I have had it up to my non-botoxed brows with celebrity designer collaborations. If I was a designer in fashion today I'd be dead pissed off to find some flaky singer with a dodgy line in prom dresses could get a big pile of cash for 'designing' something no sensible person would give a second glance to.
Designer/retailer collaborations are fine (+J for Uniqlo looks good and we loved Comme des Garcons at H&M) at least there's relevant talent being used, but singing/strutting do not improve your understanding of a good dress.
Model and rock star wife Ms Le Bon has designed this range for Wallis but I have no idea if it is aimed at the 35plus market, Since Yasmin is herself an impossibly young looking 40 plus gal, I'm guessing we were in the picture somewhere (Wallis's customer profile is acknowledged to be 'older' what ever that means, the fashion industry doesn't like to use actual numbers, might scare people off....don't get me started).
The styles are very Yasmin, slinky but not overtly revealing (save for the long backless dress and halterneck catsuit, but we're just gonna ignore those) they are full of good details like pin tucks on blouses, tiny frills, gold embroidery and vintage style buttons on coats.
However, and it's a big downfall, the fabric and colour palette used are mostly awful.
The silk used feels nasty and the dress jersey really cheap. The print for the mini dress isn't bad but you baulk at the feel of the cloth. The jewellery designs are also interesting but ruined by rubbish fabrication. Shame.
A couple of stand outs are the leather fitted jacket with self-braided trims and nice back detailing and the military coat with pretty gold embroidery and a great shape. I can totally see Yasmin's influence in the shapes but I reckon she must have been asleep when it came to chosing the fabrics, or perhaps it was a price-point thing (but COS do it so well for the same price bracket). We wont be buying.
TOTALLY agree with you on the singer-turned-designer thing. I really feel for the design graduates who work their socks off and struggle to get a foot on the ladder, whilst these 'celebs' just waltz in and bung their name on a label, and get all the free press.
I'm almost tempted to go and have a look at this range, so intrigued I am to see just how nasty it is!
Posted by: jude | September 26, 2009 at 07:22 AM
I wouldn't waste your time, hang on for the +J at Uniqlo this week and see some real designers in action. I'm sure Yasmin is a lovely person an' all, but I think she should stick to the day job....
Posted by: amanda | September 26, 2009 at 10:26 PM
You're right. Will definitely be there Thursday!
Posted by: jude | September 27, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Well we have Lindsay Lohan for Ungaro to look forward at the Paris shows this week. Makes you really glad you went to college for 7 years to learn how to be a designer........
Ms Lebon was front row at every show at LFW so maybe she'll have learnt a bit more about fabric by next season.
Posted by: Sue Evans | September 29, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Now I've seen +J at Uniqlo and experienced the best designer collaboration we're likley to see this year, i'd tell Ms Le Bon to take out an internship with Jil Sander if she's really serious at designing.
I think she has flair, for sure, but attending a couple of design meetings and knowing Sir Phil does not a successful designer range make.
Posted by: amanda | October 02, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Yasmin Le Bon is so sexy and haves an awesome style, she is my kind of girl, I love her hair.
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