Martin Margiela Spring 2009

Martin Margiela has made his final curtain call at the house of Margiela.  It comes as no surprise because the rumors have been rampant about his impending exit for over a year.  He leaves his fashion house after 20 years and there are no plans to replace him.  Margiela will now have a creative staff instead of one creative head; this team benefits from the designer’s creative nurturing over the years.  Only time will tell if this new effort will be successful.  So far the last applauded collection at the fashion house was the elusive designer’s ‘backwards’ collection in spring 2009; both the fall 2009 and spring 2010 collections received luke-warm receptions.  It is believed that Martin Margiela did not have a hand in either collection.  Can a group be as successful at communicating a cohesive vision as one creative leader? That remains to be seen and we’ll be watching.

Thankfully this spring is all about color, color and more color.  Nothing beats beautiful vibrant colors to breathe new life into your wardrobe.  Use accessories to be on trend and to update your closet.  The right bag, belt and sandals in vivid orange, pink or yellow will brighten up your look and your mood.  Take some inspiration from this ELLE video.  You will be ripe with anticipation for the warmer days of spring.

DKNY

The perfect pair of denim jeans, yes we all want one.  The quest for the right pair can be torturous, but well worth it.  Comfort and convenience are factored into the blue jean appeal.  Its ability to be dressed up or dressed down is also very appealing.  

The perfect pair can be slimming while giving your body a great shape.  It is one of those wardrobe essentials that we cannot live without. 

The rise and inseam makes all the difference.  They help in determining the fit, along with the waist size and cut.  To some, the wash is as important as fit.  A darker wash will tend to be more slimming and more formal.

DKNY has teamed up with Levi Jeans to create several styles, a wide leg jean, skinny jean and boyfriend jean.  The boyfriend jean is shown above.  There is enough of a variety here to fit and flatter almost any figure.

To think that the denim jean was once worn for hard labor, thankfully we now wear it for leisure.  One can only wonder how it will evolve in the next 50 years.

• A. Calvin Klein
• B. Vivienne Tam
• C. Yeohlee

Calvin Klein’s spring 2009 collection was simultaneously reserved and explosive.  The neutral color palette and the architectural and origami forms made this an unforgettable collection.

Vivienne Tam produced a soft and feminine spring collection.  The details and embellishments were center stage.  The ruching, trimming, appliqués and delicate pleating made this collection stand out.

Yeohlee’s spring collection was youthful, light and fresh.  It was cohesive in shapes and its neutral color palette.   Her Collection was pleasing to the eye.

The two to move on to Showdown are Calvin Klein and Vivienne Tam.  Each took two distinct routes this season, one strong and structural, the other soft and romantic.  Both collections will be sought after this season.

Calvin Klein, however, won this Showdown.  It was Francisco Costa at his best.  The workmanship was impeccable; the clean modern lines were done with great precision.  Congratulations!

It is cold outside and the darkness of the winter months has done little to improve one’s mood.  The dark colors of the season have only contributed to the feel of the economic crisis. 

Spring is here to rescue us from the dreary dark colors of winter.  The spring 2009 collections are light, optimistic and unconstrained.  The colors are salmon pink, fuchsia, blue and lavender, paired with neutrals, tan, grey, cream or white. 

Rollcall has selected the designers who will lead us out of the deep freeze.   Each is different, but upholds the values of spring 2009.  Please check Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to view the finalists’ collections.  They are:

• A. Calvin Klein
• B. Vivienne Tam
• C. Yeohlee