From New York with Hope

"Hope" is the hottest accessory of the season. And looking at the New York fashion Week give me a lot of hope. I'm more hopeful and confident if I know that designers still produce beautiful clothes. Maybe nobody will be able to buy them (future's getting more inscrutable than ever), but that's a tiny insignificant detail. So, look ahead and enjoy the spectacle!
I admit I'm in a forever crush with Proenza Schouler, so, my judgment on their show can be a bit tendentious. This Fall collection is less experimental than the Spring, with those industrial cat suits and plastic-looking skirts. Now, they made total-looks one can takes off from models on the whole and puts on him easily. Skirts and jackets are amazing in their simplicity of material and color (grey, again a winter looking like mousses). Nicolas Ghesquière's spirit must have whispered something in their ears during the night, because sharp shapes recall a bit that improbable Balenciaga Spring show. An alternative to the grey (hey, cheer up, there's an alternative!) are metallic dresses: I adore the purple-velvet one on Natasha Poly.
A quick word also about 3.1 Phillip Lim. The designer though was his duty speaking about his still healthy business and its consequent glamorous style. I'm very glad he's not going to live on peanut butter but I think his collection is wrong for some other reason that incongruence with the economic depression. A new re-wave of Charleston dresses and '60s revolution? No please! We're just escaped from a last year Fall very '60s and Spring mostly about '80s, now decades are finished and it's time to go on with something new not start again the cycle of recycle.
Speaking sparky new, Alexander Wang, the latest Chou Chou of redactors, peoples and models, confirmed himself with a very youngish and unseen collection. His fashion can be called ready-to-party instead of ready-to-wear, so much his clothes look perfect for a Saturday Night Fever. All in black with a little exception for grey tartan, we saw an invasion of cyclist shorts (maybe Mr Wang isn't aware of the fact that winter's cold) and neoprene suits and other nice stretch materials I won't even try to image how they can dress on normal people. Also here, like at Proenza Schouler, décolté are savagely cut straight, shown all the shoulder. But exception made for the not wearable material, bravo at Alexander Wang, it was funny and at last something new.
I waited for the end of my dissertation to make honor at Oscar de la Renta. The Americans favorite designer didn't fail his task. His show was just about classic luxury, gorgeous working women as a brand like this should be. Colorful silk trousers and dresses show how winter clothes don't have to be only grey or black. Thus I want the following times to look like: colorful but elegant, sombre but not sad and above all serious inside and not only outside.

Addresses

As suggested by a friend of mine, I published some of my "best in Paris" addresses. A bit of everything: shops, restaurants, clubs, etc. To try.
Almost famous: 33, rue de Charonne (11e). A boutique where one can find "amost famous" and famous brands.
David Mallet: 14, rue Notre-Dame des Victoires (1er). Talented hairdresser.
Café Charlot: 47, rue de Bretagne. For a Sunday brunch.
Maria Luisa: 7, rue Rouget-de-l'Isle (1er). Christopher Kaine, Manolo Blahnik, etc...
Ed Hardy: 71, rue de Rennes (6e). Los Angeles t-shirt in Paris.
No good store: 52, rue des Martyrs (18e). Innovative concept-store.
Chiffon et Basile: 86, rue des Martyrs (18e). Boutique.
La petite rose: 11, bd des Coucelles (17e). Japanese pastries.
Hyotan: 3, rue d'Artois (8e). Great sushi.
Kinugawa: 9, rue du Mont-Thabor (1er). Fashionable japanese.
Le Café Rouge: 32, rue de Picardie (3e). A new fancy restaurant.
Thiou: quai d'Orsay (7e). The best thai.
S' Bar: (Hotel de Sers) 41, rue Pierre 1er de Serbie (8e). Champagne cocktails.
Frip' Star: rue de la Verrerie (4e). Vintage. (If you're looking for a crazy chiffon dress at 15€..)
Wk Accessoires: 5, Place du Marché St-Honoré (1er). Vintage luxe.
Le loir dans la théière: 3, rue des Rosiers (4e). Tea and fabulous cakes.
L'Eclaiteur: rue des Rosiers (4e). Marni, Balenciaga, Montclear… everything's hype.
Black Calvados: 47, rue Pierre 1er de Serbie. Club.
Murano Urban Resort Bar: bd du Temple (3e). Signed by Philippe Starck. Fabulous.
Cha Cha Club: 47, rue Berger (2e). The new "Le Baron".
Cuisine et confidences: 33, place du Marché St-Honoré (1er). Cool brunch.
Repetto: 51, rue du Four (6e). Less crowed than the Opéra store.
Les Prairies de Paris: 23, rue Debelleyme (3e).

A bit of grunge

Haute Couture Essay

Subject: Haute Couture shows in Paris
Development: Among all the remarkable points, I noticed few things I'd love to discuss.
Point one: two new designers have replaced the decayed Alessandra Facchinetti at Valentino, Marcia Garcia Chivri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. I never liked Facchinetti's works, so I'm not complaining about that, but I recognise it's a very dirty job take a firm like this, totally based on an individual talent (and a very great one, too). Anyway, the new tandem did what everyone had expected them to do, namely a very classic Valentino collection: red dresses, chiffon, elegant shapes, etc. Valentino said he was very satisfied. I think he might do better leaving the new designers developing their own ideas. How can one create something good with him constantly on the watch? Valentino, give them a rest or come back at your place!
Point two: chapeau for Martin Margiela and his idea to create clothes from recuperated materials. He's confirmed once more he's the most visionary and innovative designer in this fashion panorama. His shows are always a surprise and he's more a visual artist than a simple couturier.
Point three: Givenchy show wasn't as spectacular as those ones from Dior or Lacroix, but I liked it very much. Pure poetry. Flowers, vestal dresses, pastel tones… I loved all the summer collection and this haute couture is perfectly on the same mood. Tisci is in a state of grace I hope to can during a lot. Ok, maybe that wasn't really "haute" couture but more a sophisticated prêt-à-porter, but it's beautiful and so, who cares?
Point four (and final): both Armani and Chanel were a bit deluding. The first one too trite in his interpretation of a pre-Opium War China and the second one too traditionalist with his monochrome. Armani could have lent same colours to Lagerfeld, who needed it badly.

Cruise or not to cruise

Luckily there is Louis Vuitton to save us from the fashion routine, while the fast of Haute Couture's running on the Cat Walks. In these last years, they have enchained capsule collections after collaborations with other artists. The last in time, the Tribute to Stephen Sprouse is still in the stores (an explosion of sparkly green, pink and flours just right to chase away the winter melancholy). But another one's waiting us around the corner: on March, we can have the little bags&shoes collection signed by Sophia Coppola. Sophia isn't a visionary woman like Rei Kawakubo and she didn't something astonishing: a "Keep all" style purse, a black velor pochette and sandals inspired by the Old Hollywood glamor. Simple, girlish and cute. I don't like very much the shoes, but the pochette has all my approbation.
Yesterday I've received the YSL's Cruise catalogue, completely out of time, by the way. I hate the Cruise Collection. I hate seeing summer clothes in shop windows on February 'cos they remind me I can't have any sunny vacation. But I looked at it, on the same. Naturally, dresses with those sharp bustier and balloon skirts directly come from the winter collection. Sandals aren't all that, either. The "Downtown" bag was proposed again in a silver powdered blue grey. With the "Muse", that's the YSL bag I love the most and I'm glad to see that won't be out, yet.

Sale tricks

I've a problem: if I go out to shopping, I'll buy. I don't care what, but I've to buy something. In this last sale term, the risk to buy something absolutely wrong are even higher than usual. And so happened. Ralph Lauren jeans were still given away at a ridiculous price: how could I resist? I bought a grey pair with lateral zip on the bottom, shorter enough to show my ankles and my admiration to Descarnin and he's punk Balmain jeans (I know, that's too "winter '08", first error). I haven't still figured out if they're too small or they haven't enough tissue, but the result is I can't sit down without show not only my ankles but also my panties. Shoes. Repetto sale is like the passage of the Halley comet: you mustn't miss it. But I went too late and the store was in short of stocks. Someone would have given up, but not me. I've promised to myself to go out from that bloody shop with a pair of flat and so I did. A cute pair of bronze flats… too big. I'll be a modern Cinderella, losing my shoes wherever I'll go. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to find also the Charming Prince.

Fauvisme

Like every season, a wave of fauvisme comes through collections. Animalier is a motive designers won't give up, I think a specific rehab should be invented for this kind of dependence. I never like it. I didn't an exception even for Alaila flats this winter. I'm not a Green Peace fan, it's only an aesthetic reason. The only animal skin I like on clothes, it's crocodile on Hermes bags. But, there's a but. This spring I'm ready to change my mind for a pair of Givenchy zebra sandals and a Lanvin dress made in an improbable blue leopard print. Also Marc Jacobs purses aren't that bad, I'm still thinking about them.