District L

If you're in the mood for some languid, 90's LA Boho look no further than fellow style blogger FashionGrunge. After checking out this preview vid for their "LA Renegade" spring editorial, we've been swooning for some burnout, pink afternoons, palm trees and textured linen ever since.

I mean come on, what about this doesn't make you want to go hang out in the parking lot of a dry cleaners in Santa Monica? Seriously, it's 68 degrees out and the sun is burning purple.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

Photos by Lauren Brown of FashionGrunge

I leave work and step out into the street from our building in midtown Manhattan, and it's RL COLD. Now that NYC has been cast back into the inescapable black hole of F/W, I find myself on the one hand rejoicing (TRENCH COATS, YES) and on the other hand lamenting (POLAR BEARS, NO).

On the subway, trying not capsize amid a torrential sea of a million other shitty commuters, I sort of just stare out the window and fantasize about corduroy short-shorts and heathered jersey tank tops, wishing I lived in Rio de Janeiro. Then, realizing I've been sitting underneath mood-alteringly bright flourescent lights all day, I weep.

So all metaphors and adjectival phrases aside, winter is really screwing with me right now.

Enter Mjölk - the label of recent New York transplant Lars Stoten, and the label that gave me the hope I might live to see April. One of the really great things about his S/S 2011 collection, among many, is that it's inspiration was taken partly from the very same gritty, urban ennui that drives me to heavy weekend drinking aboard sunken ships. Yet in the end, what we see is a beautiful show of well-proportioned menswear, luxuriantly spartan at times yet full of colorful, sun-kissed moxie.

"The history of industrial New York and Coney Island, Depression-era photography, aerial views of farmland, stained glass windows, and contemporary art all inspired the balanced and distinctive range of colors and shapes this season."

A rich, well researched source of inspiration, combined with a deeply educated use of color theory, made for a collection that gave rise to ravenous cravings for summer. I mean, if you're starving and cold and there's a single, ripe peach hanging off the branch of an otherwise dead tree, you're going to climb that fucking tree and do whatever it takes to eat that goddamn peach. Well, Mjölk S/S 2011 is rather like that peach. Do your worst, F/W.

You can find more looks, as well as a downloadable press release here on the Mjolk Homme website.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

"Rigor with sensuality" said Donatella of her spring collection, an elektra-fying parade of energetic, Grecian inspired looks that temper the brand's trademark oozing sexiness with a newfound element of aggressive restraint. Donatella has taken her signature diva - flowing mane, fishtail sequin gown and all - and yanked her back from behind into a highly sartorial, well-edited interpretation of the Versace aesthetic.

We've been seeing a lot of designers in Milan this season step out of their comfort zones and take new approaches to their design process. It stands to reason - with the global economy beginning to take a turn for the better, luxury customer bases are more willing to invest in bolder statement pieces. Versace S/S 2011 embraces the bold turquoise and tangerine hues we've been seeing, but contrasted with beautifully tailored high-waisted skirts and cutout jackets in beige and brilliant white. Take a panoramic view of any seaside island village in the Cyclades and you'll find the same palette - white washed concrete houses with orange tiled roofs and churches with turquoise domed naves.

Finally, the Greek key motif seen on many of the looks was a brave move by the designer - some might say it drives the point a little too far home, but we say it's an assertion of the traditional values of the Versace house.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

Images from Style.com

This season, Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi spun an escapist narrative of a different sort from what we heard in New York. Instead of a woodland romp a la Monique Lhuillier and Toni Francesc, Fendi's S/S 2011 girl harked back to a youth of fiery romance and reckless adventure spent under the mediterranean sun.

A distinctly seventies vibe prevailed throughout the runway, with a luscious palette of turquoise, copper, tangerine, and poppy spread across a lively assortment of tunics, caftans, and maxi-dresses. Full of vitality and luxury, the deconstructed silhouettes were made for windswept adventures by the seaside; however, the tone of the collection was less sex and more nostalgia. Each look communicated an individual story or memory with evocative geometries, prints, and colors.

Nostalgia isn't Lagerfeld's strong suit, however this season he showed us just how delicate and emotional his design process can be. Fine microprints, darned floral motifs, and strong yet humble silhouettes expertly communicate the complicated array of emotions brought about through reminiscence. The work of both designers is apparent in the collection, yet neither overshadows the other.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

Images from Style.com

Fashion's final remnants of summer are being packed away in preparation for MBFW SS11. That's it, dear readers. Sidewalk Catwalk's respected reign on the Garment District ends this week.