Goddess of love - the worlds new G.U.Y?

A worldwide rush of excitement is in the air, as earlier this morning Lady Gaga surprised us all when she released teasers of her new video for the latest single G.U.Y. I thought it would be interesting to try and predict what this video would me made up of. Take the concept... Aphrodite surrounded by her servants or lovers? I think not... Look a little more in depth and you will realise that Gaga is actually posing as Aphrodite (the goddess of love) surrounded by her offspring (Himeros and Eros). 

I found that the initial concept for the video has a slight connotation with this thesis by William Blake Richmond (1953) then again, this is a fashion blog and not a history blog.

Looking at some of the outfit Gaga presents in these teasers, we see two swimsuits... A black, PVC, panel cut swimsuit and also a metallic gold, ribbed, fibre flaked swimsuit... Both of which bear string resemblance to this old outfit, which I sure you don't remember...

That's right, she's bringing out the old guns again. Will this mean another hit, or will people sense that's she's desperate to make it back again with another outlandish yet stylish video? One thing for sure is that she will be taking influence from Donatella this time. Of course I love this woman, and Donatella just as much, but I'm sure your career outside Versace still exists.

Here are a few photos to refresh your memory when it comes to Versace and their sleek, panel tops and dresses, and again with the sketches Donatella thought up way back in the day, for all of those who think the Gaga-tella trend is brand new.

To Baroque or not to Baroque

For some time I've been told my friends, family and those who try to act knowledgeable and invincible behind a keyboard, that Baroque resembles such things as their grandparents curtains. I o course, disagree completely. I did a little bit of research on the pattern style and this is what I came across, courtesy of the V&A museum in London:

"The Baroque style, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, began in Italy and quickly spread to the rest of Europe. Characterised by luxury, drama and ornate detail, the style impacted upon all areas of art and design." - www.vam.ac.uk

So as I've not yet commented on anything that I wear I thought this would be the perfect starting point. Having the original design invented in Italy is a pinnacle choice for the Italian fashion giant -Versace. You can of course tell by the shirt, and of course by knowing me tht the shirt is of course Versace. However not be fooled into thinking that I love everything Donatella realises to the world, as this is not the case at all. Neither have I taken an almost immediate interest in the brand because of the placement given by Lady Gaga as so many people have.

For those of you with an artist eye, you can course see the key influence piece like this 18th century piece has on the design. It was of course, Gianni Versace who was the first to manufacture and design garments with such beautiful design and influence. 

So just a quick one, but I thought some of you may appreciate an item of clothing really worth sharing,opposed to the typical menswear you see every guy walking around in. Every year, the same shit.

Versace brings gun slinging Western back in fashion this AW.

Yesterday at 20:00CET Versace debuted their AW14 menswear collection. I am an avid fan of Versace, and if you know me well enough, you will know that Baroque designs are the key to my heart. So I was quite surprised, and a little disappointed to see very little of that style shirt in this collection. However the haus do hit back by taking us into a more western/cowboy themed line of clothing. The majority of which came halfway through the show with leather shirts and crotchless pants showcasing their new line of underwear.

Accompanying the leather ensemble is an Italian leather belt embellished with gold studs and Versace's signature motif, the head of Eros. A winning combination has to be the fluidity if matching T-shirt and underwear. This allows us to focus more on their design of Y-front and of course the accessories that go with it.

The winner for me this season would of course, have to be the beautiful, gold embellished suit. Although it's hard to make out here, the tailored suit consists of a silk plated collar and pocket square. Both if which bear the beautiful baroque design that Gianni has graced the world with since the inception if the brand. You also see this design slightly on the collar and of course the lapels of the jacket. 

Accessories have been a big deal for the haus this season, as a lot of low laying, heavy gold chains are at the centrepiece of the collection. Making a bold statement to this ready-to-wear line gold is a given when it comes to Donatella and her designs, and of course she would be stupid to ever ditch the gold on black contrast!

Of course another contrast has been added this year, and apologies for my lack of being able to print screen a photo, but as you can see a dark coffee brown has been added to the traditional gold on black power combination. I like it, a lot. I really do like the contrast yet depth the extra shade gives to the outfit, it seems a lot more warm and powerful to look at. Also remember that this collection is for the cold winter months to come, that we are pretty much still in height of.

Despite all of this, my favourite cameo would have to be the loud and colourful bedazzled deigns on a lot of the items, mainly a cactus. I recently recall suggesting Donatella whip out the old Bedazzler gun and get back on giving more gay to the collection. Perhaps she stumbled across my little baby of a blog and took some advice. If so, she went too far. A few studs here and there are good, but not when it looks like you're about to do a spin off to 'Toy Story' on a pair of leather pants. Never the less a great job has been done by my bitch Donatella and the collection is amazing in its entirety. This, is a true step forward and innovation in menswear design.

Opening the door to a better year...

So. I've only just sat down not he train home from work to see these exciting snaps just before the Versace Fall/Winter collection 14. Come back tomorrow at 7:00GMT for live reviews of the collection!

Versace - Falling back into the spotlight... Yet again

If those winter blues have left you thinking about summer a little more each morning, then I’ll have to be the bearer of bad news. In the fashion world, AW14 is walking off catwalks around the globe. One haus that has caught the attention of the world, fashion and fiscal alike, is Versace.

The fashion giant has commanded the attention of the fashion world since it’s inception in 1978 (The first boutique followed and opened the same year, in Milan’s Via Della Spiga). It was however, not until the mid 90′s that Gianni Versace saw his fashion haus reach celebrity status. In 1994 Elizabeth Hurley wore a split-side, black Versace gown. It was at the time, referred to as ‘that dress’ when she accompanied Hugh Grant, to the movie premiere of ‘Four Weddings and A Funeral’. The dress comprised of a simple, deep vee, black dress accompanied by the finest Italian design and tailoring. It did however catch the attention of the media and public alike. The dress was designed to be held together by oversized, gold pins (of course bearing Versace’s signature ‘Eros’ logo). The dress was also rumoured to be party responsible for launching Hurley onto the global media stage. Many saw the dress as ‘Overtly sexually charged and revealing’, and in response to this, she replied; “Unlike many other designers, Versace designs clothes to celebrate the female form rather than eliminate it”.

This season sees the relaunch of that classic Versace look. Indeed a celebration of the female form, Donatella crafts party wear with beautiful cuts and low drops, designed to embrace and flaunt the female form in all of its beauty. Of course there are pieces in the collection that bear Versace’s signature gold Eros, however you will see the majority of party wear in the book has actually moved away from extrovert embellishments. Although avant garde, a level of classic feminism remains.

One outfit that really struck me from this collection, is of course the jacket donned by Naomi Cambell. Having opened and closed the Pre Fall 2014 catwalk show, she seems to be Donatella's weapon of choice. Having a mix of what seemed to be suede and leather patching, the jacket is seamlessly crafted together with a barrage of gold staples, and decorative studs. Of course keeping vintage alive by embracing 80′s style, high rising shoulder pads and the adjacent drops in cleavage and the thigh. Perfectly finished with the signature Versace Eros pendant, of course re invented for the season.

Needless to say that I love this branch of the collection, I am, on the other hand, slightly disappointed in the lack of flamboyance. Versace has strived on re inventing new ways to shock. This however seems like a step backwards in that respect, and forwards in the haus 'Playing it safe'. Maybe I should send Ms Versace a bedazzler gun for Christmas? Or perhaps just remind her the importance of making statements with her garments, and not reviving the careers of retired models?