Ken's Eye View: Spring/Summer Trends 2022 Part I

Now that I have your attention!!! (LOL!!!)

I don't often post menswear trends for a reason. Over the past several years, things have gone wild and crazy in a way I have difficulty comprehending. While I embrace creativity and I do believe each generation has a right to their own mode of expression, originality for the sake of doing something different has little meaning when it comes to products destined for public consumption. Clothes, especially menswear is first and foremost, a product. If catwalk trends never descend down to the sidewalk, it is a waste of time, money and effort on the part of the designer. After numerous seasons of, what I'd like to call "circus performances" the spring/summer 2022 season of menswear collections finally offered some real clothes my guys wanted to wear. Due to virtual presentations imposed by Covid restrictions, there are no longer any time frames set for individual markets. So designers from all areas of the globe showed in no particular order. My dude dolls actually liked seeing everything at once. And as a result, they put in orders for quite few items, so much so, I decided to spread this trend report over two parts. This, part one, has younger menswear vibe while, part 2 is more classic.

Blues Brothers

We start out with the jeans story because no matter the style, things always look cool when cut from denim. All of these looks are timely as we search for something easy to wear now that everyone is back at work, school and social gatherings. I should point out, my guys were immediately drawn to the GmbH suit. It is a classic look that goes "red carpet" with the simple addition of a double sash. 

For Lamar's suit, I used a silk twill fabric that resembles denim but is much lighter in weight. It is easy to sew, works well with the scale of the doll and falls over the body beautifully. I decided however, not to sew the sashes into the side seams. I wanted the flexibility of turning it back into a classic suit. So the sashes are a separate entity for those special occasions..

The original Zegna trousers and coat were probably cut from a super lightweight merino wool. But it looks so much like washed denim, I decided to do just that...recreate the look using a bit of my dad's worn out jeans. There's nothing extraordinary here, but I liked the idea of an overcoat in washed denim with matching trousers. 

Art Smart

Tie-dye, shibori, hand dyed print, this is the easiest way to walk to the beat of this creative movement. (Don't forget to check our "dolly textiles" posts!) These craft techniques provide a great way to instantly transform an "ordinary" garment into something colorful and really special that can be worn over jeans or shorts!

In the photo, this look created by Deveaux, doesn't appear to be exceptional. But when we really studied it, there were a number of very interesting things happening here. Renauld really liked the idea of a waiter's apron worn over trousers. I was careful not to put too much volume into the apron so that it wouldn't resemble a skirt which is why you see so much of one pant leg. The straight legged trousers and matching apron were cut from a satin finished fine silk. The short sleeved shirt was cut from a shibori print we made awhile back. I will admit that at first, I made a purple tie dyed shirt out of cotton, but the top looked too casual for the dressy trousers. A change of color (and not the fabric) made all the difference. By using a blue tone for the printing, it works perfectly for a summer dressy event.

Color Me Cool

If there is only one trend your guys should be following, it is the idea of wearing lots of bright, refreshing colors! Everything from suits to casual shorts and tops are all color drenched in tart, bright tones. We really did love the Louis Vuitton dip dyed suit, but there simply wasn't enough time to attempt this. Still, we had a little fun.

A silky top and shorts is what Richard is wearing under this cotton broadcloth caban in cheery cherry red. 

And for Jamal, we pulled out his peach toned raw silk suit and added bright blue accessories. 

Havana

Relax, you're in style. The message here is to adapt a "don't worry-be happy" philosophy while styling your guys. Notice the eclectic choice of fabrics either as an accent or a head-to-toe look. Silhouettes are pretty loose from the parkas to the snakeskin printed top and pants.

 

Suiting Up for Summer

And while on the subject of summer suits....again, keep things loose and easy and have lots of fun. We all LOVED Yohji Yamamoto's contrasting suits!

Again, we referred back to one of the textile techniques (transfer of newspaper print onto cotton using a transfer medium) we showed you a while back (First Impressions) to get the newspaper printed fabric. I used a lightweight cotton so that then end result wouldn't get too bulky. 

Local Rock Star

Well....you know this guy. He's the one who totally ignores the seasons, the time of day and whatever else is going on.....and always shows up in leather and sunglasses! LOL. He's a star and he knows it! 

The jacket is a simple boxy jacket cut from faux leather worn over classic trousers in faux leather as well. For the fancy T-shirt, I used a dark silver lurez fabric. It's not sheer like the one in the original outfit, but it still lends itself to that pop star vibe.

The Hunks

Normally I do not do swimwear for the guys. But the girls insisted and I had to create something to show off the body of my new love.....

But before I show him to you, here is Atsushi wearing Dolce et Gabbana briefs and silk shirt. He's wearing the briefest of Speedos and a tiny belt (for fashion purposes only!)  That said, men do wear fashion accessories, so after the chain complete with dog tag, the silver tone watch, why not a belt with lots of little silvery bits as well..

And here he is....star of our show....Rob, the guy I created this theme for. It's not everyday you come across a doll with a 6-pack! His shorts aren't anything special, except for the little metal accent off to one side. I just thought you'd like to take another look at Rob's body. LOL!!!!

We're not finished here. Stay tuned for Part 2. (And yes, Rob will be back as well!)

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Ken's Eye View: Winter 2020 Menswear

The boys are back!!!! It's been awhile since I've presented a menswear report. That is because, for .the last number of seasons, men's fashions have been in a state of anarchy thanks to a transgender movement which does a mashup of mens and womenswear, underwear and outerwear, all rolled together in a clash of color and print. The stately male models have been surpassed by what appears to resemble awkward adolescents and nerdy 20-somethings. All of this is clutter to an eye of this seasoned reporter. But for the Autumn Winter 2020-21 season, me and my dude dolls took a trip to Paris and Milan where we were finally successful in finding a few looks we thought ranged from classically practical to colorfully interesting. 

Full Disclosure. The information for this post was gathered from last January's menswear weeks (pre-Covid days) in France and Italy. The spring/summer 2021 press presentations originally scheduled for this month have been cancelled.

Digital Noise (Milan)

 

Look out for a season of grey skies next Autumn. On center stage: lots of mottled knits, pebbly tweeds and a combination of textured novelty wools, sometimes all in the same garment. We love the grey on grey layering. And please note....pants run the full gamit from skinny jeans to geezer wide legged trousers. Though I didn't have any on hand, a pair of knitted socks would be perfect for making either one of these sweaters with its accessories!

Don't be afraid to mix up your greys and add a touch of aluminum for a subtle spark. Also on trend....great big overcoats worn with skinny, above-the-ankle jeans worn with high topped sneakers....all, of course in a palette of grey.

The Overcoat (Milan)

If you only have time to make your guys one garment, let that be an overcoat. Again, the silhouette for this item is super wide that you take and wrap around the body like a cocoon. Notice how big, round and broad these coats are. The bigger the better! I'm not a big fanof the Jil Sander coat, but this is something you could make that both genders of your dolls can share! In fact, for this report, I did think of duel purpose coats that could be shared amongst all my dolls!

For Zack, we went old school, relying on classic fall fabrics: glen plaids, small checks and tweeds. Zack's coat, a throw back to the glamour days of Humphrey Bogart films, is a simple, double breasted overcoat that wraps around the body and is worn over a funnel neck sweater and wide checked trousers with cuffs. 

An Officer and a Gentleman (Paris)

Very British indeed, my guys loved these coats by the house of Givenchy. Narrow officer's coats are cut from neutral colored wools, each marked with a small slice of velvet. Their worn over  skinny pants paired with knee high boots or moderately wide trousers.

Skin Deep (France)

Looking ahead to leather weather, look for the sheen of leather (or faux leather) to become a major force in monsieur's winter wardrobe. That includes trousers of all widths, super wide overcoats as well as sport jackets.  Black is big but so are dark tones!

Loic loved the look of leather on leather. But instead of replicating this line for line, for him, I opted for a more rock star silhouette. I cut the trousers down to skinny jeans and made those as well as his overcoat out of a really nice faux leather (skai). I must admit, working with skai was much easier to handle and sew than real leather. However, where it comes to finishing....it was a bit of a chore. This is because, normally the seams and details of a leather garment are held down with the help of rubber cement (because you cannot iron the seams shut). Unfortunately, I discovered rubber cement doesn't work well with faux leather! My sewing machine is having issues, otherwise, top-stitching would be the best way to go. 

Livin' Large (Paris)

Seems like every 40 years, menswear takes a stroll down a very wide lane and 2020 is no exception. Woooyoungmi's zoot suits recall the 1940's with long, double breasted jackets and super fluid trousers. Fast forward to Yohji Yamamoto who has been faithful to his 1980's androgynous black suits that swing and sway down the catwalk. We particularly loved that zoot-suit piece of chain swaying all the way down past the knees of his 3 piece suit. They are in black but feel free to use pinstripes, tweeds or an entire gamut of dark tones.

Fur Real (Milan)

As men are now free to experiment with looks once reserved for women, fur (real or faux) will become a major part of a well dressed guy doll's winter wardrobe. And through we love the simple lines of Etro's simple coat, there are many ways to go with this trend. Featured here....a cape slipped over the shoulders of a jeans clad hunk, a triple layered mink coat slipped over a cable knit sweater and kaki trousers and finally--a spotted faux that slinks over the skinniest of pants.

Wild Thang (Paris)

It doesn't stop there. Our "Beasty" brothers are rocking their pop star looks with wild and crazy renditions of faux fox, leopard and monkey fur.  

I'm afraid that Lee got into the girls' closet and sneaked out one of their shaggy furs! (That's ok, the girls are always borrowing from the guys as well!). This is a shaggy faux fur sold at many craft stores. Front, back and sleeves is all the pattern pieces you need to make this hot fashion accessory. 

Again, this is a simple coat slung over a denim jacket and a pair of jeans. It doesn't matter that this isn't a fur coat. What counts is the pattern. In fact, Brad's coat was made from a piece of cotton fabric (quilting square). The right side had a color tone too saturated for what I needed so I turned it around and used the wrong side for a distressed, slightly bleached out effect that compliments the denim.

South of the Border (Milan)

It's colorful without being brash, playful without being resembling costumes... let's take a trip to South America for some fresh ideas. We loved the paisley prints, striped scarf fabrics, the lumberjack plaid topped with leather, the ponchos edged with fringe. These are looks that are very simple to make! 

Renauld loved the combination of plaid and leather. I cut up an old scarf to make his jacket. 

In Living Color (Paris)

This will not be everybody's taste... but it does show how color...vivid, eye popping bright color...is worked into menswear...of all things! Again, the inspiration originate from far reaching cultures. The sun is shining somewhere in the world.

Integrity Toys produced a male doll  (Darius Reid Art of Manliness) dressed in a hot pink suit. Though I ordered the doll (he's at the bottom of this page), I got him nude because I didn't like the suit. And then I saw this suit and decided I would give it a try. It's a simple silhouette with a lot of pockets. I chose a funnel neck as opposed to a mao collar in an effort to simplify things and avoid bulk. Admittedly few of my dolls can pull this off. I did consider pairing the jacket with navy trousers (see below) but it seems to me this is an all or nothing look. I'm still not partial to those patch pockets (the color is already enough). Nonetheless, Lamar was able to work the look in style. 

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Velvet Underground (Milan)

There are no surprises here... just the classic good looks of a velvet suit that has been popping up on red carpets over the last couple years. 

Skinny Dipping (Milan)

First and foremost, the message here is the silhouette... dress jackets and sport coats are slim, long and trace the body. The next thing to notice..the "man purse." 

But for my guy, Kim, I focused on a simple double breasted jacket and slim pants with the startling application of "statement" embroidery. This red carpet look caught my eye and sparked m yinterest. Why not take a simple white suit and treat it as a canvas. When I first saw the original Alexander McQueen suit, I thought I saw a drawing of trees. My original intent was to make the suit and paint on the trees. But after all of the work on the jacket (notched collar, interfacing, buttonhole pockets..) I didn't want to risk making a mistake. The idea came to me to shred braided trim and then add strips of frayed taffeta, both of which were then tacked down to the jacket and dribbles down the pants. A sort of faux embroidery! But before I arrived at this design, I also considered cutting out a motif from a print and stitching to one side of the jacket. Or even adding lace and beads. The possibilities are endless! This was really interesting!!!

Desert Storm (Paris)

Balmain's designer (Olivier Rousteing) must have taken a trip to somewhere in the northern part of Africa. Most of the collection stepped right out of the desert and onto the catwalk with a series of draped looks for men. These are styles that are not easy to wear. However, some of these looks appeared so regal, I couldn't resist making one for the newest member of my doll family, Jean Pierre (IT Darius Reid Art of Manliness). 

I was not sure of the result. So I did this on the cheap using not-so-noble materials...an old T-shirt and a bit of stretch cotton for the foundation of the jacket. I did not have the right tone of dye on hand, so I decided to leave everything in white. For a desert look, my materials made more sense than silk. However, cut from silk and chiffon, this would be a majestic evening wear ensemble. It all starts with a simple, collarless jacket with a "train" (lengths of fabric) gathered and stitched into the shoulder seams. Those trains are then wrapped around the body and tied to the side. It's worn over sarouel pants. These originate from North Africa and the middle east. Fullness is incorporated into the top part of the pants, tapering in to fit over the calves of the legs. (Harem pants, on the contrary, are gathered at the top and at the ankles.) In real life these pants are hard to wear because they often look like loose diapers. But on Jean Pierre I was able to control the amount of fullness which, by the way, is gathered into a stretch waistband. 

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Dolls Eye View: Fall/Winter 2019 Paris Couture

To all my friends here, I apologize for the lull in between posts, but I have been working on a project I know many of you will love. I have been teaching myself to make shoes for my divas! Inasmuch as this is not my area of expertise, I feel the need to take my time to do things right and figure ways to surmount the challenges of creating such tiny objects. When I began this blog, I was a huge fan of "Fashion Doll Shoes." Unfortunately Tarja has not updated it in years (though she is kind enough to leave her tutorials online). And as I combed through all her posts, I noticed that she focused primarily on dolls much bigger than Barbie. So I decided to pick up the torch and focus on 1/6 scale footwear for those dolls' high heeled feet.

I have been making LOTS of shoes! And I have made LOTS of mistakes. And while I will not be putting Fashion Royalty out of business anytime soon, I have made a LOT of progress! I am experimenting with different materials, methods and techniques, the most successful of which, I plan to share with you over a series of tutorials in the very near future.

Even though my dolls are THRILLED to have their own personal "shoe making machine" at their disposal...they have been reminding me it's time to post a new fashion report. So here we go.....

While busy making stilettos and stocking boots, the Haute Couture shows in Paris took place last month. With the exception of a couple of couturiers, I cannot say I was thrilled with much of what I saw. I didn't see the kind of innovation, genius cutting style or fantasy that was once a huge part of this art. Still, we took it as an opportunity to look for ideas for our own creations, so in a few cases, I used the dresses to come up with my own versions. There is very little daywear in couture these days which explains the preponderance of eveningwear and formal gowns.

So Chanel Faux Chanel

Who wears couture daywear? High profile women in the media, CEO of Fortune 500 companies, women who express their power and position, starting with the clothes on their backs! It's a circle of women which is shrinking but nevertheless still in existence. As for our dolls... what brings more jaw drops than Barbie in Chanel!!!

Tailor Made

This sort of pristine dressing permeates straight through to late day cocktail attire where pants and blazers rule. Creating custom tailored blazers for a tiny 12 or 12-1/2 silhouette is a challenge but oh my doesn't our divas look devine when decked out in in a suit!

Fancy Pants

Just because pant suits are expected to dominate winter parties, doesn't mean dolly has to wear the same old boring silhouette. Look for a wide spectrum of pant shapes from slim stovepipes to swash-buckling pleated pants all cut from luxury fabrics and topped with an array of tailored, embroidered, unconventionally cut tops and jackets.

At first when I saw this Armani jacket, I wondered...what's the big deal. But upon close inspection, I discovered what I thought was plaid was actually rows of beaded embroidery. For Grace's jacket, I started out with a micro-boucle fabric, then I added rows of shell beads alternating with silver beads. I kept the jacket itself simple, opting not to add a shawl collar. After all, the story here is really about the beads. Her pants were cut from a heavy silk satin....

Misty Melodies

Personally, this looks more like summer than winter.... but I suppose it's sunny and warm somewhere in the world at any given moment. My girls like the nouveau vintage look and feel to these dresses. From the sassa of the fringed "Gatsby" dress to the simplicity of a sparkly slip dress with its matching satin stole, these are easy glam looks to create for your doll.

Duchess of Diva

Continuing along the above theme, this group has perhaps a bit more sophistication by its cut and regal detailing. Worth noting with both groups..... the trend towards soft pastels or flesh tones, filmy chiffons or tulle, and a little bit of pure luxe like beads and baubles.

Tower Power

The timeless sheath dress remains a regal classic in couture thanks to some interesting draping and asymmetrical effects. My dolls were drawn especially to Elie Saab's velvet gown. Velvet is a fabric we don't see very often. But here, with the way it is wrapped around the body terminating in a partial cape over one arm, we can see this being a hit for winter parties. It's also good to see Antonio Grimaldi's use of color!

 I took some liberties with Iman's dress. When I first looked at the photo, I thought I saw a deep fold over the bust. And that is exactly how I created her dress. The drape was very hard to achieve and for good reason.... it isn't a drape at all.... It is, in fact, a separate piece with what appears to be some sort of flap or "collar." For me, the story of this dress is its asymmetrical line falling from high on the hip to the ankle and a "drape" from just under one bust to the other side of the body. I used China silk for Iman's dress. But here, the lesson learned is.....when the dress is so simple, fabric becomes a major player. A better grade of silk would have yielded the more luxurious look of the original dress!

Bewitched!

Black tulle and re-embroidered lace, these dresses all have a mysterious, almost Agatha Christie haunting aura to them. It's part glamour, part goth, and one hundred percent fabulous!

This is quintessential Hollywood glamour at its best. And...it's a good use for that oversized sequin fabric you might have purchased as well. The actual gown has specks of gold on tulle. But in the photo, all you see are spots reflecting the light. This is a halter neck skinny sheath dress with tiny tuffs of tulle at the neck and on the hips with rows of gathered tulle cascading down to the ankles.

I'm not a huge fan of Dior these days. When I examined this outfit up close, I thought the overall look was more interesting than the actual result. I really did not care so much for the black lace body suit. For Noor's dress, I wanted something edgy but more practical. So I imagined this dress in pieces. Underneath it all is a basic lace slip dress in stretch lace. The collar was attached to the front of the dress afterwards but falls free over the shoulders and in the back. The sleeves are detachable, And she's wearing stretch lace stocking boots. Over it all.. an "apron" of black organza and tulle. At any given point (the after-party for example)  the dress can be disassembled and worn as a very simple party dress!

The Empress

Harking back to the golden age of couture, debutante balls and "Gone with the Wind"  style formal events, the ballgown in all of its glory returns to the stage! From the great big Empress Eugenie gown (with its tulle petticoat underneath) to a dress falling from sumptuous pleats tucked into an embroidered empire waist bodice, this is a regal return to era that made its mark on style.

I had fun with Brie's version of Elie Saab's dress. My fabric (a polyester novelty blend) wasn't as supple as I'd hope to pull off the drape of the bodice but I still loved the result. I decided against cutting a slit for the leg because, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Legs are generally lost under layers of petticoats and, except when the model is walking, the leg would not be showing from under such a full skirt. Since the gown is so simple, I thought to let the tulle petticoat peak out from under the hemline as Brie twirls down the catwalk!

Frou Frou

These are shorter evening looks with lots and lots of ruffles worked in. I'm not really sure what, if any, rapport this has to do with couture, but I included them because they make for nice dolly dresses!

Though I usually love the work of Alexandre Vauthier (who works a lot in ruffled tulle), I was rather disappointed with this particular dress. A stretch dress with a huge flower, is not enough to call it couture for me. Both me and Kimora felt.....half the dress was missing. So even though she thought it was pretty, Kimora gave her dress back to me so that I could elaborate on what was there.

What was a dress for Kimora was a top for Tiah! I added removable long sleeves to her stretch velvet top. I had a straight, wrap skirt out of pink satin. Then I added a drape of peach chiffon just under the flower on the top. And now we're talking couture!!!!!

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