Polish Jazz. MISBHV SS19

June 13, 2018June 14, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

For a moment, let’s switch from resort look-books and New York’s off-the-schedule runways to Warsaw’s socrealist icon – Palace of Culture. Few days ago, Natalia Maczek and Tomek Wirski did their spring-summer 2019 runway show for the first time in Warsaw. MISBHV stands for so many things: to some, it’s a go-to streetwear label favoured by the big names (Kylie and all). For others, it’s an internationally recognized label that sells in stores among Vetements and Raf Simons. And the other others (like my friends, for instance) know it for great hoodies with intriguing prints.

This season, however, Maczek and Wirski wanted to explore new fields and do something different than usual. Having deep interests in the Polish 50s and 60s, the designers immersed themselves in a theme that doesn’t come up to you instantly when thinking of the brand. Jazz, or rather “Polish Jazz” (as the collection’s name suggests), became the season’s key-point. Moreover, MISBHV invited Rosław Szaybo, the legendary Polish graphic designer (who did album covers for Miles Davis, Janis Joplin and, of course, the cult “Polish Jazz” series) to collaborate on the prints. Blurring the lines between womenswear and menswear, the label’s latest offering includes flowing dresses, over-sized blazers, bike shorts, PVC coats and headscarves (a beautiful nod to Slavic culture!). But there are MISBHV classics as well, like the WARSZAWA print or friendly-to-the-public t-shirts. Polish fashion keeps on evolving, slowly, but it does. And seeing brands like MISBHV having such progress, and executing their visions so well, makes me really proud.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki featuring Wojciech Plewiński’s photograph of Warsaw; Rosław Szaybo’s album covers.

Joy. Rosie Assoulin SS19

June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

The fashion week calendar gets blurrier and blurrier with designers like Rosie Assoulin, who has presented her resort 2019 and spring-summer 2019 as one, fluent collection, long ahead of the usual schedule. The designer is planning to make two collections a year, keeping it at her pace – so, forget any ‘see now, buy now’ strategies here, or other confusing business tricks. For Assoulin, it’s the time that matters: to design and to produce her garments. And that’s quite visible, when you take a moment to look at the clothes.

For instance, a coat hand-painted with watercolours; intricately beaded midi-skirts. Note the pin-striped suits. As Vogue reports, “instead of engineering a print, each pinstripe was actually a space-dyed yarn that almost shimmered”. Indeed, not that simple as it seems. Not forgetting about the fantastic jug bags, one of Rosie’s well-known signatures among the New Yorkers. This time they come in even bolder colours. What makes Rosie Assoulin’s brand so distinctive is the joy and humour that are inseparable from the clothes. And what else could highlight that this season? The presentation’s venue, Raquel’s Dream House. It’s Raquel Cayre’s space, where the design lover exhibits some of the most iconic pieces – Masanori Umeda’s Tawaraya ring sits, Shiro Kuramata’s famously fragile Glass Chair and Ettore Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, to name a few. A set that matches Assoulin’s arty gowns, skirts and outerwear just perfectly.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Melting Pot. Alexander Wang SS19

June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

It seems that the New York fashion calendar is about to break down entirely. Some major designers show in Paris; some are coming back home, and to the regular schedule (Proenza Schouler is the latest); and some, like Alexander Wang, decide to show ahead of all, in the Big Apple, and persuade us, the confused viewers, not to call it spring-summer 2019 – but rather, the enigmatic ‘season 1’. Yes, I know that might be too much. But surprisingly, all those switches did good to Wang. Not that I adore his latest collection, but it’s so much better than his last seasons. At least, it’s not trying to mean too much as it did the last time with the Matrix-CEO theme.

The inspiration started with Alexander’s mum and dad taking a trip together, and their immigration to America. Still, the collection wasn’t meant to be overly political, so migration wasn’t the ultimate key here. The designer focused on the notion of more dynamic, risk-involving travelling, or rather riding. Maybe the attitude close to Lana Del Rey’s Ride music video might be a clue. In overall, the collection felt like a creative melting pot shaped from Wang’s experiences, fascinations and aesthetics. We’ve had the Axl Rose bandanas; motocross gears; leather mini skirts and ‘piercing’ tops made of pins; football jerseys. Is that the today’s grunge according to Alex? Who knows. Definitely, Wang felt a lot of joy, while designing the collection, as all of that is truly, but truly him.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Sweet Lifestyle. Missoni Resort 2019

June 9, 2018June 9, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Angela Missoni can make her Missoni collection as sweet as the Spicchi de Arance e Pompelmo from the newly published The Missoni Family Cookbook. By that, I mean the softness of knits and a spectrum of pastel colours that appeared in the line-up. Missoni is more than fashion; it’s a lifestyle that’s about love, family, friendship, celebration – all somewhere situated in a very Italian villa. Light, plissé dresses in knitted Lurex and palazzo pants (note that delicate transparency) suggested fresh airiness, while the abstract floral prints and sea-shell jewellery brought on even more charm. Yet still, the collection feels dynamic, with that leading, signature “Put Together Look”, where different patterns, colours and textures are gracefully matched up. Plus, Bibi Cornejo Borthwick’s photography and Vanessa Reid’s styling fit contemporary Missoni’s image very, very well.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Consistently Exciting. Chloé Resort 2019

June 8, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Natacha Ramsay-Levi makes Chloé bloom, even if she’s not resorting to floral prints as her predecessors. I mean, her Chloé is so good. Her first seasons characterised with smart consistency which is capable of being exciting. And with each collection, Natacha seems to grow in confidence. For resort 2019, the designer continues to play with Chloé codes, like the horse print, but experiments more freely with volumes and styling. I love how that Victorian-sleeping-gown dress gets more badass with the knee-length leather boots. Ramsay-Levi does the Chloé flou, but she doesn’t fall into that dangerously naive, over-feminine trap. That woman isn’t here to be blown away by the wind in the middle of a field. It’s urban chic for self-aware, conscious females.