Happy December! It's that time of year where not only do I share current holiday goodies but also highlight some that came before. I was digging through the Museum's archives and couldn't believe I hadn't posted about this beautiful palette Armani released for their 2007 holiday collection.
A smooth, sleek black case is adorned with a delicate flower pattern offset by black crystals. I found the design to be rather elegant and understated, similar to the lovely 2008 crystal palette. (Why they went the the more blingy, "look at me" route in 2009 I'll never know, but I still think that collection's gorgeous too because, well, I love sparkly anything for the holidays.)
The first tier contains 4 shadows for building a smoky eye.
The second tier consists of face powder imprinted with the same floral pattern as the case. *swoon*
I touched briefly on the fall 2007 couture collection in my coverage of Armani's fall 2007 palette, but I wanted to expand on it here since I suspect the Black Gem palette was based on the fall 2007 couture collection. Black crystals showed up everywhere.
However, I must include this photo from the fall 2007 ready-to-wear collection. I wasn't able to zoom in, but I swear the floral pattern is the same as the one on the Black Gem palette, and it looks especially similar because of the black-on-black detailing. So maybe they combined elements from the ready-to-wear and couture collections in one palette? I don't know.
I do know that the Black Gem palette is gorgeous and I wish Armani would return to these sorts of designs. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that the more recent runway palettes are literal representations of the pieces from the fashion shows, but I appreciate crystals and embossed powders even more. ;) I mean, when I compare, say, the fall 2016 palette to Black Gem, both are Museum-worthy but the latter definitely has a more eye-catching design.
What do you think? And do you remember the Black Gem palette at all?
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Initially I was pretty unimpressed with Chanel's holiday 2016 lineup, as early reports indicated that there wouldn't be any sort of show-stopping palette for the season. But I should have known Chanel had a very beautiful surprise up their sleeve! Behold, the exquisite Ombres Lamées palette.
Unlike some of their previous palettes, this one comes in a luxurious pebble-textured box with two separate brushes.
The design is inspired by the fall 2016 runway collection. We'll look at that in a second, but in the meantime, you must appreciate the palette in all its intricate golden glory.
I did my usual "let's find the pattern match from the fashion" but I discovered that the palette was indeed only "inspired" by the fall 2016 collection rather than being a literal recreation of some of the patterns. Still, the designs on the palette are faithful to the runway pieces in that they represent the gold thread woven into the clothing in a variety of ways, from the traditional Chanel tweeds to chunky knit sweaters and lamé skirts. There was even a bag in the shape of a spool loaded with gold strands to further emphasize the craftsmanship behind these pieces, which, when combined with the pared-down runway atmosphere, seem more couture than ready-to-wear.
Of course, this isn't the first time Chanel highlighted gold in a collection (see the pre-fall 2012 collection as well as the fall 2014 and spring 2016 couture collections, just to name a few examples), but once again Lagerfeld has given new life to this shiny staple. It's a bit more subtle than in seasons past, even though it made its way onto nearly every item. With the exception of a couple dresses, bags and boots, I felt like I had to look closely to see the glints of gold peeking out along hems, buried in a pair of gloves or crinkled in a skirt. Gold was a detail and yet it wasn't; it was incorporated into almost every piece but in a whisper more than a shout. I also think the fact that the gold weave was interspersed within a relatively neutral color palette of ivory, white, beige and black also makes it seem more understated.
My favorite piece from the runway, and I think the one that most resembles the palette, is this beautiful column dress.
As you can see, it's not an exact replica of the patterns, but the various colors and textures neatly stacked on top of each other is similar to the palette's design.
Overall, as you might have guessed, I'm pretty in love with this palette. It's easily the best one Chanel has come out with in about 2 years (this is the last one I was truly wowed by), and it was well-timed – who doesn't want some bling for the holidays? As for fabric-esque makeup, I don't think anyone does it better than Chanel. Dior, YSL, Armani, Burberry, et. al. have all come up with some wonderful runway-inspired palettes, but in terms of ones that actually look like fabric, Chanel has the market cornered. (See the Museum's Woven exhibition for more fabric-themed items – I'd love to re-do it and include Ombres Lamées!) Oh, and a word about purchasing this beauty: I was told by Chanel.com that the palette wouldn't be released in the U.S. so in my panicked state I ordered from Bonbon Cosmetics, but as usual Chanel's customer service was wrong – the palette will be available on the Chanel website starting November 28. I saw a notice at Refinery29 yesterday and received an email directly from Chanel this morning notifying me that it's coming, so we have confirmation it will be stateside shortly. The email also said, however, that it will be available in "limited quantities" so if you want it don't wait!
Do you plan on picking it up? Any other thoughts?
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As soon as I laid eyes on this collection a while back I knew I had to procure it for the Museum. For the 3rd iteration of their Laneige Meets Fashion project, this fall Laneige teamed up with fellow Korean brand Lucky Chouette (chouette = owl in French.) Lucky Chouette is actually a sister line to Jardin de Chouette, a higher-end line founded in 2005 by Jae-Hyun Kim. Since I'm feeling too lazy to describe the aesthetics of each, I'll direct you to this great profile of both over at Style Bubble.
And now for the makeup! How freakin' cute are these owls?!
I learned that they have names and personalities. Bella is the pink owl and Vely is the blue one. Laneige describes them thusly: "Chouette, which means 'owl' in French, is a symbol of good fortune. An encounter between Laneige and Lucky Chouette gave birth to a lovely pair of owls that promise to bring good luck to all.We have two muses: Confident, outgoing, and outspoken, Bella Chouette is especially charming with her full lips. Shy Vely Chouette is prudish and prone to blush."
Bella's eyes are actually part of a plastic overlay on top of the blush, but she's still pretty adorable without it.
I figured that obviously Lucky Chouette clothing would be chock full of owls, and my hunch was correct. While there are plenty of pieces without the owl motif, the bird does figure prominently and comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
In poking around the Lucky Chouette site, I learned that besides Bella and Vely, the owls from past seasons also have their own names and personalities. Too bad I don't know Korean, because I'd love to understand the creation story.
I would also be able to read about each owl's style and character traits based on these little bios that pop up when you click on one of the owls. I always like to see a designer that really thinks about their work. In the case of Jae-Hyun Kim, these profiles show that she genuinely thought about each creation and their style inspiration – it's not simply "I think owls are cool so I'll just slap a bunch on my clothes", there's actually a story behind each one.
My favorite, obviously, was the punk-inspired Rebel Chouette…at least, her spiky crown looks to be pretty punk. She's particularly lucky too!
Now let's take a quick peek at the original Jardin de Chouette line, which, you guessed it, also works in several owl designs each season. The photos below are from shows spanning 2006 through 2014.
Overall, I enjoy the styles of both Jardin de Chouette and Lucky Chouette – I'd wear one of those owl sweaters from the latter in a heartbeat. Perhaps it's the extensive use of a beloved critter, or the fact that there's a higher-end line and a diffusion line, but this is reminding me quite a bit of Paul & Joe and Paul & Joe Sister. Of course, the silhouettes and general aesthetic/feel are different, but both Jae-Hyun Kim and Sophie Mechaly express their allegiance to their favorite animals by working them into their collections in new and exciting ways each season. I also think Lucky Chouette was a great choice for a collaboration with a makeup line.
What do you think? And are you more of a Bella or Vely? I'm more of the shy Vely type, although I like to think I have Bella's lashes. 🙂
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The past two runway-basedpalettes from Armani did nothing for me, but their fall 2016 one called my name. It's especially odd given that I'm generally not a fan of floral prints, and I'd never wear any of what came down the Armani runway this season. I also think the print itself reads very spring rather than fall, given the delicate, watercolor-esque pastel hues. However, this palette seemed to be a little more tied into the clothing than in the past 2 seasons. The other unusual aspect is that the pattern seems to differ on each palette. Let's take a closer look.
As with previous runway palettes, it comes with a luxurious tulle pouch, and the outer case is decked out in fabric too. While gorgeous, I don't think it would hold up well in one's makeup bag.
The top tier is a highlighting powder.
Underneath are the eye shadows.
The pattern came straight from the floral print on the runway pieces.
The pattern on my palette can be seen on the left lapel and right sleeve of this jacket.
And I noticed the palette that Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog reviewed also has a different pattern. I wonder if there are just 3 versions or if every single one has a unique swath of fabric. In any case, these variations are what compelled me to buy it. Not only was the print the same on each palette from the last two seasons, I couldn't really even match it exactly to the prints from the runway. They looked like watered down interpretations of the designs, not actual reproductions. Fortunately (and unfortunately for my wallet, as this was a pricey one) Armani's fall 2016 offering was way more interesting from a collectible standpoint. 🙂
What do you think? Have you seen these palettes in person or do you plan on purchasing? I'm so curious to know if they're all different!
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We're having more fashion fun today! In addition to the Looney Tunes lineup, Paul & Joe released a regular fall collection. This year's theme was "a stroll in the park". Can't say I really see it but the collection does offer a nice array of the usual pretty patterns.
Once I saw the bird on the tube of the lipstick refills I had to get a couple, which I normally don't do!
Just when you thought Paul & Joe couldn't possibly put cats into any other form of makeup, they surprised us with these precious cat-shaped highlighter pieces.
Beautyhabit.com gave me the usual complimentary bag. At this rate I could probably do an entire exhibition just of Paul & Joe bags…not that I'm complaining, of course – I love collectible GWPs.
As with previous offerings, some of the prints appear to be newly designed just for the makeup, and some were borrowed from the latest season's fashion collection.
I don't have anything else to add except that Paul & Joe did another nice job with this collection. The holiday 2016 collection looks equally fun. 🙂
What do you think?
Burberry has been on quite a rapidly upward trajectory in terms of their runway palettes – each one seems to be more eye-catching than the last. So as soon as I got wind of their fall 2016 palette I knew I had to have it as I think it's the prettiest one they've done so far. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be an additional red and black palette, which many makeup junkies thought there would be based on this photo. I did a live chat with Burberry and called a store in Soho, and nobody I spoke with had any idea what I was talking about. Now that the collection has been out for a while, I'm guessing the red and black was just a weird overlay someone decided to stick on there. Why someone would put a different colored overlay onto such a lovely highlighter is beyond me (and somewhat cruel, leading us beauty addicts to think there would be another palette in different colors) but in any case, the gold is enough by itself.
Once again, the print was borrowed from their most recent collection. And once again, I was sent on a wild goose chase trying to figure out exactly which print it was. There were many floral patterns in Burberry's fall collection, but none seemed to be the exact one on the palette.
It wasn't from these…
Or these…
They were very close but not 100% identical. Then I found this trench coat and these 2 dresses.
So that's where you were hiding! Here's a detail to you can see it a little better.
In poking around the Burberry site I also found this nail set, which borrows a vintage wallpaper-inspired pattern.
And just for funsies, off I went to locate the print within the clothing. Some of the women's pieces had a wallpaper print but it wasn't the same.
As with the spring 2016 runway palette, the exact design on the nail set was taken from some of the men's items. I find it a little odd that there seemed to be different wallpaper prints for the men's and women's lines.
Again, I'm not sure why Burberry utilized a print that appeared only on the men's side for a nail polish set that's ostensibly being marketed to women, but I must say I enjoyed the hunt! I'm still debating whether to pick up the set for the Museum, since the pattern is pretty and works well as an outer case. As for the palette, well, it's easily my favorite of the runway palettes Burberry has released thus far. I really liked the spring 2016 lace edition, but I think this one is a tad more intricate, not to mention shinier – I love the foil-like gleam of the flowers.
What do you think? Do you plan on picking this one up?
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I have to admit that the packaging for this collection didn't immediately set off my curadar (curating radar), but given the frenzy over K-beauty over the past 2 or so years, coupled with the fact that Kye is an important up-and-coming fashion designer, I figured it would be a worthy addition to the Museum. And you know I can't resist Shu's limited-edition cleansing oils. 😉
Kathleen Kye was born in the U.S., raised in Seoul and attended London's Central Saint Martins. Her clothing line, which was launched in 2011, is notable not just for its edgy, high-fashion streetwear aesthetic, but also for its focus on unisex design.
The pattern on the Shu collection incorporates a seemingly random group of motifs along with Kye's signature. Uh-oh, I thought – is this just a bunch of stuff Kye slapped on there without any thought?
Nope! I was thrilled to see that the pattern wasn't just an arbitrary scattering of icons that the designer happened to throw on there. Shu featured this handy dandy little chart explaining the meaning behind most of them.
"I try to take some serious themes and issues to something light and beautiful." – See more at: https://www.vogue.it/en/talents/new-talents/2013/01/kathleen-kye#sthash.NOgX9LCN.dpuf
Kye tells Vogue, "I try to take some serious themes and issues to something light and beautiful." I'd also add fun and modern to that description. The symbols pay homage to Korea's history but also demonstrate a playful twist. I particularly love the representation of the country's national animal in gummy form. Kye also shows her understanding not just of Korea's heritage but also the present cultural climate for the country's bustling youth through the "24" and the alarm clock symbols.
Overall, while this isn't my favorite Shu collab, I think Kye is the perfect designer to team up with to celebrate Korea's youth culture and the influence it's having on the rest of the world. And I always appreciate when the artist puts some actual thought into what they're making for the cosmetic brand they're collaborating with rather than either blindly copying old designs or slapping on whatever is appealing to them at the moment.
What do you think?
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With this post I'm attempting to forget about MAC's previous misstep. Fortunately, their collaboration with quirky designer Chris Chang is doing the trick. After earning her degree at Parsons and an 8-year stint for Prada Taiwan, Chang launched her own line called Poesia. Reflecting the designer's "fascination with the symbols and icons of her childhood dreams," the line seeks to embody the idea that "clothes should be easy and wearable without burdening women with unnecessary discomfort in structure and silhouette." It seems fairly straightforward, but when you actually look at Chang's creations, there's a lot more going on than that description implies. So let's take a peek at some of the MAC collection.
Naturally I adore the bold shades chosen for both the packaging and the products themselves. In a press release for the collection, Chang notes, "Color is the integral fuel of my imagination and the spirit MAC and I share. This collaboration is a dream come true for the maximalists of the world." I would definitely agree that this is the polar opposite of minimal makeup!
The packaging features a silk screen print Chang designed specifically for MAC, containing a mishmash of motifs from her previous collections.
Unfortunately I couldn't place every detail, but here's an attempt anyway (plus it gives me an opportunity to present some of Chang's fashion). The vase on the left of the powder case may be inspired by those seen on some pieces from the spring 2016 collection.
The butterflies are borrowed from the spring 2015 collection.
The birds and goldfish appear on the wallpaper at Chang's website…
…but could also be nods to the spring 2015 and 2016 collections.
Overall I think the print on the powder most closely resembles one from the spring 2012 collection.
The images on the outer boxes reference Chang's original concept for the MAC collaboration, which was "Kunqu madness". She explains to Allure: "The theme is Kunqu Madness. Kunqu is one of the oldest performance arts from China that combines singing, poetry, acrobatics, and dance—and a lot of hand gestures. And Kunqu has a very specific, avant-garde look. The makeup and costumes are exaggerated, so when I was asked to collaborate it took me five minutes to decide that this is going to be around Kunqu. In the collection there are all of the colors you see in the costumes." For Chang, I'm guessing a big part of the appeal of modernizing Kunqu is the "maximal" nature of it. She tells Pop Sugar, "When I was going to [Parsons School of Design] in the '80s, people were always talking about minimalism: 'when you’re done with your design, take that one last thing away.' I felt so awkward in this whole teaching method. I thought, 'minimalism?… I’m definitely maxi.' There’s something about Kunqu that’s also very maximalistic and extreme — the makeup, the singing — and also, it’s very poetic."
Here are some photos of Kunqu performances – I think Chang's idea of "Kunqu madness" is perfectly executed.
As a follow up on Chang's views on color, she also told Allure, "[T]here's no color that you can't wear—it's only a matter of how you wear it and how you apply it. It's 2016, and a woman is about to become the president. All of those rules are so outdated, but that's actually a big part of the Asian mentality. Thinking things like 'I can't wear green' or 'I can't wear orange' because it's not becoming against sallow, Asian skin. I say throw that out the door. It's a different time now, you know?…These colors should be used as war paint. Even if it's something just on the lid, it should be worn as paint, really. And I think that's where the direction for makeup is going. It should be worn like abstract art." Indeed, at a special fashion show held in Shanghai just for the MAC collection, models had the collection's colors applied in a rather avant-garde style.
Chang herself also got in on the war paint action. She looks pretty fierce!
This aligns with the designer's outlook on makeup and fashion: "I've never dressed or designed thinking, Is this appealing to men? Would men find this sexy? That mentality opens a lot of doors for me, for both how I can dress and how makeup should be worn. It's so satisfying for women to enjoy fashion and makeup. Who cares about men?" She then elaborates, "Women are strong. We’re equal, if not even better. Makeup and clothes are definitely to please a woman and not to please a man. I hate that [phrase], 'man repellent', so we should dress for ourselves. Love and relationships are such a small part of what a woman can do."
Chang definitely has it all for me – an appreciation for cultural practices that are thousands of years old, the ability to honor those practices through giving them a thoroughly unique, futuristic take, and a love of crazy bold colors that are worn without giving a damn as to what people find flattering or attractive. I've never been afraid to wear color, especially on my eyes, but Chang's perspective makes me want to flaunt it in a less traditional fashion (like trying out blue or green lipstick instead of hot pink or grey, which is about as colorful as I get for lips). I have purchased some pretty out-there lip shades but have yet to find the courage to wear them.
What do you think? Did you pick up anything from this collection? And are you a "maximalist" when it comes to makeup shades?
Sooooooo glad I was able to snag this Dolce & Gabbana bronzer! As of right now it's sold out everywhere in the U.S. and going for double the retail price on ebay, which I find to be pretty obnoxious. (It's still available at Harrod's but shipping to the U.S. is steep.) In any case, the colorful design is borrowed from part of D & G's spring/summer 2016 fashion collection, which in turn is based on traditional Sicilian "carrettos" – handmade donkey carts.
I really can't stop staring at it. So many details!
A closeup of our little lady friend:
Here's the bronzer itself, in case you're curious about the shade. It's #30 (Sunshine).
A few of the carretto collection pieces made it onto the D & G runway.
What I loved is that D & G presented a great history of the carretto, so you can tell it was definitely a well thought-out collection. I don't want to rehash the whole thing, but basically these carts were in use at least as far back as the early 19th century, and typically utilized to transport everyday items like lumber, grains, lemons and wine barrels. The custom of painting these carts stemmed from several things: a practical solution to help protect the wood from damage, superstition (most carts were adorned with religious figures), and, if they were commercial carts, a way to advertise. Styles varied from town to town, but all shared bright, vibrant color and patterns.
Nowadays the carts aren't used for anything but tourist attractions, but I'm glad some artisans are still painting and keeping the tradition alive. (You can also check out this site for another brief history.)
As we look at some more cart photos, you can see the resemblance between them and D & G's adaptation. Some of the bags, for example, are high-fashion versions of traditional Sicilian coffa bags, which typically share their pompom decorations with the horses that pull the carts. The influence also spread to a pair of flat sandals.
Meanwhile, the carved figures on the wheel spokes and other areas served as inspiration for the heels. I just wish they had worked in a mermaid somehow!
D & G's decorative patterns overall look like the interiors and side panels of the carts. Check out these examples from the Museo Carretto Siciliano in Palermo (yes, there is an entire museum devoted to these carts – actually, there's also a second one!)
The knights refer to those in Sicilian puppet theater. Sicily apparently has a medieval/chivalry-themed folk tradition, according to this book, so the theaters and carts share the motif as they are both part of the same history.
As for the little lady in the center of the bronzer, I'm guessing she's some sort of a queen based on this photo of the Puppet Theatre. I spy a queen on the left with a crown and red dress, just like the one on the D & G pattern.
Incidentally, for the holidays D & G expanded the carretto line to Christmas ornaments, candles, stationery and more recently (and most astonishingly) a collection of 100 hand-painted Smeg refrigerators completed by 8 genuine Sicilian cart artists. That would add quite a pop to your kitchen!
Overall, I am seriously in love with this bronzer. I always enjoy learning, especially through makeup, about some cultural practice or artist that I wasn't aware of previously. Plus, so few couture houses' makeup have such a specific connection to their fashion – in the case of Chanel and Dior, it seems rather vague and uninspired as of late, and don't get me started on YSL – their Chinese New Year palettes were not a full comeback. D & G goes the extra mile to ensure that the makeup collection aligns with the clothes. (Although I do find it odd that they used the carretto as a springboard for the makeup line, but the model for the beauty collection's promos is wearing the lemon print, also from D & G's summer collection. Why not wear something from the carretto collection? Eh, I guess it's not important.) More than that, the original culture behind the fashion itself appears to be at least somewhat researched. This is what gets me excited – to see aspects of a particular culture that are celebrated and modernized, and that the designer takes care to explain the history behind their designs. It's a stark contrast to, ahem, other approaches.
So what do you think of this bronzer and D & G's take on carretto style?
Well, hello pretty powder! As soon as I saw the intricate pattern on Givenchy's Poudre Lumière Originelle I snapped it up and figured I'd research the pattern later.
The design allegedly comes from a lace pattern. I tried my hardest to find a match in Givenchy's fashion collections but came up short. It's similar to these, from the fall 2015 and fall 2016 collections, but not identical.
I dug through every single runway show at vogue.com to find it but still couldn't. The pattern on the palette looks most similar to this gown from their fall 2011 couture collection, particularly because of the dots along the edge of the solid bands and the triangular portions near the shoulders.
Sigh. While the powder is gorgeous, I wish Givenchy had used an easily recognizable pattern from one of their dresses. This technique worked beautifully for Chanel, and given the abundance of Givenchy's amazing lace work over the years it wouldn't have been too much of a stretch to pick out one piece to borrow for the palette. Also, Givenchy spectacularly rendered another one of their patterns in bronzer form, so it's not unfamiliar territory.
(images from vogue.com)
