BALENCIAGA – f.w 2010 – other worldly
Nicolas Ghesquiere continues his push into the future with a close regard to the heritage of Balenciaga. He intelligently launched into new territory with his tailoring. Remembering the shapes of the past and morphing them into shapes relevant to a modern woman’s closet. Some shapes bordered on boxlike but engineered to be more than flattering. Fur trim present and accounted for as the season has mandated. Mr. Ghesquiere’s use of color splicing and his choice of using pale grey, pink, pale green, apricot, aqua, white – a color palette more common to a Spring collection brought a unexpected but soothing appeal. His use of colorful embroidered knits were also a new element. The pant silhouette is still as narrow as can be and the skirt still mini short. Text was used as the new print. The one odd element that didn’t work as well for me was his white padded outerwear tops with black yokes. Nicolas Ghesquiere has once again pressed far further than any of his peers with this precise and beautiful collection.
all photos DChen 
MARNI – f/w 2010
Marni designer Consuelo Castiglioni continually redefines the term “marching to her own beat.” The fall/winter collection that was sent careening out of control down the runway on Sunday morning ( and mind you it was only a bit past 9am ) was as off-kilter as we have ever seen. There are all the usual elements that Marni is known for… eclectic styling, stenciled fur, prints and patterns and beautiful color combinations one would never dream of.BUT… then we were confronted by awkward tops that sometimes appeared with exaggerated peplums paired with a Bermuda shorts, odd abstract face like prints, the knee high sock/hose with heels , upholstery prints in musty-dusty colors, an attempt to play with the pared down aesthetic that was flat. So many ideas… un-managed. Left a lot of us looking at each other as we exited the show with perplexed expressions, a bit of head scratching, some head shaking and a rush to find more coffee.
all photos – DChen
