Going on a Rant

Okay, I am about to go on a bit of a rant. We are in NYC at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Of course all of the heavy hitters were there and showed a collection. Among them was Michael Kors. Some of you only know him from Project Runway. Some of you only know him for his other label Michael by Michael Kors. The rant is not because of anything he did at Fashion Week. The rant is because of the look of his collection and some of the comments he makes to young designers on Project Runway.

He has often admonished the contestants on Project Runway for not bringing forth an original design. His whole, ‘seen it’, ‘not innovative’, and other comments are now so not appropriate. The Michael Kors collection for Fall 2010 is a revisit of many designers, primarily Donna Karan. Except for the ill fitting trousers, you could probably raid the closet of a couple of well dressed friends, put all of the stuff together and come up with a wardrobe to rival that collection.

As Janice and I looked at the collection we kept saying ‘Donna’, ‘Oscar’, ‘Ralph”, etc. You get the picture. Had I not seen him rail on people on PR, this would not have bothered me. They were new takes on old concepts; but they were certainly not original. There isn’t a designer on the planet who doesn’t get some inspiration from their fellow designers. However, let’s be fair. Don’t admonish others for something you do yourself.

Chris March should laugh because Kors was slightly put off by the use of human hair as trim. And what does Michael Kors do --- he gives you a faux fur skirt. He admonished designers who had too much volume around the hip. Well what about that bubble like faux fur skirt? That certainly isn’t slimming. Saying that no woman wants a big behind is not true. There are cultures where it is considered beautiful to have a butt. As a black woman one of the worst attributes is to have a flat behind. You want that hook. I want that hook!

That said, the colors were great. There are greys and camels that really make you understand that fall has arrived. There are some wonderful chunky knits that are just right for the cold foggy days that greet you in October (or July and August if you live in San Francisco). There are some knits that appear to be blended with lurex to give then some sparkle.

Save for the obviously tailored jackets and coats, everything else is a bit deconstructed. It is softly tailored so as not to seem harsh and stiff. For that I will give him credit. There are a couple of coats I would love but all in all the collection was a sign of the times. Excluding the faux fur skirt (yes that is the third mention as I found it hideous) these are clothes that women will wear and can have in their closet for a long time.

Okay, there are some sheer knit tops that are a bit problematic and there are some deeply vee’d sweaters that are also going to need some underpinnings for the not so model like women to pull it off. The ill fitting pants can be taken care of in alterations. I just don’t like pants that are that baggy in the crotch. A pleated trouser is one thing. These pants are too low on the hip for that type of fit to look attractive.
So I guess all in all, it isn’t a bad collection. It just wasn’t fitting for someone who constantly talks about originality and setting a high bar. He does sports wear well. He is good at his craft. I just wish he was a bit less snide when it comes to dealing with young designers.

a la prochaine

Debra