//319/ Pre-Spring 2014 Givenchy

Pre-Spring Givenchy Ready-to-wear 2014

//I don't know since when there is such a thing as Pre-Spring- is it just me or is the fashion industry inventing seasons to make more money???? Or are designers overflowing with ideas to the point that they have to invent pre-seasons?? Well, I'm going to go with the latter, because this is pretty damn fantastic. It's a little messed up (pink camo + flowers), a little freaky (Birkenstocks!) and a little crass (pink/red hair), but tastefully so. This is not the kind of creative that is purely looking to attract attention: it's sheer style, tailored and executed well.

//Peroxide B

//318/ F2013RTW 3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim Fall Ready-to-Wear 2013

//Every now and then I need to see some inspiring clothing that reminds me why I like (love) fashion. This 3.1 collection is one of those moments. It it not very bold, in fact it is seriously ready-to-wear unlike many of the other collections, but I love the simplicity. For me, understated clothing is sometimes much more appealing than crass colours, big shapes, daring cuts. Here, I like the embossed leather, the casual layering, the simple, texturised polo-neck dress and the beautiful print.

//Peroxide Blonde

//311/ SS2013RTW Paul Smith

Paul Smith Spring/Summer 2013 Ready-to-wear 

//Since Garance Doré expressed her fondness of Paul Smith and since the Paul Smith shop opened in Cape Town, I took a look at the 2013 spring collection and found it rather appealing. Sure, it's not particularly creative but I kind of like the preppy look with a twist.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//282/ SS2013: Prouenza Schouler

SS2013RTW - Prouenza Schouler 

//I don't like to post the same type of things all the time but the shows running at the moment really do get me excited. So let's start from the beginning. Prouenza Schouler was still one of the New York shows, and I think the impact it will have was underestimated...in fact it wasn't given all that much attention at all. I love the not-so-subtle 90s references, the re-worked jeans-vest, the complicated prints. I love the fact that most of the collection is not even pleasant to look at at first, it takes some time to understand, but in return the effect is so much more rewarding.

//Otherwise, take a look at the new A Fashion Friend issue: getting better every month!

//Peroxide B
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//281/ SS2013: Altuzarra

Altuzarra SpringSummer 2013 Ready-to-Wear

//So far Altuzarra is my favourite of the New York SpringSummer shows this year, and generally becoming one of my favourite designers. Aside from the cape-like jackets and knee-high sandals there really aren't any particular new concepts...same cuts, still prints, some pastel, but the tailoring, the print, the fit are executed with such precision that the overall effect is quite powerful. The evening wear I found unappealing for some reason.

//Take a look at Altuzarra's flawless Spring/Summer collection of last year here.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//266/ Chanel Resort 2013

Chanel Resort 2013

//Karl's Resort Collection was met with mixed emotions (Inès de la Fressange diplomatically called it "too creative") but on my part, I loved it. Chanel for me has not been very clearly defined in the past years, nor very adventurous. This however is both, risqué and quintessentially Chanel. The influences are numerous: 18th century French royalty, 70s punk rock, Harajuku girls, maybe even a little Tavi Gevinson?? but the underlying theme is consistent...a light-hearted frivolity á la Chanel. I find it fascinating that despite his age, Lagerfeld has the good sense to completely re-vamp Chanel's image instead of playing it safe. This most certainly has the potential to become a cult collection, something like Prada Spring/Summer 2012...

//Below are some of my favourites in editorial format.

//Peroxide Blonde

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Chanel Resort 2013

Photography: Karl Lagerfeld

Model: Cara Delivigne

//254/ Balmain Fall 2012 RTW

Balmain Fall 2012 Ready-to-wear

//I fell a little in love with these boxy-shoulder blazers at Balmain, a little like Prouenza Schouler here. Most of the dresses were the same as usual- tight, short, embroidered- but the jackets and vests are really special...most certainly a trend to watch for fall. Somehow they have that casual power-woman appeal. And then of course there is Karlie (top-middle) in the cashmere-and-wayy-too-cool-pants perfection. Woahh, I would love to make those an every-day staple.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//250/ Prouenza Schouler Fall 2012 RTW

Prouenza Schouler Fall 2012 RTW

//Boxy jackets could be seen everywhere this fall, amongst others in Balmain (!- I will tell you more in a few days), Altuzarra, Alexander Wang and...Prouenza Schouler. I loved this show because it had a slavic sensibility about it without being too minimalist. It was clean, but there were still interesting colours, textures, cuts and shapes. Those big square jackets, for example, or the asymmetrical hems, the mesh, the layering and especially those boots all make for a super exciting but totally wearable collection.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//246//Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012 RTW

Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012 RTW

//I wasn´t really going to review the fall shows quite yet, simply because it is far too hot here in Cape Town to be thinking about fall and in any case, there is a slight lag in trends reaching the fashion crowd not to mention the large lag in reaching the masses and the gigantic lag until it has reached the southern hemisphere...

//Anyhow, Mary Katrantzou blew my mind so much that I threw all principles out the window. Take a moment to look at the clothing carefully. It is so difficult to define exactly what is so magical about it, somehow her style is so elusive. It has a sort of subtle, psychedelic grecian feel to it. The prints are intricate and detailed without being too complicated, the colours are bright without being garish, and this time around she experimented more than ever with shapes and the effect is etheral... Compare with her previous shows here ...she is getting even better in my opinion-certainly on her way to superstardom.

//Peroxide Blonde
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//236/ SS2012: Mary Katrantzou

Mary Karantzou Spring/Summer 2012 RTW

//While the established fashion houses are reliably good and seldomly fail to provide quality and style, I often find the newer designers such as Peter Pilotto and Mary Katranzou most exciting. Mary is a Central Saint Martins graduate that also studied architechture, before moving on to interior prints and then fashion prints. She´s won some pretty prestigious awards, did a collection for Topshop and has been in Vogue, Grazia and Dazed & Confused...all this since launching her first prêt-à-porter collection in 2008!

//I love her bold colours, cuts and prints in the 2012 collection, but I think I almost prefer the slightly softer 2011 spring collection (see below), which very clearly shows her architecture and interior design influences (note the lampshade skirts and architechture prints). I feel like buildings used in colourful prints and skirts inspired by lampshades should be a total disaster, but together with the beautifully structured cuts they make for stunning and very wearable dresses...

//Peroxide Blonde
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Mary Katrantzou Spring/Summer 2011

//228/ SS2012: Peter Pilotto

Peter Pilotto SS2012RTW

//Talking about tropical print, this is Peter Pilotto´s take on it. I like their more abstracted, aquatic feel, only enhanced by the wetsuit-like material and cut. Peter Pilotto is a fairly young designer-pair, that won Best Emerging Talent at the British Fashion Awards in 2009 and is currently short-listed for the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 2012 and has a strong celebrity-following (see Miranda Kerr in a Pilotto number below).


//Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate today!

//Peroxide Blonde
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//221/ SS2012: Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten SS2012RTW

//The prints are simply beyond amazing. And overall I love the combination of the complicated prints and the simple, clean tailoring. Perfection.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//218/ SS2012: Christian Dior

Christian Dior SS2012RTW

//The Dior spring show was nothing short of a dream. I would imagine it to be what one could call quintessentially French (yucky cliché, cringe): pretty, feminine and pure quality. It was discarded by some as being too safe, which it without doubt is, but especially for a ready-to-wear show I can´t say I have any objections to `safe´ if it is this beautiful.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//213/ SS2012: Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear

//Trust Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to present a vivacious, romantic, dramatic and most importantly colourful spring collection, very much capturing the spirit of Italy. While I appreciate the sleek androgyny and understated aesthetic of most of the Slavic, Northern European and New York designers´ collections, the cheerfulness and boldness, the colours and the prints of Dolce & Gabbana seem far more suited to the Capetonian mood and weather. This is truly a celebration of femininity and though it may not be pushing any fashion boundaries it is most certainly easy on the eye.

//Peroxide Blonde
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//209/ SS2012: Altuzarra

Altuzarra SS2012RTW

//Altuzarra had the most spring-like collection to me, with beautiful prints and popping colours, but subtle nonetheless...perfection.

//I am sorry about the silence, but university momentarily took over my life there...from now on it is back to normal posting, I promise.

//Love, 

  Peroxide Blonde

//201/ SS2012: Gucci

Gucci SpringSummer 2012 Ready-to-Wear

//Frida Giannini presented a beautiful, luxurious Spring/Summer collection that I feel will become significant for its very directional, distinctive, wearable, jazzy, 1920s, Art Deco feel. Erghhh what I´m trying to say is this shit is going to be trendy cos its hot. There. But seriously, how wearable is this? Sometimes I like clothing that is pure beauty and quality, no complications, no cute ugliness.

//Peroxide Blonde

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//199/ SS2012: Prada

Prada SpringSummer 2012 Ready-to-Wear

//Here are my favourite looks from the Prada show that took place in Milan a few hours ago. I will take you through the best looks from the important shows in New York, London, Milan, Paris over the next weeks...

//Miuccia Prada has (thankfully) toned down the colours a lot since last spring. Yes, bright colours and colour-blocking was great, and still is, but it got somewhat tiring wouldn´t you say? Now it´s still a form of blocking but the colours are tamed pastels which suit the 50s-style cuts. The prints are innovative as always...last season it was banana-print and now we have cars (I think?), super no? 

//I love the wet-look top too, but I think the most covetable item is most probably the large clutch...the best.

//Peroxide Blonde

//173/ Dress: Cape Town Fashion Week 2011:Gavin Rajah

Gavin Rajah Jaipur Collection Spring/Summer 2012

//In terms of craftsmanship and originality I found Gavin Rajah's show to be the best. The clothing was just undeniably good...most of it anyway: some pieces on the other hand seemed simply horrific. It seems that when he moves away from what he does best (namely beautifully crafted, intricate dresses made of precious materials ) in an attempt to do something more outrageous, the result is somewhat disturbing and doesn't fit into the collection at all, take a look below:

//Peroxide Blonde

//170/ Cape Town Fashion Week 2011 // Summary

Cape Town Fashion Week 2011 Highlights
Source: SDR Photo

//In Cape Town quality clothing and design was few and far between at the fashion show (as were high res images-sorry!) but here are some of the best looks. For some reason South African materials and finishing always look inferior and badly executed in comparison with international standards, but slowly and surely South African fashion is advancing: there are after all more than enough sources to draw inspiration from in our beautiful country. One presentation that seemed to be particularly impressing was that of David Tlale-stunning!

//In case you're wondering, I decided to do a separate post on Gavin Rajah-he is a whole nother story...

//1-Danielle Margaux, Habits

  2- Tart

  3- Lisp, Lalesso

  4- Habits

  5- Michelle Ludek

  6- David Tlale

//Peroxide Blonde


//PS// Habits: Inspired by Jil Sander much? That was the Spring/Summer 2011 Collection, how embarassing.

Habits, Jil Sander- Habits, Jil Sander

//168/ Fashion Week Berlin 2011 // Summary

Berlin Fashion Week 2011 Highlights
Source:  Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Newsroom

//Somewhat delayed, but nonetheless obligatory: material from the Berlin Fashion Week, which is now already two weeks ago. Instead of posting all of the designers which can be quite tedious, I selected some of my favourite looks...so here you go: the best of the best (okay not quite, there are many good outfits/designers that I have omitted-not least Augustin Teboul whom you can view here). 


//Overall the Berlin Fashion Week displayed quality and craftsmanship as can only be expected by the Germans, but some designers lacked consistency and for my taste there was not enough creative flair and freakiness... Having said that I was impressed by the calibre of the fashion students from the HTW: design at its best, executed with precision and deliberation.


//I will do the same for Cape Town Fashion Week 2011 which took place last week...I was unfortunately unable to attend since I am still in Berlin.


//Peroxide Blonde


//1- Iris van Herpen, Patrick Mohr
  2- Hien Le, Mongrels in Common
  3- Hien Le, Strenesse
  4- Michalsky
  5- Hien Le, HTW
  6- Schumacher, Rena Lange
  7- Kilian Kerner, Marcel Ostertag
  8- A.F. Vandevorst, Blacky Dress