Obviously III

1. Jeff Koons Large Vase of Flowers, 1991
2. Finale at Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2012 show
3. Raf Simons' heartbreaking good-bye, Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2012
4. Jeff Koons Sacred Heart, 1994

Flowers and hearts, from Jeff to Raf. Now that the Dior rumours are finally confirmed, we can move on. And discover further, visual tributes. A sign of new, strictly self-referential commercial heights?
/HORST

Rippchen & Kraut III

1. Cristóbal Balenciaga circa 1967
2. Marios Schwab Fall/Winter 2012
3. Valentino Fall/Winter 2012
4. Givenchy Fall/Winter 2012

My German heart feels pleased when memories of the dirndl appear. As abstract garment sculptures, laced leather versions, sexualized negligée dresses, hyper-embellished folklore costumes.
/HORST

Between Prostitutes

1. David Salle vs. Acne Fall/Winter 2012
2. David Salle vs. Lanvin Fall/Winter 2012
3. David Salle vs. A.F. Vandevorst Fall/Winter 2012

Since I moved to the red light district, the artworks of David Salle felt rather appropriate. The compositions shown reflect a current state of mind. Striptease and runway presentations synchronized in split screen manner. Things happen simultaneously.
/HORST

Balenciaga Questions XVII

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2008
2. Proenza Schouler Fall/Winter 2012

And finally, Proenza Schouler. They may have presented their best collection to date but its appeal and success is predicated on the prophecies of Cristóbal Balenciaga and Nicolas Ghesquière. The final question is: Are we witnessing a conscious Balenciaga recycling, or are the Fall/Winter 2012 collections quite simply proof for a triumphant change in womenswear?
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XVI

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2012
2. J.W. Anderson Fall/Winter 2012

Back to London. J.W. Anderson chose s silhouette reminescent of an almost religious Balenciaga woman, altering between witch, high priestess and apocalyptic nun. Her eyes hidden, her robe created of hyper technologic fabrics.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XV

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011
2. Alexander Wang Fall/Winter 2012

The Balenciaga phenomenon has also reached and affected New York Fashion Week. Alexander Wang showed a collecton that didn't work with mirrored Balenciaga twin looks but an overall mood that felt very Ghesquière-esque. Brutalist shapes, stiff structures and complex panelling.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XIV

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2012
2. Topshop Unique Fall/Winter 2012

The hotpant and the boxy jacket. Forming the image of high performance courier girls. Always on the run, always striving for being first. Yet, everything has been done before, has been attempted already.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XIII

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2011
2. Diesel Black Gold Fall/Winter 2012

A skirt is cut in stiff, overlapping leather panels. A classic shirt is added, fixated with a belt that optically pierces the front. Just an observation. One can either love it or leave it.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XII

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2009
2. Ports 1961 Fall/Winter 2012

Some collections appear as a congregation of Balenciaga stencils. Traced and re-assembled throughout various looks, the result is avoiding evident relation to its original source. The re-contextualization of Nicolas Ghesquière.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions XI

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2008
2. Mary Katrantzou Fall/Winter 2012

And yes, also the visually opulent, the post-Baroque hourglass puppet dress has existed before. Dipped in metallic pastels and endowed with filigree, romantic details, the versions of Mary and Nicolas don't differ much.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions X

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2008
2. Pringle of Scotland Fall/Winter 2012

It's a study in proportion and codes of gender. Introducing the concept of the boyfriend's blazer, Ghesquière uses dropped shoulders and boxy cuts to shape a square upper body, and to develop the legacy of 80s power dressing further.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions IX

1. Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2003
2. Peter Pilotto Fall/Winter 2012

It may not always be about the identical, but an inherent notion of similarity. Nicolas Ghesquière is a mathematician, logically constructing garments by placing different textiles and alternating prints. Peter Pilotto does agree.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions VIII

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2008
2. Acne Fall/Winter 2012

The Balenciaga look constitutes itself of shape, proportion and material. Ghesquière's combination results in an almost aggressive approach towards the hard, stiff and anti-feminine. His idea seems to have arrived.
/HORST

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Balenciaga Questions VII

1. Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011
2. Christopher Kane Fall/Winter 2012

Once again, the presentations of London Fashion Week have attracted attention for their close reference to Nicolas Ghesquière. Possibly unwanted yet comprehensively, strong names of their own right dare to recreate the Balenciaga look. Blatant copy or identity crisis? A (subjective) examination of facts and evidence.
/HORST

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Case of Recurrence II

Givenchy Fall/Winter 2012

Oh wait, the studded shirt has already come back. Resurrected by the hands of Riccardo Tisci. Enhanced, enriched and enlarged by the embellished Minotaur nose ring. Anyways, I still want the Prada!
/HORST

Image credits GQ.com

Post New York II

A false encyclopaedic guide to the menswear collections, presenting:
Jeremy Scott Fall/Winter 2012

1. Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 1994
2. Janet Jackson 'Runaway' 1995
3. Flower wrap

Who doesn't love a boy toy wrapped in fluorescent plastic, just like a box of white chocolate truffles. Especially when paired with the archaic Jean Paul Gaultier, respectively Janet Jackson 'Runaway' nose chain.
/HORST

Image credits Style.com

Post Paris XVII

A false encyclopaedic guide to the menswear collections, presenting:
Rick Owens Fall/Winter 2012

1. Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2010 campaign
2. Ann-Sofie Back Spring/Summer 2011
3. Justin Timberlake for Rolling Stone

After his signature muddiness and a re-orientation towards crisp minimalsim, Rick Owens celebrates wetlook. Shiny surfaces that either imply polymer fabrications or simple wetness. Both conclusions are highly satisfying.
/HORST