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femme fAtAle

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PAstel PoWer

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leAther

me uP

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tAll tAils

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cross dressing

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stePford Wife

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column on

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the bAd

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droP the WAist

At A glAnce

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mcQueen’s

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in detAil

IntroductIonA current of minimalism pumps through fashion’s main vein this season, though we do see interesting deviations from the beat of this austere black pulse. There are, as always, two fashion camps: those that know it is Autumn/Winter and have a sense of the public’s mood and those who are trapped in a fashion fantasy and have no idea which way is up. Broadly, this season can be broken in half; the saintly, commercial, wearable and disciplined collections and the mad, bad, glorious and strange. Phoebe Philo described her Autumn/Winter collection as “strong, powerful, reduced”, which could be the mantra for the entire season. 1/ Femme FataleFocused, direct and sexy, these women in black with red lips or red with black lips have an austerity and shadowy air that is both dangerous and exciting. Marching like warriors, they pound towards you with purpose and poise, even sill they have a forceful, fierce energy. The key to this look is the depth of colour, what some are calling an ‘exploration of black’, showing off cuts and textures rather than colours or digital images. Cut low to reveal vital body parts or draped to kiss and cling to curves. Think: Film Noir meets Jessica RabbitLook: Dangerous and provocativeBuy: A new little black dress. 2/ Pastel PowerDelicate dainty and powdery, these candyfloss colours pique our interest as they dance through the dreary black ensembles that mark many a winter runway. A charming visual surprise that has a warming effect on the soul. This escapism from the hefty weight of winter weather is energetic in its lightness and sweetness. Some enjoy simple

monochromatic pastels while others use multiple pastels on soft cashmeres. The key here is soft colours on soft fabrics, worn to skip through miserable weather with subdued optimism. Think: MarshmallowsLook: Dusty and pureBuy: A powder-coloured cashmere jumper.

3/ leather me uP The obscene over use of leather this season is so all encompassing that it is reticent of a time when no other fabric existed. Couplets of leather skirts and leather jackets have a subversive effect; both sexual and militaristic. Classic shapes are curved and carved into extraordinary pieces of art side by side with offerings of protective and warming elements. S&M leathers constructed to get you excited about the cold. Think: GestapoLook: As if you are about to pilot a propeller plane in 1953Buy: A long line leather coat. 4/ tall taIlsThe cut of the moment is short at the front and long at the back, swooping into a gentle curve as it goes. A typical dinner jacket-tail worn on atypical jackets. This elegant line is having a rebirth in womenswear and will eclipse the Boyfriend jacket this season. We see parkas, ruffled styles, classic double breasted blazers, thick coats, trench coats and bouclé versions. Think: Penguin Look: Polished and purposefulBuy: Swallow-tailed jacket. 5/ cross-dressIngBalance, ballast, basic menswear reinterpreted into credible girls clothing. Double-breasted navy two-pieces are brilliantly simple and utterly timeless. Superfine wools and cashmere, woven

to move effortlessly with the body, bring back the joy of dressing up although here, we are rummaging through a repertoire of men’s clothing rather than our usual dressing-up box. Details include waistcoats worn with jackets, pressed centre seams, pocket-watches, ties, cravats, handkerchiefs and for the brave, a painted on moustache. Enjoy the escapism...Think: Like a manLook: Like a womanBuy: A tailored three-piece trouser suit.

6/ stePFord wIFeNeat, dressy daywear worn by immaculately groomed women who pay a little too much attention to detail and thereby erase their uniqueness with convention. These women are eschewing fashion to live in a time warp – but fashion has caught up with them. Details include beehives, hand-cream [I imagine] and the new length skirt that hovers just below the knee with a demure drape. Subdued colours and an element of inappropriateness of occasion also beget this trend, as if they are about to do the gardening wearing gold brocade Capri pants and three-inch heels. Think: Like a domestic goddessLook: Polished to perfectionBuy: Hairspray and a new length pencil skirt. 7/ column on‘Strict’, ‘stark’, ‘severe’, ‘serious’, ‘disciplined’ and ‘monastic’ are the terms being used to describe this monolithic trend. The clean lines and lack of embellishment is typical of a back-to-basics approach, clothes with purpose and function – not fluff. An indulgence too in non-colours such as black, white, beige and cream compound the simplicity. There is also an aversion to curves and layers, think instead of

tightly woven felts, rich structured wools and heavily starched cottons. This look is all about embracing the austerity of minimalism and showing that less can be more. Fashions default position; safe, wearable and alive with structural elements. Think: ArchitectureLook: Minimal and edgyBuy: A beige column skirt. 8/ droP the waIstThe short, narrow silhouette makes an erogenous zone of the elongated waist and allows dresses and skirts to blossom out below the nipped-in detailing. The shorter skirts, some pelmet-like in their width, attempt to recreate all the gawkiness of Olive Oyl, with none of her innocence. Here we have a trend linked only by detail and a move south of the belt. The modernity of this look comes from the bell shape or explosion that occurs below the dropped band and the insouciance of the wearer.Think: TwiggyLook: Effortlessly coolBuy: A drop-waisted mini in a structured fabric.

9/ alexander mcQueenPowerful, ethereal and sublime describes Lee McQueen’s last exhibition of 16 outfits. Shown in silence to a private and select audience of editors, in an ornate and intimate setting. This sombre atmosphere was not reflective of the clothes which are a light and elegant rendering of Mediaeval Empresses and Dark Age Madonnas. They are also littered with references to his personal history. Handcrafted or hand-loomed, the fabrics are perfectly cut and tailored immaculately, rich with his creativity and showmanship.

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FEMME FATALE sexually charged, assertive red lipped women out on the prowl.

Antonio Berardi

Alberta FerrettiEmporio Armani

Alberta Ferretti

Donna Karan

Christian Dior

Christopher KaneElie Saab

Givenchy Yves Saint LaurentChanel Gareth Pugh

Loewe

Carmen Marc Valvo

A.F. Vandevorst

Narciso Rodriguez

Paul Smith

Marni Balenciaga Osman

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PASTEL POWER

delicate summer colours divert from the dark drama of winter.

Balenciaga

Marc JacobsChristian Dior

Vivienne Westwood

Louis Vuitton

Giles Decon

Diane von FurstenbergDiane von Furstenberg Jonathan SaundersGiorgio Armani Gucci

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LEATHER ME uP aviator chic, in a gestapo meets garbo leather-off.

Celine Celine

Gareth Pugh

Giles Deacon

Burberry Prorsum

Haider Ackermann

Christian Dior

Gareth Pugh

Loewe

Christian Dior

Prada

Philosophy

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COLuMN ON minimalsim, beige and doric lines find companions in similarly shaped models.

Chloé

Giambattista Valli Gucci

Giles DeaconEmporio Armani

Giorgio Armani

Stella McCartneyMichael Kors Michael Kors

Gucci

Todd Lynn

Hermes

Hermes

Chloe

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CROSS DRESSING masculine attitude & clothing is cut close to the female form.

KenzoZac Posen

Michael Kors

Givenchy

Derek Lam

Balmain

Kenzo

Akris

Vivienne Westwood

Rag & Bone

Julien Macdonald

Dolce & Gabbana

Bottega Veneta

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TALL TAILS tuxedo cuts & swallow- tail finishes add new flourish to coats & jackets.

Alberta Ferretti

Celine

Rue du MailChristian DiorChanel

Byblos

Valentino

Jean Paul Gaultier Matthew WilliamsonLoewe Byblos

Miu Miu Giles Deacon

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DROP THE WAIST

low lying waist bands look drop dead gorgeous.

Giorgio Armani

Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli

Fendi

Alberta Ferretti

Brian Reyes

Rue du Mail

Rue du Mail

Miu Miu

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STEPFORD WIFE

submissive & docile clothes on women who are anything but.

Oscar de la Renta Rochas

Dolce & Gabbana

Louis VuittonOscar de la Renta Oscar de la Renta

Jason Wu

Dries Van Noten Yves Saint Laurent Victoria BeckhamPrada Giles Deacon

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mcQueen’s

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Alexander McQueen’s final collection

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THE BAD

creative droughts & inflated egos make these outfits less than desirable.

Akris

Louis Vuitton

Paul & Joe

The Rorschach test stain on this matching two piece draws the eye to all the wrong places and lacks any elegance.

Saggy knitted cardigan and merengue skirt look mismatched and dreary.

1920’s Chinese wallpaper as a silk tabard with knitted tights and slouchy sheepskin boots work as well as ice cream and pickles.

Versace

BalmainChanelRochas

How not to do the column of beige this season.

Several designers tried this torso of ombré look, none with quite as little success as Karl Largafeld.

Cheap and nasty these looks smack more of cheap than chic.