Osman
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
LONDON, September 19, 2009
By Tim Blanks
Osman Yousefzada has always wanted to do an all-white collection, but it wasn't until his recent signing with an Italian licensee that he felt he could truly do the idea justice. As he pointed out, "White leaves you nothing to hide behind." Which makes it a perfectly pure canvas on which a designer can bare his essence, as Valentino and Rifat Ozbek's all-white collections did to spectacular reputation-making effect. So what is the essence of Osman? After the show, he called himself "an ethno-architect." His somewhat obtuse rationale was "Mrs. Simpson" (did he mean Marge—or the sexual adventuress Wallis before she married the Prince of Wales?) paying a visit to President Nixon. Osman took this figment of his imagination on a trip round the world, creating for her a wardrobe that referenced the North African djellaba; the Japanese kimono; the sack shape that always suggests French couture; and the trapeze, the T-shirt, and the polo that say "American sportswear." All of it was as pure as the driven snow, except when Osman dip-dyed a smock top in gold, or layered panels of gold down the front of an A-line coat-dress, or down the back of a textured jacquard tunic. When he threaded sashes through big gold eyelets running along shoulder seams or down the side of a dress, the nautical effect evoked a hostess on a giant yacht moored off Capri. In fact, it was easy to see how Osman, as a native of landlocked Afghanistan, might have nursed just such a fantasy in his younger days. But if white gave him nothing to hide behind, it eventually gave us little to look at. The showroom promised a wider palette of fire red, midnight blue, black, and taupe. Most of what we saw would have benefited from the added oomph. See all from Osman › Timeline
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Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear
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3.1 Phillip Lim -
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D&G Danielle Scutt Daryl K Davidelfin Dennis Basso Derek Lam Devi Kroell Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Douglas Hannant Dries Van Noten Dsquared² Duro Olowu -
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Elie Saab Elie Tahari Elise Øverland Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emporio Armani Erdem Erin Fetherston Erin Wasson x RVCA Etro -
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Fashion East Fashion Fringe Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio -
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Gabriele Colangelo Gareth Pugh Gary Graham Giambattista Valli Gianfranco Ferré Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Graeme Black G-Star Gucci -
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Haider Ackermann Halston Helmut Lang Hermès Hervé Léger by Max Azria House of Holland Hussein Chalayan -
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Iceberg Isaac Mizrahi Isabel Marant Issa Issey Miyake -
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Karen Walker Karl Lagerfeld Kenzo Kinder Aggugini Koi Suwannagate Kris Van Assche -
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L.A.M.B. L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lanvin Lela Rose Limi Feu Loewe Louise Goldin Louise Gray Louis Vuitton LP.BG Luca Luca Luella Luisa Beccaria Lutz & Patmos Lyn Devon -
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Naeem Khan Nanette Lepore Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Neil Barrett Nicole Farhi Nicole Miller Nina Ricci -
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Ohne Titel Organic by John Patrick Oscar de la Renta Osman -
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Paul Smith Women Peter Jensen Peter Pilotto Peter Som Phi Philosophy Pollini Ports 1961 PPQ Prabal Gurung Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
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Sacai Salvatore Ferragamo Sharon Wauchob Shipley & Halmos Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Sophie Theallet Stella McCartney Stephen Burrows Sykes -
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Talbot Runhof Tao Temperley London Thakoon Threeasfour Tibi Tim Hamilton Todd Lynn Tommy Hilfiger Tory Burch Tracy Reese Trussardi 1911 Tuleh Twenty8Twelve -
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Undercover Unique United Bamboo -
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Valentino Vanessa Bruno Vena Cava Vera Wang Véronique Leroy Versace Versus Victoria Beckham Viktor & Rolf Vionnet Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
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Wayne William Rast Wunderkind -
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Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
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