More masks, more skirts...

I discovered that during Milan Fashion Week, Frankie Morello (who are designers Maurizio Modica and Pierfrancesco Gigliotti) showed a collection which featured more skirts for men (joining both Raf Simons and Givenchy, except these seem to be little cheerleader skirts over pants and jeans) and more masks (joining McQueen and Odyn Vovk). Hmmm, what's in the air?
Admitted inspiration for the collection: football (soccer) and The Twilight Saga.
http://www.frankiemorello.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Raf Simons and Givenchy

Paris Fashion Week! Skirts for men!
Dame Vivienne Westwood usually includes a kilt or two in her collections for men, and Gaultier has been known to pop a dude in a skirt now and then (so to speak), but interestingly, two houses showed versions of skirts for men this past weekend. There must be something in the zeitgeist calling for this. Raf Simons (top six pictures) showed trouser-like skirts and sweater wrap-skirts over traditional pleated trousers! And Givenchy (bottom four pictures) showed suit-like trouser-skirts, with jackets or simply bare chested.
I'll wear 'em. Why not?

BEAUTY: Clothing--Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen just showed his amazingly odd and subtle F-W '10-'11 collection at Milan Fashion Week. Called AN BAILITHEOIR CNÁMH, which means THE BONE COLLECTOR in Gaelic, and inspired by seafaring cultures that live near the Arctic Circle, the collection features trompe l'oeil prints of chain mail, rugged cable knit Aran Isle-type sweaters, fur, ice and water droplets evenly covering jackets, shirts, ties, stirrup pants, bags, gloves, and shoes in a hypnotizing monochrome. Materials include mohair, leather and PVC. Face coverings also featured prominently and were either a total head-covering balaclava or something smaller, closer to a surgical mask (making me think of the black leather surgical masks from the current F-W Odyn Vovk collection). The walls, pillars and floor of the runway were papered in a repeating tight pattern of skulls and bones.

View the runway show here:
http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/int/en/corporate/archive2010_aw_mensfilm.aspx

BEAUTY: Men--Colorful Tattoos

I like the current trend in tattoos away from tired, abstract, heavy black tribal designs, toward color and figure--especially florals. I like the cherry blossoms on Ryan Finlay's arm, the bouquet with a sunflower on Josh Wald's leg, the Egyptian iconography on Arian Levanael, and the very colorful carp in the last picture is gorgeous.

BEAUTY: Clothing

This is a continuation of Alexander McQueen's paint-spattered collection for Spring-Summer '10--right NOW! It is still too cold to go without a coat and scarf, but soon... soon...

BEAUTY: Interior--Samuel Genthmer

Samuel Genthmer owns Monument, a fabulous mid-century modern home furnishings store in San Francisco, and his own home shows a fascinating, well curated mix of eclectic and mid-centruy modern with some classic and traditional details--as well as some lovely art and interesting, whimsical objets. He clearly understands the art of tableau. Well done!

http://www.monumentsf.blogspot.com/

DREAM 1.20.10: Big Wave

A huge storm is coming. I have driven to a neighborhood by the ocean to watch the enormous waves. About two blocks away, I can already see them. They are huge. Suddenly a wave crashes into land and keeps coming. I put my car in reverse quickly, to back up the street but the water rushes at me. My car is lifted up; I'm floating next to a wooden power line; I reach out my window and grab it to anchor myself and the car so I don’t get swept out. It works! When the water retreats enough, I put it in reverse again to drag myself out of the suction. I get some traction and speed away.

BEAUTY: Architecture

This mind-boggling glass concept house was built by the design/architectural group, Santambrogio\milano to advertise their new line of "extraclear" glass furnishings and architectural elements. The Ice Queen lives here, I am certain of it.

http://www.santambrogiomilano.it/

BEAUTY: Clothing

Ferragamo has never been one of my favorite houses (not that I disliked Ferragamo, it just wasn't on my radar), but after this past weekend's Milan Fashion Week, I have been won over, BIG TIME. The venerable house, founded by master shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo in the 1920s, showed a plush and poetic F-W '10-'11 collection that made my jaw drop. This is definitely what I want to be wearing next winter and--oh, hell, who am I kidding? I mean EVERY winter: I'd never want to take these clothes OFF! Ferragamo showed a heady mix of 1) dashing winter wear that included luscious leather boots (what look almost like magnificent riding boots as well as some slouchy suede boots) with romantic and fantastically VOLUMINOUS knit scarves and 2) rich evening wear in the form of paisley velvet jackets with Bohemian-styled and extravagantly tasseled silk scarves, some peeking out from under said sumptuous jacket. And everything is designed in savory autumn colors like plum, cranberry, burnt pumpkin, blueberry and oatmeal. Spectacular.

http://www.ferragamo.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Vivienne Westwood

At Milan Fashion Week this weekend, Dame Vivienne Westwod showed a F-W '10-'11 collection true to her imaginative form. In the collection was one of her favorite menswear pieces, the kilt. I never tire of her fantastic re-imaginings of this marvelous garment. I also love the day-glo orange shoes, the fascinating knit tasselled socks worn with the kilts, and the argyle tights (!).

BEAUTY: Clothing--Missoni

At Milan Fashion Week this weekend, Missoni showed classic earthy, Italian colors and gorgeous textures for Fall-Winter '10-'11. I really like the presentation too: instead of a traditional runway show, the models were simply lined up on a shallow stage.