Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

While the death of the great Alexander McQueen still weighs heavy on our hearts, every end signals a new beginning, and it was a new beginning for Sarah Burton.  This was the first collection that Burton had to tackle entirely on her own, but she seized the moment and turned it into something spectacular.  For Spring/Summer 2011, the McQueen aesthetic was kept alive and thriving.  However, what Burton offered to the collection was a different perspective: one of softness and of less severity.  Whereas McQueen loved controversial, eyebrow-raising shows, Burton kept the set simple and inviting.  The show started with signature McQueen elements (tail-coat, strong shoulders) that were softened by the tailoring and by the slicing of the shoulders.

Next, Burton touched on McQueen's ability to work with patterned brocade:

What followed is what I envision a modern Mother-Nature to wear.  Models were covered in leather leaves, organic-looking fabrics, printed dresses, feathers, and butterflies.

And just when you thought things couldn't get any better, they did.  Everything was put together into a sensational finale, and it prompted applause even before the show ended.

Having worked closely with McQueen for 15 years, Sarah Burton will not let us down.  I have the utmost confidence in her to continue the McQueen legacy and to bring the label into a new beginning.

Watch the entire show here.  It's worth your time.

Image Source: Style.com

Chanel Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

Seeing as Karl Lagerfeld is a genius, I've decided to skip my reviews of Viktor & Rolf, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent for the time being in favour of taking a look at Chanel.  You know that even if the clothes aren't their best (rarely happens), at least the runway will take your breath away (no one will ever forget the iceberg).  And not to mention, you can always look forward to catching a glimpse of Baptiste Giabiconi: tall, dark and unbelievably handsome...;)

But tear your eyes away, because you won't want to miss what Chanel has done for Spring/Summer 2011.  Set in an elegant gray garden with a stunning fountain, the first half of the collection contrasted against the clean lines of runway.  Several pieces had a splatter of impulsive cut-outs:

Classic Chanel tweed for Spring had an almost unfinished quality, with its frayed ends and feathery edges.

As the show progressed, the colours began to mirror those of the garden, but the rugged quality remained throughout, occasionally popping up among the Chanel suits with shorts, floral chiffon dresses, and long A-line skirts.

And with that, the show ended in a flurry of feathers, again bringing back the unfinished look, but in a much more elegant way.

Despite being cut and frayed, one can still see the dedication, love and quality that goes into crafting each piece.  What makes Karl a genius is that no matter what kind of inspiration he takes for his collections, it always ends up looking distinctly and impeccably Chanel.

Watch Part 1 of the show here, and Part 2 here.

Image Source: Style.com

Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

So many collections, so little time!  As Paris Fashion Week continues to churn out to-die-for collections, I'm falling hopelessly behind.  But Christian Dior is always a treat, and I never miss the chance to see what John Galliano has been up to, especially after his last euphoric couture collection.  For Spring/Summer 2011, Galliano took us on a cruise.  It started off with a playful incorporation of masculine pieces.  You can just imagine the women stealing the parkas and jackets from the captain of the ship.

As the sun continued to shine (you'll notice the runway darkens as night falls), bright Hawaiian-inspired dresses floated down.

As night finally came, models came out in sheer tropical-coloured silk dresses with dangling flowers.

Galliano never fails to take us on a trip, whether it's through a film noir, the equestrian country-side, or in this case, the glamourous life of a playful sailorette.  I'm already looking forward to my next trip.

Watch the entire show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evB3ilsudZY

Image Source: Style.com

The Skinny on Beauty

While I was going through the October issue of Flare today, I came across a letter to the editor that was disheartening.  With the return of the voluptuous woman this season, a woman had written to Flare congratulating them on using a curvy model, and had said "Men will always want curvy women".  You may read that and think I'm crazy for calling it disheartening, but you must know that I have always been naturally slim my entire life.  I fit a double zero, and am the farthest thing from curvy (but I do, mind you, eat).  Have we, in the quest to encourage curvy women to embrace themselves, resulted in portraying slimmer women as undesirable?

I would say yes.  Whenever fashion magazines use plus-sized models, you'll find a flood of women thanking them for using "real, beautiful women", as opposed to "stick-thin models".  Being skinny nowadays has so many bad connotations.  Voluptuous women are "beautiful", and slimmer women are now being viewed as "not real".  I hate that I am suddenly being insulted for being skinny; for being myself.  Really, who wants to be compared to a stick, or to a pile of skin and bones?  Not me.  What ever happened to using words such as slender or slim?

There is no doubt that society has made women want to be thin.  My friend used to call me skinny all the time, and when I voiced my dislike of being constantly reminded of my size, he stared blankly at me and said, "Don't girls like being called skinny?".  So yes, media has made us believe that being skinny is good, but there is also a growing number of women who scorn the idea of it. 

Now before you attack me, I do think beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and I am in no way promoting being underweight (or overweight for that matter) to the point where health is concerned.  Curvy women are beautiful, and the image of beauty in society should most definitely extend to include them.  But the process of expanding society's view of beauty should not consist of speaking badly of slimmer women.  After all, aren't we striving for the acceptance of all types of women?  I may be biased, because I myself am so slim, but I think I deserve to be considered just as real, beautiful and desirable as any other woman.

Image Source: Flare.com, Style.com

1st Week!

It's officially been one week since I've started Red-Soled Fashionista, and it's been going great!  I've gotten over 100 pageviews, and it's all thanks to you: my friends, classmates, and fellow fashionistas from around the world.  I look forward to many, many more weeks of blogging with you!

Nina Ricci Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

The first outfit that came down the runway at Nina Ricci for Spring/Summer 2011 (a sweet, feminine dress with a cotton trench) heightened the expectation for the remainder of the show.  Having said that, nothing after that first outfit quite managed to satisfy that expectation.

For inspiration, Peter Copping looked at past collaborations, and took an element from each to incorporate into the outfits.  There were feminine pieces complete with ruffles, bows and chiffon.

Next came iridescent crystals and watercolor prints (I like how there is just a trace of seafoam green among the pink chiffon in the second photo) .

Surprisingly, out came bold, bright and more masculine, tailored pieces that still had definite ladylike undertones.  This was a stronger woman; a woman who wants to be ladylike, but eye-catchingly so.

Copping showed us a lot with this collection.  Not only did he create unabashedly romantic looks, he introduced a newer, less-than-subdued form of femininity.  But that first look was the perfect marriage between subtlety and boldness, which for the rest of the show, Copping decided to separate.

Watch the full show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY8KYvglSrI

Image Source: Style.com

Balmain Spring/Summer 2011 RTW

Balmain, I have two words for you: déjà vu.  Don't get me wrong, as a collection, there are some wonderfully crafted pieces; but as an entire brand, I've seen it all before.  I've come to expect tight pants or short shorts, strong-shouldered jackets, black booties, and short '80s dresses.  I like the look, and I'd wear it myself if I could, but I'm losing the excitement and anticipation for the shows.

For Spring/Summer 2011, Christophe Decarnin gave us a studded jackets mostly worn with shredded t-shirts or ripped fishnet stockings.

Among them were three bustier looks:

And another element of this season's collection, along with the studded embellishments, were metallic pants.

It's always preferable that a brand establish a strong, individual aesthetic, and it's quite obvious that Balmain has a very punk-chic look that Decarnin reinvents each season, but I feel that next season, Balmain needs to go in a slightly different direction. 

Watch the entire show here, although the quality is low: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzarXq1e3DU

Image Source: Style.com