Vivienne Westwood Romances the Vienna Ballet

The Vienna State Ballet rang in the New Year with opulent style.  British designer Vivienne Westwood created costumes for the ballet dancers performing during intermission at a New Year’s Day concert in Austria.   

The fashion icon’s tulle and post-punk tartan looks took inspiration from her Spring 2014 collection.  The romantic aesthetic was then pushed to functional fantasy as each costume was custom tailored to the dancers
in silk taffeta ball gowns or bespoke menswear. 

While some of the costumes initially looked to have traditional silhouettes, you can see the deeper, darker coloring in the rich taffeta hues paired with sexy, unusual ruching in the bodices and skirts.  Black satin ballet shoes often replaced traditional baby pink.  Super-short pleated miniskirts in plaid replace the conventional tutu prove that VivienneWestwood will always be punk’s Godmother.  

I can’t imagine a more gorgeous way to start 2014.  Can you?
Photos by ORF/Günther Pichlkostner

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Punk: Chaos to Couture

The city of New York roared a sartorial rebel yell last night with the opening of Punk: Chaos to Couture.  The legendary Met Gala thrown by the Metropolitan Museum of Art brings the most elite of the fashion crowd up the red carpeted steps to see the exhibit.

The punk movement was born in the mid 1970's both in New York at clubs like CBGB's and in London with Malcolm McLaren and then girlfriend, Vivienne Westwood.  The first section of the exhibit had reproductions of the gritty CBGB bathroom (I’m sure the socialites and Anna Wintour can relate to this) and simulation of iconic punk fashion boutique Seditionaries’ from Great Britain.  Degraded t-shirts with subversive messages, bondage inspired outfits held together with safety pins were in full display from Westwood and McLaren .

Speaking of safety pins, it’s hard to imagine punk fashion without the metal hardware.  If you haven’t overdosed on the volume of spikes in the retail scene the past two years, prepare for another onslaught.  Pins, studs, spikes, grommets, staples and logo embossed metallic trims were showcased on the designs of Balenciaga, Gianni Versace, Victor & Rolf, Givenchy, Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana.

Doesn’t sound very anarchistic?  This exhibition is the ultimate example of street style influencing haute couture.  There is a room of graffiti influenced fashion from the likes of Stephen Sprouse to Ann Demeulemeester.  The Alexander McQueen dress that was famously spray painted with robotic air nozzle guns on the runway was on display as well.

There was always the basic culture of DIY and artistic expression in punk fashion.  There was an interesting gallery, “Bricolage” that focused on style that was created from found objects, fashion from garbage from designers like Martin Margiela, John Galliano and Prada. While scholars referenced this as punks’ “violent” tendencies in the cutting up of materials, I saw this as contemporary and eco-friendly.  The dresses made from garbage bags, broken dishes and postage fashion is very “green”.  To me, I interpreted this as a message against mass consumption. 

The last gallery was “Destroy”.  Imagine it being screamed from the Nick Knight-made films all over the show featuring Sid Vicious.  I thought it would show lots of fashion and prestige labels being torn down from social upheaval throughout the decades.  Nope, designers like Balmain, Chanel and Yohji Yamamoto were displayed showing outfits with different techniques of distressed fabrics or deliberate sabotage in embellished holes.

“Destroying” incredibly expensive clothing with intent with the idea that it will appeal to the young market is not very punk to me.  The youth culture that started the movement was poor and was protesting the elite establishment.  However, the designers curated for this show are all incredibly successful, prestigious global brands that the 99% of the Occupy Wall Street movement cannot afford.  This also reflects the entire guest list attending the evening’s gala.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved this exhibit and these are all designers that I grew up idolizing.  In the spirit of the subject though, I would have liked to see representation from modern unknown fashion labels or designers who truly DID do business in a way that went against the grain since McLaren and Westwood. 

The couture “punk” references the themes of the 70’s and 80’s aesthetic but doesn’t ask what today’s “punk” is?  Would that be a coat made of Guy Fawkes masks?  Would it be a sculpted dress made of melted water bottles? Is it just a naked person wearing the ashes of their pink slips?  What is YOUR idea of punk?

   The exhibit runs until August 14th, 2013.

See the rest of my photos here:

(All photos by Mariana Leung)

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SAG Awards Beading

Night and day, the gowns were at last night's Screen Actor's Guild awards.  As always, I pick my favorite embellished gowns for embroidery and beading.

Jenny Packham scored a lot of red carpet time with beading like a night sky on Jenna Fischer and edgy studded embellishments on Kelly Osbourne.  Nicole Kidman was elegant in a floral applique navy gown from Vivienne Westwood.

There were some terrific bridal alternatives to be found in the white dresses that came down the carpet.  Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka wore an off-white Oscar de la Renta dress.  Jayma Mays from Glee wore a flowering dress from  Georges Hobeika.  Kerry Washington continues to stun by wearing a Rodarte dress with a fantastic bodice that was a mix of hard studs and delicate lace.

Photos from Fashionista.com

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Punk, Goth, Sex: Fashion Mates Music

Punk was a music movement that ruled England in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Malcolm McLaren managed the top bands of the era like the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls.  A former schoolteacher, McLaren’s new wife brought the punk movement to fashion by infusing clothes with safety pins, chains and bondage. She is now of course, British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood.

In the 1990’s, Jean-Paul Gaultier was the bad boy of the designer set with his bleached spiky hair and fetish-inspired outfit.  His cone cup bras were synonymous with Madonna’s dominance in that decade.  His fetish inspired looks mixed punk with nineties decadence.

Thierry Mugler and supermodels took over as the look of George Michael’s top hit, Too Funky.  Rock n’roll and fetish wear became the official uniform of the song.  The designer himself directed the video with a runway filled with motorcycle bustiers, latex catsuits and metalized bodysuits.

Punk gave way to grunge.  Marc Jacobs became a household name more for his firing from Perry Ellis before succeeding with his own label.  Thrift stores were plundered for Doc Martens and old plaid shirts when alternative bands like Nirvana dominated MTV.

Punk fashion took on Goth, mixing fetish elements and corsetry.  Lady Gaga’s quick pop icon status owed a lot to the unforgettable fashion statements she made in every public appearance.  Her longtime collaborator, Nicola Formichetti went on to be appointed as creative director to fashion house Thierry Mugler, a perfect fit.  With fresh meat dresses, cross dressing and body modification, Lady Gaga brought a whole new level to anarchy when it came to busting fashion taboos.  That is more punk in attitude than a bunch of safety pins will ever be. 

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Photos from billyidol.net, Herb Ritts, Mike Southon,

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Fashion at the Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Danny Boyle brought Britain's rock n' roll to the Olympics opening ceremonies.  Last night however, creative director Kim Gavin and production designer Es Devlin will be famous for bringing British fashion to the Olympics closing ceremonies.

The industry most memorably showcased in the closing was fashion.  Famed photographer Nick Knight had his photos of Britain's supermodels, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, Lily Cole among others blown up and driven around the stadium.  The photos lifted to reveal the actual models themselves who then strutted the spokes of the Union Jack on the world's biggest runway.  The models wore British designers Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Erdem, Vivienne Westwood, Victoria Beckham, Jonathan Saunders and Burberry.  

The Pet Shop Boys made an avant-garde entrance in bright orange prism-shaped carts dressed in dramatic Gareth Pugh.  Annie Lennox made a gorgeous Gothic style presentation in a corseted red gown.  She descended into a chorus of Goth-clad dancers in romantic ballgowns and frock coats.

Style I didn't care for as much?  Jessie J's barnacle-crusted nude bodysuit.  I"m sorry, did I miss something?  Was this an homage to oyster fishing in the British Isles?

I was excited to see the Spice Girls all looking so sexy and chic.  Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice) looked fantastic in a shapely red dress with a nod to her signature British flag mini with a bustle made with the Union Jack.

While I  enjoy seeing fashion designers being honored at non-fashion events, I don't know if I really needed to see so much screen time devoted to models clomping down the stadium.  With an arena full of the most extraordinary athletes around the world, I found it almost an insult to celebrate models who are much more famous and better paid for merely walking.  I would have loved to see some of the Olympic athletes be the ones wearing British fashion designers.  Showing the artistry in the fashion with all of their muscle and showing the clothes in motion would have been truly impressive.  Imagine, a gymnast tumbling across the stadium in a flurry of satin,  a runner racing through while sparking in a beaded body suit?  

Is that too much to ask?

PHotos from Phil Noble, Just Jared, Getty, Reuters

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Vivienne Westwood 1980's - Exhibit at FIT

She claims she never intended to go into fashion…What a thought.  One of the most original characters of the punk 70’s, flamboyant 80’s and the decadent 90’s got involved in clothing design to “help out her boyfriend”. 

Of course, the designer is Vivienne Westwood, and that boyfriend was Malcolm Maclaren, manager of the Sex Pistols.  The Museum at FIT is launching a small exhibit next Tuesday showcasing her iconic looks from the decade of the 1980’s.  That’s when dressing like a Pirate was considered chic and English tweed could actually be made edgy.

Exhibit runs from March 8, 2011 – April 2, 2011.

Museum at FIT

Photo via WWD archives

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Vivienne Westwood Baby Shoes

It simply isn't fair.  In bad weather, I have already coveted these ladybug boots that are only available in children's sizes.  Then came these stylin' Mary Jane socks that are not sold in adult sizes either.  

Now Vivienne Westwood adds insult to injury with this collection of "Mini Melissa" shoes.  They have graphic over-sized hearts or bows in triplicate.  They are the younger version of the "Melissa" line.  The back strapped heels are cushioned for comfort.  I can't even use my nephew as an excuse to buy them.  

With shoes like these, there is absolutely no excuse for those toddler-torture heels that Mrs. Tom Cruise favors for daughter Suri.  On the other hand, maybe I just have disproportionately immature taste in footwear.  

How will your toes ring in the new year?

Photo from Childmode.com

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