Acne Spring 2012

What was seen as Swedish heritage, in this case retro, dominated the clothes of the Spring Summer 2012 collection this year for Acne, with Johansson, a Swedish designer, now at the helm. The models walked on a turquoise runway surrounded by hot pink and were made up to look like guys from the 70s, with their hair gelled back and the make-up not apparent. 

The pants were high waist and the Men's ankles were more exposed, they keep getting higher and higher. I loved the texture of the jeans, its denim but it looks very sturdy as if its not going to wrinkle; a sort of fake denim material made to look like denim!

I loved the strap sandals.

The longer length coats are everywhere this season and I absolutely love it.

This camouflage floral print is really cool. I especially liked it in blue.

This take on sweaters was something new that I haven't seen before. Although it seems many designers no longer are going for the layered look, I feel like these will do well.

This is probably the only time I can remember where I loved club collars (collars that round around the end) and turquoise on a man, the boldness is very minimalist and classy.

Acne always does the glasses so well, they are of course, plastic, but they look like they could have been made of glass and the edges are refined and distinctly European.

Missoni Spring 2012

Slim clothes were the only thing Missoni presented today, nothing was loose and everything was form-fitting. It was athleticism, on the upcoming London Olympics that inspired this sportswear like clothing, which asks the Missoni Customer to be slim and fit, and no doubt, young.

Many of the suits looked relaxed, not structured, in drop shoulders that suggest comfort. They were often placed over T-shirts, polos, and casual wear that were often bold, in a bright orange and red, as if they were cardigans.

I loved the woven sandals near the end.

All the leggings had drawstring ankles and were crumpled, sturdy as sportswear should be.

The actual cardigans were nicely done, and I loved the one with the polo shirt underneath with a bold orange collar.

There wasn't as much as I expected, from Missoni, as I usually like it when they go bolder, as they did in Spring 2011. Either way I am sure there customers will be relieved to dress in comfortable, form-fitting clothes.

See the video of the collection here.

Lanvin Spring 2012

A man in uniform is always a hero.

This was the thought behind Lanvin's newest collection, which was set in a beautiful Colosseum-like venue, to the music of the Dark Knight. Security Guards, Military men, and Superheroes were all represented as every look seemed to be distinctly different from each other, the only thing that was linear was this hero theme that carried over to a more manly man, something Lanvin hasn't visited in many years.

The hair was eccentric, sort of a pumpkin cut, and the models walked fast and with energy, as any hero would. Everything was experimental, nothing was what you would normally see, as all clothes were either tightly fitted or loosely fitted. The coats were of a long length typically, and the messenger bags were abnormally small. I loved the big clutches, a thin and sleek bag made out of black crock material that could hold a lot. The loose pants were tucked into boots and the short shorts were great when paired with a coat. Many of the jackets and shirts had a dropped shoulder and the ties were tucked into shirts, a trend I've never really cared for.

My favorite brand, Lanvin has inspired me again, as it always does.
At the end a series of tight hippie-like pants were featured, something different, which I loved. Apparently they were patched together uniforms, and were something I have not seen all throughout fashion week.

See the video of this collection here.

Calvin Klein Spring 2012

It was no surprise that Italo Zuchelli's new collection for Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 10.11 was based on minimalism, the heart of the brand's DNA. There was something new, however, something that actually attracted me to the bareness of the brand compared to other seasons, especially the men's brand, which, truth be told, I never had much interest in. I think it was the bold futuristic weirdness that Calvin Klein has always had, but so bold, with every look communicating this value, that made it so strikingly apparent.

The show was held in a blank, white room admist rows of chairs in which celebrities, namely Joe Jonas, sat looking for things to wear in the upcoming season. The first model came out, all white in a tank top and scrub-like, pajama-like shorts that were loose fitting with a waist band; the inspiration was then apparent, American Sportswear. Continuing down the runway were tailored blazers with often a mesh quality that sometimes went into the undershirt underneath, all with these loose fitting shorts.  A couple of scrub-like shirts, in mint green, white, grey, and black were paired with shorts, and in the later part of the show an emphasis on the waist was apparent in the different colors of Jackets, all minimalist and clean. The tiled blazers were another thing I loved, showing his inventiveness in using different technology to create the clothing that men will wear in the next summer season.

Some of the things I didn't like were the pants near the end, the length covering the knee just shy of the ankle but baggy, and particularly the black petaled shirts, which I felt were too bondage-star-like. Also the circusy lapels that were on one suit in particular, the bold gray with a stark black that I felt didn't work.

It was no surprise that Zuchelli went this route in regards to sportswear, as the Summer Olympics will be here when they are finally sold; but in it, he really created a work of minimalist art that I love and have learned to appreciate, perhaps for the future seasons to come.

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012

The inspiration of a place I don't know much about piqued my interest in the country of Kenya when I first saw Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2012 show today. Now under the direction of Kim Jones, who replaced Marc Jacobs as the menswear designer, (which I think is for the better, Marc Jacob's men's shows particularly for Louis Vuitton were either dull or highly unwearable, in my opinion) the collection held a variety of pieces that established both the East and West, something I find interesting and have always loved (Ex: Kenzo's Spring/Summer 2011 Menswear show).

The first few pieces that came out were suits, which apparently many editors loved, but I felt were fair.They were tailored, which is something I love, but the shoulders were made broad, something I don't like because it made the models look bigger, my ideal man being of a skinnier type.

But in some way I loved the way several of the Harringtons had a great structural shape, almost like an egg, which made the models look bigger. I only wish they weren't cheapened by the huge V on their back, which was totally unnecessary.

The Masai patterns, found on the a variety of things, particularly the neck-wear, were my favorite things. Perhaps the best look of the collection was a casual, tan double breasted suit with tan chinos covered by a huge Masai scarf, complemented with sunglasses embroidered with color, like something a Raf Simons show would produce.

In addition, the sportswear/elegant feel of the collection was greatly appreciated, as many have done since Spring 2011, sandals coming with suits and trenches after dressed for a day of work. The suit Alexander Johannsson wore with shorts and sandals was casual work-wear at its finest.

D & G Spring 2012

The paisley, the family crests, the Italian tile designs inscribed into the clothing present at D & G's Spring/Summer 2012 runway show all seemed to follow this season's growing trend for the bold at the expense of the commercial. It emphasized a style one would commonly associate with an out-of-touch older man and brought it to the young of today. A sense of tradition that I believe was successful in making the clothes wearable through the color schemes and shapes that gave the clothes life, something not easy to do. Especially since when you think of the market or the wearer of these clothes it is inevitably the young, party-going types because of its casualness, a true achievement in itself.

With this idea in mind, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabana sent the models down the runway in a variety of material, mostly consisting of the newly-popular and highly-comfortable silk foulard with denim, mixed in innumerable ways with accessories that cater to the young. The colors, the first look consisting of gray all the way to the end with a bold red were unbelievable, the bombers and tapered pants looked great together as they took away from the old-men style. This was fought successfully to the very end, when the swim shorts of male youth came out, which will undoubtedly turn up on beaches throughout the world.

One of the most interesting things this season was the concept of denim mixed with foulard, a few times one whole piece such as the military jacket that came out with pockets of foulard, undeniably stylish and classy. In other moments the denim of the shorts turned into chino-like material, khaki that worked with the rest of the outfit as it was cuffed, tapered, or cut. The mixture of these two things presents a whole new way to think about style; something I find ground-breaking.

Of particular disappointment in my view were the accessories. The wayfarer sunglasses that were not bold enough, the cheesy hats that suggest a douche bag and the concept of a messenger bag mimicking the clothes were all things I wouldn't dare to go near at a store.

In due respect, D & G's collection this season was very impressive for its unconventional style and boldness that the two designers have put forward in previous collections and have come to be known for. At the expense of great style and design, however, I believe that they may have pushed the commercial too far away and jeopardized their sales; something I am sure they will make up for in the following season. They expect a lot from their customer, as I believe any designer should, and hope that these customers will see it for what it's worth.

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