Fashion

Passionate Pastimes

November 11, 2011 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | Leave a Comment

Rachel Comey, Proenza Schouler and Dolce Gabbana, Spring RTW 2012 I have to confess that the annual Spring Fashion unavailing escaped my attention this year in favor of another passionate pastime, the Major League Baseball Postseason. The excitement that lead up to the World Series and the subsequent Saint Louis batsmen last minute win, surprisingly overpowered my usual unquenchable sartorial desires. I couldn't get enough of those Cardinals delicately balanced on the bat and felt compelled not to give Rick Perry anything more to look all gloaty about. My rooting was resolute and all consuming. Then emptied, and drained of all baseball input I reached out for more, downloaded Chad Harbach's The Art of Fielding and gobbled that ... [Read more]

Tagged: Dolce Gabanna, Nancy Cantwell, Proenza Schouler, Rachel Comey, Saint Louis Cardinals, Spring RTW 2012

Hit Hard

March 18, 2011 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | Leave a Comment

Yamamoto, Watanabe and Mikaye, Fall RTW 2011 – Magnitude. I cannot fathom the sheer force unleashed on the Northeast coast of Japan by the largest earthquake ever recorded. I am no stranger to the shakes. The Northridge earthquake of 1994 lasted 20 seconds and the fear of imminent death undermined my core sense of self. Five minutes of a 9.0 is unimaginable. There is no material preparation for the enormity of that kind of impact. There is compassion. There is today. I urge people to put aside their crisis fatigue and continue to donate to the worldwide effort to help the people of Japan sustain, recuperate and rebuild. The Red Cross operates 92 hospitals in Japan, has deployed 700 medical relief volunteers across the country ... [Read more]

Tagged: Dai Fujiwara, Issaye Miyake, Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami, Japanese Designers, Junya Watanabe, Nancy Cantwell, NEC Foundation of America, Yohji Yamamoto

A Considerable Collection

January 4, 2011 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | 1 Comment

Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700-1915 LACMA Resnick Pavilion, October 2, 2010–March 6, 2011 Photography by Nancy Baron Fashioning Fashion, one of the inaugural exhibitions of the Renzo Piano designed Lynda and Stewart Resnick Pavilion, is a trove of European clothing that speaks to both the evolution of style and the historical narrative of technical innovation covering a span of more than two hundred years. The show is the culmination of the gift from donors Michael and Ellen Michelson and Suzanne Saperstein, that when integrated with the objects and holdings of the LACMA's Costume and Textile departments, now make Los Angeles a destination of consequence for European costume studies. Stewards Sharon S. ... [Read more]

Tagged: Fashion Los Angeles, John Galliano, Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, LACMA, Nancy Baron, Nancy Cantwell, Renzo Piano, Sharo S. Takeda

The Fashionable Mr. Anger

August 29, 2010 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion, Film | Leave a Comment

Missoni Fall Campaign 2010, a film by Kenneth Anger Puce Moment (1949), a film by Kenneth Anger – September is here and even though I have thoroughly combed through the collections, I still race to see how the venerable magazine fashion editors piece it all back together. So far I have found the the massive amount of pulp to be fairly prosaic (yes I capitulate there are a few economic restraints to reflect upon), and really, what could possibly compete with Fall 2009's Grace Coddington Little Red Riding Hood spread? This year however, before I could even crack the magazine covers, my fashionista cohorts were directing me towards another venerable artiste who seems to be in vogue once more. Kenneth Anger, the octogenarian ... [Read more]

Tagged: Curtis Harrington, Kenneth Anger, Missoni, Missoni Fall Campaign 2010, Nancy Cantwell, Puce Moment

Summer Cover

July 10, 2010 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | 1 Comment

Menswear Spring / Summer 2011 I have to say that I had a much harder time than I expected trying to narrow the field for Menswear Spring 2011, but my first impulse is to run with what really works. This is how I would have sent David de Rothchild packing for his latest eco-crusade expedition aboard Plaskti, in search of Eastern Garbage Patch, an island of trash twice the size of Texas located in the Pacific Ocean. From creative director Alessandro Sartori of Z Zenga, the fashion forward branch of the 100 year Ermenegildo Zegna family empire, this ultra light, multo functional outwear is just the thing for our fearless adventure ecologist. I think Mr. de Rothchild would also feel comfortable wearing material produced by a company such as ... [Read more]

Tagged: Alber Elbaz, David De Rothchild, Dior Homme, Jil Sander, John Galliano, Kris Van Assche, Menswear Spring 2011, Nancy Cantwell, Raf Simon, Rick Owens, Z Zenga

Living in The Material World

May 19, 2010 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | Leave a Comment

Be Here Nau Putting principles into practice for any organization is challenging and in the world of fashion this is no exception. But for the people of the Nau it's all in a days work. Theirs is a green goal, a complete commitment from cradle to grave to sustainable business practices, materials and style. Every garment, every accessory is designed, manufactured and distributed looking at the big picture. Their enthusiasm and eco spirit is infectious. I make a personal commitment to update my wardrobe at least once a year with a piece from Nau and become a bit evangelistic, particularly when I hear of a friend or relative who might be traveling abroad by insisting they consider packing a garment, scarf or satchel on their sojourn. It ... [Read more]

Tagged: Grant for Change, Horny Toad, Nancy Cantwell, nau, Verite

Family Fun

March 19, 2010 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | Leave a Comment

Missoni, Milan RTW Fall 2010 In a season filled with respectable, rational, dressed offerings, some of which I cannot resist myself (there is a white coat at Gucci that is formidable!), the show that I still return to with relish is Missoni. It was a passionate display of pattern, texture, color, and family fun. Prepped by the ad campaign that featured three generations of Missonis, bathed in zigzags, delighting in one another and mugging for photographer Jurgen Teller, one could not help but succumb to the ebullient clan atmosphere of the collection. The throw pieces pinned at various points of the body come down the runway with a defiant spirit as if to say "clean cut camel...not interested!" Those familiar with the Missoni brand ... [Read more]

Tagged: Angela Missoni, Antonio Monfreda, Jurgen Teller, Milan RTW Fall 2010, Missoni, Nancy Cantwell, Patrick Kinmonth

Fancy Stuff

February 5, 2010 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | Leave a Comment

Alternative Thoughts on Walking the Red Carpet – It is awards season here in Los Angeles and along with the traffic we seem to be stuck in a glamour glut. Is it the handlers, stylists or just me: it's so boring out there! The constant parade of Elie Saab, Marchesa, L'Wren Scott and J. Mendel blurs from one podium to the next. The two exceptions, off the top of my head, would be Sandra Bullock's SAG Awards knockout Alexander McQueen and the ever fashionista Chloe Sevigny at the Golden Globes in Valentino...que bella! So I did some scouting about and came up with a few alternatives. To keep focused on getting fancy was actually tiring, giving me new found respect for Rachel Zoe, whose taste drives me sideways, but who can really ... [Read more]

Tagged: Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Jil Sander, Nina Ricci, Peter Copping, Raf Simon, Riccardo Tisci, Rick Owens, Valentino

Last Year at Marienbad – Chanel, Take One

October 3, 2009 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion, Film | Leave a Comment

Chanel Redressed Last Year at Marienbad, Alain Resnais France 1961 94 minutes Black and White 2.35:1 – Much has been said about Last Year at Marienbad and so little of it has to do with the sensational costume designs of Coco Chanel. Has no one noticed just how well paired Chanel and Resnais, were or more to the point, what a dramatic backdrop Marienbad provides for Chanel couture? Chanel was no stranger to the film industry, but it had 22 years since her last employ at costume design and Marienbad. In 1931, as the behest of Samuel Goldwyn, Chanel came to Hollywood twice a year to design for the actresses Goldwyn had on contract with his studio, he would pay her one million dollars per year. She created the costumes for a ... [Read more]

Tagged: Alain Resnais, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Coco Chanel, Last Year at Marienbad, Night and Fog

Spring Collections 2010, Ready to Wear, New York

September 24, 2009 | by Nancy Cantwell | Category: Fashion | 2 Comments

Narcisco Rodriguez lets loose. His signature tightly constructed dress takes on a relaxed volume for Spring 2010. Jackets come in shapes like that of an Apollo command capsule and I am particularly covetous of the longer leather coat. So light, with a perfect shoulder and plenty of deep V. Dresses with shear structuring and pink moth-like pattern cutouts move so sexy. But the real knockouts of the collection are the evening dresses whose hems are cut short in the front and billow to floor length in the back. They demand a grand staircase and film crew to follow. The fabrics at the Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein gave the collection an immediate appeal. The big time minimalist line felt positively embellished with the addition of ... [Read more]

Tagged: Donna karan, fashion, Francisco Costa, Narcisco Rodriguez, Spring RTW 2010, Zero + Maria Cornejo