Guest posting...

...over at Barnaby's Blog.
totally rip-shit fashion analysis.
{no more barnaby blog. see original posting below...}

Thursday, September 06, 2007
New York Fashion Week Analysis: the 5th
BY ZEA BARKER

Happy to see that a new spring has come and not so much with the multi-colored print trapeze floofy barely-dresses and not-quite-shirts. They had their place but I feel like I need to dilute heavily with some austere jil sander or something.
So good.
So a little more tailoring.

But let's just say right off, we are in dangerous territory with folks snapping back to preppy fascism.
We have no time for that as a people.

I require tailored sophistication with a little bit of fuck-you. I need a spot of rebellion in the fashion world if nowhere else. Keep those navy blazers, nautica, just print a barcode on the lapel and line the inside with shredded water bottles (see fig. 1). Keep with that fairy-goes-to-secretary-school thing, bcbgmaxazria, just accessorize with aluminum spaghetti strainers to keep out the evil surveillance (see fig. 2).
.............fig. 1....................fig.2.....................fig.3...............

I'm relieved we seem to be tending toward a bit more refinement, but where is the unexpected and poignant? That's my general taste in art, though, long beautiful swathes of near perfection and then a bloody tattooed dude standing around with poop on his head. (The Taste of Tea is an incredible film by Katsuhito Ishii, highly fucking recommended)

Can we find a happy medium between barbie-decided-to-pursue-a-career-in-strumpetry and muffy-mind-you-don't-tread-on-the-little-people taxidermy?

Sophistication is the New Punk Rock.

I would applaud vena cava for their honeycomb and beer can prints. nice palette too. A couple missteps here and there but they get the blue ribbon for the 5th.