Fashionistas of LPSG... do you feel me right now?

D_Tim McGnaw

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What do you think of this then? NOWFASHION | 22 Jun 2011 - Thierry Mugler - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris

I know some of it is totally unwearable outside of the context of a bathhouse or club, but I think some of it is hot. I'm not mad about the tailoring towards the end, but Nicola Formichetti (Thierry Mugler's head designer) certainly has an eye for sexy/alien/electro-goth atire.

It's not like I'd wear much from this collection but I love the short shorts and the palate.
 

Bbucko

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What do you think of this then? NOWFASHION | 22 Jun 2011 - Thierry Mugler - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris

I know some of it is totally unwearable outside of the context of a bathhouse or club, but I think some of it is hot. I'm not mad about the tailoring towards the end, but Nicola Formichetti (Thierry Mugler's head designer) certainly has an eye for sexy/alien/electro-goth atire.

It's not like I'd wear much from this collection but I love the short shorts and the palate.

Honestly, Mugler's moment was ~25 years ago. There was a Mugler leather jacket in one of the kind of shops that buys/stocks 35 pieces every season, back in Boston circa '84 or '85, but even at half off I couldn't justify the price. It was something you couldn't wear to death without complete infamy. It was around that time that I discovered Parachute and, at least at that time and in a small, conservative city like Boston, could dress the trends without appearing victimized :wink:

I really liked some of the lycra, which I can pull off, but I don't know where I'd wear it unless I went to SoBe more than I do. But the rest of it was pointless, graceless and unwearable. Those green shoes were horrors (despite the actual cut, which I'd gladly wear in black or red).

It was all very provocative in a typical French sort of way: JP Gaultier did it better a generation ago. The thing to do with French fashion is to look at the cuts and palates, then either retrofit what's in your closet or buy vintage and have it tailored. I did it that way for years.
 

D_Tim McGnaw

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Honestly, Mugler's moment was ~25 years ago. There was a Mugler leather jacket in one of the kind of shops that buys/stocks 35 pieces every season, back in Boston circa '84 or '85, but even at half off I couldn't justify the price. It was something you couldn't wear to death without complete infamy. It was around that time that I discovered Parachute and, at least at that time and in a small, conservative city like Boston, could dress the trends without appearing victimized :wink:

I really liked some of the lycra, which I can pull off, but I don't know where I'd wear it unless I went to SoBe more than I do. But the rest of it was pointless, graceless and unwearable. Those green shoes were horrors (despite the actual cut, which I'd gladly wear in black or red).

It was all very provocative in a typical French sort of way: JP Gaultier did it better a generation ago. The thing to do with French fashion is to look at the cuts and palates, then either retrofit what's in your closet or buy vintage and have it tailored. I did it that way for years.

You're right, Formichetti is really just riding the Gaga train like a fame-addled hobo right now and his collection looked a lot like it was designed for her backing dancers tbh. Shame.


Yeah, I agree with you about how to respond to Paris shows; take inspiration and work the trends that suit you without splashing the cash on the horror shows you'll regret in 20 years time. Invariably Paris shows are the ones which draw all the public derision and controversy which seems to be the public discourse about the industry, which I've always found mystifying because it's an industry which knows how to sell like almost no other, it just suffers with a permanent publicity crisis when it comes to communicating its more avant garde ideas.


Mind you tomorrow I have some personal favourites coming up so I'm excited, Viktor & Rolf, Juun J, Alexis Mabille (another acquaintance of mine, mostly of a professional nature) and Dries Van Noten. It'll be a busy day. The shows are always late and the feeds are a nightmare but it'll be interesting. :smile:
 

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You're right, Formichetti is really just riding the Gaga train like a fame-addled hobo right now and his collection looked a lot like it was designed for her backing dancers tbh. Shame.

Well, right now Mugler himself is a first-class mess: have you seen recent pix? He looks like he survives on nothing but facial fillers, steroids, antiretrovirals and crystal methamphetamine, though with all that surgery, I'm sure opioids must figure somewhere in there, too.

I have a pal from Paris whom I met down here a few years back. As the legality of his residency was never really clearly set, he eventually had to go home with the promise he'd be back as soon as possible. The last time I spoke with him, he's somehow enmeshed himself with Mugler (professionally, presumably) in a fashion he didn't feel at liberty to discuss. It'd be fascinating to get some inside dirt :biggrin1:

I was always a fan of Gaga's 15 minutes, but seriously: she's no Madge, she's not even a Minogue.


Yeah, I agree with you about how to respond to Paris shows; take inspiration and work the trends that suit you without splashing the cash on the horror shows you'll regret in 20 years time. Invariably Paris shows are the ones which draw all the public derision and controversy which seems to be the public discourse about the industry, which I've always found mystifying because it's an industry which knows how to sell like almost no other, it just suffers with a permanent publicity crisis when it comes to communicating its more avant garde ideas.

Hmmmmmmmm...I always thought that the point to the outrageous couture shows was that uniquely French approach to seeking affection by contemptuous denial in its (affection's) value. There's only so much "shock" anyone can stand before it just gets really boring and done done done.

But, more OT, French menswear hasn't been worth shit in forever; the last time it was really relevant, half of my friends and I were trying to out-do each other with preposterous kilts, and that was tired by the end of 1987, even in a fashion exclave like Boston.


Mind you tomorrow I have some personal favourites coming up so I'm excited, Viktor & Rolf, Juun J, Alexis Mabille (another acquaintance of mine, mostly of a professional nature) and Dries Van Noten. It'll be a busy day. The shows are always late and the feeds are a nightmare but it'll be interesting. :smile:

Bring 'em on, sweetheart. This is one of my fave threads at ElPeeEssGee right now :biggrin1:
 

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I'm gonna watch it again in a few hours before making any comment, but my first impression was notsomuch.
 

D_Tim McGnaw

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I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! By far and away my favourite Paris Menswear show thus far and probably my favourite over all is and will be Dries Van Noten.

The boys were perfect, the hair, the accessories, the colours (which conform to the Blue/Red/Monochromy which has been the leitmotif of the season), THE TAILORING! The aesthetic, the strength of the vision and the execution of that vision on the part of the designer is just so admirable.

Oh and the whole thing is perfectly beautiful.

NOWFASHION | 23 Jun 2011 - Dries Van Noten - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris

Did I mention the boys were exquisite? I think I did! :p
 

D_Tim McGnaw

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OK so in all honesty today, one of the big days at the Paris menswear shows, was a bit of a let down for me.

Junya Watanabe did this bizarre bucolic workwear/farmwear show in a park that made no sense, Kriss Van Assche's (one of my minimalist designer-crushes) show was completely underwhelming, and while Comme de Garcon's (another fav) show was entertaining it was not, all things considered, likely to set the world of menswear alight, they did a nice line in crazy Mexican Madonna statue crowns though , see for yourself - NOWFASHION | 24 Jun 2011 - Comme des Garcons Homme Plus - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris

As I say, entertaining but not genuinely fascinating.

Balmain and JPG produced "presentations" rather than shows, and Balmain looked like they'd raided a local vintage clothes shop and maybe the odd charity shop too for their offerings.

The Walter Van Beirendonk show bucked the trend by being inovative and almost theatrical but I don't suppose anyone noticed or will be wearing his creations at your local bar. NOWFASHION | 24 Jun 2011 - Walter Van Beirendonck - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris

So the fashion world turned to the menswear-great-white-hope, Riccardo Tisci (Givenchy's relatively new head of menswear) who is widely credited with having completely renovated Givenchy menswear's staid and stuffy image by making it ultra directional and highly modern. Who knew Givenchy would ever be avant garde? Certainly not old Hubert de Givenchy, himself a staunch traditionalist.

But Givenchy is one of those rare beasts, one of the last remaining true couture houses and is undergoing a rebirth of sorts.

I was therefore rather excited as I watched the minutes count down to the live photo-feed.

What then transpired was in my opinion a huge damp squib- NOWFASHION | 24 Jun 2011 - Givenchy - Menswear - Spring Summer 2012 - Paris


The show featured 3 colours, and I mean only 3; Olive and Lotus green and white with flashes of purple. The Purple occured in the form of a botanical print turned into a fabric pattern (reproduced in print, embroidery, sequins etc) which Tisci used liberally, and by liberally I mean to death, on a large number of garments in the collection.

There are some very beautiful pieces in the collection, to pretend otherwise would be ridiculous. However the majority of the collection was gimicky, the new-kilt featured heavily (which is so boring tbh) as did baseball caps and what looked like hospital issue corrective sandals.

The print, which was I admit refreshing the first 3 looks I saw it used on, became hideously and tastelessly monotonous, and by the end of the show I would have been glad never to see it again. Sure it wasn't SS '12's Blue/Red/Black/White/Grey monochromatic uniform, but that didn't elevate it.

I hated the skirts, I'm sorry but I'll never like them on men, and baseball caps don't belong on a couture runway IMHO.

The simpler looks which did not use the print were in some cases very beautiful and exquisitely cut. Some of the suits and pullovers and pants were eminently desireable.

However the overall feel of the collection was inelegant, and in my opinion lacking inspiration, even the exotic seeming pieces were rehashes or just downright ugly.

INGL it looked like a collection designed for Usher's next tour.

His fanboys gushed about the colour scheme, I found it unimaginative, it was as though Tisci had seen the botanical print in some hotel bathroom and thought "oh! That's SS '12 done then!".

For me the best show of today was Louis Vuitton which was incredibly beautiful, and came as a huge surprise to me.
 
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D_Tim McGnaw

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nudeyorker

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I liked a lot of the Hermes but I usually find something to break my budget there every year or two. I actually already have those strappy sandals ( I bought them in Portofino the last time I was there)
Thanks for linking all of this I'll take a better look when I have more time.
 

D_Tim McGnaw

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I liked a lot of the Hermes but I usually find something to break my budget there every year or two. I actually already have those strappy sandals ( I bought them in Portofino the last time I was there)
Thanks for linking all of this I'll take a better look when I have more time.



I MUST KNOW WHERE THAT SHOP IN PORTOFINO IS! INSTANTLY. They have next summer's Hermes in stock already :eek::eek::eek::eek: Soooo jealous right now.
 

nudeyorker

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I MUST KNOW WHERE THAT SHOP IN PORTOFINO IS! INSTANTLY. They have next summer's Hermes in stock already :eek::eek::eek::eek: Soooo jealous right now.

But they are not Hermes. I have a feeling someone from Hermes bought the same sandals I did a couple of years ago... and now they will be Hermes.