Men’s – Calm Men. Wales Bonner SS17

June 16, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Grace Wales Bonner, 25, the London-based menswear designer, has been announced as LVMH Prize 2016 winner (along Vejas Kruszewski, who won the second prize), gaining the a major back-up for her eponymous brand. But in fact that’s just one of the reasons I’m writing about her today. The latter is her latest, break-through outing during London Fashion Week, which is pure poetry. When creating her label, Bonner’s main aim was to break the stereotype of black male fashion as aggressive, popularly seen in posture of hip-hop sweatpants and rapper’s gold chains. Wales Bonner’s work focuses on black male sexuality, unconventional masculine identity, and mainly afro-American cultural experience.

With a background of growing up in South East London and having a Jamaican dad, Grace looks forward to show the masses a new diversity in fashion, but from a totally different perspective – it’s much calmer, gentler, not as bold as in Stella Jean‘s way. This season, she was inspired particularly by Ethiopia’s emperor from the 30s, Haile Selassie, who was famous for blurring the African rituals with his own, military coronations and “style”. Tailoring, the season’s ultimate highlight, was embellished with crystals, all in traditional crotchet and meticulous embroidery. Her decorated, slightly dandy-ish men are accompanied by female models, who wear similarly androgynous pieces – gender fluidity is nothing new to us in London. But according to Wales Bonner’s vision, male beauty becomes something much more unexpected, yet highly signature. Her debut runway show was a bomb – and with LVMH’s funds, Grace will surely keep doing her thing.

Men’s – Confusing Odyssey. JW Anderson SS17

June 13, 2016June 12, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

For boys, Jonathan Anderson gets extra peculiar, season-to-season. Maybe it’s because he feels that menswear is his in designer roots? Let’s not forget that J.W. Anderson was initially a men’s fashion label. Spring-summer 2017 collection feels like one of Anderson’s first outings – no commercial pressure (at first sight), just pure creativity. The latest collection is like a space odyssey, welcoming the unknown. Over-sized tunics, astronaut pantalons – is it the character of Little Prince, but a bit older? He still wears his crown, according to the designer. Also, this eccentric type of guy, Saint‐Exupéry’s fictional creation-like, seems to have a weak point for Jonathan’s signature “Pierce” bags, and colour spectrum coats, which look quite psychedelic when styled with high, lace-up boots. If this level of outer-space fashion isn’t reaching its peak, then take a look at the orange sunglasses. Then, there are the prints with frogs and Egyptian god of afterlife, Anubis. Luc Besson’s apocalyptic sci-fi thriller? Hacker style? I don’t have a clue what’s the message. Was that the aim? Anderson leaves me lost for words, and quite confused. But one thing’s sure – an upcoming collaboration between Anderson and musician ASAP Rocky is on its way. Elusively tagged as JWA X AWGE.

Men’s – Gender Culture. Casely-Hayford SS17

June 12, 2016June 12, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

The father-and-son duo, Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford, have many reasons to call spring-summer 2016 collection one of the biggest highlights of their career up to date. What pleasantly surprised everyone during the show was the fact that the fash-fam introduced a womenswear capsule, accompanying their festival-cool menswear looks. “We’ve been asked about doing it for years,” said Charlie. “Now felt right. We want to dress a woman who is a partner to the Casely-Hayford man—but she is very much independent and different to him too.” Their debut in the world of women was like the feeling of a breeze by the sea, so refreshing. Jacquard, which was used in coats production, was made with a more than 200-years old weaving mill, while the dresses with knitted details in sharp, summer-y colours, will be the right choice for warm days. Casely-Hayford is known for top-notch tailoring, but in contrast to their Savile Row friends who do strictly elegant suits, this label breaks the well-known conventions. No wonder why the women’s part was as focused on perfectly-cut blazers as men’s, and was equally edgy. The moodboard behind the collection was filled a variety of British music movements, from 70s rock and Jimi Hendrix to 00s grime and Mick Jagger. With all that diversity in mind, there was a sharp game of oriental patterns, paisley, bleach splashes and tie-dye textiles. Also, spot the richness of jewellery – tribal necklaces and pendants (which looked like great, flea-market finds) were worn nonchalantly by both genders with embroidered robe-coats and denim jackets. Looking forward to see how Joe and Charlie will continue their new, even more daring chapter in fashion!

Vintage Chic. Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini Resort’17

June 10, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Philosophy, as a brand, is going through a renaissance with Lorenzo Serafini‘s creative direction. The latest collection for resort 2017 perfectly sums up Serafini and his aesthetic – it’s about a girl, who has a weak spot for vintage, or at least, vintage-looking clothes. The look-book is filled with fringed biker-jackets, French Riviera oozing denim flares and suede overknees. Little, floral mini-dresses are styled with chokers, and the overall style blurs somewhere between Camdem market finds and Siouxsie Sioux’s leather mini skirts. The details, like feather necklaces or studded belts, make Lorenzo’s collection look real and hearty, and real. It seems that Philosophy wearer indeed listens to old Rolling Stones vinyls and dances to Eurythmics. Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini can be freely added to the list of Milan’s newly beloved labels, standing next to No21 or Stella Jean.

Get The Party Started. Marc Jacobs Resort’17

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Winning a CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year prize a day before means something. But for Marc Jacobs, it’s just a great reason to celebrate with a new collection. For resort 2017, Marc and his team prepared a mini-show, which appeared to be more than a dose of extreme opulence and surely in Gucci’s Alessandro Michele Italian-splendour taste, who took a seat in the front row. “We took Fall and made it kitsch, and went from YouTube back to MTV,” the designer said backstage, cheerful after his psychedelic outing of models wearing their hair tightly crimped, and storming the runway in already desirable MTV-logo sweatshirts. The voluminous silhouettes and platform boots from AW16 stay for good, but now, they are all splashed in fluo colours of shocking pink and electrifying blue. In some of the most Instagram-ed moments, the outfits looked as if they were straightly taken out of my all-time favourite “Sorry” music video by Madonna – note those varsity jackets, disco jumpers with sequins and, yes, cargo pants. Marc Jacobs makes me want to hit the dancefloor right now, even on a Thursday evening.

But the collection was not only about making 2005-and-so pop music relevant. Paradise was patched on the dresses, and it had a meaning in the entire show. “Just paradise, this fictitious idea” was on Jacobs’ mind. Zebra stripes, hula dancers – it’s rather like an old-school postcard from Hawaii or one of these must-go “kitsch” party outfit tips. Cool pussy-bows (also all in stripes!) styled with Barbie-pink sweatshirts would make it for a great, one-in-a-life-time club nights in the 80s. And undoubtedly, this bold bricollage of ideas and textiles, prints and embellishments, will nail it in this 2016.