FUTUREPLANS: the blog formerly known as Hound Dog Man

godsavemcqueen

2012-02-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

requiem in pace, lee alexander mcqueen

lollipop/lollipop

2012-01-14T17:06:00.000-05:00

To be totally honest I liked the presentation waaaaaay better than the clothes. I expect some flubs as Band Of Outsiders continue on the journey to find their niche as they're moving away from their played out "high-waters-and-polo-shirts" image, and I totally respect that...but the collection was nothing to exciting...*kanye shrug*
(Last season was fucking awesome tho!)

futuresport

2012-01-13T16:13:00.001-05:00

Sportswear for the year 2060 with a 90's slant. Young sports gods in retina searing neons and clinical whites and greys. I'm game, but first I have to go to the gym and get my 'Dolph Lundgren' on. Aren't the shoes the best thing ever?? they're so weird and soo clubkid-ish #INEEEEEEDTHEM

crazy legs

2011-12-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Simone Marchetti's pants are literally the best things ever.

(His customized Pradas aren't to shabby either!!:))

via:STREETFSN

In a perfect world.....

2011-12-11T06:35:00.000-05:00

......I would be wearing this right now.

(follow me on polyvore)

Kiko Mizuhara

2011-11-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

She's so beautiful.
I can literally think of 1,000 ,000 Childish Gambino lyrics to aptly describe my love for her, but I'll just say that shes the prettiest woman in the world to me. I mean...JUST LOOK AT HER !
If I keep talking this'll just end up getting very creepy very fast, so I'm just gonna stop there.

(I'm reading Norwegian Wood just because I found out she plays in the film adaptation.)

(via STREETFSN)

P.S. we could totez eat big ass stacks of pancakes together!!

generation y(esterday)

2011-11-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

via
In the latest issue of Interview, Peter Brant II (HEY LETS TRADE LIVES, KTHXBAI!!!) sat down with Daphne Guinness, and amongst a buttload of other totally interesting things, they discussed the state of Fashion. Daphne, obviously unimpressed by anything in the fashion world these days, said "There hasn’t been anything real since grunge,"

I was all like "GURL BYE!!"

But then, upon further examination of her entire statement:

“There hasn’t been anything real since grunge. That was the last movement led by music or an art form.”

I realized that she might actually be on to something....Grunge was the last fashion-wide movement that was inspired by something important in the world.
Every decade had a Movement, some even had two: The70's Disco duds, the 80's CdG worshipping and Powersuits and the 90's with its Calvin Klein style Minimalism and "Grunge", todays fashion just seems to be a reminiscent hodge-podge of all of that.

Given this being "The Age of the Internet" and the extremely fast pace we receive information (and the even faster pace we deem it "old news") coupled with the fact that most fashion "movements" were a reaction to the things happening in the world (The 60's happened in reaction to the political problems and frustrations with the war, the 70's were inspired by the feelings of opulence and "new money" coming out of those wars and the 80s' fear of under-dressing turned in the 90s' fear of overdressing) I think it would be nearly impossible for a "movement" to catch on today.
In today's fashion world, 100's of different "movements" are coexisting and hardly any of them are new, just recycled ideas of something that already "happened". On one hand I believe this to be an awesome environment for up-and-coming designers to come into their own in. With no definite "movements" or outside influence telling them to "DO THIS/DO THAT/THIS IS COOL RIGHT NOW", designers can put their own spin on previous movements, play with ideas and experiment enough and get it wrong enough to get it right and find their voice. But on the other hand I see our infatuation with recycling the past as a being a bit of a problem 10-20 years down the road when we look back to assess this generation and what ,sartorially speaking, made us as a generation.
What will we be remembered for?
I really hope we don't end of being "The Generation of Uggs and Pajama Jeans"

heroes and villains and cholos

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I really like the way David Neville and Marcus Wainwright took prominent allusions to the L.A. Gang culture and convincingly laced it with references to Surf culture.

I call it Cholos in Waikiki or Boyz N Maui.This season's 3XL Dickies and houseshoe-ish slip-ons paired with the board shorts and those Hawaiian prints (composed of high rises, low-riders and barbed wires) all seem right at home next to each other. Its very quirky and conceptual while also maintaining all of the the formal tailoring that keep the brand relevant.

Peppered in throughout the looks, Neville and Wainwright gave the collection what they called an "element of England," dandy flavored, hand-tailored morning coats and the jacquard suits and wind breakers (my personal fave is the Mao-ish suit (bottom right)).

The boys at Rag & Bone have this really rad way of fusing totally random references and bringing it all together in a way you couldn't have even imagined (last season they gave us British Royalty in sportswear, read:Tartan letterman jackets and Neoprene kilts)

(I love the way some models only have their top button buttoned lol choloswag)

horsepower

2011-11-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Russh Magazine via Fashion Gone Rogue
I don't really talk about things pertaining to womens fashion on this blog, I try to keep the subject matter strictly dickly (wait...I don't think I used that right...) but this editorial is just so AWESOME!!! Something about the "bad-girl-in-a-small-town-with-a-Farrah-Fawcett-haircut" vibes is totally hot to me! Plus the sleazy rock and roll vibes of it kinda remind me of the new Justice album!(GO READ MY REVIEW FOR FIASCO MAGAZINE!!)

Newlands/Helix/Parade

saga

2011-11-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

I think its really awesome when a designer can keep reinventing himself, while staying true to his cardinal aesthetic. I remember (unnecessarily) semi-bitching at Geller a few seasons ago, about the fact that most of his collections have the same underlying theme with just interchangeable colors and details.

And while I still believe that to be the case here, something clicked with this collection. I no longer look at Geller as a redundant hack, but as an author developing a very coherent, headstrong character, and sticking him in different sociocultural situations and seeing how he pans out.
I'm always down for a good experiment.
Spring/Summer 2012 sees the Geller man as a Bowie-obsessed Club Kid in
voluminous, slouchy jackets, tailored button ups and mesh t-shirts in dark solid colors, under wide-brimmed fedoras (similar to the ones seen at Lanvin this Fall).
His bottom half in oversized shorts, leather skinnies, paper bag waists, big stripes and theses cool little macrame cuffs, accented by rad shoes in collaboration with Common Projects.

new compasion

2011-11-11T08:26:00.000-05:00

Meh.....

I like the "Rich Punk" vibes and the watercolor tie dye and the jackets and neoprene t-shirts AND THE CLUB COLLARS!!!!(GIMME!!!!!)

Any designer that can retain his sense of humor while being super sophisticated at the same time is A-Ok in my book.
Its not his best work or anything but I like it.

plus Jack Donaghue (from SALEM) did the music, so count me in!!!!

african connection

2011-11-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

NYFW ended a few weeks ago after Marc (which was a GREATshow!!) so I might as well review the shows now while there still fresh in my mind (I'll go back to Paris and Milan later). So anyway New York didn't prove to exciting for menswear this season...Not that everything was ugly or anything, It was all just either not that good or just ok or waaaay to wearable or I-can-totally-recreate-this-whole-collection-at-the-GoodWill-ish *coughcoughBillyReidcough*....(It was the complete and utter opposite with the womens shows tho, EVERYTHING WAS SO AWESOME!!!!) but through the expected menswearbullshithaze, I actually spotted a few pretty good collections!!

wow.....can you believe that before 2 seasons ago I didn't even consider Kors a real designer.....I don't even know why but I always just scraped him over into that proverbial mental TJMaxx sales bin with Nautica and Perry Ellis, etc. (TK Maxx for my UK readers:)). Hard to imagine I was doing that to somebody who is now one of my favorite designers.

The collection consist of the same ArtBro vibes as last Spring, but this time filtered through Kors' AfriLuxe vision.

Inspired by a recent African trek, Kors flooded the runway with loose knit sweaters, dip dyed leather jackets, crinkled sweatpants, tribal tie-dyes, leather sandals and even a very, very manly sarong. Adventurous Safari-Luxe vibes grounded with laid-back menswear essentials. Plus, that alligator hide strapped bag is TO DIE FOR!!!
P.S.

I really like the collection despite the fact that it really annoys me when designers reference Africa or any other 3rd world countries in order to sound cultured and involved, when in reality they're not bring any light or help to the real-life dire situations in those countries. So because I kinda like the collection, I'll give Michael a pass and take this time to right his wrong.
Please take this opportunity to donate to CARE or STAND, two very important organizations that are working to end genocide and poverty in third world countries (Chuck goes into more detail on why you should get involved and ways you can help here)

el dorado

2011-11-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

whoa.

Excuse my absence, I was just helping my mom build a soon to be MULTITRILLION DOLLAR EMPIRE! lol.

My mom is in the process of starting a natural hair and body product line and I've been acting as her personal assistant, and last month was like fashion week for hair or something lol. The last couple of weeks have been filled to the brim with countless trade shows, expos, workshops and SO. MUCH. SHEA. BUTTER.

but more on that later.

We wrapped up all of that insanity with a nice little vacay in Myrtle Beach, it was sooooo beautiful and relaxing (it was kinda cold but whatevz, thats what Jacuzzis are for).

NY coverage should be out this week.

*I took all these pics while we were in SC
here, have this mini-playlist. you deserve it.

com truise-cathode girls/tobacco-sweatmother/kavinsky-nightcall

SJ#17

2011-09-17T13:19:00.002-04:00

NYFW post in the works but for now, keep calm and jam. (oh, and go check out my posts on the Fiasco Magazine blog)

1. ASAP Rocky - Peso

Dude....he just name-dropped Raf and Rick while wearing Yohji and Supreme.....I think I'm in love....and the production is just retarded good!

2. SALEM - SICK

So dark and gothic and and ghetto and beautiful.

And the video is truely a work of art! Old COPS footage and twerk team videos.....perfect

#SALEM4LYf3

3. Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

This is seriously one of the most epicly beautifully things I've ever heard..... Ignore the fact that she got a botched botox job from Lisa Rinna's surgeon and just listen to the music...She has the voice of a soulful Alt-90's angel. So obsessed....

(the number of dots in this post is obscene.....)

sj #16

2011-09-10T13:36:00.002-04:00

Just a few songs that I've been listening to non-stop for the last few days..
1. Jai Paul - BTSU
THIS DUDE IS AWESOME!!!!!!! he only has 2 songs and a preview,and I am DYING for some sort of hint at a full length album!!! he kind of reminds me of Toro y Moi plus he sounds like and angel when sings the "f-word" (him and Thom Yorke :))

2. Friendly Fires - Hawaiian Air
Literally one of the most best-est songs ever!! Friendly Fires has been on my "kinda cool" list since "Paris" but this is just awesome!! for the first minute and a half I was kinda iffy about it, but at like 1:40 I got goosebumps and somewhere between 2:50 and the end, I got mildy emotional....its that good. Airy dream pop about traveling the globe sang by a boy with an accent:) what more could you ask for?

3. Tyler, The Creator -Transylvania
I love Tyler. Thats all.
"Goddamn I love bitches, especially when they only suck dick and wash dishes"

GREAT FUCKING SCOTT!!!!

2011-09-09T02:53:00.001-04:00

The Nike MAG

I CAN'T STOP CUMMING!!!!!
loljk but do you see these?? SO RADDDDDDDD!!! Totally go buy some if you have an extra $4,000 bux laying around...ya' know...nbd......but really tho all of the proceeds go to a really awesome cause!!!!

*read more about 'em while I clean myself up and catch my breath*
P.S. Also my first post for Fiasco+ is up!!!!!!UGHH!!!!!SO EXCITED!!! go read it and comment, please!!!:)!!
P.S.S. I'm totally bummed that I would have to sell my mom, and liver on the black market for a pair :(:(:(:(!!
P.P.S. I totally prophesied this like 4 months ago on tumblr!!!!
P.P.S.S. totally having a nostalgia attack rn....I grew up with these movies...Me, my little brother and my Grandma used to watch these all the time!!
P.P.P.S.S. I just noticed how many times I just said "totally".....

boys club

2011-09-07T12:59:00.000-04:00

Where as last seasons impetus was the hippy/stoner/drop-outs of the 60’s and 70’s, swathed in tie-dye and doing LSD on a summer road-trip, this season London’s newest,coolest designer, J.W. Anderson,27, showed a completely different inspiration (keeping the youthful insurgence intact, as with every collection) Anderson showed us alt 90’s prep schoolboys in dark (and sometimes Liberty printed) pretenses.

Seems as if Anderson was riffing on teenage punks vs. conformity. Angsty rich kids headed for private school, putting there own spin on the uniform.

Angora sweaters tied around the waist and his trademark boots (this time with tufts of fur) with deconstructed sportscoats and pants that are just a bit short sat beautifully next to odd-ball pieces like the quilted arthropod-like orange top, the jacquard details and the almost cleric full-length pleated skirts. At its darker and more straight-forward moments "The Craft" and "Spring Awakening" came to mind, suggesting the boys probably stayed up late one night toying with a Ouija board and performing rituals out of books they checked out from the library.....

The whole thing kinda reminded me of this song.

Anderson, a former actor, knows how to bring a certain character element to each season to make it not only cohesive but convincing in a way that is seductive, a quality owned by such phenomenal talents as Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, a quality that is going to take him straight to the top of this industry.

(also you guys, I'm gonna be reviewing a few NYFW shows over at Fiasco+, so keep an eye out!!!!!:):)so excited for NYFW to be here!!)

you know you want (to forgive me for missing #SaturdayJamz)

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

omg you guys!!! I totally forgot about SJ!!!I'm sowwwy!! :/ #suckyblogger

but anyway watch this video and laugh and think about how perfect Raquel and Karen look (don't you just wanna softly rub your cheek against Karen's hair and brush it forever and ever....cuz...thats totally not creepy...at all.....) and how much you just wanna play "Just Dance" on Wii with them and how awkward yet simultaneously cool the male models look gettin' dey groove on and how adorbz Alber is and sigh wistfully while trying to stare past your cold, dark Lanvin-less existence......oh sorry I was venting, just watch the video.

(SS11's was pretty rad too :):))

PPS also known as Post Potter Syndrome

2011-08-31T07:26:00.004-04:00

Suuuuuuuper happy to see Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy...I mean Rupert Grint and Tom Felton model for the Band Of Outsiders FW11 campaign at the Magic Castle (No, not Hogwarts!!) in Hollywood, Ca., as they are my two fave characters and it just feels good to see all of them doing good outside of HP.

Glad to see there's no negative side-effects to PPS and that the actors are still working:):):) (Emma with all of her fashion-y stuff//Daniel and Rupert in various movie projects and Tom in "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" (which btdubz is the GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME---OF ALL TIME!!!!))

Contrary to how I feel about their collections I actually enjoy the fact that BOO's ad campaigns all look the same, it fits their image and that coupled with the interesting celebrity models is a great branding strategy. (My fave was SS10 with Donald Glover, Leslie Mann and Dave Franco! HNNNNNG!! thats an impossible game of "Marry, Fuck or Kill" right there.....)

SJ #15

2011-08-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

1. Fall Boys Creek Choir - James Blake & Bon Iver // HO-LY SHIT YOU GUYS!!!!!! This is literally one of the best songs EVER!!!Everything about this is PERFECT!! (somewhere in the world a pitchfork writer had an orgasm and died. rip.)

2. Madame Butterfly - Malcolm McLaren//Never really listened to anything by Malcolm McLaren, but I stumbled across this the other day and just fell in love! The song is so awesome and the video is just stunning!!! every single frame looks like a painting....so gorgeous!

3. In Love With You - Erykah Badu ft. Stephen Marley//As previously stated Erykah is my Fairy Godmother and shes perfect and she deserves to be bowed down to and this song is just sooo effing beautiful!!

SJ #14

2011-08-20T01:12:00.000-04:00

Besides Watch The Throne, this is what I've been listening to lately.....

1. How Come You Never Go There - Feist//SO EXCITED FOR HER NEW ALBUM!!!!!!!! AHHGGGH!!SHES SO PERFECT!!!! (also the composition kinda sound like Robin Pecknold had something to do with this! #DOUBLEWIN)

2. Only Girl In The World (cover) - XIU XIU//never really been into XIU XIU (even tho he's kind of a hodgepodge of all of my favorite artist......) but his version of this ,already bombass song, is just rocking my world right now!!!

3. Grove St. Party - Lil Wayne ft. Lil B// I'm a huge shameless fan of Lil Wayne, Lil B and the original version of this song by Waka Flocka, so this is just way to much WINNNN!! (plus Lil B's laugh at 03:50 is sooo funny to me!!lmao:D)

gone for a minute/now I'm back again

2011-08-15T10:00:00.016-04:00

HAIIIII GUIZZE!!!!

(HI GUYS)

Please forgive my epic blog neglect, as I've been swamped with the daunting burden "getting my shit together". This quest has led me into many hectic days and sleepless nights. And the days I wasn't doing anything.....I was doing just that.

But anyway.........I'm back.....and I promise that I'll never neglect this blog(Or use the word "neglect" that many times in one sentence) ever again.

***************************************************************
Also maybe we should discuss that little name change situationzzzz....When I first started the blog all of those many years ago I was kind of young and dumb and instead of naming my blog something that means something to me, I decided to name it after this movie that I was watching on TMC--The Hound Dog Man....and I never actually liked it sooooo.....yeah, now the blogs name is FUTUREPLANS.
I'm doing it the ghetto way, meaning the URL is gonna stay the same for a while........but its coming soon.......just you wait and see!!!Also I'm gonna start doing more outfit posts and stuff!

Anyway while on NeglectFest2011 I some how missed the entire FW11 season(well almost).......Here are some of my faves from FW11
(I know the SS12 shows have already started.......but has that ever stopped me before?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personally, I'm not a big fan of this collection. There was only a few looks (four, to be exact) that caught my attention during the show and that was these bad mofos:

They stole the whole show in my opinion!Stopping me in my tracks to ogle them for more minutes that my ADHD-riddled brain could stand!!!
The rest was just kinda.......blah....I didn't really like anything else. Those little dalmatian-spottedfur hats and the Buffalo plaid coats that had everybody going ga-ga (Remember when we could say that word with out having it misconstrued as some type of reference to a certain....Lady) just seem super juvenile and they kind of aged the collection 2 or 3 decades, pushing the 70's reference into the 40's and 50's.
(The kind of reminded me of "Road To Perdition") And was it just me or was that fur really tacky and cheap-looking??
Well maybe it wasn't bad....It just felt like anybody could have designed it......It didn't seem like the genius that designed SS11 or even FW10 designed it. It felt like Christopher let the reigns loose a little and made room for other in-house designers influences....... (Plus it was a HUUUUGE Prada rip-off!!)
*le sigh* but anyway, I digress......

Christopher Bailey's main inspiration for Fall/Winter 2011 was "a coat for all seasons" according to Style.com. Supposedly Bailey looked to the archives while designing the collection, he was inspired by a vintage ad campaign that featured a different weather condition in every image, and that spoke to him.
I definitely felt the archival London influence of the collection, but towards the end of the collection,more specifically I felt it had a very peculiar Mod/Northern Soul/early 1970's Motown kinda vibe to it.
With the endless color scheme and the spotted fur Kangol-esque caps and slick raincoats, I get this feeling that none of it would be out of place in some Marvin Gaye liner notes.

plus Bailey is like a total Gangster! Lil' Wayne and Fat Joe need to take notes from this guy!! He's the master of "Making It Rain"
(And speaking of "A coat for all seasons" I could really use one right about now dealing with Atlanta's bipolar ass weather.No, seriously the weather here is actually bipolar. One minute it'll be 97 degrees/crystal clear and within the next 20 mins it will start raining cats and dogs!!! I've never seen anything like it.......)
Just so you guys know I'm not exaggerating, this is next weeks weather forecast!!

HOW THE HELL DOES IT GO FROM 90+ DEGREES TO A GAHDAMNED THUNDERSTORM???HOW?? FML!!

I wasn't really feeling the rest of the show**** but I really dug the awesome 1950's Boy Band/Herman Munster/Rockabilly Prom vibez towards the end of the show......

****(I haven't been feeling anything Dolce & Gabbana has been doing lately......including D & G . I'm sorry Domenico and Stefano but its true.......After SS10(Which was awesome!!) you guys just kinda dropped off.....and I know that its probz because of stress caused by that little scare........but now that that's over I bet you guys and the line(s) will be back in tip-top shape!!!:))
Also, Freddy Krueger made an appearance.......

Kean Etro has assembled the Etro brand a lush little alcove built on what the heritage brand is known for---loud colors and vivacious prints(namely paisley). An Etro collection without (or with a dearth of)(sorry, I've got SAT words on the brain) these quintessences would just be a blasphemous disaster, right???........WRONG!!!

In a collection based on Mountaineering in the Tyrol, super-luxe hides(PONYSKIN!!) and ultra-buttery leathers took the spotlight. The whole collection had slight cheesy western movie vibe to it but it was sooooooooo rad!! I mean look at that trench in the middle, even though you realize it might take 2 or 3 cows to make ITS STILL SO NECESSARY!!!! AND DUUUUDE LOOK AT THOSE QUILTED PANTS!!!YES!!QUILTED PANTSSS!!!
Like a 2.5 5 for your body!!! GIMMMMEEEE!!!

I loved the way dark blue kept making an appearance!!

I'll bet its a nod to the cold cold nights on the Outback Mountain(Or the Brokeback Mountain.......if you're into that type of thing......)

(I recommend you guys click the picture and get a closer look at all of the AMAZING details!!!)

Wow.

Gucci has been showing me a different side as of late.......a real 180° from the Gucci I'm used to.....

I was a hard-core Gucci hater after i perused a few seasons of Tom Ford-era Gucci and realized that the bombastic tackiness that was Frida Gianni's Gucci would never live up to Ford's Gucci. Gianni's Gucci was just so meaningless (stupid) and loud compared to Ford's edgy, meaningful, luxurious, beautiful Gucci (lotttsss of adjectives for Mr. Ford)

But this is different.

Gianni kinda has a thing for this laid-back opulent 70's look.

She has this amazing way of taking SUUUUPER-luxe materials like Velvet, Mohair and Cashmere and mixing them with SUUUUPER-luxe furs and hides like Croc, Rabbit, Pony, Mongolian Lamb, etc. and still making it all look so bloody casual!!

And those muted, dreamy tones showcased on those maximalist 70's silhouettes is so romantic and proverbial--yet not cliche in the least.

And every little detail was on point!!

The way the pants flared at the bottom and gave all the models that little swagtastic walk. The color combinations!! The fluidity of the tailoring! THE BAGSSSS!!

(fyi: this season marks the launch Mens edition of the famous "Bamboo" bag.) (Which Tom Ford did first, back in the 90's but stopped when he left)

Gianni's creating this character at the house of Gucci that is exactly what it needs.

A dramatic and super-sensual yet stoic rockstar in his prime.

But not only does Gucci need this......Fashion needs this. Mrs. Gianni you're amazing!!(I'm sorry that i ever doubted you....)

JPG seriously needs to be the costume director for Bond 23***!!

Because this is soooooo perfect!! I mean only Gaultier could inject this much crazyfunfunfun into a character we already know and love and still make it instantly recognizable!!

Although it was basically a statement on the tuxedo, I think it was very smart of Gaultier to make Bond his inspiration, a character thats synonymous with "black dinner tux" and throw in the classic "Gaultier Shtick".

The looks with the wet-suits were my favorite. It was such a cinematic touch and it added a bit of adventure to the whole thing!!! It felt like I was watching James Bond swim up to some top-secret mega-villains party on some top-secret island and rip-off his wetsuit only to reveal a perfectly pressed and dry tuxedo!!

The last few looks, I'm guessing, were a nod to GoldFinger....because they were all gold.....(just using mah context clues......)(also: more QUILTED PANTS!!!)

oh and I have one more very important sentiment about this show....

ANDREJ-FUCKING-PEJIC!!!!!!

(last photo on right in above collage)

uuuughhh!!! If that man isn't perfexion I don't know what is!!!

His ability to be perfectly and simultaneously masculine and feminine at the same time is GODLY!!

He's my favorite model (male and female) atm

(I will admit that when I first saw him, at Raf Simons SS11, I was a mite skeptical about his longevity and that I actually kind of hated his whole look, and wrote him off as cheap......WTF WAS I THINKING!??!)

***(who else is like suuuuper excited to see Javier Bardem is gonna be in a James Bond movie?)

Similar to Burberry and Gucci (and may others this season), Lanvin also showcased the pimpin' threads of the rockstars of a previous generation. But unlike those two, Lanvin's ode was to the exaggerated big city gangsters of the 1930's.Wide-brimmed fedoras (tipped to the side to cover one eye), trench coats and bouble breasted suit jackets obviously could only belong to some member of the Mafia, named Pauly. or Vinny.)
EDIT:(LMAO!!!!OMG!!HONEST TO GOD, I wasn't even thinking bout them, when I came up with those 2 names!!!lol!!!BUT I"M SO EFFING EXCITED FOR THIS NEW SEASON!!!!!!!GAHHHHH!)

I like how its also kind of a continuation of last season with athleticism, technology, luxury and crazy prints/colors/textures mixing (one example: the trench coats didn't button, they were magnetic:))))(NEXT LEVEL SHIT, MUCH??) to create another fantastic adventure. Last seasons adventure felt like cave-diving and tomb-raiding, this season feels like mountain-climbing, with hiking boots and puffer coats being shown. The combination created this realllly awesome atmosphere! It felt soooo clean and futuristic and foreign while at the same time you could immediately grasp the familiar roots of it all.

Lanvins classic, sharp-as-a-tack tailoring was back (hey, that rhymed!!I'm so damn clever!!) from its absence at the very "interesting" SS11 show. I really liked how the very structured pieces played with the very fluid ones (a diagonally-hemmed sweater over a boxy shirt and pants/an awesome printed trench with matching blazer/zippered leggings combo)
THE MOST PERFECTEST WIDE LEG PANTS EVAAARR!!!!

AND THE MOST PERFECTEST ALL-WHITE LOOK EVAAARR!!!!

With so many random references coming together you'd think this collection would be a hot mess but Lucas and Alber just don't play that shit!!!!

P.S. why is Alber sooooo damn aborable?? I mean, seriously, am I the only one that wants to pick him up and hug him and love him and take him home and have tea and cookies and take him to the park and run around and lay in the grass with him and sing songs to him and call him Alb E. Sure?? no.......just me??
ok moving on.......

From a "wearable" menswear perspective, this is one of the best collections I have ever seen!!!
Every look is just sooooo sexy and modernly classic.

Some of the stand-out pieces of the collection were military-inspired and based on the idea of reworking unorthodox material into new forms/clothing (Two jacket (below) were sleeping bags attached to the inside of patchworked army blankets.....uhmmm...GIMMEE!!!),

And the rest is based on the 70's(I'm sensing that gonna be a trend come Fall/Winter 2011......)

This is my favorite look. (below)

That coat is AMAZING(check out the placement of the buttons!:)) and needs to come live in my closet NAO!! and the way those slightly cropped pants play with the white Doc Marten-ish boots is soooooooooo good!!

Basically just consisting of easy-going, played down tops and bottoms framed by AMAZEBALLS outerwear with the occasional Margiela-cool piece, the collection was great....but a tad lacking compared to the foot-steps left by its intellectually subversive namesake designer.

But where the collection lacked, the presentation made up!!! after numerous boring showroom "presentations" the house opted for a legit runway show.....only nothing is to be taken for face-value over at the crazycraze house of M.M.Margiela!!

The team took the audience backstage, as a phantom runway show proceeded in an attached room to witness those precious, volatile pre-show moments as video monitors displayed the ‘realtime’ show next door as music pumped through the walls and the Margiela team hair'd/makeup'd/style'd the models to perfection.
P.S./FYI/JUSTSAYING:
To me, Margiela Menswear has always had this almost inexplicable Nonchalant New York/London/France cool guy vibe about it. Its always sorta crazyballs but super-tailored and conceptualized. I call it "Stuff Vincent Gallo would wear" or "What the characters in a Guy Ritchie movie would wear", A little dirty and debaucherous but slick and stylish and also very personality driven.

I'm still kind of gathering all of my thoughts regarding "The New Mugler".

I think Nicola Formichetti is the perfect person to helm a line like Thierry Mugler.

It kind of seems like all of his work with Vogue Hommes Japan/V Magazine/Another Magazine/Arena Homme+ and Lady Gaga (aka PERFECTION) (No, I'm not one of those annoying "Little Monsters" but I can't lie SHE CAN DO NO WRONG!!) was leading up to this! He has this amazing imagination and is super creative.....but..............he needs a bit more practice.......

With more practice, a little wrangling of his big visions and wide range of reference and a few more notes from the Mugler Menswear archives and he could very well be THE CHOSEN ONE!Hes going to be the one to bring Mugler out of its campy 80's image while still keeping all of the pomp, farce and theatrics the label is known for, I know he has it in him! I can tell! #MissCleo

(Yes, I'm fluent in Hash Tag Rap/Talk)

For this to be his first outing at a major fashion house he did a great job!!!

there were plenty vomitrocious looks and a few WTF moments (Those fisting gloves???why? and those plastic aprons?? no thank you!!) but in between those were some of my favorite looks of the season!

Both of the two pairs of pants in the above collage are absolutely positively PERFECT!!!!

Actually that whole first look needs to make its way to my house IMMEDIATELY!! I love doing Minimal/Maximal at the same time and that is the best example I've ever seen!

In love with this blazer/puffer combo!!//this whole silhouette is very Givenchy aka GIMMEEEE!//These pants are so good!!!!

(I know its weird that I'm reviewing Mugler and not even mentioning Rico Genest AKA Zombie Boy, Nicola Formichetti's skeleton-tattooed inspiration and although I think hes a rad person, his look just got really gimmicky after a while........ :/ )

Urban Nautical/Maritime Working Man vibes ruled the first 2/3 of Neil Barrett's Fall collection. Neoprene scuba pants/wetsuits, pea coats in blue, black and gray and Marine-striped sweaters in blue (worked into a really cool collage-y print). Paying homage to his Father and Grandfather (who were both Military tailors)Barrett created a forward thinking collection based on Military uniforms.

He has this way with commingling an ultra-urban street-wear vibe into every collection and still making it look polished and respectable thats kind of amazing! with the chunky, Doc Marten/Timberland-ish boots, fingerless gloves and biker jackets. (Kris Van Assche, another of my faves(def in my top 20)also has this very awesome fashionsuperpower)

I reeeeeeeeeeeally like theses sweaters, but I'd like to get up close and personal with them bcuz I'm wondering if there actual knit or manipulated pieces of Neoprene....either way would be great but the latter would be kinda awesome and I'd have to have all 3 of them!!!

I'm a sucker for any designer that can effectively use scientific fabrics and use "uglybootz" (Thats what I call the big chunky boots that I use to tone down any outfit thats way to precious) and make skin-tight pants look super masculine so basically I'm already all over this collection,

BUT THEN

as if that wasn't enough, at the end of the show he delivered four of the most PERFECTEST looks EVERRRRRRR!!
Anybody that actually knows me, knows that theres nothing that I love more than a good piece of outerwear. NOTHING.

Total RunawayNarniaWoodlandPunkPrep-vibes AKA Everything I'm gonna be looking too this coming F/W season in IRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first 2 are totally putting me in the mind of CdGFW09(#stillnotoverit) (#SOOOONECESSARY)

like.....there just so perfect..... #nowords......

(I'm gonna try to totez DIYall of these.)

(They weren't really coherent with the rest of the collection but who tf cares??? THEY'RE AMAZING!)

Very cool, super eclectic 70's rockstar vibes (The Steven Tyler/Ozzy Osbourne to Gucci's Rod Stewart).
Inspired by space travel and rock music, the collection was full of the usual pieces of a Paul Smith rebel/prep puzzle but with galactic bohemian inspiration.
I like all of the metallic stuff (ESPECIALLY THE PUFFER!!!!!!!!!!)and the multi-animal mash-up print. Also the black looks are super awesome!

Phillip Lim is one of those designers. One that has never actually had a bad collection, is always taking risks (while simultaneously staying reasonable) and knocking it out of the ballpark EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!(Richard Chai, Junya Watanabe and Decarnin at Balmain Homme are 3 other examples of designers who are perfect at this!) from the Peacock-ish Rockstars of last season to Fetishistic Adventurers of the season b4 to the retro business men of this season, Lim just doesn't lose!!!

Youthful Elegance is the idea Lim was trying to get across this fall.
The idea that you can be a jetsetting 20 year old and wear impeccably cut monochromatic suits and sophisticated outerwear.

Appropriately sprinkled with minute allusions to bikers and the retro-futuristic side of the 1950's(I'm guessing the marled/static-y grey looks are nods to the first tvs of the 50's and those pompadours speak for themselves!:)) The collection is giving off this experimental minimalist businessman vibes and he temperament and execution is damn near perfect!

This is the jacket in the above far right hand side.The braided leather detail is beautiful. Simply amazing.

As a well balanced injection of color these 3 looks featured a beautiful progression of an acid green tribal print.

More 70's inspo, but this time a super sexed-up, Shaft-esque version.

The sensual creamy beige looks had me humming this.
Everything was just so reminiscent of a super masculine/mellow man of the 70's without being to costume and very much so "in the now". (I'm in love with that short sleeve turtle-neck)(IN LOVE)

And then came these really awesome blue/green looks. Currently saving up enough to make that leather paneled sweater in the third picture mine!!!
The jacket in the 2nd pic is MEGA-DREAMMYYY, but I'm sure its gonna cost like a kabillion dollars so I'm just not even gonna get attached to it.....kinda reminds me of the now infamous Balenciaga FW04 "Aviator" jackets (my hommeboy Poliopoliopolio of HLSH is totez werqin it here!)

(There was a few brown and pumpkin orange looks in between...but I didn't like 'em much......)

DOOOOODZ! I looooove TbAW!The urban/suburban high school mallgoth vibez are exactly what I need right now!! EXACTLY!!

(The look is kind of like what the 3.1 Phillip Lim man would look like if he was 17 and going through a goth phase.......)

(AND THIS SEASONS 3RD INCARNATION OF QUILTED PANTSSSSS!!!!!!!!!GIMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!)
*******************************************
SOOOOOOOOO happy to be back you guys!! so much stuff planned/in the works and hopefully more things coming my way!! :)
STAY TUNED FOR MY GIVENCHY FW11 REVIEW (plus a few random FW11 thoughts)
ciao,
Taj

Saturday Jamzzz: Completely OBSESSED edition!!!!!

2011-03-19T16:36:00.002-04:00

NOBODY understands how much I love VAMPIRE WEEKEND!!!

I am literally obsessed!

I was ULTRA-PISSED when they came here last April and I missed them!!

PLEASSSEEEE COME BACK!!

SJ: Summer Resolutionzzz edition

2011-03-15T15:26:00.001-04:00

I'm going to learn to do this dance in its entirety!

Saturday Jammzzz: Old Faves Edition

2011-03-05T04:38:00.000-05:00

BEST.EVER.
JUSTICE
✝