electric beasts: womenswear

Showing posts with label womenswear. Show all posts

Sunday, 17 February 2013

NYFW - A/W '13

We're only just to say seeing the back of winter and (sort of) gearing up for Spring/Summer, when Fashion Week kicks off, showcasing the trends for A/W. These shows are usually my favourite as there's a lot of black, leather, dark colours, layering and some amazing outerwear that I fall in love with and weep over because I don't own it. Moving on...

Here's a few of my favourites from New York Fashion Week for A/W 13:

Katie Gallagher

One of my favourite designers that I've discovered in the past year is Katie Gallagher. I'm completely in love with her designs and this season is no exception. It's totally black on black on black (that's it, I'm sold) with only the slightest hint of deep navy, there's laser-cut details that look like twisted and gnarled tree branches that create an extra witchy vibe and can we just talk about that jacket with the hood for a second? Y'know the one piece of outerwear I was talking about just now? Yeah. That's the one.

Prabal Gurung

I also fall in love with shoes a lot while looking through the FW shows. These shoe/boot/leg armour beauties from Prabal Gurung are just screaming out to me. The collection had a military feel, with a lot of khaki green and fitted jackets while the leather skirts, jackets and harnesses added a slight fetishistic edge. Also, peplum keeps cropping up again which isn't something I'm a fan of, but it's probably going to be sticking around for a while.

Rodarte

Oversized pieces with a lot of layering and draping doesn't really sound that appealing in theory, but Rodarte actually make it look quite nice. I'm always a fan of sheer pieces, here the shirt sleeves adding a subtle flash of skin, the pattern of the dresses with shades of dark blue and grey add a grungy feel while the peach toned blouse and floaty skirts create that feminine balance. Once again, it's the shoes. Those white creepers? Please and thanks.

The Blonds

Now this, this is it. I'd heard of The Blonds but never knew too much about them (they've created all kinds of crazy, diamond encrusted corsets for the likes of Katy Perry and Rhianna), but I saw some photos of their A/W collection online and knew this is right up my street.

I'm calling it horror-movie chic. The references are so obvious they're printed onto the dresses. A 'Psycho' print mini-dress and Jack Nicholson's "Heeeeere's Johnny!" face on the bodice of another? Here, just take all of my money goddamnit. Heavily embellished corsets, a dress made from belts, fur, sequins, feathers.. I just died. Everything about this collection is over the top, weird, crazy and stunning and I'm completely in love with the clear rain coat that looks like it has fake blood inside of it. They even took the theme right through to the smallest detail with jewelled, dripping blood and 'Psycho' inspired nail art. Someone get a DIY tutorial up, stat!

The Blonds

(photos: style.com and The Blonds facebook)

Which collection[s] from NYFW have you seen that you've fallen in love with?

Friday, 14 September 2012

Rodarte - SS13

There's always one collection that stands out against all the others at Fashion Week as my favourite and this season, it's Rodarte.

I saw a photo of the dragon ear cuff on tumblr and instantly thought, "ho-ly shit, that is beautiful" and I immediately went to look-up the collection online. I wasn't disappointed at all. Everything about these pieces is stunning; they're like a mix between an Oriental princess and a medieval warrior with some futuristic twists thrown in for good luck. The detail on the garments is absolutely beautiful and the cut-out pieces, leather lace-up trousers combined with some super badass necklaces and belts add to that chain-mail, medieval armour vibe. And is it just me, or does the black dress with the red detailing on the bodice scream House Targaryen from Game of Thrones? I mean, dragon ear cuffs... Anyone?

Anyway, I think there's a nice contrast between hard and soft here. There's the flowing, feminine skirts and dresses of chiffon and silk with pastel shades of blue and pink against the tough leather, plus angular shapes and cinched in waists that create a defined silhouette. The colour palette is a mix of deep, forest green, navy and purple tones with a pop of scarlet and bright orange on the fringed leather vest, all feeling very decadent. Not to mention the rich embellishment and heavy accessories. Finally there's the shoes: a good chunky block heel with various shades turquoise, pastel orange and grey defined with black edging and buckles that almost suggest velcro straps. And there's definitely a sports-feel to the shoes, due to the colours and materials used which - in theory - shouldn't work with the garments, but it stops the collection feeling too costume-y. They add to the subtle futuristic vibe of the pieces, complimenting the geometric shapes of the tops, skirts and shoulder pads, while metallic and wet-look fabrics help create an extra dimension to the garments.