Mother of Prints

By Neslihan

Anything with bright prints and mixing and matching makes my heart go va va va voom. So when I saw Mother of Pearl's Resort collection I was -needless to say- in awe. And the reasons are out there: florals combined with leopard prints or with other florals creating an unseen dimension. The cuts were kept really simple but it was all in the use of colours. They picked three kinds of florals and re-used it for the blazers, dresses and shorts. So you can quite say you can easily combine the pieces with each other. Not only did she mix her flower garden with the wild, wild leopard printed fabrics but she also combined the first with stripes and geometrical shapes. It's just the kind of collection I would wear, simple, yet quirky. And just really colourful. The first jacket is ideal for chilly summernights. And I also loved how they used sporty flats to support the effortlessness of this collection.

                     

Fireflies and cotton candy

By Neslihan

Do you remember those sceptical souls during Simon's first Dior show? It was too minimalistic, too repetitive, too boring... (read here) It's like Raf Simons listened to the slightly negative comments and delivered this poppy spring/summer collection as a reaction to that negativism. He worked with colourful beads, fabrics, shiny effects and enormous prints to prove his audience that he's more than straight and structural lines. He's more than simplistic Raf. He doesn't compromise though, he simply tries to find a way to combine his trademark with Dior's tradition and the new direction the couture house is taking. He matches classy with playful and romantic with -don't shoot me- simplistic as he integrates a couple of black pantsuits with floral beads. But it's always elegant and feminine.
The show consists out of two main parts. The first part is all about Dior basics: little black dresses, black and grey pantsuits, black coats... It was all beautifully tailored, you've got to give him that but I thought it was rather predictable. It's so hard to be inventive or fresh with a little black dress. I think he kind of felt obliged to honor Christian Dior's ideology, which is totally understandable but my heart started beating faster when we reached the second part of the collection: colours, prints, beads, shiny see-through fabrics that reminded me of cotton candy. The whole thing was just divine. At some point you had those amazing floral ball gowns (look five). It was as if they were all on fire. I'm in awe really, because this collection is the embodiment of one of my dearest fashion mottos: crazy, childish heartbreak hotel but the more mature version and I think that's what Raf's trying. He tries to make Dior more youthful but you've got to know that aging is easier than getting your youth back. This collection was a brave atempt in giving Dior's youth back. For sure.

Click here for the whole collection.

I've got a war in my mind

By Neslihan

I thought I still had to give you this tacky yet very idylic screensaver image. I just love how the landscape is also reflected in the lake. It looks so peaceful and calm and it even seems te be spring in this picture. You know, the kind of weather that makes you wanna get out of your shorts and tee and jump in the water with your cute polkadot bikini. 50's romanticism, corny, I know, I know but my soul needs some enlightment and sun as Belgian weather is freezing our thoughts and even feelings. And you can take this quite literally because the kind of coldness we're experiencing in Belgium is the kind of cold that makes you forget about every other thought or feeling and makes you aggressively impatient to reach your often less cold destination. 

The worst thing actually is that I do not have ONE single thing that could keep me warm. Yesterday I realized that my winter wardrobe is the same as my summer wardrobe but with the added pantyhose, scarf and coat of course. As a result I'm freezing (as in -10°C!) my butt off everyday. Need to get a grip and get some thick and cosy jumpers. In the meantime I'm having private concerts in my room and practicing on my Lana Del Rey face. I'm suffering from wintertime sadness and I'm absolutely loving it. Melancholia never felt so good.

This intense vibe is accompanied by a couple of pre fall looks taken from the Proenza Schouler and Alexander McQueen collection. Both very different in colour and material but they've got this deep midnight thrill to it. You know, the kind of night that carries mysteries with itself? Time to reveal those secrets as we take a look at the pictures.

Alexander McQueen

Proenza Schouler

Notes: McQueen reminded me of this Roman, dark, secret cult priests. The cape and the velvet they've used for it, was utterly luxurious. P. Schouler on the other hand used this metalic printed fabric in goldy yellow and petroleum green and I cannot tell you how much in love I am with that dress. I hate those kind of necklines but this dress is so amazing, I'm willing to look past that.

Even though the title refers to 'Ride', this is the one that has been on repeat lately.

1st image found on tumblr

2nd and 3th image from http://vmagazine.com/

Defending Raf

By Neslihan

I felt like defending Raf Simons for his first Dior collection because I've read so many negative comments on the internet. I think it's injustice towards Raf's talent and simply unrespectful towards his art. So that's why I'm focusing on a couple of those reactions in this blog post:

"Raf's collection for Dior was a copy of his last collection for Jil Sander."
This is just bullocks. Okay, this collection had that strong, refined, minimalistic Raf stamp but that's what it was supposed to be. That's why they hired the man. You've got to integrate your own vision while respecting the authenticity of the brand. Dior isn't just a brand it's a history lesson in fashion. It's a hard thing to stick to your own style but also respect what Dior originally stands for: femininity, craftmanship and class. Femininity isn't so much about cleavage, glitters or extravagance. Raf stresses on the polished side of being a woman with his sleek cuts. It basically comes down to this: when Raf left Jil Sander, he did take his vision with him. So, the next time you whine about Raf being too simplistic or minimalistic, take a second and maybe think that that's what it actually has to be.

"This Dior show wasn't couture. It looked like ready to wear!"
Can we please get over the fact that couture is only about gaudy luxury? The luxury of Raf's designs for Dior lies in Raf's impeccable sense for tailoring. Have you seen the modern version of Mister Dior's bar jacket? It was the most perfect taloring ever!  And what about the cut out dresses used as tops? I mean the embellishment was breathtaking. The voluminous dresses were another tribute to Christian Dior's style. This collection was actually something like back to basics. Back to what Dior stood for. The poppy colours and elegant pantsuits proved that. Couture isn't so much about showy, crazy extravagance but ir's about smooth fits and amazing details. Or that's Raf's motto.

"We want John Galliano back."
I'm sure we all have to get used to Raf's vision but give the man at least a chance before you start to judge. You can't compare Simons to Galliano. That is just impossible. Galliano is all about theatrical, eccentric, romantic, 20's glamour while Raf is the embodiment of less is more. He's romantic but in his own way (hence  his last Jil Sander collection). You can't expect him to be a Galliano rip off. That would be boring as well. This collection shows us that a new era has begun because Raf ends the Galliano episode and makes the industry ready for poetic minimalism. And I can't wait until the next collection!

Luckily Raf received also lots of good comments. He invited a lot of fellow designers like Alber Elbaz, Pierre Cardin and Marc jacobs but also celebs like Marion Cotillard and Sharon Stone. Even Charlene from Monaco was there. Isn't that the most amazing guest list? The Belgian and Dutch readers can read some of the reactions here. As for my other beloved readers, I've translated a couple thoughts. Scroll down to read them.

The new formality is slightly informal

By Neslihan

I've totally lost count of the fashion shows: cruise, resort, haute couture, prêt à porter and all the others inbetween. That's why I'm not even going to bother to write an extensive 'report' about all those shows, I'm only going to focus on a few of them. And today I'm focusing on Roberto Cavalli's cruise 2013 collection. It's funny actually because Roberto is kind of a tacky designer but he's gaining my love with every collection he creates. (Remember this post?)
I can't tell you enough how much in love I am with printed pants. They have to be bright, outstanding and comfortable to make me wear 'em. Those pants cheer me up in an instant and that's why it's such a joy to wear those. Mister Cavalli however has taken things to the next level. He has created pantsuits in the most divine colours and ab fab (-couldn't help myself-) prints. Instead of wearing white or black pantsuits, why don't you try a printed version for once? I promise you'll love it.
Roberto's pantsuits are inbetween formality and casualness. The cut is sleek and polished but the prints are playful and all over the place. Or you can create a balance by wearing a plain white or one-coloured shirt in the blazer or you can go nuts by combining the pants with other prints. So, the next time you're invited to a wedding or chique get together don't go for a dress but get yourself a crazy pantsuit. You'll be noticed, that's for sure.

 Your pajamas revised

 A girl has to get her daily flower boost

 Not your average black suit

 Feeling all blue

You've got the flare

No blazer involved

 That collar is absolutely amazing

Pleated pants are the next thing

(also spotted at Céline)

P.S. I'm so in love with Stella McCartney's cruise collection. You've got to see the pastel jumpers.

Pictures: vogue.fr

The NewGen looks promising/ Do it like a brother

by Neslihan
Hello, dearest fashion lovers
If you're still hungry for more Fashion Week collections: grab a mug of coffee and put your fashionable reading glasses on. And make sure you've got Fashionmania on your screen.

The Fashion Week I love the most is LFW because it's all about being innovative, extravagant and avant garde fits in this row too. It's about young designeres standing up and showing their most amazing creations. And since I tend to neglect the men's collections on this blog, I'm going to show you some style for guys today. And there have been a couple of very different collections pour le mâle. Star Wars, the Beatles, and sporty elegance were all to be spotted at this season's lfw for guys. Let's start with Martine Rose.

   

 Martine Rose LFW RTW A-W 2012

Martine Rose is one of the NewGen designers this season. The New what? The New Generation is an organization created by the British Council of Fashion that looks for new talents every season. It was thanks to this project that we can/could enjoy McQueens gaga creations, fall in love with Erdem's rose garden and go nuts with Christopher Kane's prints. And a little more recent is Mary Katrantzou's launch. Martine Rose though is different. Her show consisted of  black suit pants and amazing white shirts. She played with proportions while giving the male models a waist and  destroyed this waist again with bomber jackets. She used shiny, satin like fabrics to make the whole collection luxurious. She didn't only play with proportions when it comes to sizes and shapes but also when it comes to gender. She gave her dudes a blond/ grey wig but then again she made them wear Cats ( she had a collab with them), with which she tried to man her collection up. Not so many colours: think of spicy orange, military green and lots of black+white. The capes gave the collection another dimension. So I liked it because it was wearable but still had a few weirdnesses to top things of.

Matthew Miller LFW RTW A-W 2012

Oh how I nearly passed out looking at those delicious prints! I've got the impression that men's fashion is always a B plan but how Matthew Miller, another NewGen launch, puts it on A again! He knows to keep the balance between elegance and being laid back. He splashes with colours that make your head spin around. And his fittings are just so fine! His keywords are industrial, tailoring and sporty. One thing though: I don't get the futuristic black trench coats in this collection. Maybe drop 'em next time?

J.W. Anderson Men LFW RTW A-W 2012

The first thing I thought when I saw the first look (first picture) was: Starwars! How it hit me like a fireball! Seconds later 'the Beatles' popped into my mind. So that might've been J.W. Andreson's (also a NewGen designer) two inspirations while designing, well euh...his outfits. Don't get me wrong, I think his collection is rather interesting. I mean at the end I am the one who said that you have to look further than words like 'beautiful' and 'wearable' because like Simon and I agreed: fashion is a form of art. Fashion is there when no more words are left to say. So keeping that in mind I truly liked what Anderson did but it's just too literal. I can deal with futuristic but a full length homage to Darth Father and C-3PO is just a little too much. Maybe wear the jumpers but the shiny jumpsuits? Nah, didn't think so.

Move your fingers towards this site's direction for more fashion because less isn't more when it comes to exploring new designers.

Love.