Sharpies Rock The Runway. Rodarte S/S 2010 Collection Includes Sharpie Body Art.

Sharpie® markers are fast becoming a truly recognized art medium. Along with the glut of unexpected artful uses as shown on my previous post, And You Thought Sharpies We're For Writing Your Name In Your Underwear, the permanent laundry marker has made its way into the world of Couture.




Pasadena based fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the women behind the brand Rodarte, (and fellow graduates of my alma mater, UC Berkeley) featured their Spring Summer 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection accented with hand drawn tattoos and body art applied with a Sharpie marker to the runway models.

Applying the Sharpie art before the show:






As eerie yellow and green lit dry ice poured from the stage, models emerged clad in the latest Rodarte designs donning what at first looked like tribal tattoos and upon closer inspection- and information- turned out to be Sharpie marker drawings in black.

The runway show:





The drawn-on designs accented the collection beautifully without detracting from it, and were a welcome surprise replacement for what could have been clunky jewelry.











above runway photos Marcio Madeira, close up photos by Don Asby
all other photos courtesy of Rodarte.



above: Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte.
Rodarte

Don't forget to check out :

•And You Thought Sharpies Were For Writing Your Name In Your Underwear

•The Sharpie doodles of Charlotte Mann

See other wonderful uses of Sharpie markers at Sharpie Uncapped

The Easter Bunny Just Threw Up. The 2010 Spring Summer CHANEL Collection.

While I am usually singing the praises of CHANEL, I fear their latest 2010 Spring Sumer Couture collection is making me slightly nauseated.

Pearlized pastel confections walked down the runway donning Minnie Mouse-Meets- Bride of Frankenstein hairdos in the latest Haute Couture Collection from CHANEL.




Looking like sugared Easter eggs on parade, the latest gowns and suits from CHANEL are clad in pastel and silver metallics, accessorized with metallic gold and silver fingerless gloves, shimmery tights, iridescent gauze, pearl laden shoes and lots of futuristic versions of their classic suits.




As always, the clothes are beautifully crafted, the detailing impeccably produced, but I fear this particular collection is a bit too sweet for my taste. The pale pinks, peaches, greens, lavendar, baby blues and yellows look like butter mints and it makes me long for the austere black and white that Chanel is often known for.







As you can see above and below, the skirt has become the skort in many of the designs and the classic tweed jackets have taken on metallic buttons and ornate detailing that is similar to fondant.





I do dig the pearl accented metallic boots, though:



and a few of the gown like the one below:


As if having pastel suits and skorts weren't sugary enough, several of the gown and skirts have a frothy meringue effect:






Even the giant bows with their signature camellia in the hair of the models were overkill.



Is that a rotary phone cord?

more:




The Bride and Groom finale:



To see the entire collection visit CHANEL here.

I've sung the praises of CHANEL more often than not:

•From Surf To Snow To Skates & Scooters - THE 2010 CHANEL SPORT COLLECTION

•Lilly Allen & Karl Lagerfeld Introduce The CHANEL COCO COCOON Collection

•The CHANEL Fall 09/10 Haute Couture Collection Debut At the Grand Palais

•Smellavision: New Chanel No.5 Film (quotes, stills, casting and more)

•2008 Chanel Sports Gear For Fashionista Athletes

•The Mobile Chanel Art Exhibit

•CHANEL's New Pavilion in Venice by Zaha Hadid