Men’s – Nightmares and Dreams. Raf Simons AW16

January 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Autumn-winter 2016 is the first collection delivered by Raf Simons since his abrupt departure from Dior. And the anticipation was equal to the success of this collection, which feels like a remix of Simons’ best styles combined with the newest ideas coming straight from his genius mind. David Lynch was the primary point of the collection – the director behind Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet appealed to Raf’s eerie vision from the very beginning – and this collection, shown in a labyrinth venue and presented by disturbingly looking models, had a specific, nightmare-like feeling. Tattered and abbreviated high-school jerseys (the American youth from Detroit and Tulsa has always fascinated the designer) were over-sized and hung out of the deconstructed pea-coats and vests. Moreover, the show invitation mentioned the Elm Street, too – so no wonder why the neon-orange knit made me instantly think of the infamous serial killer from this horror.

To highlight AW16’s sinister, yet elusive mood, Simons called the collection Nightmares and Dreams. “I always like creating beautiful things,” he said, “but it’s interesting when something’s weird, something’s dark. Something goes wrong.” Like the XXL duvet jackets, which the designer openly compared to Martin Margiela’s most iconic creation. Margiela is an important person for Raf and for his career – in reality, it was a Margiela (anti)fashion show that triggered Simons’ interest in entering the fashion industry. “But it was more about how I felt—something so meaningful, so totally from the heart that show, that collection.” Other pieces that caught the standing audience drool over were the Boy Scout uniforms, skinny trousers and layered, white shirts which were tacked under the elongated sweaters in a messy way.

It’s good to see that such a unique talent like Raf Simons hasn’t changed even a bit after a much more corporate brand like Dior – this enigmatic collection represents the identity of this Belgian designer and his creative independence. It feels like Paris re-welcomes Raf Simons with a loud applause after his womenswear affair, even though he had started his men’s fashion in the early 90’s.

Men’s – Structures. Lemaire AW16

January 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christophe Lemaire is the go-to designer for a guy who needs a solid and structured wardrobe of daily essentials. A soft flannel shirt; black shearling jacket; Shetland tweed topcoat; high-waisted denim pants. Also, the two, both elegant and casual, pair of shoes – polished black derbies and white moccasins. Indeed, sometimes the codes of Lemaire need an ease-up – however, if talking of the seasonless must-haves, this supremely French label is always a reliable choice.

Men’s – Power of Recurrence. Gucci AW16

January 19, 2016January 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

You might believe it or not – but I am kind of dissapointed with the recent Gucci collection, designed by Alessandro Michele. I know that lately I was getting over excited about the designer’s latest womenswear outings, which have appealled to me so much – but this autumn-winter 2016 collection is just too predictable. Firstly, the vision of Michele at Gucci is so eccentric, signature-filled and bold that his collections will always look… well, nearly the same. It just feels that the house won’t turn into a new direction and it will always keep that slightly eerie, vintage mood. From one side, it might become an opulent Armani-kind of house, where nothing changes. But from the other side, it means that the brand won’t get influenced by one-season trends. And that’s good, though.

Speaking of recurrence – the best-selling “Gucci bloom” print is still here. The L’Aveugle Par Amour embroideries are back on the denim jackets. The furry, horse-bit Gucci loafers are again on the runway – and I still feel a burning desire for them. The Italian craftsmanship is the right privilege for the house. Even the designer’s muses and favourite films play a role – Kate Bush, David Bowie (there was a beautiful homage paid to him during the show with an embroidered BOWIE varsity jacket) and Twin Peaks keep the eclectic mood. The pieces that highlighted the collection? Male chokers, for which I will never forgive Alessandro; pilgrim dresses for the women’s part; velvet tracksuits with floral embroideries; LA-neighborhood-boys-and-cowboys combo which surprisingly made think of Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent guy. Whether or not this collection feels messy and deja vu, Alessandro Michele can be praised for his stubborn belief in the neo-nostalgic vision. Nevertheless, a fresh breath of air would be just perfect for him.

Men’s – Sailors and The Sea. Prada AW16

January 18, 2016January 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Via Jeanne Damas Instagram

Even though the fashion world seems to be a happy place, Miuccia Prada makes a statement – it’s an industry, where everything is influenced by the world’s problems. The autumn-winter 2015 show is not only about new ideas and new bags – it delves much deeper. Curiosity about other people and about the world the designer lives in made this collection one of the most thoughtful Prada outings ever. “That is what is really interesting,” says she. “What people relate to, what fascinates them, how the fusion of fashion and culture makes people react.” Moreover, Miuccia has openly stated that she was thinking about the immigration, famine and a world-wide pessimism during the design process – and this explains the defining, sailor theme of this collection, which was frequently misinterpreted with Moby Dick’s tale. However, this time Prada takes it in a realistic way.

But a fashion show is about fashion, of course. The menswear part was mesmerizing, considering the clothes and the styling tricks. Most of the looks were topped off with a sailor cap and many of the opening men’s looks were focused on short-sleeved button-up shirts printed with retro-inspired imagery. Deconstructed shirting, printed with Christophe Chemin‘s surreal illustrations, appeared in various forms, like extra packets on tops and additional collars worn over coats. In overall, the men’s wardrobe had a survivor-like manner, noting the bare torsos and unbottoned shirts the models wore, If talking of the womenswear part, Prada delivered beautiful silhouettes for her pre-fall 2016 – the designer’s models like (Natalie Westling, Lineisy Montero and Mica Arganaraz) moved down the runway in woolen tights, ginger leather coats and sleek, midi-lenght dresses. The classy, velvet pumps worn with socks looked, as usual, unfailing. Summing up, the collection was like a storm among the pretty and calm menswear collections in Milan.

Men’s – Gentler, Masculine Side. No21 AW16

January 18, 2016August 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sunday 17th was a really good day for Alessandro Dell‘AcQua – in the morning, he presented his autumn-winter 2016 collection for men; in the evening, he was at the opening inauguration of N21‘s first, Milanese flagship store, where the industry’s most influential people appeared. The store, located on Via Santo Spirito, perfectly captures Alessandro’s vision at N21 – definitely, the new menswear collection will look good on the hangers next season, too. If talking of the clothes, the designer played with layers and textiles, introducing unexpected, gentle combination of chiffon, macramé lace, crepe de chine and animalier prints. The collection had a signature, laid-back (even grunge!) coolness about it, with those over-sized pockets on khaki hoodies and leopard-print coats. But what truly stole my heart in N21’s winter outing was the shearling story – styled with satin varsity jackets and burgundy polo shirts underneath, they felt slightly decadent and masculine simultaneously. Without much effort, Dell’AcQua knows how to make a guy covet his clothes.