THOM BROWNE FALL 2009

 
 
 
Posted by Picasa

Comments

RICHARD E. COX Jr. said…
Thom Browne's latest epic was a two-parter: the performance at Pitti Uomo in Florence in January, then the collection in the showroom, which was not catwalked. "Too bad, the show is one thing I really like to do," Browne said regretfully. But without the live element, he felt no compunction to create any of his elaborate, often ludicrous show-pieces, "eye-rollers" as he called them, and that was a good thing. "This is the most pulled-back collection I've done," he claimed (though, at the time, we were standing by a shorts suit in a snowflake-skier-and-bunny-rabbit Fair Isle with matching kneesocks, so it pays to keep the context of his statement in mind). Discipline was the key word, in almost every way. In his immaculately choreographed Pitti presentation, Browne aired his proclivity for fetishistic uniformity to such spectacular effect that you might wonder what there was left to say, but he expanded on the theme of uniforms for the actual collection. The key silhouette—a jacket with a stiff flaring skirt, the trousers underneath given a jodhpur proportion—would have looked right to a Prussian officer, even in gray cashmere. Browne saw his rugby stripes as a sports uniform, and his union suit as a worker's uniform (or, at least, a worker's under-uniform). He showed it sleeveless, in cashmere or plaid, with a little matching jacket, astrakhan-trimmed, over the top. "I like such a utilitarian idea in such a rich fabric," was his typically artless rationale for such an oddity.

Given that Browne has turned sacrilege into a sartorial art (why on earth would anyone want to turn lush cashmere into a rubbery-feeling waterproof?), it was reassuring that his own favorite piece in the collection was just about the plainest: a fur-collared navy topcoat. Just as straightforward were an Eisenhower jacket and coat, and some appealingly pretty jacquards that looked like Japanese paper patterns. So we've got to give the guy his eye-roller. It came in the form of a floor-length officer's coat with flap-pockets tumbling down its back. "Practical," insisted Browne. "It's a backpack." But all I could think of was the candy wrappers and cigarette butts that unenlightened souls might seek to unload while the wearer was otherwise engaged.
April 7, 2009 at 6:47 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

C Z GUEST

Image
Flip through the "inspiration" file that every designer keeps, and at some point you will find a picture of C.Z. Guest. Debutante, showgirl (briefly), model (painted nude by Diego Rivera), socialite, gardener, intimate of artists and writers; Guest had the kind of life that seems fiction, and the perfect patrician looks to illustrate it. She wore her designer clothes with thoroughbred elegance, keeping to simple lines, rich fabrics, and soft colors to suit her cool complexion. But perhaps what drew creative types to her most was Guest's down-to-earth personality, exemplified by her recent advice to would-be gardeners visiting her web site, "The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have a good time."
Read more

Le Palais du Couchant $68,500,000 • 9577 Sunset Blvd • Beverly Hills The epitome of European elegance with over 36,000 square feet of exquisite designs with hand painted detailing & state of the art electronics. Commercial level systems, exceptional new construction on nearly two acres of unparalleled quality. Delicate hand carved imported limestone exterior, onyx marbles, marble columns, antique mirrors, exceptional French moldings with 24karat gilt, bronze beveled double paned windows & doors. Fabulous master suite with huge dressing areas, luxurious baths & separate sitting rooms. Tournament play tennis court, expansive pool pavilion entertaining area with beautiful gardens. Opulent two story circular entry with a magnificent skylight. An entertainer's paradise, extraordinary scale. No expense has been spared in this famed 3 level French Palladian residential estate

Image
Read more

This is what a townhouse looks like...!

Image
  23 Gramercy Park South  last year for $18.5 million. The buyers of the 27-foot-wide landmark were Colombian heir Andrés Santo Domingo and his wife, socialite and  Vogue  contributor Lauren Santo Domingo. Apparently they weren't completely satisfied with their purchase, because the house is about to undergo a serious renovation.
Read more