European Wrap-Up

With a strong Saint Laurent show closing out Paris Fashion Week, this marks the end of the big European events. One thing I found particularly interesting is the distinct identity, both culturally and creatively, among the group of host cities. London continues to be on the rise, but loves to shove everything through the heritage paradigm. In Italy, the financial woes of the country almost seemed to shape both the attitudes and collections of the designers. There appeared to be a lack of energy and a lot of the same old conservatism with very little risk taking. Pitti Uomo and the streets of Milan are just a J Crew blogger/street photographer paradise rather than for people who are interested in a dark aesthetic or avant garde looks.  In Paris, however, we saw a great mix of traditionalism and cutting edge design. Right now, there is no other city that showcases progressive, conceptual and fashion forward clothing more than the City of Lights (with the exception of maybe Berlin or Stockholm but we’re talking about the major events). Paris ran the gamut from the glamorous Louis Vuitton and Left Bank cool of Carven, to the more outsider presentations like Acne Studios and Balenciaga. Paris was the undisputed winner this year and I think other cities have a lot of catching up to do. 

One thing I don’t particularly like, and I think is becoming more and more of a problem, is the celebritization of fashion lines. My biggest problem with Givenchy is the obvious influence of Kanye West and Hip Hop street culture on Ricardo Tisci. Everyone has a muse and everyone draws inspiration from people, places and things, but my problem is when it causes the brand to shift from its ethos and mutate into something it is not. The only reason I like to cover Givenchy is because it is a long standing house of French gothic glamour. I’m seeing less and less of that now and it’s a bit upsetting. 

Another thing I noticed is the continued rise of unisex and gender neutral clothing. From the heels at J.W. Andersen to the dog-like suits of Rick Owens, unisex fashion has officially caught fire. France’s Rad Hourani has been championing the look for some time, but I think it’s interesting to see other major players getting involved. This will be something to watch for sure. 

Overall, this has been a decent season with the looks at Paris stealing the show(s). With the womens’ season already upon us and New York up next (with Stockholm and other smaller events in between), I’m looking forward to a stronger 2014.

-JRS

 

(Pictured above: Saint Laurent) 

(Pictured above: Balenciaga) 

(Pictured above: Acne Studios) 

Paris Fashion Week - Givenchy F/W 2014 aka NBA Jam

Maybe I should take back what I said yesterday about the “plethora of good shows” in Paris this week. The past two days have not been my favorites by any means. So far I’ve been underwhelmed by Yohji Yamamoto’s print crazy, clash festival and Junya Watanabe’s patch work Raggedy Ann look also wasn’t doing it for me. 

I was hoping Ricardo Tisci’s Givenchy could change the tides a bit, but maybe we’re on a weird backwards roll here this week. Speaking of rolls, Tisci proclaimed his latest line was inspired by “basketball and bauhaus”. An interesting combination, especially when you consider current basketball fashions vs. the stripped down utilitarianism of the Bauhaus school. I guess he was referring to the lines on the court because those were certainly front and center. As in literally, the lines of a basketball and court were all over the clothes.

Gone are the days of Givenchy’s abundance of gothic elegance and Parisian sophistication. We have now seemed to entered the “Kanye West” era of the famed fashion house. The pants were baggy, the shoes were reminiscent of Jordans and we even saw basketball tank tops and printed sweaters with ummm..basketballs on them. The whole line made me think about playing NBA Jam in an arcade in the 90’s. Speaking of the 90’s, I guess we’re still trying to beat those fashions to death after a year+ into this “craze”. 

This was basically a street wear line and I’m sure they will sell a ton of tees and maybe some sneaks to the heads out there. I did like some of the long leather jackets and well cut blazers but the 90’s hip hop thing just doesn’t seem to jive with the fashion house. I guess they can always count on the followers of Yeezianity (yes, click on it, it’s real) to pick up some the latest goods. 

-JRS 

Paris Fashion Week - Least Favorite Show: Rick Owens F/W 2014

While there are a plethora of great shows in Paris this week, there are also just as many bad ones. This wouldn’t be a responsible fashion site if I just picked all the best stuff, so here’s one of my least favorite shows so far: Rick Owens. 

From season to season and year to year, we are all force fed with the Rick Owens hype machine. Coerced into believing that his diagonal zippers and clown-like Chuck Taylor-esque shoes are worth the thousands of dollars they demand. Last season we even got to hear about how his fashion show broke both racial AND societal boundaries. Finally, my personal favorite Owens tidbit is how he rejects the word “goth” and just wants to be called a “modernist”. Well, I don’t buy it and his latest collection is a testament to how over-hyped he is. This looks like a bad KTZ knock off by someone who tried to operate outside of his comfort zone and did not succeed. I’m not sure what he was going for here, but this color palate is not working and the collection doesn’t even look in season. Plus more dramatic clown shoes and accessories that no one can wear. 

Maybe I’m not as mad at Mr. Owens as I am at the media buzz that surrounds him every season. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate his “dark design” sensibilities and this site is pretty much dedicated to that entire aesthetic. With that being said, there’s always a line you can cross and I think this collection goes way beyond it and loses its direction.

-JRS

Paris Fashion Week - Carven F/W 2014

From London to Milan, we now head up to Paris, home to my favorite of the major fashion week events. With so many major designers showing, it can be hard to distill, but on day two, Carven jumped out as an early favorite. 

Creative Director, Guillaume Henry, took inspiration from 1920’s New York and infused his ever popular brand of Left Bank Parisian kitsch with some old fashioned street toughness. Henry admitted to looking at old mug shots and being inspired by the villainous looks of the era. The result is a darker line that mixes sophistication with a very casual feel. I like the over the shoulder topcoats and buttoned up suits. The show featured a smokey saloon that captured the vibe perfectly. It’s equal parts gangster rum runner with a slight hint of Dick Tracy. Carven normally does not fall into my aesthetic tastes, but I found this to be a winning collection. 

-JRS 

Milan Fashion Week - Philipp Plein A/W 2014

From London, we now move over to Milan, Italy’s undisputed fashion capital. I’ve been loving Milan Fashion Week’s diversity in recent years, showcasing a great mix of well known Italian fashion houses  as well as innovative young European designers. 

Day 2 brought us the latest collection from Germany’s Philipp Plein. I’ve come to love Plein’s use of obvious themes he uses from collection to collection. For his upcoming Fall/Winter line, he turned to the wild west and crafted a collection he dubs “Noir Cowboy”. Plein admitted to watching western films and especially pulled inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”. The line is undeniably rough, rugged and masculine, something I’ve come to appreciate more amongst a sea of feminine leaning clothing in menswear. The details also jumped out at me as Plein implements luxury leathers, vintage leathers and a variety of snake skins. The shoes, belts and bags are must haves along with the striking outwear. Here’s to seeing more Philipp Plein as apparently his after party was just as fun as the show. 

-JRS 

New video for Jealous God #4 entitled “Plastic Bag” by Broken English. The footage is taken from a film called "WORD MOVIE" by Paul Sharits. 

More information on Jealous God 

London Collection: Mens - Alexander McQueen A/W 14

Happy New Year everyone! So sorry for the long break but I like to take advantage of all the excuses to drink and be merry during the holiday season. 

Kicking off the new year is the ever growing London Collection: Mens. While not quite Pitti Uomo, this event has grown to preeminent status in recent years. London likes to waive its flag as the menswear capital of the world, and it makes a pretty good argument.

With that being said, here at the Brvtalist, we are never that enthused with the traditional London fashion houses. Saville Row tailoring and windowpane gentleman looks are played out and overall pretty boring. Lucky for us there are still innovative British brands like KTZ and our personal favorite, Alexander McQueen. Creative Director Sarah Burton has done an outstanding job keeping the late McQueen’s aesthetic and legacy alive and well. 

Burton’s Autumn 2014 line is a refreshing break from the rest of London Collection. Lots of black, leather, Scottish plaid and geometric prints are all on display. Inspiration comes from everything from early McQueen designs to Lucien Freud and the result is a brooding, masculine collection with a nod to the company’s founder. 

-JRS