Good afternoon, Friday. Khan and I are holding it down and keeping it real. New York is a beautiful place today- I'm mad for Fall and that's that. Loves it.
So last night as I sat and watched the news and took Khan for a walk, staring out at the beautiful double beam of light coming from lower Manhattan, I felt so much sadness, but as somebody on my feed so aptly pointed out- the incredible message and tribute that those two rays of light evoke are important- from darkness comes light, and this is something we have to try and take with us. It's hard to see any good that has come from such a horrific event- but the fact that we are able to keep going while never forgetting is a testament to the power of humility and grace in the face of so much sadness. G-d bless New York, today and always.
And as I settled in to the evening with my pup, I was thrilled for a little fashion relief in the form of the Marc Jacobs show, which was shown on a live feed, as most shows are these days. Apparently, Marc's marketing chops are as spot on as ever, because each attendee was given a set of Beats headphones to listen to something that only they would be able to hear, creating a more personal experience in the face of everybody being able to watch from the privacy of their own homes. Ain't nothing like the real thing, and Mr. Jacobs knows that better than anyone. I also like the interpretation that Marc was giving a not so subtle wink to the way "technology controls our lives". I don't disagree.
I say this because I just finished reading "Champagne Supernovas", a fantastic book about the cooler than cool fashion world of the 90s, particularly focusing on Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen, and Kate Moss. I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down- a fun read meant for a lazy day. And reading about the rise and fall of McQueen and the rise and fall and rise again of both Jacobs and Moss was fascinating. Marc is a survivor- a survivor of a rather torrid upbringing, a young adulthood where his friends and lovers were dying of AIDS, and a well documented struggle with drugs. And not only is Marc a survivor, but an incredible barometer for trends- love him or hate him, he has always had an incredible knack for knowing what will sell, and what people want. It's hard to imagine Bleecker Street without his many stores, but he had the insight to know that was the place to be, back when the only game in town over there were some overrated cupcakes made famous by Carrie Bradshaw.
But I digress because I want to talk about his collection, and how it may very well have been the best of the entire week. You must watch it in motion because it's better that way. Trust me...here's the link.
Many will disagree- there's girls all with the same wig on, walking like zombies in military garb. Yup. That's about right.
But if you look a little deeper and understand that the best trend focused fashion is like a cultural sieve, sifting through what feels powerful and important now, you would realize what a genius collection this is. It's obvious our military involvement overseas has made many of us weary and scared for the future. And this is an obvious nod to that, but in a way that is way more 60s revolutionary than soldier. The Style.com review references Marc's inspiration for this collection as Grace Slick, and the cool chicks of that era who wore military looks as a reaction to the times, and to fight for something more peaceful and non violent.
I think this collection was also a comment on our sameness, our desire to stand out has somehow resulted in all of us looking the same- think of Gap's "Dress Normal" campaign, or the "like" culture we participate in almost every day. And yes, there were amazing dresses in here that I would wear every day, but so would everybody else- and I guarantee you Dr. Scholls had a real moment last night online when everyone and their chic mother tried to buy a pair because Marc had his own version on the runway. Standouts for me were the variety of dresses- some short, some long, all pretty fabulous, wearable, and modern. I love the short coat dresses (short a huge trend runway wide for Spring ps- so get ready), and adore that mossy green color of many of the pieces.
Perhaps the themes are a bit too obvious, a not so subtle sledgehammer between the eyes about where we are at this point in the game. But I have always loved fashion not just for the clothes, but for the social commentary they provide. And Marc to me is the ultimate anthropologist/fashion designer- he seems to know what we want before we even want it, and I guarantee we are all going to want to wear some version of these looks- even if they end up being from Zara, who will have a field day knocking these properly off. I think Marc know that the greatest form of flattery is imitation, and sending a bunch of women down the runway that all have the same look is a wonderful way to get that across. I want to be in Marc's army too- I find his pieces and genius are well worth fighting for.
And that's what's up this fighting for my rights kind of Friday in the good old US of A. Marc, I salute you, and all that you bring to the game. XO
PS...some things you'll want to know from the collections, a quick off the toppa trend rundown, so you know what to expect when all starts blooming next year:
Yellow and blue everywhere, and loads of green- some brights, some more muted, but a marked return to color and optimism
A return to a more feminine silhouette and a move away from super normcore
Shorter skirt lengths, reflecting an economy on the rise
Belly baring pieces- why won't this trend go away already?
Loads of prints from nature- think leaf prints and a continuation of tropical looks from this past season
Mesh and techno fabric big as well as we explore wearables and extreme tech