RUNWAY RUNDOWN : burberry prorsum, men's spring 09

ok, we're going to start nice and easy.

you won't feel a thing.

now close your eyes, and turn your head to the left . . .

wait, where was i?  oh yeah, nice n easy.

looking at runway shows by now is second nature to most fashionistadors*.
you wait til the appointed time, then run through the looks,
mentally picking out what works for you,
what you expect to show up in editorial
(there's at least one obvious "look" per show.
one "not meant for reality but gonna photograph really well.),
and which models are running the head of the pack that season.
there's not much different between menswear and womenswear,
though the model's lifespans tend to be longer in women's,
and the trends can sometimes be more subtle in men's.

i figured we'd start this blog with a bit of an easier to interpret show,
but still one of the standouts of the recent spring shows.

burberry has an upper end line, prorsum.
though it's had it's mix of designers, it's universally acknowledged that the current designer,
christopher bailey,
has taken the brand to a new level of sophistication,
stepping away from the layers of plaid and tan,
and yet still distinctively british.

the spring 09 runway was a breakthrough for me.
with a color palette inspired by an obscure british painter,
and replete with trenches and cardigans in special fabrications and delicate weaves,
it really sang:

(click on any photo to enlarge for detail)

after a few looks, there began to build a point of view around length and layering.
long, long sleeves on muted knits and crisp wovens, layered tissue thin over one another

long trousers with bell hems, slim hipped and in shantungs and sharp poplins:

all things easy to interpret, even if you don't spend the money for the runway versions.
the KEY ideas, though,
(almost opaque knits, layered.   the length of a sleeve beneath a coat.  the color palette.)
are critical,
and critically beautiful.

take the golden greens.  not easy to find.  and the almost cobwebby scarves.

of course, if all else fails, simply sew a bunch of (what the hell are those?  pebbles?  shells?  rocks?)
things on the cardigan.  and grab a alligator bag.  those rocked.

i'm all over this one.

in my sleep, kidlets,
it's that easy.



*  FASHIONISTADOR (noun) - male - one for whom fashion becomes something to be studied, conquered, and ultimately claimed as one's own.  treats runways shows like sporting events.  uses the internet, lookbooks, and a carefully cultivated relationships with sales associates (see "gatekeepers") to gather seasonal mementos of the hunt.  rarely travels in packs, though more dangerous in pairs.  can correctly prounouce "martin margiela" and knows the difference between thom browne and tommy hilfiger.