The Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 Ready to Wear show in Pairs will be one that goes down in fashion history.  This is the show that features Alexander McQueen’s final work – and it is an extraordinary collection. 

McQueen was fashion’s bad boy.  He is the one you loved to hate.  Some of his collections seemed completely erratic – offensive even.  His ankle twisting heels and rib crushing corsets crossed the thin line of artistic expression and veered into actual danger.  However, how many designers can say both the regal, conservative Michelle Obama and the known-for-her-wacky-outfits Lady Gaga wore their designs.  As far as I know, only McQueen. 

What do his collections say about him?  Some of the collections were so beautiful they were like fine art.  Some of his collections were so offensive you felt rage.  All of his collections, however, inspired emotion and that alone makes the man a true artist.  I certainly don’t approve or even like many pieces from his body of work (Armadillo shoes…really?  No!) but there is no denying the man had talent.  I often wonder if the beautiful collections came from a place of peace and happiness while the torrid and manic ones came for a place of despair.  Clearly, this is a man that harbored both sets of emotions – the calm and the storm – and they must have fought constantly for his soul.  I believe he expressed this constant swing between sanity and depression through his craft, but ultimately, the storm won.

Or did it?

Style is highly personal.  Some people like to follow the trends, others prefer a vintage vibe.  Some ladies make amazing finds in thrift stores; others are on a first name basis with the staff at Holt Renfrew.  As long as you are in clean, well-made clothing free of rips, tears, and sagging hems (unless it is intentional, like distressed denim), it is hard to go wrong.  There are, however, a few things every woman should avoid no matter what her style is. 

First on this list is the improper application of lip stain.  Lip stain is a very sexy way to add color to your face.  However, applying it like lip gloss or lipstick is a recipe for disaster.  Lip stain is just that – a stain.  It is a fluid that behaves very much like a paint stain.  Never apply lip stain over cracked, dry lips.  The stain will go into the cracks and be a darker color than the smooth part of your lips.  If you are partial to wearing stains, make sure you apply a good lip moisturizer nightly to keep your lips subtle and soft.  Also, buff your lips very gently once a week with warm water and a soft cloth.  Once you’ve got your lips primed and ready to be darkened, use an applicator to gently apply a thin coat of stain.  Then let it dry.  If it is not dark enough to suit your tastes, apply a second coat once the first layer has dried. Avoid getting stain on your fingers or the skin around your lips as it will…well…stain.  The darker the color, the harder it is to apply it evenly.  If you are new to using stain, do a few practice runs before taking your look public.  Prom night or first date is not the time to attempt a sexy vamp red stain.  Like wearing fake lashes, staining takes practice to get it right.

There are few things on earth as spectacular as a couture show.  Well, I suppose you could count the Grand Canyon, The Eiffel Tower, or the view from Niagara Falls; but when it comes to fashion – couture is where the breathtaking moments are.

The beauty of couture is that is has no rules.  It does not have to be pretty, affordable, or functional.  Couture is wholly dependent on the whim of the designer and there are designers with some very avant-garde ideas. 

Take Christian Dior, for example.  His over-the-top floral theme was nothing short of amazing.  His models featured cinched waists with volumes of fabric over the hips. The outfits gave an obvious nod to flora to the point where some of them were simply constructed of fabric flowers.  The ladies strutted the catwalk that featured a massive, oversized floral display.  Before this backdrop, Dior’s models masquerading as flowers fit right in.  The effect was akin to an animated flower garden. The real showstoppers, however, were Dior’s massive floor-sweeping gowns.  Like the garments that preceded them, these also were cinched at the waist.  From there the fabric was fashioned into a massive circle skirt like a hoop skirt on steroids. 

One is so taken with this heady floral display that it is easy to forget the hair and makeup, which can be summed up in one word: dramatic.  Coifs towered precariously resembling the stamen of the flower but despite having vertical hair with an adorable top curl, not a single strand was out of place.  It was shaped, sculpted, and molded to perfection.  The eyes were adorned with fake lashes on the outer edges and surrounded by a vivid, angular block of color.  This overt eye shadow coordinated or complimented the outfits.  The lips were a gorgeous deep wine color and a flat matte. 

Prada is a popular brand among celebrities and socialites; the status of the fashion house was helped along nicely by the Hollywood hit The Devil Wears Prada. Vouge reports that Prada has negotiated a loan designed to refinance existing debt and aid in the expansion of their brand.  In addition to managing the pre-existing debt, the new funds will go towards 30 new stores and a presence in the Asian markets.  It is very exciting to see this fashion house expanding moving upwards. 

In homage to this bold financial move, let’s take a look at what was presented from Prada’s Autumn/Winter 2010 - 2011 show in Milan. 

Black and tan were the dominant colors of the collection with a shot of blue worked into some of the pieces to liven things up.  Prada appears to have drawn inspiration from the word “lady” for this collection.  All the pieces are dresses or skirts sets and all the silhouettes are graceful, flattering, and celebratory of female form.  The fabrics were heavier than what is commonly seen on the runway and perhaps it was a trick of the light combined with the denser materials, but the models looked heavier too.  By no means did they look overweight.  Far from it!  They looked shapely, trim, toned and healthy.  The curvy figures went very well with the knee and below knee length outfits.  In fact, the curves were visible through the heavier fabrics; the girls were not lost or swallowed up in the layers of clothing.

When it comes to handbags, Coach has been the go-to brand for dependable, serviceable and well-made leather bags.  These days, however, Coach is shaking things up.  Poppy, the line aimed at the younger generation, carries all of the class and craftsmanship of the former collections, but features fabrics, eye-popping colors, more relaxed shapes and cool touches like graffiti and metallic. 

Poppy is a wild departure from the serious styles of Syndey, the prim and proper Julia, the no-nonsense Brooke, the ladies-who-lunch Kirstin, the urban Madison, and the industrial Alexandra.  While these former collections were unique in their own right, they had the common denominator of simple styling and basic colors.  In 2009, Poppy burst onto the scene and any handbag lover that snubbed Coach as being the handbag of choice for their grandmothers sat up and took very interested notice.

Poppy, like its namesake, pops. It is young, vibrant, colorful and unapologetically attention grabbing.  In the past, your outfit went with your Coach bag, which was content to simply stand in as a serviceable accessory.  With Poppy, you match your outfit to co-ordinate (and not upstage) your handbag. 

Is this a good thing?  Has Coach damaged its brand and abandoned its signature style?