Jonathan Saunders Fall 2015

Abstract cumulus clouds, square boxy sunglasses and loosely coiled turtlenecks all contributed to the revival of the 1970s at Jonathan Saunders, whilst everyone else remained firmly enamored with the allure of the sixties. A departure from fringed suede and billowing dresses, Saunders focused on the synthetic or plastic fantastic if you prefer.There was something very Wonka-esque about the entire assortment of candy-colored outfits which drifted down the runway to the tune of George Michael's Careless Whisper. Perhaps it was the eye-popping combinations of purple and red softened by shades of grey and brown. But there was nothing diminutive about this collection, in fact Saunders adopted the mantra of "less is a bore" for this season specifically and cited the music which he chose for the show as something which put a smile on his face. The collections I find most inspiring are those where the designers always demand more of themselves and of their art. In this case Saunders has reconciled work and play beautifully by simply enjoying his craft and being able to create moving art.

Although those technical powder puffs opened and more or less defined the show I fell completely in love with the stripes. Notably Saunders opted for vertical stripes over horizontal stripes, breaking that age old fashion rule. You know me I find so-called fashion rules to be a complete bore and restricting. It's because of these rules that my mother will dictate what I can wear, at what time of day and where irrespective of the harm she may be causing to my self-esteem. So basically, fashion rules suck and creativity is awesome but it looks so glamorous and chic with a pair of laced up thigh high boots. These stripes in particular look more dreamy, colourful and playful than any vintage piece which has had to for survive decades. The same goes for materials such as vinyl which often degrade and can flake which can be exacerbated by wear. It's a real shame but sometimes despite all the love and care our clothes receive it's important to remember that they are material objects and do not experience change and growth the way our bodies do over the course of a lifetime. So sometimes the most healthy thing we can do is to buy something new and enjoy it's short but beautiful lifetime and make sure it gets lots of wear and simply look at each scuff mark as a little memory.

Another aspect which I enjoyed almost unexpectedly were the trousers paired with a simple colour block sweater. They were chic but understated and suited for a more emasculated, 1970s counterpart of Mad Men. The only thing that seemed missing was a cute little clutch purse or something else to create contrast. Even in a frozen snapshot I admire they movement and flow through them, as well as the legacy of slightly frumpy stretched flare pants that went around in the 1990s. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, you should definitely check out this post by Style Bubble here. Although admittedly these pants by Saunders are the cats meow and nothing can quite compare to their lovely tailoring. The simple knitwear made me feel like I was transported to the packaging of a Kodak film roll or something as equally antiquated but colourful. The variation of stripes, as well as vertical patterns emulating wallpaper and interior designs of the seventies made for a smorgasbord of colour. Pleated panels were also used as a substitute for more stripes making the transition from straight vertical stripes to curvilinear rainbows.

I'm not someone who normally delights in the mod aesthetic, save for Shirley Kurata who is definitely a celestial being and not of this world. The narrative of a secretarial workspace has also been recently popularised by a number of designers, choreographing their shows to the typical closing time of any office space. Jonathan Saunders goes beyond each of those two ideals but maintains their whimsical nature in spire of a somewhat dreary or minimalist setting. That brings us back to the Willy Wonka vibes that I mentioned earlier minus a creepy cane or sinister subtext. I can't be the only one who had nightmares haunted by little orange men with green hair or confectionery creations turning on their consumer in an act of revenge. Childhood trauma aside, this upbeat collection was in its own way the physical embodiment of Saunders enthusiasm and delight in his work. It is people like him and Bill Cunningham who take such joy in their work that I idealize above all others. Happiness and good health is what will always matter first, what you're wearing and looks are not nearly as important in the grand scheme of things.

*Images via Vogue.com

Swamp Witch

Wearing: Romance Was Born dress (worn as skirt), thrifted bloused, thrifted cardigan, Dr Martens boots and DIY fringe cape.

As I come closer towards the end of my candidature, as well as writing applications for my PhD and completing my thesis I've become more drawn towards problem solving through words as well as experimentation. I know what tasks I have to do but can easily feel overwhelmed and paralysed at the thought of not being able to write well. Dreaming of new outfits has been my escape from academia and through creating a different set of problems has allowed me to work different parts of my brain. The DIY cape was originally a decoration I used for my twenty-first birthday last year but couldn't bear the thought of throwing it away. I was also really inspired by Patience Hodgson's outfit from Splendour in the Grass this year, designed by the lovely Rachel Burke from I make it, You wear it. I wore it with a 70s aesthetic blouse I picked up from a thrift store last year, inspired by the discussions surrounding Slimane as the creative director for Saint Laurent. This outfit has undertones of a rockstar, reimagined with interesting colours and textures. 

Peter Pilotto Fall 2015

Viewing this collection made me feel like I was experiencing the various townships represented in The Wizard of Oz (1939). I watched the film for the first time with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and was so entranced by the costume designs and how they relate to fashion today. Of course Hamish was totally confused about why I was getting so worked up about it and how I could consider those clothes wearable but he's definitely not into fashion but has forged an identity through the clothes he wears. (To our friends he is easily identifiable and basically wears the same outfit all year round). Given that Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion only visited a few townships within this universe it's entirely feasible that somewhere, a town exclusively inhabited by women exists and they dress with impeccable taste. I can only hope they wear Nicholas Kirkwood shoes embellished with what reminds me of Jacks (or Knucklebones if you prefer) and wonderfully decorated sweaters and coats. Join me on a journey of discovery within the Peter Pilotto world with pop culture references abound.

Despite the wonderful shoes and the numerous colorways Nicholas Kirkwood created especially for this runway collection, style.com has not featured any closeups of the shoes and I feel so vexed about this. It's no secret that I am a huge Nicholas Kirkwood fan owning three pairs of his shoes (one Meadham Kirchhoff collaboration and one Rodarte) and a pair of Sophia Webster slides (former design assistant to Nicholas Kirkwood). Each shoe is like a piece of artwork and beautifully made- hence why I feel so frustrated there aren't many photographs of them from this runway show online. Before I continue to vent my frustration I should note that Peter Pilotto has collaborated with Nicholas Kirkwood for a number of seasons but this might be my favorite range of heels and boots to date. The introduction of gel or strange shapes always injects a kind of nostalgia, usually springing forth memories of the early 2000s but in this case the 1970s tone is irrefutable. The colors, strange geometric shapes and sporadic suede heels all lead me to the conclusion that while both identities exist within this collection the seventies is stronger.

The star of the show was definitely the fabulous and eccentric knitwear featuring designs akin to weird circuit board motifs or the alien crop circles. Even with the simple use of a few lines, colours and shapes on a plain white background I can conjure up multiple interpretations of the same design. It was definitely more intellectually stimulating than watching various 1970s inspired looks float down the runway (I mean Stevie Nicks is great and we should all aim to be like her but there's only so much suede and black sheer I can take- ya know?) Seeing so many abstract figures forced me to think about how they relate to my life or figures I knew from television and film. There was room for interpretation as well as substance behind motivating Pilotto during the creation of this collection which is always more compelling than predicting what will be the next biggest trend. I'm more concerned with which characters are brave enough to create the collection they want to as well as personal development through personal style. 

The other thing these colours and shapes remind me of are the attractions at Disneyland and to a greater extent Mary Blair's animation style. She was the art director of Peter Pan, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland, as well as the mastermind who orchestrated "It's a Small World" with scenes designed by Marc Davis and costuming by his wife Alice Davis. Wrap skirts which seem oddly familiar yet untraceable in origin echo this sentiment of a global citizen or alien figure who exists somewhere outside of time itself. Tavi Gevinson said something along these lines about Creatures of the Wind many years ago but I think the same can be said for Peter Pilotto. Things seem both old and new at the same time like a caricature of space travel or special effects from a movie made several decades ago. What is certain that although these shapes are readily familiar there isn't anything else like it available on the market which makes Pilotto so incredibly exciting as a figure in the fashion industry. 

Photos by Marcus Tondo for Indigitalimages.com