Marc Jacobs’ latest show in New York was a love/hate proposition. What side do you fall on?
Fashion is all about fantasy and dressing up. But Marc Jacobs might have taken the concept slightly too far with his show in New York last week.
The collection was Victoriana via 90s rave culture, as one Vogue staffer rapturously described it, with gargantuan proportions, fuzzy hats, swampy colours and buckled shoes.
Unfortunately, critics were rapidly divided as to whether the result was a divine flight or fancy or just plain ugly.
A particular bone of contention? The gigantic hats in swathes of cheap-looking synthetic material, looking for all the world as if they’d just come from a Love Parade in 1995.
This opens up an old issue in fashion: is the responsibility of the designer to make women look good, or indulge their own ideas about proportion and design?
It’s irrefutable that nobody could call the Marc Jacobs models, who were swaddled in up to four layers of material, elegant.
However, critics are also pointing to his fabric choices as ill-suited and passe, rooted in paisley, crushed velvet and crochet.
It is, as one critic put it, ‘not a red-carpet collection’ – celebrities won’t be rushing out to exhibit the pieces, unless they’re very brave – but it definitely piqued interest.
Do you find the collection intriguing or just alienating?
Image: Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2012, courtesy Vogue.
Not that long ago, celebrity ‘fashion’ lines were the subject of wide derision in the fashion world.
However, that’s changed – largely due to Jessica Simpson’s billion-dollar empire, Nicole Richie’s House Of Harlow jewellery line and Victoria Beckham’s critically adored collection of dresses.
It’s now safe for celebrities to foray into fashion without ridicule – but the standard is incredibly high.
The latest fashion success? German supermodel Claudia Schiffer.
Commentators were swooning over Schiffer’s spring-summer line, which is all clean lines, beautiful cashmere and gypsy dresses.
The best part? They’re accessible, not simply fitting somebody of Schiffer’s own gorgeous build.
Schiffer told German Vogue that she was inspired by Jane Birkin in the 1960s, and said she’d rather make ‘investment pieces than the next It trend’ – which might explain why the collection is so classic.
It’s also in very Spring colours – fresh citruses and neutrals. As Australia’s coming into winter, these may be dresses to layer with jackets and boots, but their fine-quality cashmere means they’ll keep you cozy even in the cooler months.
Do you think Schiffer’s line is worth a look?
Image: Schiffer’s 2012 spring-summer collection.
She made her name as one of the first plus-size models to really break into high fashion.
As a size 16, Crystal Renn walked for Jean Paul Gaultier, did editorials for Australia’s Harper’s Bazaar and published a memoir which was a best-seller.
However, Renn has now slimmed down and appeared in the annual Swimsuit Edition of Sports Illustrated, and the reaction has not been kind.
She’s accused of betraying her plus-size roots, bowing to pressure to be thin and setting a bad example to women who were embracing their curves.
The Sports Illustrated shoot, which was largely shot in Sydney, features Renn at a healthy size 10-12 in Australian clothing – definitely not model-sizing, but also far too small to be considered plus-size.
Renn declares that the streamlining is simply a matter of her better relationship with her body and health, and that the plus-size look was a fluctuation rather than her true self.
She also says it’s now harder to get work because she falls ‘between’ the 00 and plus size sets, and thinks Sports Illustrated did well to hire her and set a good example.
Renn suffered from an eating disorder begun by her modelling company demanding she lose weight when she was starting out in the business.
At one point she subsisted only on lettuce leaves. She insists that she remains healthy and that people should focus on her modelling rather than her size.
Image: Renn in Sports Illustrated.
Military had a field day a few years ago, with Balmain’s opulent brocaded jackets catapulting the trend into cartoonish over-the-top splendour.
Now, however, the trend is back – only it’s more subdued and traditional.
Designers sent out women in sharply cut military coats, marching boots and even, in some cases, peaked leather caps. So how can you incorporate this without looking like you’re off to join the trenches?
Fix on one detail – perhaps a crisply military high-buttoned shirt – and look for excellent tailoring rather than detail.
A military coat is probably the best investment, as it’s a classic look that resists going out of fashion.
The colour is entirely up in the air, though. This season it’s all about vibrant jewel tones and camels – find something charming rather than camoflauge-inspired.
Keep the rest of the look simple, or go the other direction and throw military boots on with a frothy lace skirt. The contrast, as long as it’s not too overt, can look great.
Stay away from medals, brocade and embellishments – look for good buttons, epaulettes and practical sleeve-pockets, which will age far less quickly.
Resist wearing all-over military, too – you’ll either look like a caricature or people will obey your every casual order.
Breast-pocketed shirts, crisply ironed pants, razor-straight ties – maintain military cleanliness and straight lines, or rumple them up and make them more casual.
Image: Military looks on the Victoria Beckham catwalk in New York 2012.
