Hussein Chalayan F/W 11.12 Paris

[HeatherAnne]

No model talk allowed, so I'll message you

 

[ohmydays]

soo was this a presentation with the same model again and again?

 

[HeatherAnne]

soo was this a presentation with the same model again and again?

Ha, no, it was a film presentation this year that he played in his showroom.

 

[thedanae]

Front page on tFS today: Hussein Chalayan Fall 2011 Runway Review

 

[*ana*]

from style.com

PARIS, March 1, 2011
By Tim Blanks

Spring was called Sakoku, or "closed country," referring to Japan's deliberate policy of cultural isolation. For Fall, Hussein Chalayan titled his collection Kaikoku, meaning "open country," a reference to the way Japan was compelled to open up to the world in the traumatic aftermath of World War II. Phew! That's context.

Chalayan himself insisted he was shying away from anything literal. He was more inspired by the notion of a place—once isolated, now exposed—where new ideas could be explored, where wildly diverse elements could manifest in peculiar ways. That place sounds a lot like his own near 20-year career in fashion, which he has been tapping into more and more. Wise move—the world missed out on those Chalayan genius moments from the late nineties and early naughties. There is also no time like the present to be reminded that fashion's most cerebral designer has always been absorbed by the body. You could feel that obsession in the fluid lines of the tops and dresses that had scarves flowing from their lapels, or in the sinuous asymmetric bias-cut pieces.

Despite the designer's protestations to the contrary, the Japanese connection was inescapable. And explicable, because the rigorous thinking that goes into every Chalayan collection is something he instinctively shares with Japanese culture. Here, he was utterly mesmerized by Japanese form: the kimonolike sleeves and wraps, the delicate dévoré texture used on a coat and jacket, the oversize man-tailoring, even the robot dress that acted as the finale of the film that Chalayan directed in lieu of a show. And, not least, the model he chose for that film. She had the huge eyes, bud mouth, and flowing hair of a manga heroine made flesh. Plus, there was an abstracted photographic print the designer visualized as the view through a Japanese window of an American bomber.

The evocation of a moment of violent transition in a country's history crystallized an enduring frustration for Chalayan's rah-rah club in the fashion industry. There is absolutely no doubt that he is driven by an intense passion for his work. He has extraordinary ideas—and the all-consuming drive to realize them. That robot dress, for instance, which unleashed spring-loaded crystals intended to convey the idea of pollen exploding into the air. Gaga will go gaga, and the world will hear Chalayan's name one more time. But he is so much more than a gimmick, and this collection is, unfortunately, not the one to let the world know that.

i didn't think this collection was gimmicky at all
and i hate how he said "gaga will go gaga", i really don't see lady gaga in any of this.

 

[Scott]

^i hated that gaga comment too. it's just so patronising and offensive. like we're all puppets that need to be led. chalayan has been around a lot longer than that and some of us have been on this journey with him so we know what he does and what he's capable of. it's irrelevant. the collection is not even that flamboyant anyway,so i too,do not understand the correlation,anyway.

as far as gimmicks,has tim followed his previous collections at all? this is chalayan of the old days....authentic and pure.

 

[masquerade]

this is a really beautiful collection. to be honest though, i am a little torn about this. I miss the days when Chalayan's presentations were more than just beautifully made clothes. They were artistic and political statements. I guess that doesn't sell too well, but some of his older shows were magic. His living room converting into clothing collection was one of the shows that got me into fashion.

 

[dizzytacks]

i hate to use the word sophisticated but that word kind of sums up how i feel about this collection.

 

[Donatello89]

really really good !!! shadows prints are more than great !!!!!!!

 

[Inaya]

^i hated that gaga comment too. it's just so patronising and offensive. like we're all puppets that need to be led. chalayan has been around a lot longer than that and some of us have been on this journey with him so we know what he does and what he's capable of. it's irrelevant. the collection is not even that flamboyant anyway,so i too,do not understand the correlation,anyway.

as far as gimmicks,has tim followed his previous collections at all? this is chalayan of the old days....authentic and pure.

seriously... Blanks is talking out of his a$$ there. this is one of the most stripped-down showcases of Chalayan's pure finesse and ingenuity.. totally devoid of anything that could be considered a gimmick. I wondered if he was looking at the same collection as we are

 

[dizzytacks]

i hate to use the word sophisticated but that word kind of sums up how i feel about this collection.

 

[MulletProof]

I don't understand that review by Tim Blanks, I always find him so sensitive and knowledgeable on what he writes and the way he understands collections.. I certainly don't find this particular collection as devastatingly amazing as some have, perhaps because I have a specific way of seeing Chalayan and this doesn't quite fulfill that notion, but Gaga + gimmicks, really?, did he overlook Chalayan's experiments in 2007?, he's been doing this for years, Tim knows that better than anyone.. so bizarre that he'd write something like that after his years of experience and witnessing Hussein's development as a creator, I can only conclude they probably don't get along too well.

 

[TianSoFine]

I still don't get this brand's aesthetic. Influenced by a different designer every season or what?
I'm going to be a combo breaker here and say that I find this collection to be a bit average in every sense.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Love that window airplane print! It is fantastic. Also, the jackets/blazers are so severe and striking; I'll bet they'd look great in motion. The dry ice in the presentation just reminds me of 80s dance clubs. Lol.

 

[Scott]

mullet,that's exactly how i felt too. i've long been a fan of tim blanks...in fact it was he who introduced me to fashion,so i've always trusted his synopsis. it's disappointing that he would resort to this kind of pandering review. indeed,he knows chalayan and has followed him long enough to know what the man is brilliant at. you're deduction could be right though---it seems too odd.

as far as the conceptual aspects....certainly it doesn't have the same kind of dynamics as the cocoon collection or the coffee table skirt and thereafter....but even in those,within that narrative,there was multitudes of beautiful,pure,well-made clothes that you wanted to own...wanted to wear.

 

[cygnenoir]

Hmmm, I don't agree with Tim Blanks at all.

I've seen a lot of gorgeous collections in the last few weeks (and hopefully a few more to see) but I keep coming back to this one.

It's just so beyond that I don't even know how to describe it. Chalayan has always been a favorite but he is working his way up there again. Where everyone else is a mere designer, he is an artist. Some of the lines here make me want to weep.

 

[ettebe]

Simply stunning!

 

[Menace]

It's boring, but wearable and sophisticated.
For me, it feels like I'm staring at a blank canvas.

 

[afterrhours]

So much better than what he has shown recently! I love that it is stripped down to those beautiful cuts. I don't understand the last two lines from the review by Tim Blanks at all and I do generally like to read his reviews. Still, I don't need a critic to tell me what's good and what's not, and I don't find the collection to be gimmicky at all.

 

[thedanae]

Front page on tFS today: Paris Fashion Week Fall 2011 Hits and Misses (Forum Buzz)