Author: Design & Culture by Ed
Re-Invention. Salvatore Ferragamo Resort 2019
It’s the second season of Salvatore Ferragamo‘s re-invention for Paul Andrew and Guillaume Meilland. The two designers managed to wipe off the dust of the Italian house already back in their brilliant debut collection. Now, the question is – will they thrive? And, will the client return to Ferragamo after the year of oblivion? Well, since Phoebe Philo exited Céline and the customer who wants that kind of luxury won’t stay for Hedi Slimane, they can turn to Andrew and Meilland (as well as to Lemaire and Hermes, but why not give a try to an Italian brand?). Knitwear is offered in the most high quality yarns, meanwhile shirting looks, well, like tailorship perfection. Archival prints were used for plissé silk, and the label’s signature Gancio motif was woven on canvas jacquard. Smart integrity between the past, and now. But, wait – the shoes! That’s Paul’s job mainly. Those burgundy boots in eel skin are gorgeous. “The shoes really dictate a lot at Ferragamo; here they have their own special voice” is how he summed up the footwear line. I think there’s bright future for Ferragamo with these guys.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Playground. Marni Pre-Fall 2018
While Marni‘s Francesco Risso discussed the Dada movement, primitivism and the need for deconstruction in our lives during his pre-fall 2018 presentation for the brand, one thing appeared to be instantly distinct while browsing the new season clothes – the approach that’s far from fashion’s typical ‘bourgeois conventions’. For him, Marni is playful. Francesco’s fascination with children’s intuitive way of learning translates in every single look, and that’s clear if you take a glance at his previous collections as well. From the bear toy necklaces and doll dresses with unfinished trailing threads to hilariously big hats and exaggerated buttons, Risso makes style a playground. But don’t think Marni is overly infantile. No. I perceive it as optimistic, joyously tongue-in-cheek in a way. Even the brand’s new Big Foot sneakers have that sense of humour about them. “Like a kid wearing his dad’s shoes”, the designer noted.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
What’s Hot (14.6.18)
Polish Jazz. MISBHV SS19
For a moment, let’s switch from resort look-books and New York’s off-the-schedule runways to Warsaw’s socrealist icon – Palace of Culture. Few days ago, Natalia Maczek and Tomek Wirski did their spring-summer 2019 runway show for the first time in Warsaw. MISBHV stands for so many things: to some, it’s a go-to streetwear label favoured by the big names (Kylie and all). For others, it’s an internationally recognized label that sells in stores among Vetements and Raf Simons. And the other others (like my friends, for instance) know it for great hoodies with intriguing prints.
This season, however, Maczek and Wirski wanted to explore new fields and do something different than usual. Having deep interests in the Polish 50s and 60s, the designers immersed themselves in a theme that doesn’t come up to you instantly when thinking of the brand. Jazz, or rather “Polish Jazz” (as the collection’s name suggests), became the season’s key-point. Moreover, MISBHV invited Rosław Szaybo, the legendary Polish graphic designer (who did album covers for Miles Davis, Janis Joplin and, of course, the cult “Polish Jazz” series) to collaborate on the prints. Blurring the lines between womenswear and menswear, the label’s latest offering includes flowing dresses, over-sized blazers, bike shorts, PVC coats and headscarves (a beautiful nod to Slavic culture!). But there are MISBHV classics as well, like the WARSZAWA print or friendly-to-the-public t-shirts. Polish fashion keeps on evolving, slowly, but it does. And seeing brands like MISBHV having such progress, and executing their visions so well, makes me really proud.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki featuring Wojciech Plewiński’s photograph of Warsaw; Rosław Szaybo’s album covers.
Design & Culture by Ed 