O Canada

One last post before I get some work done. While I would prefer that I liked enough of both collections from these Canadians at LFW to justify two separate posts, my picky tastes only justify one. Up top are looks from Thomas Tait, whose turn to sportswear seems to suggest that Mr. Watanbe's last collection had some fans. And below are looks from Todd Lynn, whose collection is inspired by a New York gang that stole peoples' clothes and then had the stolen goods altered to fit them. A great idea (the inspiration, not the stealing), but Todd, you still use way too much leather.

Now, is anyone here interested in hearing the theory behind editing literary titles? Let me know if you are...

(Photos via UK Vogue)

Thomas Tait, F/W 12/13

I can't help but be disappointed that Thomas Tait opted to use so much leather in his F/W 12/13 collection, as his show has quickly become one of those that I look forward to the most. I mean, maybe it was to be expected since I wasn't a huge fan of his S/S 12 collection (it didn't end up here), and maybe it's good that he's branching out and not doing the same F/W thing over again, the 'same' thing being that dress with the 'hell's windows' and more stiff wool than you can shake a stick at. Anyway, there are some pretty wool coats, the two here being the ones that weren't paired with leather trousers. I like the idea of a one-button winter coat. Not inherently practical, but the floor-/snow-sweeping length should make up for part of that. And that model on the left - that jaw sure makes me want to watch Anne of Green Gables, particularly the part where she teaches all those nasty Pringle girls... 

(Photos via Style.com)

Complimentary Lining

The #1 item on my Winter 11/12 want list? This wool/polyamide/cashmere vest by Thomas Tait which makes me rather speechless. And the #2 item? This hoodie by Boris Bidjan Saberi, which may in fact be the best hoodie I've seen yet. Both available at Reborn (with free shipping this weekend).

Thomas Tait

A few days ago I picked up the April issue of UK Vogue (yes, we get them really late here), and was instantly intrigued by this photo in the "Fashion's New Generation" feature. The Gareth Pugh look-alike on the left is Thomas Tait, a Canadian designer who is the youngest MA graduate from Central St Martins (at age 22). As with fellow graduate Anja Mlakar, Tait is one of the students whose work I didn't feature in my brief coverage of the CSM show, so I suppose it's a good thing I've been pretty much confined to the couch for the last two weeks and needed some reading material. Anyway, Tait's graduate all-black collection, consisting of stiff cashmere/wool pieces paired with silk/lycra leotards, was extremely clean and expertly tailored, but methinks the lighting of the show didn't allow the perfect cuts to show through all the blackness (hence why I didn't remember his pieces at all). Also, the styling choices themselves might have been slightly detrimental to showcasing each individual piece; for example, the silk/lycra dress on the model (Molly Smith) was actually in the graduate collection, but all but the train was obscured by being styled with a knee-length black cashmere/wool coat over top. Then again, Tait did win the Dorchester Prize (i.e. a lot of money) with his collection, so obviously the people who mattered could see better that myself.

Anyway, after (re-)discovering Tait, I was quite happy to see that, for his F/W 11 collection (below), Tait introduced two more colours which really help showcase the architectural shapes of his pieces. Tait also developed this half-skirt/upside-down tuxedo thing (for lack of a better word) that is present through most of the collection and that pretty much gives him bragging rights for his ability to sculpt stiff wool into whatever shape he wants. Oh yes, folks, that is wool, and not neoprene or somesuch. And while I do prefer the neckline of the dress from Tait's graduate collection, I am loving those extreme 'hell's windows' and the longer length in front for the trained (?) dress. That is also my favorite style of a high heeled shoe. Sigh.

(F/W 11 photos via Style.com)