Although I adore Dries Van Noten, this new collection feels tired. So many themes at one time, so incoherent. Feathers, satin, brocade, flower, brrr. A Belle Epoque mash with all Van Noten archive collections. Of course, there were some good looks – the dandy girl, the military coats – but it all looked too crap in one collection. Even these velvet shoes which are art didn’t win me over. But because it’s Dries Van Noten, I won’t cross-out this collection off my list.
Sweet love. Pastels. Silent and sexy at the same time. Christophe Lemaire nailed it this season (as usual). The master of Parisian chic told us, how to look stylish with a bit of sex-appeal. Fluffy sweaters showing some nipples, wooden bags in the shape of female breasts, exposure of shoulders – and all layered up by chic capes and warm pencil skirts. If Lemaire’s AW15 would be a dessert, it would taste like macarons from Parisian Laduree patisserie. Or like a chocolate croissant with a cup of coffee. I am simply drooling over the styling, the models and the overall mood – sensual, eponymous and utterly simple. A definition of Parisian woman from Le Marais.
Dadaistic silhouettes. Primitively covered faces. Barefoot. Nudity. Simone Porte Jacquemus continues his “naive” fashion journey, keeping his AW15 the most mature of all. With faces painted by Sebastien Bieniek, which felt very abstract (and creepy), the collection provokes and at the same time shows primitive cuts and simple way of attaching textiles. Explaining that he wanted to capture some of the instinctual feel of being a child, the designer said: “I cut jackets like little kids will do—sometimes the cut is weird, there is just a half top. I like this randomness.” But what does the NSFW dose mean? In my opinion, just like the twirling black hands, it’s a part of some kind conceptual performance which Jacquemus shows off. The whole collection, full of exaggeration and peculiar sex-appeal felt even more artistic and disturbing when you looked at the venue “designed” by Alex de Betak – walls with hole, camping chairs for the guests, dust and a smell of fresh paint. Escapism at its full strength. Although this collection might feel eerie for many, I like it’s elusiveness – it’s magnetising. And, let’s be honest – for a while, we didn’t see any show that was really strange and more than entertaining.
What’s Coperni Femme? Whether or not you accept the conncetion of Copernicus to womenswear, this latest collection from Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant made a strong case for exploiting an idea of pure forms. A bit scientific, a bit cosmic (the name of the label isn’t lying), a bit feminine – Coperni Femme duo’s integration of circles were very literal (disks of leather, suede, and papery metal patched together with “topstitched” crosses). Even the shoes – with these circles! – talked geometry. Also, a lot of genuine ways of wearing the clothes appeared: a detachable ruffled cuff in blue could be “twisted around the wrist, extended up the sleeve, and affixed to the shoulder, or left to dangle like an architectural tail.” Genius.
In the meantime, as winners of ANDAM’s First Collections Prize and among the short list for the LVMH Prize, Meyer and Vaillant already gained the status of new era designers – they think through the future perspective. Although their AW15 clothes look simple at first sight, they are ultra-sophisticated and smart in the detail.
Anthony went to LA and thought it’s right to put Americana into the latest collection. Unfortunately, this collection reminds me of Rodarte’s trashy sequined mini-dresses or Saint Lauren’t rock & roll opulence rather than Vaccarello’s cool allure. The leather dresses were appliqued with metal stars and studs. Except black, we could also spot suede. But in reality, not only this collection didn’t bring anything new – it was a perfect cliche. Anthony, please let Hedi Slimane do the American-inspired thing in Paris. Hopefully, the cliche mood won’t stay for long in here.
Design & Culture by Ed 