Comme Des Garçons
As much as I love this line's name, I have never actually been able to get behind the collections. So in full disclosure: No, I have never really been a fan of Comme Des Garçons, but the Fall/Winter 2012 collection at Paris Fashion Week really struck a chord with me as atrocious.
I suppose there is something to be said about artistry in a fashion show - something that I do believe has been lost over the years - but isn't the artistry, craftsmanship, and fine detailing where the couture shows come in? The ready-to-wear runways is where we expect to find just that; clothes that are street style ready and easily mimicked by those of us unable to wield a $1,000 handbag. Of course, I'm just an uneducated noob when it comes to the world of fashion, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
Either way, I just can't grapple with this collection. Everything about it hides the feminine, at some points entirely with fabric masks. Tim Blanks of Style.com discusses the collection as a statement about living in the flat one dimensional world of fashion since runway show photos are so easily accessible on the internet nowadays. Considering video is just as common, I find this observation to be a kind attempt at salvaging some artistic beauty from an otherwise heinous collection. If it is a statement on anything it is fashion itself. Making a mockery of styles, fits, and the fashion obsessed who would wear floral masks if they were trending. Is it an interesting display of art? Yes. Most definitely. Is it a fashion collection. No.
Would you wear anything from this fall/winter collection (excepting maybe the shoes)?
That said, here are some good very, very good things that came out of Paris Fashion Week. These are all more boxy and masculine collections that seemed to take over the runways in Paris, but done very, very well. I always think that boxy and menswear for women should still highlight the parts that make you feel sexy and like a women in the first place. Isn't that the whole point of wearing fantastic clothes - to feel good in them?
1.) The Chloé Fall/Winter 2012 collection mixes boxy with fitted and menswear with drape-y all in a wonderfully light pastel pallet with pops of deep red. All of these combined give the whole collection a feel of femininity even though some of the shapes are less than form flattering.
2.) Giambattista Valli Fall/Winter 2012 speaks to that 60s Madmen trend that we can't seem to shake. Deep reds and blues and rich tweeds give even some of the more plain shapes a hint of sophistication.
3.) Soaked in Yves Klein blue the Stella McCartney Fall/Winter 2012 collection is absolutely elegant, feminine, and comfortable. McCartney created a collection that feels comfortable even with it's boxy shapes. It's a collection that women would want to wear to work, on a date, or out with friends everyday.
As you can clearly see, there are plenty of ways to do big, bold, and ill-fitting that still would make you feel comfortable wearing it down the street.
I actually kinda love these looks! is that weird? (Comme des garcons I mean) I love the idea of single-print outfits. It's very wallpaper-shirt-screenshot-of-that-movie-Garden-State, haha. That last two-tone balloon dress is absolutely atrocious, though, I agree!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting-- one of my friends and I were just talking about how we're the only people we know that aren't Asian, and like comme des garcons (well, he's half). But when I spent the summer in Japan, Comme des garcons was HUGE! EVERYONE wore something CDG. Maybe there's something a little too Tokyo about their looks that Americans find it hard to get into?
http://2-or-3-things.blogspot.com/
Oh really? That's so interesting, but actually makes a TON of sense. I can definitely see this entire collection fitting in with the cartoon-y bubble gum looks that come out of Japan.
DeleteI actually would be very interested to see someone pulling one of these looks off on the street. I agree though that there is a cultural difference that would make these outfits almost laughable in public in most American cities.