Saturday, January 14, 2012

SHE SELLS SEASHELLS

And I ain't talking about the tongue twister. Shells are everywhere this Spring, from the large pearl encrusted Conch shell clutch from Chanel, to the Versace shell-clad prints. I have no doubt many lesser retailers such as Forever 21, Topshop, H&M will also be sporting aquatic accessories.

                                    Chanel Conch Clutch attired with a gorgeous Sea Urchin ring


                                              Versace's Starfish print and gawdy golden ring


                                                       Chanels pearl encrusted Conch Shell

                                           Lanvins spin on it: Scallop shaped evening bags

                                                 Versace's Scallop, mixed shell and Coral print

                                                                   Lanvin Necklace

Thursday, January 12, 2012

SS12... And other rainbow frills

Oh, the excitement. This season is a riveting, rainbow war. Neons stampeding their way through the nude jungle, thrashing any mute or jewel tone that steps in their way. Slicing the heads off of monotones alike. But this has been a long battle in my eyes. Neons have always played a backdrop to the drooling brights, the Gucci green, the Versace purple, the Hermes Orange and so forth. Finally they have stepped up to the stage left, right and centre. But Im actually a little disappointed in the usage of most, yes its a neon, but like all colors, some shades don't quite hit the spot. I'm loving Versaces pastel spin off on the neons, pastel indeed but there is this raging neon inner fire in these pastels. Not to mention the leather, studs, seashells and seahorses adorned throughout the collection. Blumarine hit it on the head with the neons, bringing them to the forefront of their collection, for them the neon blood has been seeping its way through the wounds of the past few SS collections.




Versace

                                                                          Blumarine

                                                         'Washed-out-neon' AG jeans

Personally, which is so typical for me, unlike the rest of the world parading their neons right now, as much as I am too, I am even more taken up by the rhetorical pastels throughout ss12. Pastels are found in every SS collection, every year. But maybe my aging eye has just realized it loves them, or maybe the social acceptance of the neon palette has brought me to an equilibrium.

                                                                             Versace

                                                                    Roberto Cavalli

                                                              Chanel sneaker/trainer


                                             Christian Louboutin does pvc & neon for SS12

Another realm I have been stalking is the cosmetic stands in all stores, to name names; Givenchy, YSL, Dior- pure obsession. From Diors ROSE SCENTED, yes, scented when dry nail lacquers. To YSL and Givenchys eye and cheek palettes.

                                                                               Dior

                                                                Dior rose scented polish

                                                                YSL above and below

                                      

Fruits, floral, fancies, lace, bag charms, kawaii doll embellishments etc. All words used in various collections. Typical of most spring collections, sure, but every year designers are faced with the challenge of reinventing, renewing them.

                                                                      Mara Hoffman

                                                                              Lanvin

                                  Christopher Kane SS12 (Already own the rainbow vortex dress)

                                       Louis Vuitton SS12 keeping it classy and feminine in pastel

                                                                Mara Hoffman SS12

                                                                         Louis Vuitton



Donatella chose colorful fruits for the Spring 2012 collection for giant retailer H&M. After maHUssive success last season, it was acquired back by demand. No doubt she will do well again, collabos are mainly sell outs simply due to the media hype they naturally obtain. Missoni and Target in the same sentence, Versace and H&M in the same sentence sends women into a bank balance-declining frenzy.

                                                         Versace for H&M Spring 2012