Pickachoose: Fall 2012 RTW

Marc Jacobs

It seems critics have never had as much fun as they did during Marc Jacob's Fall showing, where the decided lack of restraint unleashed a colourful army of parading Mad Hatters, running amock the runway each with a hat more curious, more gigantic and more topsy-turvy than the next. Total absurdity at it's best; the Cat in the Hat would approve.

All the kookiness is juxtaposed (and complemented accordingly) with a deceptively simple bag. Bare and basic, erring on the side of androgyny but saved from completely entering that realm by the smooth, subtle curves. It could serve to anchor a feminine look yet also fall in place with something more urban, with more edge. Personal translation: I'm not a bag person and I adore this bag.

altuzarra

Elements distilled from the traditional costumes of Northeastern Asian tribes were beautifully reinterpreted for today's urban woman, maintaining the vivacity and cold climate-propriety of its source of inspiration. At certain points, Altuzarra seemed to deviate albeit too far from his central story, one being the dip in Catholic territory. However the tassled over-the-knee boot, whether smooth, croc or embossed, were a superb fixture, whether adding a lengthy end to voluminous pants or subduing the overt sexiness of thigh high slits.

aquilano.rimondi

The duo behind Aquilano.Rimondi managed (with admittedly greater success) to weave the Catholic symbolism and rich colour palette of the Middle Ages into traditional Asian garb, more specifically the Chinese cheongsam. The result is impressively natural, with one influence counterbalancing any obvious overtones of the other. More importantly, they were able to acheive something neither dated nor tacky, seemingly the two greatest challenges when redesigning a piece of such distinct cultural and historical background. The accompanying footwear was charmingly sweet, especially the gilded-trim pumps adorned with a flouncy silk bow.