Karl Lagerfeld conquered Rome with his gaggle of girls (Bella Hadid and Freja Beha Erichsen paraded down the runway) for the over-the-top Pre-Fall 2016 show. Bridgette Bardot beehives and smudgy kohl-rimmed eyes were post-modern film noir heroines meets adolescent Brooklyn hipsters.
There was something gloriously grungy at play here underneath the illusion of glamour. The Chanel woman of this season was chic, but disheveled. She was edgy, but refined. She was cool, but not pretentious. She was highbrow, but also lowbrow. Such is the magic of Chanel in Lagerfeld's hands - he manipulates contradictions and weaves a narrative so fantastical you wish you played a character in his lustrous world. This was one of my favorite collections Lagerfeld churned out of the fashun factory - another favorite is his Spring 2007 collection (remember those black sequin hot pants that were turning you on in every single flippin' fashion editorial for like 6 months!)
And because I made unashamed love to my MacBook Pro while clicking through this show, I played fairytale dress-up and Photoshopped my favorite Real Housewives of Beverly Hills into my favorite Chanel Pre-Fall looks. Anywhoozicles, my flavor flav flavorite looks from the show are below and trust when I tell yah, it was harder than a preteen browsing PornHub to pick these puppies out. Click on images to enlarge 'em:
It was the best of times and... well, just the best of times quite frankly. The spring 2016 collections across New York, London, Milan and Paris were a testament to the pioneering spirit in fashion. Every show was a breath of fresh air in an uncertain world - it reminded us once again that life is beautiful. And while each season speaks to a number of different trends (see below for my favorite call-outs), this season seemed to have one goal in sight: to champion and empower the modern day woman with clothes that quietly scream - my favorite oxymoron. What was your favorite trend of the season?
From left: Christopher Kane, Gucci, Chloe, Chanel and Marchesa.
RAINBOW BRIGHT
The runways were alive with radiating optimism. I’m going to take a leap of faith and say the recent Supreme Court decision ruling same-sex couples have the right to marry nationwide paved the way for all this ROYGBIV action. Acid-hued lace at Christopher Kane, rainbow bright knits at Gucci, easy breezy color in a diaphanous maxi from Chloe, hyper-saturated digitized patterns at Chanel, and a show stopping tulle train of chiffon plumage ombré-dipped in sorbet shades at Marchesa.
From left: Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Off White.
DOPE DENIM
I know it’s not a trend but the denim was so freakin’ cool this season that it kinda was. Botanical printed styles at Chanel, Victorian embellishments at Alexander McQueen and acid-wash frays at Chloe are killer options. But it was the Marc Jacobs look on model Molly Blair – imagine a punk princess with a penchant for Alfred Hitchcock heading to a night at the opera – that stole my breath away.
From left: Gucci, Balmain, Nina Ricci, Versace, Jason Wu, Lacoste.
GREEN WITH ENVY
I don’t understand why but I found myself living for the green moments on the runways. A jade mini hugging Joan Smalls at Balmain, olive sequins glistening at Nina Ricci, and sexbomb suiting in forest green at Versace made a very strong case for the color.
From left: Chanel, Gucci, Stella Jean, DSquared2, Moschino.
MAD(CAP) WORLD
Alice in Wonderland was the unsung hero of the spring collections. Fashion went down the rabbit hole and threw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix. There was no restraint: a sporty anorak, dual-toned sequins, black bralet and gauzy green maxi-skirt were tossed together with reckless abandon at Dsquared2. The Powerpuff Girls took LSD at Moschino. The nerdy bookworm wore maddening metallics, a snow-bunny white beret, dangling jeweled earrings, and spiky sandals at Gucci. How to nail this look: take ecstasy while getting dressed for a night out. How to nail this look drug-free (the way to be, sidenote): throw on seven things from your closet, see if it looks crazy, and add more shit.
From left: Alexander McQueen, Etro, Givenchy, Lanvin, Etro.
VICTORIAN VIXENS
Puffy-sleeves, high-collared necklines, intricate lace, rippling ruffles, somber florals - these looks evoked the austere mood of the Victorian era. The clear winner: Sarah Burton’s little white dress at Alexander McQueen felt like something a Bronte sister might wear in 2015 – as she takes a Valencia-filtered selfie and posts it on Instagram. #brontebae
From left: Balmain, Oscar de la Renta by Peter Copping, Proenza Schouler, Etro.
LATIN CLASS
Bold Spanish flavor was sprinkled throughout the collections. Flamenco tiers and ruffles at Balmain and Oscar de la Renta in clementine and cherry red, Toreador-tinged touches at Proenza Schouler and a sensual romance at Etro that felt like a tantalizing tango. It reminded me of one of my favorite Vogue editorials of the past – check it out here – and gave me hope to see many more stunning matador-themed editorials to come.
From left: Altuzarra, Max Mara, Tibi, Givenchy.
PALE FIRE
White is always right. Always. Grecian style and crumpled with reckless abandon at Altuzarra, ladylike jetset glamour on Liya Kebede seen at Max Mara, sprinkled with sequins from Tibi, or provocatively lacy on Raquel Zimmerman at Givenchy. White was the predominant color of the season. The biggest testament was Alexander Wang’s swan song to Balenciaga - an exclusively white palette felt light and beautiful but with an almost sinister undertone.
