Monthly Mashup

So there have been a few things that have popped up in the last few weeks that may be of interest... This is what I've managed to gather:

Elite has released another preview shot from Caroline's editorial from LOVE, shot by Alastair McLellan. The issue has been out on stands for a little while now, but I'm still waiting on a full scan of the editorial before dedicating a full post to it. It is looking a little intriguing though, very Studio 54. I'm glad she's in this issue in particular though: with all the press it's generating due to the Kate Moss + Lea T cover, and the added audience that Katie Grand is hoping to capitalize on with the Justin Bieber cover, not to mention that the specific editorial also features Duran Duran, this should be a good boost for Caroline's notoriety. Granted, people are more likely to be talking about her costars in the issue, but she'll have a foot in the door at the very least. 

We also have a behind the scenes video from the Valentino S/S 2011 campaign. It's basically just a montage of clips set to epic background music, but it's always interesting to see models at work, especially top ones like Freja. You get the sense that they are incredibly aware of their own presence and bodies in front of the camera, and understand the changes that even the most subtle of movements have on the dynamic and emotion of a photograph.

This excerpt from Vogue Russia was posted in Caroline's tFS thread. The poster indicates that it is from the April 2011 issue, but where the cover was given to Abbey Lee Kershaw, I'm not entirely sure what this is. Gill Ford (thank you!) has kindly translated "Читайте в Апрельском" as meaning "Read in April", and that the rest of the text is discussing the trends for summer 2011. She's thinking that it is likely a preview for the May issue, which should be out in April (you know, because fashion is all about getting tomorrow's look today). 


Regardless of where this shot comes from, and whether we'll be seeing more, I'm glad to see The Brasch is continuing a string of performances with Vogue Russia. By no means is she getting an editorial every issue a la Lara Stone with Vogue Paris, but she had that great shoot for September 2010 and another just the past January. It's good to see that she's getting more work with the magazine, which is always creative and entertaining in the editorial department. This shot is the handy work of Claudia Knoepfel & Stefan Indlekofer, who Caroline has previously worked with for Vogue Paris. Looking forward for what's to come (Numero and Vogue Nippon ;) )!

Photos courtesy of tFS posters mousyy and Stereo Flo

Force of Nature

Whew! So over the course of fashion season, several new print pieces have emerged for The Brasch. I'll be covering these as soon as possible, and devote a full post to each when the full editorials are available. For now, I'll start off with her shoot for W Magazine's March 2011 issue. Titled "Against Nature" and shot and styled by Mert and Marcus, and Alex White respectively, the editorial also features models Frida Gustavsson and Hailey Clauson.

Caroline has two shots in this editorial, being the second and final images of the set. I really wish that there were more of her here, but in group editorials, this is always bound to happen. What I loved about "Against Nature" most was the juxtaposition of the brightly coloured clothes against the landscape. Alex White did an excellent job picking hues that immediately catch the eye, making these looks really leap off the page.

It seems to me that the title of the piece is referring to the way the clothes battle the landscape for dominance in the pictures. While the clothes are the first thing your eyes jump to (gold star for fulfilling the usual brief of magazine editorials), you are next drawn to the epic scenery in which they are placed. Despite lacking colour, they are feats of their own, demonstrating powerful emotions that are ominous and daunting to behold.

Taking in the models themselves, we note their positions and wonder what has become of them? They seem on the verge of death, exhausted, and quite incapable of escaping what seems to be an inevitable storm approaching. One might almost interpret it as death by fashion: they have become collateral damage in their aspirations of good style, this warring of natural and neon colours has left them utterly spent.

All in all, the result of fantastic styling, excellent cinematography, and appropriate doses of stagnant numbness provides us with some incredibly dramatic pictures. I was really quite pleased with the result, myself. I even broke my ban on W Magazine and made an investment in this March issue. I could do without much of what the magazine has to offer, but this editorial looks truly stunning in print.

As for Caroline's performance, I'd venture to say that her two photos are my favorites, and I don't think I'm being biased here either. The first pose in incredibly dynamic; you get the sense that she's been thrown by a rampaging tornado. Her second, however, shows that perhaps she still has some life in her, and that she is not willing to let Mother Nature have the last laugh.

Something interesting that some of you might want to check out is Alex White's blog at wmagazine.com. She gives you a fascinating backstage look at how she chose the clothing for the shoot, and other little tidbits that you might enjoy! She updates it periodically with information about shoots and shows that she's working on, so if you're interested in that kind of thing, definitely watch that space.

Photos courtesy of tFS user mousyy

Paris Part 2

Rolling into week two of Paris, Caroline had one show on Sunday: Kenzo. The collection was a little darker than I remember from previous seasons, but still packed all the punch of it's usual patterns and prints. Patchwork was la modus operandi for Antonio Marras' looks this season, with the primary inspiration being Latin bohemia. Nicole Richie has heard of Kenzo, right?

Monday kicked off at Ungaro, where Caroline had one look. Giles Deacon has been set the task of rebuilding the house after it has seemingly fallen into disrepair (remember La Lohan?), and this seemed like a step in the right direction. The collection screamed "predator!" with a heavy dosage of high collared leather, lace and long scarlet fingernails, but this theme was also to be noted in the stitched wolves and owls on sweaters and a dress, close captioned by Hanne Gabe Odiele. Interestingly, Ungaro was not so far off trend: Givenchy featured similar sweaters in their show just the night prior (Albeit, Tisci's designs were adorned with pinup girls).

Next was Giambattista Valli, who seemed to be, like Alber Elbaz, a little on the modest side this season. We have come to expect a more party-goer aura from the designer, and while there were certainly elements of that, it seemed to be exercised with greater restraint, akin to what we saw at Lanvin. However, unlike Lanvin, where we saw a gradual and then booming release, Valli's collection seemed to weave between minimalist chic and rich colours, textures, and patterns sinusoidally.

Chloe and Celine are my two favorite shows for Caroline in Paris (and perhaps across all cities), and I was deeply disappointed when she didn't show up at Celine on Sunday (Phoebe, we need to have a talk). She was at Chloe, however, which pleased me very much indeed, despite Hannah McGibbon's insistence on the overuse of snakeskin. I really wish that I note had been taken from the books at Giambattista Valli and Lanvin, because restraint seems a necessary observance in the use of animal prints (at least in this case). Julia Nobis' (a.k.a. Julia Attenborough) look was the only one that I looked at and felt it to be a proper illustration of Chloe ft. snakeskin. For most of the looks, the overload was easily avoidable by simply pairing sweaters like Freja's opener with a plainer pair of pants. So the good news is, that the collection is excellent. So long as the styling is on par.

Sophie Albou's collection for Paul & Joe was very playful and colourful. With Black Swan clear at the back of my mind, I found myself reminiscing over Jackie and Donna of That 70s Show, among other (non-fictional) inhabitants of that time period. It was a funner show than we usually see in Paris, though no less serious for the fact: one might also draw connections to vintage Yves Saint Laurent when examining the collection.

Tuesday dawned amidst the volcanic ashes of the Grand Palais. Okay, so it didn't actually burn to the ground, but it was certainly another way of saying Karl brought down the house. The Chanel show is always the biggest of all the shows for fashion week, and while we accord this honour to the historical background of the house and it's feminist values, it is hard to see Chanel's modern success as separate from the influence of Karl Lagerfeld. He may not stitch the clothes himself, but the vision of the Kaiser has been instrumental in revamping the house for a more modern, and younger audience. That influence was no less this season, though one can't help but notice that the collection was rather distinctly Freja-esque in it's palette and frequent inclusion of skinny jeans and moto boots. The thing about Lagerfeld's genius though, is that he has a talent for Chanelifying just about anything. Those cropped tweed and hounds tooth jackets so emblematic of the house took on a whole new cool factor when paired over boyfriend blazers, and I don't doubt that the oversized leg warmers drooping about the ankles will be a hot topic come September. Some people have been complaining about how 'masculine' the collection is, but I'm not getting the comparison. Well, I get it, but to me, this is a modernized concept of the same chic, 'masculinized' woman that Chanel has always represented. And before I end, allow me to nominate Jacquelyn Jablonski's look as the most epic outfits of fashion week. Well, except for Karlie's opener at Dior.

Valentino was next up, where Caroline had two looks. I was really hoping for an opening or closing here, but, sadly, it was not to be. Having said that, I was rather taken by the collection. While maintaining all the ladylike elements of the house, Chiuri and Piccioli added a sensuality to the collection by using sheer fabrics and lace strategically. In many ways, the collection was older and more reserved than it's predecessors, but these elements added a subtly coy nature to the clothes, a small wink, hinting that there's more to this demurely clad woman than meets the eye. I cannot, however, wrap my head around the finale dress. It looked limp and shapeless. And something tells me this wasn't solely because of who was wearing it.

The Brasch ended her long and illustrious season with one look at Louis Vuitton's fetishtastic show. Shiny patent leather was all over the place, from dominatrix boots and hot pants to short skirts and loooonnng jackets. In case anyone was wondering, I've changed my mind: Kate Moss takes the spoils for most epic moment this season. Strutting about irreverently on the runway puffing on a cigarette, she cut a striking image. My personal favorite incident was during the finale walk, when she cut clear across the floor, leading a trail of models in her wake. While she was off touring the facility in such a fashion, Natasha Poly picked up the slack and took the correct, but long, way around. Oh Kate Moss.

And so ends another season in fashion for Caroline, who's had an exhaustive run indeed. In Paris, she walked no fewer than 20 shows and 24 looks. I had hoped for more opens and closes in Paris, but in this respect, I was left disappointed. However, when looking at her total for the season, The Brasch has had one of the most impressive showlists of everyone, with a stunning 73 shows. This included 104 looks, 5 opens, and 1 close. As if that wasn't crazy enough, if we take into consideration Berlin and Barcelona fashion weeks as well, Caroline's tally elevates to a dizzying 81 shows, 6 opens, 2 (3?) closes, and 119 looks. (Not to mention, Haute Couture was sandwiched between those, where she walked 4 shows and had 7 looks.)

At only 17, one would imagine the poor girl has been quite run off her feet. But with the sudden appearance of a number of March editorials (I will be getting to these soon, pinky swear!), and the promise of more to come, who knows when she'll have time to rest her weary head. Congratulations on truly fantastic season Caroline, I couldn't be more proud!

(CAROLINE BRASCH! woowoowoowoowoowoowoowoowoowoowoo...)

Photos courtesy of vogue.it

Paris Part 1

Sorry for the wait everyone! I've been very busy, and I was quite out of time when it came to updating The Brasch in Paris. Forgive me?

Things kicked off in Paris with one look at current fashion darling, Hakaan. Not only was the leather-accented minimalist collection fabulous, model watchers everywhere were relieved by the arrival of Freja Beha on the fashion scene, after a much discussed absence from New York and Milan. The show is always notable for bringing out the top models, and didn't falter there this season either, bringing out Natalia, Mariacarla and Karolina in addition to their successors in Natasha, Anja, and Freja. Happy to see Caroline repeating at Hakaan: you get the sense that nabbing even one look in this show is an achievement deserving of hearty applause.

No more shows were to be had on Tuesday, but Wednesday added two more, beginning with a single look at Rochas. It seems that I really was quick to judge the death of minimalism: it popped up magnanimously here as well. Very simplistic the clothes were, and it seemed to me that Marco Zanini was drawing subtly from the Cossacks at some turns. This influence was most obvious in the caps donned by many of the models, but you'll also notice the elasticized cuffs on Caroline's trousers. Patterns on looks walked by Siri Tollerod and Sara Blomqvist also seemed to hearken back to a traditional Russian source. You might almost interpret the collection as a depiction of a culture that have embraced modernity, but still kept close essences of its past.

At Rue du Mail, Caroline had two looks. Early on, the collection made much use of colour blocking, which was all well and good, but I was particularly fascinated by the prints embellishing the second half of the show. It was akin in colour and pattern to the wings of butterflies, especially monarchs (which we might remember, were also a favorite at Alexander McQueen last season.

Thursday saw a prime cut of shows for The Brasch, with the first being at illustrious house of Balenciaga. You can't tell so much from Caroline's one look here, which is quite simple in it's colour palette, but the real draw at Nicholas Ghesquiere's show were the elaborately detailed accessories and shoes. Exotic prints were realized on white skirts and dresses beneath leather jackets, and later appeared on clutches and in the detailing on the shoes as well (I've got my eye on the white and cobalt ones sported by Karmen Pedaru, in particular). I could not be more pleased that Caroline booked Balenciaga's show, it is a wonderfully creative house, and always a staple on my fashion calendar (A few classmates and myself hold Nicholas Ghesquiere entirely responsible for us being late to the Museum of Decorative Arts. Thankfully, our professor was not dismayed by this excuse.).

Another stellar creator is Rick Owens, master of the draped leather jacket, and oh so many fashionable hearts. The bright red lip on the models stood out excellently against the notoriously chromatic colours of Owens' collection, and capes, hoods, and elbow-skimming gloves (Which are most certainly trending, by the way. How do we say that on Twitter? #elbow-skimming gloves?). This season was a little edgier than the ethereal deep-sea aliens we saw for spring, but no less wonderful for the fact.

At Nina Ricci, Peter Copping gave us a heavy dose of modern femininity. Baby blues and pretty pinks made the runway touchably soft, while black kept the collection from looking too young by adding a classic feel. Hemlines were variable, allowing the looks to transition smoothly to all occasions and tastes (indeed, trousers were also included, though less often). Caroline had one look in the show, but it was rather unique in the collection. While fostering the romantic aura characteristic of the label, it was also subtly masculine in the loose-fitting trousers and blazer. In particular, the pervasive use of glitter made this look stand out among the other colours mentioned earlier.

Friday was the day the whole fashion world (and indeed many outside of it) was waiting for. The sacking of John Galliano just days prior to the Christian Dior show left many in doubt as to whether the house would even let the collection see the light of day. But in a turn that demonstrated the value of the people behind the scenes, the show went ahead, no holds barred. The collection still held much of Galliano's theatrical influence, but whether it was the pall of a dying (or dead) reputation, or a hint of fact behind rumours that the atelier had completed half of the collection without the designer's instruction, it seemed but a shadow of times long gone and of doubtful return.

Oh my dear dear Monsieur Elbaz... Never does this man set a foot wrong in my eyes, and this season was no exception as Lanvin again brought forth a truly covetable collection. Hollywood is always buzzing about Lanvin ballet flats, which I agree, are excellent, but I find it difficult to understand why the house's clothes are mentioned to a comparably lesser extent. For fall, Elbaz went quite plain, or at least, so he initially tricked us into believing. Early in the show, there was a distinct sense of smooth modesty to the clothes, but as the show progressed, more complex elements began to emerge in the forms of new textures, patterns, and of course jewelery, which has often been a standout part of Lanvin's collections in recent seasons. Towards the end, there was a burst of colour: one almost got the impression that Elbaz was struggling to keep this liveliness hidden within himself until spring, but as the collection grew, so did this inner spark of excitement. It filtered out through the afore mentioned elements, tiny wholes in the ford of the subconscious mind, until the pressure was too great, and the barrier was overcome.

One of the youngest designers on the circuit, Pedro Lourenco is not hesitating to demonstrate his creativity and not-so-small amount of potential. While more ready-to-wear than last season, the designer's fall collection did not lack the edge of it's predecessor, though it was this time shrouded in softer textiles, predominantly wool and, for the first time, fur. Big fan of the geometric nature of the clothes as well, demonstrated through the patterns and structures of various pieces.

On Saturday, Caroline began with one look at Viktor & Rolf. It was a red-faced display by the Dutch designers, but by no means one of embarrassment.  Taking point from knights' armour (I totally called this trend. Totally called it.), the collection was extremely structural and very sharp; indeed, if you didn't cut your hand on Aymeline Valade's cheekbones, the shoulders of Abbey Lee Kershaw's runway contraption would no doubt do the job. It certainly gave a whole new meaning to "power-dressing," that's for sure. And where were these knightesses from anyway? Give the models some horns and a tail, and I'd have no problem with claiming them as the devil's army. But in this notable absence, I'd hazard a guess at bloodstained Crusaders. The red cross featured on Nimue Smit's look set off that radar for me in particular, and the theme of roses was also instrumental. So the real question then becomes: What are Viktor & Rolf fighting for? And the answer? Creativity. Amen to that.

Sonia Rykiel was quite English-looking this season, with argyle and tartan seeming particularly popular. Trademark quilting was also present on the odd overcoat, and the colour palette popped (though perhaps less so than usual), but the real story was with the cozy knits and odd boa. Caroline was the second girl out, and upon realizing this, I became suddenly aware that the girl has yet to open in Paris yet this season. But surely, that would not prove to be the case for the whole week, right? Right?

Loewe was the final show of the day for The Brasch, and she had one look here as well. Always known for it's leather creations, Stuart Vevers' assured us that the tradition of the house was living on unforgotten under his direction, but that it was also to be renewed with his own edgy take on things. Where this is his tenth season at the Spanish house, I wonder what's prompted the necessity of this statement. Elbaz made a similar one prior to his own show, as have a number of designers; more so than usual. I don't doubt that it ties back to the regrettable catastrophe of Galliano, whose comments, said Dior CEO Sidney Toledano, flew in the face of the house's values for the last six decades. It would seem that everyone is intent on demonstrating their loyalty to their house of employment in the face of this.

Photos courtesy of vogue.it