The best of Pre-Fall 2012

You've seen the looks, and noticed the trend. To me, there's this huge transition from clean cut everything, power dressing, to a lot of volume, Balenciaga-esque structured coats and outerwear. I'm not really a fan of that, honestly. I mean, I tend to lean towards the more body-conscious kind of dressing, accentuate the the feminine curves, waist, and not the other way around. Anyway, these are the looks I pick, and I don't quite feature the overly-oversized structured coats, but more to the ones I'd choose to wear. I'll break them down to my top five most favorite collection. So here they are.

1. Lanvin







Perhaps I'm one of those self-professed Lanvin lunatics out there. So hopelessly in love with the fashion house, and apparently it's Alber Elbaz' first decade at Lanvin. He puts together a book to pay tribute to all the people who make a collection happen. Read Suzy Menkes' review here.

“Day after day, season after season, I face a blank page and I have to fill it with a dream. That’s my work. And we have a team like an orchestra, that makes it happen.” - Alber Elbaz.

2. Chloé







In their words:

“For pre fall, I took inspiration from a collection of images taken by the photographer Gary Winogrand who captured beautiful candid shots in the late sixties early seventies of women on the streets of Manhattan. The mix of the two different eras of fashion worn by women at that time was really interesting. This inspired me to create a collection that has a clash of sixties graphic modernity with the urban ease of the seventies. Boyish mini and maxi proportions worn in an effortless way with a fluid feminine spirit.” – Clare Waight Keller.

3. Jason Wu







I didn't know Jason Wu's "regal" Pre-Fall 2012 collection is inspired by Indian maharajas and the colorful illustrations of Charley Harper. But anyway it looks so luxurious with all the black embellishment all over, especially the first look. It's I think the best women's chiffon dress shirt ever made.

4. Céline







I have to agree, their clothes are getting boring. Again, the leather tops in black. We all know that what we're waiting obnoxiously are the new colors of the bags. Pssst, after the Trapeze, I'm currently eyeing the Luggage Phantom.

5. Alexander Wang







Alexander Wang is being himself. Still one of those favorites. And those shoes! Major.

Images from Vogue and Style.