London

If I was worried about The Brasch's seeming lack of appeal as a show opener, I have no worries at all in London! On Friday she walked one show in the English capital (At this point, I don't doubt she would have done a few more, had the flight from New York to London been shorter... The dedication is astounding.), but she made it count, showing two looks for Sass & Bide, including the opener. It was a very tribal collection from Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, but the palette used veered away from the natural and instead focused on pinks, oranges and reds. Still not sure what's up with the hats, but they remind me of the one the Pope wears. Just backwards.

On Saturday, the run of form continued with two looks at DAKS, again including the opener.

 

Jaeger London was next up, with two more looks added to the tally. Her first outfit included a pair of golden yellow Wellies, which are perfect for those rainy days you get now and then in London, while her second look  was verging on forest hunter apparel. I mean the gloves? Perfect perch for your hawk, I'm only saying.

Another two looks at Jonathan Saunders, bringing stripes into the mix. Her second look was not unlike what we saw at Herve Leger in New York, with the feel of armour. I wonder if any other designers will be picking up on that? It was a very interesting trend on runways a few seasons ago, to say the least.

J.W. Anderson gave the Brasch an additional two on the day, and I'm just peachy with all her success right now. What's going to happen when she hits the Milan/Paris tandem? Surely nothing can stop this rolling stone... Anyway, her looks here included a simple gender bending suit with tshirt set, and a cute cozy (though, by the looks of it, itchy, as well) sweater.

Sunday dawned with a single look at Swedish favorites Acne, along with Sara B and Doro. Go team Scandinavia! (But on a serious note, Sara's having quite a season, herself. She very nearly walked all the same shows as Caroline in New York; a trend that is continuing into London) Anyway, Caro was outfitted in a pair of leather overalls. I can't say I've ever seen a pair before in my life, let alone on the runway. I wonder if these babies will transition to the streets?

At Topshop Unique, there seems to have been an attempt at transforming several models into mice with the application of little tiny noses and hair in a shape akin to ears. Or perhaps they were meant to be puppies: I couldn't help but pick up on the fact that Cruella De Vil would adore the spotted coats early on in the show.

Matthew Williamson gave the Brasch two looks in his show as well: the opening and the closing ones! I was quite taken by the first look, in particular. It was like a patchwork of all these flags from medieval times put together to form a wool coat. With the addition of a fur hood and leather sleeves, it became a fascinating piece that looked as though it had many stories behind it from many places, and indicated a slightly nomadic lifestyle. The second look incorporated colourful tribal patterns, akin to those we saw earlier at Sass & Bide.

On Monday, we started off with one look at Christopher Kane, who intended to base his collection around the use of a new fabric that has never been applied to the clothes making process before. The material of choice? Plastic. Not exactly foreign at all, I know, but the effect it offered the clothes was almost like enamelling, which was certainly very interesting, at the very least.

Christopher Bailey gave Caroline one look at Burberry Prorsum. I was a little bit surprised that only had one look (contrast to Jourdan Dunn who had like seven...); I know she hasn't walked Burberry before, but with the amount of success she's had booking shows this season, and the fact that she's in Black Label's campaign seems enough to merit two looks, don't you think? Either way, it was great seeing her at Burberry's 60s-inspired show, being the jackpot runway in London. And as much as I wish she had more looks, she did get my favorite look on the day with a gorgeous fur-embellished trench.

Finishing off in London early to get a head start in Milan, Caroline's last show was Giles, also on Monday. Her one look was a rare burst of colour in the collection, which tended towards traditional black and white, generally. Having said that, ignore thoughts of this being a boring collection: it's not often that Giles Deacon disappoints, and he certainly didn't on this day. 

In sum, the Brasch stormed London for the first time with an impressive 11 shows, 3 openings, and 1 closing, and 18 looks in total. So for the season, that brings her up to 36 shows, 4 opens, 1 close, and 56 looks. Not having even counted Milan and Paris yet, this season is really shaping up to be quite a domination by our girl. Insert generous applause here.

Photos courtesy of vogue.it, elle.com, style.com

New York, Part 2

Monday saw Caroline looking very ladylike with looks at Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs. At Karan, there seemed to be a focus specifically on that classically elegant woman, you know, the one who wears pearls. Pearls were actually present in multitude, designed by Erickson Beamon. It was very old Hollywood, one might say; very glamourous, decadent, and - precisely - elegant. 

I am mad at you Marc Jacobs. You book The Brasch for your Spring campaign, and then you just lump her in a nondescript part of your show for Fall. Not cool in my books. Not cool at all. Yes, I know that there were other girls in the campaign as well. Yes, I know that you can't have them all open/close the show because there are too many. But you could have at least put the poor girl in second or third place instead of randomly tossed in at the tail-end-but-not-actual-end of the show. What pisses me off the most about this treachery is that you've gone and designed a brilliant collection, which makes it impossible for me to actually be disgusted with your behaviour. Shame. 

It was all pleats and parkas at Vera Wang on Tuesday. Caroline had another strong showing with two looks, the first, with another gorgeous piece of outerwear, this time in black; the second, a slinky red dress that showcased the pleated elements more freely.

Herve Leger was next up, and again, Caroline walked with two looks for the Azrias. The collection seemed to contain echoes of what one might fine in a medieval war zone. Not actual armour, obviously, and no one was carrying swords, but it seemed to me that many looks incorporated a sort of chainmail look, while others evoked the feel of armour with riveting and other strategically placed details. 

Caroline followed up with Marc by Marc Jacobs, where she had one (more appropriately placed) look in a showcase of vintage forties fashions. 

J. Mendel was next on the list, with two looks. Mendel (Gilles that is) was bang on trend with his incorporation of luxurious furs, though some might say he will regret not taking a more seventies approach to his collection, as has been the habit of many designers this season. I'll be the last one to complain though: after a few seasons, I'm quite ready to put that past decade back where it belings (i.e., in the past). Or maybe not... Either way, I'm thankful to Mendel, if for nothing else than for adding a bit of variety.

The final show for Caroline on Tuesday was Narciso Rodriguez, where she had one look. I'm really liking this one too, where Caroline has such a strong jaw, she pulls off more masculine looks very well, I think; at the same time, she has fair features, which allows her to maintain a certain femininity simultaneously.

Wednesday began with Michael Kors, a single look in the designer's show, celebrating his 30th year in the business. Kors' modus operandi was chic and sleek this season, and the result was really quite appealing to the eye. Yet another success from the veteran sportswear designer, not that we really expected anything less. Happy birthday, sir, may you continue for another 30 years. 

Oscar de la Renta was quick to follow, where Caroline took two turns for yet another well-established label. It was a very lavish collection from ODLR, who does luxe glamour like nobody's business. Fur upon fur, upon fur-lined pants (I'm not sure about that last one, but I really wouldn't be surprised), the designer drew on  so many things, watching his show felt like taking a trip around the world with Russian royalty or something. Everything was beautiful to look at, but it was also very stimulating in the sheer quantity of influences present. I could analyze this collection for weeks and still be fascinated. In the meantime though, does anyone else spot the fabled cheek-sucking of old? 

We next saw Caroline at Anna Sui, another show that we shall also note for the number of incorporated factors. I've heard a lot of people complain about Sui, saying that she's too commercial, that she's not 'high fashion'. But just looking at her collection here shows how much work goes into what she does. It's like a research paper, drawing pieces of information from a multitude of sources and forming them into one great persuasive whole. Regardless of whether I would purchase her clothes or not, that sort of dedication to one's craft is surely worth a little respect?

Nothing like Proenza Schouler to finish off the day. Caroline had one look at the cult fashion house, a teal velvet dress, with pixelated and striped detailing. 

Thursday was the final day of New York Fashion Week, and while it was not quite as busy as previous days (thank GOD for that), it had surprises of its own in store. At Isaac Mizrahi, models strutted the runway not only with large pompoms atop their heads (though not as large as those at Louis Vuitton Spring 2010; think more along the lines of Rykiel), but also with poofy poodles in a variety of sizes and colours. Caroline was pretty in pink in both looks, and handled her little friend very well, I have to say (though the head bob was a little too pronounced). It seems she became rather attached to her tiny companion, and decided to bring him out for the finale walk as well. I know right, I can't wait for these backstage photos.

In her final show in New York, my prayers were answered, and The Brasch was awarded an opening slot at Bill Blass. An excellent way to finish off the week, and the collection wasn't half bad either. It was very suave, very classy, and had just the right amount of sexy. The setting for the show (the Monkey Bar) seemed quite appropriate. It wasn't quite speakeasy, but that was the feeling I got as Caroline sauntered in with her opener. As for her second look, I don't remember the last time she did sultry, but she really pulled this red gown off very nicely. 

So New York is at an end, and we now head off to London! If it's anything like New York, I really hope Caroline manages to get some sleep in between shows... After a stellar Haute Couture season, as well as a packed week in Barcelona, 25 shows and 37 looks (and thus 37 fittings, not including the Rag & Bone one that never came to fruition) is quite a feat, and the poor girl is surely run ragged at this point. I think she's actually walked more shows than anyone else so far? 

Anyway, I'll also be posting some choice backstage photos in a bit. There have been quite a multitude in the last week, and some are really quite entertaining. We've also got some new printwork coming up, so eyes open for that!

Photos courtesy of vogue.it