Mankind Chic. Dries Van Noten AW16

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Let Dries Van Noten teach what’s the definition of chic. It’s about decadence. Aristocratic suits, piqué shirts, gold lamé shoes, leopard-spot pantalons and the radiating soigné manner surrounding the smoky-eyed women. It’s a story reviving Marchesa Luisa Casati, the woman with her iconic pet-cheetahs obsession and a memorable collection of pearl necklaces. “She pushed decadence as a lifestyle, but was never happy” – indeed, the collection was shrounded in melancholic mystery. The masculine coats, celebrating Casati’s lover Gabriele D’Annunzio, and white shirts tucked in tweed pants were all about Dries’ imaginary woman, who shares her man’s wardrobe and reads, maybe, books about existence. The acid-green dress, worn by the one and only Molly Bair, had a sharp V-cut – quite unusual to see at Van Noten, who is rather into boyish elegance. But still, it felt infinitely him. From the very Parisian, velvet gowns to sexy pajamas the clients of the label have dozens of reason to shop here next season – and the fans, like me, will surely put this collection on the “autumn-winter 2016 favourites” list.

Bravo, Dries.

Old Hollywood. Maison Margiela AW16

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

John Galliano feels like at home at Maison Margiela, and that’s visible – his collections start to look-alike. The textiles are chaotically layered up, the circus opulence from the Dior era is present, and Margiela’s codes seem to sink in this musty trunk of an Old Hollywood star. I’m not saying that Galliano is burnt out – but I perceive his presence at Margiela as appalling. The aristocratic capes, exhausted pussy-bow shirts made from a fluorescent, green mesh and college jackets seem to look so pretentious and, sadly, outdated. Others say that Galliano’ collections for Margiela are innovative – but I constantly see dusty clothes that look as if they escaped out of a granny-wardrobe, filled with souvenirs from her 20s.

Generation’s Wardrobe. Y / Project AW16

March 3, 2016December 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Just after reviewing Koché, Y / Project is the next clear prove that Paris looks forward to labels found by new-gen talents, and those who made the cut in the LVMH Prize Awards. Ideas proposed by Glenn Martens blur between the terms feminine and masculine, but also, reflect on the generations’ love for Scream Queens pastel-pink trashiness, Cher’s good, old looks and this neo-goth, neo-grunge mood (which appears repeatedly this season). To an extend, the collection reminds me of Vetements, with its focus on denim (here, it’s all about the slouchy, elongated length of pants as seen above) and a kind of anti-fashion attitude. But you can’t compare Glenn Martens’ label to the fashion collective lead by Demna Gvasalia – the philosophies of these two brands are totally different, just like the approach. At Y / Project, drama plays a role – bishop sleeves worn loosely with pencil skirts; sheer robes with ruff-like collars ooze with ethereal elegance, but with a modern-day twist. The list of must-haves keeps adding up, and curiosity of what’s to come at Y / Project makes me wonder.

Street Attitude. Koché AW16

March 3, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s hard to be a young and independent fashion designer in Paris, fighting for attention in the crowd of Chanel-s, Balmain-s and Saint Laurent-s. Surprisingly, Paris Fashion Week starts with a day of fresh and trending labels – meet Koché, the creation of Christelle Kocher, the new girl in the schedule and a second-time LVMH finalist .“I’m sharing my Paris with other people,” is how she described the unusual venue of her fashion – the 18th-century Passage du Prado, which nowadays is adopted by African hairdressers and little mobile phone shops. So, no – it’s not Grand Palais or a Rue Saint Honore showroom.

However, the spirit of a Parisian atelier is not left out at Koché. Christelle collaborates with Maison Lemarié, which does mesmerizing, artisan detailings using feathers and plume only – and the way she implemented haute couture into her hoodies and tees is just mind-blowing. The contrast is stunning, just like the models’ cast. Doing it in Eckhaus Latta way, the designer invited professional models (Karly Loyce, Soo Joo), friends and people she met on the streets, breaking the convention of an ordinary line-up. Although this stuff will be expensive (velvet skirts, shearling jacket patchworked with layers of white lace), Koché is already stirring the industry with its unique, yet über-cool attitude. I wonder where will the designer lead her brand – biting the dust and taking it on a mainstream path, or rather keeping it off-beat? Hope for the latter.

Elevated Poetry. Jacquemus AW16

March 2, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s Paris, and it feels like a breath of fresh air coming along Jacquemus‘ autumn-winter 2016. The city of French fashion is undergoing a wave of youthful talent – and Simon Porte Jacquemus represents that perfectly with his extraordinary, yet wearable garments. “I would like there to be less industry and more poetry” is what he declared backstage, minutes before the show. It was all about a surrealist illusion this season – the dresses floated in the air and spaghetti straps were magically elevated above the shoulders. The exaggerated shoulders, although distinctly reminded the old, good Martin Margiela, introduced us to other arty shapes and geometric cuts – sometimes, they looked even too grotesque, as in case of the “mini-skirt” worn with a pastel-blue turtleneck. But what was the most genuine from the entire collection was the expanded accessory line – block-heeled “rond carré” shoes, asymmetrical gloves in tangerine orange and cute, kidney-shaped bags are the highlights, which will sell well.

A very, very experimental, yet down-to-earth start of Paris Fashion Week!