so it's been almost a month since the late great alexander mcqueen was suddenly taken from us. alexander was one of the few designers who's creations were not just about the clothing but they came from a visual art perspective and expressed different ideas which was exemplified by his amazing runway shows (can i plz accentuate the amazing-ness?) in fact just f.y.i, is womenswear fall/winter 2009 show was one of the only few shows that i could sit entirely through and not get severely bored (and by sit through i mean watching on youtube on a 13 inch monitor in the corner of my room) sooo anyways what i came here today to talk about is one of mr. mcqueen's very last collections, menswear spring/summer 2010.so i know i'm kind of late in doing a recap of a spring summer show but whatevs, its awesome so plz just sit there and listen. the collection seems based around a lot of neutral, earthy based colours such as beige, whites, grays, blues and browns which was a great contradiction when most designers were in favour of a bright punchy colour scheme such as louis vuitton, emporio armani and bottega veneta. the silhouette of the clothes looked very similar to his previous fall/winter 2009 collection, the dark 1800's sweeney todd meets the gangs of new york. but what was interesting was the symmetrical patterns printed on the blazers and shirts which were similar to the dresses at his novelty womenswear spring summer 2010 collection.
but what i really loved about the collection is the intricately placed splashes of paint. the clean edges of a basic crew tee embellished with hand painted lines (amaze-balls) but it doesn't just stop at tee shirts. button up shirts, fedora hats, shoes, rolled up trousers as well as blazers. i really dig the corresponding lines painted down the front opening of a single breasted blazer, the handprints marked on a simple white button up shirt which are also noted on a vivid navy blue suit.
besides the art elements of the collection alexander still kept his signature killa cuts and tailoring. seriously this is a collection that i desperately want to wear! if only i could wake up and my wardrobe was full of these amazing clothes (i know what i will be dreaming about tonight)although alexander may be gone his design aesthetic lives on even though i know that no one can quite compete with what he did. hopefully his passing left the fashion world with a reminder that fashion isn't just about the way the clothes look, but the way they can bring across different ideas and emotions which i feel alexander was really awe-inspiring in. taken too soon. rest in peace.
love,
ariki
