BEAUTY: Clothing

Men's Fashion Week In Paris continues. Alexis Mabille, who is fast becoming one of my favorite designers, showed amazing lace up pants for his Fall-Winter '11-'12 collection. At once rocker/ punk and Pirate/ Romantic, the look seems new and old. A Scottish theme permeated the clothing (hence the plaids) and the show opened with the "Choose life" monologue from "Trainspotting." Tees--some of them sheer--adorned with labels from whiskey brands complete the "rocker" look nicely...

http://www.alexismabille.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing

Jean Paul Gaultier took James Bond films as the inspiration for this relatively toned down Fall-Winter '11-'12 collection for Paris Fashion Week. We see classic Bond at the start, in his dapper tux and suave silencer. But the tux gets put through the Gaultier filter as it devolves and deconstructs, gets a skirt, and then gets what looks like bullet-proof padding. Models continue to sport tuxedos but with wetsuit bottoms, a reference to Bond swimming from shore out to a yacht with a tux underneath his neoprene swim gear. When he sneaks on board, he simply strips off the black scuba suit and appears in a fresh and crisp tux. Another funny reference: gun and knife holsters strapped to bare legs or over fishnet hose! And finally, amid all the black are tones of gold... another Bond reference to "Goldfinger."

Running next to the classic Bond is what Gaultier refers to as "James Blonde," a feminized version of the iconic spy. This is typified by a feminine silhouette and the über-androgynous model of the moment, Andrej Prejic.

PS--Kudos to Gaultier for his continued use of unconventional models!



http://www.jeanpaulgaultier.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Vivienne Westwood

One of my favorite designers, Dame Vivienne Westwood presented a very restrained (for her) Fall-Winter '11-'12 collection for Milan Fashion Week. Gone were the obligatory skirts and kilts. In their place were suits; some are classic, but most have been given the Westwood treatment via a unique cut or odd detailing like jackets that button on the bias. Westwood's devotion to knitwear was evident in sweaters with fantastic prints. Colorful shirts and trousers that look they came from the 1940s rounded out the collection.

http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/
http://worldsendshop.co.uk/

BEAUTY: Clothing

Thierry Mugler is a kind of living legend in the fashion world. His sexy science fiction/ futuristic style shaped much of the 80s. In 2002, he stepped back from the fashion label he created in the 70s to concentrate on other ventures. He created characters and costumes for the Cirque du Soleil production "Zumanity" as well as directing one of the segments of the show. He was also the artistic advisor for Beyoncé's 2009 "I Am..." world tour.

In September of 2010, Nicola Formichetti was named creative director of the Thierry Mugler brand. As Fashion Director and Stylist for Lady Gaga, he seemed to be a perfect choice for the job. The science fiction feeling continues along with a sense of surrealism. The Fall-Winter '11-'12 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week features opera-length rubber gloves, rubber aprons, and clear/ butter hued rubber jackets and trousers (like the rubber pieces Gaga wore in her "Bad Romance" video) along with some amazing VERY WIDE trousers. Dark colors permeate the collection but there are some unexpected splashes of vivid orange in suits and thumbs (only the thumbs) of gloves.

At the end of this post is a link to the Mugler website where you can see a special video featuring clothing from this collection, runway footage, and zombie-tattooed model Rico. For the soundtrack, Lady Gaga contributed a special mix of a song from her upcoming release, "Born This Way."



http://www.thierrymugler.com/us/en/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Umit Benan

If next Fall/ Winter seems a bit far off, let's look at what is going on for this Spring/ Summer. German-born, Turkish-bred, American-English-Italian-educated (and quite handsome) Umit Benan has only designed four collections, but he shows immense promise. He titled his SS '11 collection "Home Sweet Home" and based the look on taxi drivers in Istanbul who hang out in cafes, playing board games, and drinking rocket-fueled coffee.

INTERVIEW magazine wrote the following about Benan and his collection:
"When I look at older men, I get a picture of the past, and it's a strong one in the case of my characters," says Benan. "They've experienced life and that allows me to write and create my own story. It's hard for me to design based on a beautiful young guy. It's not that it won't happen, but at the moment these old cats are more than fine for me." For his previous fall collection called "77 Days" Benan shaved his beard and posed for photographs seven times over a 77-day period while his hair grew back. As he became progressively scruffy, Benan took in the startled reactions of his neighbors in dapper Milan: "It's hard to be accepted here with my mentality because classic clothes equal classic minds, but when you are accepted here, you're basically one of very few and unique," he says.

Benan's favorite piece in the Home Sweet Home collection are his dropped-crotch pants. "I'm not the first to do them, but I think I've found the perfect shape," he says. "I always wanted a pleated, low crotch style that was sartorial—low, but not too low. And these are it. I think they're going to be a classic."

http://www.umitbenan.com/