There are some collections that move you to tears, despite the fact that you actually can’t imagine wearing most of it. I generally feel that way about Rick Owens’s shows. They always make you feel something, and they’re easy to write about. Despite with some of the physical challenges of the garments, the emotion is strong. And then there are the ones that score high points on wearability, you can envision you and the women you know id many of the looks, and yet, nothing is flinching in the chest. That’s how I felt about this particular Givenchy collection.
A notable absence of drama was palpable at Clare Waight Keller’s ninth womenswear runway show. There was a lot of color, floral print, surprisingly – denim, prints in general, and well, color. Somehow I couldn’t imagine original Givenchy muse Audrey Hepburn wearing it, which continues to be my measure for this particular French brand adherence. There were exceptions, including a darker story at the end, but even all but one of these pieces had a print.
Of course, this is all highly subjective. As a flag-flying neurotic, I like the edgier, solid-hued, black-and-white, bold silhouette, precise-asymmetric-pleat end of Keller’s range, which she more comfortably explores with haute couture. And not everyone lives in that severe, moody space. Luxe and modern, there’s no doubt that this collection will fly. But those of us Holly Golightlys of the world will be on the lookout for armoresque pieces from Keller for when we have a case of the mean reds.
Why the American fashion capital and its millennial consumer seem to be obsessed with nostalgia, how The Row outdid itself again, and the controversial element in Raf Simons’s looks…