LaQuan Smith S/S 2024 New York

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Such a waste of leather. Nothing really fits right, even if he is going for the p*rno-chic kind of look.

A lot of unimpressed models here too. Not sure if that was intended but there's "ice cold runway vixen", then there's "pissed off because nothing fits properly on me"/"my t*tties are way too squished for this".

 

[LadyJunon]

Had the fit and construction been on point, this collection would've been an actual genuine slay. *gag*

 

[Lola701]

He looks good…
I’m not so sure about his clothes but he does look good!

One thing that I appreciate about Laquan Smith is the consistency and the sense of identity. You look at this and you know it’s by him…For better or worse.

However, this is quite lackluster. I saw lately from him an attempt to be less obvious, to tap more into tailoring and to propose a more elevated version of his style. This does looks a step back from the last 2 seasons and a basic trashy mess…

Everything does looks cheap or badly cut. Embossed leather can look cheap very easily and here, it’s not working. The video vixen/backroom aesthetic is not helping either and the casting is meh…

I have a guilty pleasure for Laquan Smith because I have a guilty pleasure for this kind of tacky fashion. But it can only be fun when layered with fun references and high in terms of quality standards.

It’s time to step your game up Laquan!

 

[tricotineacetat]

He looks good…
I’m not so sure about his clothes but he does look good!

One thing that I appreciate about Laquan Smith is the consistency and the sense of identity. You look at this and you know it’s by him…For better or worse.

However, this is quite lackluster. I saw lately from him an attempt to be less obvious, to tap more into tailoring and to propose a more elevated version of his style. This does looks a step back from the last 2 seasons and a basic trashy mess…

Everything does looks cheap or badly cut. Embossed leather can look cheap very easily and here, it’s not working. The video vixen/backroom aesthetic is not helping either and the casting is meh…

I have a guilty pleasure for Laquan Smith because I have a guilty pleasure for this kind of tacky fashion. But it can only be fun when layered with fun references and high in terms of quality standards.

It’s time to step your game up Laquan!

When I read your comment I somehow can't ignore how it's become an accepted 'asset' for a lackluster designer to justify their place in the industry with very little talent and finesse - Just look at Jacquemus, a lot of (gay) men support him because he regularly serves them eye candy through his social media presence. This is a strategy clearly followed by other designers, be it Ludovic de Saint Sernin or La'Quan Smith where you get the feeling that designing clothes becomes second thought to developing a lifestyle first and product secondly.

Oh, how I miss the days of young designers basically looking like malnourished trash after taking a bow at the end of their shows...

 

[LostInNJ]

When I read your comment I somehow can't ignore how it's become an accepted 'asset' for a lackluster designer to justify their place in the industry with very little talent and finesse - Just look at Jacquemus, a lot of (gay) men support him because he regularly serves them eye candy through his social media presence. This is a strategy clearly followed by other designers, be it Ludovic de Saint Sernin or La'Quan Smith where you get the feeling that designing clothes becomes second thought to developing a lifestyle first and product secondly.

Oh, how I miss the days of young designers basically looking like malnourished trash after taking a bow at the end of their shows...

Not sure if you are saying Lola has given him a "pass" because he looks good or not, but I don't think she did. She still called out the clothes and how lackluster and cheap it looked.

However, I do get where you are coming from. I blame it on the age of social media and everyone having to become a brand 24/7 beyond doing the occasional interview and turning up at an event. The issue, as you have pointed out, is that it's a different form of validation that they receive which isn't related to the clothes, yet it somehow gives validation to the clothing because everyone is swooning over the designer.

 

[Lola701]

When I read your comment I somehow can't ignore how it's become an accepted 'asset' for a lackluster designer to justify their place in the industry with very little talent and finesse - Just look at Jacquemus, a lot of (gay) men support him because he regularly serves them eye candy through his social media presence. This is a strategy clearly followed by other designers, be it Ludovic de Saint Sernin or La'Quan Smith where you get the feeling that designing clothes becomes second thought to developing a lifestyle first and product secondly.

Oh, how I miss the days of young designers basically looking like malnourished trash after taking a bow at the end of their shows...

I point out that he was good looking because, first he is good looking and secondly, unfortunately it’s one of the only positive thing I can say about this collection (I mentioned the others).

‘I think being good looking helps for designers who have chosen to incarnante their brands. People wants the clothes and also to be photographed with the person making the clothes…That personification in fashion has always existed from Chanel to more recent times. My beloved Nicolas Ghesquiere is as good looking as he is talented.

‘The problem, and we have talked a lot about it here, is when those designers enjoy incarnate the persona of a fashion designer instead of focusing in designing.

I was a supporter of Jacquemus. He has an aesthetic, an identity, a story telling and there are collections I genuinely liked and bought pieces from but obviously, he is cultivating mediocrity by hiding it behind marketing.

The problem we have today, and it’s a case with Laquan, is that today we have designer who are either confident in terms of aesthetic but weak in terms of techniques, or technically skilled people with no identity. Some super-talented ones manages to be weak without identity.

The problem is that overall creative directors like Karl, Tom or even Miuccia have made it so glamorous to be designers that a whole generation forgets that at some point, they learned about fashion, they learned about construction, they evolved.

I was super dismissive of JWA in the beginning but today, nobody can say that his work doesn’t look achieved.

‘I think we agree actually but there aren’t enough voices to point that out. Are the customers of those brands even familiar with quality? What is their idea of quality?

 

[GoldenPetals]

Listen, nobody loves a flash and gloss more than me, but if you're gonna go for the Versace crown you better bring some damn good ideas or you're gonna be TOO all-style-no-substance.

 

[Nimsay]

doesnt @Lola701 like it bc it has Major Tom Ford vibes. Isnt she a TF customer? laquan is literally dressed like TF at the end. I also think hes cute but not blowing me away. I prefer men who arent into fashion tbh.


The collection is so TF 2004 mixed with Theyskens Rochas color pallette its kinda crazy. Its very clear - to me - what LS was looking at to come up with this collection. I do love the colors.

the seams bursting on that leather strapless top - maybe look 4- Is ridiculous. Like you cant even keep it stiched together for 15 minutes.

 

[Lola701]

doesnt @Lola701 like it bc it has Major Tom Ford vibes. Isnt she a TF customer? laquan is literally dressed like TF at the end. I also think hes cute but not blowing me away. I prefer men who arent into fashion tbh.


The collection is so TF 2004 mixed with Theyskens Rochas color pallette its kinda crazy. Its very clear - to me - what LS was looking at to come up with this collection. I do love the colors.

the seams bursting on that leather strapless top - maybe look 4- Is ridiculous. Like you cant even keep it stiched together for 15 minutes.

I don’t really see the Tom Ford vibes…
Maybe in the attitude and color palette but the Tom Ford kind of sensuality involves a lot of clothing…Which is not really the case with LaQuan even if he has mentioned Tom a lot as his inspiration.
I wouldn’t wear these clothes but I have a fascination for this kind of vulgarity. I have always had that guilty pleasure with Cavalli or Dsquared by the way. It’s so far remove from me that it’s actually interesting.

‘I’m not into fashionable men either but saying that he is good looking has nothing to do with taste in men…lol.

 

[jeanclaude]

-"Look Ma...no taste!"

 

[Nimsay]

I don’t really see the Tom Ford vibes…
Maybe in the attitude and color palette but the Tom Ford kind of sensuality involves a lot of clothing…Which is not really the case with LaQuan even if he has mentioned Tom a lot as his inspiration.
I wouldn’t wear these clothes but I have a fascination for this kind of vulgarity. I have always had that guilty pleasure with Cavalli or Dsquared by the way. It’s so far remove from me that it’s actually interesting.

‘I’m not into fashionable men either but saying that he is good looking has nothing to do with taste in men…lol.

I see your point. He wouldve made stuff longer - added opaque leggings. Overall toned it down so a more United Nations customer could find looks.

Again, youre right that the contemporary designers just want to travel in helicopters. They have no idea how to become serious enough that helicopter travel is neccessitated. No idea that Karl was Karl not because his personality, or bc he was beautiful when he was younger. Its because he could craft clothes impeccably; demonstrating mastery of fabric and seam. New NY designers dont get that. Most of the newer generation dont understand anything though - no concept of value or status.

i dont mind a touch of vulgarity. A dash of hedonism. It keeps the looks from becoming too well edited. Being too “tasteful” is also bad taste to me. Anyone can wear a tan suit w white shirt from Dolce or whomever and look great. It takes skill to mix stuff together.

i mean i dont even see looks with men. I havent in my life. I look at bank accounts lol. If we didnt mention it - laquans face wouldnt even register to me. If I were single , id be thinking whos bank rolling him and is he gay.

 

[Nimsay]

I mean tastes have shifted. At one point showing the ankle was controversial. Now women are walking in sheer leggings as pants.

 

[Phuel]

He’s clearly inspired by Tom (and Gianni), in more ways than just his designs. There’s a story in the current issue of W, and he’s very much modelling his image/lifestyle after Tom's.

But like Lola, I also don’t see Tom’s sensibilities in any of this. With Tom’s own line, along with his Gucci/YSL, there were always more than just the blatant display of blue-blood vulgarity and decadence, even trashiness and bad taste of, with his plethora of historical and cultural references. That if all the mentioned provocations, and that would include all the usual status-trappings of decadence in all the glitter, crocodile skins and furs were stripped away, there were also— and always, such classic and timeless luxurious fashions to be had. Tom’s was always so much more nuanced, subversive, and multi-dimensional; it’s why someone ike Terry Richardson worked for his brand with the great dynamics of the proper and the vulgar, while Terrry shooting for Philip Plein never worked. Even if LaQuan’s has improved on his tailoring, it’s all so one-dimensional: There’s nothing to strip away. Like @disco54 posted, it’s all really a wardrobe for high-priced escorts/dancers/Housewives of.. etc etc.That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because I enjoy the movie Showgirls— in all its gaudy, tacky, campy cringe and that’s all it is, even if the director didn’t have that in mind. Just like LaQuan.

 

[LadyJunon]

He’s clearly inspired by Tom (and Gianni), in more ways than just his designs. There’s a story in the current issue of W, and he’s very much modelling his image/lifestyle after Tom's.

But like Lola, I also don’t see Tom’s sensibilities in any of this. With Tom’s own line, along with his Gucci/YSL, there were always more than just the blatant display of blue-blood vulgarity and decadence, even trashiness and bad taste of, with his plethora of historical and cultural references. That if all the mentioned provocations, and that would include all the usual status-trappings of decadence in all the glitter, crocodile skins and furs were stripped away, there were also— and always, such classic and timeless luxurious fashions to be had. Tom’s was always so much more nuanced, subversive, and multi-dimensional; it’s why someone ike Terry Richardson worked for his brand with the great dynamics of the proper and the vulgar, while Terrry shooting for Philip Plein never worked. Even if LaQuan’s has improved on his tailoring, it’s all so one-dimensional: There’s nothing to strip away. Like @disco54 posted, it’s all really a wardrobe for high-priced escorts/dancers/Housewives of.. etc etc.That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because I enjoy the movie Showgirls— in all its gaudy, tacky, campy cringe and that’s all it is, even if the director didn’t have that in mind. Just like LaQuan.

Thanks for reminding me of Terry Richardson...

 

[tricotineacetat]

Truth be told, Tom's womenswear collections under his own name often riffed more on the vulgar side of his taste and while some called it 'audacious', I think it's clear they never really managed to reach the greatness of some of his best Gucci collections. Thus, I don't think in hindsight people will look back on the collections made under his own name the same way as his Gucci collections - His swansong collection really didn't sum up the best of all he had to give to fashion. More so, it showed it was about time he retired.

La'Quan clearly only looked at Tom Ford in the least-nuanced way and it shows in the two-dimensional ideas of hardly-there dressing. You can do gaudy clothes, you can be a maximalist, but it takes a creative with an exceptionally gifted eye to turn that into something good. Truth be told, he never had any of this and really all that speaks to his favor is the selling power of his social media and the attention he receives as an eye candy. A less savvy entrepreneur with a more introvert persona would have been finished at this point, but because of those assets, some people give him the benefit of doubt he does not deserve.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Tom’s earlier offerings under his namesake label still hold up next to his Gucci/YSL standards. Unfortunate that as time went on, his fashions left that timeless, classic foundation further behind and veered into the attention-seeking realm. Maybe it speaks more of the shallowness, tackiness, and gaudiness of the current fashion times and the desperation to keep up with them that so many designers reaching their 60s have given into, to remain relevant. HIs final collection was the worst of what his label has become.

LaQuan is savvy enough to know his clientele— and to be there at the right time, and at the right place in fashion. A decade ago, he would have been laughed off the industry for such dated shallowness of sexy and glamour. And it’s not because his fashions is nothing more than for THOT’s ballers’ wives, it’s because that’s all it is and nothing more. A woman cannot wear his fashions any other way but the way he’s presented it. But when that gir on the cover Cosmo is styled in the same caricature of Brtaz Doll as Julia Robert in Pretty Woman— what was once laughed off as low standard tacky, is now high-end empowered faeminity, LaQuan is revelling in it.

 

[Nimsay]

LaQuan is doing something right to have us discussing him so much. Theres that.

 

[Urban Stylin]

More than 30 looks and barely any impact due to finish issues and being all over the place. If only he focused on 15 -20 of the best looks in the collection and perfected the finish and made them more cohesive it would have been a decent collection. At least the models were not pulling down their skirts this time around.