The Cutting Class

Jil Sander, SS12.

There is a discipline that has crept into the most influential womenswear collections over the last couple of seasons that breathes of minimal, understated elegance and is built on a foundation of retro silhouettes.

Raf Simons, in his collections at Jil Sander, has been instrumental in experimenting with what will work for intellectual women today, in mining the old dress codes and finding out what can still be relevant and cool when given just the right sense of proportion, texture and colour.

In terms of construction, dress making staples such as darts have been used to great effect to help narrow the line of waists or create subtle shaping in rigid cottons. In general for this Spring-Summer 2012 collection, the sheerness of white fabric has been embraced and used as a subtle tool for detailing. This can bee seen through the classic collar shapes that are echoed in specially cut facings or in the double layers of white used to add a different dynamic to shirtdresses by blocking out more opaque areas.

The idea of transparency continued later on in the collection through the use of coloured checks on organza, that were used both with and without a white backing fabric often in modest, midi-length skirts and dresses.

The mood of modesty is a key marker that has carried through the recent collections of Jil Sander, Prada and Celine especially in terms of the staying power of the midi-length silhouette. It is the context that these designers have created for these collections that keeps them sensual and relevant - the colour combinations and textures used for these silhouettes are always slightly unexpected and off kilter and the accessories always fuse in unexpected references such as car interiors or woven cane furniture.

It really feels as though there is a definite effort to give a different slant to classic shapes that would otherwise be considered very elegant but perhaps overly conservative. It often seems as though designers such as Miuccia Prada, Raf Simons and Phoebe Philo are setting themselves challenges to work out what will give even the most austere collection or unlikely reference a new subversive, intellectual or playful element to create something new and unexpected. The challenge, it seems, is resulting in some of their strongest and most desirable work.

Images from Vogue.co.uk». Cane images from DecoratorSupplyInc».

Miu Miu, RST12.

The resort collections were not just about the clothes themselves, they were also a chance for the labels to show off their accessories through a still image / lookbook format. While the accessories can pass by in a blur on the catwalk, the still photos allow time to get the models gloved hands and bejewelled wrists into just the right position. One label that wasn’t afraid to accessorise their collection photos to full effect was Miu Miu where pastel pearl necklaces, lightning bolt earrings and heart shaped bracelets were layered over garments of lace, vibrant checks and pastel prints.

Images from Vogue.com».

Jean Paul Gaultier, Couture, AW11.

Fashion has had a long love affair with the symbols of the ballet world throughout history, from tutu inspired dresses and ballet flat shoes, to colour palettes inspired by soft nudes, pinks and strong blacks.

For the Autumn-Winter 2011 Couture collection from Jean Paul Gaultier the ballet shoe was converted into a high heel - without the actual high heel part. While the wraps of ribbon and shining satin materials make these beautiful objects, it’s hard not to feel that it’s not the most flattering of line for footwear. Especially when you think about the arch of a foot in a real ballet shoe, curving gracefully to support the full weight of the body and lengthen the line of the leg.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

While trawling through the Metropolitan Museum of Art online collection recently I came across these amazing Balenciaga hats from the 1960s. Interestingly the majority of these hats seem to all have been donated to the collection by one person, Janet A. Sloane. On further investigation I discovered that Ms. Sloane was a millinery stylist who lived in New York until she passed away in 1996 at the age of 82.

Here is an excerpt from her obituary from the New York Times»:

Beginning in the early 1940’s, Ms. Sloane was a stylist, scout and vice president of Madcaps Inc., a Manhattan millinery and accessories company founded by her brother and partner, Alfred Z. Solomon. She worked there until Mr. Solomon sold the business in 1992.

As president of Madcaps International, Ms. Sloane was a regular at fashion shows in Europe, Tokyo and Hong Kong, where she sought new trends in designs, colors and fabrics. She was among the first to adapt the millinery designs of Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent and other Europeans for the American market.

All images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art online collection».

Bottega Veneta, AW11.

We often think of luxury high end garments as being made of fine fabrics which have been beautifully cut and finished with a certain sense of finesse and polish. This can be offset at times by more rough and ready techniques which act to make the clothes more effortless - luxury that isn’t trying too hard.

A perfect example of some of these techniques was in the Bottega Veneta for Autumn-Winter 2011. While the silhouettes and gorgeous fabrics reinforced some of fashions more classical ideas of elegance, it was given a more casual edge by using subtle techniques. Some of the fabrics were given a texture that appeared from afar to be like a roughed up tweed or bouclé but up close the fabric seemed to be pre-worn or pilled. At other times what could have been a piped edge, is actually the rolled edge of an unfinished jersey seam allowance. Stitches such as overlocking and zig zag are used as decorative topstitching, where they would normally be used hidden away inside the garment.

These details were complemented by beautiful accessories such as a surreal eye motif, vivid tones of jewellery and an array of matching clutches in rich velvets and lacelike designs.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

Balenciaga, AW11.

There were some beautifully considered details in the Autumn-Winter 2011 collection from Balenciaga that really gave the collection depth. There were some small pattern and garment construction details that were developed here that helped to make the garments just that much more interesting, rather than using standard finishes.

The collection was built on seemingly disparate references such as the “tile” design, netting and ornate embossed accessories but overall the collection felt very resolved as the references were used and then echoed later on, appearing in another garment, another colourway. Details that would be invisible from full length catwalk photos suddenly appear close-up and highlight just how much thought is put into each area of the garment - without distracting from the vibrant colours and patterns.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».

Lanvin, AW11.

There was a beautiful little metal detail in the recent Lanvin collection which I thought was worth drawing attention to. There were strips of metal used as edging and pocket trims that helped to give the draped softness of Lanvin a harder edge. Visually, it was a great way to really reinforce the design lines in the collection, and it also served as a detail that could flow freely back and forth between the garments and the amazing accessories.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk».