Paris

Men’s – Close To Nature Wherever You Are. Phipps AW20

| Design & Culture by Ed

The American brand named Phipps might not be the most “Parisian” and “fashion” of them all. But Spencer Phipps seems not to care. More importantly, since starting his label few years ago, he has been seriously devoted to sustainability (before it was “thing” for the industry). This season’s “Treehugger: Tales of the Forest” collection caught everyone by surprise with a collaboration that has to be Smokey Bear. Even the authorities at the U.S. Forest Service were perplexed at first, the designer said. But once the deal was signed, Phipps had decades of archives to riff on: Smokey turned 75 last year. Despite teen-camping nostalgia and authentic lumberjack style  – one of the models was, in fact, a lumberjack! – the designer noted that this collection was “a big step up in terms of luxury.” Placing a concern for nature within the luxury space is a serious challenge. To get there, Phipps said he tried to focus on suiting in a very smart way, sourcing cloth in northern England and paying close attention to details such as linings and buttons. He also used Steiff (the teddy bear brand) materials for sweatshirts and embellishment. “It’s biodegradable, very artisanal, and it has a luxury appeal,” he mentioned. “It’s not faux fur made from plastics. It’s a more traditional way of working.” Another favourite: the forest shaman spirit behind the huge blankets worn as shawls and whimsy, wooden “accessories”. Phipps’ commitment to slow fashion also prompted him to introduce what he’s calling his “gold label” – a range of curated vintage pieces, embellished and elevated to “treasure items” with a stylized gold star or forest ranger patches. That studied mashup included market-found jeans and flannels, heirloom pieces, and even a pair of jeans Phipps’s mom made back in the 1970s. “I’m just focusing on the lifestyle of sustainability. I’m not making you a new plaid shirt because there are so many out there already, and they’re beautiful,” the designer said. If only the big brands got the memo…

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Lanvin 130th Anniversary Capsule

| Design & Culture by Ed

Celebrating its 130th anniversary, Lanvin has created a series of limited edition pieces inspired by its archives. Bruno Sialelli, the promising creative director of the historic maison, has come up with a joyful and mischievous capsule collection to revisit the Parisian fashion house’s heritage. The eveningwear features modern reinterpretations of exceptional pieces from Jeanne Lanvin’s atelier, the footwear is inspired by the iconic and timeless Arpège fragrance bottle of the house, while the apparel is printed with the founder’s drawings. Wearing a blue dress with golden wings, the “Lanvin angel” represented the house during the World’s Fair in New York in 1939, when Jeanne Lanvin presided over. As for the “Mermaid”, the founder presented the multicolored cloak at the international Golden Gate exhibition held in San Francisco in 1939. This is exactly something that the brand missed for a while: celebration of its past.

31 Rue Cambon. Chanel Pre-Fall 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

Virginie Viard takes Chanel to its (at times clichée) codes. Viard titled her Métiers d’Art show “Paris 31 rue Cambon” for the street where Coco Chanel first set up shop as a milliner in 1910 (“Chanel Modes” at Number 21), and where she later expanded her fashion empire to embrace six additional 18th-century buildings, with her legendary haute couture salons at Number 31. The guests sat inside of Coco’s legendary apartment, XXL-scaled and set up in Grand Palais (there was even the famous mirrored staircase). “I adore the apartment,” Viard said backstage, and she evidently found inspiration in this setting where Chanel retreated from the running of her house and entertained friends. The designer described the collection as “the things we like, a mix of Karl and Chanel—the codes.” Of course, comparing to Lagerfeld’s globe-trotting Méters d’Art fairy-tales – think Moscow, Edinburgh, Texas, the Met in New York – seeing Viard show in Paris felt quite unamusing. Nevertheless, the collection was properly Chanel – elegant, refined, refreshingly minimal, yet far from modesty. The pre-fall collections of Chanel showcase the incredible work of the luxury suppliers of the fashion industry – embroiderers, feather and artificial flower makers, milliners, custom shoemakers – many of which Chanel has acquired to keep them operational and the skills alive. Viard, who directed the Chanel studio under Lagerfeld for decades, has a fine appreciation of what these ateliers are capable of. A bolero jacket with broad feathers overprinted with a shadowy pattern of Chanel’s iconic camellias; a feather blazer worked into a subtle trompe l’oeil plaid; eveningwear kept in the most gorgeous, sorbet ombré colour palette… delightful. Viard proves once again that her Chanel takes a slower approach, one that cherishes the timeless classics and the artisan work. Less Instagram moments, more beauty in the details.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Wise Layering. Givenchy Pre-Fall 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

Utility, tailoring, glamour, chic – Clare Waight Keller‘s pre-fall 2020 collection for Givenchy has it all. One of Waight Keller’s strengths has always been her woman’s understanding of “lived” fashion – the wisdom accumulated by a designer who has to make sense of her own wardrobe, 24/7. Endless round of packing, traveling, and quick changes of clothes is familiar to every woman who has a professional life (and not only). In this collection, she’s taken an intelligent approach to tackling the silliness of one-wear evening dressing by suggesting, for example, how a very French, Givenchy-esque black dress with gold buttons on one shoulder can be worn over a pair of tuxedo pants. Or again, how those same trousers can go under a short, strapless tailored dress to create a chic tunic look. Other than the “smartness” behind the line-up, the designer took some first steps towards an enviroinment-focused approach for Givenchy. The collection uses permeable fabrics, some of which are organic and recycled. Sustainability is “very much top of mind” for her. One of the ways she’s tackling the issue is by aiming to build more versatility and longevity into her collections. “We need to wear our clothes for longer. It’s the throwaway aspect [of fashion] which is destructive. So the thought process, particularly in women’s, is to have a quieter sense of permanence. And I like the idea that so many of the pieces can be relayered.” In case of this one particular collection, the mission is well completed.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Between Morocco and California. Saint Laurent Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

The theme behind Anthony Vaccarello‘s resort 2020 line-up for Saint Laurent is parallel to his spring-summer menswear show staged on one of Malibu’s beaches. For both, Vaccarello had been thinking about how Morocco’s glittering hippie/boho enclaves of the late ’60s and early ’70s (distinctly Yves) are mirrored by the today’s free-spirited California. So, a black velvet smoking jacket, worn with a long black leather skirt with a fastening running down its front; a gold sequin lace camisole with white jeans; a pleated lurex skirt styled with boots, a barely-there tank-top and a big, heavy pendant… in terms of fashion, there’s nothing innovative (or even fresh) in Vaccarello’s “day-to-day” vision of a wardrobe. It nods to Yves’ eternal chic, yes, feels very California, yes, but in the end it still  looks like Hedi Slimane’s work for the house from the (not so distant) past. Really, how do clients choose between a denim, maxi-lenght skirt from Slimane’s Celine offering, and a nearly identical one with a Saint Laurent tag?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.