LANVIN X H&M

Photo courtesy of H&M

With a little less than two weeks away of Lanvin for H&M's collection to premiere in US flagship stores across the country, people are anxiously waiting for November 20th to roll around (everywhere else, you've got to wait until November 23rd for the collection to drop, sorry).

So what's all the hype about this collection? Well, simply put, it's a first for the French high-fashion house. Lanvin has never collaborated with any other designer, label, or brand.

Albert Elbaz, artistic director for all of Lanvin's creative activities, confesses his reasons for agreeing to collaborate with the Swedish clothing company:

"H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audience, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public."

Elbaz has designed 45 pieces for women and 35 pieces for men that include clothing, shoes, and accessories. Most articles of clothing run from $99 to $349 a piece, shoes from $79 to $119, and accessories from $19 to $39.

H&M's creative director, Margareta van den Bosch, said, "It is very much a Lanvin collection, using their cut and tailoring, with lots of focus on form and details for both women and men."

For someone who's obsessed with all things black, praises designers like Yohji Yamamato and Rei Kawakubo, and finds inspiration from Japanese street walkers and New York City punk rockers, I can't be more excited for this collaboration since Commes des Garcons for H&M in Fall 2008.

Once in a while I find myself impressed with colorful, ruffle dresses, well-constructed tailored pieces, and chunky jewelry. And when it only costs a quarter of Lanvin's normal prices, how can one pass this up?

Check out the official Lanvin for H&M short film below, it's all things pretty:

Gareth Pugh S/S 2011

Video courtesy of Youtube
Paris Fashion Week was the last stop for the Spring/Summer 2011 season and it started off with a bang with English avant-garde fashion designer Gareth Pugh displaying his 11-minute film for all to see.

Like many, I really liked how Pugh chose not to have a traditional runway show but rather present his collection through the short film with the help of director Ruth Hogben. We never known what to expect from Pugh when it comes to his designs so it's no surprise (for me at least) when he chose this path than the other.



Image courtesy of: Tokyo Dandy

The trippy, futuristic images in black and white in addition to the haunting music composed by Matthew Stine really captures one's attention. The slender models move to the beat of the music showing the movements of the clothing as various kaleidoscope-like shots are presented throughout the film. From twists and turns to moving up and down, the various movements allow the audience to have a better idea of how the clothes look in motion, not just walking straight up and down a runway. Pugh wanted the audience to be able to see more.

Style.com's Tim Blanks praised Pugh for his genius approach, "If that hard edge would once have been equally applicable to Pugh's clothes, his Spring collection suggested a move toward something softer, though equally bewitching. Flowing kimono shapes were cut from a nylon printed with aluminum to give an extraordinary two-way mirror effect. Scales of rubberized neoprene added a snaky futurism to tops and pants. Pugh pulled off a feat of cutting in tunics he called "modular," the same front and back. And, keen as he was to avoid the sci-fi tag that has been continually attached to his clothes, he still showed sinuous silvery pieces that clung to the body like thirty-first-century armor."

With all the praise and glory there's always something that has to bring it down and many questions have been brought up. Most importantly, will film presentations replace traditional runway shows?

Pugh expressed his gratification with film presentation, “If a model trips or has a problem with shoes, that is the thing that endures. It is liberating for a designer not to have to worry about a show. You can get the models to be even more expressive and do it all in a more concise way."

Pugh also found the video sequences more exhilerating: "It sets the mood and conveys the essense of his vision, backed up with a lookbook focused on the clothes."

But to some, choosing to not have a runway show is a sign of weakness. Unlike the Lady Dior films starring Marion Cotillard, they complimented the runway show. Thus, fashion was getting a 2-for-1 deal, but not with Pugh. Instead, you get the opportunity to purchase items right off the runway. That's something you don't see everyday.

So what's your opinion?

Where's the Black?

Images courtesy of: nymag.com
Fashion Week or as I like to call it "Fashion Month" is coming to an end this week with Paris being the final stop. September has been packed with fashion shows from New York to London to Milan, each bringing something new, refreshing, and innovative. With New York we saw the beginning of what we should expect for the rest of September--whites and bright colors, solids and prints, loose, flowing fabrics and structured pieces. But within the past few years, black has dominated the runway, be it for the Spring or the Fall. So where has it gone?

Many designers known for their use of neutral and dark color palettes chose their Spring/Summer 2011 collection to experiment. A prime example is Alexander Wang, fashion's cool, young, hip designer. Known for his edgy aesthetic, inspired by "the eighties, French chic, and rock grunge" Wang "embodies casually cool downtown style."

For Wang's Spring/Summer 2011 collection, he decided to step away from his usual skinny jeans and motorcycle jackets; it was time for something new.

"There's no black!" Wang said, "I was looking for something optimistic, something pure."

The collection was definitely optimistic and pure. With the models stomping on the runway, the long, white, flowing dresses started the show off with an ethereal feel. Mid-way through, we were introduced to specs of color. Foiled pieces randomly spotted on bottoms gave a nice hint of the colors used. Then, the real surprise came towards the end of the show--COLOR! Ranging from rose pink, lavender, and aqua blue, it was real attention grabbing. Wang still stayed true to his aesthetic, but was slightly altered. It was something refreshing.

As Style.com stated, "[All-white looks felt] as fresh as cannonballing into a pool in late August … So the trick here was to turn the fashion page while still letting his dedicated Wang-ettes preserve their street cred … while the finale had a certain beauty, it's not clear whether his proposal of midi hems and dresses that read Belgian instead of Boom Boom will be the right solution."

The black will not be seen next Spring, but I wouldn't completely cut it out. Black will definitely be back for Fall 2011.

Check out the fashion show below: