Dancing With Prada

The behind-the-scenes images from the Prada women's ad campaign have come to surface and the party begins. The clip gives us an insight of the behind-the-scenes preparations (bitch work) and depicts the less celebrated, unnoticed efforts that goes into shooting for a major brand. The Audition, which comes at the commencement of the video features models Mariacarla Boscono (my girl), Tatiana Cotiliar (which stars in Proenza Schouler first ever campaign), Arizone Muse (opened and closed Prada's show, enough said), and newcomers Zuzana Bijoch and Kinga Rajzak, channeling Josephine Baker. The video continues on, we see tables sprawled with all kinds of Prada goodies (Rachel Zoe-esque settings) including: Mary Janes with intricate weaving in any imaginable color combination, tiny leather bracelets, sorts of shades, and bags galore. In other words, it's a Prada paradise, which is where you wanna be. 
The video editing leaves me baffled. I'm still trying to figure out if the models were dancing, being exorcized, suffering from a seizure, or trying to appear sexy. Regardless, at the end of the day, they're getting pay to sell those deep dyed and striped fur stoles, curlicues and sombreros (Laurieann Gibson, they should've call you). 
Last but not least. Steven Meisel is a God. 
(Unfortunately, the original video I saw contained footage of the men's ad, but now I can't seem to find it because Youtube is being a jerk. Oh well). 

Gurl, I think you missed your call for The Last Exorcist. 

Prada Goodies

Since I'm on my Prada swag, I want to expound my musings on the collection. When these accessories came down the runway last September, they unintentionally ensued a fashion orgasm within me. It was a vision of the exaggerated, grandiose and obvious. The eyewear, with huge oval shaped lenses with baroque curlicues arms, looked like something Willy Wonka from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory would wear. The other set looked more commercial, in shades of baby blue and shocking orange. At one point I thought they look something out of a sci-fi movie, then I thought something a scientist with interest in fashion would buy in case he works with highly chemical tools, or something like that. 

Now let's ponder about these shoes. But calling these mere shoes are unjust, more like "work of art", but that still sounds cliche (if you have a better proposal, drop it in the comments section). The first glimpse of the footwear for next season came in the form of an orthopedic-sneaker-spadrill-platfrom-bottie with baroque and Victorian references. Just the words alone don't make sense in my head, but having a visual representation of such brings a smile to my face and creates a feeling of anguish, excitement and uncertainty. I wonder how this style, especially, transforms into retail, and how all these different women across the globe would wear them. Then something out of Alice in Wonderland (reminds me of the fat, black & fuchsia, gender-bending, mischievous cat that mysteriously appears and disappears out of thin air) manifests on the runway: striped fuchsia/black and green/black combinations on heavy, yet sexy pumps. Finally, we see the artisanal craftsmanship of Prada, those meticulous and painstakingly handmade weaving shown on platforms and heels, just otherworldly. Photos edited by Nick Fulcher

Monkeys And Cherubs

One of the sublime qualities of fashion is that it challenges established notions on life, and one of the greatest practitioners of such conduct is Miuccia Prada. There is that "something" about her adept process of formulating ideas and the brand she carries on her shoulders that leaves me (and most of the world, or at least fashion folks) almost on the edge to observe what she's going to send down the runway. Nobody knows what it is 'til show time, I guess that's her mischievous way of making us suffer months, expecting the unexpected (now I'm making "Miuccia Prada" sound like medicine). The woman has a cult-following bigger than the population in India and stronger than the United Nations and that should not come as a surprise. She has been one of the most prolific and influential designers in the last decade, and counting. 

The collection she presented for next spring/summer was one of those that makes you think (as any other Prada collection), rethink, analyze, ponder for minutes or maybe days, and create your own conclusion regardless of her personal own. There is usually a slightly inconspicuous underlaying message and a variety of references, emotions and ideas in the air by the time the last model exists the runway.

Prada Spring/Summer 2011
(The selection of runway shots I used synthesized the whole collection in my opinion)

In the past some of the references she pulled from where from the mundane: cave-man fishing, blissful imagery on the beach, fairytales, and whatnot. This time there was 20's actress, dancer and singer Josephine Baker in spirit, chirpy monkeys, cartoonish-looking bananas, scrubs, 17th century cherubs and Mexico. A melange of ideas that most designers would stay away from, she fronted them head on. Though these references has little to do with each other, she managed to make sense of it all. 

I love the idea of taking something so unfashionably horrible such as pair of scrubs, injecting them with shots of vivid colors such as an electric blue, pare it with the most odd-looking shoes, grab a acid-dyed fur stole, put some silver eye shadow, and get to walking. The "Prada look" is known to hold some type of a ugly/beautiful aesthetic, there is always something off, little bizarre, or at times a thought of wtf might cross your mind. But underneath of it all there is something so strangely beautiful, naive, tender, or even magical. Unfortunately, some of us can't see that.  

Stripes are going to be major for next spring, and Miuccia delivered a few options. She presented them in high waisted skirts, loose-fitting summery dresses (vaguely reminded me of what women would wear to the beach in the 20s or 30s), cropped tops with angular shoulders, and a spaghetti-straps dress with ruffled hem. As expected, there is always the "Prada twist". Some of the cropped tops featured stripes of different girths and colors, a few combinations included: green, white blue; white and blue, or orange, black and fuchsia. The color combinations alone, remind me of a fruit salad (hence the bananas), but then she managed to work those colors so seamlessly, resulting in a visual-appealing display of stripes.  

In Addition, I would like to touch on the bananas and monkeys. Miuccia told Tim Blanks from style.com the collection was "bold, bright, obvious" and that can be interpreted in different manners. The word "bold" to me means confidence, to some signifies abrasiveness and I would go to such heights and equate it to ostentatiousness. Regardless, she found something bold on a bunch of primates and a fruit shaped like a phallus. There is evidently an animal-food correlation here but what's the message trying to be told? Be bold as monkeys? Adopt a monkey and eat bananas because they're a good source of potassium? It's an open field, but that would be too stupid to be presented in such formal fashion, but Miuccia was certainly attempting to make a point. I perceived, "be bold, defy life".