HC – Eartly Delights. Dior AW15

July 7, 2015July 7, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Eartly Delights – this is how the creative director of Dior, Raf Simons, entitled his haute couture collection. Full of Flemish art references and historic symbols, it is looking far into the future. Here are the three major things worth to know about this truly remarkable collection.

The venue. Raf Simons described the stunning set for Dior’s couture show as part church, part garden, part nightclub in Ibiza. The pointillist-painted panels could have been stained-glass windows or flowers. The purple carpet worked perfectly well as a psychodelic, quite fantastical element. In fact, a hallucinatory vibe penetrated the entire presentation. But the biggest fascination was caused by the pastel shaded melons, which were scattered around the place. Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights clearly appeared in everybody’s mind.

The idea. An ethereal collection but with Simons twist? This collection is just that. “Dior is always a fairy tale, no matter what I’m doing,” Simons said with a laugh, but yesterday’s show had a special magic, which wasn’t moved so intensely by the designer since his arrival to the house. During his backstage moment, Raf also explained the meaning of the title – “Coming out of the austerity of the Second World War, Dior was inspired by something he wasn’t supposed to be inspired by,” he said. “Glamour, excess, too much.” Seventy years later, Raf Simons is coming to the same point: forbidden fruit tastes sweetest. Just like the power of imagination.

The textures. Raf Simons is not only obsessed with today and the past at his namesake brand, but also at Dior. That is why his AW15 couture collection was a fusion of old and new. This is strongly visible in his outerwear – Simons’ dose of his own Belgian heritage into Dior’s referred back to “the Flemish masters and the sculptural drape, the velvety weight that men like Vermeer were able to communicate in paint, their models serenely poised with arms folded” as Tim Blanks translates. A coat/cape hybrid was the result of neoprene, couture embroidery and a fur stole which is all about mixing old with new.

HC – Bertrand Guyon. Schiaparelli AW15

July 6, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Who is Bertrand Guyon? Formerly of Givenchy and Christian Lacroix, Guyon’s most recent post was held at Valentino. And now he is the creative director behind Schiaparelli, succeeding Marco Zanini. As I wrote a year ago when Zanini had his second collection at this historic fashion house, Elsa Schiaparelli legacy and style is so strong and so intense, that it is nearly impossible to lead the brand in symbiosis with her signatures and the designer’s personal style. For his first show, Bertrand and Schiaparelli studio presented a rich in embroideries collection, full of luxury textiles and embellishments. “Midnight velvet dress”, “gold-embroidered brocade suit” – the titles of each look from the brand’s ambassador instagram, Farida Khelfa , sound major. But by looking at all that mind-blowing beauty and craft, I can’t see any Guyon’s identity. More of fur? Sleeker silhouettes? No one knows. However, I am excited what the next season will be like with this mysterious designer. Hopefully its going to be more clear.

HC: Slavic. Valentino SS15

January 31, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Wow. I am moved. Valentino did a collection totally dedicated to Slavic culture and heritage. I definitely see so many Eastern Europpean accents – cubic prints inspired with Marc Chagall; Polish ethno dresses; romantic embroidery; warm and and charming textiles. Chagall, in particular, captivated Maria Grazia and Pierpaolo Piccioli. “He had an incredible life, very hard, but he maintained his optimistic vision,” Piccioli said. The painter’s Belarussian origins provided a leitmotif for the embellishments that are so central to the designers’ aesthetic – bold, but with a toned touch. If talking of romance, Valentino also made hair decorated with real flowers – that was a cherry on the top of the cake. So, a Slavic person, I approve this collection.

HC: In The Garden. Chanel SS15

January 31, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Am I the only one who thinks Karl Lagerfeld starts to be boring? This haute couture collection feels so… without life. The models were all dressed up as gardener wives, wearing ugly, anti-couture boots, widow straw hats and strange silhouettes, which are totally not eye-catchy. Definitely, if not the high retail of bags and cosmetics, the brand would feel some crisis. He claimed the show came to him in an electronic flash. “One morning in bed, I saw it in a second.” Or maybe he had a peek at the archives? SS10? Ring a bell? Same theme – cute dresses and a garden. But, then, the dresses were really cute.

HC: Latex Dreams. Dior SS15

January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons did some crazy latex knee boots with rhinestone crystal inside. Having Allen Jones provoking furniture and art on his mood-board, Raf Simons fused Great Gatsby jumpsuits, 60’s prints and flattering 70’s silhouettes into one, beautiful collection. “My first Couture shows were exercises in understanding the history. The more you understand, the more you see what it can become.” Definitely, Raf is more into couture at Dior… thoses striped tulle skirts are mesmerising! So tribal. The jumpsuits look chic and stylish. And latex shoes which covered the legs made it all a bit eccentric, sexy, flirty.

Photos by Lea Colombo