Tuesday, June 26, 2012

BEAUTY: Clothing--Vivienne Westwood

For her Spring Summer '13 collection at Milano Moda Uomo, Dame Westwood--and her husband Andreas Kronthaler who works closely with her on the menswear collection--looked to familiar territory. "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe" was the inspiration, both the original 1863 Manet painting and the infamous Malcolm McLaren-helmed Bow Wow Wow recreation (in which the group wore--or didn't wear in Annabella's case--pieces from Westwood's "Pirate" collection).


This rather tame Westwood collection (tame by comparison to past collections), instead of feeling "Pirate-y" or period-themed, simply felt idyllic with breezy tops and sweaters, and trousers with a little slit in the front at the hem! Perhaps it is the floral crowns but I am getting a sort of Greek-toga vibe. And thankfully, the cut of a Westwood suit remains a marvel.

And Kronthaler sweetly walked Westwood down the aisle for a bow...

On her YouTube channel, Dame Westwood says:
"Francis who designs with me and Andreas on MAN and who has to get the thing moving came to us and admitted that he was using the idea 'picnic' as a working title, an anchor to fix decisions.

I thought: why not? We can re-cycle the grass stain and wine stain prints and the insects from previous summer collections.

We remembered Manet's 'Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe' with its bohemian and artistic atmosphere and Manet's naked model, Victorine. As to why she has her clothes off is a mystery but we coloured the collection according to the blue of her discarded dress.

But England owns picnics; fun on the grass and the rain stays away and for example there is Glyndebourne where the opera- lovers take their hampers on the train to sit in their evening clothes on the lawn before the opera and at the interval."


http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/

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