PFW Day Seven

Yes, I skipped day six because there was nothing interesting. Like I said in my last post there’s not much giving this season.

Balenciaga Spring 2023 was wild to say the least. I was waiting for all the meme’s to come out of the runway. Kanye opening up the show this season we were greeted by a dark room with mud form to look almost like trenches. There were no notes for this collection and Denma did this on purpose as he wanted the viewers to have their own interpretation of the collection. He did state that this show was a continuation of the prior show that was set in snow, after snow then comes mud. (At least that’s what I’m been told I’ve never seen snow because I’m an island girl). The setting and overall mud to me looked almost like trenches or a war zone. Which makes sense because the last collection Denma took on past memories of fleeing from a country at a young age. He used that as part of the runway show. Besides the scenery the makeup for this collection also played a key role as everyone was beat up. Another dig at living life in a war zone. This show to me was a sign from Denma for all of us to wake up and see the reality around us. We are not living in happy times and the garments show that as most were in black. We see the Lariat bag being repurposed into a dress which is a play on consumerism as we consume so much what will be left. Denma wants us to wake up.

Valentino Spring 2023 kicked pink to the curb this season. Gone is the fuchsia Valentino pink that we have all fallen for. In is the V logo that spread all the way up to the models faces. This collection started with a lot of flesh tone pieces. To contrast we are met with reds, neon yellows, blues, and emeralds to act as a separator of all things flesh tone. Minimalism being a key focal point of the collection I loved how Piccioli made things like sequins blend in with the most mundane and work with a minimalist aesthetic. This season all models that walked this collection have never walked the collections before which is something Piccioli wanted to highlight on as he wanted steer way from status. Makes sense because, going back to my relevancy take, brands are so obsessed now with wanting to be relevant that they want to have the most popular model or celebrity at their show. They no longer let the clothes speak for themselves so that the audience could interpret the beauty and work put into these collections. I specifically loved that Piccioli brought the models out to the crowd waiting outside so they too can experience the collection like everyone. I love that more than these stadium gigs.

PFW Day Five

Loewe Spring 2023 commenced with an anthurium in the middle of the runway. This flower is not dainty or often associated with femininity as it comes across more phallic and poisonous which is the message in regards to the looks. Women who wear these garments with that flower don’t want to be perceived as delicate or dainty but as strong and powerful. There is strength in looking soft. Turning from the phallic dresses we have pannier dresses that are so baroque. Everyone is very interested in period dressing now due to Bridgerton which is where I feel the pannier idea came from. From those dresses we have itty bitty ones that I’m not sure you can even call a dress as they’re very short. But steering away from all things dresses, we are met with pixelated garments that are straight out of Minecraft. The “Minecraft glitches” stuck out like a sore thumb. Anderson wanting us to question the fake in nature and I think the Minecraft looks played very well into that.

Issey Miyake Spring 2023 was the first collection done since the founders death. Starting with a moment of remembrance for Miyake. The show was titled “A Form That Breathes”. First looks shown were made up of one single piece. They looked like the clothing on sculptures, carved out and perfect. There were other pieces that continued with that fluidity the brand is know for. Having the breath-like apparel that bounces and moves. Aside from that section, the “Resonant Suits” were made of plants which is something I can’t wrap my head around. The show ended with models and dancers running and dancing on the runway, in a way paying homage to Miyake.

Coperni Spring 2023 brought fashion back to me. Maybe it was because of the ending but lately these past few weeks of fashion month I’ve been feeling unmotivated. Yes, we were in a retrograde and I am a Libra but the collections just weren’t speaking to me as cliche as that sounds. Many of them I thought were just flat out boring and I felt bad because I have to blog about something, I look forward to fashion month. The collection started off with a very Matrix-y vibe. All black looks with a black jacket overlay. The slip dresses were probably one of my favorites, I love a good slip dress, done asymmetrical it gave a new look to the traditional slip dress. We see bra cups used as shoulder pads and shoulder pads being more boxy. The were dress and tops connected with what reminded of me of a notebook spiral. Both giving off the Y2K style but done differently so it doesn’t read too commercially. Then there was the ending where Bella Hadid walked out in her underwear and the designers sprayed her with a liquid that solidified and also became matte. This was genius and I’m beyond amazed. It kind of reminded me of the Spring 1999 McQueen show sans the robots but nonetheless I’m grateful to be alive to see this.

PFW Day Three & Four

Balmain Spring 2023, first I have to talk about Cher. I’m obsessed with that woman and after seeing her pop up at the end of a 100+ collection it woke me up and brought me back to life. Olivier Rousteng was all about climate change, though he admitted that this collection was not 100% sustainable he used fabrics that are made from paper, wicker, and banana. It’s kind of hard to think of a sustainable collection when there were 100+ looks but I digress. The paper and wicker were woven to look like the Balmain traditional knits. Aside from that we were also shown garments with Renaissance artwork. As well as flesh tone garments that were truly flesh tone. The collection was done in a stadium like setting which I understood for the last season but I feel like now it’s getting a bit cluttered.

Schiaparelli Spring 2023 is always an exciting brand to see during fashion week. Schiaparelli forever being known for the surrealism you think people would get tired of it over time but I am not one of those people. Roseberry wants to keep the excitement the brand has and has done that in this spring collection. All the models look like they’re going on holiday which I believe was the full effect. There are garments that were made to look like there’s sand on them which I thought was very creative.

Off-White Spring 2023 continued to celebrate the life and excellency of Virgil. This collection was all about the exploration of the body. Some pieces stitched so that you can see the contrast of the body’s muscle. Other garments had images of X-rays on them and others had cut outs right around the stomach. There’s a line that I love from the Vogue Runway review that I feel like perfectly describes the aesthetic of this collection. It reads “the clothes were wearing an imprint of the body within”.

PFW Day One & Two

Currently running a little behind on my Paris fashion week schedule so please bear with me. I was prepping for hurricane Ian and then there was flooding and power going out so a whole shit show to say the least.

Burberry Spring 2023, though normally shown during London fashion week, obviously was postponed due to the passing of the Queen. I’m not one to normally talk about Burberry as I don’t really care for it. This collection was about the British summer and beachwear but done up in a British way. How they dress for the beach and preparing for whatever the weather may be. There were cut outs and items that incorporated traditional “goth” items like lace, velvet, and netting. Goth seems to be the new look for this upcoming year. In a way I felt like this collection was almost a goodbye, it just felt that way. For Tisci it as he will be leaving Burberry and Daniel Lee will be taking over.

Day two honestly my favorite was Saint Laurent Spring 2023. I feel like it was my favorite so far of all of Paris fashion week. The collection was full of shoulder pads and 80s references with a lot more darker jewel tones. Saint Laurent this season was not as commercially as others which is a reason why I love it so much. In a world where a lot of brands want to be relevant and instagramble they decided to go against that. The jersey dresses and structured jackets paved way to a modern woman. Power dressing some would say.

MFW Day Four

Ferragamo Spring 2023 introduced us to Maximillian Davis and he revitalization of the brand. Sticking with the brands heritage the scene for the runway was all red, down to the red sand. This same red can be seen in the all red looks that would peek out here and there during the processional. Davis is working to see what he can translate to capture the attention of the younger audience. For this collection I believe he did that through the accessories and shoes. Being 23 I tend to look at older brands as just that, old, I don’t really give Ferragamo a second look but this collection made me think otherwise. While the first pieces seemed safe as kind of “we can still do traditional while also implementing the new” the later pieces explored more of youth culture aesthetics. There were bodysuits and athletic wear that I can see many younger audiences wear. But I truly feel like the shoes and accessories took the cake here. My first skim through this collection was just an okay but after looking at the details I fell in love with the bags and shoes. Specifically the scandal heels with the round heel.

Bottega Veneta Spring 2023 continued themes from last season. Exploring the world and displaying their life in that room. Blazy does not care to dress celebrities or the high status but rather every day people for every occasion. Continuing with the leather from last year it was still a present item in this collection. Kate Moss was adorn in a plaid shirt and jeans that I had to zoom into to really make sure it was leather because it really does not look like it. Last year motion played a big part as well and we see remnants of it here with the “fins” being added to the pants again. Overall I enjoyed the little world Blazy gave us this season.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2023, is a sentence I never thought I would be writing. Ciao Kim was full of archival pieces that were revamp to fit the 2022 styles and modernity. As each garment descended on the runway it was labelled with the year it was originally presented. I will say, I do enjoy the looks that were done in this collection very much. The designers were inspired by how Kim styled her own archived pieces for Kourtney’s wedding, thus the creation of what we have today. But I do want to say this does not give a pass to brand. Yes we can acknowledge that Dolce & Gabbana have presented a beautiful collection this season but this is a poor attempted of a comeback. Instead of brushing everything under the rug of what you’ve said in the past maybe bring it up to light and apologize for it and then the general fashion girlies might give you a pass, maybe. Relevancy is important for brands now as being fashionable has become a more and more it thing for youth culture. Meaning of course the brand would jump on the idea to work with Kim Kardashian who is mega famous, despite calling her family cheap in the past. (Look it up). Kim doing this collab with D&G to me seems like another job to heighten her status even more than it already is. She knows how powerful her platform is and the impact it can make and yet she chooses to work with a racist and homophobic brand. It’s coming off that she is trying too hard to become this icon when, Kim, you already are. As for Dolce & Gabbana, no words, you know what you did.

MFW Day Two & Three

GCDS Spring 2023 was full of irony. At least that is what designer Giuliano Calza wanted to display. Often fashion shows are looked at in a way of complete and utter seriousness. Which it’s true they should be looked at in that way, this is the job of countless people. With that being said it should still be taken seriously even when the collection is one that is not serious at all. That, I believe, is the emotion that Calza wanted to invoke. As you can see this collection had a lot of Spongebob in it. Regardless of the fun cartoon character, the craftsmanship and work put into the collection was one of superb.

Prada Spring 2023 brought back the skinny pants. A great fear of many Gen Z’s, not a fear of mine. I embrace any style or trend honestly. The scene that was set was a dark room with windows. Windows giving a hint of looking inside of a home and the daily life of a person. I love Prada because they make me think. (That literally makes me sound stupid but let me explain). Yes, I think all the time when watching shows but Prada makes me think outside of the box. The windows were symbolic in showing the life behind closed doors. There we are invited by lived in clothing like nightgowns and daily work wear. It was a display of lived in clothing. Seeing life behind closed doors.

Blumarine Spring 2023 gave me the indie sleaze aesthetic I have been dying for. Straying away from the Y2K aesthetic that I feel like they brought back first, this season was very early 2000s punk/ goth. The runway was adorn with cargo skirts, crosses, and long Morticia like dresses. Floor length dresses were a big point of the collection as mermaid was an inspiration (very ironic given the current climate). You see the movement and flowy-ness of the gowns both mermaid like and Morticia like.

On day three Sportmax Spring 2023 brought us futurism with hints of vintage embellishments. There were psychedelic prints, pvc, and studded bras. This collection comes off as very instagramable. Perfect for social media and all the social media girlies. (I’m definitely one of those girlies but I haven’t posted on IG in a while). What I mean is that the collection fits the mainstream. It’s something that I can see many younger audiences wearing. There’s something about teenagers now being trendy or fashionable that is an it thing amongst them. This collection seems fit.

Versace Spring 2023 is probably my favorite collection in all of Milan Fashion Week (sorry to Prada and Blumarine). The collection was littered with goth styles, all black looks, lace and layering. Cargo pants were shown, a staple for this season. The layering in here was another item seen in a few collections these past weeks. After the all black looks we are introduced to an array of purple and magenta ones with sheer button ups and fringe. Also you can’t forget the veiled pieces ranging in magenta, purple, neon green, and black. I think I’m becoming a Versace girl.

MFW Day One

Fendi Spring 2023 was surprising in a way because I didn’t expect the brand to do another show after their show in NYFW. But after reading that Jones wants to produce almost 11 or 12 shows I see why. Don’t get my wrong I like the collection, the green screen color is nice and there’s some 90s style that I love. But other than those two things I feel like the collection is a little lackluster. Normally I wouldn’t write about a collection that I’m not fully invested in but for some reason I feel like I need to speak about Fendi. There was a lot of layering and sheer moments with a floral design. The silk cargo’s were also nice but at times I felt wrinkled easily. I believe the shoes are what really stole the show in this collection. There was a moment that has been seen all over TikTok which was the model taking off her shoes and walking with them in her hand. (Kind of a serve but was also done in the Moschino show). I do love that mink was recycled and used to make dresses and tops.

Diesel Spring 2023 was one of the more exciting shows on day one in my opinion. The show won a Guinness World Record with the inflatable people that were interlocked in a very sexual way. Erotic balloons aside, the collection was full of Diesel staples. Denim, the regular and shredded kind, along with metallic dresses and skirts. Martens described this collection in 4 parts which were: denim, utility wear, pop, and extravaganza. This could all be seen beautifully displayed throughout the collection in vests and acid washed denims. I was obsessed with the corset denim look as well as the croc print.

NYFW Day Six

Batsheva Spring 2023 did their take on sexy. Collection of cut out revealing skin, more sheer looks, and PVC constructed garments. To add onto sexy, some sheer pieces were even paired with red underwear underneath to be easily seen. Brand signatures continued through the collection while being mixed in with 80s like flare. Probably one of my favorite’s, if not my favorite for the final day.

Theophilio Spring 2023, like many other collections this season, was inspired by nostalgia. It seems Y2K fashion is really taking over the world and we cannot escape from it for a bit. Thompson thriving off of the aesthetic and referencing late 90s and early 2000s Tom Ford for this season. Collection ranged from long maxi skirts, denim and leather, sheer tank tops, and I heart TP tees. Thompson is very happy with the emergence of Y2K fashion being back and feels that New York had a lot to do with it.

Tom Ford Spring 2023 western meets glitz and glamor. Button ups decorated with fringe, sequin dress, and lingerie all adorn the runway. Sheer also plagued this collection and was paired with shimmery trousers and blazers. There was also a bit of menswear with an animal print suit processing along with a pint one. The lingerie was hot, I want it all down to the mens laced underwear.

NYFW Day Five

Gabriela Hearst Spring 2023 was about joy. The runway told a story of female empowerment and what a wonderful job it did. My first thought while looking at the pieces was literally Grecian or Egyptian Goddess. Introduction consisting of gold and black and gave the feeling of female warrior women. May that be amazonian or not, the gold leather was molded in a way that resembles a breast plate. The inner mixing of flowy gowns and power suits blended perfectly together.

PH5 Spring 2023 was all about the ocean and ocean preservation. The brand being known for having the wavy hem, this definitely benefited them this season. The pieces resembling oceanic plants or having an array of blue and green hues. Another focus on this collection was the sustainability on how the items were made. All items being knitted on a machine that creates less waste.

Brandon Maxwell Spring 2023 was full of pastel Y2K club energy. With a lavender back drop and runway the collection felt happy and youthful. Maxwell knowing his audience and going off of the increased popularity of Y2K created a collection that was reminiscent of his youth. Recently moving it made him really focus on thoughts and memories from the past. Thus creating pieces that reminded him of that time. Let’s examine the white tank top underneath moment, Prada’s impact.

Christian Cowan Spring 2023 followed along the same mindset as Maxwell. This season he wanted to go back to his youth, to experiment with clothing like he did when he had just graduated. The looks played on the excitement and doe eyed appeal to fashion he had during that time. From the theatrics to the denim gown. Cowan brought a great sense of amusement.

Peter Do Spring 2023 titled the show Time. Typically known for making tailored pieces for women, this season Do dressed everyone. Stating that his items were already unisex but this time working with new size labels than the ones used before. Consisting of mostly black and white but never boring. Blazers were open in the back. Skirt waist bands were done in a belt to be adjustable. There were also tank tops and pants that were made to look like patent leather but were constructed from discarded shrimp shells. I did not know that was even possibly which is why I love Peter Do so much.

NYFW Day Four

I’m late on posting today please don’t attack me but to be fair my internet was down and most of the outlets I use to review the shows were also down, mercury is in retrograde. Anyways Kim Shui Spring 2023; it was cute. Don’t take that the wrong way I like the collection I enjoyed the colors, the hint of a dragon print on some garments, and the pieces that had traditional wear fused with it. But other than that it looked like a lot of other Spring collections this season, mostly sheer. Maybe I’m biased to the Vogue Runway review because I agree with most of it but I do actually like this collection. The colors are vibrant and not pastel like one would normally see. I’m also a sucker for anything that has hints towards traditional asian clothing so I loved to see that here. It gave off that style in the early 2000s where everyone was wearing something asian related. Introduction not a fan, the rest I enjoyed. Wearable collection, I see it being very Instragram-able.

LaQuan Smith Spring 2023, once again more sheer. At first I was big fan of the sheer now I’m starting to get a little tired. Smith in this collection, wanted to give his woman a a more day time wearable option as he is normally known for evening wear. The pieces on the runway showed an array of day and night looks. Normally showcasing a lot of dresses and skirts, we finally see some pants. Texture played a roll in this collection as you see him use vinyl and sequins. Pants were introduced this way with the purple sequins pair and the yellow vinyl. There were gray trouser which I feel were an eyesore due to the fact that everything is so vibrant, but can be perfect day wear.

Coach Spring 2023 was inspired by the beach. Before I go onI want to highlight this line from the Vogue Runway review written by Laia Garcia-Furtado that had me dying. It reads “Being inspired by the beach for a spring collection is as groundbreaking as florals for spring”. (Do with that what you will). Yes, the collections inspiration was the beach but it was more so going to the beach in New York. How people dress on their way to a New York beach is my interpretation. The collection mostly highlight three items which was leather jacket, knits, and vintage looking dresses. There’s also a random bit of varsity pieces but I’m going to skip over that because I’m not a fan. This collection read “come dressed however” to me as these are not traditional looks you would typically see beach goers in. There’s baby doll dresses, worn in sneakers, and Mary Jane’s. Also let’s have a moment for the jelly sandals. These little hints of traditional street wear commonly worn in New York are what makes this collection.