In a criticism class that I took in college (yes, journalism school includes instruction on being effectively judgmental), we were taught that the best way to review anything is to decide what the artistic goals of the person who created it were, and then evaluate how well those goals were met. That way, the personal taste of the critic takes a back seat to the objective success of the person who created the work, and I shall try to do just that while writing about Herve Leger Fall 2011.
The prospect of reviewing a collection of bandage dresses was a bit puzzling even before the collection debuted earlier today, because it’s sort of like trying to establish the relative merits of your mom’s Thanksgiving turkey – you knew what was coming, you knew what it was going to taste like and getting anything different would have completely collapsed your worldview as you know it. Herve Leger means bandage dresses, whether you like it or not.
And bandage dresses were exactly what we got, in varying lengths and neutral colors, some covered with hardware and others relatively bare. The collection didn’t feel new, but it did feel like the kind of clothing that lots of women will want to wear when they want to go out at night and look hot. The evening gowns in particular were an unexpected highlight; hopefully the brand will explore more opportunities in that silhouette in the future.
Photos via the New York Times.
