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amphtaminedreams · 3 years

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Spring/Summer & Haute Couture Week 2021: Whoops, I’ve Missed a Loooot (Part 3)

Helllooooo to anyone who’s reading,

And welcome to the penultimate post of my S/S21 reviews! Finally!

I think, anyway!

This is according to my estimate of how many photosets Tumblr is going to let me include in this post but it seems to be about 50 so I SHOULD only need to make one more post to cover the last few designers plus my top 20 shows, which lowkey is my fave thing to do in these posts. It’s really tempting to do it in the form of a tier ranking system but I feel like that has died as a meme now; I would still do it anyway, trust and believe (I still feel more of an attachment to Vine than I’ve ever have to TikTok), but that would require a load of trawling through the bin on my Mac and finding the original photosets and considering I have a work beach party today I thought I’d be kind to myself and preserve my mental energy stores so I can get through that, lol.

The bulk of this post is gonna be taking on all the Ms-meaning the designers whose brands begin with that letter-because trust me there is a SHITLOAD. I always find this every time round and then forget and get irritable again. FFS Molly Goddard, why can’t you go back in time and get your parents to give you a different name!? Simply not good enough and does not fit with my fantasy. On the positive side though, and in spite of the difficulty writing these posts that I mentioned in part 2, this part does include a lot of my fave designers: Miu Miu, Lanvin, Rodarte, Rick Owens, Kim Shui, Paco Rabanne, and Olivier Theyskens plus some ones I’ve only recently become aware of, like Peter Do and Ottolinger, and am excited to see continue to flourish. Also, Virgil Abloh actually focussed on Off-White for, like, 2 seconds and produced a quality collection for the first time in a while and reminded us all why the brand became so popular in the first place!

Right. Onto the meat of the post. To quote the GOAT, Jeremy Corbyn, himself: We’re back! And ready to do it all over again! Only this time, the sentiment’s gonna get the outcome it deserves, and that’s starting with Kim Shui.

I believe it was in my last RTW review that I first tackled a Kim Shui collection after seeing some screen grabs of one of her collections on Twitter, which is where I tend to become aware of a lot of up and coming brands. Right away, I could see why her work gets the hype it does. As fierce and edgy and rough around the edges the pieces are, they’re sexy and flirty. Sometimes the video game anime street fighter girl catered to the male gaze (not to say Kim Shui’s collection is, this is very much for the woman who would totally use her powers of disarmament to fuck up a dickhead man or two) is a vibe, ya feel me? It’s quite apparent Kim’s youth and talent in combination with sharp eye for dissecting the urban style climate is a superpower in itself; she is going to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to observing which designer’s visions have the greatest knock on effect on mainstream fashion retail lines, that much is clear. Given that we’ve really only just entered the spring/summer period when it comes to clothing options and that the recurring features of Kim’s collection (psychedelic prints, cut outs, strappy detailing etc.) are already everywhere, her powers of prediction or rather, her influence, given on which way you look at it, are visibly immense. I know that if my bloody instagram or Facebook cookies threw up any one of the looks I’ve included I would be hitting that link, much to the detriment of my savings account, straight away; I think the fact it’s stocked on Revolve, my gut instinct to which is “nope, can’t afford that” is a blessing in disguise because otherwise I would’ve dropped a horrifically serious amount of coin.

Lanvin gave us some absolute gems last season and this time round is no different, with a collection that maintains the expected level of grace and timeless sophistication which affords the label its prestige whilst adding some art-deco influenced playful touches along the way; Albar Ebaz takes the classic feminine modesty of early to mid-20th century silhouettes with flapper style drop waist dresses and opera gloves and fitted suits and adds the subtle glamour of the silver screen actresses who wore them and gave them their mystique, the Grace Kellys and the Lauren Bacalls, once again churning out a collection relevant for the modern era. Following the lead of brands like Loewe, as well as creative director J.W Anderson’s namesake brand, and Balenciaga, Ebaz projects the exaggerated silhouette trend through his own nostalgia-tinged lens producing pieces that hark back to the days where high socitety adopted and brought home the styles of various other cultures as a means of flaunting their wealth. Yeah, you could consider the overall feel of the collection a riff on the old-timey equivalent of those baggy elephant print pants rich 18 year olds bring home from Thailand after their “gap yah”, but the elegance of the old-timey equivalent gives the structures and rich hues of the era a staying power said elephant pants will never have. Plus, I want one of those parasols-if I have to spend this whole summer dodging rainclouds (to reiterate: FUCK BRITISH WEATHER), at least let me do it in style.

J.W Anderson took things in a really fun direction with his Loewe S/S21 collection and produced a presentation of pieces that very much channels the excitement of a little kid playing around with their mum’s wardrobe; the pieces are whimsical and disruptive without being garish thanks to the simplicity of the colour palette and minimalist approach to print, a combination of characteristics that fulfils the stylistic needs of the fashion clown who doesn’t give a fuck about turning heads and wants to embrace a bit of wackiness given the bleakness of the past year. I don’t doubt a lot of thought went into this collection but it definitely seems as if Anderson let loose a bit more than normal and the result is something much more emotive and spontaneous looking than we’re used to, which I like.

Oh god, oh god, now onto Louis Vuitton.

Nicolas Ghesquière, babe, are you okay?

Somebody check on him, please. Because this is one of those collections which absolutely makes me wish there was some kind of objective system which could determine whether or not a collection is “high fashion” enough for the runway so we didn’t have to see lazy, confused shit like this. I mean, have I seen worse collections from other brands in the past? Of course. But the bar is higher, because this is Louis fucking Vuitton. Supposedly one of the most prestigious and sought after labels out there. And yet this show was just…all over the place. There were some cool elements and grungy skater girl moments that I liked but these were kind of overshadowed by the messiness of everything else-there were a lot of looks which genuinely could pass as something a newly employed Urban Outfitters worker would put together from the sale rack if they had to window dress mannequins in the dark. Whilst I was pleased to see the return of the motor racing jackets and the exploration of that tough, semi-androgynous look in general which first cropped up last season, we also saw some really cheap, tacky-looking incarnations of this trend which were at best boring and cheap looking, and at worst, god ugly. I also really cannot fathom the decision to include snow boots in a summer collection, which were so bad they almost put me off from including a look I otherwise really liked in amongst my favourites.

We saw a relatively toned down collection from Margiela this year, one that skimped on the disruptive and in-your-face quality the brand is known for in favour of something more mysterious, more darkly atmospheric, and at the same time delicate; Galliano’s signature deconstructed approach to fashion remains, but there are hints of Simone Rocha in there too, as if it’s one of her collections he took apart. In other words, this collection is the perfect visual accompaniment to Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. That being said, if I was wandering around the woods and saw these pieces being shot, I’d probably turn round and go in the other direction. I don’t wanna end up in the Woman in Black remake this shoot is giving me, or any of the gothic tragedies that John Galliano has so beautifully channelled here.

Anyone else who may be reading own the flower fairies of the garden books as a kid? Marchesa’s S/S21 collection is very that-whimsical and effervescent and graceful, at which you are only allowed a fleeting glance lest the magic be lost, or in this case lest you notice that a lot of it is actually pretty basic. There are some truly stunning floral prints here, which upon initial observation flow into one another in a way that give that “at one with nature” kinda vibe, but the longer you look, the less interesting they become, as opposed to brands like Erdem and Rodarte who make what is a safe pattern interesting.

Marchesa Notte was much the same, and even though it’s supposed to be the budget collection, there isn’t an ostensible difference in quality other than Marchesa’s pieces being a bit more extravagant. They’re pretty dresses but the attention to detail just isn’t there, and whilst they’d stand out on Net-a-Porter they don’t amongst their competing labels. It’s a bit of a meh season in general for the ballgown brands, maybe because COVID hasn’t really called for the kind of events people in the public eye need their clothes for. IDK. I expect that Bridgerton costume design level of extra but I suppose all that’s really needed in a world dominated by social restrictions is bridesmaids dresses for all those poor individuals who had the misfortune of having to go ahead with mini weddings in lockdown and I guess for that purpose these Marchesa dresses fit the bill.

Marques Almeida is a label I feel really doesn’t get spoken about enough; when it’s good, I truly think it’s up there with brands like GCDS, Off-White, and the designs of emerging streetwear oriented Kim Shiu and Charlotte Knowles, in terms of capturing that fresh, urban spirit anyway. It’s not as consistently cool as Kim and Charlotte (the studded boots and trainers included in this collection one example of this, like pls, it’s not been long enough since these were last “in trend” and the early 2010s and anything associated with them are still registering under the cringe header in our collective memory), but it’s far less hit and miss than GCDS and Off-White, both of which have released some very crappy collections over the last few years. Whilst there’s no sense of complacency with designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida that we sometimes see with the more prestigious streetwear inspired brands, they also don’t go obnoxiously garish in the way the two latter brands rather lazily do seemingly in an attempt to create the illusion of more abstract thought than was actually involved in the designing process. The dark hues of the tie-dye are a refreshing change from a lot of the other collections presented for S/S21, in that whilst there’s hardly ever a scarcity in tie-dye as a print on the runway for the summer season, it’s usually in lighter, pastel tones to match the longer days and lighter evenings; Marques Almeida commits to the grungy look regardless of the wearer’s potential for heatstroke and I like that. A bit of edge to subvert expectations is inspiring, which is why I am so here for Vera Wang making her past few RTW collections a goth-inspired fuck you to the people who think she’s just a fussy wedding dress designer, but herein lies my -slight- issue with this season’s Marques Almeida collection. It just doesn’t go far enough in that respect this time round, not when the duo have previously gone out of their way to flip expectations with typically “unflattering” silhouettes and fabrics and overly bold prints. Like yeah, it’s dark tie-dye. But it’s still tie-dye you know? And I’d much rather the low points of a collection be a particularly home-made looking Central Saint Martins runway show fit than something you might see on a Bershka mannequin. In general, notwithstanding my initial praise, this collection is a bit of a disappointment compared to the last couple; though the risks Marques and Almeida took in the past could read as a bit fashion student-y at times when they failed to pay off, the lack of daring here for the sake of being palatable means that the collection as a whole kind of fades into the background for me up against stronger collections from similar youth-centric, semi-affordable labels.

I found Max Mara to be a little freer and laid back than usual this season and this was good to see. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I’ll ever be someone who can muster much enthusiasm for any brand which typically sticks to a muted, minimalist approach but these pieces are a lot less stuffy to me, less Handmaid’s Tale wife and more female James Bond. The practical, utilitarian qualities of the label are still there but not in the characteristically restrictive way I associate Mara with; there’s actually room for movement, suits fit for someone with a slightly more devil-may-care attitude towards life than the Zara frequenting risk analyst or insurance broker or boring office job based “girl boss” (gate lighter, gas keeper or whatever) that I would wager is ordinarily the label’s ideal client. I am a HUGE fan of that duck egg blue belted trench coat so, yes, there’s a possibility this unexpected surge of appreciation is being viewed through the lens of desire buttt I’m being positive, and celebrating the high points of a designer’s work rather than bitching about it is more in line with my general philosophy. It’s not a philosophy which is always achievable considering some of the utter shite we see on the runway every season, but I try, and hey, I’m a part of the “participation trophy generation”, right? Three cheers for me.

Michael Kors was a bit of a let down.

I know, that burst of positivity was short lived. But to be honest, I feel like as someone who usually praises his collections whilst most other people with an opinion on high fashion go all Frank Reynolds as Ongo Gablogian yelling “DERITVATIVE!” On that one episode of Sunny every time there’s a new show, I’m entitled to say that this one did indeed fit the “meh” verdict that Kors’ work is pretty much uniformly sentenced to by the majority. See, I can usually overlook the criticism that his stuff is unoriginal because it’s fun and it’s cute and brings all the trends established by the more avant-garde fashion houses together in a way that’s cohesive and digestible for the average consumer. Basically, an MK fit catches your eye in the same way as a pink frosted Krispy Kreme donut would in amongst a buffet of far more expensive and expertly prepared and altogether memorable food-it must be full of processed shit that’s actually not all that great for you but it just looks bloody tasty and you know you’re going to like it. It appeals to all the girls who grew up idolising barbie dolls and then moved onto Blair Waldorf who seek something instantly visually appealing and pretty and put together. That’s my usual defence anyway.

This season, however, is kind of bland. It’s not ugly by any means, and they’re still nice pieces, buuuut…they’re the kind you’d take on a holiday to the mediterranean that only really become anything special when accompanied with an exotic backdrop and a good fake tan. Unfortunately, I’m not distracted enough to notice all the “influences” on display in this collection, and so Kors’ habit of attempting to replicate the success of other brands simply by way of copying is glaring in a way that, this time round, is hard to ignore. Taking last year’s Jacquemus colour palette and then alternating between a few of the corresponding silhouettes, some Dion Lee and some Bottega, and then mixing it all together, calling that a day? It’s not gonna work.

This Miu Miu collection and I, we went on an emotional journey. We really did. Totally not exaggerating the stakes there at all. But just imagine it. Seeing runway photos of the show and it being fucking ATHLEISURE. My blood boiled. My pulse raced. Not Miu Miu, surely. Not them falling victim to the spontaneous gym trip appropriate clothing trend too, the blandest style craze to pull off a mass infiltration of every major designer label of the last decade. See, I am a girly girl for the most part and Miu Miu is one of the last bastions of resistance when it comes to unabashedly embracing coquettish femininity and girlishness and excess as part of their aesthetic, especially when most designers are looking more to futuristic minimalism and toughness and androgyny as inspiration for their designs. Don’t get me wrong, I love this vibe too, for different reasons, but there’s just something fun about a collection that brings back memories of playing dress up as a little girl. I should’ve known Miu Miu wouldn’t disappoint me in this way, and as I got further into the collection I kinda realised…this isn’t your normal athleisure, this is Miu Miu athleisure. Yes, that was totally intended to be read in the format of one of the old school M&S ads.

In typical fashion, Fabio Zambernardi did things differently by looking back to the past rather than a stripped back idea of the future, and as the collection went on, the kitschy, retro elements became a lot clearer; sure, it’s all a little sportier than usual but more in a 50s/60s daddy’s little old-money princess in gym class (that’s what you call P.E in the states, right?), Pink Ladies, pastel diners and knickerbocker glories after school way than anything resembling a modern day Kim Kardashian outfit or a PLT co-ord. We’re talking the Plastics’ wardrobe if Mean Girls was set 40 years earlier, the other side of the coin of Gucci’s fashion take on a 60s and 70s inspired iteration of the Freaks and Geeks misfits’ aesthetic that we saw in the S/S20 show. The fits aren’t the kind I could pull off and I struggle to think of the kind of event the people who can actually afford this shit would wear them to, but Jane Fonda would 100% endorse it and that woman is a bad bitch so I mean her seal of approval as the highest form of compliment. If I had one gripe, it would be seeing Lila Moss on the runway doing the absolute bare minimum; I can occasionally get past the bad taste that nepotism in creative industries (in the sense that models are part of the luxury fashion industry) leaves in my mouth when it seems the beneficiaries of their family’s privilege are actually suited to the job, in the case of Gigi and Bella and Cara for example, but it just never seems fair seeing people who would never make it in the industry based on their own merit walking in the shows of these fashion giants purely because of their family’s influence. You’ve got ordinary girls who would kill on a runway putting themselves through HELL to achieve that kind of success, which even then they’ll only achieve if they’e lucky, while nepotism babies not necessarily suited to the role get to just waltz in without any of the struggle and instantly see the kind of coin models would only see after several consistent years of remarkable success in the industry. IDK. Rubs me the wrong way. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t resent models like Lila themselves, I suppose it’s more the laziness of casting agents, but you think she could like…take a class from Jay Alexander or something, right? If ANTM contestants can do it, so can you baby.

Continuing the fashion clown theme that J.W Anderson channelled in his show, we have Molly Goddard, a new edition to the list of collections to review. Trust me when I say said addition is not a feat I take lightly-fitting as many photosets as I possibly can into a text post without having to make like 7 separate posts is a task Tumblr already seems determined to make as much of an arbritrary ball ache as possible. That being said, there were a few collections I regularly include that I left out for these posts because of my lack of interest and so I thought she deserved to become a new staple; I like Margaret Howell but there’s only so many suits and beanies I can comment on, ya know? It’s always cool to see a young, British female designer rising in the ranks of the fashion world (it’s no surprise that she’s a Central Saint Martins grad because I can 100% see this being a stand out section from one of their collections) and after seeing her referenced online so many times, I thought it was finally time to pay her some attention. Plus all the tulle! I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, probably far too many, but I always love a bit of tulle, and it’s utilised in a way that’s slightly different than what we’re used to seeing. Whilst most of the designers who regularly make it a core element of their collections tend to do so in a demure, more delicate way, Molly goes in a wackier direction, with bold colours over pastels, playful, pleasantly juvenile silhouettes and kooky styling to accompany the already head-turning pieces; if you presented a bunch of primary school age girls with all the S/S collections I’ve included so far, they’d probably pick this one to wear, and I think that’s a brief that it makes complete sense to want to fit considering the times we’re living in.

It goes without saying that the Moschino collection was bloody adorable, and let it be known that I really appreciate the way Jeremy countered the limitations on runway presentations with such creativity and that signature irreverence and desire to subvert expectations. Whilst this is usually conveyed through his defiance of luxury fashion’s desire for timelessness and need to distance itself from the trashiness of pop-culture, this time round the designs themselves were a lot more subdued and so of course there had to be some other twist on the typical presentation format; the classic quirks and campiness of Scott’s Moschino is always present in some way, that’s something we can count on and one of the reasons why I always look forward to his collections. Am I reading too much into things if I say we could see the whole puppet angle as some kind of we’re-all-slaves-to-late-stage-capitalism continuation of the F/W20 Let Them Eat Cake theme? I love Jeremy Scott as a designer but given that the man is the creative director of a multi-million pound luxury clothing company, I would say I’m probably giving more credit than is due here. Of course, there’s a bit of a void without the brash, tongue in cheek aspect of the garments themselves that can’t be filled by kooky presentation alone, but it is interesting to see Scott go down a daintier, low-key route that caters to the Taylor Swifts and the Ariana Grandes of the celebrity world rather than his usual pursuit of those iconic in-your-face pieces that make him a favourite of squirty cream Catherine wheel bra wearing legend Katy Perry and helped cement her place in pop culture history during the Teenage Dream era of her career. The collection is not without those touches of over-the-top, mischievous glamour, with furs and opera gloves and ostrich feathers that read very Y2K Bratz doll, it’s just that they have been filtered through more traditionally feminine pastel-tinted lenses, the lasting effect of which being that the collection is more suited to movie star Barbie than it is to provocative stage performer, and that is of course, despite the prettiness, a little bit of a let down. At it’s very best, these looks are the magical fashion baby of Carrie Bradshaw and a young Lucille Bluth’s wardrobes (wouldn’t you love to see an Arrested Development spin off of a teenage/20 something Lucille living her best Upper East Side, spoilt brat life because I 100% would) but at worst, they’re forgettable and that’s not something I thought I’d ever say of a Moschino collection.

I pretty much always love a Mugler collection-it has that signature sexy, modern, minimalistic aesthetic that emphasises the inherent power of the female form in a way that’s geared more towards a Tron-esque future than more current mundane times. I know we’re all sick of these live action remakes of old cartoons but imagine, like, Totally Spies irl where Casey Cadwallader is the costume designer with, like, Tokyo or Stockholm or New York as the backdrop or somewhere like that. Imagine. There really is potential in these remakes if the teams behind them stopped trying to cater to a young audience who really don’t give a fuck about some cartoon that was big in the 2000s and instead gave them the HBO treatment for the now grown adults who watched it when they were younger. A dream. Yeah, in more specific terms, the designs in this collection really aren’t anything new but then given the circumstances of COVID, completely overhauling their stylistic direction or doing anything drastically different probably isn’t a realistic expectation. Plus I really adore the pieces so through gritted teeth I will allow it and say if it’s not broke don’t fix it, maybe we can settle for a nice new colour palette for now; it’s favouritism, I know, but tbh I’ve just won myself over with the concept of a grown up 2020s version of Totally Spies.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by Off-White this year because it seems as if Virgil Abloh put marginally more effort in than usual. Looking at the collection now as I write this post, a lot of the outfits look slightly overdone but that’s doing a disservice to the fact that this was ground zero for many of the trends we’ve seen over the past few months. I mean, in my notes from the time I’m going off of (idk if the fact that I wrote these notes almost a year ago is more of a testament to my ability to procrastinate when it comes to writing something I’m not super enthusiastic about or of how quickly 2021 has gone but there ya go) I put that although it’s clear he’s a designer who draws from current trends, that there were some new, fresh additions, and that I felt the collection as a whole was more his interpretation of where said trends should progress and evolve from there, and how they can all be tied together, almost. It kinda reminded me of why Off-White became so hyped up in the first place and its image as a brand that had its finger on the pulse of what was effortlessly cool, home of (semi-affordable compared to other fashion week regulars) boujee power pieces with razor sharp edge. It was that daring, urban flair that had Off-White clothing known for being just as suited to an up and coming grime artist’s Brit awards red carpet ensemble as it were to the centrepiece of an off-duty model’s “candid” paparazzi shot. It was the first collection to seem like anything other than an afterthought in a solid few years, reminiscent of those that got Abloh his role as the art director at Louis Vuitton. One negative thing I do have to say about this collection though-if the pieces are that oversized on fucking SIZE ZERO models, how the fuck are they gonna work on an average sized person? I bang on about it constantly but it is crazy how little size inclusivity we still have in 2021. It’s all very well and good using plus size models in print but it says a lot about how the fashion industry still doesn’t see larger bodies as “high fashion” when they’re never hired for the runway; more often than not, the inclusion of one, single plus size model in a show seems performative, and does little in the way of making the move towards removing that distinction between “straight size” and “plus size” models so that we just have models in a way that reflects healthy norms and society in general in so far as that we’re all different shapes and sizes and that that’s okay.

Olivier Theyskens, quickly becoming one of my all time faves, bossed it once again with a collection that can only be described as a sophisticated show of gothic perfection; carrying on with the correct way to do remakes theme, it’s all very modern day Morticia Adams and yes an updated Addams family with-stay with me here-Lady Gaga as Moritcia and Billie Lourde (based on both their turns on AHS) as a slightly older Wednesday is something I would LOVE to see. I consider myself a maximalist when it comes to both my fashion and interior design preferences, and these pieces aren’t particularly decorative but regardless, the shapes and colour palette are dramatic enough that they flawlessly do the job of conveying all the witchy goddess energy I need to fuel myself for the rest of the year. In my fantasy where I’m a fashion editor hiding arcane powers who spends her breaks cursing bad boyfriends, this is what I want to be wearing by night. I think it was kinda how I assumed the Dolls Kill founder (I shall not speak her name) dressed back when I was naive and unaware that both she and her company are still a piece of shit. Truly, it still hurts because I’ve never seen an online shop that fulfils all my personal style dreams at a price I can afford more but until it’s clear as a company they’ve changed their ways once and for all and move towards being a more ethical business, having to instead scour Depop for second hand Sugar Thrillz pieces will have to do.

Maybe I’m a lot more out of the loop than I thought but honestly I’d never heard of Ottolinger until I saw screenshots of this collection on Twitter. I was immediately obsessed and knew I had to include it in the review because it is absolutely fucking exquisite and it’s clear now that many people felt the same-SO many of the styles and details on show here have been everywhere for the last few months. Not sure if I can credit Ottolinger alone with that but it’s surely played a role, probably along with designers like Kim Shui who also excels at blending that grungy video game street fighter girl with sex appeal in her designs; the underground techno scene of the label’s Berlin origins clearly plays a big part in curating the carefree, youthful edge present throughout the collection. Similar to Marques Almeida, Charlotte Knowles, Acne, GCDS and other more accessible streetwear brands, it’s obvious that designers Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient aren’t afraid to create love them or hate them pieces, the kind that tend to offend the elderly population, with rugged, punky touches, elements of deconstruction, and an intentional unfinished, slightly messy feel. Here, it really fucking pays off in a collection that is effortlessly cool, the wardrobe of an it girl who you’d be far too intimidated by to approach and would instead observe pass by with a wistful gaze.

Ah, Paco Rabanne. IDK how to feel? Because of course there were some spectacular pieces, that’s no surprise, but a lot of it was also very commercial, and seemed random in amongst the regular knockouts I expect from the label. To preface the critiques, it’s not as if Julien Dossena failed to deliver some beauties; a lot of the garments were further proof of the brand’s ability to incorporate the typically feminine qualities of elegance and attention to detail into otherwise rugged, bad bitch armour in a way that gives the pieces a strong, regal quality to the garments-you know, for when you want to be on some bonafide queen shit. The signature chainmail pieces have always been an aesthetic incarnation of the beauty and patience and fragility that is inherent to the power of women, designed for us and with what is going to make us feel invincible in mind without losing those ornate flourishes. But then…then, you have pieces that are quite the opposite. If you want to be generous, you could say they’re the kind of looks that would make you feel like a bad bitch with her life together if you’re someone who usually shies away from anything remotely head turning, if you want that Kat Hernandez owning her fatness and deciding to dress however the fuck she wants and not care who’s staring energy, but would these fits give me that warrior-esque aura I look to Paco Rabannne for? Would they make their way onto the costume rail of Athena in what would be a really sick TV show revolving around the mythology of the ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses set in modern times (because how have producers not realised how much of a serve that would be yet?), as the average Paco Rabanne piece would? Nah, not really. Maybe if it came to her fitting in with the general population looks they’d do the trick but let’s be real, YSL designs can channel that rockstar girlfriend star power just as well and people don’t typically spend their time raving about those collections.

Like with Ottolinger, Peter Do is another designer I’ve slept on for way too long. I finally decided I’d investigate what it is that the high fashion community raves about; Zendaya wears his pieces, and if that’s not reason enough for me to buy my ticket for the hype train and see where it takes me, I don’t know what is. Definitely a good call, and a much more satisfying option for the said off-duty Athena attempting to blend in with gen pop aesthetic. These are the effortlessly smooth power fits that carry the innate confidence and self-assurance, the subtle edge and refined futuristic grunge influence, that I want to see on a woman with a quiet power so intimidating and magnetic she commands everyone’s attention the second she enters the room and has even the most revolting men hanging on her every word because she knows what the fuck she is talking about. I mean, this woman probably doesn’t exist because most men don’t know how to respect even the most accomplished of women but there ya go-we’re just talking a character on a non-existent show about fictional immortal beings at the end of the day so may as well just buy fully into the fantasy and pretend we’re dressing someone who can somehow make a completely anomalous response to female superiority, based on respect not fear, occur.

I was a big fan of the F/W20 Ports 1961 collection and this one is incredible too. Not one to diverge from my theme, either, as the nods to Grecian influences with gladiator sandals and draped billowing fabrics would also make this collection very fit for a modern day mythological Goddess, though with the elegant flourishes and the light, airy colour palette I feel it’d be more suited to an Aphrodite type residing in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Though Maria Grazia shows signs of improvement with her collections this season, I can’t help but compare this collection to her Goddess themed couture 2020 show which was so on the nose with its referencing it bordered on tacky; this collection really highlights how key a bit of subtlety is when it comes to sophistication. The way print has been utilised, sticking to stark black minimalistic illustrations delicately splashed onto billowing, canvas-like dresses, and the small yet intricate accessories, is similarly a lesson in how it’s best to go low-key when attempting to modernise a classical silhouette. There’s a sense of youthful creative flair and optimism paired with a calm intelligence that appeals to the carefree, nomadic woman who despite never staying in one place for too long manages to remain effortlessly stylish, whose taste transcends the influence of the ever-changing culture around her, who will go anywhere as long as there’s heat and history. Sure, wearing one of these coats in the Mediterranean sun might give you heat stroke but whatever, *Patsy from Ab Fab voice* it’ll be a fashion moment, darling. I really can’t believe I’m out here liking gladiator sandals. GLADIATOR SANDALS.

Prada was a pleasant surprise for me this season. I feel like I’m in the minority here but I usually find their collections a little stuffy and boring, which makes me wonder what it is I’m missing because whenever it’s referenced it’s usually being touted as a label that’s fresh and modern. For me, I like the accessories, but when it comes to the clothes it’s always been pretty forgettable imo and there’s a lack of flair or character that I expect from such a powerful brand name; sure, Chanel collections aren’t great in recent years but if you asked me to sketch an outfit that could be part of one of their runway shows I could quite easily do it, whereas with Prada I’m not exactly sure what I’d draw on for inspiration. This S/S21 collection, however, has a bit more vivacity to it, almost like the choice for Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada to collaborate has given the pieces some life, reflective of a desire to venture out of what I’ve always seen as a very dull, very square box. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not obsessed with it as a collection but it’s definitely bolder and more experimental, a promising step away from complacency into potentially divisive but exciting territory. The choice to try the typical retro kitchen tiling style prints on more androgynous, current silhouettes rather than the usual tried and tested, classically flattering silhouettes, for example, would indicate a commitment to a more forward thinking approach and that’s something I’m happy about.

Unsurprisingly, Rick Owens put on a fucking incredible show again. I truly think he has an aesthetic just as distinctive and well-established, if not more so, than some of the biggest names in fashion, and for that, should be granted reference point status accordingly. It’s this one of a kind blend of glam rock influences and space age era fashion that keeps the gloss and the glamour of the two, the dramatic presence and the Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour vibes of it all, and updates it for a dark, dangerous post-apocalyptic future, one dominated by a metallic colour palette where wars are fought by AI and robotic assassins and peace talks are had in stark white rooms with holograms. If there were a post credits Ex Machina scene, Alicia Vikander’s Ava would take over the world wearing something from this collection, I know it; if you are That Robot Bitch™ and you find yourself in a Mad Max-esque wasteland, you’re hardly gonna be reaching for some dusty Chanel tweed. Owens designs for the female gothic supervillain and fulfils the brief of a don’t fuck with me outfit that still oozes sex appeal, all the while maintaining a sense of otherworldliness and mystery, something that would on paper sounds like a confused vision but he proves in the fiercest way is meant to be realised, for the sake of humanity.

And to round off this penultimate post, we have Rodarte: Giambattista Valli and Elie Saab’s quirky, more whimsical cousin, and the likes of Erdem and Brock’s more glamorous sister, they’ve put out some really exquisite collections over the last few years that are hard to live up to, especially the F/W20 collection. Unfortunately, this is a prophecy that proves to be correct. Don’t be mistaken, this is still strong, dainty yet bold, understated, head-turning all at once, and is exuberant and optimistic in spite of the dark year we’ve all had. There were a lot of really stunning pieces, breathtaking even, some of which have a Bridgerton feel, reminiscent of the Featherton household’s costumes to be more specific, and that’s definitely a good thing; if we’re being totally honest, the outfits were really the only good thing to come out of that show. There’s also a lot of china doll-esque mid century style dresses, that hark back to the era of the wartime heartthrobs who’d go out and sing to the troops to keep up morale, that Vera Lynn kind of figure, and the coy, supposedly unaware bombshell, the Betty Draper type. However, here comes the but…a lot of it was very pedestrian. The last word you’d ordinarily think to associate with Rodarte, right? So I’m conflicted on where I stand and I guess overall I can’t say it meets the label’s usual standards. I mean, it pained me to include the contrast sweat band detailing, it really did. The converse with a prom dress vibe is not a bit of me.

So, that’s it for this post! Hopefully I can fit the last few designers and my top 20 into post 4 and then move onto something else. I’m thinking of doing a bit of a festival inspired lookbook in honour of my disappointment in not being able to go to any this year-I know they are on, and I don’t judge anyone for going, but the idea of it still feels a bit icky to me. I went clubbing the other night and took a lateral flow test before I went and even though I knew I was healthy, I still got this weird sinking feeling in my stomach every time reality set in and it hit me just how many people we were surrounded by, all mixing together. I imagine on the scale of a festival, it’d be even worse. I can’t believe we all used to do this kind of thing without the thought of all those germs mingling crossing our minds? I did another test last night because I’ve been feeling kind of shitty the last couple of days and it’s not COVID but is it really any wonder I might have picked something up from a night out? Anyway, that’s enough doom and gloom for now-we’re getting it from every other media outlet already after all. As always, if you read this far my mind is blown by your dedication to tackle all these paragraphs of my bullshit and I hugely appreciate it!

Stay safe, get vaccinated and look out for the final post of this series!

Lauren x

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