Aquascutum
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
LONDON, February 15, 2006
By Sarah Mower
It's rare to see polish, modernity, and quality together in a single collection on a London runway—and all the more exciting when it's coming out of a great British background. After three seasons, a convincing revolution really is under way in the back room at Aquascutum, where Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler are recutting the heritage of the coat-and-tailoring brand into great-looking twenty-first-century shape.The best symbol of change is their chrome-yellow bouclé coat, slightly bubble-shaped, with bracelet-length sleeves: right proportion, right length, and right on the money in its reference to Cristobal Balenciaga. Better still, it's a piece Herz and Fidler developed from the company's archive, which contains racks of beautiful coats aimed at well-dressed ladies who appreciated Balenciaga's style in the fifties. The duo's knack: knowing how to turn an authentic reference into something young and of today.
In fact, the outstanding items in this collection were all coats: collarless ecru ottoman shapes with slightly stiff volumes; a brown high-collared cossack with a raised waist; a pale washed-silk trench. One black coat came with a belt decorated with silver flower-and-leaf embroideries commissioned from the specialists who work on British military regalia. There was plenty more going on here, too, in the way of short Empire-line dresses and complicated deconstructions of trenches and pantsuits. Herz and Fidler's creative enthusiasm can't be faulted, but they do their best work when they keep things simple. Several editors in the audience found their gaze slipping enviously toward the immaculately undeconstructed men's jackets. That could be a good way for women to go next season—but in the meanwhile it's good to see these young designers finding a voice.
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Fall 2006 Ready-to-Wear
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3.1 Phillip Lim 6267 -
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A.F. Vandevorst ADAM Akris Alberta Ferretti Alessandro Dell'Acqua Alexander McQueen Alexandre Herchcovitch Alice Roi Andrew Gn Anna Sui Ann Demeulemeester Antonio Berardi Aquascutum Araks -
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Badgley Mischka Balenciaga Basso & Brooke BCBG Max Azria Behnaz Sarafpour Bill Blass Blumarine Bottega Veneta Boudicca Brian Reyes Brioni Burberry Prorsum -
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Calvin Klein Carolina Herrera Celine Central Saint Martins Chado Ralph Rucci Chaiken Chanel Chloé Christian Dior Christian Lacroix Comme des Garçons Costello Tagliapietra Costume National -
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D&G Daryl K Derek Lam Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Dries Van Noten Dsquared² -
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Elie Saab Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emma Cook Emporio Armani Erdem Etro -
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Fendi -
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Gareth Pugh Giambattista Valli Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Gucci -
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Hermès Hussein Chalayan -
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J. Mendel Jasmin Shokrian Jean Paul Gaultier Jenni Kayne Jill Stuart Jil Sander John Galliano Jonathan Saunders Junya Watanabe -
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Kai Kühne Karl Lagerfeld Kenneth Cole New York Kenzo -
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Lacoste Lanvin Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luella -
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Maison Martin Margiela Malandrino Malo Marc by Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs Marios Schwab Marni Martin Grant Matthew Williamson MaxMara Menichetti Michael Kors Missoni Miu Miu Monique Lhuillier Moschino -
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Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Naum Neil Barrett Nicolas Andreas Taralis Nina Ricci Noir -
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Oscar de la Renta -
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Paco Rabanne Paul Smith Women Peter Jensen Peter Som Phi Pollini Prada Preen Proenza Schouler -
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Ralph Lauren Richard Chai Richard Nicoll Rick Owens Roberto Cavalli Rochas Rodarte Roksanda Ilincic Ruffian -
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Salvatore Ferragamo Sari Gueron Sinha-Stanic Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Stella McCartney Strenesse Sweetface -
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Tao Temperley London Thakoon Threeasfour Tory Burch Trovata TSE Tuleh -
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Undercover United Bamboo -
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Valentino Vena Cava Vera Wang Veronique Branquinho Verrier Versace Viktor & Rolf Vivienne Westwood VPL -
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Wunderkind -
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Y & Kei Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
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