Christian Lacroix Fall 2009

In the past, I've accused Christian Lacroix of being... well... batshit insane. His career has been more about designing costumes than clothes. In fact, I believe I've described his clientele as "circus people" and "crazy ladies." Recall Edina Monsoon screaming "Lacroix, sweetie! Lacroix!" And I must admit, I felt more than a smidgen of schadenfreude when I heard he was filing for bankruptcy. After all, his house never turned a profit. Ever. How long can you expect to light money on fire before you finally have to give up?

And yet, the story of his final collection is bittersweet and strangely heartwarming. Seamstresses, shoemakers, and other artisans donated their time and skills to help the bankrupt Mr. Lacroix finish his collection. The models were paid the legal minimum of 50 Euros. And the results, I must say, are pretty fucking fabulous.

This is the most connected I've ever felt to a Lacroix collection. With his resources drastically reduced, he's created pieces that are subdued, but sublime. When a great artist is faced with constraints, sometimes the fundamental nature of his talent is even more clearly revealed.

Tonys Fashion Redux 2009

The Tony Awards are adorable. At last, the high school drama geeks have made good, and now they get to dress up in couture and revel in their passion for stagecraft. I must say, I was quite pleased with most of the sartorial choices this year.

Joys

Anne Hathaway. She is looking damn fierce in Oscar de la Renta Fall 2009. One more spot-on ensemble like this and I may have to start referring to her as "La Hathaway."

Mrs. Gandolfini. Very lurvely.

Allison Janney. I'm not real happy about the hair, but I love her adventurous color choice. Also, the cut of this dress makes her body look smoking hot.

Jessica Lange. This is a less successful iteration of Ms. Janney's look, but still, I liked it. Here's hoping that's not a tattoo on her left wrist.

Hope Davis. The shoes are kind of promular, but I think the dress is super fun and flattering.

Nancy La Scala. I was torn about that drapey neck piece, but on balance I think this look is damn fierce.

Concerns

Stockard Channing. I love Ms. Channing, but this little number is frump-a-dump. Her makeup is too severe and it ages her. Furthermore, she's a tiny, petite little person and this dress makes her look even shorter. How about a perky Dior silhouette and shawl collar next time?

Edie Falco. I'm kind of torn about this one. I love her hair and makeup, and I love the dress in theory, but I think the crumpled fabric is most unforgiving on her figure. I'm guessing this was a stunner on the runway model, but just didn't translate to someone with a BMI above the starvation range.

Chandra Wilson. Empire waist is not for full-figured ladies. Pseurry. Although she looks very pretty, poor Ms. Wilson should not even have been permitted to try this dress on.

Samantha Mathis. Architectural dresses must be flawlessly fitted, and this one was not. Also, she comes across as just a little underdressed, no?

Bebe Neuwirth. Frump-a-dump. The length and cut are super boring. I know she has insane legs - where are they? Also, HATE the clown shoes.

Haydn Gwynne. Her pale skin is cornea searing, especially against that bright purple.

Dolly Parton. Speaking of cornea searing... But this is Ms. Parton's schtick and I'd expect no less from her. I say that in the most loving way possible.

And we have our first ever male recipient of the Bjork Award!!!

Paul McGill. Shiny green leprechaun suit. Enough said.

Resort 2010

Ah, it's resort season.  The resort shows were originally meant for rich people who were looking to buy chic, casual clothing that traveled well to take on their summer trips.  It's become a delightful interlude of ready-to-wearishness tucked between the fall and spring shows.  Resort wear is typically just as it sounds - casual, comfortable, colorful.  Let's begin with a couple of ladies whose resort collections are, in my opinion, a big improvement over their fall collections.

Diane von Furstenberg

DVF is known for her fabulous taste in prints, and I believe her 2010 Resort collection is a return to form:

With some notable exceptions:

Some of my favorites from this collection included a sassy cocktail dress:

And a delightful pool cover-up:

Carolina Herrera

Ms. Herrera's fall collection was a very stiff, heavy, drab affair.  There's much more levity in the resort items, and these are some of my special favorites:

While I've very fond of the orange, I think it's better suited to darker skinned ladies, such as Sessilee Lopez, who is swiftly becoming one of my favorite models.

The less successful looks in the collection were, in my opinion, the ones that veered into the geriatric.  I hate the shiny fabric on the left, and as for the look on the right, it's a little too "brunch at the club."  Furthermore, I think lace, like facial hair, is almost always a bad idea.

Former Project Runway contestant jailed for assault.

Guess who.
Guess how gleeful I am.

Things I Lurve: Veronica M

Whenever I need a new dress for a special event, a hot date, or just to spoil myself, I generally pop over to Veronica M. Most of their designs are in heavy, wrinkle resistant fabrics that travel really well. I've literally crammed a Veronica M dress in the bottom of a backpack and pulled it out a day later, completely wearable. Veronica M's fabrics also drape beautifully and her designs work really well on curvy women. I find her taste in prints to be hit-and-miss, but she knocks it out of the park often enough to keep me coming back. Best of all, prices are generally reasonable. Non-sale items don't run much higher than $100, and I recently picked up an adorable shift dress from the sale rack for $5, which garnered numerous compliments during my fabulous New York weekend.

Veronica M
7122 Beverly Blvd.
and
8512 W. 3rd Street
and
410 Broadway in Santa Monica
and
30 W. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena
and
13019 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City

Alexander McQueen

Every once in a while, I see something so beautiful and so bizarre that I'm completely at a loss for words. Alexander McQueen's fall collection did that to me this year, which is why it's taken me days to figure out how to do this post. To me, McQueen's collection is an exquisite commentary on the melding of decadence and decay that has permeated world culture for decades, with the decay finally roiling its way to the surface. In McQueen's collection, you see looks that are exquisite from afar, but leave you with the distinct impression that something is wrong. It's not just the overblown, harshly drawn mouth on the model - when you look up close, you see that her hat is made of aluminum cans or bubble wrap. You see that her face is swathed in plastic wrap. You see that this fantasically beautiful look contains an element that is disturbing and revolting. Most of the collection had this visceral impact on me, and I wish I could show you every single look.

Of course, maybe I'm taking it way too seriously and it's just meant to be a giant spectacle or bratty joke, but for me this was a case of art and historical circumstances melding in a way that left me thinking about it for days.