Fall 2013- The Business and The Fashion

Season after season, the fashion pack expects something new: propositions about what is the next new thing in fashion. It is generally hard to please the industry and the public nowadays because at this point, inspirations can simply be derivatives of the past or the existing youth/street culture. It always comes down to the argument, how much fashion can you put into a business? The answers are varied, but they definitely all were instinctive.

Miu Miu Fall 2013- The Shape of a Woman

It was all about the silhouette at Miu Miu. Bold, exaggerated shoulders, nipped waists and elongated silhouettes felt distinct from the sultry offering of Miuccia Prada last spring. The story for this season is dedicated to outerwear, with exaggerated features that will have magazine editors raving for photo shoots. The elongated silhouette of the jackets and coats are further maximized with sloping, rounded shoulders, creating a V shape as it narrows down below the waist.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2013- Privacy and Exposure

Femininity is a term that is very easy to exploit especially in fashion. Everyone has their own notions of what femininity is all about. At Louis Vuitton, femininity felt more sensual: precious silks, satins, chemise dresses and lingerie were present at the collection, layered with sweaters, furs, and mannish coats.

Valentino Fall 2013- A Portrait of Grace

Embellishments can only take you too far in the world of fashion, and the designer duo of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri know that too well. After their impeccable Haute Couture collection last January, embellishments were more focused, and stricter in a sense.

Alexander McQueen Fall 2013- The Good Queen Bess

Pristine: when craftsmanship is taken to the level of dutiful passion for creation. Elizabeth I definitely was a solid inspiration for this presentation of ten looks that evoked rigor and finesse worthy of The Good Queen Bess. While the looks were strict and domineering, they definitely do not look dated. Elements from Tudor dressing were present in the collection, but the codes stripped to persuasive deconstructions, a la strips of studded materials on Karlie Kloss.

Chanel Fall 2013- The Woman, Well-Traveled

The codes of Chanel have always been highly revered: the classic Chanel jacket, jersey, dresses, always carrying an elegance that transpires age and time. In the recently concluded Fall 2013 Chanel collection, the codes transpired to a different plane: the global plane. The stage was set: the centerpiece was a massive model of earth with small Chanel flags showing its various store locations from across the world.

Saint Laurent Fall 2013- When Couture Goes Grunge

You always tend to have very high expectations when drastic changes happen. Saint Laurent Paris was a big change and this collection by Hedi Slimane definitely felt like a massive change. From the Serif and hallowed YSL imagery to a minimalist sans serif logo, now he is envisioning a much, much younger Saint Laurent woman… in Plaid shirts, scarves and baby doll dresses?

Stella McCartney Fall 2013- Fun in Control

The first look of this season’s Stella McCartney Show was clear and concise: a striped, tailored coat in navy and a flounced skirt. McCartney has a pretty solid vision regarding modern women and power dressing: cropped pants, boxy coats, tailored coats, and of course, some slinky dresses for some added fun. This time, though, she kept it concise with a focus on pinstripes, plaids and some subtle prints. It was controlled, but nevertheless fun, a notion that perfectly describes the Stella McCartney woman.

John Galliano Fall 2013- Resistance or Revelation?

Some say it was a resistance to the past. The namesake was known to be highly attached to historical and cultural references and while it makes a loud thump on runway theatricality, it often resulted to lukewarm sales. Did Bill Gaytten then deliberately eliminated the Galliano heritage out of the brand?

Givenchy Fall 2013- A New Kind of Fun

Riccardo Tisci seems to be feeling a bit saccharine for fall in his new Givenchy collection. Don’t worry, in Tisci’s world, sweetness does not always look conventional. See through skirts with embroidery or floral prints definitely offered some uplifting options for winter, though it was given the subversion of industrial zippers and leather.