Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, September 25, 2015 — 7A
TV REVIEW
HULU
Am I culturally relevant yet?.
LONDON FASHION WEEK RECAP
Burberry was the final show
of this year’s London Fashion
Week, and they did that role
justice. Stakes were high for many
reasons: the star studded front
row, the national Snapchat story
and just the simple fact of it being
Burberry in the heart of London.
The label could not have done a
better job of encompassing every
aspect of what a true fashion
show is.
Burberry CEO Christopher
Bailey, in an interview during the
show, said explicitly that above all
else, it was a show. This was done
in many ways. First, there was the
unbelievable music. A 32-piece
orchestra sat in the center of the
arena playing music for Alison
Moyet while these models walked
down the runway wearing the
latest Burberry looks. Next there
were stars — everywhere. Cara
Delevingne sat in the front row
along with Kate Moss and actor
Benedict Cumberbatch. But
the show wasn’t complete until
world-renowned fashion queen
Anna Wintour walked in to
support the show.
The looks modeled on Monday
were all impeccable. They
had different vibes, but all of
them carried on the traditional
Burberry feel. Whether it was
a soft white lace dress or a dark
black leather jacket, all of the
pieces were finished delicately
and simply allowing for the
typical Burberry class to shine
through.
This show was absolutely
fantastic. From the music to
the people in attendance to
the clothes, Burberry yet again
proved themselves as an absolute
powerhouse brand.
- JULIA DOYLE
Pringle of Scotland remains an
anonymous brand to most of us here
in the States, which comes as such
a pity considering it has the flare,
boldness and eccentricity to comete
with any fashion risk taker.
Some of the key looks were embla-
zoned with structured patterns that
use both shadows and tricks of the
eye to create a living piece of wear-
able art. The colors were very true
to the season — many creams, golds
and whites gave off an ethereal feel
as models strutted down the runway
with a summer glow.
Who said knitwear and crocheted
patterns were for the winter? Prov-
ing to be a huge trend in the spring
and summer collections this year,
Pringle of Scotland was not one to
hold back with the knitted vibes.
Showcasing skirts, dresses and a
tunic or two with the bold pattern —
there’s nothing wrong with bringing
a bit of warmth with you during your
summer holidays.
-MARIAM SHEIKH
Sunday, Sept. 20 was a busy day for
LFW between Topshop and Vivienne
Westwood. With Topshop’s Unique
show bringing back looks from the
’80s with sophisticated twists, com-
bined with Westwood’s societal mes-
sages, it was a fun-filled occasion in
London.
Topshop Unique brought back
quintessential ’80s looks this Sunday.
From bright colors to faux stolls to big
patterns, it felt as though they were
on the set of “Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off.” The designers took this show to
the next level though, and they did so
by adding a twist to what could have
been any ordinary ’80s apparel.
Sexy. Whether that meant an
extremely high slit on a dress, or a
plunging neckline on a blouse, every
look had a sexy and revealing aspect
to it. This allowed for the whole show
to be eye-catching from start to finish.
The show closed out with a series
of lace gowns, continuing on the com-
bination of ’80s and sexy. Each gown
was either embellished with pops
of bright color or finished off with a
discreet yet extremely high slit on the
leg. These gowns were my favorite
looks of the show, as they pulled off
being discreetly sultry with a girly
feel.
I give Topshop an A+ for the execu-
tion of the show. It was trendy and
memorable, combining old looks with
wearable twists. It fit my expecta-
tions for Topshop, of always being a
brand that is ahead of the time but
doing so in a way that allows people to
wear looks straight from the runway.
Vivienne Westwood’s show could
not have been more different from
Topshop’s if it tried. The show itself
didn’t blow me away. Every look
seemed tired, outdated and frankly
bland. I saw it as a try-hard attempt to
push the bar … but a failed one. The
looks seemed simply all over the place.
The single most memorable part
of the show itself was the makeup.
The makeup was the only part that
seemed to work in conjunction with
the clothes well. It had a dark, omi-
nous, look. It complimented the tired
clothes in a way that allowed for the
designers to somewhat reach what I
believe they were going for. But obvi-
ously this is a fashion show, not a
makeup show, so it’s safe to say that I
was disappointed.
Of course this wouldn’t be a true
Vivienne Westwood show if it wasn’t
topped off with some sort of activ-
ist message. Vivienne led a group of
protestors marching together to end
climate change. Westwood was at the
front, speaking on how even activ-
ists downplay the severity of climate
change too much.
I respect Vivienne Westwood for
her attempt to make a change in the
world. But all I have to say is that
there is a time and a place for every-
thing. If she was going to do this, she
should have made sure her clothes
were incredible, because now all any-
one remembers from this show was
her protest. Though I am not entirely
sure that forgetting her looks is a bad
idea …
-JULIA DOYLE
Issa’s Creative Director Jamie
O’Hare proved that the whole “no
wearing white after Labor Day”
myth is in fact just a myth as the
opening looks for ISSA’s SS16 col-
lection were paraded through LFW
in troves of elegant and refreshing
whites. Issa is known to be a brand
that is somewhat more accessible
in design, as well as more readily
available for the everyday person to
work with. Sleek and bold designs
from white jumpsuits to textured
dresses, the theme of this show was
a mix of knitwear-inspired looks
and layered ensembles.
Paired with bold shoes and
accessories, the clothes still man-
aged to stand on their own. O’Hare
took a risk with this collection and
experimented with both crocheted
patterns and different textures.
What could’ve undoubtedly been
seen as a catastrophe of a design
manages to look both posh and tea
party ready — and by that of course
I am referring to his series of lay-
ered dresses, tiered like a perfect
wedding cake.
The collection isn’t all elegance
and grace, however. Issa can have
a bit of grunge and edge to it as
well — with stand-out designs
with plunging necklines — so be
prepared to show off some serious
summer skin. Versatile and accessi-
ble, Issa’s SS16 LFW has something
in it for everyone this season.
-MARIAM SHEIKH
BURBERRY
BURBERRY
TOPSHOP AND VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
ISSA
PRINGLE OF SCTOLAND
PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND
By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK
Daily Arts Writer
There are two types of peo-
ple in the world: those who
love Mindy Kaling and every-
one who’s not
hanging
out
with her.
For
her
fans,
“The
Mindy
Proj-
ect” star, who
first
stepped
onto the TV
scene in “The
Office,”
is
a
sort of magical
hybrid between Amy Schumer
(“Inside Amy Schumer”) and
Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) — an
honest, oversexed pop culture
queen and witty genius. But
for her haters, Kaling is a bit
whiny and self-absorbed — and
judging from her memoirs, “Is
Everyone Hanging Out Without
Me?” and “Why Not Me?” — or
her character’s insistence in
season four that a “Southpark”
pinball machine deserves floor
space over a grand piano, they
have a fair argument.
But despite her mixed recep-
tion among the public, critics
adore her. Kaling was named
in Time Magazine’s “Top 100
Most Influential People” in
2012, as well as one of Glam-
our’s “Women of the Year” for
2014. In 2012, Kaling wrote,
produced and starred in “The
Mindy Project” on FOX, about
an OB/GYN’s personal and pro-
fessional struggles at Shulman
& Associates, a New York City
medical clinic. The show was
an immediate success, winning
the Critic’s Choice Award for
Most Exciting New Series.
It came as a shock when FOX
cancelled the show after its
third season last May. Despite
critical acclaim and Kaling’s
cult-like
following,
viewer-
ship was too low — probably
because Millennials comprise
the show’s core audience, many
of whom prefer not to pay for
cable TV. What 20-somethings
do watch, however, are their
computer screens. So, Hulu’s
adoption of “Mindy Project”
season four, switching the show
from screen to stream, might be
the best thing that’s happened
to Mindy yet.
So far, Hulu doesn’t dis-
appoint. Season four begins
dramatically:
Mindy
Lahiri
(Kaling)
and
her
cowork-
er-boyfriend,
Danny
(Chris
Messina, “Vicky Christina Bar-
celona”), are expecting a child,
but Danny has fled their shared
NYC apartment for India to
confront Mindy’s parents about
his negative feelings toward
marriage.
Meanwhile,
frus-
trated by her boyfriend’s stub-
bornness and abandonment,
Mindy slams down his picture
on their nightstand and falls
asleep alone. But when she
wakes, she finds herself in a
“13 Going On 30”-like dream —
cuddled beside her rich “Real
Housewives”
producer-hus-
band (“My favorite franchise
of shows!”), played by none
other than Joseph Gordon-
Levitt (“Don Jon”).
It gets weirder (or, for Mindy,
more fantastic). After her ini-
tial shock — “Oh no, did I break
into Mariah Carey’s penthouse
and fall asleep again?” — she’s
swept up by her new life, where
her pinball machine is promi-
nently on display and her rela-
‘Mindy Project’ new
season pleasantly odd
A-
Mindy
Project
Season 4
Premiere
Hulu
tionship with Danny is back to
their frenemy-ship of the past.
Though the real Danny has
a less-than-perfect scenario;
Mindy’s
Red
Sox-obsessed
parents have decided that an
arranged marriage is fit for
their daughter, so they enlist
Danny to pick a prospective
husband for Mindy.
Both Mindy’s and Danny’s situ-
ations soon spiral downwards, as
Mindy realizes that she doesn’t
want an open (fantasy) relation-
ship and Danny comes clean about
his relationship with Mindy, sans-
marriage. Still dreaming, Mindy
barges into Danny’s date with
“Slumdog Millionaire” actress
Freida Pinto — to whom she blurts,
“You know, people tell me that
we look so much alike. You must
hear that, too, right?” — hoping
to win him back. She jolts awake,
then the real Danny materializes
beside her, fresh from India with
a surprise.
Where “Mindy Project” shines
is with its whip-smart lines, cut-
ting into the core of pop culture
and tradition. Talk of arranged
marriages intermingles with Red
Sox fandom, and Mindy’s guilt for
cheating on her fantasy husband
is quickly brushed off, as Gordon-
Levitt advocates open relation-
ships and encourages Mindy’s
lingerie line, “slutty girdles for the
sexually active obese.” The quick
banter floats the show, allowing us
to forgive its flaws, like cliché plot
points (i.e., is Mindy really kiss-
ing Danny in the pouring rain?)
and the characters’ overinflated
quirks.
But really. Whether you like
her or not, it’s about time to start
hanging out with Mindy.
Despite her
mixed reception
among the public,
critics adore her.
Like her or not,
it’s about time
to start hanging
out with Mindy.