A Cykic Review "Print On, Print On, Print"

As Paris fashion week comes to an end, it closed in the tradition of showing the final knockouts that industry insiders get revved up for. The finale consisted of Louis Vuitton, Elie Saab and Miu Miu. While LV and Saab have definite appeal,  I always look forward to Miu Miu's collection. And once again I was satisfied by the eclectic array of ensembles. One by one the Miu Miu rainbow took center stage with printed pantsuits, shift dresses with mirrored embroideries, clashing patterns that took over blouses, scarves and wide ties, and python platform loafers and boots. While I would wear about 75% of the looks,  it felt like an extension of Prada fall 2012. By by no means is this a bad thing, but I would have liked some differentiation.  Miuccia Prada manages to separate her brands every season so what was different about this one?

A very loyal fan I am to Miu Miu

But...

I question the corresponding collection.

*Cykic

Cykic Words of Wisdom "Go Back to Your Day Job, Kanye"

Look 1, I thought someone punched Anja Rubik in the eye. Look 2, I couldn't get past the trashy whip. And Look 3 had me wondering why Karlie Kloss agreed to walk in his show. Kanye West once again showed in Paris and once again created an unoriginal, terribly styled, and appalling collection. A fur Peplum, an overabundance of distasteful leather, and a random pop of bone and camel pigments made for an inconsistent compilation. The boots resembled a straightjacket based on the multiple leather bandages that constructed the shoe. And a camel dress showed the ill fit of his ensembles and his amateur eye for presentation.

Beyond the lack of skill he posses, it makes nauseous that Style.com, The New York Times and other prestigious publications are willing to give his collection a critique and will attend his show, when other talented designers are yet to be seen. 

I hope this showcase opened the eyes of those I look up to in the biz  

And closed Kanye's for the rest of eternity.

*Cykic

Spotlight "Valentino"

Valentino is always a bit of a hit or miss for me, but this collection was TOP NOTCH. 

Leather, Valentino Red, and alluring motifs.

Like I said, TOP NOTCH.

It felt sophisticated and modern and absolutely mystical in a Valentino sensibility. 

*Cykic

Photo Du Jour

The Chanel show, not so great.  

The makeup was weird. Karl Lagerfeld felt confident about putting  

embellished strips on the models eyebrows.

But he redeemed himself, when the mini model, Hudson Kroenig walked the runway with a mini Chanel slung over his shoulder.

Unfortunately, his wardrobe probably is worth more than mine.

But I love a punim face.

So it's all worth it.

*Cykic

A Cykic Review "Optimal Utilization of Color"

Phoebe Philo never does anything half-assed. Doubling down to a presentation and soon to give birth, Philo stuck to her sophisticated, streamlined edge and gave it an enchanting pop of color.  Maybe it was the baby blues, but this felt very experimental in terms of pigment, and of course worked remarkably. Brightly colored fur tends to have a cheap factor, but when done right, it's stunning and essential for the upcoming season.  Leather elements came in all the right places, a sleeve here, a collar there, a panel here and wrap belt there, it was undeniably well-balanced. I've come to find that outerwear is a definite strength of the brands (well along with everything else), but the coats have a distinct effortless quality. Don't even get me started on those gold metallic slight wedge, minor heel combobulation.

Three days left of Paris, who knows what to come...

But, Celine is my #1 for this season.

No Question.  

*Cykic

Spotlight "Sophia Kokosalaki"

Welcome to the newest addition on Cykic Obsessions, Spotlight. Spotlighting innovative designers with minimal words.  I know, usually I have a mouthful of opinions, but I'll let the clothes speak for themselves. 

Sophia Kokosalaki might as well be a part of New York fashion week based on her basic silhouettes, essential fabrications and principal NY hues. 

Nonetheless, her Parisian execution rings European.

The cremé de la cremé.

*Cykic

A Cykic Review "A Tilda Swinton Modus Operandi"

Nicole Phelps of Style.com said it best, "The waisted silhouettes that were the results of all that draping were the best he's ever done—a spot-on mixture of the sublime and the salable, and he's got the most sophisticated color sense of anyone in Paris." He, being Haider Ackermann, gives a pop of a color a unique finesse, fabrications a raw abstraction, and silhouettes a flawless execution. Look by look I was floored by the stunning features of collection. 

Thank you Haider Ackermann for continuing to push the envelope.

While the rest of the industry stays consistent and at times blasé, you impress piece by piece, detail by detail.

Now that I have continuously praised your creations...

Can I have one?

*Cykic

A Cykic Review "Back to Life, Back to Reality"

I must admit, Balenciaga went halfsies for me.  Nicolas Ghesquière's futuristic references seemed far off onto another planet called "Been There Done That". But let's begin on a good note. The beautifully constructed outerwear caught my eye immediately.  The elevated shoulders brought me back to past collections in which a singular neoprene sweater had me rapidly searching the web, lets just say I never found it. The a-line skirts were excellent basics, but paired with the satin sweatshirts had me torn.  The Jetsons, Back to the Future, one or the other I just kept thinking; vintage screen prints on satin. meh. The astronaunt pants just needed three stripes to reinterpret Adidas, which was not a good thing. And I'm sorry to say the chiffon, metallic, Barberella dresses appeared cheap and unflattering.  

Maybe the styling threw me off, but I couldn't get a handle on Nicolas Ghesquière's vision. Even when I read Nicole Phelp's review on Style.com I was perplexed. "Ghesquière was the chairman of the board and the models his employees—both literally and metaphorically," wrote Phelp's.

I don't get it.

*Cykic

A Cykic Review "Asian, Parisien Lux"

I don't know where to begin. Dries Van Noten literally had me falling slide by slide.  The plethora of prints on the surface of silk coats, dresses blouses and skirts had my eyes wandering from one ensemble to the next. While Dries delved into the Asian vaults from the Victoria and Albert Museum, he gathered inspiration from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean costumes and reinterpreted them digitally. Masculine tailoring contrasted with bright colors made for a beautiful collection. The balance of luxury and utility is apparent in Dries Van Noten's work.

I'm eating up this Asian, Parisien lux.

I adore.

*Cykic