Experimental Dandy. Hillier Bartley SS18

September 22, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sometimes, even the most costly production of a fashion show can’t be compared to one single look coming straight out of a silent look-book. In this case, I mean Hillier Bartley‘s beige tuxedo look. The jacket with shoulder-pads was slightly misshaped, giving it a cool, nonchalant manner; the pants were cropped and given a semi-Banana silhouette to keep it equally dandy. Styled with white socks and matching-colour pointy-toe shoes, that might be one of the best (and most striking in its actual simplicity) looks I’ve seen this season.

Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley have introduced their woman as a refined, but off-beat persona, few seasons ago – the story goes on, but this time in incredibly tempting shades of lilac, saucy red and dripping liquid gold. Zebra-patterned velvet frocks and handbags with lots of fringes were another clue of Bartley and Hillier’s love for a decadent kind of chic. The designers, known for rather loosely-fitted garments, seemed to be experimental about the forms of garments in their new collection – that’s why, they topped blazers and pants with fishnet to see how the silhouettes change and evolve. The effect? Bold.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Domesticated Fetishes. Christopher Kane SS18

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christopher Kane‘s spring-summer 2018 collection was an exercise in what’s domesticated, what’s fetishistic. The designer, who never disapoints in creating some of the most unorthodox fashion statements, had a story on his mind. A story of a pristine lady, very proper and neat, a 100% perfectionist, who has an emotional breakdown. Her life is domesticated, but she feels a need for sexual freedom – after all, she’s not that innocent. From elegant, 40s housecoats to desultory dusters, the inspirations behind Kane’s new collection span from absolutely refined couture-detailing to the most common household objects. The collection was not only a daring stance on sexuality found in day-to-day fetishes, but also a nod to British class boundaries that have affected women for centuries. It’s as if a housewive went bad, very bad, and fell an affection for flirty satin and lace lingerie. And she has certainly put her hands on John Kacere‘s coffee-book, that probably counted as the dirtiest gift given from her husband’s boss. The artist, whose artworks were developed as prints for Christopher’s dresses and t-shirts, almost solely devoted himself to idealized depictions of the female body (sometimes in lingerie, sometimes not). That’s a naughty tale, indeed.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Rough and Sweet. Marques Almeida SS18

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Roughness and sweetness collide in today’s femininity, and that was quite clearly shown in Marques Almeida spring-summer 2018 collection. The designers were intrigued in womanhood and its many faces, that’s why their show embraced many personalities. Dolly Parton’s song were on the soundtrack, so no wonder why Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida focused on the all-American classic: denim. From re-invented Texan Tuxedos to torn-up trousers, there were many options to choose from. Dolly Parton is woman to love and respect for many reasons. So did the designers think of Joan of Arc. The metallic gilets (worn over pink smocks) and armour-like total-looks were the main, smartly played nods to her powerful appearance that definitely fell into the first camp – roughness. But if you really think of a 2017 woman, the extra-large shoulder bags are here to support on daily-basis. Nicely covered in floral jacquard, they are both practical and pretty.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Chavs and Checks. Burberry AW17

September 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

There’s a new, very common tendency in fashion for speeding up the sales. While in the past, that was done by launching a new perfume, today, it’s making the clothes feel Vetements (with some smaller or bigger alternations). In case of Burberry, Christopher Bailey‘s strategy was to pin-up that popularly over-sized, ‘I don’t care how I look’ style to the brand’s biggest heritage – the Burberry check – that lately wasn’t a top-seller. The bootleg power has its impact, after all, and as the current consumer fancies looking cheap, that’s a very, very good shot.

Following the successful recipe of many brands, Bailey invited the ‘cool pack’ to collaborate in the new season. So we’ve got Gosha Rubchinskiy, who has already presented a glimpse of the Burberry collab in his recent menswear collection that took place last June in Saint Petersburg. The Russian photographer, known for capturing the post-Soviet skate youth and rave scene, also contributed to Burberry’s photography exhibition, ‘Here We Are‘, curated by Alasdair McLellan. But back to the clothes: not that the overall collection was bad. Quite opposite – it was one of the best Burberry collections in a while. Lots of heavy knitwear worn over sheer dresses (lovely, rustical mood of Scottish highlands); PVC jackets in pastel pink; and of course, checks covering everything from coats to the ‘chav’ inspired caps. The effect? Sure, I took out my well-forgotten, beige scarf for a walk. Looked at it with a ‘fresh’ eye. But if taking a closer look at that Gosha-coolness of this collection, Burberry’s new-season directions says as follows: ‘desperate’.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Singular. Gareth Pugh SS18

September 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Gareth Pugh‘s spring-summer 2018 look-book (the designer has ditched the runway to focus on fashion, not the frame around it) is one of those incredible, but underrated collections, which you’ve got to digest after seeing first. It was a literal explosion of forms and silhouettes, whether we’re speaking of the red column gowns or cage-like armours that resembled a surreal, outer-skeleton. It’s a season of colour, but none of the designers used red in such a furious way. Those red-splattered garments (they hardly can be called regular ‘clothes’) were as equally dynamic as the fire print that covered the dresses. My favourite part of this collection is definitely the crinkled, metallic story. The effect? As if Gareth dripped the body in liquid gold and let it dry. Or simply packed it in shiny wrapping paper. But of course it was much more complex than that! The collection itself isn’t everything that Pugh has in offer this season. Together with the visionary photographer, Nick Knight, the designer directed a thrilling visual that could easily be called a very hi-tech horror with emphasis put on jaw-dripping clothing. Note, it’s very NSFW.