Graeme Black
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
LONDON, September 14, 2008
By Tim Blanks
The show notes invoked the wild romance of the Hebrides. Seagulls cawed and waves broke on the soundtrack. The scene was well and truly set…then Graeme Black proceeded to offer 40 or so outfits that finessed his inspirations into sophisticated stasis. The first passage was a gown that fell from the throat in a snowy white cascade, a pristine sail that would never see sea air. If the little jacket—basket-woven from strips of leather—had done a better job of evoking the Scottish fisherman's net that was Black's starting point, it might have had more charm than the anonymously luxe finished product.Black has clearly mastered the art of dressing Milan's haute bourgeoisie. That is, after all, the city where the former Ferragamo designer found his fortune. But while there's no faulting his level of craftsmanship, there was something stiff about the clothes, even with a white cotton ruffle on a jacket pocket (well, that was fussy, not stiff), or chiffon ruffles cascading round the dip of a blouse's back. That shirt was paired with a pencil skirt, a silhouette that cropped up a few times. So did doubled gowns, where a sail of fabric floated over a body-hugging column. At least the movement suggested whitecaps whipping in the wind. In the context of Hebridean inspiration (rope coiled on old fishing boats, mercury seas, sculptural rock stacks—Black can certainly turn a phrase), the gold sequin disco jacket was a discord, but it was the liveliest thing on the catwalk.
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Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear
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Fashion Fringe Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio -
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Gap Gareth Pugh Giambattista Valli Gianfranco Ferré Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Graeme Black G-Star Gucci -
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Haider Ackermann Halston Hanii Y Helmut Lang Hermès Hervé Léger by Max Azria House of Holland -
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Iceberg Isaac Mizrahi Issa -
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Kai Kühne Karen Walker Karl Lagerfeld Koi Suwannagate Kris Van Assche -
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L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lanvin La Perla Lela Rose Limi Feu Loewe Louise Goldin Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luella Luisa Beccaria Lutz & Patmos -
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Naeem Khan Nanette Lepore Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Nicole Miller Nina Ricci -
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Ohne Titel Organic by John Patrick Oscar de la Renta Ossie Clark -
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Paul Smith Peter Jensen Peter Pilotto Peter Som Phi Philosophy Pollini Ports 1961 Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
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Sabyasachi Salvatore Ferragamo Sari Gueron Shipley & Halmos Sinha-Stanic Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Sophie Theallet Stærk Stella McCartney Stephen Burrows Sue Stemp -
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Tao Temperley London Thakoon Threeasfour Tibi Todd Lynn Tommy Hilfiger Topshop Unique Tory Burch Tracy Reese Trovata TSE Tuleh -
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Valentino Vena Cava Vera Wang Vera Wang Lavender Label Veronique Branquinho Versace Victoria Beckham Viktor & Rolf Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
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