Runway Bonanza Part 1: J.Mendel

In the interest of starting things off on the right foot, my first few posts will review my favorite Spring 2010 collections. First up: J.Mendel.

J.Mendel is a perennial favorite of mine. Giles Mendel, the furrier/ready-to-wear label's current head designer, obviously knows how to work a pelt but he also reliably turns out subtly interesting sportswear. And that's not even mentioning the gorgeous evening gowns. Spring 2010 was no exception: Giles had me from the first look, this palest-pink mini dress.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

The little gathers at the front side of the waist are lovely, creating a subtle, petal-like shape through the hip. Up top, the asymmetric, overlapping straps and the shape of the tank-ish bodice looks to me like a clever take on the sporty trend this season. It's not overt, of course, but there's some structure there that hints at scuba gear. I thought Mendel's later experiments in what appear to be some kind of panne velvet (or another fabric printed to look like) were successful as well. His tricks with jacket cuts were also nice. Here is one such jacket in the velvet:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

You might have to squint to see it on your computer screen, but there's a panel starting at the sleeve in the body of the jacket extending down to the hem and possibly becoming pockets. It's hard to tell on the already waif-y model, but it's bound to be a flattering detail.

The only complaint I could make about this collection were the boring (or maybe it's just me that is sick of them) oversized chiffon rosettes on much of the eveningwear. However, this will almost certainly be a hit with his clients, so you can't really fault Mendel for their inclusion. Two other eveningwear pieces were just dreamy and more than made up for the played-out rosettes:






Photos from Style.com (click the images to visit the source).

They're simple and nothing new in terms of cut, sure, but the two-tone chiffon looks fresh and I'm a total sucker for acid yellow, in spite of how difficult it is to wear. Hopefully, starlets will opt for one of these for red carpet events this year. It's a little obvious considering her role on Mad Men and the retro cut, but can't you just picture January Jones in the blue one?

I have to end with this little sheath. I think it's perfect. You could play it sleek, punky, or pretty, and it would be a knockout each time. Want.


Photo from Style.com (click the link to visit the source).