Margot Robbie IS Barbie™, and other stuff
This Week In Fashion
We have a few things to get through today, but all I want to talk about is Margot Robbie’s Barbie press tour looks, so I won’t waste your time. Or mine for that matter.
Paco Rabanne has rebranded as just “Rabanne” and I for one refuse to drop the Paco. What the fuck is Rabanne??? Listen, I understand a rebrand, especially with the founder’s passing, but it’s not like Julien Dossena is a new creative director. I think the font change of the logo would have been enough. Speaking of the font, it’s inspired by an old perfume by the brand, and since Rabanne is planning on launching a makeup brand, this was a smart choice. We’ve seen a lot of brands change their logos, but at least this one has some kind of connection to the brand.
The Vampire’s Wife has allegedly not paid its taxes and has been issued with a liquidation petition. Oops.
Ralph & Russo might be no more, but Tamara Ralph is making a comeback, and showing her first collection on July 3 on the first day of Paris Fashion Week! Ralph & Russo was never for me, but I look forward to seeing the collection!
Jacky Moose showed in Versailles this past week, and if there’s one thing Simon Port Jacquemus knows how to do, it’s put on a show. The actual clothing on the other hand… we’ll get to that! This show is just the start of the brand’s relationship with the palace, according to Simon, and is another step in establishing Jacquemus as a luxury brand. The designer talked about how his brand is often associated with youth, which is probably why the palace wanted to have him— showing that it is an accessible place for younger people. He had guests view the show from boats, meant to give said younger people a date idea. As for why the show took place outside of the palace instead of inside, Simon said, “It’s important for me to not arrive at Versailles in bad taste. That’s why we’re also a bit far from the castle, and in the green. It’s also very Jacquemus to be in the landscape instead of in the gold.” Which was a smart choice. Now, about the clothing. Simon drew inspiration from Marie Antoinette and her love of ballet and the theater, as well as Prince Diana. Entitled ‘Le Chou Chou’ which translates to scrunchie in French, the collection feature a lot of puffed motifs, ranging from tutus, mini crinis (s/o Vivienne Westwood), and hip padding that made one think of panniers. It was a sweet collection in theory and fits in with the Jacquemus of it all. I enjoyed that it wasn’t too costume-y when it came to referencing, but at the same time, the references felt very surface level and started to feel muddled— it was all a bit superficial. The ballet shoes and cherry accessories were wonderful. We saw a utilitarian flair that isn’t new to Jacquemus, but is a trend we’ve been seeing a lot with menswear this season. I enjoyed the peekaboo boxer and how it was given that same creampuff effect as the womenswear pieces. Some of the little undies were sweet, and rounded sleeves, something that Simon said would continue to be a house code, were a Princess Diana reference. Speaking of Princes Di, her influence came in 80s silhouettes and jewelry, but not incorporating her athleisure felt like a missed opportunity, since it’s something Jacquemus does well. There was a lot of fit issues with the mini dresses and tailoring of suits was rough. Some menswear looks weren’t necessarily bad, but just didn’t make sense in the world of this collection. Two little cream puff dresses were sweet, but covering the undies in the read variety looked a lot cleaner. Two, white, embroidered styles were intriguing and should have been explore more, while jackets with a regular sleeve and cold shoulder puffed sleeve were bizarre. A polkadot dress felt like it’d been given a hot glue gun treatment and a disco ball dress was most definitely a choice! The finale featured three of the same looks in red, white, and blue— the colors of the French flag. Simon always sprinkles and essence of the South of France onto his collections, but here, it felt like it was missing.
Marc Jacobs went full 80s meets Blade Runner for Fall 2023, and presented a show that lasted all of about three minutes. Three. The models walked finale style twice, and that was that. Call it what you want, but it was cheeky and made me giggle. Regardless, the 80s are not a new reference point for Marc, but I don’t think it’s ever been quite this disheveled. Now, I understand how this collection could come off as polarizing, but Marc is nothing if not intentional, and he’s never one to follow the status quo. It’s ill-fitted and a little bit off on purpose, but it’s still quite chic and feminine. I can’t help but think that this woman is someone I’d truly see walking the streets of NYC in the 80s. No matter how all over the place, the draping was stunning, shoulders were sharp, and tailoring was scrumptious. I also felt the continuation of last season with what felt like references to Vivienne Westwood. The 80s were the last analog era, yet the show notes were written by Chat GPT, and everything seemed rushed. We want more and we want it quick, but at what cost?
Vetements Spring 2024 was like… really fucking good. Inspired by AI, Guram Gvasalia wanted to create a collection that looked like an AI generated image, yet he also said, “At it’s cote, the collection is actually anti-AI, as quality can only be done by human hands.” The obvious Maison Margiela SS1997 reference was nice to see and was done very well. The large ballgowns also felt very Balenciaga, and the sequin moments were truly stunning (and were done with the help of Elie Saab!) Everything was oversized to the point of being silly, but that was the point. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection and would love to see people sporting it, bodysuit and all. Kim Kardashian has an opportunity to do something very interesting for once.
I love Riccardo Tisci so much, but Daniel Lee is taking Burberry in a much better direction. This is the second collection we’re seeing from Daniel as creative director of the brand, and he’s continuing to bring in new styles, while also continuing ideas we saw in the first Fall 2023 collection. Since Riccardo was at the brand, Burberry has had this push and momentum to move forward as a peak luxury brand, regardless of how capacious their bags are, and while Daniel is continuing that, he’s also keeping things youthful and playful in order to appeal to a younger audience. He’s still straying from that classic Burberry check by giving us a, very intriguing, warped variety, and playing with fun punchy colors. Daniel is also playing with old house codes in a really fun and smart way; bags featured the medieval horse head from the logo as carabiners. He’s also known for his accessories, so the fun shoes and bags are of no shock. Although, one bag in the shape of an elephant ear(?) is definitely a shape! I do have to say that some of the footwear reads very Bottega, which is understandable, but some things are just better left alone. Some of the silk scarf pieces also show that Daniel has not forgotten his time at Celine under Phoebe Philo. But speaking of Bottega, Daniel was responsible for the iconic Bottega green and now he’s given us Burberry blue, inspired by the logo. Trench coats were shown, but felt sleeker and younger. I enjoyed the way scarves were tied, and how that same fringe was seen on the hems of dresses and pants. I’m still not sold on the graphic tees, as they continue to make me question who the customer is, but the duck motif, on the other hand, continues that English countryside feel in a sweet way. Argyles were seen in the traditional sense, but also created through a floral motif, which was lovely, but they could have done without the ribbed knit. A lighter, peachy color palette was really precious, and a painted floral motif was nice. Overall, this collection won me over a bit more than the first, and I’m more excited to see the direction that Burberry goes in as Daniel continues his time as creative director.
- Kim Kardashian for Vogue Italia; You see Kim?! It’s possible to wear things that still make sense for your brand without them all looking the same no matter what you’re wearing. Although, we couldn’t forgo the Dolce jump scare, could we? The Givenchy dress was the short, and the netted Versace and GCDS dresses are a style she should explore more. I enjoyed the Miu Miu skirt, but pairing it with the Jacquemus top and sleeves was strange. Regardless Ib Kamara and Raphael Pavaratti are such a scrumptious duo. Styled by Ib Kamara.
- Required reading!!!: “The fashion industry's unrealistic standards for traditional Black designers”
- These leather pants make a lot more sense than those green ones, and I love how the silver ties into the rocket ship on his t-shirt.
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Now this was a look. The top is reminiscent of a jumpsuit he wore during Coachella, and it’s really beautiful. The purple leather pants are a stunning color and compliment the top very well. I know he also had on a feathery coat this night, but I didn’t see a TikTok of that.
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- FINALLY. What we’re all here for! Margot just IS Barbie, you know? Her stylist Andrew Mukamal really said, “I want to make history, and that’s what this is.” We started soft with this sweet two piece set. It’s simple, but everything matches perfectly, and it set us up for a very promising start.
Then we got this custom Valentino inspired by a 2015 Barbie. It fits perfectly and I love the way the halter wraps around to create this cutout on the sternum. The accessories being yellow to match the actual Barbie, is sweet and also done very well without being too on-the-nose.
I know y’all get scared when Margot wears Chanel, but Andrew got her back with this SS1996 look. I mean come ON! The luggage? I don’t even give a shit that it’s probably empty, I believe the fantasy.
This custom Herve Leger dress referencing the original Barbie is SO smart. The brand is known for their bandage dress, so having them make a dress that is referencing a striped bathing suit is brilliant. Also, her accessory game has been incredible.
We got two looks from Versace FW1994 and they’re both perfect. Literally, what do you want me to SAY?! That oroton chainmail mini is scrumptious and fits so well. I’m not usually a fan of a clear plastic shoe, but Barbie, plastic, makes sense here.
Using a look from Moschino SS2019 was fun, and I think this strawberry dress is sweet, but I do wish we’d gone all out with the accessories. There were also a couple of pink numbers in this collection that I would have loved to see.
She wore Miu Miu to watch Oppenheimer, which like, lol. Cute set though, and I like that it’s been cropped for her.
The use of Chanel here is so good. It’s that classic tweed, made youthful with the crop and mini. It’s also screaming Clueless.
Barbie is Barbie no matter what she’s wearing, and I love the commitment, even down to the Gucci travel sweats.
Moschino SS2022 was a polarizing collection, but it was one of my favorites. Was there more fun that could have been had with those looks? Sure, but this is still a really well fitted set.
We ended the week with a bang, by serving ‘Day to Night’ Barbie in custom Versace. BRILLIANT. What a smart brand to choose for these looks, too. The oroton chainmail provides the perfect sparkle, and the suiting feels very much in Versace’s wheelhouse. Also the Judith Leiber phone purse, PLEASE.
- Phoebe really did it with this one. While I would have loved a tits out moment, I understand that that’s not everyone’s journey, and I think the slip underneath was matched quite well. The shoulder of that cape is so sharp, and she looks stunning.
- John Boyega has been DRESSING! Here he is in Wales Bonner and I’m giggling.
He also wore LaQuan Smith, and in theory this is good, but the fit of those pants is atrocious.
- Vanessa Kirby should really step out of her comfort zone more often, because this Balmain moment is INSANE. I mean, it’s tailored to the millimeter— she’s floating. This red snakeskin is also such a fun choice for the premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.
- Pom Klementief wore Marine Serre to the same premiere, and I have to stan. This motomami moment, not only makes sense for the premiere, but it’s just so well done. I love how her and Vanessa both have snake skin on their dress. I’m sure they didn’t plann that, but it’d be cute if they did.
- Sabrina Elba is style by @TheKimbino now, which like, wow, what a blessing. Anyway, I feel that I often see Saint Laurent collections and salivate at how good they are, only to have nobody manage to embody those looks the way they deserve to be embodied. Well, Sabrina’s doing it, and she’s doing it well.
So that was this week! I suddenly only want to dress like a Barbie.
TTYL!!!
xx