Marc Jacobs

Is anyone else sick of seeing Marc Jacobs shirtless?

Dior Spring '08

Ugh. Seriously?

Kris Van Assche bores me to tears. I want Hedi back.

Style Jack

Did anyone read my short-lived column, Style Jack, on SeeJackShop.com? Does anyone read SeeJackShop.com? We may never know. Anyway, click the image above to read my profiles of iconic men of style.

Fall 2007 Menswear

Woo! It's Fashion Week here in New York, but I'm still sifting through the looks from the European Menswear shows. Check it:

Alexander McQueen.
Balenciaga.
Burberry Prorsum
Costume Nationale
Dior Homme
Dolce & Gabbana
Gucci
Of course, I can't afford any of this, so if you want to send me free clothes you are more than welcome to do so.

Anna On Barbara

Four minutes? That's the probing Barbara Walters/Anna Wintour interview? Four stupid minutes of annoyingly good PR? Lame. I wanted tears and teeth gnashing, rending of flesh and Balenciaga fabric.

It's already on YouTube.

V&R @ H&M

I got up at 9 a.m. – 9 a.m.! – so I could get to H&M as soon as they opened and fight the crowds for the Viktor & Rolf collection. I’d heard horror stories about years past when Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney debuted their one-off, high end meets middlebrow collections. The crowds lined up at dawn; they stampeded as soon as the doors opened; hair was pulled; clothing ripped; flesh rended. Both collections sold out within hours – I read somewhere that Stella’s sold out in 11 minutes.

But I had a plan. The night before, I’d clicked through the menswear collection on H&M’s website. I made a list of the pieces I wanted. And then I prioritized. I wanted the shoes, the tank and underwear set with the tux pleats, the argyle sweater, the suite, and the trench coat. The tank and undies and shoes would be relatively easy to snatch up, so I’d go for them first. At $299 the trench might not move as quickly, so that would be next, followed by the suit, which would take longest to size properly. The sweater I wasn’t too sure about, so that could wait.

Of course, I was running late. I got to the H&M on Fifth Avenue at quarter after 10, 15 minutes after they’d opened, and already there was barely anything on the racks. The ground floor was swarming with wannabe fashionistas and Eurotrash, arms loaded with obscene piles of garments.

Luckily, the men’s side of the store was relatively calm; a dozen or so gay boys rifling through what was left; a few women taking what they could get for their boyfriends or gay-boyfriends or whoever. The women’s side, though…it looked like a war zone. Crazy eyed ladies snatching up whatever they could and carrying it off to deserted parts of the store where their mothers guarded their cache; desperate latecomers waiting for the staff to bring out more pieces; vultures eyeing you, waiting to seize a skirt the minute you let go of it. It was a truly harrowing sight.

Stay calm, I thought. You don’t want to make a scene.

I spotted three pairs of shoes. The first pair I picked up was my size. I managed to get the trench and the suit as well. By the time I found the undies my arms were full and I couldn’t bother to rummage through the racks. I noticed a cute blond guy shadowing me. He obviously wanted something I had and was waiting for me to set it down. I started to get nervous and decided it was time to pay for my loot and get out of there.

On my way out I noticed they had brought more argyle sweaters out. I grabbed a small and looked it over. I liked it, but the more I thought about it the more it seemed stupid to buy it. It was so recognizable. I could just imagine walking around Chelsea this winter and seeing six of the same sweater within a 10 block radius. And for that matter, wouldn’t it be the same with the shoes and the trench? All of which begs the question, was all this really worth it? What’s the point of getting designer clothing when everyone knows you got it at H&M? Is it really all that special when hoards of crazed shoppers are grabbing it off the racks like contestants on Shop ‘Til You Drop?

“Excuse me. You had the shoes earlier…” It was the blond boy.

“Yeah.”

“Did you buy them?”

“Yeah, I did, sorry.”

He smiled and rolled his eyes. “I’m just sort of waiting around like a moron for them to bring more stuff out.”

I put down the sweater and walked away.

Spring '07! Project Runway

I haven't commented on the Project Runway show yet, and that's because I didn't see the photos until tonight. See, I wanted to wait until I'd had a chance catch up on the TV show, which I haven't seen in a few weeks. So, tonight I downloaded the past three episodes on iTunes, clicked through the pics on NewYorkMag.com, and here's what I think.

We'll start with Jeffrey, because let's face it, I kinda have a crush on him. He's so cute and moody! Anyway, his collection was nice. Quite toned down. I'm wondering if they'll pull the same shit they did with Santino and bully him for doing exactly what they told him to do, i.e. bring it down a notch. We'll see.

Laura. So fucking chic it hurts. So recognizable, so sophistocated, so stunning.

Now, I feel like Michael has been a favorite to win almost from the casting special. His stuff on the show was really good. But this collection was a little too gaudy, a little too Versace, a little too J.Lo. It's fun, but I don't know. Not my fave.

There is nothing about Uli's collection that I didn't like. She's another one with very recognizable style. How does she make those patterns work? It's truely amazing. I'm going to just say it, I think this one's the winner.

I'm not surprised at all to see that these are the four who made it. I think the judges made some huge mistakes this season. Vincent should have been auf'd long before he actually was, and I think Milan and Alison should have been kept on longer than they were. Plus, I'd really like to have seen what else Keith could have done. So many of the challenges are more about making costumes than fashion. I think that's where some of the designers slip up and that's really a shame. With that in mind, I do think the final four deserve their spot at Fashion Week. It's tough to tell which is the decoy and which are the actual final three.

And while we're talking about Project Runway, check out Jay McCarroll's collection. I like that he did some menswear, though I think his personality gets lost a little. I like that his clothes have a sense of humour - clunky overalls, big buttons, huge accessories. Then you've got something like this ice blue and silver look, or the yellow and olive dress. They're totally cute, totally wearable, and still very Jay. Nice.

Spring '07! Part Three

Ok, let's start with L.A.M.B. This collection seemed a little - how do I put this - bipolar. It's like Gwen's teetering between that whole ghetto-fab thing she was workin' for a minute and a newer, more mature sensibility. These three are my favorite pieces. They're a nice blend of those two images. Fun, but not obnoxious. Stylish, but not boring.

Ah, Diesel. I have a special place in my heart for Diesel, because, well, I can afford Diesel. They are all about the white and gold lamé for spring, which I really like. But these looks were my favorites. Love that red dress with the deep purple print under it. And if I could rock a jumpsuit, this would be the one.

So, sifting through photos from all the shows, I came across a lot of designers I'd never heard of, and a couple of them stole my heart. Like Duckie Brown. I'm love love loveing these super low-cut t-shirts in these deep, moody colors.

Thom Browne is another one I'd never heard of. At first glance I was kind of put off. But the more I look at this stuff, the more I love it. It's so weird, so English - and these are some of the tamer pieces. It's the kind of collection you'd have to dismantle to make it work in real life. Like, I'd totally wear that dotted voile-covered jacket in the first photo with jeans.

It seems like everyone and his brother was doing some sort of dressed up shorts and jacket combo. It's a difficult look for guys to pull off, but I like it. Not for the office (duh!), but for running around the city, sure. You just gotta get the shoes right. Above: Rag and Bone, Thom Browne, John Bartlett.

Next: The Project Runway Shows!

Spring '07! Part Two

Tuesday was big. Lots and lots of menswear! Above: Cloak, Narciso Rodriguez, Heatherette, and Marc by Marc Jacobs.

So Marc by Marc Jacobs is adorable. It's got a sort of English, sort of schoolboy-ish look goin' on. Sort of. None of the models look like they're over 17. I want that sweater on the right.

Now, I wasn't really aware of Narciso Rodriguez until today, but I clicked on the photos from his show and...wow. I really think these are some of my favorites. I love these two jackets, and I love the way they're paired with the shorts. Not that I'd ever be caught dead in shorts that short.

And, of course, the day ended with Heatherette. These boys always put on a show: Amanda Lepore, Paris and Nicky Hilton, every club kid in New York. I'm sort of shocked at how wearable their collection looked. They're known for being really outlandish; playful almost to the point of being retarded. But these clothes are really cute, really Heatherette, and yet they look like they can be worn by people who don't get paid to host a night at Happy Valley.

Spring '07!

It’s Fashion Week! Ooooh, Fashion Week! My little heart’s all a-flutter. The tents, the shows, the parties! Not that I’m going to any of them. I mean, I could lurk around Bryant Park, celeb-spotting, trying to scam my way into the tents to get my hands on the free booze and some swag. I think the humiliation would be more than I could take. No, I’ll have to be content watching video of the shows on NewYorkMag.com.

So, I wasn’t really all that psyched on any of the shows this weekend, except DKNY. I really liked the blues and plaids in their Fall line and I’m loving all the bright solids against blacks and grays for Spring.

Monday was pretty big: Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler. I absolutely adore Proenza. I don't think there was anything not to like about these clothes. That striped skirt? Pure sex. The colors? Love 'em. The designers? Cutest boys on earth. Does anyone know if they're still a couple? And if not, can I have their numbers?

Marc Jacobs, on the other hand, left me a little cold. The clothes were cute. Super cute. Cute to a fault. They seemed a bit clown-ish to me, and shapeless. Apparently, we're trying to make this big, square balloon-dress thing happen this year, but is it really wearable if you're not Sophia Lamar? I like the two looks above, though. And I can't wait to see what's in the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

Tomorrow: Betsey Johnson, Cloak, Marc by Marc, and Heatherette. Be still my heart!

Nothing to Wear

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