I liked what I saw on the runway for the Jill Stuart Spring Summer 2013 collection, and I both talk about the show and the models. If we’ll see models then, talking about the show I have to say it proposed a women who was a wonderful evolution of the one we had the chance to see the last two seasons, so yes, still romantic and in such a marvelously delicate way, but at the same time capable of proposing a powerfully and captivating charm. The freshly sophisticated yet surprisingly cryptic makeup (mixed with a fantastic clean choice about hair) is somehow one of the keys to get how now more confident and especially enigmatic the Jill Stuart woman is, but still with the romantic part of her crystal clear and… is a woman made of contradictions after all (the way any woman is in fact…), not girlie the way it happened before, but whose seduction is always measured and delicate, transparences too after all follow that same direction. What I loved has been that subtly gloomy part of her too, a mix of marvelous apathy and disarmingly fascinating frailty I found so subtle and at the same time such a powerful and interesting fil rouge, especially ‘cause it proposed itself under the mask of an austerity I found interesting like few others, quite unique in fact. Btw we’ll see some other suggestions talking about the models in the show, so here they are:

++ MARINE DELEEUW (closed)

++ FRANZI MUELLER

++ LARA MULLEN

++ JULIA FRAUCHE

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Show opened by Clarice Vitkauskas (yep, nothing against her, but if you’re asking yourself “Why?” don’t worry, you’re in good company…), but what follows this quite “out of the blue” choice really confirms the multifaceted suggestions I had the chance to mention in the preamble: Franzi Mueller, Marine Deleeuw, Maja Salamon, Karlina Caune, Julia Frauche, Maria Flávia Ferrari, Lara Mullen, Kel Markey and Patrycja Gardygajlo are the first ten models in order of appearance, and as you can see they propose a definitely multicolored yet in fact surprisingly successful vision of the Jill Stuart woman, that as I had the chance to write looks a successful evolution of the one of the last two seasons.

Btw more specifically I have to underline the marvelously diverging suggestions of such a romantically seductive woman, and that Marine in my opinion embodied for the best. I mean, Franzi / Lara and Julia for example expressed for the best some sides of such a more-than-it-may-seem multifaceted collection/show, but the French model, who fabulously closed the show with a marvelous long dress where a pure white and captivating transparences wonderfully mixed proposing such a mesmerizing vision, well, she proposed for the best the Jill Stuart woman, with her indescribable yet enchanting contradictions. I have to underline 1) (in this case repeat it) I still think of Marine as a work in progress at the moment, and 2) these days yes, she powerfully confirmed she’s coming on in leaps and bounds, but she still gives me the impression she’s somehow like a stretched rubber band (yep, I talk about the hard work it clearly comes out she did lately, and her body), but that said… one of the best surprises of these last days.

Back to the show, ok those romantic / captivating vibes, but I have once again to underline how subtly gloomy some sides of this marvelous woman are, and from this point of view two models like Franzi and Lara represented a great choice. Their austere severity covers a quite wide range of suggestions in fact, and they are different after all, but what I’d like to underline is how reliable and solid it is talking about runway and the option it represents for practically any showlist, and then, well, how well those suggestions blend with two body structures definitely different but both very interesting. I personally prefer Franzi from that point of view (not only that one in fact, generally one of my fav models at the moment), but they both represent for the best a unique and powerfully suggestive choice still with a presence quite gentle and capable of proposing a feathery pace on the runway. Talking about Franzi specifically wonderful the first outfit, simply perfect for her, and amazing what came out with the second, where she somehow reinvented a delicately flimsy elegance.

Julia Frauche… we all know her very well, she’s one of the best models talking about runway, such a solid and reliable one in fact, being even outstanding, although in such a delicate way I had the chance to write right few days ago, and… yep, I just wanted to underline how beautiful she looked with this makeup, simply perfect to underline some a-little-underrated sides of her.

PS right: a satin dress worn by Lara Mullen? The result as you can see is surprisingly positive

+ IRIS VAN BERNE

+ MARIA FLÁVIA FERRARI

PATRYCJA GARDYGAJLO

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I had the chance to write about Maria Flavìa quite often these days, always positively, so what else to say?, not a model I actually love, but she’s somehow the best expression of this trio, where Patrycija too embodies for the best a flawless, mature and refined elegance.

Iris? Such a marvelous vision in this show, not the first time it happened, but if her somehow being a “borderline model” may sometimes appear a limit, and with “borderline model” I mean one without an actually well defined identity and in her case still somewhere between a gorgeous woman and a quite lovely fascinating one, well, in this case and with such an outfit the striking yet delicately subtle fascination of the Dutch model looked simply perfect. Really, as she appeared on the runway hers seemed a whisper, and such a marvelously charming one…

MAJA SALAMON

OPHELIE RUPP

TILDA LINDSTAM

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Three models whose fresh reliability was once again confirmed, better, Tilda somehow represents the halfway expression of the Maja / Ophelie duo. Btw even if I may generally not consider Maja my fav of the group, here she looked great, and she marvelously embodied those delicate sides of the collection for the best.

ELZA LUIJENDIJK

ROMEE STRIJD / ROS GEORGIOU

KARLINA CAUNE

CLARICE VITKAUSKAS (OPENED)

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What to say about Elza? I can’t, I can’t be a fan of her, and the harder I try, the less I can. In fact it’s not about a model I don’t like at all, it’s more about… I have some expectations, the ones you have with great and noteworthy models in fact, but she hardly fulfill them, and this show somehow confirmed it once again. I mean, not exactly a unique and unforgettable face, I personally don’t love her, but I think of her as a model capable to embody and transmit some elegant and better “haute couture” vibes for the best and in such a natural and very successful way, always, always as a thing so innate, but… sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes I simply miss something – and this is the case here. I expected another impact, and she didn’t have… btw a model who will hardly disappoint too, and it’s good to underline it.

A model I adore is Romee, but as usual to mention her in this or that show becomes another opportunity to repeat how things change talking about runway: her presence, the attitude, so many things in fact, but she can’t completely convince me, and this show, in theory one of the best places possible for her, well, confirmed all that once again. Btw I still adore her and I can’t wait to see some kind of turning point (I repeat it: talking about runway and runway only), not that I’m actually waiting for it, but… it would be such a welcome and personally pleasing surprise.

Btw I quite liked the presence of two models like Ros and Karlina too, the first one with her reliable inscrutability and the second with a “reliably peculiar” face and mature femininity both represented a interesting choice, two models hardly out of place, and here even significantly appealing.

Yep, to close, Clarice… she opened, and nothing against her, but… if I actually don’t find the wrong choice of models who open and close shows a mortal sin if compared to nonsense decisions about senseless (and most of the times simply irrational and ridiculously empty) exclusives, I have to say I still consider the way a show opens and more specifically spots 1, 2 and 3 of a showlist a good and interesting litmus papar; and if in some cases I’m simply perplexed, well, here we talk about a show marvelously and successfully balanced, but that was opened by a model… yep, right like what happens with exclusives: ok, you decided to open with Clarice, but, really, was it the best and most successful decision possible?

PS just a curiosity: how the heck can you be sure Clarice despite her surname isn’t Lithuanian (for the record she’s Brazilian in fact)? ‘cause right because of that surname she clearly isn’t, “Vitkauskas” in fact would have become “Vitkauskaite”, and the only reason why it remained the same is she was born outside the land of Šakotis…