Jenny Packham

(via)

Jenny Packham’s 2012 designs range from tangy, orange dresses to taupe jumpsuits. Some have criticized her aesthetic for being too sweet. To me, her collections simply have an energetic point of view--one that alternates between feminine indulgence and restraint.

Her spring collection, full of breezy fabrics, celebrates womanhood—and that flute of bone that looks good on every body type. Here, the materials flow in universally appealing shapes.

(via)

In her fall collection, she does not abandon these fabrics, but restrains their silhouettes. Worn on lip-lined, pompadour-ed models, her fall clothes have a severe subtext. They are still sweet, yet also powerful, with a distinct wartime sensibility. Through both collections, Packham touches upon a multitude of fashion influences--including 1940s noir, Victorian Gothicism, and Lisa Frank.

(via)

Packham’s aesthetic touches my heart.

As Sarah Joynt writes, her fall collection is a “story of shoulders.”

Certainly, shoulders never looked so good.

Upcycling

The other day, I was browsing collections on this site. As I examined the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 collections of great artists like Jenny Packham and Michael Kors, it occurred to me that each collection was somewhat insular--designed without a strong sense of interconnection.

Designers like Panichgul Thakoon used plaids and trippy silhouettes for the fall, for example, while others, like Collette Dinnegan, explored airy colors on varying lengths of light fabric. And of course, heavy, dark pieces dominated most collections. 

Thakoon, Collette Dinnegan, Isaac Mizrahi, and Badgely Mischka.

As we approach 2012, the 1960s takes prominence again...which makes me wonder why we keep consciously recycling (or "upcycling") the past four decades, along with the pesky '20s. How many times will the 80s will be reinvented? Will crushed velvet be en vogue soon? And for goodness sakes, who brought the fanny pack back?

Often, when spotlighting trends, magazines will indicate the origins of said trends. When beaded cross sweatshirts are featured, for example, you'll usually see Madonna's photo somewhere on the same page. And although it's fun to think about trends, it's impossible to know why certain items are popular while others are not.

Sometimes, fashion just seems like one big spinning wardrobe that the-powers-that-be turn to select the latest piece. It's arbitrary.

I guess that's the nature of this postmodern era. There are so many random, competing ideas (all of which seem to be expressed on the hipster's body these days). ;-p

Anthony Ryan Auld Spring 2012 Tumblr