Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2011

As much as I stay up night in anticipation of runway shows, practically salivating on my keyboard while flipping through pictures from the days shows, to me, there is always one that trumps them all; the one that you sit in pure anxiousness at your computer, hitting the refresh button again and again until the pictures and video are uploaded…Alexander McQueen, did I even really need to say it?

The day the genius McQueen died was a dark day in my life, I mourned (I think everyone still is), so when they announced his successor I was a bit surprised anyone would even attempt to fill the colossal shoes they would need to fill. This season was the first that Sarah Burton’s first to step out on her own and show what she could do with the McQueen name.

The line featured a lot of heavy colors (reds, blacks, navy), as well as pretty heavy fabric choices, gold accents, and a leather half corset noticeably used throughout the show. The styling was very old-school sailor inspired with a heavy handed opulence that has been so prominent throughout the McQueen history.

The pieces were beautifully crafted and well put together, but to be honest…I was a little underwhelmed. To me it was missing a lot of the story and fairytale nature we have come so accustomed to seeing and I felt like a lot of the prints (especially the ink-blot like one) were so similar to past collections, with nearly the same silhouette, that it lacked an awe factor to me. All in all, still beautiful? Yes. McQueen? To me, not so much.

Text Corinna Fabre

Zac Posen Pre Fall

It happens to everyone, a song pops in your head from many moons ago and all of a sudden it’s all you can listen to over and over and over. All of a sudden it’s not just a blast from the past, but the new theme song to your life; for me this time around it’s Fiona Apple’s “Criminal”. Listening to it for the 9,546,231th time while perusing the new Pre-Fall lines and…EUREKA, the perfect combination. Ok to be more specific I have to let you a little farther into my twisted mind…there is one line in her song in particular that I both want to encapsulate and find funny: it’s a sad, sad world when a girl will break a boy just because she can”. LOVE IT.

To me, Zac Posen’s line embodies the line (well really the whole song), so perfectly. It such a fascinating mix of deep colors and tough feeling silhouettes and sexy, feminine lines. Every dress drapes over the skin of the models in such an alluring way that even just looking through the lookbook pictures you can’t help but feel…if only I could wear something like that, I could take on the world in that dress. Even the furs he plays with are done with such luscious and luxurious colors that they scream coquette.

As a final note, it has to be said that while all the girls he chose for the lookbook did a wonderful job, I thought Hilary Rhoda REALLY killed it.

Text Corinna Fabre

The New Hue

Over the past few seasons, monochromatic looks have been created using minimalistic principles and hardly any color at all. The result was startlingly simple, but was well received by critics and consumers alike during all three major fashion weeks. As we move into the pre-fall season, I’ve noticed that monochromatic outfits are still very “in”, but they have taken a turn for the playful. Instead of head-to-toe black, grey, white, or camel, this upcoming season is filled with looks composed of multiple hues of the same bright color. For example, Oscar de la Renta‘s pre-fall collection showcased a plethora of single color, multi-hue looks using pinks, greens, reds, and golds. Standout looks included an emerald green sweater paired with a slightly lighter green knee-length skirt, complete with an oversized bow at the waist; and a neon pink ensemble which, though similar to the all-green look, managed to tie in feminine lace detailing and an always coveted boyfriend style blazer. The result of mixing the basics of monochromatic clothing and all of the eye-catching hues of the color spectrum is everything a great look should be- simple, yet detailed, and playful without being over-the-top.

By Ali Antonucci