Blumarine Fall/Winter 2012 RTW

In all my years of following fashion, never have I seen a show as horrible as this.  Lindsay Lohan's quick stint at Ungaro is comparable, but this, my fashion friends, makes Lohan's designs seem somewhat decent.  I hate to be mean because I have nothing against Blumarine and have never hated anything Anna Molinari has done.  Blumarine is bright, upbeat and fun, but Molinari always did it with class.  For Fall/Winter 2012, however, I'm just completely gobsmacked at the sucker punch she threw at us.  It knocked me out and now I can't see straight (although that could easily be caused by the blinding metallics and iridescent fabric).  One thing I do know for sure: let's hope nothing like this ever happens again.

The first couple looks were actually quite promising, with neon bright fur paired against stark white.  Strong looks which laid out the groundwork for a potentially good show.

What, exactly then, is making me wail in pain?  Precisely that Molinari thought it would be a good idea to introduce UGG-like boots which completely ruined the models' walks.  But I chalked it up to a minor mishap as she brought out metallic après-ski wear and some muted coats.

By now, even though I had forgiven Molinari for the slip, chances of me being impressed by this collection were slim.  And they became fully dashed when out came full silver metallic resembling bunches of tinfoil walking down the runway, and head-to-toe cheetah print (she's done full cheetah print before, but to much better results).

To my surprise, then progressed a couple of simple black gowns, but all hopes were again destroyed by the metallic snakeskin which followed.  And I would really love to know what is going on with those short shorts overtop leggings and those naval baring tops.  If I want to see Snooki-style, I'll watch Jersey Shore.  But that's exactly why I don't.

And here we are now at hip-hop/rocker girl gone wild.  Tacky, obnoxious and accessorized with pretentious hoop earrings.  I don't even think I need to explain what's wrong with this.

Finally, Molinari gave it one last kick with the evening gowns.  I felt like I was watching a high school prom, not the work of a respectable designer.

If you haven't got a headache by now, I applaud you, because I am not applauding this collection.  Surprisingly, this collection has been generally well-received by the online community for its upbeat optimism and cheeky message.  And don't get me wrong, I agree there is nothing wrong with a fun collection, but even fun collections can be done with a bit of structure and attention to good fashion (see: The Blondes).  Molinari had several fabulous pieces within her collection that she could have styled differently, but I stand firm on my opinion of this collection.  As a whole, I cringed more than I smiled.

Watch the entire show here.  It was the first time I ever considered not finishing a runway video.

Image Source: Style.com