yohj (JUN VIV) et al.: A/W 13

Well, good thing I had already called it, because both Junya Watanabe's and Vivienne Westwood's shows left something to be desired. Mr. Watanabe went with leather biker jackets in various shapes, and Dame Westwood went with extreme shoulder pads and zombie-ish makeup, leaving me with only a more detailed desire for a trench coat (to go with the boyfriend jeans I already wear every day), i.e. one with zippers (both photos from the Watanabe collection).

So, instead of wasting this post (sorry, Jun and Viv), let's look at the Comme des Garçons collection. Because, I have to say, I'm a fan. I would've liked a less-crowded runway though. It makes the already busy suits look a lot busier.

(Junya Watanabe photos via UK Vogue, CdG photos via Style.com) 

yohj JUN viv: S/S 13

Perhaps only hinted at by the neon wigs of last season, Junya Watanabe's S/S 13 collection completely took me by surprise. I've never seen this side of Mr. Watanabe before (or at least I can't remember ever have seeing it). And, quite honestly, if it weren't from Junya, I wouldn't have bothered looking through all 57 looks. I do not like this much colour, I only wear running shoes when exercising, and I dropped the sporty look after grade 9 (i.e. I'm not Susie Bubble - she's going to eat this collection up!). Having said that, I'm quite curious as to why Junya went in such a different direction than...all his other collections. It's true that I'm not always a fan of his non-outerwear, so it's not a huge deal that those looks don't float my boat, but I feel that these would be more expected in a Comme des Garçons collection than in his own. And, speaking of outerwear, there are only a couple coats resembling his signature style that keeps me coming back each season (see below), rather than an entire section of the show. At the risk of sounding hypocritical, Mr. Watanabe, how do we decipher this collection? Regardless of the answer, I believe that Stella McCartney for Adidas now has competition. Oh, and if you're wondering what I'm talking about, I obviously didn't post the colourful/sporty stuff (i.e. 99% of the collection) here. Click here to do that, if you're interested.

(Photos via Style.com)

2012: YOHJ JUN VIV (Part 2*)

Junya Watanabe basically did two things with this A/W collection. Blazers with an added panel made of deconstructed trousers, and coats worn as capes. It'll be no surprise that I like the blazer idea, but it somehow didn't work in every colour or on every model. Why? (I picked the best ones to post, so you might want to check out the full collection to see what I'm talking about.) And coats being worn as capes aren't fooling anyone, they just make it harder for me to imagine them being worn as coats. Somehow, after writing these few lines, I like the collection much less than I did two minutes ago. Hmm...I do really like this dress though, so at least there's that. Now, where's my oatmeal?

(Photos via Style.com)

*Again, no guarantee on there being a Part 3.

Junya Watanabe, S/S 12

Last night I was questioning my decision to not wait till today to write the semi-annual 'YOHJ JUN VIV' post, seeing as I've already posted about Yohji, haven't posted about Viv, and the newest from Junya has just hit the Internets. But after seeing the S/S 12 collection from Junya, I think a separate post is entirely justified as I have more than a few words to say. And I need to live with the fact that no one else may find the 'YOHJ JUN VIV' title humourous anyway (think back to learning your primary colours...ROY G BIV...no?).

And so. My head continued to spin whilst flipping through the photos of this collection, as over half way into it, all that had been offered was bird hats and lace and/or chiffon dresses that are vintage- and muumuu- inspired. In short, stuff I know will be raved about by a certain teenage blogger. Thankfully, there were a few chiffon jackets thrown over top of some of these dresses (as seen above) that gave me hope that there would be something at the end of the runway that I could latch onto. 

And how. I have to say, looking back on all my reviews of Mr. Watanabe's collections, he really does outerwear the best. Or, at any rate, I like his outerwear the best. So I suppose it makes sense that I'm a bigger fan of the A/W collections. Anyway, thank you, Junya, for creating these lovely trench coats. That iridescent material is quite lovely. We all know I'm a fan of the trench/cape hybrid, and you've taken them to the next level. Though I would wear non-white long sleeves with the short sleeved cape. Perhaps some mydearthing armwarmers...It is fall, after all.

(Photos via UK Vogue)

Sheer madness

So, not only am I stuck on maxi dresses, but I think I'm also stuck on some form of trench coat, perhaps of the sheer variety. I think it all started with Junya Watanbe's S/S 11 sheer rendition, which I had mostly forgotten about until I saw this.hearts.on.fire post about NYC-based designer Siki Im. Siki has an incredible trench coat in his F/W 11 collection (above left), which prompted me to take a look at his previous collection, leading to this sheer trench from Siki's S/S 11 collection (above right). 

Now, I obviously don't think that a sheer trench is practical by any means, and thus would never even contemplate buying one. However, I do think it has a certain charm about it, and so, if I could find a hybrid between a Siki Im trench and, say, an origami-/kaleidoscope-inspired sheer vest by fashion grad Shenaz Engineer (below), I would consider such an investment.

Then again, maybe I should just go for a sheer button up dress, such as by Tel Aviv-based label First Kiss.

(Black and white Shenaz Engineer photo via Frock Paper Scissors)

"Buyer's market out there" - Templeton

One of the injustices I experienced as a child was being brought to that wonderland that is called Toys 'R' Us and being given $10 in Monopoly money to spend on anything I wanted, while the offspring of my babysitter got actual cash to spend. And since I feel bad about feeling like that was an injustice (and because I'm currently bored out of my skull), I decided to give myself an undisclosed amount of virtual cash to spend on whatever I'd like today. Tomorrow's task will be to pick which of the following three choices I will be most disappointed to never get.

1) Jacket by Tsolo Munkh, $2307. This one would be the least practical of the three, as it's made of polyester and has a very asymmetrical hemline, requiring a layer or two underneath. However, it does have three sets of cuffs, and it's the first commercially available piece I've seen from Tsolo.

2) Tailcoat by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, $3308. Having just watched The King's Speech, this one immediately made me take a second look. However, it is the most expensive of the three, and would be more of a spring jacket, which doesn't really work in an area of the world that has about 10 days of spring.

3) Full-length trench by Junya Watanabe, $1183. So I just said something about spring jackets not really working, but I've chosen this khaki 100% cotton trench coat rather than the black wool version, as this is from one of my most favorite collections ever. And with all that detailing (click on the photos to zoom in), that 50% off price sure seems like a good deal. Looks like I'll need to make up a new task for tomorrow.

(Photos and listings via the adult version of Toys 'R' Us, Farfetch.com)

YOHJ JUN VIV: The Sequel

Five months ago, I wrote a post on my three favorite designers showing at Paris' fashion week. This time around, those are the only three I'm even looking at, seeing as sitting boxed into a corner by numerous leaning towers of, well, boxes, does not really encourage me to kick back and relax for an evening with the Internets. The crazy thing is that I'd really prefer actually moving, even though that would entail even more hours of hard physical labour. Anyway, Yohji Yamamoto's F/W 11 collection didn't strike me as a kindred spirit like last season, which is perhaps largely due to all that mesh and fishnets. However, these hoops skirts made me quietly squeal with delight. Especially the olive green one. Is it odd, however, that my first thought was 'Ooo, bedbugs would have nowhere to hide under those!'? Yeah.

Junya Watanabe's collection had some really gorgeous shapes created with boned waists and flared hips, as well as some great motorcycle jackets. However, Junya used leather like it's going out of style, so those pieces are not pictured here. Upon a second glance (as I needed something to constitute the 'JUN' part), I noticed this sweater was rather interesting. I'm a fan of the twisted closure since adopting my man's complexgeometries stifler/strangler hoodie, though I've never seen it done as a giant looping sleeve. Definitely sounds like a strangler to me.

Which leaves me with my good friend Vivienne Westwood. I could post more photos of her latest collection here, but I've decided to showcase only two pieces so I can get some sleep. First up is this coat. I would want it in another fabric, but, having recently become attached to double breasted coats, I'm quite intrigued by the family tree breasted coat. Or that's what I'm calling this anyway.

And I love this dress. The one on the left. Especially when you see the back of it (beside the tulle robe/curtain on the right). I'd love to wear it to a laundromat with a good book. 

Now, off to move every stick of furniture I own at least 25 centimetres away from the walls.

(Photos via Style.com)