District L

"Y2K could be the event that could all but paralyze the planet." Newsweek, June 2, 1997

It was Valentine’s Day 2000 in London when Plum Sykes wrote her Style.com review for the fall/winter collection of Arkadius. Futuristic fashion mushrooms with face armor hit the runway just weeks after the world didn’t end on Y2K. That same afternoon, Matthew Williamson presented Day-Glo halos and chainmail dresses. Julien MacDonald ended that London Fashion Week with an out-of-this-world metallic smash. Days later in Paris, models in pixilated prints walked the runway for Balmain.

It was a simpler time before Craigslist killers, 9-11, and Facebook poking. Celebrity Deathmatch was in its heyday, Blink-182 was wondering what their age was again, and Party Monster had not yet become a feature film. We were coming off the indulgently angsty 90s, but hadn’t yet succumbed to the blind optimism of 2004-2006. The future was then -- and the rest was history.

Julien Macdonald

Arkadius

Balmain

Matthew Williamson

Post by Amanda LaMela

Images by Style.com

For once, this wasn't what I was muttering to myself while bulldozering my way through a crowded bar with a full-to-the-brim G&T in each hand.

I did, however, manage to down a few flutes and globes this past Saturday evening in SoHo at 75 Spring Street for UK Breast Cancer research charity Too Many Women's Cocktails and Shopping Event.

Masterminded by TMW Ambassadors Georgie Downie and Kate Becker, along with friends Kaley, Kenner, and Karoline Bolt, the intimate affair boasted donated designer goods from the likes of Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Tibi, Steven Alan, Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, Matthew Williamson, and Zac Posen. DVF herself even donated a selection from her A/W 2010 collection, including a beautiful reversible gilt coat pictured below.

Friend and former VICE comrade Kaley Bolt gave us the grand tour of the event space, the New York office of cutting-edge international advertising agency Smoke and Mirrors. Low lights, a superb selection of womenswear (the XL Loro Piana wool pullover in the photo below was one of the last remnants of the men's rack by the time I arrived), and an overall generous spirit made for a fantastic evening.

And what a successful evening it was as well - when all was said and done, Kaley & co. managed to raise nearly $10,000 for Breast Cancer research. Needless to say, after doing our part, I felt ever so slightly better about the next morning's extra sybaritic brunchtime shenanigans...and those of the night that preceeded them.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

This time, unfortunately, it's Matthew WIlliamson.

The former creative director for Pucci has cashed in and begun cooperations with mass-market monolith Hennes and Mauritz.

While what District L has seen so far from the preview has been consistent with Williamson's signature colorful, South Asian influenced style (picked up from his time with Indian clothier Monsoon), we just wish it wasn't with H&M.