Minimalism. The Row AW17

February 17, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen‘s The Row lead the coat game for autumn-winter 2017. Their newest collection was virtually all about coats, whether we’re speaking of a timeless mac or a floor-sweeping ensemble. We’ve already got used to The Row’s remarkable cashmere and over-sized knits, which rather associated with the term “cozy”. Or flowing silk dresses for summer. But this season felt austere. That was pure minimalism, with no place for romance (heavy Dr. Martens prove that). The level of minimalism which was presented by the Olsen sisters matched Helmut Lang’s and Calvin Klein’s shows in the 90s – and that’s an achievement.

You need to be a great observer to notice those tiny, yet meaningful words embroidered on the shirt’s sleeves. ‘Hope’, ‘dignity’, ‘freedom’ – I doubt this word pool needs much of explanation, noting current political situation in USA. The Row women (like Jamie Bochert, Kristen Owen, Angela Lindvall) marched around the concrete show venue like soldiers, or even, modern-day angels.

Colour Party. Rosie Assoulin AW17

February 16, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Parachute top with ruffled sleeves, ball-skirt in pastel-green, purple total-look made of eye-catchy ‘marble’ fabric, lemon pantsuit, patchworked robe-dress, another blouse with voluminous ruffles, but in red. Yes, you’ve guessed it right – I’m speaking of Rosie Assoulin‘s dreamy wardrobe for autumn-winter 2017 collection. Being New York’s queen of contemporary eveningwear and ‘makes me smile’ everyday essentials, Assoulin invited her guests to a tea-party-kinda presentation, which not only let the editors observe the delightful gowns in motion – it was also an occasion to celebrate the designer’s footwear line. Assoulin was inspired with fancy interiors and those little, meticulously crafted details that make a room look high above the average. That’s why some of the shoe heels reassembled table legs! While other designers get melancholic this season, Rosie’s signature optimism stays for good. But who wouldn’t feel cheerful, wearing one of those floral slip-dresses next autumn?

New York. Proenza Schouler AW17

February 16, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

After announcing a few weeks ago that they will be presenting fashion shows in Paris since the next season, Lazaro Hernandez‘s and Jack McCollough‘s autumn-winter 2017 collection at Proenza Schouler felt like a good-bye. Although the designers say that they will surely come back to New York in the future, this temporary departure might be a fist hit for NYFW: Proenza Schouler is (or rather was) one of the most beloved and talked about brands since its very beginnings.

Changes are coming and the boys are ready for the new chapter. That’s why their latest outing was a classical Proenza Schouler collection, with marvellous coats (the opening look on newcomer Cleo Cwiek is worth drooling over and over again) and layered, body-exposing, pleated dresses. The bracelets were especially intriguing, as their fluid-like form looked sculptural on the models’ hands. PS logo was cut and used as boldly-coloured zippers for the outerwear and clutch bags. Lazaro and Jack tend to say theire creativity is fuelled by the city’s incredible energy – and these clothes will surely become a New Yorker’s (and not only) day-to-day gear.

Curator Chic. Maryam Nassir Zadeh AW17

February 15, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Guggenheim’s basement. Dev Hynes of Blood Orange playing on the keyboard. That must be Maryam Nassir Zadeh‘s runway collection, situated in New York’s art mecca and under the spell of Dev’s magical rhythms. The location and music matter would score another brand such adequate number of Instagram shout-outs, that nobody would actually care about the clothes.

But even though the scenery was truly captivating, Maryam successfully managed to let her clothes steal the spotlight. Although it’s autumn-winter season, Zadeh’s latest outing felt summer-y with bright shades of peach and minimally sultry body-suits. Checked orange skirt took my mind to a Mediterranean coast, while a long-sleeved sheer top was pure sensuality. But there were fur coats and velvet blouses, too. Maryam thrives, consistently creating the wardrobe of a sophisticated, smartly feminine woman. A specific pack of women, spanning from artists to restaurateurs, adore her. I call Nassir Zadeh’s approach ‘modern-day curator chic’ – it’s elegant, but in a daily manner. It’s comfortable, but not slouchy. Women who wear her clothes curate, whether in their creative careers or private lives.

Up to now, it’s my favourite collection of the season. Brilliant.

Tiffany (Not) T. Vaquera AW17

February 15, 2017February 15, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Patric DiCaprio, David Moses, Bryn Taubensee and Claire Sully are the New York-based designers behind Vaquera – an arty, DIY label from the downtown. Brands like Vaquera are the reason why New York Fashion Week is worth it – even though most brands do t-shirts with their logos, some of those hardly commercial labels become food for brain. In case of autumn-winter 2017, Vaquera was about dreams and aspirations of America. Chronic yearning for a Tiffany & Co piece among girls was reflected in a “dress” – which, in fact, was an over-sized version of a Tiffany blue pouch with Vaquera & Co written over it (of course in a matching font!). The flag of USA was recut and reshaped to perfectly fit a gown with a few metres long train. Although some of the show’s elements felt quite unclear, like the restaurant’s chef hat (“Why does everybody want to be a chef?” as the show note stated), Vaquera is a brand which subverts reality. Confusion is welcome.