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Anna P

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Alien-esque, ’60s Schoolgirls Tromp Down the Runway at Prada Spring/Summer 2019

Prada is always one of the most anticipated shows of Milan Fashion Week, and hardly ever disappoints. This collection has, once again, captured the world’s attention, not only for its playful take on conservatism vs. rebellion, but for its out-of-this-world accessories. Every girl donned a retro-inspired, puffed up Alice band (something I have never seen before), while others made a statement against the small glasses trend with enormous sunglasses that immediately create the impression of large, alien eyes. In other words, the show wowed. 

The oversized sunglasses at the Prada Spring/Summer 2019 show mimicked the eyes of the classic image of the little green men aliens, and were also inspired by the pronounced lower lashes of the ’60s. (Photo: Vogue.com). 

Prada first knocked me off my feet with their Fall/Winter 2015 show, a pastel, retro-futuristic dreamworld that begged us to consider the difference between natural and artificial beauty. Prada has a flair for the dramatic, and turning tastes and conventions on their head, which is exactly what made this collection so exciting. It mixed schoolgirl, cutesy aesthetic (translucent, glittering knee-high socks paired with fetished-up Mary Janes, and flipping, tie-dye, pleated skirts evoked a young femininity) with a rougher, edgier sense of rebellion. Sensible button-ups had holes cut at the chest, and the once-sweet Alice bands became embellished with punky metal studs. A sweet, innocent makeup look- harsh cut bangs and extremely pronounced lashes- reminded me of a Twiggy mixed with Rosemary’s baby, and complemented the rougher, edgier vibes of the show surprisingly well.

All in all, the show was a success, with tons of wearable pieces that fashion-lovers will be scrambling to get their hands on when the time comes. Some of the most noteworthy pieces were their sheer dresses (worn over bloomers at the show), the mock-neck satin tops with a dainty neck bow, the strappy, satin A-line mini dresses and the ubiquitous knee-high socks complete with their iconic triangular logo. My greatest hope, though, is that I see more of these headbands and sunglasses out in the real world. We need everyday fashion that takes risks and challenges conventions, fashion that asks questions and demands attention. Fashion that makes us stop scrolling through our feed and look.

Check out some of my favorite looks from the show below:

All photos were found on Vogue.com

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Book Reviews

“Ubik” by Philip K Dick Takes Us On a Mind-Melding Trip

“What is this?” you may be asking- “Nothing to do with fashion, style, or runway? I can’t believe it!” Well, believe it! And welcome to the very first book review (one of may to come) to be posted on this site. First up: Ubik by Philip K Dick, one of the most highly acclaimed science fiction writers of all time. 

Let me start by saying that science fiction is one of my all-time favorite genres. I’ve always loved to revel in the visions of the future conjured up inside of the writers’ minds. There are endless possibilities in creating a science fiction world, something that reminds me of how endless the possibilities of the future are for our own reality. 

But speaking of science fiction world-building- wow, PKD is a true master of this art. I previously read one of his other novels, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the novel that inspired the Blade Runner films) and was completely absorbed in the fantastical, yet totally believable and conceivable world he had created. I was met with the same luscious, totally addicting world-building in Ubik, a tale I would place into an entirely different vein than Do Androids Dream.

Ubik takes place in the distant future of 1992 (the book was written in 1969 lol) in a world where people have developed psychic powers and tells the story of Glen Runciter, Joe Chip and their company of “inertials,” or anti-telepaths that are employed to counter the telepathic powers of psychics who are paid to mine the general populace for trade secrets. When things take a turn for the worse for Glen Runciter and his band of eccentric inertials, stuff starts to get really weird, like Runciter’s face appearing on money and every cigarette in the world becoming so old and dry they crumble to pieces at the slightest touch. And here is where the story unfolds, in a reality where Glen Runciter, Joe Chip and crew are trying to figure out, along with the reader, just what the heck is actually going on.

A cover of Ubik by Philip K Dick that features the enigmatic product that may or may not have something to do with the mystery that unfolds.

Although I love science fiction, I’m always hesitant to pick up a new science fiction story because of all of the disappointments I’ve had with the genre in the past. I first heard about Ubik because it is on nearly every list of must-read science fictions, and even earned the title of one of Time‘s 100 greatest novels since 1923. Needless to say, I had high hopes for this one, but plenty of promising science fiction books get bogged down and suffer from a heavy-handed approach to world-building that shifts the focus of the story from plot and character to the world itself and how it operates. I get that part of the appeal of science fiction is the world, the technology and how society functions within it, but I’m a character gal, meaning I need a good set of characters to keep me invested.

This was not a problem with Ubik, or for any of Philip K Dick’s stories, really. PKD thrusts you directly into the world with little to no introduction or explanation of anything, preferring to let the world organically unfold around his characters of choice, something that makes the stories deeply enthralling and intriguing. He doesn’t hold your hand, or give long-winded, tell-rather-than-show histories. The world just is, and we’re left to figure things out on our own, which you can usually manage pretty quickly because the story is well-crafted enough that anyone can easily follow it after acclimating.

Now I would like to delve a little deeper into the meat and potatoes of the story so, if you haven’t read the book and would like to, STOP READING NOW! *SPOILERS AHEAD*

Proceed to the next page if you would like to continue reading.

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Runway

Having Fun with Vivetta Fall 2018

This adorable blue and red hand dress layered with the white shirt hooked me on this collection. If anyone knows where I can cop this dress, HMU. (Photo: Vogue.com)

I know you all are out there looking for all that juicy Spring/Summer 2019 coverage, but I just wanted to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to let you all know I still can’t stop thinking about the Vivetta Fall/Winter 2018 collection. It’s. Just. So. Damn. Fun. 

What originally drew me to this collection was its use of hand motifs (apparently one of Vivetta’s signatures) in super creative ways- from bedazzled vests and cutout sleeves to entire dresses made of them, I just couldn’t get enough! Plus, if you all have learned anything from the few posts I’ve already made, it’s that I adore bright colors, which Vivetta made spectacular use of in her whimsical designs. 

But like I said before, this collection, above all, is just plain fun. And sometimes it’s important through all of the stresses we must endure in life to have some little ray of enjoyment. Because at the end of the day, for normal, working class people like me, high fashion is just another form of entertainment, a fantasy world to get lost in during my spare time. So it’s always nice to be newly delighted with collections like these that exist in celebration of femininity and joy. 

A few of the most notable pieces include a mini, Swarovski-embellished hand dress, knee-high pink glitter boots, a bright orange puffer jacket cinched perfectly at the waist and a gauzy white dress with an appropriately placed red heart applique. I can’t wait to see what they do next!

Check out my favorite looks from the collection below:

Feature image from Grey Magazine. All other images from Vogue.com.

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Runway

A Classic Story of Love… and Witches at Ryan Lo Spring/Summer 2019

There are very few shows I see that make me think “wow, I need to write about that NOW.” But as soon as I saw the first look with the golden “broom” and whimsical, oversized witch hat, I was hooked.

The girl gets the classic fairy tale ending with the last look in the show, in which the show’s bride is escorted down the runway by her very own knight in shining armor- WOW! (Photo: vogue.com)

I’ve been following Ryan Lo since 2014, when I stumbled across another one of his sugary, pink, fluffy and downright adorable collections. And, although I haven’t seen his last few collections (oops), I can confidently say that he’s only gotten better with time. 

In his newest collection, Ryan Lo tackled the classic story of love… and witches. A magical combination of pastel princesses, knights and vibrant, cone-capped witches slowly made their way down the runway, giving onlookers enough time to appreciate each look in all their glorious, saccharine-sweet details.

We were treated to flowing gowns in retro-inspired floral prints, decadent loose-knit tops, dreamy hats and plenty of ruffles, bows, scallops and sheer layers to go around. Each dress was paired with a pair of boots or a pair of girly pumps with socks- eschewing the overwhelming trend in the past few seasons of pairing dresses with sneakers. 

For Lo, and his aptly named “Saturn Returns” collection, it was all about love and happy endings. In fact, the bride (the last look of the show) was escorted down the runway by a literal knight in shining armor- what could be more romantic and dreamy than that? This collection, in all of its fantastical glory, succeeded in giving us all the happy ending we desired- one in which we can revel in collections like this and dream of a life where we might wear these very dresses and find our own knights in shining armor.

Check out my favorite looks from the collection below:

All photos found on vogue.com

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Runway

Marc Jacobs Reminds Us of the Bizarre Nature of Modeling

Just a couple of nights ago, Marc Jacobs lit the fashion world ablaze with his newest Spring/Summer 2019 collection; a swirling pink, pastel fantasy that reminded me of benevolent circus clowns and cotton candy dreams. 

While the collection itself was noteworthy for how good everyone thought it was (sure- it’s Marc Jacobs, of course everyone would be raving about it), it was also noteworthy for a few other reasons. One being that it started over an hour and a half late (hence all of the “Worth the Wait!!” headlines) and the other being that 35 models agreed to have their hair dyed to match their looks at the show. And I don’t mean temporary dye, or hair chalk, or wigs. I mean like full-on-hair-bleached-and-colored-by-salon-professionals dyed.

While that in and of itself is impressive and noteworthy on the hair stylists’ part, it also got me thinking about just how strange the profession of modeling really is. These models went through the lengthy process of dying their hair for one part of one night. Kay Smetsers, the model that closed out the night, bleached and dyed her hair for the show, only to admit later via social media that she would be returning to her usual brown the very next day. 

Kay Smetsers, the model that closed the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2019 show, bleached and dyed her normally-brown hair just for this show. She admitted she would be dying it back to its usual color the very next day. Photo: vogue.com

And while dying the hair may be tough but not impossible to reverse in the course of a day, some models even agreed to have their hair buzzed for the show. Now that’s a change you’d think one might not take lightly, and yet, in the modeling industry, these sort of changes are just par for the course.

My introduction to the world of modeling came through the over-the-top, corny and addicting world of America’s Next Top Model- a show that gave contestants extreme makeovers to supposedly make them more marketable in the fashion industry. For me, the makeover episodes always tended to be the most entertaining, not only to see how the girls would look at the end, but because there was always at least one that would burst into tears as the stylist unapologetically sheared off their locks. When the dust settled, someone was always there to give the poor gal some tough love- this is how the industry is, sweety. Get used to it, or hit the road.

It seems that modeling is a profession largely devoid of bodily autonomy. Of course, one always has the choice to not take the job. But within any modeling job, the model and the model’s body act as a canvas to enact another person’s art and vision. While this attitude has enabled many gorgeous works of art to be shown to the world, it makes me think- how healthy is the lifestyle? Physically and psychologically- what happens when it feels as though your own body, the only thing that truly belongs to you, is largely under someone else’s control?

All that aside, this collection, while it didn’t totally woo me, had some great moments. Sequin pants, ’50s silhouettes, cute, candy-colored cardigans and insanely indulgent, ruffled-to-the-max dresses so sweet they’d give you a toothache- the designer gave us a saccharine show that didn’t take itself too seriously. And, although pastel hair has probably been way overdone at this point, I do appreciate Jacobs’ take, which aimed to show a more grown up, vintage-inspired version of the millennial hair trend.

Check out my favorite looks from the show below! Next up: London Fashion Week!

Images found on vogue.com. 

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Runway

Rodarte Spring/Summer 2019 and the Fantasy of Fashion

If asked what kind of child I was, my mother would probably say “imaginative” or something similar, as I quite literally had more imaginary friends than real friends (and hey, I like to think I turned out alright!). While some parents may have seen this as a cause for alarm, my parents encouraged me to put my wellspring of creativity to good use. So, I became a writer.

I only started with that anecdote to help explain why I fell into fashion in the first place. It started with magazines and editorials. Although I am normally an avid reader of all sorts of media, I’ve never been one to actually sit and read the various articles in a magazine. I’ve always been drawn directly to the shoots and editorials, my eyes hungry and ready to feast on the visual splendor of the newest fashion collections. 

This pastel, frilly frock played beautifully with the somber, eerie mood of a graveyard in the midst of a downpour. Photo: Vogue.com 

Runway shows were the obvious next step in my progressively increasing addiction to the art of fashion. Sure, I love the practical collections that will be sold at all of the big department stores and online retailers, but it’s the artsy, non-practical stuff that leaves non-fashion people asking “who would wear that?” that really gets my blood pumping.

The Rodarte Spring/Summer 2019 ready to wear collection managed to stimulate my fantasy brain, plunging me into a vibrant world of absolute decadence and sensory overload. Sheer dresses, crocheted shifts, metal armbands, floaty veils, giant ruffled shoulders, frilly tiered dresses, embroidered capes- and all in a rainy graveyard? I mean, the location alone is enough to inspire daydreams for days to come. My story-seeking brain was groomed, pampered and fully slaked with this richly textured and vibrant collection. The unexpected rain even added to the drama of the event, as the sound of the rain accented the soundtrack and models had to more carefully maneuver their environment. 

As Maya Singer so aptly wrote in her review of the collection for Vogue.com, 

No one is better at provoking daydreams than Rodarte—it’s impossible to watch one of their shows without fantasizing about the kind of life these looks demand, a life of endless decadence and romance. You could see them as the ghosts of possible selves.

And I could really only ever hope that one of my possible selves could wear clothes this hauntingly beautiful.

Check out my favorite looks from this collection below:

All photos in the above gallery were found on Vogue.com. Featured photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images.

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