Nina Ricci Fall/Winter 2009

          Olivier Theyskens' fall/winter 2009 collection for the house of Nina Ricci was, in a word, astounding.  The whole thing, from start to finish, should be titled "How to Present a Collection that will make People's Jaws Drop".  It was really that good.  I have to be totally honest however, and admit that I did not care for the dresses in this collection.  Don't get me wrong, they were gorgeous.  They just weren't things that appealed to my aesthetic.  However, I thought the looks with pants were incredible.

          The above look opened the show, and what a way to open it was!  The shoulder and material of that sweater is perfect.  It's so strong and creates an almost visceral, powerful effect.  Then the pants are stunning.  The length, the material (which is oh so flowy), and the straightness create a very long lean and mean silhouette.  I am not kidding when I say I would wear this look from head to toe (including the magnificent shoes which I will discuss in detail later) out on the town.  It's one of those, "I"m going to find me a man tonight" looks, which for me is always a winner.

          This look is probably my favorite of the whole collection.  I think it is a lot more subtle than the other looks, and when you have the skill level that Olivier Theyskens has, I think it can be very powerful when you use a little restraint.  In my mind, it makes the clothes that much more refined.

          I think this is the most well executed jumpsuit I have ever seen.  It is tailored to the model's body perfectly, and it is so well made that I thought it was actually pants and a sleeveless blouse when I first saw it.  The sheer sparkly thing underneath the top of the jumpsuit is also quite nice.  Then the hat finishes the look with a perfect little mysterious push.  I would rock this look so hard, it's not even funny.

          The above suit cuts such a boxy, dramatic, strange and unique silhouette that I can't help but love it.  That blazer has such strong shoulders, and I think it's fascinating the way it kind of boxes out at the bottom.  And the pants are unique in the way they flare out into a box at the bottom.  And once again, the hat tops off the look in an almost dashing way.

          What else can I say about this collection?  The three looks that I discussed I would wear in a heartbeat straight off the runway, and the rest that I didn't talk about is just plain beautiful, expertly made and above all else innovative.  Olivier Theyskens is a genius of our generation, and I think it was a cool move on his part to take the creative director job at Theory.  So after seeing this collection, I will await his future collections for Theory with baited breath.

It's a Need, Not a Want

       I want this Giles dinosaur bag so badly it's ridiculous.  It is beautiful, and I know it sounds so bad to say that it's a need and not a want, but let me explain.  This bag (and the above image) are from Giles Deacon's spring 2010 collection.  And the whole collection is awesome, but this bag in particular really caught my eye.  It's shiny (which is kind of luxurious) and cute in a subversive way.  Plus it's functional, which makes it totally lust-worthy.  On a side note, I read that once Giles presented these bags, a lot of fashion mag editors got them and basically coveted them.  How awesome is that??


       I love designers and collections and accessories like these because they are so irreverent that they remind me why I love fashion.  Fashion is something that some people (like me) put on an alter, and it's sometimes nice to be reminded that fashion is and should be fun!  And on another side note, the models' blue hair in this collection made me seriously consider dying my hair blue.  But then sanity sunk in, and that was that.  Ah well.

Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2010

       Alexander Wang is my hero and role model.  His collections perpetually inspire and challenge me in a way that is simply masterful.  His ideas and collections have this inherent coolness to them which blows me away almost every single time.  And this collection is no different.  I believe he described it as Wall Street meets gypsy, which itself is genius, but the way in which he executed this specific vision was almost deconstructed and just plain cool.

       The velvet, the pinstripes, the ribbed leggings, the shoes.  It was all so damn cool.  My favorite part of the collection would have to be all the little peek-a boo flashes of skin.  It seemed very sexy in a smart way.  And can we talk about the camel coat in the above picture?  Can we talk!!  It's beautiful in that understated, minimalist way that's oh so trendy right now, but yet its got that cool feeling that Alexander Wang is oh so good at.  

       This look has got to be my favorite.  The lacy black slip dress is so sophisticated and chic, it's just crazy.  I am also really feeling the black knit scarf thing and black knit leggings that start just above the knee.  Very, very sexy.

      In the end, after viewing this collection over and over again, I have to say that it has grown on me substantially.  When I first viewed it I thought, yawn, but then I kept seeing it and it became, wow!  It's also what I call a head-to-toe collection because everything from the styling to the shoes to the hair to the makeup were spot on.  Well done Mr. Wang, well done.

Welcome!

       Hello there people, and welcome to my first blog post.  My name is Rickety, and I have decided to start this blog purely out of a need to express my insane love of fashion.  I must tell you all, fashion is almost everything to me.  It's the last thing I think about at night, and the first thing I think about in the morning.  It is one of the main driving forces in my life, and I have no idea what I'd do without it.  So that is where this blog comes in.  This blog will be my little soapbox where I sound off on all things fashion.  That means show reviews, commentary on news, and lots of other interesting goodies for you all.  So stay tuned for more, and let's enjoy the ride!