Author: Design & Culture by Ed

Colville, The Creative Encounter

| Design & Culture by Ed

August is the moment in fashion to discover brands, or at least, refresh your memory on names you haven’t looked at for a while. Colville isn’t this new on the block, but honestly I haven’t had a look at the label since its debut more a year ago. And I’ve got to tell you one thing: it’s doing more than fine. Co-founded by Molly Molloy, Kristin Forss and Lucinda Chambers (whose Instagram-diary is my must-follow), the London-based brand is independent, off-kilter and too cool for the fashion industry. Colville is the creative encounter between three different minds and three personal points of view. A sum, not a mix. The irregular and the imperfect put-together are integral to the outcome: a collection that’s a sum of pieces, that is eclectic and idiosyncratic. Those are clothes to be worn, cherished, mixed and matched. Clothes that are bold and brave, considered and careful, sensitive and detailed. Clothes that are real: addends to a lasting discourse. As the brand’s manifesto says, Colville pieces can be assembled, disassembled, reassembled, following individual whims. It’s about putting the unexpected together. Not one way to wear it, but as many as there are viewpoints. The autumn-winter 2019 collection is just that: a play with proportions, shapes, prints. Fitting together like an imperfect jigsaw puzzle: clashing colors, unlikely partnerships of textures, a touch of craft, tailoring and flou. From the nomad-kind of layers and winter shawls to grungy-meets-hippie knits and florals, you want to have those garments and make them your reality.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Alix of Bohemia And Its Treasures

| Design & Culture by Ed

How about discovering a new brand this Sunday afternoon? The offspring of an Italian textile legacy and generations of French artists, it was at University in Scotland that Alix Verley-Pietrafesa, inspired by the mid-century Bohemians of Paris and the Bloomsbury Group, picked up a needle and began making clothes by hand. Seeking to create pieces which reflected the free-spirited muses of her studies and facilitated adventure, Alix of Bohemia was born, formally established in London in 2009. The last decade has seen Alix living and working in Europe, Asia and the US. Her far-flung travels, stories, techniques and textiles are the canvas of her collections. Alix currently lives between New York and Mallorca where she sews daily in her Ateliers with her team, producing limited runs, one of a kind pieces and custom commissions by appointment. In 2019 the label opened opened its first store in New York. From patchworked bolero jackets (obsessed!) to gorgeous, vintage-y cotton-voile dresses, Alix of Bohemia is all about a nostalgic, made-with-love feeling. Also, it’s very Anita Pallenberg in the 1970s. Here are some of my favourite pieces from the last (and upcoming resort 2020) collections.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

First (Lemaire) Autumn Dibs

| Design & Culture by Ed

Double-breasted jacket in silk (add a very bright shade of fuchsia to the picture). Belted, soft blouson in canary velvet. The most gorgeous sweater with puffy sleeves. Cropped chino pants in khaki. Over-sized, wool coat with military references behind it. Lemaire‘s first autumn drop is a delicious ‘hello’ to autumn-wardrobe-thinking. Just take a look at my favourites:

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.