Fashion and Beauty

I wanted to spend this week sharing some of my fashion articles that I've written. Enjoy!

Today's article is about John Galliano's Spring/Summer 2008 Fashion Collection.

Beautiful shirt. Beautiful, beautiful skirt. Who wouldn't love a skirt like that?? And then, there's the hat. There's a wee little stuffed lion sitting on top of that woman's head. Let's just pretend that it's not there.

Despite loving this collection, I hate this piece. First of all, there is a seam down the middle. He didn't bother trying to match up the pattern, which is amateurish. Galliano is better than that (although he probably did it intentionally). Second, the ruffles make it look like the model's crotch is eating the swimsuit. I apologize for that horrible visual, by the way. But that's the best way to describe it.

Yes, the eye makeup and swimcap are awful. But look at the swimsuit! The sheer black overlay is outstanding. And the way the seams are done is absolutely masterful. My favorite part has to be the small ruffle at the top.

I don't like the shrug as much as I like the swimsuit, but I understand why it's there.

At first glance, this skirt just looks ruffled. But if you take a closer look, you'll notice that it's one enormous rosette on the front that is made up of ruffles. What an interesting idea!

I'm less fond of the bodice and sleeves, but even these seem to work with the overall style of the dress.

WOW!!! This really is couture quality styling. The size of it would be a turn-off for actually trying to wear it down the streets, but this is such an artistic piece that I don't care. Many of my long-time readers will know that I regularly compare fashion to art. This is the Mona Lisa of fashion. It's breathtaking, and interesting, but if a normal person had the chance to own it, it would just screw matters up. lol With the Mona Lisa, you're not going to hang it in your living room, because it would look tacky in that setting. And this isn't meant to hang in ordinary closets either. But that doesn't mean its beauty can't be enjoyed.

Now THAT'S a coat!! lol

What a cool, sexy, retro look. It's got such a strong 20's influence, and it's really lovely in the strangest way possible. I enjoy this collection very much, because while many designers go back to the 20's for inspiration, so few of them can create collections that look like they are from there with a few modern upgrades.

Nobody else could use that much tulle and have it still turn out pretty.

There's one important, very special area that I want to call your attention to. Look just above the tulle skirt, right at the stomach. See those circles. I don't know how he did it on that sheer fabric. But I am impressed. To put that kind of detail on sheer fabric, WOW! And on the chance that he bought this fabric with it already like that (a real possibility), he still had the good sense to think about what kind of look would work well with it.

Perfect.

I don't care for the braid down the side, but the rest of it is perfect. Now, certainly this isn't the kind of outfit you're going to throw on and wear down the street. But it gives other designers ideas for clothes you will see. Take those circles for example. I would predict that if designers follow his lead, we will see a lot of quilted type garments in about three years. The circles are some really fancy stitchwork, which is going to be carried over through quilting. See how this trickles down.

This is a really pretty swimsuit, but the capelet over it- stunning. The left side is practically one big flower, and the sides overlap each other. So beautiful, and even more imaginative.

There's not many flapper dresses this size, and yet, this works so perfectly. The two large poufs of fabric that form rosettes are really cool, and the layers and layers of ruffles make it exquisite. You know, I was ready to declare ruffles completely dead, and those who wore them would be relegated to the halls of "Out of Style" for a period of seven years (up for parole in three). But when Galliano speaks, I'm smart enough to listen. And he's definitely saying that ruffles are HERE.

Although this item is a ruffled top of sorts, it's the fact that it is very bib-like that I like about it. The ruffles are amazing. They are not all the same level, and are staggered, giving it a lacy appearance where there is no lace present. And that hat is awesome!

Can you see what a fun collection this is? The models aren't just walking in a straight line, but are at times sitting and skipping. There is a lifeguard behind them, and a complete beach scene set up.

I don't normally do this, but it's worth it this time. I rarely see collections that captivate me so fully as John Galliano's Spring/Summer 2008 collection. I can recall a few collections which made me gasp at how beautiful all of the pieces were, but none entertained me so thoroughly as this one. Elie Saab is stunning, Heatherette is fun and entertaining, Gareth Pugh is innovative, and Alexander McQueen makes you think. But this is the first collection that combines every single one of those attributes. Truly, you must see this to get the whole idea.

Amazing job. :)