****Falling In Love With Rebelling****

With the new season of Project Runway in full swing and fall soon to come, I cant help but remember my favorite Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva. I mean what girl wouldn't like form-fitting and laser-cut leather, crafted luxurious wool dresses and pants all in moody colors giving its wearer an air of mystery and intense seducing powers from the dark forces that be?!?!?!? Her final collection was absolutely amazing and had me dreaming that I either won the lottery and was able to commission her to recreate her collection just for me or that she collaborated with a retailer that would put her pieces within my price range. As far as I know she never worked with any mass retailer....if this is not the case please let me know so I can scour the web for leftovers....and well I definitely didn't win any jackpot.

Although I never came across a collection from Irina since her big win I didn't like, this season her aesthetic seems even more important to me. In looking at the fall runway shows I was left gasping for air.....and my 4in high heels. From Prada to Louis Vuitton to L'ren Scott, the 50's were ever apparent in their collections. Full skirts, below knee hem lengths, kitten heels, lady-like bags and cardigans.....the conservative nature just didn't sit well with me. Maybe I refuse to accept our current sobering economic situation and still yearn for some of the excess that led us to this point or maybe its the fact that kitten heels and longer skirts are not flattering on me, either way this nudge to a more proper time has me rebelling.

Its not that I don't understand the trend in one way or another and there are countless explanations for it. One reason to explain the shift was a movement toward a more generally flattering look. I mean, the American fashion population in general isn't really made up of Chanel Imans or Heidi Klums and what works for them cant doesn't always work for the customer. With frivolous spending put to a stop, designers had to create a real reason for women to defrost the AMEX card and what better way than to present to them a collection of instantly wearable and flattering pieces. I mean Doutzen Kroes made headlines as the curvy model showcasing the new fall looks and many women were able to relate. Another reason could be looked at as a parallel to what occurred when Dior introduced his New Look that sent title waves through fashion during that period. Similar times....similar fashions. And yet another reason could be our cultures extreme fascination with Mad Men. Everyone is talking about it and its not like it would be the first time we've seen the big or little screen make their way into our closets.

Regardless of the reasons I am thankful for labels such as Balmain, Haider Ackermann, Victor & Rolf, Lanvin and of course Irina Shabayeva. It is with their complex...simple yet extravagant on so many levels...and fresh collections that I was able to breath again as I looked forward to fall. I mean isn't it the best dressed season? Nothing against the other designers taking direct influence from a retro time....I mean all current fashion stems from something re-interpreted.....but for my life right now it just doesn't seem relevant. Right now, with everything else in the world I want to be able to teeter around in excessively high heels anchoring a look of leather and fur. The only thing sobering about my look will be the color since you cant go wrong with grays, blacks and tans. I'm rebelling against the shift and loving every minute of it.

Besides.....how can we shift into lady-like gear after Hole just finished up its summer tore and the Runaways just came out on DVD.....Its just not natural