At Home. Chloé Pre-Fall 2018

January 10, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

If you ask Natacha Ramsay-Levi to define her own style, the answer won’t be as straightforward as you would expect from a designer. “I admire people who have a uniform, but I’ve never found mine and I probably never will because I love fashion’s diversity,” she explained. Pre-fall 2018 is Natacha’s second collection for Chloé, a female-loving French maison, and it already feels that even if she doesn’t have an arbitrary ‘look’ that has to end up in the stores, she feels here like at home. And that’s good – thanks to that, the creative director’s work has a sense of easiness. What we discovered about Ramsay-Levi in her debut is that she has a soft point for jaw-dropping boots and whimsical jewellery (those pieces smoothly transit into the autumn days). Here, it’s a strong game of cognac leather coats, shirt-dresses and 70s blouses. Also, the designer wisely does the horse-rider style that’s distinctly Chloé, whether we’re speaking of the tiny horse prints on bags or wool capes. Although white socks tend to get on my nerves after 2017’s Vetements obsession, the way Natacha pulls them off in her refined pre-fall makes you wonder, whether luxe-y athleisure is back.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Laid Back. Saint Laurent Resort 2018

January 2, 2018March 2, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

With empty champagne bottles already in the bin and batteries (hopefully) recharged, here we are in 2018! And the first post of the year goes to Anthony Vaccarello‘s resort 2018 collection for Saint Laurent. The look-book, starring Lexi Boling and Hiandra Martinez, is a mix of all those New Year feels. From one side, it’s about glamorous, party dresses and boots covered with feathers. But from the other, it’s just the right amount of laid-back chic: denim, suede and over-sized fur coats. Vaccarello, who does contemporary Yves Saint Laurent with grace, knows that every great party demands a day, or two, of naps and looking ‘casual’.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Paris. Sonia Rykiel Pre-Fall 2018

December 22, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

I’ve been quite absent for the last week, because of a really nasty flu – but this doesn’t mean I wasn’t peeking at the splash of pre-fall collections. Well, that already seems like a dull season, to be honest. But one label really did caught my eye.

Julie de Libran‘s take on Sonia Rykiel has fluctuating results – sometimes, her collections can be described as just ‘basic’, with no depth or any braver concept. However, as in case of pre-fall 2018, there are the right shots. “It’s just a sweater, a skirt, and a good boot,” she might have said modestly. Still, those look more than ‘just good’. And how Parisian (sorry for the cliché, but it’s a fact!). The leather coat-dress in ecru is gorgeous, just like the semi-sheer jacquard gowns in red and navy. Seems like a perfect New Year’s Eve go-to wardrobe, if only it came early enough to the stores… After more than three years of creative direction, it feels that de Libran and Rykiel brand built a strong bond. The designer revealed that she recently became a shareholder and partner in Sonia Rykiel. “I’m part of the family now”. With such great collections coming, Julie proves she succesfully continues the legacy of the late, Left Bank Parisienne.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Hamburg. Chanel Pre-Fall 2018

December 7, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

I adore Chanel‘s Métiers d’Art shows (which work as pre-falls) for the fact they really are about the clothes, not some temporary venues built in the Parisian Grand Palais. Well, the place of yesterday’s fashion show was more than important for Karl Lagerfeld – it was Hamburg, a port city in Germany which happens to be the designer’s birthplace. The building, where the show was staged – futuristic Herzog & de Meuron Elbephilharmonie – was a perfect backdrop for those refined, beautiful clothes. That certain kind of neat elegance, accompanied by classical orchestral music, felt very German. Maison Michel–made nautical tweed caps and navy Guernsey knits nicely matched the marine nature of Hamburg, which up to now was out of the fashion world’s radar. Seems like a perfect wardrobe for now – even though it hits the store late summer…

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Night Dressing. Paco Rabanne SS18

December 3, 2017December 3, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sometimes, you fall in love with a collection since the very first moment you’ve seen it. But sometimes, you need some time to get the point behind it. This is what I felt with Julien Dossena‘s Paco Rabanne spring-summer 2018 fashion show. It’s difficult to revive the most ‘contemporary’ brand of 20th century in 21th century, especially in 2017, where defining anything is quite a struggle. However, Dossena understands well what a today’s woman wants and enjoys in fashion – just like Paco did in the 60s. “It was sort of disco boogie-nights,” Julien said backstage of his show, “but then we cleaned it up. I wanted something a little over the top, but precise and refined.” The brand’s cult chain-mail was intriguingly mixed with paisley print, pastel-pink transparency and athleisure-fit, elastic fabrics. But all that very Parisian glow and this chic ‘party’ attitude is what looks like a great way for dressing to celebrate the upcoming festive season. Whether you style it Space Age, Barbarella-mod or more Françoise Hardy, the New Year’s Eve in Paco might be it.