P.S. A matchbox

I haven't posted in ages but I hope this post will make up for my absence.

Anyhow, now that fall collections are all out, I can come back to my season favorite.

Proenza Schouler

The images kind of say it all though contradictorily they don't do this collection justice. L and J (my affectionate nicknames for the two junior geniuses behind this little wonder) have finally given the good girl who knows how to have fun (notice the subtle difference with the stereotypical good girl gone bad) a wardrobe of her own. I think the reason I like this collection so much is not only because, well, it's beautiful, but also because somehow, I feel like these clothes are what I need. To me, this collection holds some teenage angst as well. The leather dress with the simple white shirt, the child-like coats with the thigh-highs, the red lipstick with the messy, unbrushed hair, it's like a girl trying to grow up but stuck right in between childhood and adulthood.

The shoes are bad-ass awesome (I sat staring at a Tommy Ton real-life snapshot of them, hating the girl those Proenza Schouler-ed feet belonged to!). And also a little reminiscent of last season's underwater theme with the curved lines and shiny python stuff.

Youth and freshness are two elements that are difficult to capture and I think L and J (!) have become really good at it. The designs on the dresses at the end were something else. I loved the shiny blues and greens with sequins here and there. The scribbled pants were extremely attention-grabbing in the way their design was so chaotic. The fact these fabrics are always so attractive visually contributes to making that young vibe almost tangible.

The thigh-highs came in and added the perfect amount of sexy (along with those little mid-stomach openings or mesh decolletes). The fact they're put up so skin is seen only when you walk or when your skirt rides up in a certain way makes them less aggressive. I personally associate thigh-highs with a certain in-you-face kind of feeling and here, they're softened into something more innocent. I like that. Very much.

I'm listening to the Kooks' "Matchbox" and coincidentally, that word is perfect for bringing this collection down to,well, one word. A matchbox is filled with matches which make fire, fire being something dangerous. I feel like these clothes are a matchbox on their own. They hide a girl wild enough to go play with fire all neatly contained in a beautiful box. The sliding lid of the box is slightly opened, revealing bits of skin here and there, giving us a glimpse into a chaotic, complex mind... a Proenza Schouler gal.