Paris

Hi-Tech Minimalism. Coperni SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Instead of the standard runway show format, Coperni’s Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant hosted a screening of a short film at the Apple store on the Champs Élysées in Paris. Meyer and Vaillant love doing things with a hi-tech twist, and their minimalist line-ups are as sleek as the recently launched iPhone 11. Their ‘airplane mode’ symbol bag is trending since its debut last season, so there’s no wonder why the couple decided on reproducing the familiar arches in new colours and other leather goods. There was a Bluetooth bow on the waistband of miniskirts. A customer can  scan a jacket’s QR code to find out the fabric’s origins. It’s interesting to see how Coperni plays with technology that surrounds us everyday, even if the result is sometimes too literal. The simplest, least smartphone-inspired pieces impress the most: take the black mini dress with a razor-sharp cut, for instance.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki, photos by Hugo Comte.

Marée Noire. Marine Serre SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Marine Serre‘s spring-summer 2020 collection, entitled Marée Noire (‘black water’, ‘dark tide’ in French), was unapologetically… Marine Serre. It’s really incredible that Serre, whose label is still relatively young and small as for Parisian standards, has such a distinct, signature look, not even mentioning her already cult moon crest print that is a street style classic. Under today’s grey, Parisian sky and in the misty rain, Marine sent down a fierce line-up of models at all ages, races and genders, some pregnant or with their dogs. This was another post-apocalyptic vision of chic according to Serre, which was much more defined and not so over-styled as last season: utilitarian jumpsuits with buckles, over-sized coats in PVC, hour-glass-shaped blazers and jackets, scuba-diving dresses with up-cycled silk scarf inserts (Marine Serre’s another ground-breaking signature, which is all about sustainability). Some of the models looked angry, while the collection’s main accessory – black rubber gloves – bring on some affiliations (serial killers, for instance?). But there was also light in Marine’s dystopian world (well, ours, if things keep on going the way they do now). A number of looks were all about white crotchet knits, there were even floral prints popping on maxi-skirts. Some girls wore towel turbans on their heads, while few skirts and dresses were actual towels as well, but couture-draped (this might be next season’s trend, just take a look at Prada) Maybe these women just took a bath in the previously mentioned, intoxicated, black water? The designer leaves you wondering, which is a rarity in today’s fashion. This was one of the strongest line-ups coming from Marine, consistent and intriguing. That’s a very good start of Paris fashion week.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Ethereal. Mame Kurogouchi SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Hello Paris! First up is Maiko Kurogouchi‘s name-sake label, Mame Kurogouchi, which I really think you should note down and remember for the future. Kurogouchi draws from the technical skills she honed at Issey Miyake and her passion to preserve Japan’s long history of handcraft. There’s a transcendental romanticism and spiritualism to her work, which feels uniquely Japanese in its ties both to nature and centuries-old craft traditions. For spring-summer 2020, the designer based her line-up on a beautiful shade of emerald green, and created floating, multi-layered garments that are couture-level when seen up-close. Floral embroideries were worn with over-sized mesh frocks, skirts were hand knitted and pants had these little, adorable fluffy details. It’s visible that Kurogouchi makes extraordinary fabrics her priority. Just take a glance at the closing look’s jacket, which remind you of some ethereal, jelly-fish-like creature. Can’t wait to see how what’s next for Maiko.

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Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Beautiful Silence. Azzedine Alaïa Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

The maison of Azzedine Alaïa doesn’t shock – which, surprisingly, is a good thing. Since Alaïa passed away, the brand decided not to desperately seek an outside designer who would turn the house upside down. Instead, the label is lead by the studio, which knows the Alaïa craft like no other. For resort 2020, which got released yesterday, we see precise, not-over-the-top, rather minimal garments that look simple in cut, but are the peak of tailoring mastership in fact. I mean, where else will you find a military-inspired jacket which looks this chic? The dresses, forever flattering to the body, are Alaïa classics that never get boring. Also, I really love the high-rise trousers styled with boyish, black shoes. The look-book, shot by Karim Sadli in Alaïa’s 3 Rooms apartments in Le Marais district (Paris’ best kept secret for the fashion insiders when fashion weeks come) is more than pleasing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Alaïa’s Tati

| Design & Culture by Ed

Azzedine Alaïa’s curiosity for exploring all things new and unique is legendary. His wide-ranging interests in art, architecture, music, and global cultures would often bring forward new and unexpected insights into both contemporary dialogue and the tempo of the times. Fashion and art always influenced his approach to couture. So it was not unusual that in 1991, art once again opened another path, expanding the world of Azzedine’s fashion. As always, his eye saw the pulse of the times. Inspired by his friend Julian Schnabel’s paintings, Alaïa was the first to take couture to the street. “It happened thanks to my friend Julian Schnabel, he wanted to make paintings with the vichy check fabric that was in fact the signature emblem of Tati”. Alaïa’s spontaneous and fresh approach to fashion led him to create what would later become a marketing model – collaborations between high fashion and street fashion – appearing for the first time on the Alaïa runway with the Tati collection. As he would later say when asked about the iconic spring-summer 1991 outing, “with Tati I learned many things, another way to look at fashion”. He used the trademark pink and white vichy check print fabric of the popular shopping store TATI, where every day Parisians would hunt for the best bargains. The history of the TATI stores was a part of Paris, part of the life of the city, and a part of his own journey from Tunisia through the working class neighborhoods where the TATI checked pattern could be seen. To join his world of Parisian couture with the streets of Paris was his pride. He would add the black and white and the blue and white patterns, something new for Tati, exclusive to the Alaïa collection, and he would offer his designs to customers at the lowest price in a small collection consisting of a bag, a T shirt, and a pair of espadrilles to be sold at TATI stores. Oh, Alaïa…

La Collection Tati, curated by Olivier Saillard, on view until 05.01.2020 at Association Azzedine Alaïa in Paris.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.