Tim Hamilton

It was a packed room for the Tim Hamilton show in a small gallery at Palais Brongniart. We had to wait quite a bit for the show to start and when it did they forgot to take the paper off the runway. This in turn made the ground slippery for most of the models as they kind of slid at their appearance on the runway. I found a lot of wearable pieces in this collection to no surprise. I loved the translucent trench… another trend maybe? Along with the drop crotch. The black, white, and grey color blocking on an extremely delicate top. The high sock and shoes a trend we are seeing expand. Also worth mentioning the diagonally striped tee that the hipsters would love. I liked the leather jacket he sent down as well as his shorts especially one that had a drawstring across the front. He is an American in Paris and his aesthetic clearly represents this as it always has which I think is a unique juxtaposition to have and translate. It seems as if some people are channeling the times for creativity as others are just existing. For me and my look I say job well done still as I can easily relate to his aesthetic, but maybe for someone else it’s missing that one big corky crazy progressive breakout piece.

Kris Van Assche

Held outside at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie I found myself amidst an interesting crowd. I ended up sitting next to the beautifully charming and smart Jenny from the AP. We discussed the shows a bit and went over our backgrounds as we were both Americans and what not. She was typing on her laptop up until right before the show started about the previous show she had just seen. That’s what I call work! It was a bit inspiring to see someone else writing and so dedicated/focused on her job. Anyway back to the show. It was typical Kris Van Assche for me- which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Lots of simple drapery, long delicate shirts some with large arm holes, a lot of black, white, and grays with a hint of a cobalt blue, layered pants/shorts/man-pris with pleats, etc. There was a grid like print that he chose for a few pieces that was interesting but not particularly in my taste. I had a love/hate relationship with the shoes- some I liked, but others I thought had too much color and did not mix well with the white sole as it made the look too disjointed at times. They became overly sporty for the clothes being displayed.

Walter Van Beirendonck

All the models were bonified bears! Big hairy men similar to Walter himself which I thought was a good perspective for him, why not right? These guys were loving there time in the spotlight! It was quite the eye opener at first and then near the end of the show, half of them came out in their underwear. I must say though the show was interesting through the wow factor, clothes wise I couldn’t help but feel there were a lot of ironic tees and I found myself searching for more. There were textured jackets and faux alligator print blazers in neon colors that could definitely work as separates. The pants were interesting with the pocket placement choice, some circle zip pockets on the derriere which were funny and maybe useful in the real world. It’s hard to analyze one of Walters show in a purely sensical way, his clothes and his show were meant to have a sense of humor so in this way he did nothing wrong! It was interesting to see Suzy Menkes at the show, as I didn’t think she covered Walter last year, but was glad to see her nonetheless. I loved the sunglasses they were the best part for me.

Thierry Mugler

I had an excellent view of the Thierry Mugler show and thought the collection was very nice. They had a lot of great pieces that were very wearable. The construction and attention to detail was superb (especially seen in the quilted look spotted on a few pants and jackets) and up to par for that of which is expected from a Thierry Mugler show. The color scheme was nice made up of neutrals, pops of pastels and neorn color. I loved the aquamarine colored suit I spotted on Clement. I have seen this color or a few versions of it a lot in the shows recently… trend maybe? I spied a hot pepto pink blazer too on Simon that was reminiscent of the pink that was so big in seasons past. The fit was questionable on one of the models as a suit seemed a bit too tight and bunched. Other than that small detail, I liked the show as it stayed true to Thierry Mugler and was presented in a very clean manner.

Blaak Homme

It was clear through the music, prints, and accessories that Blaak homme’s show had heavy ethnic and jungle influences. Live percussion set the stage for the dark show as the models paraded about wearing plunging necklaces made up of large beads and bone-like pieces. Various faux animal print lit up a lot of the shirts and pants as it was displayed in black and white and red and black at other times. The fit was a bit more relaxed than I would have thought as well. All in all I thought the show was casted well and had a concrete inspiration which I very much appreciated, but maybe lacked that special oddness I have to come to expect from Blaak Homme. They had great separates thought that I could easily see myself mixing in.

Preview Editorial 8

Photo by: Jamie Luca
Styling: Julie Gaufny
Model: Leo (Major)
Shot in Paris, France

Dries Van Noten

“Tokyo meets Calcutta” was the theme of the show. It was outside in front of the old stock exchange under the overhang (originally scheduled to be out in the open) making for a tight show and seating close to impossible. It was a bit amusing to see everyone trip on this small detail. Nonetheless the show went on. A van drove up from the street blaring the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” and provided the music and a really amazing energy for the start of the show. I thought the presentation was genius in this sense. As far as the close were concerned it was very Dries and delicate which I liked but with a slight twist exotic twist giving nod to classic Dries in respect to the prints and colors. A slight departure but nothing too groundbreaking. It must be pointed out that the second the show ended thunder roared in the skies providing for an excellent ending and precursor to a roar of applause. It was a moment for sure.

Henrik Vibskov

Great presentation! As always he knows how to put on a show mixing fashion and art into one. The show started with two men walking out in tassled/fringed bodysuits who opened and closed these huge black and red umbrella-like structures which were very interesting and most likely a nod to the future or some sort of ecological reference maybe? The models all wore blond wigs and black spinner tops, which I thought was great! As usual he included his great signature shorts and sweaters- great colors mixed with polka dots. I thought it was inspired but maybe a bit expected. I hesitate to say so though as he always pushes for innovation and experimentation in his line. I really have nothing bad to say. The expected corkiness and convergence between art and fashion was obvious and well appreciated.

Julius

Though the space was tight for the show I found myself seeing a lot of pieces I would love to add to my closet. First I have to address the shoes-they were ridiculous, exactly what I need. I loved all of them, they were made of a thick leather and just absolutely beautiful this is what boys and men should be wearing right now! They were very reminiscent of the Roman and Greek shoes you see in all the classical paintings and sculptures. The clothes were beautiful and delicate and served as a great contrast to the shoes. I felt like some of the tops were like so delicate almost Raquel Allegra for men!? I must mention the beautiful leather coats too… reminded me a bit of Rick Owens goes to the Sahara, but not pulling too much if that makes sense. He played a lot with draping and shapes in a wonderful way it seemed inspired which I appreciate. The color palette made up of mostly neutrals was very befitting and helped maintain the sophistication of the line. In a way sustaining and grounding the experimentation of different draping techniques. Compared to some of the other shows it was really something to take note of as it wasn’t convoluted in anyway. Most people would argue its very editorial but I would say its perfect for both day and night wear depending on the color for me!

Michael Jackson R.I.P

Late last night, I got a call from my friend Thierry that Michael Jackson died!
I was in shocked and didn't believe it at first . . .
A true pioneer and a great inspiration to all of us . . .
He will be truly missed!

Jean Paul Gaultier- Gaultier2

Biggest show of the day, as far as the set and scene was concerned. The buyers and editors were out!I found myself on the front row interestingly enough right next to Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. She was giving face the whole time! She walked up after the start of the show to sit next to me and I was like who is this girl who is bumping up next to me? During the show there were photographers shooting us I just figured it was some rich japanese it-girl. Nonetheless she was incredibly nice and supportive! Anyway, The show was well done and the presentation was perfect. The show was very Gaultier though at times playing with gender- with the corset like tees or better yet bustiers, strap back detail, a severe shoulder or two, and cutouts on jackets. I did find some great interesting newer pieces mixed in there as well. He showcased interestingly cut and porportioned shorts, kilts/manskirts, while playing with black, blue, red and white a few times with some of his shirts using lines and patterns that were younger than I expected. The shoes were all converse and the collection itself was clean and younger than I had expected! Had the chance to say hi to Jean Paul after the show for a quick second and he was ridiculously genuine and nice! Pure French! All in all it was a great production and scene.

Gaspard Yurkievich

I sat front, row next to Joey from Kokon to Zai-who I absolutely love. My seat was next to buyers from Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue!? I was like what? They buy from Gaspard? Joey confirmed that both stores in Europe bought from here! Crazy how different the buyers for stores are over here! Who knew? Anyway The show entitled “The Future of Nostalgia” stated it found inspiration from the insouciant casualness on the american west coast and sophistication of images by Bruce weber and David Hockney. I absolutely loved the silhouettes some of the shirts created as they moved- very fluid but still maintaining structure. They were cut on the sides with “bumps” in a way maybe to immulate muscles- check the images. The excellently chosen color palette made up of mild pastels seemed perfect for the summer. However, I did not like the choice in shoes. They were mainly simple, two toned, lace-ups which I didn’t think fit the progressively shaped Yurkeviech flow and silhouette. There was also a very unflattering and shapeless almost poncho-like shirt with buckles on the front that I didn’t particularly care for as is it seemed un practical and too voluminous even for editorial wear, but then again it wasn't boring! The sunglasses were from a brand new collaboration between Linda Farrow and Gaspard Yurkeviech, were absolutely perfect and definitely added to the show, it was good to see a designer like Gaspard expanding his line even if it is just sunglasses!