California

The Row Stores

| Design & Culture by Ed

There’s quite a lot of The Row on the journal this week. Blame it on Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen‘s universe, which is so, so… perfect. Their Los Angeles and New York stores aren’t any news, but posting about them is pure pleasure. Getting the details right is pretty much a full-time occupation for the Olsens. You know that from seeing their collections, for both, women and men. You realize it even more once you see (or are lucky enough to visit) their store interiors. In Los Angeles, the space unfolds at ground level in a personal, quiet way, where one minute you can’t tear your eyes away from a cashmere robe, only to have some exquisite chair begging for your attention the next. As Ashley put it in her own words for Vogue, “in Los Angeles, it’s all about mid-century homes and growing up, it was glass and water and trees.” They opened their second store in New York, the city where the designers are based. Having lived in New York now for 12 years, the Olsens wanted the store to very much feel like a home. Located in a townhouse, with a Jean Michel Basquiat canvas on the wall for instance, it’s a sort of dream-house filled with the finest garments. Induldge yourself in all this The Row goodness by scrolling down to the stores’ images…

8440 Melrose Place / Los Angeles

17 East 71st Street / New York

All photos courtesy of The Row.

 

Men’s – Malibu. Saint Laurent SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Like other fashion shows presented in far flung destinations this month, Saint Laurent‘s spring-summer 2020 collection for the boys (and resort 2020 for the girls) had its ups and downs. Ups: the runway’s spectacular venue, which was an ebonized boardwalk runway atop a Malibu beach, against a stormy horizon. Keanu Reeves sat front row. Anthony Vaccarello‘s ideology behind the collection, which well related to Yves Saint Laurent. The starting point for the collection was Marrakech in the ’70s (Yves’ ultimate favourite place to visit) reimagined as 21st-century Los Angeles, a city that resides on Vaccarello’s own emotional landscape. While that’s some geographical leap, it’s not an unimaginable one; both locations have that certain bohemian, free-spirited, almost mystical escape. “You come to L.A. for vacation,” Vaccarello said. “You can disconnect from the rest of the world.” And finally, Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones musician gave Vaccarello access to his vintage Saint Laurent, for inspiration. Yes, it all sounds dreamy. But again, the problem of clothes hits – they seem to lose their priority in such events. Except for the abrupt comeback of super-wide, super-fluid pants (in gauzy knit or a crushed pleated silk), billowing and flowing from a high and often belted waist, there was barely anything exciting about this rock & roll-ish wardrobe. It all was a remake of Hedi Slimane-era YSL. And I guess you really need that Malibu heat to grasp the essence of this collection, and not only the imagery.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Cool As Usual. The Elder Statesman Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

Greg Chait‘s The Elder Statesman look is signature: a tie-dye top, a slip-dress, a knit (and not just any knit, but a cashmere, hand-woven sweater of the fleeciest texture). Sounds like today’s trendiest street style? Well, Chait was much, much ahead of the fashion crowd when he revived this Calfiornian, dreamy look. The Elder Statesman’s recent collections have touched on topics like self-realization and talismans, which got the designer thinking about life and the fine line between “darkness and light“. “I realized, it’s really like a game,” he said during the New York presentation of his resort 2020 collection. So he dove into how games simulate life, for better or for worse, from Saga and Nintendo circa the ’90s to ancient Indian board games like Snakes and Ladders and Pachisi. This resulted in the silk checkerboard prints, the crewnecks with jacquard stars and gaming symbols, and the very bold color palette. He didn’t go to literal for the theme, and in overall this is a laid-back, cool The Elder Statesman wardrobe we all need.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Journey Goes On. The Elder Statesman AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Greg Chait continues to evolve creatively with The Elder Statesman, expanding the brand with new additions. While the softest cashmere sweater is a forever signature of this L.A. brand, Chait lets in even more of eclectic, charming craftsmanship. Adam Shrewsbury’s talismanic doodles illustrate the jackets and knits, while North Carolinian denim is washed in tie-dye (just like all the robes that are made from, yes, silk and cashmere). The collection is distinctly laid-back: the styling feels intuitive , while the model’s ecstatically comforted look says it all. I’m always in awe of The Elder Statesman and it’s impressive attention to quality. And it’s even more exciting to see Chait taking his brand even further, for a journey that isn’t over any time soon.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Mondo Mondo

| Design & Culture by Ed

Mondo Mondo is a jewelry and fragrance label based in Los Angeles. The brand provides a visual and sensual world inspired by archaic wonders and baroque ornamentation – there’s nothing simple about it, that’s for sure. Mondo Mondo, a name chosen for its cinematic undertones,  utilizes the ancient art of storytelling to guide the designs. Intrinsically archetypal, Natasha Ghosn’s pieces become both personal and universal. Whether it’s a heart pendant, ‘Soleil’ earrings with rhinestone chains or (my favourite) ‘Friend’ ring in sterling, there’s something magical about those made to order goodies. The fragrance line by Ghosn is equally elusive, yet appealing. The descriptions of the six perfumes make you dream. I Like You In Velvet is summed in the following way: “in an iridescent cloud of iris and carrots I found my expression. Silk gloves, lipstick wax, silver like the movies. Ballet, jazz, and modern dance, too.” Then, we’ve got the greenish Cowboy. “Here the spirit of the Cowboy is represented as The Fool in this unisex fragrance. He is free, naive, and fearless. You can find him sleeping peacefully under the stars.” Tobacco, leather and grass combined with honeysuckle and coffee must be some sort of nasal ecstasy. Would love to try each of them, but the brand sadly doesn’t ship alcohol-based products to Europe. Still, whether you’re in USA or not, check out Mondo Mondo’s site for more!