Designer Social

Sarah Burton, in her third collection designing on her own at Alexander McQueen, has in Spring 2012 given exactly what should be for looks that speak to “the wonder of nature, Gaia”. As Emannuele Alt did after the show- I cannot thank her enough. This is really the only collection I needed to see this season.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but it is indeed breathtaking and flawless and utterly imaginative and feminine and sensual and strong at once. The amount of work put into one look is staggering. The thought process, the handwork, the beading, the ruffles, the fabrics…it’s couture really. It should be.

This is what I want to see from a sea-inspired collection- gowns that are fashion not costume, dresses that reference strange sea creatures but are still flattering on a woman. Colors that are strong but also murky, hues that convey a celebration of the ocean, and that ever-present shadow, that slight darkness at McQueen.

It’s too much, I almost can’t talk about it. I won’t go into oh she did a peplum jacket, or look at those shagreen belts… Let’s all just sit back and drink it in and be grateful that someone who has such a gift also has a means by which to convey her visual message to us all. -RS (Images via vogue.com)

Backstage at Alexander McQueen Spring 2012, sea creature princess show. -RS (Images via Vogue.com)

Backstage, at Alexander McQueen Spring 2012. I get shivers every time I look at these, I can only imagine what that collection is like IRL. -RS (Images via vogue.com)

Fashion-minded folks in Manhattan (myself included) have been buzzing about the Alexander McQueen “Savage Beauty” tribute exhibition at the MET, but what to do for those of you outside of the New York area? FIT has compiled a great list of museum events around the world including “Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave” at the San Francisco Legion of Honor and the Colonial Williamsburg “Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe” display. Because, like, who knows more about fashion presentations than a school dedicated to the topic?

LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE’S JUMPING ON THE MCQUEEN BANDWAGON

Skulls, skulls everywhere…

Posted by Ashley Russell

McQUEEN’S FINAL COLLECTION

The industry gathered solemnly yesterday at Francois Pinault’s headquarters to view the 15 piece collection that will be his last. As always, he manages to push the envelope (even now) ever so slightly forward by evolving his successful collection from last season with digitally engineered prints that embody the spirit of “Avatar-esque” futurism.

Buyers will be invited to view the entire 160 piece collection at his showroom Thursday, and parent company, PPR has said the line will continue where he left off. Rumors have swirled about bringing Gareth Pugh- who’s most recent collection was coined “the Wizard of Oz meets Predator” for his stark modernist interpretations. However, Pugh’s people flatly deny that.

posted by: FDB

Virginia (Smith) does it again..

She went and picked another winner. Our favorite bag this month is this Alexander McQueen snake-print clutch from the March issue of VOGUE.. fierce. And only $495. Available at AMQ, NYC.

PUT A MUZZLE ON THEM

Vogue Magazine’s Creative Director, Grace Coddington and Editor at Large, Andre Leon Talley weigh in on fashion reported by social media.. quotes excerpted from NY Magazine’s “The Cut” (Today)-

GC: “André and I were agreeing that we don’t Twitter, we don’t blog, ” said Coddington. “I have a Facebook and a Twitter, I’m told, but I certainly didn’t start it and I certainly don’t, you know, look at it. I’ve never looked at it, and I certainly don’t add to it.”

ALT: “Please! It’s fraudulent, it’s fraudulent! It’s fake, it’s bogus,” ALT interjected vehemently when informed he had both a Twitter and Facebook account in his name. “We really care about how something’s done and it takes us a long time to do it.”

GC: “And it’s better for it, it really is. It’s done better. If you do something fast — which is what all those things make you do because you’re spending your whole time reading and then it’s outdated in ten minutes or something — I don’t think that’s good for fashion because we are, we’re trying to speed up all those poor designers so they have fifteen collections a year, and it’s stupid because how many dresses can you wear? It makes them do it not so well, or they have a breakdown, as just very sadly happened. Alexander McQueen killed himself, and that’s part of that hysteria. It breaks my heart.”

ALT: “We come from the generation and the school — I call it old-school, and old-school is good. New-school is great, but old-school is better, and we have just been brought up in a world where … standards were high and we try to be the standard-bearers of that kind of quality for Vogue.”

Vomitous. Please. Wake up already.

1) AMQ did not kill himself because of Twitter.

2) This sounds like a conversation my lame grandparents would have (if I had any). Not to mention the fact that it is massively hypocritical considering that there is a six page article about how bloggers are “making a global industry (fashion) stand up and take notice” in this month’s (March) issue of Vogue. We know they don’t check their Facebook and Twitter accounts, maybe Andre and Grace don’t read the magazine either.

posted by: FDB

Stream of Consciousness

One of the many legacies the late, great Alexander McQueen left is the live streaming of fashion shows. His extravagant and eerie “Plato’s Atlantis” (above) sparked an online revolution last season, and pushed forward, arguably, the most widely publicized collection of his career.

Last week in NYC, more designers jumped on the “live” bandwagon, including Reed Krakoff who launched his first collection very successfully by promoting his show on his site through Facebook. We know designers Burberry (they were actually first to stream last season in London) Michael Kors, Dolce & Gabbana, Rodarte and Oscar de la Renta and Louis Vuitton are already old pros; and it’s a pretty safe bet to say that many more will be swimming upstream for S/S2011.

Written with help from Telegraph UK. Video is of AMQ’s SS2010 show- “Plato’s Atlantis”.

Posted by: FDB

New This Week: Resin Studded Cuff by Alexander McQueen

Two things that are very in this season… cuffs and studs. Add McQueen to the equation, and this piece can do no wrong.

posted by BC: Back to DesignerSocial

Love her or hate her, there’s no denying Lady Gaga’s iconic status. While everyone buzzes about her latest video Bad Romance, we’re taking a look at, what else- the fashion and accessories.

She’s rocking the Alexander McQueen Spring ‘10 collection like no other, and being that this song was on the soundtrack during the actual fashion show, we’re not surprised that his gorgeous pieces star in her video. As we ogle the amazingness of seeing McQueen’s fashions in the Bath Haus of Gaga, thanks to Nicola Formichetti’s blog, we have can give the rest of the fashion the credit that’s due.

We’d have to say our favorite is the Franc Fernandez diamond crown outfit. It’s like a statement necklace to the extreme, and you know how much we love our statement necklaces at DesignerSocial.

On DesignerSocial:

Make a statement like Lady Gaga (in a more wearable way of course), with these Kenneth Jay Lane pieces

Gun Metal Bib Necklace

Tribal Necklace

posted by BC: Back to DesignerSocial