valentino and the row

Valentino

i think at this stage i could right about a Valentino collection before seeing it. The words “feminine, ruffles, silk, chiffon, white and delicate” are always put to use regardless of season or trend but i’m not critisising, in fact, it’s quite the opposite; i love trademark characteristics that enable you to recognise “a Valentino” in an instant. However, more importantly, i love how these staples can remain such a firm part of a label throughout the years, surviving season upon season, fad upon fad and decade defining trend upon decade defining trend. A designer who can do this, is a true artist.

With this pre-fall collection, i guess that Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri were thinking “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it but we can tweak to be safe”. The collection was naturally Valentino-ed but there was the addition of edgier angles, more artistic silhouettes and rougher materials that have been experimented with in almost every collection of the past few years.

The pieces all stood together quite well, apart from a random leopard print mini-trench that looked like a lost Cavalli piece in anongst the frills. Nevertheless the more evening-y eveningwear was beautiful with a hint of balletic styling. Some of the floor-length gowns could be mistaken for  vintage slip-dresses which made them very sexy in quite a naughty way.

 

The Row

With a label named after London’s famous Saville Row, we should expect nothing but the best tailoring that pre-fall 2011 has to offer, and that’s exactly what Mary-Kate and Ashley have offered us. Some pieces were nothing new; leather shorts, leather pencil skirts- seen it all before but amidst the 19 looks there were quite a few show-stoppers. A long black dress with a daring slit, a leather trench, a green snakeskin jacket and a fitted leather pant-suit were some of my favourites. The Olsens know how to do cool with their trademark oversized everything and minimalist colour palette. 

If your looking for a stand-out pre-fall collection when it comes to daywear; the row is where it’s at.