See Thru Me

There's something special about see-through pieces. They can be dressed up or down, loose or fitted, & depending on the material, worn in summer or winter. Below is the showcase of various uses & styles of see-thru design.

above Top: Alexander McQueen - spring 2007 & above: spring 2009

McQueen's final show was the following spring, showcasing his fall 2010 works post-humously after his February 2010 suicide at age 40

above three: Gothified see-thru at Mugler - fall 2011

above & below: Nicole Farhi - fall 2011

Nicole Farhi b. 1946 is a French fashion designer and sculptor. She started her career as a freelance in Paris before moving to London in the 1970s to work with Stephen Marks on his French Connection label. In 1982, she and Marks created the Nicole Farhi label within the French Connection group. For more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Farhi

above: lace + see-thru at Francesco Scognamiglio - spring 2012, for designer info see below

below two: Theyskens Theory - fall 2012

Olivier Theyskens is a Dutch fashion designer who has worked with several major houses, including Rochas, Nina Ricci, and Theory.

When he was young, Theyskens desperately wanted to be a girl and was tormented by the fact that girls "got to be princesses and wear skirts." In 1995, aged 18, Theyskens began to study fashion design but dropped out in 1997 to start his own label. Eventually without sufficient financial support, he was forced to close. Despite this, sales of his line were surprisingly strong. Theyskens was brought to public attention when one of his dresses was worn by Madonna to the 1998 Academy Awards. In 2002 at age 25, Rochas appointed Theyskens as its creative director.

above: Elie Saab couture - spring 2011

Elie Saab is a self-trained Lebanese fashion designer. In 1982 at age 18, he launched his Beirut-based fashion label.

above: casual glamour at Dior (now designed by the Bill Gaytten team after Galliano's firing last spring due to anti-semitic remarks) - spring 2012

below: Sonia Rykiel - spring 2011

below three: Marc Jacobs - spring 2012

clear plastic gown

above & below: Valentino couture - fall 2011

above two: Francesco Scognamiglio - spring 2011

Scognamiglio is an Italian designer. At age 23 in 1998 he began his own label after working for Versace.

below: McQueen - spring 2007

above: Elie Saab couture - spring 2011

Below: a white tulle wedding catsuit w/ what looks like a giant cape from Gaultier - spring 2008

Celestial Textures

The futuristic, heavily textured materials designers have begun incorporating into their collections illustrate that colour & print alone cannot diversify fashion enough to satisfy the current desire to look unique. Doing something 'new' has become more difficult now that eclecticism is the lasting fad ---to look different from everyone else. Using the latest textile manufacturing technology & concocting new methods of embellishment has resulted in some pretty mindblowing garments.

Strange textures, toxic hues, alien lustre - Changing the surface of a piece has become the newest way to create something truly radical.

"By some feat of fabric technology, a mirror effect managed to give organza a reflective quality. Silk was threaded with metal to produce a sheen." - Tim Blanks for Style.com, January 2011

Above three: the amazing Armani Prive - Spring 2011 Couture collection

Above: Ports 1961 - fall 2012 & Top - spring 2010

Above two: Another mindblowing lineup at Valentino - Couture, spring 2010. After seeing stuff like this you really realize how either wimpy or just unimaginative the celebrities who get to borrow this stuff for events really are.

Nicole Farhi - fall 2012

"The new Farhi collection was a typically accomplished affair, rich in accessible, adult clothes made from luxe, technically innovative materials. Klimt-influenced fugue of metallics: The metal sequins she used were matte, and had a mineral feeling; a gorgeous bronze jacquard had a mottled look, like a fading penny." - Maya Singer for Style.com, February 2012

Above: Maison Martin Margiela - fall 2011 very Bladerunner trenchcoat.

Above 5: Metallic leather & mirror embroidery at Balmain - Fall 2011

Above: Quilted, embossed, bejewelled, & shiny at Balmain - spring 2012

Below three: Proenza Schouler - spring 2011

"Over-the-top colorful and loaded with sensory details. Guipure (= A coarse, large-patterned lace without a net ground) lace in hot, sulfur colors" - Nicole Phelps for Style.com