Celinism is Feminism. Celine Pre-Fall’16

May 11, 2016May 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

See it, buy it. But in comparison to other houses which sprint in digital fashion era, Céline chooses to chill, rather than sell one-season-only sweatshirts. The house was the first to decide to show its pre-collection just a week or two before the clothes really hit the stores – and many other brands, like The Row or Proenza Schouler adopted this smart and tactile tactic. Phoebe Philo‘s pre-fall 2016 collection is in fact an introduction to autumn-winter 2016 which was presented back in April, filled with a strong layer game and the what-women-want styling. Loden green tunics / dresses are worn over extremely large velour pants, while pillow-soft handbags and totes are carried around loosely, just like the all-time classics suede coats and mackintoshes. Philo plays with volumes in case of smokings, too, delivering a super French one in a dark burgundy shade. It looks even better on Nirvana Naves, Philo’s currently favourite model.

But when you see the entire collection, you can easily notice that Phoebe is keeping it very settled, even elegant, but with a number of eccentric twists (like the charms and the odd shape of Croissant bag). The reason behind that is not only the fact that this collection will be sold for the next six months in all Céline flagships. It’s also about the woman, who comes back every pre-collection; the pure soul of Céline. Let’s be clear – runways are much more unconventional and edgy, they are the occasions when the designer tries to exceed her comfort zones. But for this, and previous pre-falls, Philo is all about her Célinism – clothes, which are timeless, ageless and are every women’s essentials. Investment pieces, which are empowered by the women who wear them, and likely to be individualised by the way these women love to wear them. Pre-fall is bi-polar, from one side much it’s more feminine, and from the other – masculine. Lastly, it’s full of beauty – from the folklore detailing to the way the leather is stitched and processed in the bags. Perfection?

Collage by me

Cuba. Chanel Resort 2017

May 5, 2016May 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

On Monday, Karl Lagerfeld took his cool ladies, like Tilda Swinton and Carine Roitfeld, to Cuba, and not to the fussy MET Gala filled with cheesy Balmain-gowns and Kim K klan. In fact, everybody thought that Manus x Machina event in New York, and its “galore”, would dim Chanel – but all eyes were on swirling, organza skirts and Stella Tennant’s chic show opening. Dressed in a classy Cubanos smoking, with over-sized collars and pantalons, the monochrome colour palette dynamically evolved into peach-pink and lemon-yellow silhouettes. Floaty dresses, 50s car prints on t-shirts and functional flip-flops – joy and easiness was perceivable along Paseo del Prado, scented with male models’ cigars which were smoked nonchalantly during their walk. Debutante dresses were all about the embroidered, slightly tattered sleeves, showing an homage to Hispanic ruffles which are so popular on the colourful streets of Havana. Even the show venue, a public street, didn’t feel like previous, slightly pretentious resort shows by Chanel – Ibeyi, French-Cuban twin-sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz performed a soulful, temperamental song just at the beginning of the show. By the end, models, guests, Cuban passersby and the designer himself, danced… and it all looked like a cheerful parade of wearble fashion and Latin attitude.

Of course, these clothes will cost their average, Chanel prices – but still, Karl and his team managed to pull it off in a casual way. Showing a Chanel collection on the streets of a communist country might be risky, and in effect look too distant and Euro-posh. But to my surprise, the collection was a laid-back line of carefree styling, without much of pressure on Cuba’s culture and references. Focusing on a diverse casting (big plus for the brand) and relaxed leisurewear, Lagerfeld has effortlessly started the Resort 2017 season – with grace, and in Cuban rythm.

Collage by me

Cashmere Drapes, Reconstructed Dutch. The Row Pre-Fall’16

April 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen streamed their pre-fall 2016 look-book a week ago, with an over 2 month delay in comparison to other brands. However, it’s just in time before these clothes hit the stores, so on the 1st of May. Breaking news: The Row looks like a brand you will desire this autumn, even though I doubt you’re wondering about the next season knits right now. It’s a multi-layered, cashmere covered wonderland of softness and warmth, draped and reconstructed. Ribbed wool pants and dresses are as usual the The Row’s priority pieces, while the jackets with flowing silhouette look as if they were ripped out of a Dutch still-life portrait. There was a kind of elegant delicacy in this collection, too – a milk-white slip dress with a ruffle at the hem worn with a button-down shirt, updated with puffed sleeves. Statuesque, yet light. The slouchy suede shopper bag ranks up high, too, as one of the best accessories of the season.

This Girl. Maryam Nassir Zadeh AW16

March 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Maryam Nassir Zadeh is New York’s favourite among stylish, sophisticated and down-to-earth women. Her boutique, with aesthetically curated brands, and her eponymous, namesake label, are known for an affordable, yet profound approach towards fashion you want to wear everyday. For autumn-winter 2016, Maryam is expanding her line, by continuing the denim obsession – a cool, off-beat pencil skirt, as well as patched 501-style pairs of jeans are about to storm the streets. The Woody Allen women, surrounded with calm neutrals, meets a lifey acid green shade of the pussy-cat bow dress; there is also the strong fur game, from cute teddy-bear jacket to a more “investment” coat in a deep, blue colour. When those clothes are going to arrive to the Lower East Side store, a lot of them will sell quick – for now, we can just try to recreate these looks thanks to Zadeh’s masterful styling tips…

Photography by Ana Kraš, aka @teget

Reflections on Taste. Miu Miu AW16

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although we’ve had the newcomers (Jasmine Sanders, Julia Banas), hot faces of Anna Cleveland and Edie Campbell type, Insta-fames (Gigi and Kendall) and the top-models, so the one-and-only Adriana Lima and Lara Stone, the Miu Miu girls were as nutty as the old ladies you meet on the street, and with whom you wouldn’t truly fancy a date. However, there was something appealing about these girls, wearing layered denim and furniture-tapestry maxi-skirts. As if Miuccia Prada wanted to show the risky, yet very feminine way of dressing, which is based on mixing contrasting, old and slightly cheesy clothes… but out of necessity, and not because of a current trend. Corduroy bombers and denim jackets with lace collars had something of a college girl memoirs – all of the jackets were embroidered with models’ boyfriend name tags. A nod to teenage romance, or a real-life tendency of sharing your wardrobe in a relationship?

But the youthful spirit of Prada’s sister line becomes much more mature, and less likely to feel appealing to a younger clientele. The lilac dress, worn by Lara, had the Cafe Marchesi florals everywhere, while the old-fashioned Jacquard coats and velvet belts smelled with Parisian thrift shops. These clothes are nostalgic and frivolous, and the entire collection questions good-taste. Although it was mostly slammed by the critics, I liked it.

Miu Miu always makes me feel relaxed by the end of the fashion month. With exhaustion in my fingers and a reflective mood on fashion, I am quite happy to announce that it’s the end of the autumn-winter 2016 couverage – uff!