Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Chanel of Champions

"Just the thing for my morning cardio!" From us to you: celebrating conspicuous consumption the Chanel way (is there any other?)


Karl's got us covered for any need indeed. (would've totally paid more attention to the end of Marie Antoinette if Sofia could have gotten her mitts on this baby.)

In the future this is what we'll all be: smoking noir babes of the highest degree -- oh yes, and droids.
 
Attraction and repulsion are strange bedfellows


Those be some ALLIED MICKEY MOUSE EARS

Eyes like Zapruder and a mouth that blooms

The gentlewoman

Dressing like an Anais Nin protagonist

What lives at the center of a Faberge egg?


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Evolution of Raf Simons


Might we cast one more red herring into the already dizzying chronicle of arrivals and departures within Paris' couture houses? Sure, we've all mourned the loss of Galliano, and have debated Marc Jacobs and Haider Ackerman's potential, but we here at Vagabond want to put in our bid for Raf Simons at Dior. Suzy Menkes got us thinking when she ignited mass hysteria with her allusion to Simons taking the reins at YSL, and after mulling it over we feel that the only logical place for Raf to go after showing three blockbuster seasons in a row at Jil Sander is to serve at the helm of the house of Dior. Listen up, Mr. Toledano, and buy your Raf-fle tickets now.

He almost single-handedly brought bright hues back into the fashion lexicon this past Spring 2011 -- casting the hemlines low and clashing blocks of color in a directional display that set the front row pundits aflame with gasps of: "stripes!" "brights!" "floor-sweeping-skirts!" We like that no matter how playful Simons gets, his ideas are always refined and referential; distilling numerous influences through his minimal perspective (just as Jil herself would have wanted it, we imagine).

This collection made such an impact, the reverberations are sure to be felt all the way into Spring 2012. Here, a 90s Yves Saint Laurent Pink Maxi Dress Halter that not only follows through on Sander's floor sweeping maxim, but highlight's fashion's erogenous zone of the moment: the midriff.


Giving us another light-handed approach this Fall, Simons further indulged his fascination with couture, exploring Balenciaga inspired silhouettes and cozy separates that called to mind Audrey Hepburn's costumes in the 1963 movie Charade. The sporty knitwear played a good foil to Simon's affinity for solid separates, proving that this girl has a quirky side to spite her good manners.
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A Look From Cristobal Balenciaga's Spring Summer 1961 Haute Couture 
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Spring 2012 was yet another coup for Raf Simons. The last installment in his "couture trilogy," this collection was yet another ode to the graceful screen heroines of yesteryear -- shunning nostalgia by way of tongue-in-check takes on iconic styles. Dior's New Look and the cool beauty of Grace Kelly were strong influences this season, and that restrained sensuality was present even in the more modern, clinical all-white looks that the show opened with.
 
While Simon's clearly couldn't resist a visit back to the old maxi-skirt-and-simple-top combo that began this whole odyssey, it somehow felt right, as if over these last few seasons, the Sander girl has gone from fresh innocence to serene wisdom.

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VNYC's take on Jil Sander's austere romanticism for Spring 2012: Charles Anastase cotton/silk blouse with skull detail buttons

In retrospect, one is able to view these past three collections as a whole opus, illustrating the maturation of Raf Simon's as a designer. He has found a strong voice that speaks to the movement of fashion, and has shown a deftness for couture ready to wear. Positioning himself well amidst the venerable fashion houses in today's market, Simons' skilled workmanship and vision has proven his ability to gain profits as well as prominence for Jil Sander. His designs are twists on timelessness, and, given the opportunity, we believe he would flourish even further at Dior.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Wannabe Carnaby in Iconic Pierre Cardin





Hold on to your A-Lines, ladies. Though revisited in the Nineties through an incarnation of baby doll mini dresses and daisy print motifs, the Sixties are once again a smiling upon us. To be specific, the Sixties of swinging London, in all of its Mod glory. Prada paved the way, as per, and things seem to be going strong for this silhouette well into Spring. How better to pay homage to the decade that for the first time in twenty years has been on more people's lips than Marianne Faithfull's than by snapping up this iconic top by the designer who's name is synonymous with 60s fashion.

60's Pierre Cardin Cream Knit Geometric Cutout Top...


Friday, September 16, 2011

Vagabond Freshman Class Round Up


"Best Attendance" -- Chanel Boucle Trouser


"Class Flirt"-- Valentino Chinoiserie Shirt Dress


"Class Clown" -- Giorgio Armani khaki silk gilet


"Most Popular" -- Gianni Versace Pique Blazer and Bermuda Short Set


"Most Likely to be on Broadway" -- Norma Kamali Denim Dress


"Teacher's Pet" -- Paul Smith Nubby Wool A-Line Skirt


"Most Likely to Still be Working on Their Degree in 6 Years" -- Ralph Lauren Purple Label Skirt


"Most Artistic" -- Faux Bois Abstract Knit Sweater


"Most Likely to Succeed" -- Valentino Plisse Cocktail Dress


"Most Athletic" -- Norma Kamali OMO Sport White Cotton Jumpsuit


"Cutest Couple" -- Vivienne Westwood Cotton Skirt Suit

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Stream of Concsiousness: In the Mood For...




Thakoon Spring 2012 -- Texas Roadhouse Disco Cowboy Heels?! Impossibly fresh. Kind of a little Adam Ant meets Marie Antoinette, and we have a feeling they will match everything we've been wanting to wear lately. 



Derek Lam Spring Summer 2012 lookbook


Still from Antonioni's Blow Up


Prabal Gurung: "It's fresh for New York" -- Anna Della Russo

Indeed, Prabal has shown the most progressive, least derivative show thus far in New York. His elegant bondage themes, inspired by Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki, riffed on ideas of exotic beauty and power. This queen of the night is ready for a bit of a kink.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Vintage Versace Tank in Dazed and Confused

 Styling: Katie Shillingford
Photography: Kacper Kaspryzyk



The recent issue of Dazed and Confused magazine is a collections special, mixing the recent season's offerings with archive highlights. Naturally, Vagabond was asked to lend out some choice vintage pieces from our showroom, including this canary yellow Versace camisole. Made from the cobwebs of a nu-rave spider, this piece laughs in the face of a thousand celebrity nip-slips. Next time, the likes of Janet and Tara should just take the Gianni Versace approach, rouge those areolas, and go for the gusto. If you're feeling saucy, we're selling the very same camisole at Vnyc (on sale for $64!) -- caveat emptor: you might also need to pick up a stick to beat off the boys!