Narciso Rodriquez Fall 2004 Collection	Narciso Rodriguez's expertly constructed and often severely stark silhouettes, were softened and made more sensual as he wrapped satin ribbons and seams around the body to accentuate the woman without losing and ignoring the character or seriousness of his devotees. Two looks, a sporty athletic zip front jacket topped off a circle skirt or alternately layers of ruffles on a chiffon dress. His addition of a no-nonsense halter neck and sheer long sleeve white top to a black dress with a simple ruffle hem adds to this theme. Luella Bartley, the British designer who incorporates boy-girl looks in every collection, chose to play with Brit Boho themes this season, in and of itself a contradiction in elements. A boyish loose jacket with tiny ruffle detailing and boots over slouchy pants or a soft blouse and tomboyish trousers paired with eye-catching oxford shoes or wellies contradicted anything feminine, frilly and tea time-ladylike. Designers Zac Posen and Derek Lam also played with boy-girl proportions in their highly regarded collections mixing up boyish sweaters and shorts with luxurious fabrics, colors and feminine detailing.
	Milan _______________________ As the fall collections wrapped up in Milan, Miuccia Prada continued her exploration of Cyber prints and 50s silhouettes, mixing up masculine tailored pants, chunky manly oxfords with glittering embellished coats. An oversized cable knit tie dye sweater, with a ladylike 3/4 sleeve 50s' style coat and jewel encrusted belt cinching the waist, embodied layers of influences and themes for modern day dressing. Tom Ford's final collection for Gucci was a capsule of all Ford has seen as sexy and strong, arrogant and sensual, in the Gucci woman. Models with smoked out darkened eyes, pale lips and slicked back hair looked predatory as Ford cut silhouettes close to the body, slim skirts, jackets and gowns, using strips of luxe fabrics, leathers and relentless attention to detail in clothing structure, (refined during his time working with YSL Rive Gauche), to emphasize the female curves breast to derriere.
Gaultier Spring 2003 Collection	Lesbian images, have been traditionally butch or hetero-butch-feminist of women in men's clothing, exhibiting men's gender traits or women prepossessed in the male fantasy of lipstick lesbian sexuality. Fashion's relationship to sexuality is evolving from its soft core pornographic exploration of fetish, S&M, nudity and lesbian attraction, to embrace an ambiguous characterizing of female sexiness. As Paris comes to a close, Lagerfeld’s Chanel collection was a lesson in the boy girl imagery and aesthetic, carrying over from the subtle suggestions of Chanel Couture. Kawakubo at Comme des Garcons also used variations on the masculine feminine combination. A woman secure and confident in her sexuality and appearance is neither totally butch, nor totally frilly and femme. What is modern and fresh is mixing and synthesizing the traditional masculine elements of severity, tailoring and cut with feminine frills found in the softness and sparkle of chiffon, sequins, high heels and lip gloss.
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