Designer Capsule Collections Part II

I get quite excited each time a new collaboration deal is announced, although sadly I'm now located in a place where none of these are available -_-". I am extremely excited about the 3.1 Philip Lim collaboration with UNIQLO! Hopefully they will be released in NYC UNIQLO duriing my visit this summer! I'm sure I have made the point clear that Philip is one of my favorite new designers :). I have only managed to catch glimpses of these designs via Japanese fashion magazine. I absolutely adore the LWD, and the other pieces that were shown seem a bit different from the usual 3.1 Philip Lim style. They are yet more minimalistic, has less romantic detail and are more sporty looking.

I remember when Stella McCartney for H&M came out, I was in class and wasn't able to go queuing in the morning. I must say the Stella collection is my favorite for H&M capsules. She striked the right amount of design and detail, such that they actually looke like Stella McCartney design, without carrying too much detail, which could be a disservice given the not-so-exquisite quality. I also liked the Proenza Schouler for Target collection very much for precisely the same reasons. They have designed versions of their signature bustier dresses and tops for the capsule line, as well as the prints, novel proportions and shapes that characterize their designs. Pieces from their collection look incredibly young and fun, almost like a secondary line. That being said, I haven't had the chance to examine the quality and how good they look in real life though. Karl's design are simple, clean and sleek, which does reflect his usual style, but lack the level of elegance and creativity that we see in Chanel and Fendi. Nonetheless it was still a good collection. Viktor and Rolf was probably the most dissapointing for me out of the H&M lines, as the duo had put in too much romantic details which inevitably looked cheap under not-so-great quality fabric and assembly. They also did pieces like classic trench and simple pencil skirts, which require high quality fabric and craftmanship to achieve the desired result. Not to mention that I found the heart motif rather cheesy.

I am really looking forward to seeing the celebrity-designed capsule collections. The eagerly anticipated Kate Moss's first attempt to fashion design is definitely on the top of my list. From photos I have seen from http://www.topshop.com/ and the fitting footages, it appears that her collection is a fine reflection her edgy, cool, and rather careless sexy persona. The collection does look very Brit and fits well with the general image of Topshop. M by Madonna doesn't have the kind of loud, punk, daring statement that I initially expected. The designs look more modern, sexy, and simplistic, and it strangely reminds me of Bebe for some reason. Out of all these collaborations that I have discussed, the one that I really cannot understand would be Scarlett Johanson for Reebok. Reebok started as a brand that sells design-above-performance active apparels. It had been losing ground to Nike's premium performance marketing and Addidas' superior designs and highly successful designer crossover lines. I would say their effort to make a come back with Scarlett's tasteless design is at best futile and is unlikely to attract any clients other than junior high girls who not yet have a good sense of style. The trying-to-be-sweet heart prints look cheap tacky and the heart shaped cutouts make the garments look torn. The cuts and colours lack sophistication and are unflattering. Scarlett might be an acting talent, but definitely not a designing one.

(Above from top: M by Madonna, Kate Moss for Topshop, Scarlett Johanson for Reebok)

Designer Capsule Collections Part I

Designer crossover collections for sport brands had been around for quite a long time: Y-3, Stella McCartney for Addidas, Comme des Garcon x Fred Perry are all product of such collaboration. This is obviously an ingenious idea, since fashionable women all love to stay toned to look good in beautiful clothes, and what is better to motivate us to hit the gym than chic designer sport attires? These collaboration marries functionality with aesthetic perfectly and revolutionize active apparels.

After the sportif collaborations, it is now the new "IT" thing for designers to do capsule collections with lower-priced chain retailers. The highest profile ones should be the H&M collezioni by big names like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, and Viktor & Rolf; and Proenza Schouler for Target. Less widely known new designers are also designing capsule collections: 3.1 Philip Lim for UNIQLO, Vivienne Westwood/Sofia Kokosalaki/Thakoon for Nine West Front-Row Project, just to name a few. Following these designer, the newest hype is for celebrities to design their own collections to be sold by High Street chains/ labels: Kate Moss for Top Shop, M by Madonna for H&M, and Scarlett Johanson for Reebok, for example.

(Above from top: Karl Lagerfeld for H&M, Viktor & Rolf for H&M, 3.1 Philip Lim for UNIQLO)

These capsule collections are multilaterally beneficial. It is obviously a good news for us fashionista: for those with tight budget, they could get a dose of their favorite designers' design for lower price; for those with liberal budget, these capsule pieces can still act as good staples at low cost. Another beauty of these collection is its limited supply, which serve to maintain the exclusivity and uniqueness of their designers so not to undermine their appeal to the fashion society. Although the quality is inevitably much lower than the actual designer lines, they are good enough for the mix-high-and-low looks that are increasingly popular these days.

It is also beneficial for the chains, first it heightens brand image by sheer association with top tier design talents. Second, it attracts patrons who never visit these stores. The best scenario would be that they are attracted by other merchandise in the store and become new regular customers; even if they don't, they still improve sale by attracting new clients just for the one time collections. As a result, the stores broaden their clientele base. Third, these capsule collections are certainly profitable in themselves. Premier designers' names and designers allow them to charge a premium, while the products are still manufactured with the same material and facilities. After paying the designers, there is still room for lucrative profit resulting from the high demand and high premium.

It is of course beneficial for the designers designing for these collections. First, they earn extra income from the capsule collections. Second, f0r lesser known new design talents like Thakoon and Sofia Kokosalaki, capsule collections allow them to leverage on the publicity provided by chain stores' advertisting capital to proliferate their names in the market, which could in turn translate into broadened clientele and more sales in their own lines.

(Above from top : Stella McCartney for H&M, Proenza Schouler for Target)

(Above: Nine West Front-Row Project)

Think Jewel

Today is the equinox day, so it's officially spring today! I'm sure all the fashion magazines have collectively make the point clear that metallic and vibrant hue is going to be big this spring, and I'm sure everyone should have a good does of the metallic dresses and accesories by now. Other than the usual silver and gold, another way to update your look would be jewel tone. As a matter of fact, jewel tone will still play a big part in the upcoming F/W 2007 so it is quite worthwhile to invest in a jewel tone dress or accessories such as bag, shoes, or even belt. Jewel tone clothes are actually much easier to wear and much more versatile than many of you think. For day wear, a jewel tone top pair with a pair of skinny jeans with flats for a casual but slightly dressed up look, you can even get away with that for an evening at the lounge or a dinner date in this. A pin striped high waist pencil skirt in black or grey is also perfect to pair with a jewel tone blouse for a refreshing, sharp look at work. If you want to be more subtle, add a jewel toned bag or belt to your usual ensemble to instantly chic it up. For night wear, a jewel toned dress is an instant killer! Imagine the 3.1 Philip Lim emerald dress above with a pair of louboutin black patent pumps and a simple clutch! It just has elegant and chic written all over it! And walk into a cocktail party with the sapphire Bradgley Mischka dress, you instantly stand out from the crowd of black, sassy and stylish but still elegant and appropriate!

(Above from upper left: Bianca Nero dress in amethyst, 3.1 Philip Lim dress in emerald, Kay Unger New York dress in ruby, Bradgley Mischka dress in Sapphire. Below from upper left: Lanvin Nil bag in ruby patent leather, Yves Saint Laurent Downtown bag in amethyst patent leather, Christian Louboutin Decollete in black patent leather, Fendi B belt in sapphire patent leather.

3.1 Philip Lim

As an Asian fashionista, I can't help but feel somewhat proud, and very happy about the fact that Asian designers are playing an increasingly important role and becoming more appreciated in the world fashion scene. I just love the work of the uprising Asian designers like Derek Lam, 3.1 Philip Lim, and Thakoon among others. Today I'd like to talk about 3.1 Philip Lim. My dear friend introduced this wonderful designer to me last year and I fell instantly in love with the way he marries cool and chic with femininity and romance to create his own distinct, very modern point of view. He was a contender of the CFDA award. Although he didn't end up winning, his work is a total hit among the fashionistas and are often seen in the front-rows. If we look at the pieces, we see lots of girly romantic elements: the flower prints, frills, rosettes, lace, bows...etc. However, Philip puts them in the garment in such interesting way that make these elements look really cool. For example, rossette buttons on military style coat; diagonal frills across easy fitting pull-over; big flower prints in bold tone like yellow or contrasting black and white; and extra large bow on cardigan that add more of a statement than romance, just to name a few. Philip really finds the creative way to balance the feminity for cool urban girls!