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Miu Miu

 

Best of Menswear Fall 2011

After 9+ weeks of women's pre-fall came a tiring two week slot for menswear sandwiched in between the couture shows that just started the other day. The speed at which collections are being thrust upon fashion patrons now is head spinning to say the least. How can one remember what to buy, especially when the seasons deliveries aren't in sync with the reality of the weather at the time?

That being said, here's a look at our favorite menswear shows for Fall 2011, even if they did happen in the blink of a forgettable eye...


Dries Van Noten(and above)-


If compiling these lists has proven anything to us, it's that we are faithful to our favorite designers, and Dries continues to be a perennial in our books. Fall's fluid legged pantsuits were anchored with half fur lapels, one of the wittiest uses of fur we've ever seen in menswear.

Jil Sander-

Raf Simon's consistent appropriations on the codes of Jil Sander's ardent minimalism continue to produce stunningly wearable collections season after season. Fall's outing was yet another exercise of his mastery of stimulating color, cleverly energizing his lean take on traditional layering.

Alexander McQueen-

Amidst a drab Milan fashion week shone Sarah Burton's confident take on the regal side of Britannia and McQueen.

Marni-


Simple, spare and fuss-free, Marni's relaxed take on basic standards gives off the perfect air of uncomplicated cool.

Miharayasuhiro-


Ditching the techno heaviness of past efforts for an exaggerated take on classic menswear elements made this one of Miharayasuhiro's best collections to date.

Check out every single one of our favorite Fall 2011 Menswear looks here

A Tribute to Alexander McQueen By Nick Knight

For tonight's British Fashion Awards Nick Knight, Edward Enninful & Bjork have teamed up to create this out of this world film in tribute to the late Alexander McQueen. Immense imagery, wonderful clothes and a special composition from Bjork make this one hell of a way to honor a legend.

Most Wanted: Alexander McQueen x The Rug Co.

One of us is big on antiquated interiors and can't wait to get our hands Alexander McQueen's breathtaking signature mix of skulls, hummingbirds, feathers and military brocade for a new line of home goods for The Rug Company.

Visit for www.therugcompany.info

"The ‘Hummingbird’ cushion (above, wool, silk and metallic thread in Aubusson style) depicts delicate plumes of smoke winding throughout birds in flight."

"Inspired by brocade on military uniforms and incorporated with wreaths, ferns and a serpent, the ‘Military Brocade’ is a 200-knot wool and raised silk rug. The complexity and fine detail can only be achieved by hand-carving the finest silk yarn."

Best of Spring 2011

Here's a round-up of our favorite Spring/Summer 2011 collections, ones that are destined to inspire our future buys.

Alexander McQueen(and above).


The lighter hand that Sarah Burton has brought to McQueen is destined to bring the house new devotees now that the wearability factor has expanded. Besides the expected craftsmanship, digital prints and Edwardian drama, Burton's take on ra-ra skirts, the high-low dress and the shoulder, now slashed, were winners in our books.

Jil Sander




So many things come to mind when looking at Raf Simon's blockbuster collection for Jil Sander Spring 2011. For one, he is the right man for the job(in case you hadn't noticed before), for another, this may have been his best collection at the house ever. Why? Because it's clear that after five years, Simons is confident enough to take the house codes in a new direction while continuing to cater to it's most ardent fans. Now he can make both sides of the fashion world happy with a collection that took what Isaac Mizrahi did with evening wear in the early 90's(juxtaposing old-world couture notions with uniform pieces such as a denim jacket), mixing it with a hyper color palette that could rival Yves Saint Laurent's and his own knack for what you could call intense techno-couture. He opened with a passage of vivid variations on maxi skirts with attached white tee's that made a strong case for minimalism having the ability to make a big impact. He moved on to maxi parachute dresses, some in optical contrasting stripes, followed by a series of origami folded pieces(ones that could make Helmut Lang proud), and layered jackets, three at a time, all contrasting, all ultra-thin, over today's ubiquitous skinny pant. While the pieces retain the house's requisite codes for clean, cool sportswear, Simons may have just upped Jil Sander's status quo exponentially.

Celine



What can we say, we like many of you, can't get enough of what Phoebe Philo is doing at Celine and Spring's effort was once again, right on the money. Her focus on the confident woman is still there, but it was the collections take on the yetti coat's free-spirited rawness that felt fresh this time around. And while her covetable leather separates and crisp takes on the white button down made an appearance, we're especially keen on her new fluid pant.

Rodarte

The quirky Mulleavy sisters behind Rodarte have built a considerable following with breathtaking sci-fi couture quality options that place them in an entirely different arena stateside. They do what they want with such conviction and stand apart with such indifference, we for one, can't look at the craftsmanship and ethereal wizardry of each past collection without thinking that at this point, it's a no-brainer that they are gifted designers and have moved well past the "young" detractor. Problem is, while they do what they do obviously well, many of the pieces have had such a one-of-a-kind heirloom appeal to them that they seemed almost unapproachable. Well, the sisters delivered on that memo for Spring 2011 with a collection that was supposedly inspired by the interiors of the house they grew up in. This concept gave the duo a treasure trove of endearing prints to showcase, from a selection of wood-paneling prints to frothy ming vase inspired embroideries. Yet its genius factor came from its pieces patterns and silhouettes, making it their most wearable ever. Dotted high-waisted pants, layered skirts, cut-outs galore, are sure to lift the appeal of the label without overshadowing the distinct level of execution & the viewpoint these designers have made their own.

Erdem


You can always expect an appropriate amount of femininity packaged in an Erdem collection mixed into contemporary shapes for a look that's as easy on the eye as it is on the wear. Spring's notes included a bold palette of painterly botanical hues, lace, digital prints, maxi lengths and Peter Pan collars for looks that could look just as good on royalty as they could on a 20-something.

Building on the Legacy of Alexander McQueen

A few months ago it was impossible to think about Gucci Group continuing to build on the growing success of the Alexander McQueen brand after his death. Hours after his passing our own stock of vintage McQueen was ravenously depleted, for many were trying to get their hands on what ever they could, perhaps quite justifiably fearing an end to the magical mania that was McQueen. Lucky for them they have Sarah Burton, McQueen's second in command and now creative director of the label. Judging by her Resort & spring Menswear outings for 2011, she clearly understands her mentor's trademarks and flair for elegant drama, yet there is a subtle restraint & lightness that suggest a woman's hand will do the label well. Making her upcoming runway debut for McQueen in a matter of weeks one of the season's most important shows to watch.


Alexander McQueen Resort 2011, above.



Alexander McQueen Menswear Spring 2011, above.

Most Wanted: Visionaire's Tribute to McQueen

The elusiveness & sheer beauty of Visionaire has always made it one of the most sought after fashion related publications out there and their latest effort, Spirit 58, is dedicated to the vision of Alexander McQueen. Here's some more info:

"In the spirit of Lee Alexander McQueen, contributors including Nick Knight, Steven Klein, Mario Sorrenti, Steven Meisel, Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, David Sims, Mario Testino, Sean Ellis and Sebastian Faena, share images inspired by his unbridled creativity. The collection of images is printed on paper embedded with wildflower seeds. When planted, watered & given sun, the pages blossom. The case is wrapped in a McQueen metalized brocade from his Spring/Summer 2010 show. Limited edition of 1500 numbered copies."

Guarantee your copy by visiting Visionaire.com now

Ultimate Collaborators: Alexander McQueen & Bjork

The fashion world may have lost one of it's greatest talents when Alexander McQueen passed this past February, but singer Bjork also lost one of her greatest collaborators as well. Together the two art directed Bjork's iconic 1997 Homogenic album cover along with Nick Knight and McQueen also happened to direct her 1999 video for the single Alarm Call. Beyond those considerable early collaborations, Bjork continued a life-long friendship with McQueen and wore his clothes exclusively while performing and in several videos to come later on. On her site Bjork has made a special dedication page in which she graciously expresses her appreciation for his genius insights during the early stages of her solo career. We're all missing him too...

Lean & Mean in McQueen

It's been reported that since Alexander McQueen's untimely death 10 days ago, sales of his line have increased as much as 1400%, which goes to show you just how far reaching his genius was. Even Vnyc's own vintage McQueen pieces were snapped up within hours with this one cheeky update on soccer shirts from 2000 remaining. Snap it up girls!

Alexander McQueen Logo Soccer Shirt