I had planned quite a different post for today, but last week we all learned that Raf Simons had resigned as artistic director of Christian Dior after just three and a half years and I felt a need to address that instead.
Browsing through the fashion websites, magazines and stores, the Fall Trends to me seem to comprise of the following: Rich textured fabrics of paisley, brocade, jacquard and tweed; scarf-tie at the neck blouses (haven't worn one of those in forever!) and lots of black, especially sheer lace - Valentino Couture in particular feels Noir Victorian/Game of Thrones inspired.
It's mid-August and high time for me to start thinking about Fall/Winter clothing as most collections are now in stores. After taking a quick whip through Style.com to see whose collections I'm interested in, my first port-of-call is Bergdorf's. It's my favorite store in New York because it carries just about all the designers I'm interested in and although edited from what's shown on the runway, there's always a broad enough selection for me to understand the collection and choose from. In recent seasons I've been focusing on finding a special piece or two that adds to my closet and keeps my look current.
Continuing with my White Series for January, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Perpaolo Piccioli the designers for Valentino created an enchanting series of white lace dresses for Spring ready-to-wear 2015. The collection was based on the long gone tradition of the Grand Tour, where the British Aristocracy and the very wealthy would travel to France and Italy in pursuit of improving their culture. The designers used the Grand Tour as their inspiration, creating a collection that was poetic, graceful and beautiful. The detail and intricate workmanship of lace was quite astonishing.
It's the holiday season with invitations to all manner of events, some formal, some not so much. What to wear that looks sufficiently festive and can the outfit(s) be worn to more than one event? These are the questions I ponder as I look through my closet. The very good news is that the sales have begun and most things from the Fall/Winter season are now on sale. Looking through the clothing lines of some of the designers, one that I feel strikes just the right note is from Diane Von Furstenberg.