CHANEL
Elie Saab never ceases to please me. I can't remember a show that I didn't fall in love with, and this season was no different. He seems to be a designer who truly lives in his own bubble of inspiration, and the long, light coloured dresses were enough to make me drool. They flow effortlessly, and he mixes shape and shapeless perfectly. There seemed to be a big difference between the day and evening wear's target audience however. While the day wear consisted of beautifully tailored jackets and skirts ensembles, targeted towards the mature business woman, the evening gowns looked like a very elegant teen's graduation dress. That being said, I wouldn't mind wearing one of those dresses to my own graduation. Regardless, I cannot see a forty year old woman, or even a thirty year old wearing a baby pink dress like those.
JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
Chanel was a dream, with a luscious and large runway garden. The orchestra's music was perfect, and of course, the clothing phenomenal. Karl Lagerfeld's tailor-ship and intricacies are breathtaking, and I liked this collection much more than Fall/Winter. The monotone colours were mixed with beautiful pastels, and the feather dresses were something only Chanel could pull off. The few men's looks were also well done, and the toddler wearing Chanel makes me hope that the house with start to design for babies. The show largely consisted of tweed jackets and pantsuits, but my favourite tweed ensemble were the many with the hot pants. Although I could never fit into a pair of those and feel comfortable walking out in Canadian weather, I would snatch them up in a second if I could. The shoes followed the odd platform trend that littered runways, one that I hope doesn't catch on. I'd rather leave that back in the nineties.
ELIE SAAB
JPG's collections are always fun, and some fresh air after the seemingly similar collections in Paris. Whether you like the clothing or not, the show is always entertaining and something to look forward. Are any of these outfits RTW? Probably not unless you're Rihanna. There were two clear inspirations, Joan Jett and David Bowie circa Ziggy Stardust. Do I love both of these people? Yes, yes I do. The colours and patterns in the clothing were perfection, and surprisingly I liked the mullets. One thing that I would buy for sure were the shoes. I hope this collection is one of many to bring back the 'hard rocker' look into fashion.
TOMMY HILFIGER
Hilfiger is generally boring. Bright colours, polos and tennis skirts, it always seemed to me to be the lower end Lacoste. For his 25th anniversary show however, Tommy really surprised me. The solid colours were matched with --surprise-- other bright colours, but they were done in a way that made them dynamic rather than pre-school. The shoes were outstanding, one of the only designers to get the platform look right in my opinion. Karlie's trench coat was beautiful, and I particularly liked the bow bandeaus, matched with the high waist skirts. It wasn't innovative, but it was bright and beautiful. I would wear any of those outfits in an instant.
RODARTE
What a surprise! Rodarte has never been a house that I considered among the top brands, and it certainly was never a show that I made time to watch. This collection was beautiful. There is no better way to describe it. The styling of the models was perfect, and the runway good as well. I loved their patterns, especially on the barrettes and the leather jackets. The shoes were well done, as were the dresses but what really stuck out to me were the coats. Blazers, jackets, trenches, they were all magnificent, and something I would buy asap. The finale dresses were not my favourite pieces, but they were certainly better than a lot of others. I'm looking forward to see what is to come from the Rodarte sisters. Was this just a lucky chance, or the sign of greatness to come?
JOHN GALLIANO
Galliano has always been one of my favourite designers, but this collection took my breath away. The show in itself was a work of art, with the music, runway and the model's attitude. It was mysterious and romantic and glamorous. The colours were a mixture of dull and bright, with a lot of chiffon. The 'sheer' look was a very obvious trend this season, but Galliano was one of few to make it look classy. No other collection could match this one in artistry and beauty. The entire collection was a success in my opinion, and a great change from the Dior show.
ANNA SUI
Anna Sui was one of few designers to create a warm summer. This season's runways were full of dark or bright colors, and Anna really went back to the Hippy roots, a very popular trend among teens today, with the revival of The Beatles. The wheat background made you feel warm, and it was definitely inviting. The clothes kept true to both modern times and the 60s, and the blouses were to die for. And through all of this, it still managed to be something new and different. The shorts were probably my favourite part, and I'd like to buy all of them.
MCQUEEN
I have to admit, I was nervous to see what would come from this collection without McQueen himself. I was pleasantly surprised, and my worry quickly vanished. The dresses were the most innovative and beautiful that I saw all season. They weren't necessarily RTW, but I won't complain. There was a mixture of flowing fabrics and feathers, with rigid structure. There was an earthy undertone to this collection, subtle enough that it didn't overpower any of the pieces. Aside from the magnificent dresses, my other favourite pieces were the ones with the black leather cutouts, like the one seen on Karlie Kloss.
DOLCE AND GABBANA
I didn't believe that a show that was primarily white could be captivating until I saw Elie Saab's S/S 10 collection. Dolce and Gabbana just solidified it for me. While the editing of the show made it difficult to see each outfit, the lace and jewels made up for all. The outfits were subtle, but beautiful, and I loved the plethora of hot pants they offered up. Although some did tend to look like adult diapers, the others made up for it. I adored the lace detailing, and the wedges weren't bad either.
GUCCI
I'd generally pick Versace over Gucci, but not this season. The mixtures of bold colours were done better than most, choosing rich plums and blues rather than primary colours or pastels. A huge trend this season is women's jumpsuits, which, being a fan of the romper, am excited for. The outfits weren't over-accessorized, something that I tend to see a lot in S/S collections. Thankfully, Gucci stayed away from the platform trend, which made me love this collection even more. The feather dresses at the end were well done, and I love the detailing on the military jackets. This collection was crisp and clean, and meant business.
Which collections was I most disappointed in? Prada, for sure. Having come home early, then waited an hour after the show was supposed to start, the tacky dyed furs and Spice Girl platforms were not what I was hoping for. The banana patterns and Willy Wonka glasses? No thank you. The other collection that disappointed me was Rick Owens. Owens always has a habit of making excellently innovative clothing, and then repeating that one idea in five different colours in his show. It's boring, and makes me think that he can't come up with enough ideas for a show.
