Enter Ladies / Alexander Wang

It's a damn good thing that Alexander Wang is so freakin' talented! Otherwise, I'd be shooting jealousy out of my every orifice. This young New Yorker has created some truly remarkable looks over the past three years, and there is no denying his inherent flare for fashion. At only 25 years old, he has quickly become one of the fashion world's best known designers for womenswear. I recently heard the news that he was going to be branching more into menswear, so thought it was an appropriate time to start bridging the gap between the two sexes here on POP. Here are some looks from Wang's 2011 Resort collection that accentuate what makes him one of my favourite designers.

Wang entered the fashion industry as a master of the deconstructed look. With his latest collection, he does nothing to quell this fact. I love the piecey-ness of this skirt!

Another of Wang's trademarks comes from his use of layers. Generally speaking, layers are achieved by combining multiple pieces of clothing to create said look. Wang, however, is a master of creating this highly sought after look using only one piece. The hugely over exaggerated pleating of the pants to the right is exquisite!

Who said that chunky shirts were only okay when guys wear them?? With the 'boyfriend' look becoming much more mainstream this season among the ladies, why not wear something that's oh-so-chunky? I love the high shorts in the look to the right, and the cardigan that they're being paired with. With a more relaxed fitting sweater, an effortless, yet put-together look is created.

For us gentlemen, Wang has introduced his menswear line with some simple tees. I'm usually one to sway toward something more slim fitting, but I find the relaxed baginess of these tees to border on elegance. The spacious fit will also allow for more breathing room during the sweaty summer months. For a full look at Alexander's men's tees, visit his online store.

An Itch For Theatrics

John Galliano dished out some truly inspired pieces... Given, some of the pieces were way over the top, but for the most part, I found this collection quite lovely. There was no lack of visuals or mind benders. Everything that Galliano did pushed so many boundaries, and he seemed to have landed on his feet more often than not! I loved how black and white he was with his inspiration. You could very easily delve into his dark, twisted, and oh-so-creative mind.

Probably my favourite part of this show was the makeup. There was a lot of variety in the looks, and there was also a lot of attention to detail in each of them! The mime-like looks really drew my eyes. It made the look really feel like it was trying to portray an entire feeling and situation, much like the show did as a whole. Check out the brows on the guy to the left! And is the one immediately to the right a guy or a girl? I had to look at the chest to tell!

Galliano brought us some looks that, despite their classic roots, still had a twinge of madness. The look to the right really made me think of Frankenstein's wedding. Hey! Who's to say that the undead don't want to look good too??

These three jackets totally got me off. I love the sheen to the two on the left, and I especially like the patterns that the one in the middle sports. I really feel like I'm starting to develop a fetish for grandma's couch upholstery....

I have a theory that suspenders are coming back in a big way. Just remember to wear them correctly if you're going to. For those slimmer gentlemen, it's more than dandy to wear them with any of your usual pants... But for everyone else, try not to. It may have the unfortunate look of accentuating your 'curviness'. Instead, aim for something like the look above... Use suspenders for their traditional use, which was to wear them to hold up pants that were a little too big. Basically, they should act as a belt.

For the beach savvy gent, here are three summer ready looks! I'm digging the oversized beret. The sheer tank is also great, and would be excellent for those hot summer days. On another note, I can't imagine the tan lines that you'd get from the shorts on the right. Talk about reinventing the skid marks.

I need to get me some! I'm clearly talking about the pants because the guy is a given... It's no secret that I have a thing for dropped crotch pants this season. I especially like the detailing sported around the waist and down the legs.

Once You Pop, You Can't Stop / Pringle of Scotland

Pringle of Scotland are known as the founders of knitwear. Although they may not have been the first line to carry knitted pieces, they were the first to implement them as outerwear. And to this day, they're still rocking the trend. This collection is full of colours, new-age cuts and styles, and chunky sweaters! In short, everything that I love to see in a collection!

Sheer is coming in to play with full force. Choosing a sheer top can be a great way to beat the heat, or even to add another layer without weighing yourself down. It's great to see Pringle playing with this new trend, and mixing it in with something classic. Argyle prints were first designed by Pringle of Scotland, and remain a fashion staple to this day. They've done a fantastic job at bringing some life to the old.

Would it really be a British line without a little Royal Blue? I'm not quite sure about the jacket to the left and how one would wear it, but its intricacy truly is fabulous. Definitely a mind fuck, but in a good way! The overall majesty of both these looks really brings me back to the olden-days or lords and ladies.

I love, love, LOVE these three looks. There have been a lot of 'grandpa' looks from lots of designers this season. Pringle of Scotland has done an excellent job at taking a youthful approach to something that would have otherwise been too old school. The chunky, thrown-together look of the three knitted sweaters really is the highlight of each look. I'm fully enjoying the different hues of blue that were used throughout this collection, as well as the cardigan pieces.

An Eye For Order: Corneliani

This year for Corneliani it's 'Preps on Boats'. Yacht Boats, that is. For me, the orderliness of this collection is what really sells me. Everything from the hair to the shoes (espadrilles, for the most part) belong together. They were made for each other. The palate that was chosen for this collection is comprised mainly of white, black, and other neutrals. There are a few random colours thrown in to really make things POP, but everything seems to be happening for a reason.

My favourite part of this collection was the bags. It seemed that this may have been Sergio Corneliani's (Corneliani's Creative Director) favourite element of the collection as well. Every outfit seemed to have been tailored to the bag. To accentuate it and bring out it's very character. Many hard briefcases have been seen this season, and Corneliani didn't miss out, with the bag to the right. The detailing is exquisite!

Rolls, rolls, rolls! If you're ever looking to add a little flare so your outfit this summer, roll it. And hey! It helps fend off the heat as well. Whether it be pants, shirts, or shorts (as seen in these three looks), you're bound to get a little more spunk out of your wardrobe!

Corneliani did a really swell job piecing their chunkies (yes, that's now a word) with some very other nice pieces. The look on the left follows a very nice motive, and it does so very well! I love that the espadrilles match the dress shirt. This is an excellent example of how to match like a pro. Have different pieces match, but break them up a bit. Doing so with neutrals is usually a safe bet!

Two very nice looks for the office. There were options in this collection both for the professional and the intern, respectively.

The two winning looks from this collection. Okay, so maybe I was off base in a previous post when I bashed bandanas worn around one's neck... I've come to really appreciate this look. But for heaven's sake, when you wear one, wear it right. Take one from Corneliani's books, in other words! I'm not sure if the shorts on the left are meant to be very short and skimpy shorts, or swim trunks... Either way, I love what they're paired with. Chunky and layered on top, and minimalistic on the bottom.

Eye Candy: Moschino

Moschino has always been about classic tailoring. This season, Rossella Jardini, Moschino's creative director, brought a fun, youthful feel to the line. I'd describe this collection as punk meets prep. Jardini has created a truly stunning collision of two extremes, and everything about it is screaming chic! The best thing about this collection was that at least 90% was street-ready. There was also lots of fun variety in the canvas. There were patterns galore as well as colourizing, and all of it was mixed in with the preppy, classic tailoring that Moschino is known for.

I have sooooo many good things to say about this collection, so let's just get the bad things out of the way first off! Ripped jeans should never be made. Ever! Why would I pay any amount of money for damaged goods? If I want a pair of ripped jeans, I'll rip a pair of jeans that I bought a while ago (for their amazing quality) and have since grown weary of. I would NOT pay for a pair of jeans that someone felt the need to destroy. Denim should be loved. Not abused. If you want a pair of jeans that are personalized to you, go and get a pair of raw denim jeans. Take the time to break them in BEFORE washing, then after 6ish months of wear, wash them. Viola! You'll have a stunning pair of jeans that are all you! Naked and Famous make some amazing raw denim jeans!

Now that I'm done with my crazy-person rant, let's talk goooood! I'm finding myself in love with white and coloured jeans this season. They're able to add a lot more to an outfit than traditional navy denim. Plus, they make denim a lot more summer-appropriate! The colour-blocking in the center outfit is exquisite. If you want to aim for something similiar, use solid colours that compliment each other (ie. vibrants with vibrants, pastels with pastels) and stay away from wearing anything else that will distract. Make the colours the focus of the outfit.

The shoes featured in all three of these looks are amazing, as well. Oxfords are huge this year, and it seems that the old saying 'less is more' is not the case. Colour-blocking is making a guest appearance in these shoes. If you can manage to match the colours present in the shoes with the rest of you're outfit, you'll be set!

Moschino's roots come back in these two looks. The classic tailoring is very evident, with both of these gents being ready for a formal event in a second! The white detailing around the lapel on the jacket to the left is stunning. And the colour matching in the look to the right couldn't have been done better. Somehow, both of these looks still manage to come off as more youthful. This is difficult to achieve with classic tailoring, but Moschino does so with seemingly little to no effort!

Enter the modern take on 'formal'. All three looks play with classic tailoring in the most interesting ways. I am fully digging the way that the pattern extends all the way up the guy's outfit in the look to the left, with a jacket breaking it up a bit. And that pink jacket on the guy second from the left could bring life to even the dullest outfit. When wearing very vibrant colours like this, it is important to keep the rest of the outfit to neutrals (ie. white, black, or grey). This will also allow the signature pieces to really POP!

These three looks play with the classic tailoring in the most subtle of ways, with the smidges of colour detailing the edges. What's really fun about what Jardini is doing with these outfits comes from the different colours. This kind of detailing is usually done all in the same colour, or at least the same pallet. Jardini is showing no fear with these looks, however, as she throws splashes of completely opposing colours where they shouldn't be. I'm amazed at how flawlessly she does this. These looks are 100% amazing.

By far my favourite look from this collection! I am absolutely loving the colourizing that is going on. The shirt tries to break up the use of yellow throughout the outfit, but doesn't quite manage. And the 'not quite' is what really sells this look to me! If you're not one to feel confident in colourizing yourself fully, take one from Moschino's books and break it up with a pattern that uses neutrals with the feature colour of your look also present!