Dior SS17 Review

The fashion world waited, with breath that is bated for Dior's SS17 collection. Not just because there's a new creative director on board, but because she's also the first ever female creative director at the couture house. Naturally, everyone was excited to see what Maria Grazia Chiuri had in store. However, it came as no surprise that it would be a beautiful collection given the years of experience she comes with and her spectacular work at Valentino.

The show opened with a sporty white segment consisting of twelve all white looks. Chiuri drew references from fencing uniforms which were prevalent throughout the show. Quilted cotton jackets that came in the form of gilets with buckles on either side or full sleeved with buttons or a zipper on the side were worn over cotton knit cropped pants and tulle skirts.  What was so special about this entire collection was that the creative head didn't only work with Monsieur Dior's codes. She turned to every designer who held the reigns at Dior in the past and worked with their codes too. The recurring bee motif for example, was used by Hedi Slimane during his tenure at Dior.

A lot of the silhouettes exuded a very effortless chic vibe. Almost as if they were just thrown on without much thought and looked fabulous. Case in point: A red leather jacket paired with a red tulle skirt or a black sleeveless leather vest worn over a white cotton shirt and black pants. There were Chiuri's version of the Bar jackets that were sharply tailored with less volume on the hips. More outerwear came in the form of a lustworthy and minimalist long black coat. Exposed lingerie worn under sheer clothing was another constant. Except bra straps and underwear bands were cream with J'Adior Christian Dior printed on them. And finally, came some ethereal evening gowns with imagery inspired by Christian Dior's superstitions. Tarot card images, zodiac signs, clover leaves, the number 8, insects and some fun motifs like a bat or a heart with an eye in it were intricately embroidered on dresses that were instant red carpet hits.

Accessories for this collection will be flying off the shelves with plenty of new handbags on the runway and some cool shoes. Rectangular shaped shoulder bags boasted DIOR or J'ADIOR in big metal letters on the clasp. Some of these came with an optional strap so you could hold them as a clutch or wear them on your shoulder. A saddle bag was seen too, with the same gold lettering. A black roomy tote in soft leather with its bee motif and CD embossed on the front looked divine. Another tote, brought back memories of their iconic 90's saddle bag (a la Galliano) with Dior printed all over the front flaps and the shoulder strap and a revamped CD logo. And finally, there were mianudiere style evening box bags with colourful tarot card imagery on them. I loved the Le Diable one in particular. Jewellery was understated and consisted of simple earrings and chokers. I've got my eye on the number 8 choker. Footwear was comfortable came in the form of floaters, sneakers, summer boots, etc. However, it was the pointy toe kitten heels with monogrammed ribbon on them that stole the show. Chiuri sure knows how to create covetable accessories.

Images via Vogue.com

Saint Laurent Paris SS17 Review

Anthony vacarello's debut collection for was splendid, albeit a little restrained. The show focussed on ultra sexy looks with plunging sweetheart necklines, sheer fabrics on the bust, and short dresses. Silhouettes were mainly in black and leather was plenty. The whole collection had a very vamp-ish appeal. And in a good way. Cleavage bearing tops in leather/velvet were worn over low slung boyfriend jeans and looked effortlessly cool. The mutton leg sleeves added a dramatic flair and were a constant through the show. In sparkling silver as an accent to a tank top, in leopard print or plain black as part of a dress or embellished as part of a fancy top; these sleeves were attention grabbing and fabulous. Jackets were part of the offering too. Grunge and biker style in leather, tapestry inspired in velvet, beautifully tailored tuxedo style or just a single good ol' denim number. Elsewhere gold lamé was draped into a mini skirt and a full sleeved mini dress cinched at the waist with fabric gathered on one side creating a bit of a waterfall effect. 

The show wouldn't be complete without Vaccarello's interpretations on the classic Le Smoking tuxedo where blazers were worn over see through, lingerie style blouses. What i felt was an unnecessary addition was the single boob bearing dress. It wasn't shocking (come on, do you really get shocked when you see a boob nowadays???), it isn't convenient and who apart from Rihanna or Lady Gaga is going to even consider wearing it? A bit pointless in my opinion. Finally, what really stole the show were some of the accessories. The ear cuff, the lapel pin and stiletto heels all bearing the old YSL logo were brilliant. Be prepared to be on the wait list to get your hands on those once they hit the market. Although, I'm stills scratching my head about why there weren't any bags on the runway. Considering they are the bread and butter for most labels, I expected to see some. Maybe some other time!

An overall fun debut collection delivered by Anthony Vaccarello. The designer played it safe and I don't blame him considering he's just replaced Hedi, who took the label to new heights. With a positive response for this show, I have a good feeling about his future collections. 

Victoria Beckham SS17 Review

At Victoria Beckham, it was all about casual elegance. “It’s effortless and everything is quite thrown on” quoted the designer of her collection. Beckham took a bit of a risk this time by creating silhouettes out of crushed velvet. There were skirts, some with a drawstring, some with knife pleats along with loose, deconstructed dresses in the most delicious colors. However, after you recover from absorbing the stunning colors, you’re left wondering how anyone can wear velvet in the summer. All I could think of was the heat and the clothes sticking to me. Some looks came with matching unstructured sling bags in the same fabric which I think the designer could have done without. For example, in the peppermint blue velvet dress look, the sling bag almost blends into the whole outfit making it slightly difficult to identify whether it is actually a bag or part of the dress.

However, the rest of the clothes were pretty damn good. There were slouchy satin pantsuits where jackets had flailing belt ties and were worn over structured bra tops. The gold one in particular was absolutely beautiful. The two oversized shirts she showcased were sure shot hits. Collarless and loosely cut, the beauty was in the lapel that was folded over to the other side. The linen slacks that the gold shirt was paired with were also equally beautiful.  Fun, kimono style, boxy leather tops with printed florals and matching skirts were playful and happy. Beckham injected some sexiness through fitted knit dresses. Some came with a cutaway fold on top revealing a contrast colored bra top. My eyes though were on a candy striped number, with swirls on the breasts.

Most of the looks were paired with summer riding boots that are bound to be the hit of the season. Apart from the fabric cross body and oversized shopper, Beckham introduced a single handled bag with a pouch like shape. Named “The Tissue Bag”, this unstructured purse looked fuss free and easy to carry.

Altuzarra SS17 Review

Joseph Altuzarra kept his clothes playful, flirty and light. Fruity prints, consisting of cherries, blueberries and lemons were a constant through the show and were seen on super skimpy bra tops and lots of feminine ruffled slip dresses. Python skin came in various forms, with my favorite being a summer jacket boasting a black & white checked border with red lace on it and a blue, denim printed python skirt with embroidered lemons. I love how effortless those silhouettes looked but I’m sure embroidery on delicate exotic skin couldn’t have been easy.

Altuzarra continued his tryst with Gingham from his SS15 collection which I was a huge fan of (you can read the old review here). Monochrome checked kick flare pants, slanting side slit pencil skirts in pink, and a beautiful blue shirt dress (with a contrasting python bralet), all in a fun tablecloth print were an absolute hit. The designer added a little bit of utilitarian glamour too, with cargo jackets featuring contrasting piping. One has to also take into account the little detailing on the clothes. Case in point: printed fabric that was intertwined within the holes on a leather belt and casually flailing about. Sexy silhouettes continued through striped off the shoulder knit tops and body hugging dresses. Finally, there were evening dresses. Not the restricting, and super tight kinds. But flowy, with multiple ruffled tiers out of which, a reptile print number with bright sequins and cherries embellished on them still lingers in my memory.

Accessories included colourful oversized earrings (I'm going to hunt every e-commerce platform to find them), semi- circle purses mainly in exotic skin and soft bucket bags with a bit of a twist. Most of the shoes were open toe sandals with low heels which matched perfectly with the effortless clothes he created. All in all, it was a solid collection that will be seen on a lot of the fashion flock next season.

Images Via Vogue.com

Dior Cruise 2017 Review

For Cruise 2017, the couture house chose the stunning and historic Blenheim palace to stage the show. The palace is embedded amongst Dior's history books with two previous shows held there. One in 1954, designed by Monsieur Dior himself and the other in 1958 when Yves Saint Laurent was the creative director. Both were attended and loved by Princess Margaret.

The duo managing the design team took to the English country life and posh post war wardrobes as inspiration. The collection consisted of quirky and young silhouettes as opposed to the elegant ones we had been seeing in the past. Rounded puffy sleeved dresses were layered with slightly flared pants, skirts or worn on their own. Whilst there was lots of floral embellishment, I adored the way flowers were embroidered on to printed fabric. Case in point: The black cotton embroidered printed shirt. There were blazers with a thin silk scarf like fabric flowing through from one side to the other. Whilst the blazers were nice, the flailing fabric seemed unnecessary.The bar jacket was reworked and instead of a peplum, they came with a soft U-shaped drape on the waist. The same draping technique was seen on dresses and tops too. Amongst the outerwear, an off white crepe and wool jacket that folded over below the waist with oversized buttons was a favourite and so was a powder blue tweed number. Hunting imagery was depicted on casual jacquard knits and there were lovely English style tea dresses. Accessories included fun bangles made from wood, leather and metal. A flap bag brought in the old Christian Dior logo and was reminiscent of their iconic saddle bags from more than a decade ago. There were also these oversized shopping bag kind of purses which I wasn't a fan of.

Overall, it was a nice collection that worked on revamping the house's codes, but I wasn't bowled over by it. There needs to be the guidance of a solid creative director to get that WOW factor we have been used to by geniuses like Simons and Galliano. However, having said that, hats off to the design team for still putting in a solid effort because Dior loyalists will still be queuing up to buy their favourite pieces.

 

Gucci Cruise 2017 Review

The first fashion house to ever host a show at London's Westminister Abbey, Gucci's Resort 2017 collection just took my breath away. The historic setting, followed by The Schola Cantorum of Oxford singing Scarborough Fair, (we used to sing that in Grade 4 music class) literally gave me goose bumps.Once I was done watching the show, I had to sit back for a few minutes just to absorb what I had witnessed.

There was a strong focus on separates, clashing prints and textures. This collection was Michele's version of various British cultures mixed with his philosophy of more is more. There were punk references throughout the show. A tartan ball gown with an embellished big cat across the bust, colourful kilts (one even came with an embroidered King Charles Spaniel) and a Union Jack sweater made to look glamorous with a bejewelled brooch were some of my favourites. A black leather dress with a laser cut bib and border and gold spikes around the collar paid a fashionable tribute to the eighties Goth subculture. I loved how despite the Anglophilia, the collection was every bit Italian too. The craftsmanship and the detailing was exquisite.

Michele loves to play around with animal motifs and so there were cats on sweaters and t-shirts, pooches on an astrakhan number, peacocks on a silk shift dress and king snakes on a shaved fur jacket. More British eccentricity came in the form of a printed granny skirt suit, complete with a wide brimmed hat, an oversized flower around the neck and gorgeous round toe shoes with tiger spur hardware. Over the top? Yes. But somehow, it worked. And beautifully at that. Overall, there was not one single theme that came with the looks. You had a Victorian collar peeping out from an androgynous and sporty sweatshirt and then something completely unexpected like a red pleated gown with ruffles and lace.

The accessories were equally important here and I cant think of a single piece I didn't like. A bamboo top handle Sylvie, in exotic skin featuring a King Snake on the border of the flap and it's head on the closure was enough to make any bag lover drool. The embellished oversized hobos were an instant hit and so were the painted cross body bags. More reinterpretations of the Dionysus, especially the one in blue, red and white is a piece I would like to get my hands on. Apart from the bags, I couldn't get my eyes off the studded leather hand harnesses, the oversized statement earrings worn over the silk shift dress and of course the embellished shoes. I could seriously go on and on, but I'll have to stop myself now.

In all honestly, words cannot describe the beauty that this show was. All I know is that Alessandro Michele is steering Gucci in a new direction. And we are all on board.