Hiya hi hi Monday...I have a bit of a cold but man that Nyquil put me DOWN last night...usually I can't sleep but last night was positively Rip Van Winkle-esque...sleeping is the best revenge. Felt so good. Like most of you, I watched the Oscars and enjoyed the rouge carpet way more than the show itself. My top picks? Gwyneth beyond in white Tom Ford, Angie in Atelier Versace that looked very Madame X (but seriously, stick that gam back in the skirt- what was with all of that posing?) , Rooney in Givenchy Couture, and Michelle Williams in tangerine Louis V. Oh and props to Viola Davis and Glenn Close- fabulous for both- Viola in green green green Zac and Glenn in deep green Zac Posen. Risky both, but paid off in spades.
Which brings me to the dresses I often hate- the dresses that make women look like cupcakes. Since I have no ties to Hollywood and don't have to suck up to Harvey Weinstein, I'm going out on a limb and saying I am not a Marchesa girl (his wife is at the helm). I just hate overly girly, femmy things- they don't feel at all modern to me, not strong, and generally out of touch with womanhood today- because looking like a piece of cake does not allow you to eat it too, and that's what I hate about girly girlness. Which brings me to the best collection I have seen on any runway this side of the New York, London, and MIlan shows. I'm talking about Raf Simons' last collection for Jil Sander, and wow, what a way to go out. These looks are wearable, comfortable, and above all, beautiful.
Look after look came down the runway and had me transfixed- it's hard to put into words what I mean when I hate fussy, girly clothes, but these looks are a perfect example of how you can stil look utterly and perfectly feminine without looking like dessert. There is no fuss here, people. But what there are in spades are clothes that are soft, elegant, and sensual- wearing pink can be a challenge if you don't want to look like a lollipop, but wow. The pinks here are soft as cotton, and the clothes here are so utterly understated and wearable. I've talked on this blog about wanting to see Mrs. Obama in looks that don't feel so retro, so nipped in, so 50s housewife. Meryl Streep, I live for you, but look at these clothes- actually don't just look at them. Put them on. These are the clothes that soothe that ill- I see these looks as the antidote to any self imposed malady of how to look female yet not strong. I can see any high powered woman wearing these to embrace that lovely yin. That pale pink wrap coat is simply everything, and nothing less. The lovely muted tones of this collection feels positively heaven sent, though the black dresses are equally fabulous as is that shawl collared red coat below. The ease of these pieces just knocks me out. There is no sense of trying too hard, sucking it in, or starving oneself. Just look after look of timeless yet somehow completely modern clothes. I love. A lot.
Sure these clothes don't feel overly youthful- these are pieces for a woman who knows herself, who owns her feminity, but does not want a great deal of fuss. These are not clothes for flights of fancy or hapless whims- they're for ladies who have been there and done that, and want to just get it right. Piece after piece was perfection- if I had the funds, I would buy every piece here, and wear not much else. These clothes have an ease and are the perfect accompaniment for the woman who is confident in her own skin. Tina Fey, are you listening? I find her constant push to be high fashion all wrong- sure she wears lovely dresses, but all of that structure always makes me feel for her- like she can't wait to go home and put on her sweats. We've all been there- it's hard to be confident in clothes that are not true to one's style DNA- that's why Gwyneth's look worked for me- effortless, simple, transcendent, and beyond chic. I mean, isn't life hard enough? Why should fashion be so complicated? Leave that to Daphne Guinness- she's one of the few that to me looks more comfortable in heavily structured medieval threads.
Raf and Jil- they climbed that hill, and now I don't want to come down. I am beyond inspired to be a better woman when I look at these clothes- thank you Raf, for making a collection that feels so right. And is it me or are you feeling a very (more than slight) nod to Hitchcock's "Marnie" here? Tippi, I'm feeling you here- elegant and simple and lovely and feminine. Lord, I love me some good fashion. Since I've been rocking that Alex Wang blackness for some time now, feeling like it may be time for me to lighten up. Thanks, Raf, for showing me how much I love being a woman. Genius collection and beyond inspired...can't wait to see where he goes next, though it's rumored to be Dior...and with news of Stefan Pilati leaving YSL, the fashion world is having its very own 2012 moment- not in terms of the end of days but instead a huge sea change towards a new enlightenment. Consider me a rapt pupil. Cause that, THAT, is what's up this post Oscar keepin' it simple and lovely and feminine kind of Monday in the 718. All the love, children. All the love- by far, this collection was beyond my favorite of the season, so far. Eat your cake, ladies. Eat your cake. XO