Chanel in 1983, Lagerfeld has made the label his own. The Chanel haute-couture show is one of the most eagerly anticipated of the season. Lagerfeld's ready-to-wear designs are aware of the label's traditions, stalwarts include signature tweeds and quilted bags, for example, but with a thoroughly modern twist. The accessories line, in particular the bags and sunglasses, has become incredibly popular in recent years. No Hollywood starlet seems complete without her Chanel bag, whether a classic quilted model or a more daring design from the current Paris-New York or Luxury By Chanel lines. These lines display classic or signature Chanel details, diamond pattern stitching , chain handles, double C logo, with more unusual and varied fabrics, for example, ponyskin, suede, distressed leather, oversized alligator. Such marriage of tradition and innovation is key to the way Lagerfeld works at Chanel. This season's Chanel collections can be summed up as "rock and roll classic": tweed jackets teamed with skinny jeans, deconstructed leather jackets over ruffled shirts, mini skirts and boots. Eveningwear is both short and long, featuring tiers, black lace and intricate surface detail. The palate, as so often with Chanel, is monochrome, with dashes of colour here and there, mainly blue and red. A sportswear line is also designed.

Lagerfeld's own lines have their unique distinct design ethos. Again working with a palette of mainly, but not exclusively, black they feature more relaxed designs, some deconstructed, some impeccably tailored. Use of a wide range of materials and the concept of drape is key.

In addition to fashion design work, Lagerfeld is also known for his photography, which has featured in several magazines. He is also well-known in recent years for a diet which helped him to lose 92 pounds. This is the subject of a book: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet by Karl Lagerfeld, Dr Jean-Claude Houdret and Ingrid Sischy. Furthermore, Lagerfeld has also produced costumes for several key stage productions for La Scala in Milan, the opera in Florence and the ballet of Monte Carlo.

A true fashion original, he shows no sign of slowing down and we're sure to see more fabulous collections from him in years to come.
Quis Sum?