Shall We Use a Chain Saw? Viktor & Rolf Splice Away...

 

Let's revisit the seminal Spring 2010 collection of Viktor & Rolf. Over the years, the Dutch duo has been pushing the limits of fashion with breakthrough pieces that one can not seem to forget.

 

At the height of the economic crisis, when designers were tightening their budgets for extravagant pieces, Viktor & Rolf took it upon themselves to steer away from skimping with layers upon layers of beautifully chainsaw-cut tulle. 

 

Two years later, we are still mesmerized with the intensity and creativity that seeps through the meticulously cut holes adorning the pieces in the collection.   

Best of Men's Spring/Summer 2011

We know these collections came out weeks ago, but you know what, they don't even hit stores for months. So we've taken our time to reflect. After all, fashion is moving too fast, we need some time to digest as we've noticed that we are forgetting about the collections by the time they actually hit shops. Until then, here's a look at our favorite men's shows that are destined to inspire future buys.

Yohji Yamamoto(above as well)-

Besides the genius tailoring you can expect from any Yohji Yamamoto collection, it was Spring's dandy Baroque squire meets sci-fi Beethoven meets 80's zoot-suit riot that really got our emotions running wild. It was upbeat, avant-garde without frivolity, poetic and best of all, completely wearable. Here the capability for a man to dress with passion without having to sacrifice his dignity was on full display. Bravo!


Dries Van Noten-


DVN is well known as the king of color, the king of print and the king of refined sportswear with an artful ease, yet from him you can still expect a few welcome surprises. Here his preppy foundation and confidence lead him to play with a range of powerful contrasts, such as bleached denim sleeves on an otherwise classic camel coat, and somehow, it looks good, plain & simple.

Kenzo-


Over the past few season's Kenzo has become one of our favorite brands and even though minimalism is going strong elsewhere, Antonio Marras was at it again with a collection full of wondrous whimsy. He seems to have a brilliant hold on maintaining the giddy print-oriented codes of Kenzo while updating them with today's expected ease. From the floral printed suits to the outerwear in a soothing palette of muted khakis, this is the one collection of the season we want everything from.

Dunhill-


For the man who needs an impeccably crafted classic yet forward thinking suit, or a range of precise sportswear, Kim Jones at Dunhill should become your go-to man. After a few season's, Jones, well-known throughout the fashion world for his street-savvy yet now defunct eponymous label, seems to be making a name for himself at Dunhill with smart collections that riff on the traditional without having to sacrifice a refined level of taste and a sense of self.

Alexander McQueen-


Sarah Burton(Alexander McQueen's right hand prior to his death) sent out a somber yet beautifully crafted collection that highlighted McQueen's dedication to tailoring & historical pretense that was so well executed you couldn't help but feel elated after such a traumatic year for the house.

Prada-


Miuccia Prada's Spring/Summer 2011 outing seemed to channel fashion's quieter vibe while somehow managing to address the reality of how a man approaches fashion, by comfort. That doesn't mean she sent out xxl basketball shorts, but she did throw in quite a few clever variations on hospital scrubs, albeit with a convincing Euro-preppiness. Heavy denims, crisp khaki's and a range of blue lent the collection a subtle nautical flair but what really got our motor-boats running were Prada's stacked adaptations on the classic brogue.

Best of Haute Couture Fall 2010

Valentino, above.

Haute Couture has been a tireless subject of debate while many like to continually point out it's weak sales across the board and diminishing relevance in society. While that may be the case, wasn't it always? Isn't couture about that unattainable and highly elusive luxury item we all like to dream of having? Hasn't globalism made "luxury" too readily attainable?

While the nine designers showing for Fall 2010 clearly understand the craft beautifully, there were four contributions whose focus & edit were so precise, we wanted to take a moment and applaud them. These designers respectively pay homage to the past with their own distinctive signatures while moving things forward with the kind of youthful gusto couture could thrive on. John Galliano at Christian Dior, Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier & Maria Grazia Chiuri & Pier Paolo Piccioli at Valentino seem determined to energize Haute Couture with troves of tasty options. While at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld oddly placed heavy, orthodox, old-world & stuffy misconceptions of couture's past on the runway. Reverse psychology? Or is it simply sticking to your guns & your clientele?

Here's a look at Fall 2010's Haute Couture fab four, destined to inspire Vnyc's future buys:

Jean Paul Gaultier

Gaultier delivered a fanciful Parisian collection that evoked the wit, luxury, proportion and sex-appeal of two of France's most provocative 90's era legends, Thierry Mugler & Claude Montana.

Christian Dior


At Dior, Galliano hit his stride with decadent takes on his admiration for some of couture's best, from Poiret to Worth, all in irresistible colorways that were as bodacious as his silhouettes.

Valentino


While at Valentino, Chiuri & Piccioli took the house's heritage of princess dressing into today's need for clean while addressing couture's precarious state by placing a sculpted cage over one of their precious exits.



Givenchy


Five years later Tisci has almost nothing left to prove at Givenchy. Here, his love of religious Catholic laces combined with a romantic penchant for gothic symbolism made for a breathtaking argument on the exclusivity of beauty.

Best of the Decade: Takes on the Decade in Fashion

Our last look at the past decade in fashion & style is a quick study of our thoughts on fashion from the past ten years.

Ricardo Tisci's breakthrough F/W 2007 Collection for Givenchy

Is it fair to call this a decade of heavy revivals? Why so?

AP: Absolutely. So many iconic lines resurrected, some with great success, some critical darlings shuttered for monetary reasons, others total failures.

Lanvin, Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Nina Ricci(floundering), Rochas, Vionnet, Bill Blass, Ungaro (horrible but still alive), Halston(floundering)

Chloe's S/S 2006 take on the 70's

If so, what era brought back was our favorite?

AP: I can't say. The revivals that are thriving to this day are helmed by designers who've managed to honor the history and signature aesthetic of their respective houses, who've clearly studied their respective archives whilst putting their own thoroughly modern stamp on them. Lanvin and Balenciaga come to mind immediately. The former has whispers of the French forties re-imagined in raw edged techno fabrications. The latter is even more difficult to pin an era to. They are successful because they are thoroughly modern. You can catch glimpses of certain era's in them but they've been adapted to now. Balmain's 80's in-your-face aesthetic is too obvious and sort of comical. Phoebe Philo's Chloe was effortlessly modern and accessible, beautiful and natural. It was also quite reverential to the history and signature of the house. And that aesthetic was French 70's. So there. If I had to pick I'd say 70's for it's accessibility and 40's for it's elegance.

NH: The 70's, seen throughout the last decade at Chloe in all forms from luxe-hippie to super-cool collegiate babysitter to the swanky left bank maman look Phoebe Philo is so loved for.

Alber Elbaz's cool take on Parisian glamor, Lanvin S/S 2008

Many older, dusty houses were brought back from the dead, favorite?

Agreed: Lanvin's Alber Elbaz is giving a new generation of women the kind of things they would want from a house like Chanel, that speak more to them, that are sincere and less ostentatious. The house is now truly modern in a louche, easy way without forgoing luxury, and ease. Everything is super de-luxe, yet raw-edged and unfussy. There is no other company in any other kind of market that you can compare this to.

This was a tumultuous decade for many of the world's creative designers, our saddest loss was-

We can't say it's a tie just because Olivier Theyskens was so genius during his brief period at Nina Ricci so it has to be hands down Helmut Lang. Also hope that Ungaro stops and hires a designer who brings what was once a really strong line up from the dead. It was once a go to place for glamor gals. The stuff we have is amazing.

Prada's monumental F/W 2007 Collection

Who do we think has made the strongest imprint on the decade?

AP: Muiccia Prada, Marc Jacobs (esp. his bags) and Nicolas Ghesqiere.

NH: Miuccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere & John Galliano.

Even accessories were given major priority as seen at Lanvin S/S 2009

Favorite Trends of the Decade?

AP: Love- Raw edges, exposed zippers, borrowing from the boys, all of the amazing shoes, anything Margiela -- luxury t-shirts (Rick Owens), all the crazy beautiful statement jewelery.
Hate - Literal iterations of any decade - MJ is the worst offender. 80's on repeat. Maxi dresses, hippie head bands, gladiator sandals, & lycra leggings.

NH: Love- The return of accessorizing after minimalism, from statement jewels to turbans, things got very inventive. Minimalism took away so many options from prints to anything else superfluous, this was a total decade of maximalism.

NH: Hate- The return of the 80's over & over & over again.

After all, this was a decade of many movements, what's one we lived by but couldn't go back to?

AP: The shapeless baby-doll dress.

NH: The whole Heidi Slimane dictatum.

Romantic, Urban Cowboy/Warrior, Christopher Kane S/S 2008

The Resurgence of Velvet, sparked by Christopher Kane's stunning F/W 2007 Collection

Our Top Five Favorite New Designers of the Decade?

AP:
Alber Elbaz
Pheobe Philo
Christopher Kane
Nicholas Ghesqhieure
Muccia Prada

NH:
Stefano Pilatti at YSL
Ricardo Ticsi at Givenchy
Christopher Kane
Jun Takahashi at Number (N)ine
Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga

What were some of the decade's defining style moments?

Agreed: Balenciaga Fall 2001 is a collection you can still wear and look ahead of the pack almost ten yrs later, Prada Fall 2000 laid the foundation for re-appropriating vintage with an artful twist and Chloe Spring 2006 may be one of the most copied collections of all time, it really set designers to start thinking about moving away from the body, something we love.

AP would add Marc Jacobs handbag collaboration's. Fast-fashion. The democratization of fashion via the web and in H&M, Kohls, TopShop, Target collaborations with high-end designers.

Key Ideas of the Decade in a few thoughts-

The decade finally gave avant-garde labels like Comme Des Garcons their moment in the spotlight, Comme Des Garcons F/W 2006

AP: REVIVALS, "It" bags, "It" shoes, mass-marketed avant-garde, deconstruction, limitless choices, fashion bloggers - street fashion - influence of Sartorialist etc, the death of print...magazines etc. Over-the-top spending and then the crash and a new reality, which is now. People returning to whats most important, what's authentic. The new modesty (2010).

NH: Maximalism, show-stopping jewelry, deconstruction for the masses= the democratization of the avant-garde, off-set/off-key, inventive beyond the imagination, revival heavy, & climbing astronomical Couture price-points for r-t-w.

Fashion on Film: Zac Posen's Ma Vendeuse

Central St. Martin's trained Zac Posen is one New York based designer who's work stands on it's own with it's nod to MGM screen starlets and classic 40's era tailoring, so it comes as no surprise to us that his short-flim centered around his Resort Collection, filmed by old-school "It" girl Lola Schnabel, is as cool and old-world as ever. Today many designers are smartly turning to short films to display not only the beauty and movement of their clothes, but to also tell a directional narrative behind the collection as well and we have to say, Posen's Ma Vendeuse, is one of the best we have seen so far. In this film, models & it-girls alike romp around in Zac Posen's current resort collection while director Lola Schnabel's grandmother reminisces about fashions of the 30's and 40's. We love not only the narration of Schnabel's grandmother, but the overall moody, voo-doo-ish, textural tone of the film. It lends Posen's label a complex sense of heady warmth and charm, one that's often hard to portray on the catwalk and in editorials.

Keep a look out for VagaBond Nyc's own upcoming short film that we just shot a few weeks prior!

FocusOnStyle.com & VagaBond Nyc

Earlier this summer we stumbled upon FocusOnStyle.com, a site that's devoted to style and delivers insightful tips with a bold dose of enthusiasm and deft hand of confidence, all in an effort to make fashion and all of the trivialities that come with it so much easier. With the fashion world as it is today, and with the woes of the world, it's honestly rather refreshing that Focus On Style is a site you can totally depend on for all of the smartest tips without having to deal with the pretentious airs other savvy media outlets surround themselves with. FoS happens to be one of those rare diplomatic occurrences in fashion where you don't have to feel like you are sacrificing anything to get honest, sincere advice.

We were so plused by the over-all tone of the site that we immediately contacted it's founder, fashion expert & stylist Sharon Haver to see if we could get in on the action with some smart collaborations! And Sharon is one enthusiastic fashion expert, with a bouncy spirit and a non-stop roll of concise fashion sound bytes, it's easy to see why her site is so unique.

Last month we styled a few videos with Sharon and our house model Nora for Barney's New York & About.com that were focused on adapting classic wardrobe foundation pieces. And this Sept yours truly will be covering the Spring 2010 fashion shows for FoS with reviews that we hope you find equally insightful, honest and in-depth.

What Happens When VagaBonds Meet...

The lovely people at Scallywag & Vagabond, a wonderful news site focused on popular culture, the arts & fashion came and spent the afternoon with yours truly at VagaBondnyc.com and picked our brains about what we think about the world of vintage, fashion and lifestyles.

About Vnyc, Scallwag & Vagabond brilliantly noted "Current and interesting, their styles span several past decades and, with the reverent, giggling spirit of Vagabond, manage to invent for themselves a quality of newness within their gem-like rags."

Click here to read more of the article

Tracey Takes on Donna Karan

The first season of British comic Tracey Ullman's new show State of the Union had us laughing on the floor as she portrayed Dina Lohan very naughtily, and we just had to share this clip of Ullman taking on designer Donna Karan from the second season, which is just hilarious. Ullman has always had a thing for designers and high-fashion, we loved her show Visible Panty Line from the earlier part of this decade and we love that fact that she is ready to take on the world of fashion with her genius dry humor.

Prada Fall 2009: Mens/Womens Shows

As you can imagine, we at Vnyc wait with baited breath every season to see what new tricks the always forward thinking Miuccia Prada has up her sleeve, and the recent Fall 2009 showings did not disappoint. The men's & women's shows effortlessly incorporated all of our favorite Prada-isms, from savage furs to urban warrior hardware, all with the expected dose of vintage subversiveness. And besides filling our shopping lists with a relentless sense of desire, we love the fact that Prada is one of the only houses to go a step further in the execution of their presentations by releasing fashion show videos with an artful, fully realized treatment. We have been looking high and low for these full videos and besides the videos themselves, we also couldn't wait to get our hands on the amazing soundtracks. Season after season Prada show soundtracks(much like Chloe)often give us amazing unearthed musical finds, Fall 2006 had us addicted to German band Blacken the Black(now one of our favorite bands)and Fall 2009's music from Zomby has unleashed an entirely new obsession.