(Credit for the header image goes to Vogue)

….. only, they’re couturiers at the highest end of the fashion spectrum. Vogue magazine ran a series of articles which detailed the “pairing” of fashion designers who re-made one outfit from the other’s collection.

So far Vogue has printed three installments in the series titled “Take Two”. I hope they continue this series of articles and accompanying videos.

1: House of Margiela (via creative director John Galliano) and Japanese designer Tomo Koziumi

The first installment featured John Galliano, (creative director at Margiela) refashioning a dress from Tomo Koziumi’s collection, and vice versa. Why is the original Margiela a toile, though? Watch this YouTube video and see their processes.

2: House of Valentino (creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli) from Rome and South African designer Thebe Magugu

3: Stella McCartney from London and Shie Lyu from Shanghai and Chengdu (educated at Parson’s in New York).

What I took away from watching these exercises:

1) The designers respected the other’s aesthetic while incorporating their own artistic and fashion outlook.

3) The lesser known couturiers (I hadn’t ever heard of Shie Lyu until now, and I am now a fan) seemed more hands-on with the project. I also loved that Shie used decorative machine stitching on her evening gown (transformation of Stella McCartney’s tailored suit) — don’t we all have those stitches on our machines?

2) Some pieces struck me as being wearable by us everyday people — for example, Thebe Magugu’s original green blanket fabric suit and the refashioned Valentino made into a long cape. The magenta Valentino original with the big sleeves and the refashioned Magugu version are beautiful but belong on the red carpet. What do you think of the others?

4) Big name designers are just like us —- they have to rip apart stuff. I loved it when Thebe Magugu thought lightning would strike him when he undid the Valentino haute couture gown.

5) Last but not least — isn’t this a great project for sewing groups?? Exchange complete outfits with one another and refashion it for yourself. Set up some rules and a timeline and go for it!

See you next time, friends! Stay cool, and stay safe. My state is now a giant oven. ……. Samina