Ripping the Collections: Jay, Part One

This one's going to be tough to write. How many times can we say "OhmiGOD, this is GORGEOUS!" Ever since we started this blog, the one question that people ask the most often is "Did Jeffrey cheat?" but since that has nothing to do with this entry, we'll move on to the second-most-asked question, which is "Which designer had the best runway collection?" The answer has always been the same: Jay.

Are these clothes you're going to see on the average woman? No, not really. Are these forward-thinking, innovative, and inspired, demonstrating an explosive creativity that literally takes our breath away? Oh yes. Two years later and every single garment is still seared in our minds' eyes. We could describe the whole collection without looking at a single picture.

The headphone thing was a little gimmicky but it worked. He chose unconventional-looking models and wisely had each one styled differently according to the outfit.

Let's start the show.

Gorgeous. Jay has a sense of color that we really respond to. It takes a refined eye to dress someone head to toe in different shades of the same color and not have it look boring or even look like it's different shades of the same color. That wrap is stunning and so is that skirt.

This one's okay. It doesn't wow us like most of the rest and it's not as original as most of the rest. Also, the color scheme is so similar to the previous piece that he probably should have put it later in the collection. Beautiful tailoring, though.

This is one of our favorites, maybe because it's one of the most wearable pieces. That skirt is to-die-for, the belt is fierce and the colors in that scarf are gorgeous.

Another highly wearable outfit. Another instance of taking something that's been done to death - the buttons on the vest - and turning it on its side by re-imagining it as little bursts of color. Could have done without the little frilly epaulets, though.

Goddamn breathtaking. Our absolute favorite. This is what we mean about his color sense. You'd think it would be relatively easy to dress someone in all in blue, but how many people could do it this masterfully? Each shade distinct from the others, each shade making a contribution to the whole.

That poncho -- we hate ponchos and crochet isn't something we'd normally consider chic but it's just so beautiful. And the skirt. Again, patchwork isn't something one would consider stylish but Jay is such an artist that he can take something Holly Hobbie and make it look couture. We also love that little peek of sheer fabric under the skirt. It's just a little touch but it adds so much.

This is a stunning piece, although it's probably one of the less original of his pieces. The leggings, the belt and the accessories are what make it pop. Again, we wouldn't have recommended having two pieces in the same color scheme follow each other on the runway, although it appears this was deliberate as each outfit naturally leads to the next: golds to browns to greens to blues. We always roll our eyes at the fashion term "color story" but you know, Jay seems to have taken it literally. There really is a color story.


[Photos: FirstView]


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