(Y)SL redux.......

I'm loath to add yet more words to the seemingly never-ending chatter about Hedi Slimane, (Y)SL, Saint Laurent and even Yves himself. But, I have opinions, like some people have feelings, and I also like to share. And tendencies like that will overwhelm any sense of loathing all day every day.

So here's the thing, I was never a Hedi hater. And I'm not now. While I may have felt a little sadness when the Y was dropped, I quite liked Slimane's debut collection for Saint Laurent with it's wide brimmed hats, pussy bow blouses, cigarette pants and yards and yards of sheer. And while the grungy nineties Courtney Love rocker looks he sent down the runway for Fall 2013 weren't exactly my game, ok maybe the tartan was, I was partial to quite a few looks. And now with Spring 2014 and Slimane's insistence on time travel, there are, again, quite a few looks that I like.

Of course, there are plenty of critics.

But what's happening with Slimane and Saint Laurent right now seems to be a collision of high fashion and retail. Because as much as some critics may be lambasting what Slimane is doing, the clothes are reportedly flying off the shelves. Slimane's version of Saint Laurent is garnering many a fan. A fan prepared to part with significant dollars to wear his threads.

And high fashion or not, isn't that the aim of the game?

I have to wonder if some of the finger pointing and head shaking is coming from a place where fashion, particularly high fashion, is not supposed to appeal to the masses. Is the Hedi hate fueled by a little of that fashion snobbery that might just linger along the Tuileries? Maybe, maybe not. All I know is those eighties inspired shoes have buy me written all over them.

Thoughts??

xx

Philo rocks my world.......

I'd imagine by now you've seen the Celine Spring 2014 collection?

So you know that Phoebe Philo is a shoe whisperer then?

Cast your mind back to Spring 2013, remember those fur covered flat slides, reminiscent of a cross between a Birkenstock and an old school Adidas shower slide? Yep, well they spawned the Birkenstock obsession that currently has the whole world gripped with rapt admiration.

Of course she did it again with the chunky platform wedges of pre-fall 2013. And then yet again in Fall 2013 with the minimalist, bordering on severe (ok severe), boots in all the colours of the rainbow. Providing, of course, that your rainbow featured grey, burgundy, black, taupe and chocolate brown.

But she has really tripped my switches with this collection.

A mash up of chunky architectural heels, half circles and silver spheres in everything from black, chocolate brown and an old school yellow-taupe leather, to purple suede and a tweed/tartan hybrid that has me chomping at the bit - or more accurately my credit card.

I've no idea how she does it, and frankly I don't care to know. Details tend to spoil the magic, and I'm all about the magic. So keep the specifics fuzzy and just throw the shoes my way, all of them.

xx