Resort // 2014

  A few years ago, had you asked me my thoughts about the growing popularity of the pre-fall and resort collections, I would have given you the word 'calamity' to mull over. Why? Because fashion is/was being produced at an alarming rate. Collections and demi-collections and follow-up collections being birthed so rapidly, there was hardly any time to stop and enjoy the importance of the clothes that were being produced.
    Then that got me thinking. Maybe the large volume of clothing being produced was not only a security blanket for the consumer but also the designer. It almost guarantees that there will be a garment that will sell, even in a potential drought of creativity on both the buyer and creator's side.
    Fast forwad to now, and my sentiments do not hold up. Sure, times have changed, and I think that collections are getting better after they seemed to hit some low points in recent memory. Now resort is arguably my favorite season. For one, I think the typically smaller volume of clothes within a collection helps to promote a better attention to detail, along with versatility in materials to accomadate for the in-between nature of the season. Plus, I've always been one for layering, and that can be evidenced in the transitional pieces displayed.

  ACNE:
      Perhaps it's ignorant of me to say this, but Acne can do no wrong. Maybe it's my undying love for Swedish aesthetic - espcially when it comes to clothing - or maybe it lies solely on the fact that the clothes are of excellent craftsmanship and creativity. In recent years, Acne has transformed from a brand of strict, simple basics to a brand not afraid to use color and breathtaking proportions. This collection was no exception in that Johansson continued to provide key silhouettes in a variety of colors, all with the Eastern-inspired footwear (cue the Geta/flatforms) that have been ultilized in the past few seasons. There's a familiarity in the clothes that makes them instantly gratifying, all while retaining that depth of something innovative.

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ELLERY:

   Kym Ellery is, hands down, one of my favorite Australian designers. She manages to make clothes that are both structured and relaxed in the same breadth. This season, she used an interesting, central fold to many of her tops, hinting slightly at a peplum (and giving shape to her thick leather pieces) without looking like the entirety of the female population at my school. She utilized the magic of suit dressing in warmer climates by way of wonderful, striped jacket-and-skirt combinations, along with simlar ones with shorts. The A-line skirts (as seen in the second picture) were perhaps one of the highlights of the collection, especially when they could be potentially paired with a simple men's button down or the crop top of the season.

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ALEXANDER WANG:

     Alexander Wang has undoubtedly been influenced by his time --albeit two seasons-- at Balenciaga. Just like a small child under a myriad of potential circumstances, he, too, has been thrust into a world of more "adult" fabrics and silhouettes. And, such is only a natural transition when growing older, but I can't help but think his time at Balenciaga thus far has influenced the way he looks at fabrics, shapes, and heritage. Nevertheless, it's the Wang we've always known, his penchant for reworking the likes of the sweatshirt and business pant -- this time with the addition of color, mostly in the form of bright pinks. He has so much in him, and stepping back to look at the journey has been thoroughly enjoyable.