to minimalism!

One surprise while looking through all the fashion week shows was how much I liked one show in particular - Calvin Klein. I loved Calvin Klein in the Calvin Klein years, but ever since Francisco Costa took over, it's always been kind of hit and miss for me, with more misses than hits - it always seems incredibly promising but then ultimately underwhelming. But this time round, amidst the rather frumpy shin-length T-shirt dresses (seriously, what the hell), there were some looks that made me want to throw out anything remotely frilly and fussy in my closet. The look was sensual, sleek, and not at all robotic and over-intellectual the way, say, Raf Simons for Jil Sander can be. YSL Rive Gauche also gave me the same vibes, albeit in a more chic-ed up, tailored way (this is one of the best collections Stefano Pilati has ever done for YSL, in my humble opinion). And yes, I like to bitch about Jil Sander, but there were some lovely affirmations of why minimalism rocks in the collection too. Minimalism gives you space to breathes, room to move, and plenty of blank canvas to personalise and express yourself. I also love the rigor and spareness - for me it's far more impactful to have the confidence to reject trimmings and accessorising and simply go out with the bare essentials. This isn't to say that I don't love creativity in draping and layering and mixing textures and embellishments, but I think the discipline in minimalism appeals to me- it's the idea of knowing when to say no. And minimalism has none of the crippling, obvious, referencing (which becomes tedious when in the hands of someone less than masterful) or irony or whatever that gives me a headache. It's just smart clothes that whisper rather shout that the wearer is intelligent, stylish and fashion-forward enough without become a victim of trends that will pass. Does minimalism not kicks ass?





Calvin Klein










YSL Rive Gauche




Jil Sander
Pictures from www.style.com

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