Face Beauty Girl

Monday, September 27, 2010

ICEBERG SPRING 2011 RTW

Melissa Tammerijn

Paolo Gerani and his new design team have traded in Hitchcock blondes for muses a little closer to home—Lauren Hutton, Faye Dunaway, and Farrah Fawcett, all of whom starred in the ad campaigns Oliviero Toscani lensed for Iceberg in the late seventies.

Sasha Pivovarova

That meant there was a pretty big disconnect between last season and this one, but it landed the label smack-dab in the middle of things in Milan, which is never a bad place to be.

Samantha Gradoville

What was good: the fact that Gerani and company's take on fashion's favorite decade was more impressionistic than literal. Oversize men's blazers with pushed-up sleeves, a sea blue cotton jumpsuit with embroidered straps, silk button-downs tucked into A-line skirts—we've seen enough of this sort of thing lately for it to have shed its retro associations.

Melodie Monrose

But with so many labels all over the price spectrum doing the seventies, which elements provided a compelling reason for shoppers to seek out Iceberg next spring? Not the beaded and feathered macramé tanks and scarf tops. Simpler was better here, and there was nothing simpler or better in this collection than a faded denim elastic-waist dress.

Lindsey Wixson

Bregje Heinen

Olga Sherer

Julia Saner

Nimue Smit

Julia Nobis

Ieva Laguna

Shena Moulton

Luisa Bianchin

Julija Steponaviciute

Caroline Brasch Nielsen

Kinga Rajzak

Patricia van der Vliet

Kat Hessen

BIANCA BALTI

Melissa Tammerijn

Sasha Pivovarova

Ruby Aldridge

Melodie Monrose

Samantha Gradoville

Lindsey Wixson

Olga Sherer

Lisanne De Jong

Julia Nobis

Julia Saner

Bregje Heinen

Nimue Smit

Shena Moulton

Caroline Brasch Nielsen

Julija Steponaviciute

Luisa Bianchin

Kinga Rajzak

Patricia van der Vliet

Kat Hessen

BIANCA BALTI

Melissa Tammerijn

Ruby Aldridge

Sasha Pivovarova

Melodie Monrose

Samantha Gradoville

Lindsey Wixson

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

JASON WU SPRING 2011 RTW

KARLIE KLOSS (NEXT)

Speaking via phone the day before showing his collection, Jason Wu hinted that "Spring is more dangerous." That was a surprising statement, and perhaps one that shouldn't be taken literally from a designer whose trump card is his retail savvy; on a selling trip to Paris in July, he added 30 new stores to a roster that already boasted 120—not a bad tally at all for a brand that's just four years old. Equally impressive: Today's show was the official launch of his full range of accessories—shoes, bags, and optical.

GINTA LAPINA (WOMEN)

Continuing the push into tailoring that he began for Fall, Wu opened the show with a sleeveless bow-front top tucked into a pair of high-waisted pants. Smartly cut lean trousers made appearances in several different colors and were paired with ladylike blouses or neat striped knits. Jackets, too, were elongated, a couple just substantial enough to function as dresses. His black anorak looked like satin, but was actually techno twill. You could toss it over an evening gown and not worry if you found yourself in a downpour.

FRIDA GUSTAVSSON (IMG)

The danger, and we're speaking relatively here, came in the form of amped-up colors and mixed prints inspired by the work of the Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, plus a generous helping of sex appeal. The retailers who've gone mad for blouses will have to come up with some solutions for all the see-through ones the designer showed. But all in all, this was a focused collection that will continue to add extra zeroes to Wu's bottom line.