Project SS18

June 24, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Glenn Martens‘ aesthetic matures and simultaneously evolves into very exciting fields at Y/Project. The designer leaves behind his signature ‘trashiness’ and pulls off his own take on classiness. Delightful shades of beige, olive-green and burgundy emerged down the street runway in gargantuan silhouettes. Extreme layering an draping have always been rooted in Glenn’s style-codes, but never before were they so refined. The clothes were as diverse, as the casting. Literally, every single piece of clothing coming from this collection can be worn in multiple ways, according to your preference. A cotton shirt with disturbing volumes; deconstructed coats and jackets; not-your-average sweatshirts with zippers in the weirdest places. “You really have to make a choice; you have to think about how you want to wear the clothes,” the designer mused after the show.

Collages by Edward Kanarecki (backdrop: a still from Abbas Kiarostami’s film ‘Close Up’).

Men’s / Lemaire SS18

June 23, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

A two-piece band from Berlin named Die Wilde Jagd performed during Lemaire‘s spring-summer 2018 fahion show, which was staged in an industrial garage space. Music, and specifically the one coming from Germany, played an important role for Christophe Lemaire‘s and Sarah Linh Tran‘s creative process this season. In a line of black and navy looks, suddenly a red cotton poplin overshirt emerged. “It’s super minimal,” Christophe said backstage. “I was really driven by all those German bands I loved from the ’70s and early ’80s, like Kraftwerk, this kind of stylish, German, super-normal thing.” Ah! The idea behind the unprecedented red came from “the cover of The Man-Machine. And the all-white look, that oversize zippered blouson and the sneaker boots, is a reference to La Düsseldorf.” Cultural context is all in fashion.

Back to the collection, Lemaire delivers its all time signatures for men, like perfectly tailored blazers, tank-tops for heatwave periods and spring-ready coats. The designers invited Portuguese craftsmen to produce the semi-closed sandals, making your grandpa’s footwear a thing to steal.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s / Family Man. Balenciaga SS18

June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

First thing I had on my mind, while watching Balenciaga‘s spring-summer 2018, was the photo of my dad carrying toddler-me in a park. He was wearing a pair of too big pants, a huge anorak and a quite unflattering knitted sweater. In other words – he looked like a Balenciaga model, who has just walked down the runway in the Bois de Boulogne park.

So what’s Demna Gvasalia up to this season? “There is nothing more beautiful than seeing young dads with their kids,” he said. The designer invited his friends from Zürich (the city of Vetements’ new HQ), who have kids; some models were street-casted a few days before the show in Paris; others where simply teen-aged sons and daughters of creatives, who work at Balenciaga. The idea of tranquility, peace, everyday pleasures like a walk to the park with your kid, appeals to Gvasalia since he ended with his night-life period. Comfort is a keyword this season, as the Balenciaga man simply goes to the suburbs, wearing his fashion-unconscious white shirt, a drapey jacket and bleached jeans. With a Balenciaga bike, of course, nearly sold-out at Colette right now.

Also, this collection is the undisputable peak of ugliness (in case of clothing). However, it’s real. And Demna loves to find inspiration in reality. While last men’s season was all about corporate dressing, this time it’s about the same men, but on the weekends.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Commedia Dell’Arte. Nina Ricci Resort 2018

June 21, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Guillaume Henry is getting better and better with every season at Nina Ricci. The labels’ autumn-winter 2017 collection presented a few months ago was, for me, one of the season’s biggest highlights. Today, we’re seeing the resort 2018 look-book, which is equally exciting. The colours! The silhouettes! The creative director’s main reference was commedia dell’arte – it’s a one-of-a-kind, Nina Ricci take on Harlequin, Pierrot and Columbine. “It’s in my blood to be bourgeois; it’s just a matter of being fun about it,” Henry explained. Indeed – canary-yellow fur coat and bumpy mini-dress, exaggerated volume of shoulders, fluffy pompoms on flats and huge collars bring aristocratic, even theatrical drama. What’s even more impressive about this collection is the way how Guillaume handled the theme. Those Harlequin-inspired shirts and coats don’t look ridiculous, but unbelievably refined. Also, greet the pistachio-green Tambour, a bag resembling a miniature drum. Genius.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Evolving. Koché Resort 2018

June 9, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although emerging designers prefer to stay away from pre-collections, Kristelle Kocher took the ambitious path. Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s the first ever resort collection coming from the Paris-based Koché. We’ve all got used to the label’s remote show venues (like vast public spaces of the French capital or Folies Bergères) that helped Kristelle build and envision her label’s street identity. Kocher’s pre-collection proves that Koché has its design codes that continue to evolve. The idea of streetwear with haute human touch is here for good. But it’s not about your average hoodies, oh no. Expect intricately embellished, yet loose (track)suits; fleecy sweaters made of different gauge yarns; feminine feather inserts and boas clashed with athletic jackets. The look-book is filled with white, black and electric shades of blue and coral red – you can choose toned or daring, according to your mood.