I think I will puke with glitter. This Meadham Kirchhoff for Topshop collection is so… so very Meadham Kirchhoff. Just ten times cheaper and uglier. The young designer duo from London that are famous for sexy Bavarian / Dracula dresses and monster fur jackets, just lauched the worst collection. Ever. For Topshop. Definitely London-it-girls will wear it… but every fashionista who loves playing games with fashion, certainly are going to lose the level.
Kitsch
Tuscany: Fausto Puglisi X Ungaro
I am crazy in love with Emanuel Ungaro by Fausto Puglissi at the current moment! While you live in Italy for two weeks, you are like getting the idea of kitsch in fashion- Dolce Gabbana is all about tradition; Moschino is aristocracy; Prada is the new modernity; and Fausto Puglisi is a new comer of Italian fashion that is really messing around with his punk checks, embellished caps and leopard printed sexy dresses that are favourites of Coco Rocha. I was long observing this young designer, and after seeing the AW13 collection for dying label, Ungaro, I feel he, and few more young Italian designers will be leading the next era in Milan fashion! As I wrote, Emanuel Ungaro for a period of time s really dying. About a Lindsay Lohan catastrophy and lost of Avenue Montaigne boutique in Paris, this label needs a rescue boat in killing fashion world… So here it is- Puglisi!
As you see, the pieces I saw in the showroom here in Tuscany look very exciting and sexy… The prints, golden embroideries, in other words luxury! Fausto Puglisi is the name that is certainly one to watch, and Ungaro will again shock the world! 😄😄😄
Here something more about this talented designer! “Fausto Puglisi was born in Messina and started his carreer exporting his talent to the USA. When he was eighteen, he moved to New York and started collaborating with worldwide known stylists and photographers. His outfits gained great success and many Hollywood celebrities have been dressing Fausto Puglisi outfits at the most important events. Fausto Puglisi loves visual culture. He is inspired by the mix between the high culture and popular elements and the result is a really complex brand identity: heroic Sicily, Italian neo-realism movies, American star system, Roman gladiators, modern architecture and the richness of the Mediterranean Baroque. His geometric creations express a rich and defined style, focusing on color contrasts and embroideries research. His clothes embody an ideal of beauty based on strength, to design a contemporary glamour. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana appreciate Fausto Puglisi’s talent and asked him to be part of their “Young Designers” project, that gave him a great visibility inside their concept store Spiga2 in Milan. Fausto Puglisi dresses have been worn during important events like the Super Bowl 2012 halftime show and his company is fast growing among International buyers and press, thanks to this Sicilian designer’s determination and commitment.”
Kitsch Vs. Neutral
There is a new fight between two trends in Paris! Simple or Kitsch? Strong colours or beige and creme? Flowers, jewels, some kind of LOVE signs or shirling and leather? In this post I will cover four collections- Lanvin and Balmain that are classified as kitsch and Rick Owens and Nina Ricci as neutral and simple. So lets start maybe with something calm for eye, Nina Ricci. Katia and Marielle Labèque performed “Two Movements for Two Pianos” by Philip Glass on side by side grand pianos in the middle of a huge runway covered with old red carpets, giving a romantic feeling. Indeed, the collection was as romantic as the music that these two artists produced!The collection was a bit sporty but still very elegant. Everything was kept in simple colours hat are still eye caching- red, white, beige and black! My favourite look was for sure the dress with a bustier with mink fur on the top that gave a slightly different look!
Now it’s the time for other collection are pretty liked, and was very simple in lines and cuts, Rick Owens. These hilarious hairstyles the models had were so great! I think that Owens is always winning with other designers, with we are taliking about hairstyles. Rick used a lot of creme and white shirling fur on jackets and coats. There were some minimalistic column like silk dresses, ruffles on tops, leather gloves. But it wasn’t, you know, much of it. Rick Owens showed this season a sensitive beauty of ready-to-weat clothes!
And now it’s the time for kitsch in Paris. I think, Alber Elbaz was sick at the moment of designing the collection. Everything was so not matching. Without a form. A fail! Why did the Lanvin designer, put these horrible necklaces with hearts and pearls with a horrible signs like “YOU” or “LOVE” or something else? How is it possible to spoil a nice long silk beige dress with some kind of a furry scarf and jewellry that looked like from a petrol station? Why? It wasn’t even luxury. It was passe. Sorry Alber Elbaz, but that was a very poor collection. P.S. What the hell did these bugs were doing on a ruffled top?
(This post is going to end soon :D) Balmain with Olivier Rousteing did a good job. Let’s say it straight- Balmain can’t be easy and minimalistic. It should be always luxury, ornamental and kitsch! This time Olivier chose new colours like emerals, red and violet. Most of clothes were velvet and had a really decorated details. I really liked all the structured tops and skirts. I liked the green suede jacket that M. Frackowiak wore. And the big belts were really eye catching! It was altogether sexy and sophisticated, just as it should be at Balmain! I’m clapping! 
So after these four collections I should say that I loved Nina Ricci and Balmain. Rick Owens was good, but a bit classy (for Rick of course) and Lanvin was horrible… So there is 2-2 for both of these categories! As we know from New York, Milan and london, luxury and ornamental clothing is back for good, but a little bit of minimalism is always the best!
Design & Culture by Ed 