A Study of Resort 2011. part 1

I think that as society's attention span decreases as a whole, the 'powers that be' have decided to make Resort similar to a third Fashion Week in order to remain ahead of the curve. What I don't understand is how the design teams even have time for this amount of production; Marc Jacobs had 38 looks, Gucci showed 42 and Oscar de la Renta had a whopping 53 looks for Resort this year. In some ways I agree with those who say that these kind of displays are decreasing the quality of fashion that is being generated- how can you possibly find fresh ideas/maintain quality standards/employ hand-generated techniques when so much is expected from the house every year? However...I found so much to like in Resort 2011. I found the collections to be much more engaging and thoughtful than that of S/S 2010, as if designers had found a kind of freedom within the title of 'Resort' (which is neither here nor there- Burberry & Helmut Lang featured trenches and peacoats while Chanel showed clothes fit for the South of France)

Bottega Veneta
Tomas Maier and his team did a really wonderful job because they've created a collection you don't ever need to veer outside from. Bottega customers theoretically could purchase the entire collection (clearly I'm not talking about someone within my financial bracket) and have an entire wardrobe to mix and match for the next couple of years! While the palette is limited, the cutting gives the impression of timelessness and creativity- classic good taste and something different, too. Rarely does a collection achieve this tricky mix.

The collection has a crisp slouchiness to it (if that even makes sense) that I aspire to incorporate into my wardrobe. I'm really not feeling the brown, ruched boots, but other than that it's pretty damn enjoyable.

Zero + Maria Cornejo
 Similarly to Bottega, Maria Cornejo's Resort was geared towards summer-living in the city, with a lot of darker colours, fitted leather jackets and looks that you can move from the flea market to the theatre to. I really liked these looks because again, I can imagine them melding seamlessly with the wardobe I have already. Each look has a distinct personality- the thing is, I'm not sure if it expresses me......more like the more polished version of me that I wish I did look like most of the time?

As tiny as Hyoni Kang is, I can imagine these looks flattering a wider range of women than just sample size (perhaps the blue jumpsuit would pose a small challenge, though).

Stella McCartney 
I want to take these outfits and eat them all up. Stella is so good at boxy silhouettes and shoulder details. These outfits are extremely feminine, in contrast to some of the more streamlined looks I'm posting here, but noone uses rose/dusky pink like she does. It's such a garden party kind of mood set by the clothes- I would greatly enjoy sipping on a lime soda in the white blazer/shift combo.

3.1 Phillip Lim
I have to say that this collection bored me a little bit....but I always seem to fall for a couple pieces of 3.1 . I am a big fan of the continued use of shades in the 'nude' family.
Phillip Lim is a strong designer who really seems to have tapped into the feminine sensibility ('what women want'/www), he has to be careful however not to get written off solely as a designer for NY society girls and celebrity offspring. I was in Holt Renfrew recently, and almost everything I fawned over was in fact 3.1- I just think he needs to lay off the frilly dresses and continue to design beautiful outerwear and pants.

Helmut Lang


These are the kind of chic basics that I can imagine myself reaching for pretty much every day, and still looking fantastic/enviable. I love the harem pants and am a tad obsessed with the dark denim button up






























































































Lanvin
I always, always, always enjoy the magical world of Mr. Elbaz (mwome). I think that the presentation of his collection this year was of particular merit, as he really followed the creation of the clothing from start to finish- explaining each piece is to be worn and how it can be used to maximise wearability. Extremely classy (forget how this word often sounds) and really, how I think presentations should be. Elbaz appears to be one of the 'old guard' designers that hasn't forgotten the heart of his business and his art- women deserve to know a little more about the clothing before they drop Lanvin-level prices on it.
[even though I am decidedly NOT a Michael Kors fan, I've read before about his multiple-city, personalised trunk shows and I greatly respect that level of effort]

 

All images courtesy of nymag and Style.com.

Copyright of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Bottega Veneta, Helmut Lang, Lanvin, Stella McCartney & Zero+Maria Cornejo.