Paradise, you say? Not quite! You know I love Givenchy, but it’s not unconditional love. The conditions of my affection are proven by the case of their new Resort 2012 printed bags, which they are also using on dresses to slightly less jarring effects (only slightly).
These lavishly ornate patterns remind me of ‘80s Escada, and that is not a compliment. I have incriminating pictures of myself to prove it (I would have most certainly been better off shopping at Contempo, instead of with mom at her “fancy” boutiques!).
I’m all for fun-in-the-sun, wild, bold prints for the summer, but this old-lady scarf motif is just bad. Like a “wearing muumuus on the mainland” kind of bad. The thrashing floral lines, the trompe l’oeil chains, the stars serving as punctuation: this is why the word excess gets a bad rap.
Just don’t do it. Even the small clutch has such an explosion of clashing patterns that it hurts the eyes. Let’s move on to Givenchy’s sleek, chic, underwater-inspired Spring theme and pretend this never happened. Available at Bergdorf Goodman.
Bird of Paradise Clutch, $1,120.
Birds of Paradise Tote, $1,120.