Tuesday 16 March 2010

Computer Says No: Tales of the Runway


I've decided to apply the mothers dinner table rule "waste not want not" to my writing. Every article I write which is left on the cutting room floor (from fashion to politics) I'll upload in bulk sporadically (using that word a lot lately). Kicking it off with these two reviews one for Paul Costelloe and the other for PPQ AW10 collection. They're now somewhat out of date ("sell by" so you won't get poisoned) but I couldn't publish these here until I was certain they wouldn't be used elsewhere.

Paul Costelloe A/W 2010

Dynasty in the West

So it begins and to lead us over to the broom into a fall wardrobe came Paul Costelloe. The designer who once voiced his target female to be "27 and 97... discreet... wants to be seen not screened" seems to have scrapped that mentality and eclipsed it with a lady of the old west revamped to walk the streets of today. A moving homage to proportions showcasing the female body and supplying exaggerated silhouettes. Costelloe who has uniformed the sports, supermarket and even British Gas showed no "utility" in his Fall collection I was overwhelmed with use of metallic embroidery, shoulder pads that would tantalize Joan but make Lady Gaga gag screaming "more". The tweeds and tartan which captured fall (the preconceived idea that is) were balanced with the leathers and metallics which brought light to the dark months the collection is intended to clothe.

The collection inspired by "The Assassination of Jesse James", the bouffant hair teamed with the tulle efforts, from leather shorts to tiered puff ball skirts the collection executed the fitted vs loose proportions effortlessly. Those who dare would appreciate the pieces Costelloe offered and those more modest could easily pick an apple from this trendy tree.

Hilarity highlight was brought by fashion veteran Hilary Alexander and her quick dash when the show ended, a wise move to avoid "airplane" alighting. Impressed by the leather knee high socks and volume control. Saddened that Costelloe has only unleashed such (for lack of better semantic but fitting) "fierceness".



PPQ A/W 2010

The phone rang, it's a ladies prerogative to be late and PPQ kicking of at 07.35pm (not Miss Carey "late" more Aguilera) ready for prom spread marmite over the runway. Collection objective "Natalia Vodianova after rummaging through Ugly Betty's wardrobe" (taking in findings of course).

Women of the world will be opting for their sisters and mothers wardrobe for runway imitations oppose to their grandparents if attentive to Lady Molyneaux and Sir Parker. PPQ have leaped a generation for fall, no to Nan's knits it's time to get the 80's clobber out (again), big jewels and sprinkle gold strategically over the mundane noir which overwhelms us in cloudier months.

Boxed sleeves that Brooke Hogan rocks without clothes and "evening" clogs that would ravish Alexa Chung waltzed down the runway like a sexed up version of Kaiser Karl's offerings (see Chanel s/s10). The choice of all black with blocks and trickles of gold were the only "minimal" decision in the creative process. The sunshine came out in Somerset House last London evening.

With such a celebrity following you feel almost obliged to stretch your arms forward and opera clap whilst reciting "A-mazing yah to-tal" I mean if Peaches Geldof is there it's just "everything" right?. In all honesty the lamé trench, velvet curtain fringing, miniscule playsuits and triple bowed patent platforms were enough to make some folks throw up in the name of fashion.

I consumed in small portions so my stomach was settled. Remember, not all at once, piece by piece.



Back soon with plenty!
Me x

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