The Ranch. Phipps AW23

August 3, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Now that he’s decamped from Paris and relocated to the sunny Hollywood Hills in his home state of California, it’s safe to say that Spencer Phipps has entered his LA era. “I wanted to focus on the core essence of what Phipps represents and I think I can do it better in the US. It makes more sense for the brand from a marketing strategy, a business strategy, and also my own personal life.” To present the autumn-winter 2023 Phipps collection, he chose a quintessential Hollywood location, Big Sky Movie Ranch. If you’ve never heard of this sprawling landscape set deep in Ventura County, you’ve certainly seen it on TV and in the movies; it was used as a set for everything from Little House on the Prairie to Twin Peaks to, most recently, Babylon. If Phipps’s design story were a script, this would be that pivotal scene where the protagonist takes control of the narrative. Over the year that he’s been back, he’s refined the brand identity, drawing on inspiration from its rugged workwear roots; formally introduced denim and underwear, and built out his womenswear. There’s even talk of moving all production from Portugal to LA. He counts these as the progressive steps that align with a commitment to US-based manufacturing and sustainable practices.

Phipps’s work is grounded in reality; he extracts elements of American subcultures—western, grunge, punk – and reimagines them through a contemporary lens modeled on a diverse cast of characters including real cowboys, bikers, and one multi-hyphenate jiu jitsu black belt-magician-guitarist. The designer ties the brand divisions together through cohesive design and layered styling. For the new season, the influence of Richard Avedon’s American West series came across in blanket capes and chap jeans crafted from upcycled leather scraps and vintage denim, whereas grommets and d-rings spoke to the influence of the ’50s teens in Karlheinz Weinberger’s photography. Standout pieces from the new womenswear included long, straight, slouchy jeans and a deadstock pullover anorak paired with a camouflage midi skirt. On the men’s side, there were “butch florals” in the form of camouflage patterns and subtle hieroglyphs representative of the four archetypes of masculinity – the king, warrior, magician, and lover. “We’ve always been doing our own thing and will continue to do so,” he said. “Our voice stood out in the Paris landscape and I believe the same will happen here, but with a bigger community.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Twisted Nostalgia. LRS SS24

July 30, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

At the age of 18, Raul Solis packed his bags and moved from the West Coast to New York. His coming of age coincided with the rise of the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the Rapture, who played at small venues to beer-fueled crowds at the time. For LRS‘s spring-summer 2024, Solis indulged in what he called “twisted nostalgia” by referencing the early 2000s and its early ’60s teddy-boy roots in a collection that was indie – without the sleaze – both in aesthetics and origin. It’s no small feat to keep a self-owned business afloat. Elements of the collection – the melted Mickey Mouse figures, a pair of pants made from old American flags – speak to the world we’re living in today, one where the dream coexists with nightmares. The crystal blood drops on slim-cut pants and jackets reference the struggle but not in a macabre way. But LRS also offers more relatable, day-to-day pieces. The designer cut a striped turtleneck to expose just the right slice of midriff and accessorized a pair of low-cut rocker pants with an extra-big belt buckle and a trailing skinny scarf. A mini kilt looked anything but uniform, and wide-cut jeans were made to rave. All of these pieces conveyed a narrative without being tricky.

Butterfly. Blumarine Resort 2024

July 25, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

For resort 2024, Blumarine emerges from the armored chrysalis of the Joan D’Arc-themed autumn show and pops out as a butterfly in shining colors. Turquoise. Hot pink. Golden yellow. “The look isn’t as dirty as in the last few seasons,” Nicola Brognano elucidated. The designer said he wanted something more elevated and sensual, “a different energy, more joie de vivre, a more summer feel“. From the label’s archive he excavated a calmer color palette – nudes, pale pink, light blue, white – that he amplified into brighter vibrations. “There are no concepts, just sensations,” he said matter-of-factly. The look was ultrashort, body skimming and slinky, with viscose jersey providing a smooth, liquid surface malleable enough for wrapping, draping, and sash-knotting. Matching the barely-there minidresses’ colors, stretchy leggings that covered the needle heels of strappy sandals elongated the figure into a lean monochrome silhouette. Brognano unearthed a Blumarine lingerie look from years past, steering its once flirty, seductive attitude towards the overtly provocative. A tight-fitting bustier and leggings combo in stretch jersey with lace inserts was the season’s “new suit proposition.” Roses, another of Blumarine’s emblems, were also given the Brognano treatment. More thorny bush than manicured garden, they were laser-cut and appliquéd on a white minidress, or printed on a hot-pink mesh tube dress. The brand’s ubiquitous cargos came in a simplified evening version. In black canvas with a satin intarsia, they signaled a slight shift in the approach to Y2K that put Brognano’s Blumarine on the map in the first place. Asked how he feels about the in-your-face bare-midriff look that has ignited copycats by every high street brand, he was rather adamant. “Y2K? Honestly, I think it’s a bit passé.”

Back To Black. Batsheva Resort 2024

July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

“I get uncomfortable when there are too many things in the collection that aren’t pieces that I love. So I’ve really tried to make it what I want to wear now.” Meaning: Batsheva Hay has a colour palette of black, white and gray on her mind, and likes to wear variations of dresses in 1950s style. That’s clearly reflected in her resort 2024 offering. In recent seasons Batsheva has been experimenting with various directions she can take her New York-based brand without completely abandoning what has made her successful in the first place. For this season that meant vintage-y silhouettes and barely any printed cotton. “It’s really all about different fabrics,” she said. Highlights included a black velvet long sleeve dress with a white lace-up detail running from bust to shoulder; a streamlined maxi dress with flared sleeves and a slight mockneck in shiny black sequins, and a long ruched body-con velvet dress in a dark wine color (one of three colorful pieces in the collection) with a high neck and a slightly padded shoulder. Hay may be queen of the dress, but she loves a matching set, and she had some great options, including a black high waist a-line skirt and button-down with a “funny firework embroidery” in sequins; a four-button jacket with dramatic ruffled sleeves and a matching maxi skirt in an abstracted floral silk jacquard; and a black taffeta button-down and matching cropped bootcut trousers decorated with all-over rhinestones. Though it skews more serious than her usual offerings, resort still bears her off-beat charm.

A couple of my favourite Batsheva pieces you can shop now:

Batsheva cropped leopard-print cotton-velvet top

Batsheva x Laura Ashley ruffled floral-print cotton-poplin mini dress

Batsheva lace-trimmed pintucked embroidered cotton-poplin mini dress

Batsheva pearl-embellished faille blouse

Commanding. Khaite Resort 2024

July 15, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Khaite resort 2024 fashion collection. Black sheer dress worn over lingerie. Art collage. Anna Ewers model.

Resort is the moment for Catherine Holstein to explore the more laid-back aspect of Khaite, the New York-based brand that keeps on stealing women’s hearts across the world. Super-chunky cashmere hand-knits and impressive sweater dresses clash with fluid sheer evening dresses and billowy ruffles. A stretch jersey henley bodysuit worn with high-waisted leather pants just might be the star of the season; it’s sexy in the offhand way of that virally famous Khaite cashmere bra that Katie Holmes wore a couple of seasons ago. You’ll also find the jeans that are a foundational part of the business – the silhouette of the moment is ’90s-ish, full-legged and relaxed – and an array of leather jackets that are unmistakably cool. A group of silk twill pieces in a souvenir print with depictions of New York City landmarks was a surprise, a charming one. Holstein likes an exaggerated shoulder and a defined waist, or a cropped one, and she experimented with military-style buttons on some styles. The coat silhouettes are oversized and commanding.