Teen Spirit. Miu Miu SS18

October 5, 2017October 5, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

While at her main line in Milan, Miuccia Prada discussed real heroines and the female gaze through comic-like prints, in Paris she sparked the 80s / 90s teen spirit. Ballerina-length lace dresses, checked lumberjack shirts and college sweaters were like the thrift-shop finds of rebellious students, who are about to spend a night playing in their garage band. But a bit more prettier. That’s precisely something a true Miu Miu girl will fall in love with the next season. I also liked the grunge / prairie girl contrast. But the overall effect is not too sophisticated and rather goes back to Miu Miu’s original roots: those are clothes for a younger audience. What really felt like a ‘moment’ this season was the perfectly balanced model casting: over half of the models were non-Caucasian, which tells one simple thing: yes, it’s possible, fashion industry. Please, take notes from Anita Bitton, the brand’s casting director.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Personal. Céline SS18

October 5, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

In the past, Céline wasn’t the same Céline we know today. In 2017, the label is associated as an epitome of minimal, edgy chic. Actually, Phoebe Philo‘s spring-summer 2018 endeavour was to revive the Céline woman of the 70s, 80s. Those were the pre-Juergen Teller times, when the brand’s campaigns were presenting beige-loving, bourgeoisie ladies whom you would rather see on the crème de la crème of Parisian streets – the Avenue Foch.

Does this woman exist in 2017? Well, she’s rather carrying a croco Birkin, than a Céline plastic tote or, let’s say, orthopedic, rubber sneakers. But for Philo, it wasn’t about trying to do something forced or pretentious. Eccentric, charming, yet nonchalant – those are the words that well define this collection, which has both, an embellished sequin evening dress with a turtleneck and a thick-wool poncho for weekend escapes. “It certainly felt personal“, the designer told the press after her show. She surely meant that the line-up wasn’t meant to be single-themed, but more of an intimate, very elusive vision. Whether in an all-beige suit or a boldly striped gown, carrying a blanket or dressed head-to-toe in white, the Céline woman is definitely not unequivocal in her style choices. Just like fashion in the past that was free of ‘influencers’, all that social media dictatorship and trend rushing. It was about experimenting and having that ‘spark’ in your look. You had it, or not. I fear not everyone will be able to pull off these looks – they really do need that personality, not the wallet. But that’s the reason why Céline stays one of the most sophisticated labels existing today.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Flaws We Need. Balenciaga SS18

October 4, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Demna Gvasalia and irony are two synonyms – and you know what I mean, if you’ve seen at least two Vetements collections in your life. This season, Gvasalia wanted to do more of ‘him’ (that we know from the Zurich-based fashion collective) than dig into the Balenciaga archive. Less Cristobal, more wit and edge, but still with a strong, technical side. Coats with attachable extra sleeves, that in fact can be called a two-in-one at same price; head-to-toe money bill motif all over tea-dresses; charm belts decorated with toruist-friednly Eiffel Tower figurines; peplum tops in pink camo, a combination that sounds and looks so devastating that it’s good. This hilarious collection is a pun topped on another pun. A tongue-in-cheek comment regarding the rush for the senseless, up-and-coming trends. The clash between bad and good taste, being a result of endless street observation of how today’s society dresses. That’s what Gvasalia does best. And it’s even more thrilling to see him doing that very anti-fashion thing at Balenciaga, a fully established brand with stores all over the world. But the list of pieces that catch your eye in this collection is much, much longer. The already cult ‘Knife’ boots kept in a 2000s desktop print (think cheesy sunset or a postcard view of mountains); platform crocs made in collaboration with, yes, Crocs, in the most killing shade of yellow; reversible ‘rain coats’ for handbags; high-heels covered with studs and lots of tartan checks were clear signs that the designer is having an obsession with the punk subculture.

Strangely, or not, but I’m a sucker for those Demna-ish flaws and oddities. I think it’s something the superficial world of fashion needs to be ‘wake’ and relate to today’s world.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Basics. Givenchy SS18

October 3, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

I don’t want to spark a mood of competitiveness, but what Natascha Ramsay-Levi did at Chloé, replacing Clare Waight Keller, and what did the latter do at Givenchy, is just incomparable. I had big hopes that once landing at Givenchy, Waight Keller might leave her boho dresses era behind and go a new path. Well, she did. But her debut collection felt just… boring. Watching it, I felt nothing. Riccardo Tisci’s very printed, pro-millennial and Kardashian-y phase has been completely wiped out (for good), but the new Givenchy feels like Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent, just a bit more ‘proper’ – a bit glam, a bit rock, a bit of ‘French chic’. In overall, you can forget majority of the looks on the next day.

According to Clare, she dived into Hubert de Givenchy’s archives to catch up with the brand’s original roots. There were references to dress silhouettes from 1961 and shades of famous pastel-blue ‘Bettina’ blouse (the ruffle-trimmed piece from 1952 that launched Hubert’s career); the iconic Little Black Dress, worn with a Givenchy tag first in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, was rejuvenated with some pussy-bows and transparent sleeves; the lip motif, that covered mini-skirts, appeared to be also an archive find. But what’s the sense of moulding a collection out of archive codes, if in the end it looks like a line-up of very basic, commercially forward clothes (that don’t differ from many other brands, in fact)? There should be at least a bit the designer’s stamp. Oh, Clare. That was a mild debut. Big hopes for something more ‘authentic’ the next time.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Enigmatic. Comme Des Garçons SS18

October 2, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

As usual, Rei Kawakubo‘s Comme des Garçons leaves it open to your very personal interpretation. Many questions arise, for which no answer will be given in terms of a simplistic ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Why was the collection presented at the Brutalist building of Russian embassy in Paris? Why were some of the model’s garments and headpieces featuring Hello Kitty and My Little Pony toys? What was the idea behind clashing Arcimboldo’s 16th century painting with manga? Patchwork, graffiti, accumulation. Childishness, anxiety, volumes. Does Rei even care, you critics and bloggers?