MBFW S/S 2013 Update

Back again, this time for some highlights from MB Fashion Week. Who knew we were in for such promiscuous spring collections? With S&M tied in with the typical light and sheer look for spring, I'm glad we're seeing less of those crazy florals (groundbreaking) and headache-inducing prints. This time around, 6 designers caught my attention: Richard Chai, Thakoon, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Joseph Altuzarra. Worth mentioning is Jason Wu who hands down presented the best collection so far. Daring and completely out of his comfort zone, it was fun to see Wu's feminine aesthetic balanced with the hard-edged S&M vibe he was channeling. Close second would have to be Altuzarra with his clever twist on the "editor's jacket" and those well-placed fringes. In the shoe department, both Altuzarra and Wang showed knee length boots and strap-py stiletto style heels.

Richard Chai

Couldn't resist putting in a bit of menswear here as I'd get the pale blue sheer polo any day. In other words, Chai went for a lighter approach to spring with his sheer fabrics, pastel palette and bare midriffs. Flirty A-line and flare skirts worked well with the soft florals as well as the clever panelling of the dresses. Not sure whether bare midriffs would make it as a trend though… (didn't this happen last spring??)

Thakoon

On a similar note to Chai, Thakoon surprised me with his pale palette and the motif of birds in his collection. His opening look was strong and elegant with the lines contouring along her body while resembling a bird cage. The other looks featured soft bird-inspired prints before moving towards a more graphic look in the end. Also worth looking at is the one with the sheer "caged" skirt above the light blue floral print.

Alexander Wang

Known for his edginess, Wang made no fuss and started the show with strong geometric looks which culminated in his experimental, almost sci-fi like, clothes which almost seemed to hang on the models bodies. The way he did it was with the use of a special kind of invisible fishing-line which was embroidered between the panels. On top of that, the shoes were to die for. The long strap starting from the heel to the top looks incredible sexy. Seems like designers are taking the fall trend of knee high boots and translating it to the following season. No complaints there!

Closeups

Jason Wu

Love love love. Give me S&M any day! His exploration into the darker side of his clientele was juxtaposed with his feminine sensibility. While combining leather and sheer fabric sounds tacky, Wu made it work with his elegant silhouettes together with his collaboration with lingerie marque La Perla. Loved the sheer jackets with its inner workings exposed. Red pouts and strong eyebrows sported the faces of the models with the help of makeup artist Diane Kendal. I especially liked the lips as it was defined to contrast against the black and white hue of the collection. Kendal used MAC's Lip Pencil "Cherry" as a base for the entire lip and then used its Lip Pencil "Vino" around the outline to sharpen the edges. Another shade of pink came next with MAC Lipstick "Lady at Play" and Lipmix's "Process Magenta" applied in the center. To complete the degradé look, Kendal added a touch of its Pigment in Neo-Orange.

Closeups/Behind the scenes

Altuzarra

On a roll after winning the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, Joseph Altuzarra upped it a notch this season with a maximalist collection loaded with luxurious-looking draping, gold fringes and heavy embellishments. As the LA Times puts it best, "Haute work wear meets baroque Bedouin" in Altuzarra's spring collection. What really stood out though were the opening jackets which Altuzarra notes are "how editors would wear their jackets" (on their shoulders in case you weren't aware). However, Joseph reinterpreted this way of wearing a jacket for spring by inserting vents so the arms go through those instead of the actual sleeve. The effect looked as if the jackets were resting on the model's shoulders creating the "editors" look. The blue boyfriend shirt paired with the trompe l'oeil skirt and the knee high warrior boot is also worth mentioning. Makeup was kept simple with blue eyeliner across the eyes and a touch of pink on the lip while the hair was pulled up in a simple chignon.