Vionnet Resort 2010

[classicalbang]

After researching Madeleine Vionnet’s draped world, newly minted creative director Rodolfo Paglialunga set out to offer his own take for the comeback of the storied house. “I looked at magazines, books, newspaper clips and anything I could find,” said the designer, who spent 13 years as an assistant to Miuccia Prada. He joined Vionnet in March, and his first spring collection will be unveiled in Paris during fashion week.

Paglialunga worked Vionnet’s signature Grecian constructions to assemble the pre-spring lineup of dresses, tunics and caftans, fluid and often cut on the bias. He accented sleeves — which ranged from bat and bell sleeves to knotted or draped versions — and cinched waists with obis or double-strand belts. To illustrate his ideas, Paglialunga pulled a black ruffled dress on a hanger from a rack in the house’s new office/showroom space in Milan. He laid it out on the floor to show how, once flattened out, it’s a rectangular piece of black silk. On the body, however, the studied splices, ruches, ruffles and swooshing drapes spring to life.

wwd.com

[Spike413]

This is just so...wrong. Not that I can claim to be an expert in vintage Vionnet, but from what I've seen even her most embellished dresses were extremely clean in silhouette. The draping here is just sort of clumsy.

Note to whomever is running the company; beg Rick Owens to take over Vionnet. I honestly think he's the only person who could manage to revitalize the house and make it both salable and exciting.

[ettebe]

He destroyed the Grecian dress OY

Honestly not sure who could really do the job at Vionnet. As Spike said "beg" R.O, as talented as he is I wouldn't intrust him to design a collection for Vionnet. Honestly if Elbaz wasn't at Lanvin I wonder what he could do with Vionnet.

I just read that Paglialunga was at Prada for 4 years before being sent to Vionnet.

[wheneveriwakeup]

The 4th dress is beautiful, but he's overworked every single look...
There is no elegance or sensuality....

[Scott]

i agree with you all about this....just too much for a house and legacy which has always been,richly minimal. at least sophia kokosalaki designed within the aesthetics of vionnet.

[mikeijames]

it's a good time to bring back vionnet (again) given all that draping at balenciaga. i'd like to see more of this resort collection to get a better handle on mr. paglialunga angle on the house.

[dee-ha]

albert elbaz would be a perfect candidate for the house i reckon ... but i doubt he'll want to leave lanvin anytime soon . okay collection IMO

[mikeijames]

Originally Posted by dee-ha

albert elbaz would be a perfect candidate for the house i reckon ... but i doubt he'll want to leave lanvin anytime soon . okay collection IMO

honestly, my thoughts ran to olivier theyskens....but he's not really committed to draping in the way one would need to helm vionnet. elbaz has a financial stake in lanvin just like ghesquiere does in balenciaga.

[Crying Diamonds]

Meh, it feels kind of thrown together. One nice piece maybe.

. . Isn't that clutch a blatant knock-off of this Fendi ?



style.com

[mikeijames]

Originally Posted by Crying Diamonds

Meh, it feels kind of thrown together. One nice piece maybe.

. . Isn't that clutch a blatant knock-off of this Fendi ?

style.com

good eye.

[modela]

it has a marchesa feel to it and thats not a compliment.just hideous.

[dizzytacks]

it is intensely beautiful, innovative and sellable! i am glad that they chose him to revive the brand!

[Jamess]

I agree with dizzytacks, I LOVE the black pieces, you can kind of see where he was coming from a designers point of view, trying to use Vionnet techniques like flat rectangular cutting, but in a way she never did.

It has a look to it, I dont know why people would want ANOTHER 'Lanvin' or ANOTHER 'Rick Owens' when there's a chance for a new perspective. Its challenging but surely thats more exciting than something that already exists?

[Spike413]

^ I don't think it's that people want another Lanvin or Owens. I think it's just that Elbaz and Owens are two designers who come to mind when one thinks of designers who have an innate understanding of what it was that Vionnet herself was all about. The two of them take what she stood for and apply it to their own work in a contemporary, individualistic way.

I don't really see what's challenging about this. It's predictable fare, but the technique isn't handled particularly well. When it comes to draping, less is more.

[gimmethatbag]

GAHH! My eyes! Overworked, overworked, overworked. It's too much look. I call this Macy attempts to go "designer."