CAMPAIGN WATCH - FALL 2012

It's go time!  In September, it's not just Political Super PACs  that are spending millions of dollars to get your vote.  Let's take a look at the other campaigns vying for your attention... you know - the FASHION campaigns!   Regardless of your politics, fashion designers from New York to Paris want to make sure you remember their name the next time you go shopping.   As in Politics, the fashion world has different schools of thought - Conservatives, Classics, Modernists, etc.   Let's take a look:

The Modernists 

The most prolific fashion designer to come out of London in a generation has the most modern campaign for Fall in the truest sense of the word.   Stella McCartney has so many facets to her fashion empireSTELLA McCARTNEY FALL 2012- SEXY, MODERN, & COOL these days that it's a pleasure to see her ads sparkle with such a clean, crisp campaign this Winter.   Beautiful and inspiring McCartney is able to make you smile, and make you pretty.  Also in the brand DNA is the sense of social responsibility with green materials, no use of leather, and her strong support of PETA.

Captain Karl at Chanel had the future on his mind, or at least on the runway.   While it wasn't a clean cut Jetsons image of tomorrow, the post-apocalyptic / Blade Runner vision was a look Karl hasn't visited since her put planets on the runway for his last collection for Chloe in 1996. CHANEL FALL 2012 - OUT OF THIS WORLD... AT LEAST. The ads look more like Tank Girl than Mad-Max to me, but fans will find the items that speak to them!   Check a planet near you for the latest Chanel fashion.

The Classics

New York fashion clients have always appreciated classic looks with European styling.  Oscar de la Renta has built his career on perfecting appropriate looks for the discriminating ladies who lunch.   Sarah Jessica Parker helped revive the company image for the new millennium viaOSCAR de la RENTA - FALL 2012 the sleeveless party dress Oscar does so well.   Parker made it the choice of fictional "it" girl Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & The City.   Fashionista's around the world took note.   Three years ago the company made it's most strategic move by hiring away John Galliano's right hand from the Couture atelier of Christian Dior. (Reported here in September of 2009- Oscar adds Couture?).  Galliano's public meltdown and dethroning were yet to come at the time, and his erratic behavior was unknown to the public.  At ODLR, the collection was taken to a new level.   Now, there is a level of sophistication not seen elsewhere in any American design house.  Unfortunately for his PR team, Oscar dresses more wives of Republican candidates than he does Oscar nominees.   Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, & Anne Romney have all worn Oscar.   Regardless of the ladies on the right, the Fall campaign is elegant, beautiful, and flattering!

One of the most iconic ready-to-wear collections in the world lives on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris.  Christian Dior was the man responsible for re-launching the fashion industry after World War II. MILA KUNIS FOR CHRISTIAN DIOR -FALL 2012 His return to old world glamour made women around the world dream again after so much pain, death, and destruction had filled their lives during the war.   In just 10 years, Dior created a legend.  His untimely death in 1957 helped to create the next generations most famous designer -Yves Saint Laurent.  Saint Laurent took the helm at Dior for a short time, and would go on to be the most iconic French designer of his generation through his own YSL Label.   British designer John Galliano took Dior Couture to a place that would be hard to ever match.   No fashion house has ever had three consecutive designers as talented and famous as Dior, Saint Laurent, & Galliano.  Raf Simmons will debut his first RTW collection for Dior at the Spring 2013 show.   His premiere couture collection for the house will hit the runway for Spring 2013.  It was trumpeted by the industry, but Simmons had only a few weeks to create the collection - having just been hired.   The Fall RTW collection in stores now is the "ghost" collection designed by team member-Bill Gaytten.   (You almost need a score card to keep track of this one!)  Mila Kunis of Black Swan fame plays the starlet in Dior's Fall campaign.   It's retro, classic, and beautiful.   The campaign would be perfect if it didn't borrow a storyline directly from a past Chanel campaign.   The Dior boutiques even borrow the black silhouettes of paparazzi with a flashing bulb in the windows, as Karl did at Chanel during the Nicole Kidman #5 Campaign in 2007.   It is pretty.

The Romantics

The second big trend this season with modernity is romance.  What can we say, we love it.   Lady Gaga earned her fame by pointing out that even a bad romance, hurts so good.  What better designers to honor Romantic designs and Baroque detailing - the Italians! SALVATORE FERRAGAMO - FALL 2012 - STARRING KATE MOSS First stop is Florence and the house of Salvatore Ferragamo.  The Tuscan Soul of this, "about to be" 85 year old house of luxury fashion, has never been more vibrant.   Massimiliano Giornetti's tenure as creative director of Ferragamo has been cemented by his ability to energize the base of the brand, while also regaining the attention and respect of fashion editors and celebrities.   Red carpet royalty such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and Recording Royalty such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, & Madonna all agree.  For Fall 2012, Giornetti looked to the folklore of Russian heritage: Embroidery, Faberge Eggs, & Astrakhan fur.  Next Giornetti posed Kate Moss in photos so rich in color and texture - it almost hurts to look at them.  Kate Moss for Ferragamo is stunning, and shoppers are flocking the boutiques for the arrival of the Fall collection now!

VALENTINO FALL 2012Over in Rome, the storied House of Valentino is giving us full on drama for Fall 2012. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli created a Baroque fantasy with embellished gowns and studded accessories to keep her stylish and well adorned. The accessories at Valentino have a harder edge this season than in recent years.  Rows of metal studs give leather bags and shoes an attitude that ruffles and flowers just can't convey!

The Question Marks  ?????

Despite the glamour and decadence of the designer fashion collections and the countless hours of attention every detail demands in a multi-million dollar ad campaign - there are always a few that leave you scratching your head.   Fall 2012 is no exception.   Here are three worth scratching.

PRADA FALL 2012 PRADA - I must admit, I rarely relate to Prada ads.   I never want to be anyone in the ads - and I never want to have sex with anyone in the ads.  Without either of these instincts - a fashion ad has failed.   I don't think Miucca likes fashion.   I'm not even convinced she likes Women.   If she liked either, the collection would be prettier.

Louis Vuitton -  Creative Director Marc Jacobs seems to have turned a corner with Fall 2012.   It looks like he has finally stopped the tradition of borrowing LOUIS VUITTON FALL 2012ideas from the previous Chanel season.  Unfortunately, it seems he has started borrowing ideas from the previous seasons of the Prada & Marni Collections.    The mashed up cartoon version of both are featured in the Louis Vuitton Fall ads.   The theme is luxury travel, a popular choice for Fall.  Sadly, few Women would want to be going wherever these gals are headed.  It's as if they are following some mandatory modesty rules.  Designer fashion should celebrate Women's liberation, not remind them of the dark ages or the religious cults that still operate as if it still was.MARC JACOBS COLLECTION - FALL2012

Marc Jacobs - I've saved the best or worst for last.   While MJ has made his career on geek-chic and proving gorgeous models can celebrate "it's hip to be square", his Fall campaign takes the cake.  With a designer like Marc who has two runway shows to design, the formula is usually a similar concept for both - with his namesake collection showing a more concentrated version of what you saw at LV.   Truth be told, neither collection sells a major amount of RTW.  At Louis Vuitton, it's all about leather goods.  Actually, it's all about accessories - as most there are coated canvas pressed monogram materials with leather accents.   Jacob's Fall campaign looks like Tim Burton's view of what "H.R. Pufenstuf the Movie" would be like.   Think Lindsay Lohan the morning after, moments before deciding that rehab just might be a good idea.   Fashionable?  Glamorous?  

Overall, this is just the tip of the iceberg.   Get to your favorite fashion boutique sooner than later.  The stores are full of beautiful merchandise and you know the good stuff always goes first!  Happy Fall!!