According to Vera, she looked to ancient Rome for inspiration, although we can't say we see it. From the program notes: "Spring-Summer celebrates clothes that are imbued with a lyricism and drama, particularly as it pertains to warm weather dressing. This season also represents a delicate balance between sophistication and naiveté, subtlety and vibrancy, femininity and a certain boyishness. From the colors found in Nature, which the Romans worshiped… to the colors of their civilization (as my imagination would have me believe) ancient Rome represented an energetic, romantic take on life from which to play with cut, color, and construction."
Again, if you say so. It still looks to us like the clothes of a depressed woman who's ashamed of her body. We will say that we like some of these looks, like the red coat and high-waisted pants, and she does seem to be trying to change up some of her silhouettes and colors. Nice to see jewel tones, even if they're in some rather loud metallics. We just wish she'd let go of the drab grays and earth tones for a while and take a break from the shapelessness. And look into prints, Vera. There's nothing to be afraid of.
(Photos: C. Buscemi/WireImage)
Frumptastic. I can't stand her designs lately. Everything looks so droopy.
ReplyDeleteHalf of those women look like they accidentally put their dresses on backwards. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteYawn,
ReplyDeleteI did like the red pant suit and the blue pant suit with the sailor pants. Other than that, big pass.
What happened to Vera Wang? I used to love her sleek, elegant lines. This collection is appalling!
ReplyDeleteit looks like she took some silk sheets and just pinned them on the "models" gah it even made skinny girls like that look frumpy.
ReplyDeletealso is it just me or does it look like she picked the skinniest models she could find?
ReplyDeletethose girls all look like they need a sandwich.
I know runway models are thin but... dang.
Pretentious.
ReplyDeleteUgly.
Boring.
" Michele said...
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Vera Wang? I used to love her sleek, elegant lines. This collection is appalling"
She's always been overrated. Her designs are way too intellectual and not in a good way.
I agree about the frumpy, droopy look. That's not attractive on anyone, including these 'need a sandwich' thinsters.
ReplyDelete-- rain brain
Not a fan.
ReplyDeleteWTF, Vera??? That was just depressing.
ReplyDeletewas there a lot of black in nature in rome?
ReplyDeletei agree with you boys--i don't see the inspiration. as a fashion history buff, most of these designs look nothing like what a woman in ancient rome would wear (http://www.dl.ket.org/latin1/things/romanlife/ancientp16.htm). roman clothes were made out of lightweight, flowing fabrics. and roman women, who were masters of wrapping their stolas so that the material flowed over their bodies, wouldn't have been caught dead in these ill-fitting, poofy contraptions. even the garments which are obviously trying to emulate ancient roman style fail.
sigh. maybe vera should stick with wedding dresses, tableware, and linens...
~~zoe
Rome? I don't see it.
ReplyDeleteI do like # 9, except -- is that a dickey???? And why are her bra straps showing? The rest of it's nice, though. Excellent shoes.
But most of the collection is, well, it looks like the clothes are several sizes too large for the models.
I liked the 2 black and white outfits with the gigantic hats -they seemed kind of fun and "street-ey". Mostly with her I always feel like I must have missed something. Here she is supposed to be this phenomenal designer and it always so off some how. She's not the only one and most of them are women. Give me a good gay male designer any day! I might end up looking like a drag queen but I'd be a beautiful drag queen!
ReplyDeletehow original! looking to rome for inspiration?!
ReplyDeleteno one has ever done THAT before!
it a great colleciton for the Amish women of America. Or the Russian women of the world. The only touch I could see her adding that would have made it better would have been shoulder pads.
ReplyDeleteI like it better than her last collection. As you say, at least there are a few cute pieces.
ReplyDeleteBut I can understand why she would be depressed. The producer of her new television commercials must have said to her, "Ms. Wang, you are not attractive enough for television so we will need to digitally airbrush you. Sorry, covering the lense with Vasaline just wasn't enough."
Bless her heart.
I never like her designs, however, I do think she has a great eye for fabrics. They're always very sophisticated.
ReplyDeleteOh, Please!
ReplyDeleteDo not insult the Amish so!
Their clothes fit beautifully!
This stuff is mostly fugly!! Especially most of the blue baggy blobs.
I'm underwhelmed, as usual. She was also a terrible judge.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to frumpy and droopy, I also found this collection to be quite educational. I had no idea human hair could be made to look like a Davy Crockett 'coon skin cap. Check out the model wearing the horizontal black-and-white stripe dress. Shades of Fess Parker!
ReplyDelete-- rain brain
Le yawn.
ReplyDeleteCan you all fail to see? It's only inspired by ancient Rome, not copies of what was worn then. Look carefully, you'll see the Column-seeum, the dome over the Senate, the Funny Thing That Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Christians' clothes after the lions got a bit, and the ancient Rome depicted in every Fellini film. I mean, really. And you call yourselves fashionistas!
ReplyDelete;-)
Bewildering.
ReplyDeletehow boring. disappointed. i really like vera, i just dont get it??
ReplyDeleteUntil she starts to look like a woman who's style I admire and maybe want to emulate, she can forget about getting any of my business. She ALWAYS looks washed out and icky.
ReplyDeleteDonna Karan is one of the few designers at this level who actually look good in their own designs.
Vera never looks like she would deign to wear her own designs for a wedding...too pedantic.
Her collections, be it table top or clothing, have always left me cold.
I love the black and white striped dress. Not so much, the rest.
ReplyDeleteVindaloo
What
ReplyDeleteEver
wearbable but...baggy.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who stopped being impressed when someone wore one of wedding gowns in about 1998?
Alexis
blech. No wonder she had nothing useful to add to the PR judging.
ReplyDeleteWhile Catherine Malandrino used rouching and pleating to enhance the drape, fit and general lovliness of her garments, Vera uses the same techniques to make her models look like bag ladies.
Hey, I'd wear all of these before I'd put on one of Bradley's creations.
ReplyDeleteVW needs grief therapy. NOW.
ReplyDeleteI'm worried.
Emma P.
Bleh. Too shiny. Whats up with all the satin lately? I was just in Macy's and INC , a label I usually like, was overrun with satin. It adds like 30 lbs on!!!
ReplyDelete(thanks Tim Gunn....don't I sound like I know WTF I am talking about now? )
I wish more than anything Laura and Uli would start their lines!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the red and white pants suit, but the rest of it looks like these skinny gals got caught in the discount fabric isle at walmart. yuck... HOWEVER - the red pants suit is spot-on perfect, i do think it would look better on a bit curvier gal though.
ReplyDeleteHeidi In Wis.
I'll give Vera credit for one thing. I never thought one could make shiny fabrics look depressing/goth.
ReplyDeleteThe colors are pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe looks are too heavy for spring.
ReplyDeleteThe outfits are quite shapeless. There's nothing sexy about this collection. She needs to just stick to bridal fashion because she's absolutely brilliant with it.
ReplyDeleteShe's a total bitch. I can't even look at her stuff. One of the worst persons I've ever worked with in the industry.
ReplyDeleteI remember being one of the few here to plead compassion when her first Depression-wear line came out after her father's passing. But I'm done now. This is just not good design. How is it that a woman whose wedding gowns (and figure-skating outfits) were so consistently gorgeous, sleek and elegant cannot translate that aesthetic to other types of women's wear?
ReplyDeleteThere were actually three that I liked -- the first one (red and white pantsuit), the black/white version of the same thing, and the black dress below it (although maybe it was just the hat that made the look appealing). But what I thought was worst was the description:
ReplyDelete"This season also represents a delicate balance between sophistication and naiveté, subtlety and vibrancy, femininity and a certain boyishness. From the colors found in Nature, which the Romans worshiped… to the colors of their civilization (as my imagination would have me believe) ancient Rome represented an energetic, romantic take on life from which to play with cut, color, and construction."
Something for everyone, a comedy tonight! (Speaking of Rome)
Hope Laurie
"the Funny Thing That Happened on the Way to the Forum"
ReplyDeleterundeep/wannabe--you crack me up! :)
while i'm not a fan of literal interpretation (we all recall zulema--a dress inspired a dress??), why do designers even bother to tell us what inspired them, unless they're going to show us something that looks as though it was inspired by what they claim? at least madame malandrino transported us to another place and time with her imaginative and exquisite collection.
~~zoe
One phrase comes to mind, especially for #14, #38, and #41 ---- "Hot mess"
ReplyDeleteLOVE THE BLACK HAT! HATE THE REST!
ReplyDeleteI think Vera needs to take an ancient anthropology course on Rome.
LMFAO.
Maybe its just me but this looks like a fall collection not a spring collection
ReplyDeleteIs Vera Wang going through a midlife crisis? She used to be so chic but now she looks like a bag lady and her fashions reflect that.
ReplyDeletecall me frumpy, but i like some of this. (not all.) it's not ancient rome, but it is rome in the 1950s, which i find attractive, with a hint of not-so-effective prada imitation (which i like better on prada).
ReplyDelete" Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletecall me frumpy, but i like some of this. (not all.) it's not ancient rome, but it is rome in the 1950s, which i find attractive, with a hint of not-so-effective prada imitation (which i like better on prada)."
I hate her deliberate ugliness and “intellectual” approach to fashion. She's such a Prada wannabe.
Sorry...dind't mean to hit "publish"....
ReplyDeleteVera Wang says that she's influenced by Commes des Garcons. Everybody is "influenced" by Comme des Garçons: Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, and now Vera Wang. She wouldn't last a challenge on Project Runway.
Ok does anyone remember those commercials from the 1980's for (I think) Wendy's, spoofing a Soviet fashion show?
ReplyDeleteYou know, with the round, middle aged model wearing the gray sack of a dress and a kerchief on her head? The announcer says: "Yntrodyucink: Day Vare"
Then the next outfit was the exact same outfit, with the model holding a flashlight, and the announcer saying "Yntrodyucink: Yvnyng Vare", and then the last garment is the same dress/kerchief, with the model holding the beachball...you got it..."Yntrodyucink: Beach Vare"
Nuff said.
It reminds me of an experimental theater piece I saw on the rooftop of an abandoned building in Williamsburg about 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, LOVE that red pantsuit. And I like that black suit in the 3rd row (though would have nowhere to wear it).
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest, I have 4 words:
Janet Reno Dance Party!
--Gotham Tomato
My wonder is how many of the "great critics" simply raved and raved and raved about the wonders of this collection.
ReplyDeleteThat last purple gown looks much like it's backwards, and ugly.
At least she's making good money at it.
Cindi
Black pants and red pants.....Prince called, he's placing an order.
ReplyDeleteDo love, however, the black pinstripe skirt/suit.
TRICK OR TREAT!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, click on the 13th look in the left column. wtf is with that model?
Red pantsuit & pinstripe - yup. I even (kind of) like the green flowing evening gown in the right column... everything else is yucky.
profp
p.s. ('yucky' - yeah, I have a doctorate!) :-)
Three words...bag lady chic. And I'm talking Glad bags, people. Damn, that's an ugly collection.
ReplyDeleteCan you guys please make fun of this:
ReplyDeletehttp://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=38500#videoid=170719
Oy.
Very ugly collection! Vera should stick to bridal gowns.
ReplyDeleteOr should I say Vera Ugly.
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a whole lot of fug right there.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else noticed that "Vera"s lovely red pant-suit isn't Vera's at all?
ReplyDeleteFor shame, T&L. That's not even the same backdrop.
My grandma has a hat and dress like #10 she wears to church. My grandmother is a 76 year-old southern baptist.
ReplyDeleteHm.