A return to the “DNA” or “roots” of a brand seems to always be held as a good thing. This season, the tradition of certain designers seemed to bring them down; whereas others came back to a place of success.

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Marc Jacobs

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For a couple seasons, Marc Jacobs seemed to be riding on waves of literal inspiration. The 80’s revival although done quite best by him, was too much. Jacobs gained his place in fashion for his uncouth and unhinged approach to design; this would often include taking the mundane and recreating it into a new sort of bourgeois chic.
This season felt like a return of sorts, with the mixed-up basics. Rather common garments were first shown and were slowly added onto. A decadent fur here and there, but always askew. The magic was in the latter half, where glitter speckled plastic was met with rich furs and velvet. Combinations like these are what have always expected of Jacobs, but not until have they been done with such panache and mastery.

Prada

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Miuccia Prada is one of those designers that never seem to do wrong. Her designs may not always be conventional, but they have an unparalleled intellectual integrity. Every season one can be sure that whatever she shows will be decisive and symbolic.
Prada’s Fall 2010 collection is loaded to say the least. Every looked had some sort of connective tissue to a collection from the past, one look could at once utilize facets of many seasons. Rubber reminiscent of FW07 paired with shapes from ’06 all combine into this perverse, self-retrospective presentation.
In its entirety the collection could be argued as old and merely a reworking of tried ideas, but in the end Prada has achieved timelessness, which is often unattainable in modern fashion. The idea to take what you have created in the past in order to see if it is to this day as relevant and striking as before is a taking a challenge.
The collection could have been all that it aimed not to be, but with precision and direction was able to go above season and enter into era.

Dolce & Gabbana

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Last season, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce received wild acclaim for their collection that returned to the Dolce & Gabbana that they are known for. The tailored suits and vampy bras paired with the floral prints and infusion of new techniques like crocheting created an homage-like but forward show.

The collection this season was fashion deja vu. Not only did the collection open with a tailored suit and hot pants, but went on with this into lingerie slips with lace, and so on. The fundamental issue with this collection was that it was spring, not fall. So many designers this season decided to show bare legs and bras but did not seem to consider the season.

In the climate that fashion exists, wherein labels minimize and close every moment,  it makes no sense that such a simple thing such as creating clothing that suit the needs expected is not met.

There is no problem with returning to the roots of a label, but only so long as it is with an air of modernity.

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