Douglas Hannant - Resort 2013 - Review

Bonjour a tous! You find me here in a state of elation and exhaustion. Elation, because my GCSE exams are all but over, and exhaustion due to the fact that I have been going to bed recklessly late ever since the state of my brain when I wake up is no longer of issue that will destroy my future. You find here a cafeine-ridden teenager taking refuge behind a computer screen (In that case, nothing out of the ordinary)

Having battled with myself for nigh on twenty minutes as to whether to present you with my review of Alexander McQueen's Resort 2013 collection or this one of Douglas Hannant's, Douglas Hannant won over due to this collection's beautiful range of dresses. What can I say? I can never get enough of long floaty, romantic dresses! What especially drew me to these was the watercolour hue to the dresses themselves, paired with the surroundings, which reminded me of various paintings by Monet. The blue and green dominated colour palette along with the hazy forms on some of the dresses are most suggestive of this. Perhaps it is now the moment to mention that Douglas Hannant studied Fine Art before turning his incredible hand to fashion, and that could be reflected in the influence for these dresses. It is very possible that he could have created some of his own Monet-inspired watercolour works while he was studying. Anywho, I hope you enjoy my in depth review of the collection.

<< Some adept colour blocking always works well for knee-length, semi-formal dresses. >>>


A note on the shoes, which are the ones used throughout the collection. Seemingly of a light champagne or gold colour, their delicate contrast with the clothes is complimentary enough not to draw the viewer's eye away from the main attraction, but the fact that nothing else seems to be of this colour brings further dimensions to the collection.


 And below, the first of many gloriously light and floaty floor-length dresses in this collection, and starting off on a shimmering, summery high note.

<<< Beautiful Dress. A simple green sequined tank gown, made more sophisticated, polished and elegant by apron-tie ball skirt of a lighter shade of green. A delightful piece. Delicious, unfortunately helping to bring about a sadness clouding the peacefulness of my mind at this present moment when I remember that life is seldom this pretty! Yes, pretty. Pretty is the best word to define this. The fact that the upper half is in 'tank' top style suggests a 'gamine' and youthful feel,.

>>> With this one, the first thing I thought of was bamboo - it's a beautiful dress, of course, but there was something in the shape and the line and, the background scenerey that undeniably nudged an image of bamboo into my sleep-deprived mind.

That aside, this dress is exquisite. The way it falls is bewitching, and the

Monet's Waterlilies by Robert Hayden

Today as the news from Selma and Saigon
poisons the air like fallout,
I come again to see
the serene, great picture that I love.

Here space and time exist in light
the eye like the eye of faith believes.
The seen, the known
dissolve in iridescence, become
illusive flesh of light
that was not, was, forever is.

O light beheld as through refracting tears.
Here is the aura of that world
each of us has lost.
Here is the shadow of its joy.

By this point in the collection, there was a mild break with the colour scheme, but to be honest, when the collection steered away from the colour scheme, to some extent it also steered away from the elements I liked about the collection. That is not to say that I do not like this area of the collection.

This is where we reach a run of my favourite items, glorious dresses that make up the finale of many collections, leaving the fantasies and follies until the end so to speak. It would be impossible to choose a favourite, though if I had to, the last one might just have the upper hand.

^^^ There is a grecian element to many items in the collection but I must state that this, above all else, is reminiscent of a grecian river goddess or sprite. The darker shade of blue strips cutting off the shimmery textures of the main fabric work really well to create something very glamorous and simple. >>> I believe this to be my favourite trouser and blouse ensemble. I love the silk cargo trousers. Hell, I'd go camping if my cargo trousers were made out of shiny green silk.

For quite some time, the Resort season collections have no longer been simply a collection of clothes made with the destination being beautiful holidaymakers clutching Louis Vuitton travelling cases. However, much more so than other labels, Hannant's collection veers closer to that traditional notion of a resort collection made for Cruises and the like.

^^^  The 'Mermaid' Dress (The colour, the cut and the fact the model looks like she has been sprayed with water... all of that suggests mermaid!) hugs the body beautifully, though I am not in the state of the mind to decide whether or not it would be hideously unflattering on people over a size 4. I think not since well cut long dresses do often manage to compliment the form charmingly, or maybe I am just wishfully thinking bearing in mind that, in my humble opinion, very few people can pull off head-to-toe turquoise. <<< We return with gusto to the initial pattern used in this collection, with luxurious folds of beautiful fabric in an A-line skirt. *Smile* Makes me happy. (I think I shall call this one the 'Green Tea' Dress, purely because it reminds me of the packaging to some really delicious tea I bought a couple of months ago)

>>> Any excuse really to pop in a pre-raphaelite painting, and my plea this time is that the painting 'Circe poisoning the Sea' by Waterhouse reminds me of a couple of the floor-length blue dresses. Yes, I know the cut and style of the dress in the painting is different, but the feeling of this picture depicting a scene from greek mythology and the feeling of the fashion photograph above are similar.  In my mind, the dress above was the Nymph or Waterfall Dress after all.

 

Thank you for reading, do comment and please follow!

Zac Posen - Resort 2013

Yes, yes... I said I would do something about tennis, but instead I have decided to do that during wimbledon (I had originally planned to do it during Roland Garros but never got around to it) and I still cannot gain access to my computer so I cannot post the second half of the Dior Retrospective. And egotistical things of myself will have to wait for the weekend, since my stressed out mind is having an effect on the amount of effort I put into outfits - I just pull things on (Not that I pull on hoodies, t-shirts and jeans or anything, but you know... *winky face*)

Anyway, I am therefore going to share with you, and for your pleasure and degustation, Zac Posen's Resort 2013 collection... and goodness is it beautiful! I thought you might all still be rubbing your eyes after the veritable Marc Jacobs Colour Bomb, so have decided to be kind and visit something a little less vibrant.


This collection appealed to me at once, and very soon items from it were jumping out at me left, right and centre. Maybe, the most impressive thing for me was the sharp tailoring and the hourglass enhancing line of the ensembles. My first thoughts of their place in an eventual real life was, "Imagine how amazing it would be to go to a job interview in one of these dressy skirt suits?" Cue some relevant fantasising of the situation. If you were at a job interview in this lovely ensemble to the left, you would feel unstoppable. However, bear in mind that if you can afford to go to a job interview in this, then you should probably stick with the job you have at the moment - obviously it does you very well in terms of salary.


Here is solid, hardcore proof that the trick to stylish attire is all in the detail: The whole collection, complete as it is with delicious curving pleats on pencil skirts which fit and fall so well that it makes me want to cry - not saying, of course, that not all the things I look at are a testimony to why the creation of glorious clothes is an art form. It makes me sad when people call it frivolous, not angry but deeply sad, because the appreciation of beauty in its every form is one of the things I think everyone should live for. *Aesthete and proud*

Anywho, on the subject of glorious clothes, the cuffs on the arms of this ensemble to the left are absolutely delicious! I do have a penchant for blouses with cuffs which go halfway up the forearm, and this one fits so elegantly, going wonderfully with the black skirt in a very chic way, that being both understated and classy,

 

 The collection did not disappoint my high expectations at any point. This delightful grey piece reduced me to the state of a child who has walked by mistake into an edwardian-style sweetshop with sweets piled high to the ceiling in antique jars. Breathtakingly beautiful in it's fine cut and detail, from the folds around the neckline to the line of the pencil skirt. Wearable high fashion really cannot get much better than this.

However, I cannot continue without a note of thought on this piece on the right. If I were only able to say one word it would be 'Gimme', but as it is, I can afford to be more generous with the amount of writing I accord it. I adore the overall silhouette exhibited by the collection, and this black number is particularly representative of it - I imagine it would be quite flattering and it has a strong air of maturity about it. The way it hugs the body without clinging to it is perfectly glorious. I also like that it is black; I know many people would have considered this style in white (in fact I believe I have seen something quite similar in an off-white creamy colour) but much of the elegance resides in the use of black. There is also something to be said for the cowl-like neckline in terms of making the outfit more versatile, as it can be pulled down over the shoulders to create a more youthful, laid back look.



 Another element I liked in this collection was the use of structured bustiers which help give a wonderful shape to the bust which is perfectly in line with the whole tailored, 1940s feel to this collection.

There must be a sidenote on the jewellery in this collection. Below is a close-up on one of the pieces in its full, splendid entirety. Take a close look because it is a feast for the eyes.

The Woman behind the Clothes (Lookbook Shoot): Erin O'Connor is an english model, born on the 9th February 1978.  After being spotted at clothes show live, she first modelled for Juergen Teller in a 1996 issue of i-D. She went on to model for luxury brands, top photographers, always at couture and, in 2007, the revamped Marks & Spencer

Vogue describes her as "Swan-like, porcelain-skinned, hard-working, tall (6ft 4in in heels), nice, rich, whatever - Erin O'Connor is just one of those models who will never age or go out of fashion - her looks are so unique and elegant: a real life Modigliani. " while Jean Paul Gaultier stated that, "She isn't only a model, she is quite art. She is like theatre. She is extraordinary inspiration. I should love to be with her every day."  In 2001, she guest stars as herself on 'Absolutely Fabulous' (Ab Fab) and in 2002, makes the cover of British Vogue. By 2006, she is named one of the 40 wealthiest people under 30 in the U.K., being worth about £15 million. In 2007, by this point, semi-retired, she became vice-chairman of London Fashion Week and a panel member of the Model Health Inquiry to investigate the health issues of models on the London catwalk. She writes a column for London Fashion Week paper The Daily Rubbish, contributes a regular blog to the British Vogue online, has written for The Sunday Times and the Daily Mail, and wrote and presented a documentary on fashion, Erin's Model World, for BBC Radio 4.

>>> I eventually posted three different sides to this dress, purely because of the sheer luxury of it and the metres upon metres of glorious burgundy tulle.

I do like to see designers indulge in an opulent Aesthetic. Zac Posen took inspiration from Antonio Lopez’s illustrations of bygone American couture, and there was a definite 1940s feeling going on in the background. Especially lovely (this is where we come to my favourite bit) were his glorious ball gowns - his range of eveningwear.

I have so much more to write, about each dress individually, but I doubt anyone would read it all. SO, all that remains for me to say is:

Thank you for reading, do comment and please follow!