With a month’s worth of fashion weeks just behind us (yes that’s right, New York, London, Milan and Paris), if you haven’t kept up daily it may seem a little overwhelming to separate the greats from the goods and the goods from the, well, not so goods. When judging fashion, as with any form of art, there comes a point when objective criticism must merge with a subjective opinion highly influenced by personal style. So although I viewed many great collections for the Spring 2010 season, I have narrowed my choices down to the five that speak most directly to my vision of cutting edge fashion. Enjoy, and remember, just because we can’t afford the clothes doesn’t mean we can’t admire and be inspired. (all photos via Style.com)

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Max Azria

Max Azria SS10 is complexity-masked-as-simplicity at it’s best. Cuts and folds in just the right places create looks that seem effortlessly chic yet not boring, masculine yet feminine, and soft yet structured all in one. This collection also exemplifies spring’s off-pastel color trend.

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Gareth Pugh

Although the brilliance of Gareth Pugh’s SS10 collection cannot be denied, I found I was almost more excited by the progress of Mr. Pugh himself than the individual pieces. Since his first solo show in Fall 2006, Pugh has been the golden child of structured, avant-garde fashion. For SS10 Pugh played off these elements, adding a softness and romance many, including Pugh himself, may not have been aware he was capable of. I look forward to the future.

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Stella McCartney

Flirty, feminine and fun. Stella McCartney SS10 encompasses what it means to be a woman today. I have to admit, I’m not generally drawn to the work of Miss McCartney, however, the sheer perfection of each look and its place in the collection as whole cannot be overlooked. And with many designers embracing a more subdued color palette, the precise jewel tones make this an even more standout season for Stella McCartney.

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Albino

I of course have to include my favorite new (to me) designer. In only his second season, Albino D’Amato has given us so much of what is right for now. 20’s – yes. Safari – yes. Enormous sheer pants cinched at the bottom that appear much more chic than they sound – yes, yes, yes. Although Albino’s tinge of…hmm, let’s just say weird may not be for everyone, I found myself truly inspired by the interesting shapes and combinations of Albino’s SS10 collection.

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Alexander McQueen

What can I say but WOW! Alexander McQueen’s SS10 collection is like a fantasy carriage ride through the earthy, rolling hills and icy caverns of distant, uncharted future lands. McQueen did not give us now, but the future now we can imagine and may fear. “McQueen, according to an internal logic detailed in a press release, was casting an apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world: Humankind is made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, and we may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves” (Style.com). And those shoes…wow.

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Continue reading for 30 more snapshots of my favorites looks from other designers.

Balmain, Balmain, Bruno Pieters
Bruno Pieters, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein
Celine, Chloe, Elie Saab
Elie Saab, Fendi, Fendi
Fendi, Giambattista Valli, Givenchy
Givenchy, Givenchy, Givenchy
Kris Van Assche, Marni, Miu Miu
Oscar de la Renta, Peter Som, Prada
Rick Owens, Sonia Rykiel, Tim Hamilton
Valentino, Valentino, Vanessa Bruno

posted by: Tricia Rock

A look styled by Tricia Rock for the “Drunken Sailor’s Tailor” Fashion Show
Photo via Lawrence.com

In conjunction with Wild Man Vintage of Lawrence, KS The Rathaus is organizing a charity fashion event at The Replay Lounge on October 3rd. We are in the initial stages of planning the event and are still looking for talented designers from the Lawrence, Kansas City and surrounding areas to participate. All you need to do to be considered is email our resident fashionista Tricia Rock at tricia@therathaus.com, with a link to your website or pictures of your work with a super short biography and she will tell you all the specifics needed to participate. Each designer will be responsible for five to eight designs and finding the models to wear said looks. All other general questions, concerns or suggestions can also be directed to tricia@therathaus.com as well. We will keep you updated with news about the event as it comes. Make sure to pass this notice around to anyone you might think may be interested.

To see photos from “Drunken Sailor’s Tailor,” the Spring fashion show put on by Wild Man Vintage earlier this year click here

The password to view the photos is: jakes

posted by: Brent Carter

It’s no wonder Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall produced beautiful children, however, beauty does not always equal style. Seventeen-year-old Georgia May Jagger, the pair’s youngest daughter, may have garnered some attention with her unique beauty and famous folks but has only come to the forefront of fashion through wise-beyond-her-years style. Georgia May, who recently signed with a top modeling agency, creates looks that are simple and chic yet always with a slight twirk or edge that sets her apart from your everyday fashionista. With a Hudson Jeans campaign, a feature in Vogue Paris, and a Women’s Wear Daily profile to kick off her career, I think we will be seeing much more of Georgia May Jagger.

Georgia May Jagger in the August 09 issue of Vogue Paris

Georgia May Jagger for Hudson Jeans

posted by: Tricia Rock

images from Matthew Ames’ Spring 2009 lookbook

Fashion designer Matthew Ames makes the complicated look so simple. Although his draped creations seem to have simply fallen into the perfect place, creating an elegant and classic yet avant-garde silhouette, as any designer knows making it look easy is the hardest part.

For his Fall 2009 collection Ames merges quintessentially American colors and fabrics (red, camel, denim, ultra suede) with shapes that belong less to one time or place and more to the girl with a wandering spirit. As for inspiration, Ames explains to Interview Magazine channeling “an ‘untroubled mind,’ or being inspired by nothing…clearness of vision.” This can be seen in Ames’ draping and construction of each piece, held together  as seamlessly as possible. “I wanted to eliminate the unnecessary and focus on the essential,” Ames tells Style.com. With the trends in fashion, especially with young and emerging designers, leaning more toward a body con look it’s refreshing to see this new and modern interpretation of femininity. 

Designer Bio:
Matthew Ames was born in Washington, DC in 1979 and grew up in Illinois and Michigan. He gained a BFA from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. After working at the atelier of Jurgi Persoons in Antwerp, Belgium, Ames relocated to New York where he began working as a design assistant to Miguel Adrover. In 2004, he was selected as a finalist for the Festival de la Mode a Hyeres in France. Ames showed his first women’s wear collection in 2005 and opened a studio in Brooklyn, New York. His collection is carried at Forty Five Ten in Dallas, Savannah in Los Angeles, Capitol in Charlotte, Helen Yi in Chicago and Takashimaya in New York among others. In 2009, Ames received the 8th annual Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award in women’s wear design. Ames lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

below images from Matthew Ames’ Fall 2009 runway show

posted by: Tricia Rock

For his Fall 2009 collection, Gareth Pugh opted out of the traditional runway show and instead chose to present his new looks in video form. Whether due to the economic climate or simply an artistic choice, we get to see exactly what every high paying editor and fashionista in the front row witnessed. And with an innovative designer like Pugh, this video format helps to emphasize the movement of the clothes which is often lost on the runway.

posted by: Tricia Rock