[mikeijames]

it's quite interesting that some of the same people who criticize chanel for always being the same seem never to apply the same criticism to their own words. clearly, the clothes have changed from season to season, yet they choose to use the exact same words -- too boring, too old, nothing new -- as if the exact same looks just paraded in front of them.

what strikes me about this collection -- especially in such sharp contrast to that tear-jerkingly pure and distilled presentation last season -- remains how on-the-pulse and even reactionary these clothes appear for chanel. one could pull apart these looks and incorporate them in looks as varied as the purple androgynous sparkle look from dolce and gabbana or the spaghetti strapped tank look from balmain or even the loooong long lengths that we've seen championed by houses like the row. but the most notable development in this house came in its nod to the au courant shapeliness that defines the silhouette fall/winter ready to wear. it's at vuitton. it's at miu miu. it's at givenchy. it's at moschino. it's at marc jacobs. and now, it's at chanel.

it's odd to see chanel couture in the passenger seat when it comes to trends like this, but given the near radical change in the development of the chanel jacket, i'll take it.