Alexander Wang S/S 11 New York

[ilaughead]

^Agreed! When I read that earlier all I could think the entire time was how I've never read a more scathing review. Seriously, that one is harsh. However, Cathy has a tendency to be right most of the time, just sayin'.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

this collection has somewhat grown on me
for some reason I put designers like
John Galliano
Stella McCartney
Alexander Wang
Karl for Fendi
Derek Lam
and im sure there are others on a list of designers who will always be good in my eyes
it took backstage shots on MDC for me to realize that there was some A.Wang still in this collection

 

[Botnus]

I like green, but that green ensembles on Mirte and the girl behind her (shiny green jacket) are horrid.

 

[lordevan]

one of his stronger collections IMO. Love the knotted shoes.

 

[chloehandbags]

Oh dear...

I think I, sort of, get where he was going with this, but I don't think he got there, at all.

Everything's just too square (I mean literally, BTW - not figuratively, man, LOL!) - whereas, if I'm reading this right, it should have been inverted triangles, with slightly rounded edges here and there.

With better cuts and proportions this could have been quite interesting.

 

[chloehandbags]

see,as soon as you feel like he's finally starting to create something a little more distinct for himself,he kind of falls back into derivative mode. and it's not helmut lang i see,it has more of a demeulemeester/margiela/branquinho air about it. it's very obvious to me that's what he is trying to work with.

I don't really see '90s Lang in this, either.

The colours (or lack of them) and the fabrics, perhaps, but not the silhouettes.

To me, this looks like an attempt to recreate what was around in the early-to-mid '80s (albeit a somewhat failed one), rather than the '90s.

 

[disco54]

^^^ chloehandbags thats what I said earlier , it looks like a Kenzo collection circa 1985 on crack

 

[Mutterlein]

oh, i agree, but i believe he'll grow into that. helmut lang didn't even start his line until he reached thirty years and he presented in europe first. the helmut lang aesthetic we know came about when the man himself stood in his late thirties and forties.

alexander wang launched his line at twenty three in new york. the world has changed, but he has the ability to carry that deconstruction forward to the girl who wears this stuff today.

The main thing to remember is that Helmut was able to successfully execute his ideas because his work was of the highest quality. Alexander Wang's clothes are far far from quality. You would be disturbed if you knew what other clothing lines where produced in the same factories as the ones he uses.

His clothes are deconstructed alright, right as you put them on and a button pops off, a zipper rips, or a sleeve unravels. And don't get me started on the fabric...

 

[Daydreamer70]

I see references to Katherine Hamnet's washed siilk pieces from the mid 80's, as well as an all white collection done by Rifat Ozbek in 1990, which featured models with white feathers jutting out from their hair, giving almost the same exact effect as the paint splattered hairstyles in this collection.

However I happen to like those references, and since most designers seem to do nothing but reference the past these days (Marc Jacobs), I don't really see why everyone is coming down so hard on Wang for that industry wide sin.

I like the deconstuction/construction site vibe, with the "doodle" prints, and the metallic duct tape patches, and paint splatter textures, and the general slouchy easy look of the clothes. I even like the mint green, although I totally understand why most women wouldn't be caught dead in it.

 

[Scott]

^Agreed! When I read that earlier all I could think the entire time was how I've never read a more scathing review. Seriously, that one is harsh. However, Cathy has a tendency to be right most of the time, just sayin'.

not only is she spot on 95% of the time but she's also one of the very few journos who's actually honest. brutally so...

and she got it right here too.

 

[emailme.]

in general,

alexander wang dresses his generation therefore it has to be accessible, cool, and stamped with approval with a wang tag.

Dont expect the best fabrics and to be comparable to established older houses because its not the same league.

What Wang succeeds in is maintaining his creativity but still being able to produce the pieces and sell them. The business aspect of it is genius. As he continues to grow he will have more room to take risks but for now he edits and allows his business to nourish. He's in for the long haul and one day his creativity will match his business sense.

 

[missbluejean]

wow Cathy Horyn ripped Wang to bits lol

How did I manage to miss this

This is so harsh... yet so true especially the last part.

 

[mackos]

Usually I'm not the first one to like Alexander Wang, but I really love this one. It feels so wonderfully refreshing, the fabrics seem so light and pure. Together with the setting, styling and soundtrack the show was great.

 

[disco54]

Cathy Horyn is the voice of realism in the fashion world , back in the 90s ,she pointed out how Tommy Hilfiger was over doing it with their logo and she made some harsh comments , but TH did listen and restructured the brand , and he later thanked her for it .

 

[Dkammern]

Cathy Horyn is the voice of realism in the fashion world

not only is she spot on 95% of the time but she's also one of the very few journos who's actually honest. brutally so...

and she got it right here too.

I know this is slightly off topic, but seriously... just because she is brutally harsh with the collections she dislikes (which are many), it doesn't mean that she is ALWAYS sincere...
we all know anything coming from Lagerfeld or Alaia will get an A+ from her.
Just like most stuff from Ricardo Tisci gets the quintessential-Horyn treatment (she admittedly is too hard on him).
Honesty and realism aren't the first words that come to mind when I think of her. Perhaps they are with Menkes, but definitely not Horyn.

 

[mikeijames]

in general,

alexander wang dresses his generation therefore it has to be accessible, cool, and stamped with approval with a wang tag.

Dont expect the best fabrics and to be comparable to established older houses because its not the same league.

What Wang succeeds in is maintaining his creativity but still being able to produce the pieces and sell them. The business aspect of it is genius. As he continues to grow he will have more room to take risks but for now he edits and allows his business to nourish. He's in for the long haul and one day his creativity will match his business sense.

i so agree. also, let's not forget. alexander wang isn't a high-end fashion line like some of the others so comparisons in that regard don't make sense. his price point falls within the "contemporary" clothing lines or bridge lines so the quality we associate with the very high end won't ever be there.

 

[Escale Cherie II]

Nice to see him experiment with color, unfortunately it looks like glorified bed sheets. Actually, I really like that aqua color though, looks like the sea and makes me think of it, which is good for summer.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

I know this is slightly off topic, but seriously... just because she is brutally harsh with the collections she dislikes (which are many), it doesn't mean that she is ALWAYS sincere...
we all know anything coming from Lagerfeld or Alaia will get an A+ from her.
Just like most stuff from Ricardo Tisci gets the quintessential-Horyn treatment (she admittedly is too hard on him).
Honesty and realism aren't the first words that come to mind when I think of her. Perhaps they are with Menkes, but definitely not Horyn.

actually if you rea her interview in The Harper's Bazaar Runway Report
it will seem a lot clearer of why she says the things the way she does

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

well apparently Karen Elson sees the Helmut Lang
reference as well...so if she sees it then its there
@2:08

 

[emailme.]

on a side note, how do the models just bleach their brows for one show? what do they use? i mean isnt it alot of damage to bleach and die back?

i heard agyness refused to bleach her brows.