This still feels like a nightmare. But it’s the sad reality. Will anyone ever do chic again. Models in Azzedine Alaïa‘ dresses outside one of the designer’s show in 1986. Joy, confidence, love.
Alaia in 1986
Paris
Au Revoir, Azzedine.
The artist, the couturier, the artist. He was and forever will be a remarkable technician of cut, a great explorer of materials, more than dress sculptor than a ready-to-wear designer. He didn’t care about the hectic fashion week schedule; trends; conventions behind leading a luxury fashion brand. The father to supermodels, friend of real musicians. A Tunisian who bewitched Paris forever. I feel so blessed that I saw him, even for those two seconds, at his studio / boutique on rue de Moussy, few years ago. With him, fashion is not clothes – it’s emotions.
That’s Azzedine Alaïa. Forever in my heart.
Tongue in Cheek. Balenciaga Resort 2018
Balenciaga‘s current top place in the ranking of luxury top-sellers proves one thing – Demna Gvasalia‘s kitsch chic and trasy aesthetic is what a rich consumer likes in 2017. There’s no wonder why the Georgian designer’s resort 2018 for the French maison is a smart move of establishing classics out from previous seasons’ cult pieces: pantashoes and voluminous duvet jackets in new colours, the car mat skirt appears again, the logo fur stole keeps on popping throughout the entire look-book. Those are the pieces that sell and relate the most to Balenciaga clients. Is it bad to ‘repeat’? No, it’s a pre-collection that has to sell. Still, for those, who are still thirsty for newness, the season’s edition of XXL bazaar bags hits the total irony spot. The tourist postcard print is insane, it’s precisely what the fashion world hasn’t beautified yet. Bags coming from different capitals! Paris, London, Tokyo… I also thought the luxe hair scrunchies and plastic, grape-shaped earrings are hilarious.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
So Phoebe. Céline Resort 2018
The rumours of Phoebe Philo leaving Céline are slowly, slowly becoming a fact. Let’s have a moment for pause.
It’s still not clear, whether spring-summer 2018 was Philo’s last collection for the house. But the resort 2018 is a prove that ‘Célinism’ is a self-reliant, important fashion term on its own rights. It’s a kind of secular belief in terms of aesthetical expression . What does it mean? Sensual sophistication (the dresses with lace inserts). Timeless and seasonless items (the trench coat; the big bag). Empowering (over-sized suits). Women, who trusted – and will continue to trust – Phoebe know the principles of Célinism very well.
P.s. I really feel sorry for the designer, who will take her place. What a great challenge will it be to do something ‘better’? And not just to prolong her minimalist trademark? For now, it’s whispered that Philo is heading to Burberry, where Christopher Bailey has departed yesterday after a 17-year-long tenure. If that’s true – we will follow.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
Cornerstones. Marine Serre SS18
There’s magical aura surrounding Marine Serre‘s work. Maybe it’s because of the feeling of prejudice-free love that is translated so well in the Paris-based designer’s fashion? In case you don’t know: Serre was awarded the 2017 LVMH Prize, having only one collection under her belt. ‘Radical Call for Love‘ – her first collection – was a visual comment on “urgency and contemporaneity by the tragic events in Paris and Brussels in 2015 and 2016.” Marine’s message was presented in a metaphorical way: Islamic symbols were transformed into logo-like branding and faux-Nike headbands (“it’s political and it’s not political. It’s much more than a crescent moon; it also represents how we all felt”), while carpet-like prints clashed with Byzantine florals. ‘Cornerstones’ is the continuation of the first season, and the 25-year-old designer looks forward to a more practical, not basic, offering. “What’s important for me is to be able to connect to contemporary daily life,” says Serre, “that you need to drive, to run.” That’s why, other than athletic stretch bodies in moon motif, there are denim jackets and go-to leggings. The gowns, that can hardly be classified as dusty ‘cocktail’, looked easy thanks to innovative, pouf-y effect construction. It’s rare to see clothes that really do aim to be ready-to-wear, and simultaneously stand for something.
Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
