pencil

Calvin Klein collections

2008-02-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2008

At least one thing qualifies Italo Zucchelli as a natural heir to Calvin Klein's legacy, and that's his appreciation of the male form as Calvin defined it (with, of course, a whole lot of help from Bruce Weber). In much the same way that Balenciaga used to reassure his clients he'd give them a perfect body with the cut of his cloth, Zucchelli, in his latest collection, offered illusions of well-defined masculinity: a chunky white sweater with gridiron shoulders; trousers cut on the bias to emphasize the slender length of a leg; a monochromatic mélange of suit and shirt, which helped to elongate the silhouette. There has always been a futuristic sleekness to Zucchelli's work, but here his use of fabrics that responded to the body's heat crossed over to sci-fi realms. A vestigial rib cage developed like a photograph on one model's T-shirt as he passed. Later, a spine began to appear on the back of the same model's jacket. Yes, it reads like a gimmick, but the effect was haunting. As was Zucchelli's use of the kind of the webbing one usually associates with cheap plastic patio furniture, here mounted on mesh and offered as a blouson. It looked simultaneously medieval and futuristic, Kagemusha meets Gattaca.

Post-show, the designer had one word for his inspiration: "Industrial." That webbing was the clearest illustration of industrial production processes; the creative use of zippers was another. Then there were the fabrics, such as the camel hair coated with a transparent film, or the shimmering nylon mesh that was used in suits that left a silvery after-image on the retina when they'd gone. This combination of the traditional and the technical is Zucchelli's way of twisting the traditions of American sportswear, and it's working. Now we find out if the world is ready
for it.

— Tim Blanks

http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/F2008MEN/review/CKMEN

Giorgio Armani

2008-01-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2008

He called his collection "Regal," but Giorgio Armani is clearly a kindly king. This season, the designer has emphasized happy coupledom on his catwalks, and, at the end of his signature show, he brought his entire design team onstage to take a bow. They were celebrating a collection that marked Armani as master of his domain. In a season where pattern and texture have come to the fore, Armani came into his own. His work has, year after year, resisted trends and fallen in and out of favor with critics, and this season his lustrous quilted velvets, shawl-wrapped knits, and softly reassuring coats came across like a luxurious security blanket. Which isn't to say that this collection was some kind of deluxe mush. It was disciplined in its construction, even quite hat-and-gloves formal. The way in which daywear and dressing up flow seamlessly into each other seems to be a theme that has been absorbing Armani of late, so here he offered high-collared shirts, velvet-collared jackets, three-piece suits with waistcoats that buttoned high and old-fashioned.Their softness saved the pieces from rigid formality, and they helped to underscore the inevitable cinematic subtext of all Armani's work. By "Regal," it's safe to assume the designer was thinking of Hollywood royalty as much as any tin-pot Euro monarch. Indeed, there were moments when one imagined a modern-day Cary Grant racing through a screen adventure in something like the richly bronzed nylon coat or anaconda-print jacket. But only a younger screen stud could swing Armani's black velvet tux with matching shirt. It's surprising how avant-garde a combination of such traditional elements can look.

— Tim Blanks

http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/F2008MEN/review/GAMEN

My friends

2008-01-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

jacqueline
polly
eunice
sophia
erin
stella
branda
Mandy
ayuki

Fashion marketing~

2008-01-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

STYLE NOTES: STAYING IN

Flex TimeWhen she's not finalizing seating charts or chalking up frequent-flier miles, the PR maven Vanessa von Bismarck relies on Zena Scharf to keep her limber in the privacy of her own loft. Scharf, the daughter of artist Kenny Scharf, landed in Manhattan about three months ago after completing an intensive yearlong pilates instruction course. She can do more than help you stretch, though: She's also a whiz in the kitchen. The multitasking Scharf, who attended the New School of Cooking in Los Angeles, is big on organics and local produce, but she can be convinced to whip up a caramel apple bread pudding, too—or, say, toffee chocolate chip cookies. (Who knew that pilates nuts ate dessert?)For more information, contact Zena Scharf at zena.scharf@gmail.com.
Photo: Ben Welsh / Zefa / Corbis
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