Quote:
June 28, 2009, 8:05 AM
Paris Men’s: Here and Yonder
By CATHY HORYN
I was merely warming up, A. Neto, on the subject of Givenchy. It was late when I returned to the hotel, after some midnight scrambled eggs at the Flore following the Raf Simons show, and my thoughts were fresh and not entirely in order. You are not suggesting, A. Neto, that I be concerned about being banned from a fashion show, nor are you saying I should watch what I say. Nonetheless the possibility occurs to you simply because I have said something sharp about Tisci’s collection. I have really said nothing. This was a lazy, pretentious, overwrought collection marked with the slight tear stain of Michael Jackson’s legacy, since, according to Tisci, he was to make clothes for the pop star’s concert series. If other designers, like John Galliano, were asked to make clothes for Jackson, we didn’t hear from them. They had enough good sense not to say anything. Besides, many designers are usually involved with making clothes and accessories for a performer’s tour.
Yesterday, while going around to the shows, a number of editors said to me, “The Givenchy look is contemporary—a lot of young guys dress like that.” And I replied, “That’s great, but it doesn’t mean the look is interesting.” To me, the Givenchy collection—the gold mesh top and leather shorts, the gold-studded tartan, the layers of baggy shorts over leggings, the Moroccan ethnic influences—smacks of the work of a stylist, rather than the specific vision of a designer. The collection has a cadged look of picking things up from here and yonder, notably Comme des Garcons. This method just betrays insecurity—the insecurity of a designer who doesn’t have a meaningful, real vision. No doubt the references in the collection could be explained by Tisci, but the best shows are generally clear to us—as well as the result of some kind of magic.
One of the difficulties I have with Tisci is that he is utterly humorless as a designer. This is not a problem for Bernhard Willhelm, who at times completely captures the silliness of fashion. His setting was a kind of artist’s studio, or maybe a children’s play room—the floor was set with easels, stacks of old books and covered with plastic sheeting—and the first model came out wearing an army helmet mounted with a pair of G.I. Joes. The clothes were clever variations on jungle or camo prints, with ponchos, shirts and fatigues done in a collage of fabrics and spiky textures. Very sweet and funny—and innocent.
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She can be quite irritating.
Her beef with him is personal I think. She is not criticizing: hers words are full of sheer and heavy insults. In a world as bland and mundane as mens fashion, I say everyone works as a stylist. Let's be honest: what are Slimane, Ford or even Simons?
They are all re-cutting and reforming either Saville Row or Giorgio Armani, with embellishments and clever styling. On the other hand, isn't that what every designer DOES today - sell an image within a vision rather than just well-made clothes?
If she wants humor, she should go and watch Bill Maher. I do not see Margiela or Rei doing anything light-hearted or 'humorous'.
http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/