Sunday, February 28, 2016

Doll's Eye View: London Fall 2016 Trends






Well.......... I received a phone call from the girls asking if they could maybe skip the London shows. "Everything is either too safe or too conceptual. We're having a hard time finding things we like here," they cried. "I'm sorry, girls. You'll have to find SOMETHING!!! After all, we've already promised our readers a report from London." You kind of expect a little bit of a grab bag when it comes to the catwalk shows here. But this season, the industry here seems to be lacking in direction. Are designers playing it safe due to a sluggish economy? Or are they simply lacking inspiration in the aftermath of terror attacks which has everyone somewhat morose. 








They had to dig, but like good little troopers  my girls still managed to deliver a few good looks like this mini swing coat heavily edged in white lace. (I added the lace to the sleeves for balance!!!)



Linear Equation






Long, lean, somber.... this is a simple and discreet way to slide into Autumn. What you should notice here are the trousers... cut in wider widths and worn under slim tops, jackets or coats.



The Shape of Jackets Today




This is a study in contrasts...a military style jacket with whisper thin lace. A super long tuxedo jacket worn as a coat over a little black dress. Leather biker teamed with an off-kilter pleated wool skirt. The message here...opposites are brought together into one look.



Organically Grown

Texture plucked out of the wilderness plays a dominant role next winter. What we like best here is the mix and match of felt patches on lace (can you say "dryer lint") , a patchwork of fur bits, the wild and woolly shag dress.






The Patriotic Act




Unapologetic, brash at times, playful at other times, red, white and blue are this season's "pop" colors used in a variety of looks, lengths and styles. And so, you wonder.. what's up with those Afros!!??!! It's about having fun on the catwalk, my dear! Our girl, Nichelle wears what will most likely show up on lots of red carpet events this year....a wrap around dress of 3-D sequins!








Madame La Diva




These are commanding looks that make a grand entrance in broad daylight. We like the unexpected look of a strapless glen plaid sheath worn with a matching shawl. But we also like the look of a short swing coat heavily bordered in white, flat lace or even a fur trimmed leather coat with hand painted flowers.






Nadia wears a mini version of McQueen's leather coat. We used a simple basic coat pattern  and cut it in leather then added a few squiggles of acrylic paint for the hand painted flowers.



In the Buff!





The real story here is color....soft, flesh tones that gently wrap around the body in dramatic capes, pants and eveningwear. Nothing is complicated or contrived. It's all about timeless style in beautiful classic lines and fabrics. Below, the dress is conceived as a piece of jewelry. Since I did not have time to think about embroidery, I used, instead, flesh tone lace dotted, strategically with adhesive pearls. The dress is based on a foundation sloper which is set against 2 layers of tulle which extend from the waist to the ankles. I used a pearlized glitter glue to add the small bits of "sparkle" to the skirt.










The girls are already on the ground in Milan.






Before we see their report on Italian trends, hopefully our other team will have something to report from the Academy Awards in Hollywood. See you soon!!!!



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11 comments:

  1. This was tough! I can understand the girls, but in the end you did a great job!
    The Alexander McQueen Lace dress is amazing. The Gareth Pugh fashions are interesting, but I don't see anything I would like to try to reproduce. Let's wait and see if Milan had something interesting to say.

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  2. Thank you Billa and yes, it was tough! The safe clothes were truly boring and the conceptual things looked like 2nd year student work. Design for design sake with little regard as to who really wears it. What is very strange...McQueen is usually way out there and Gareth Pugh is usually very avant-garde. Both collections were extremely tame. (But at least they were pretty!) Spoiler alert--there's more in Milan for our dolls!

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  3. Wooow! Everything - the outfits and the shoes look so beautiful...!!! I think, that's all is better than the original human's outfits! Great photos my dear! Greetings!

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    1. Thank you Aya. This is the fun part of this exercise. Quite often the dolly versions do look better than their human counterparts. Truth is..our dolls are FLAWLESS models!!!!

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  4. I just left Hancock Fabric and said the same thing to myself, there aren't any new patterns really out there, same. Now I see it the same with the runaway, how dreadful.

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    1. Brini, this is a small part of a bigger problem. The market cycle is so fast now, most designers don't have time to devote to creativity with reflection. People are content to either wear the uniform of the jean, sweatshirt and stretch, so fashion is not evolving as it should. It's all about minimalist design for a maximum amount of money. I was shocked a couple years ago to find that even in Manhattan, there were far fewer fabric stores selling top quality goods than 20+ years ago. Even in Paris, the better quality fabric stores are shrinking. I don't how this all ends!

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  5. Hello from Spain: I like your creations inspired by the fashion shows of London. You sew very well . Awesome pics. we keep in touch

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    1. Thank you Marta. This is always a fun project AND, it gives me lots of new ideas for future posts!!! See you again soon.

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  6. That sequined dress!!! I love it. Absolutely gorgeous.

    I love the last one with the pearls, too. What a perfect look for your gorgeous redhead. I'm still in awe of her, by the way. Never seen a prettier doll. <3

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  7. Thank you Sarah. I've had the swatch of sequined fabric for quite awhile. It was given to me by someone who once worked for the late designer, Halston. Other than a skirt, I was happy to finally find a good use for this. Yes, the JAMIEShow doll is really very special and I really love her. I try to reserve soft, pink tones for her that show off her "skin" and hair.

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  8. Coat with lace amazed me ... Of simple and beautiful! Creations of fur also did not escape my attention :) dress with lace with small pearls brocade He spread me on the shoulder!Your girls did a good job :)
    Hugs!!!

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