Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Top 7 Moments of SS15

Playing: No Shows-Gerard Way
Reading: The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan
With the oncoming of midterms and numerous essays, it was hard for me to digest everything that went down during the whirlwind that we like to call fashion month. If you're having trouble getting through all of SS15, don't worry; I came up with the top seven moments of SS15 for you.
1. Although I still prefer Marc Jacobs leading Louis Vuitton, I have to admit that Nicholas Ghesquiere isn't doing a bad job at all. However, this season what caught my eye (and admittedly, stole my attention away from the clothes) was the dramatic eye makeup, half doll-like in its cartoon-ish proportions and half grunge '90s girl.
2. For those of you that prefer a more romantic approach to makeup and accessories, Valentino killed it with their delicate gold hair pieces, reminiscent of the laurels Greek goddesses wore. Whether you pair it with a floor-length gown or dress it down with a cozy sweater, be prepared to receive massive amounts of hair envy.
3. Dries Van Noten has a history of creative runways (Example? SS05's chandelier extravaganza!) and this season was no exception. Models casually relaxed and posed dreamily along a mossy runway, while displaying an offering of flowy clothes and mixed prints.
4. As much as I love the newer faces on the catwalk like Lindsey Wixson and Yumi Lambert, I have to admit that my favorite models are mostly the queens from the mid-2000s. Consequently, Gemma Ward opening for Prada plus Freja Beha Erichsen (Louis Vuitton), Jessica Stam (Jean Paul Gaultier), and Vlada Roslyakova (Ralph Lauren) all returning to the runway had to make the list for the best moments. While Freja still reins as queen of everything cool, Vlada, Jessica, and Gemma prove that the doll era is back. (Sasha Pivovarova even took a walk down the runway, but where was Lily Donaldson?)
5. Jean Paul Gaultier announced that SS15 would be his last pret-a-porter collection and that he will be focusing mostly on haute couture and costumes from now on. While I hate to see him go, I think his exit from the world of ready to wear begs a few important questions: Where is the balance between creativity and marketability? Is it too demanding to ask designers to come up with hundreds of looks a year? Will other designers follow suit?
6. Although this wasn't announced until after fashion month, it's still deserving of making the list of top 7 moments you should know. John Galliano, after leaving Dior and his namesake brand, will be taking over at Maison Martin Margiela. Will he be bringing his love for historical fashion to the brand or will he follow Margiela's sleek modernism? We'll just have to wait and see.
7. Hedi Slimane killed it once again with his collection for Saint Laurent. Somehow he manages to bring all of my favorite things together - sparkly shoes, military-inspired jackets, miniskirts, impossibly cool girls, etc.- and nail it every time. It didn't hurt that YSL also had the coolest models from Hanne Gaby Odiele to Grace Hartzel, stomping down the runway among rainbow prisms.

Photos 1, 2, 3, and 7 from Vogue.  Photo 5 from New York Times. Photo 4 from Style.com but collaged by me. Photo 6 from Telegraph.