The Most Overrated Designers...

[irulan]

I heartily disagree on Marc Jacobs.
It is indeed annoying that he has reached such an iconic status in fashion that people don't even dare to put out an honest critic anymore about him. But that's not necessarily MJ's fault.
I don't think Marc Jacobs draws too much inspiration from the past. Yes, for FW the eighties inspired him. What about SS though? Or the graphic FW 08 season? Or the Prince collection that was inspired by Spongebob-colours. The flower collection? Sorry, there are tons of designers who do the eighties for one season and the seventies for the next, but Marc is not one of them.
And even if he does, it's never those stereotypes. He's no Galliano. When he takes up on Vermeer, he uses his volouptous colours and combines them with sportswear. For me, MJ is one of the few designers who created a look for our decade and did not just recycle old trends. His grungy collections changed the face of fashion in recent years.
Wearing a Marc Jacobs is a statement, as wearing Prada or McQueen. He has created a philosophy that surrounds his work that is modern, open-minded, a bit ironic, chic, unexpected and yet feminine. I don't see how he could be possibly overrated.
I can understand when somebody doesn't like his clothes. That's simple. I don't like his FW collection for his own line either. I don't like Prada's stuff most of the time, yet I would never deny, that she is an icon. Just Like Marc Jacobs.

I also don't think all American designers suck. I think they focus more on wearability and don't put up such a magic circus. That wouldn't fit the city, imo. I think Milan is way crappier. What interesting Fashion shows are there besides Prada, Dolce, BV and maybe Jil Sander? There are some fantastic designers in New York and the city is still young.
And yeah, Alxander Wang sucks.

 

[nicestthing]

Roberto Cavalli always designs such tacky clothes

Agree. Still cannot believe that people love him so much.

 

[xFashionfollower]

irulan: Very well said.

 

[j'adore_couture]

^ Is Alexander Wang really that famous though?

I was flipping through an old issue of Vogue UK the other day, they way they carried on with their Wang idolatry was quite shocking. I admit that he has some sense of aesthetics but his creations don't seem to embody any prominent inspirations or show individuality. They just look like...streetwear. But in the high fashion world in North America, yes, he's quite famous.

Well put, irulan, American designers seem to focus more on wearability, but sometimes (only with certain designers, I guess) it just seems that their clothes are devoid of personality. Of course, Milan (and Paris and London) has its faults, too.

 

[FashionPower]

Well the most overrated designer out there is Nicholas for Balenciaga in my opinion.I don't care how creative and visionary he can be but a designer that cannot even design different clothes and shows the same version of a dress 8 times with just something changed(different straps,different colors and so on)is not a designer for me.
Now a lot of people will tell me that I don't understand anything about fashion and...it's true!I don't study fashion and I'm not a fashion expert but when I watch a runway show I wanna see more different clothes as possible!And then I hate all the hype and attention that Vogue US and other magazines put on Balenciaga collections,I mean they have been rating his collection as the best of every season for about 3 years

 

[La bordélique]

Well the most overrated designer out there is Nicholas for Balenciaga in my opinion.I don't care how creative and visionary he can be but a designer that cannot even design different clothes and shows the same version of a dress 8 times with just something changed(different straps,different colors and so on)is not a designer for me.
Now a lot of people will tell me that I don't understand anything about fashion and...it's true!I don't study fashion and I'm not a fashion expert but when I watch a runway show I wanna see more different clothes as possible!And then I hate all the hype and attention that Vogue US and other magazines put on Balenciaga collections,I mean they have been rating his collection as the best of every season for about 3 years

I have to disagree... Balenciaga collections under Nicolas Ghesquière surely have their highs and lows, but we need to keep in mind that he's designing for an existing house and not only under his own name. It would be terrible to see a young designer not sticking to the brand aesthetic and create a completely different concept for every season just to please fashion victims.

 

[reese06]

I have to disagree... Balenciaga collections under Nicolas Ghesquière surely have their highs and lows, but we need to keep in mind that he's designing for an existing house and not only under his own name. It would be terrible to see a young designer not sticking to the brand aesthetic and create a completely different concept for every season just to please fashion victims.

Showing the same dress in different fabrics has nothing to do with staying true to the brand aesthetic. The poster I think was talking about showing the same garment over and over on the runway just in different fabric or changing the color of a strap. I'm pretty indifferent and it really depends on the show but he does seem to do this a lot. But sometimes it does feel a bit repetitive and can really drag a show on too long just because the designer felt like they need to show more pieces. But then again, a fashion show is also used to sell goods to those who can't always make it into the store so it really is a chance to show "everything you've got".

Source: Style.com

 

[EvaIntl]

But then again, a fashion show is also used to sell goods to those who can't always make it into the store so it really is a chance to show "everything you've got".

having to show everything you've got makes you seem desperate.

 

[La bordélique]

Haha, that was my least favorite collection of his... I can't really recall another time he's done this, though.

 

[arlekindearrabal]

^He does it all the time in his collections.

I don't agree that it's only for repetition sake's though... I believe that by not editing similar designs out, he gets his point across more firmly that by only showing it once... That parade of vividly-printed silk shirtdresses just made me drool this last time around.

 

[Spike413]

Yes, Ghesquiere usually does this, but it's not uncommon at all. In fact most designers do this, that's how you build a collection. You start with one piece and then think up as many variations of/ways of styling that piece as you can. For example Rick Owens, each one of his jackets that he shows on a runway is different, but only slightly. A small detail here and there has been added or changed to differentiate it from the others. They aren't radically different from each other though. On the other hand Tom Ford would take one jacket/pant/top/skirt, shown in different colors and materials, and tweak the styling to make different looks using the same core pieces. It's really about editing, when the designer and their team goes through the racks and racks of samples that have been made to select the most important pieces.

What Ghesquiere shows on the runway is just a fraction of what's been made for that season, it's what he and his team feel is the undiluted essence of the collection, and showing variations on the same piece/look is a way of showing different ways of wearing them to buyers, editors and the potential customers who will see images of the show. More than that though it's Ghesquiere's way of getting his point across as clearly as possible. I think it's just more noticable with Balenciaga collections because in general Ghesquiere doesn't style his looks very heavily. You're left to focus on the one or two pieces that the model is wearing, rather than an overall look. He also happens to prefer sending his pieces out in series, so you'll see a few variations on this piece, a few variations on that, followed by variations on another. That's probably why it seems monotinous.

But that doesn't make him untalented or lazy in the least, because as with any designer what he's showing you is only a percentage of what he's done for that season.

 

[irulan]

I have to heartily disagree on Ghesquière, too. (Now follows once again a passionate speech on the genius of this designer.)

Yes, Nicolas has the habit of showcasing very similiar outfits multiple times on his runways, only slightly varying in colour or cut.
That makes him overrated? Hardly. It gives his collections a cohesiveness that makes them easy to label with one word that at the same time, for the Ghesquière-enthusiast, recreates pictures of multiple inspirations (If you remember the dramatic geometric, cut up to there LBDs that opened last fall, you remember the asian printed rubber suits that closed it, too).
Just because a skirt is shown in pink and lilac, does it take away from the beauty of its design? No. The gathered velvet print dresses are gorgeous both in emerald or ocean blue, aren't they?
Different cuts and colours and prints splattered all over the place is what makes a collection seem desperate. It's like saying: 'I put out all these outfits, so there has to be one that you like!'
A Nicolas par Balenciaga says 'This is my vision. It's a lace bra, dotted tights, a draped dress, wear it in your favourite colour, if you like.'
It's so much more subtle. And it's confident. I highly prefer five to six good looks in wonderful colours that define what to wear next season to a little bit of everything.
Now, if you don't like these looks, fine. Like I said before. That is something wholy different. No, I don't want Balenciaga, that's what makes fashion interesting, that everyone prefers his or her own.
Yet to deny that Nicolas Ghesquière has created a defining look for the past couple seasons would be like saying Marc Jacobs is overrated.

 

[Squizree]

Haha, that was my least favorite collection of his... I can't really recall another time he's done this, though.

S/S 08??? Thats the WORST example of this. Although I did really like that collection.

 

[FashionPower]

Of course you can think that showing the same thing with different variations is Nichola's way to show his idea of what fashion is and should be but for me it feels like a sort of weak inspiration.It's like he has the capabilities to do great thing but he cannot create a real full collection
Look at these:

I know that top can be made in blue,orange and black,there's no need to show the same look with just different colors.If I want to buy the top in a different one I can go to the shop and choose m favorite.It's like he wasted 2 look,he could have done something different and show 2 other different looks
And what's the difference between these 2?

another look wasted in my opinion
...and so on with all his collections
That's why I think he's overrated.You can think of these looks as "iconic" but for me they're just uninspiring
all images from style.it

 

[Lackuiew]

No need to show his work more, Nichola always goes deeply into the fabric that's why all the resemblance of the silhouette occurs....You can't force a designer to develop everything & If you ever touch any Balenciaga showpiece by your hand, you'll know what i mean...

Furthermore, i cant believe some of these Nichola haters are Versace lovers..I adore Gianni but Donatella's work has no innovation, beautiful but boring...and the fabric sucks ..You guys can't judge a designer's work by the photo on style.com only ..Period..

 

[Squizree]

I love both Nicholas Ghesquire and Donatella Versace.

I dont know if I agree about Donatella's comment. I think she's really one of the few designers who are trying to move fashion forward. Fall 2009 is probably not a good example. But S/S 09 and F/W 08 were really innovative to me. I love the shapes that she chooses.
I do agree with the Style.com comment though, its just nto enough to look at.

 

[reese06]

Squirzee,

Even though Donatella is one of my favorites, she's not really innovative at all. She's great at presenting beautiful clothing but her clothing doesn't really set the trends or move fashion forward. I don't recall her creating innovative fabrics or techniques really at all. S/S 2009 and F/W 2008 were beautiful and while they might have been something new for Versace, it wasn't anything that we haven't seen before.

 

[irulan]

But I don't think Donatella Versace is overrated in any way. Nobody expects her to push fashion anywhere and you won't find anything on a Versace runway that you did not expect to be there.
She's one of those designers who just do what they do and everybody is okay with it.

 

[Lackuiew]

NO ONE here said she's overrated..Actually i admire this woman..she made up the deficits of Versace and got surpluses eventually..but those triumph could only prove she's an amazing businesswoman rather than an innovative designer..
while Nicolas got criticism to be revolutionary Donatella or others play safety consequently people are satisfied with them..it's absolutely unfair.. Donatella is a merely generic reference ..i dont aim at her

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Zac Posen for me personally does nothing, i have never, and i mean ever liked one single item he has designed, and its even worse when you see it in real life.