Alexander Wang doing Alexander Wang / Pre-Fall 2013

Alexander Wang, one of my ultimate Fashion idols and the recently appointed creative head of Balenciaga, just released his own Pre-Fall Collection for the 2013 Season. Masterfully composed of bulky knits, slickly-cut coats, and beautifully draped monochromatics in rich, tundra greys and crisp whites (in a way only Wang could do), the Collection is a brooding and sophisticated departure from the otherworldliness of Wang's typical aesthetic.

I love Wang's unique ability to play with youthful athletics in such a crisp way; adding really interesting textural elements in subtle ways that become bold when it pops away from all the minimalism. The slight drape over the collarbone, the blocked shoulders, the powdery, dusted sport coats, and the asymmetrical zipper. It's an edge that evokes an air of ultimate chic at the same time; something I absolutely love seeing in Fashion. The pieces are ideal for that spark of coolness that hits just before your Autumn coat needs to come out, and is the perfect Collection for the inner-city woman both professional and artistic. It's divine, and all I can say is that I really wish I could wear that sleeveless military coat!

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MUGLER / Fall 2013 Menswear

The iconic house of MUGLER recently presented a fresh and fantastic Collection of Menswear for the Fall 2013 Season. Splattered with brilliant neon but cut with a chic and sophisticated edge, MUGLER boasted an aesthetic that executes in an electric, almost militant feel with a strong root in classic silhouettes. 

Paintbox Militia meets Parisian Homme; Highlighter Pink, Electric Green, and what can only be described as Superman Blue (colour of the season!) were singular, iconic staples that grounded the Collection in absolute richness. Creating a new type of luxury with every clean-cut coat and brilliant trouser, MUGLER's Fall 2013 makes jaw-dropping Pink of the loudest volume feel like it belongs on the chicest street in the world. The entire production is crafted with absolute taste. I absolutely adore the neon, and it's fresh to see it spread from it's Spring popularity in accessories to bigger, bolder Winter pieces that define the entire outfit as a whole - a head-to-toe body jumpsuit, an over-sized coat, or a brilliant suit that sits Blue on Blue on Blue.

I'm totally digging this new trend that is almost the adverse of colour-blocking; matching tones on matching tones. I saw it perk up last season, but people, both on the street and on the Runway, were a bit reserved with the idea; still embracing the idea of popping colours. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of an unexpected, powerful pigment; I'm all about colour! But I think the idea of using colour and colour is a fresh and modern way to use power pigments with total confidence. Not just a piece here or a piece there, but head-to-toe glam. You can't tell me that that Superman Blue suit, in all its luminescent glory, isn't interesting, sharp, and absolutely fierce swimming in that tone. Love, love, love. Nicola Formichetti is a maniac and a magician; his use of colour and shapes alone do it for me. And did you notice the triangles?! Again, the most powerful shape in Fashion makes an appearance. Wear it with pride.

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Givenchy / Pre-Fall 2013

I've been behind on my Runway! Well, not actually, just behind on my writing. The Blogosphere lives with or without me, and the last few months of prep and planning of some very exciting freelance work (the likes of which you have yet to hear about!) has most definitely kept me more than occupied. So I apologize! Regardless, Fashion is having an incredible start to the Fall Season for 2013. And what better way to break the cycle than a feature of one of the most celebrated Pre-Fall Collections of the Season? We love it, all of it.

Riccardo Tisci is perhaps one of the most brilliant creative designers to emerge out of Europe within the last decade. As head of Givenchy, Tisci's aesthetic is almost always a unique and characteristic mixture of romanticism and neo-modernity. There is almost a simultaneous softness and sharpness to his clothing that exist together in perfect balance; creating a new elegance even in the presence of bold, geometric forms or obtusely graphic prints - Givenchy for Pre-Fall 2013 is no exception to that rule.

We are nuts over these fantastic geometric forms. But it's not just the boldness and hardness of the lines; it's all in the finesse of the placement, the detailing of the composition. The way Givenchy pulls your eye from one corner to the other; a balanced movement accented by a field of bright, contrasting neutrals and triangular forms - on an immaculately tailored piece. The theme of the triangle is something that has caught me eye lately, and something that I've adopted myself for a while (check the logo!). There's a reason for the beauty of this shape, and it's emergence in Fashion again is something I can't help but celebrate. It's an incredibly powerful form - the three pointed shaped - balanced on all sides but always peaked on one at the same time, depending on how you view it. It's perhaps the most beautifully composed geometric form, and I've been seeing it take a strong lead on many designs this season; a prominent element, from the cuts of intersecting triangles on a pair of trousers to the heel of a great boot (above image).

Tisci's palette this Season was simple and quite neutral, which isn't any large departure from the rest of the Fashion world. I am happy about the Tan though; I feel Givenchy used Tan in a very powerful way this Season, balancing the Collection almost entirely and using the power of monochromatic Black and White as harmonious, balancing elements. The hardness of the forms again take centre stage - thick rectangular cut-outs, over-sized triangles, and even chevrons. I absolutely love the idea of taking these prominent elements from the 80's but re-creating them into a modern elegance, not necessarily something purposefully loud. Givenchy has done here with geometric forms what few other design houses could - creating hardness with softness. There is nothing quite as elegant, in my eyes, as a slick coat or a fantastic pair of trousers that hug just right.

Without getting too obsessed with the textural, geometric palette of the Collection; I should also talk about it's obvious and adorned play on androgyny. I've been saying it for a while, androgyny is Fashion, and Givenchy Pre-Fall is a perfect example. Feminine elegance and tailored, masculine forms. From the way the trousers cut off at the base of the heel, to the choice of footwear, to the duffle, to the Winter Jacket - this Collection is incredibly androgynous. But as I said before, it's masculine with a unique finesse; an elegant detailing and an unlikely balance. It's both at the same time, and it's insanely perfect.

Catch it! Those fantastic, white trousers under the gown! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. We love everything about. Givenchy Pre-Fall is ridiculously modern, with a finished edge that evokes a softness only Tisci could ever produce. Our favourite so far; if the rest of the Season is anything like what we've seen, then we have quite a lot to look forward to. Finally, my favourite Season for Fashion is back again! I'll be covering Toronto and even, just maybe, a little bit of New York this year (wait till you hear about it!) for Fashion Week. So keep it locked for the best, the bold, and the talented.

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