Ask the Critic: Booth Moore
Question: What’s your approach for reviewing a runway collection?
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Moore: I start by looking over my reviews of a designer’s past collection. It helps me remember what he or she did the season before, so I can write about the progression or lack thereof.
When I’m watching the show, I begin by evaluating the production (do the models walk well, are the music and lighting professional?). In New York, Milan and Paris, production values are so high that they don’t detract from the clothes. But in L.A., where there are a lot of fledgling designers, shows can look thrown together. Which is why, rather than shelling out thousands for a runway show (booking space and models, hiring a producer, stylist and publicity firm), some designers would be better off putting that money into the clothes.
I try to understand a designer’s theme or vision, and whether the collection reflects it. Specifically, I focus on cut, color, fit, quality and artistic merit. Are the clothes generally flattering and well tailored to the body? Is the fabric of the quality that you would expect from the designer category, which usually means a single item costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars? Do the colors and textures work together? Are there threads hanging off, is a zipper missing, does a dress look great from the front but stark in the back?
The final piece is the most subjective -- artistic merit. Designers have to walk a fine line between developing a signature style and continuing to reinvent themselves. Giorgio Armani takes risks every season with such wild ideas as harem and stirrup pants. But his shows are frustrating because they stray so far from his original vision of relaxed power dressing for women.
There is nothing wrong with a designer continuing to riff on something that works. Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld riffs on the classic boucle jacket in every collection, but the silhouettes change, along with the mood of the shows.
But for newer designers, it’s important to show range and the ability to surprise. Louis Verdad has been doing sharply tailored separates with a Latin flair for several seasons. I know he has talent, and now I’d like to see him go in a different direction.
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