Men’s – Future Vamps. JW Anderson AW16

January 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson takes his brand, and his creative vision, to a totally undiscovered and widely misunderstood field. You can love it, hate it, ignore it or praise it – but still, J.W. Anderson is the most absorbing brand coming from London. The city buzzed about the menswear show for autumn-winter 2016 season a long time before the show-day – it was reported that the brand will live-stream the fashion show on a dating-app, Grindr, presenting the show within a few seconds to about seven million people. Just like that. Without much effort.

Maybe the PR of Anderson are genius – but surely, the brand knows how to excite in the media sphere. However, streaming the collection on a dating app is not such a strange idea. The codes of the brand are focused on “future”, and “perversity” – somehow, a dating app is all about sex and modern way of life, right? And the collection for men definitely didn’t lack any of those. The looks, which fused the everyday basics, like a chunky cardigan or a simple, British mackintosh coat, had something modernistic about them – new, over-sized silhouettes, high-tech fabrics (take a look at this transparent, organza-like piece, printed with a dog called Bonzo from the 20s) and the seriously ugly planet-Zenon trainers with pastel-pink toe. But still, these techno vamps had something to do with a perverse, clubbing manner – the models’ hair, which was held back, looked dirty from a hard night out. Some wore perspex chokers, modestly ornamented with silver studs – and some had those cheesy hoop ball earrings on. To make even more extraordinary, one look was focused on a camel coat, worn over a naked body, and a pair of, again, Zenon shoes.

But looking back at the animals in the collection – everybody noticed the turquoise snails, which were lazily stuck to a rabbit-fur jacket and a white pea-coat. Was Jonathan trying to convey a message? SLOW DOWN? The frustration of fashion’s speed, which made Alber and Raf say “bye” to Lanvin and Dior, is a struggle for most of young designers, as they need to be creative for 24/7, do their best to afford pre-collections and have a perfect, on-time stock for the retailers. Or maybe, Anderson ironically said “catch me if you can” to all the others in the industry? This guy is a real propeller of ideas, so why not show it off in the most bright and bold aspect of the collection?

Men’s – Contemporary Uniform. Casely Hayford AW16

January 10, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

If talking of London’s menswear brands, Casely Hayford is the closest to my heart, style and wardrobe. I just love how this fashion-family duo, Charlie and Joe, reconstruct daily basics into something exciting and beautiful. The best example is the MA1 inspired parka above. Definitely, this piece totally changes the meaning of a jacket / coat – it’s both functional and mind-blowing with its elongated silhouette and the “unfinished” manner. Masterfully styled with these sleek, burgundy pants and a simple black top, this look might be called the contemporary uniform. Just like most of the collection – see the patched-work denim, psychedelic prints on casual suits and uber-cool sweat-shirts. To give a military swing to the collection, Casely Hayford nailed two looks with an ornamented, officer collar – a bold detail which makes this collection blur the everyday clothes with something much more bold and unexpected.

Berlin. Givenchy Pre-Fall’16

January 7, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Who would have thought that Berlin is suddenly becoming fashion’s favourite city? After Gucci presented its spring-summer 2016 campaign photographed by Glen Luchford (club WCs, peacocks and rooftops – see it here), the creative director of Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci, took the edgy streets of Kreuzberg by storm. The pre-fall 2016 collection is not only great because of the location, which I deeply adore – Riccardo comes back to his roots, which are all about fashion, and not the celebrity circus. Masculine pyjama layered with a lace skirt; sharp apparel channelled by Irina Shayk; “cheesy”, pink ankle-boots styled with romantic shoulder-exposing tops. Although there are no literal references of the city, the collection is very close to Berlin’s youthful attitude – the girls in here twist vintage looking suits with rock’n’roll biker jackets and simple, yet soigné spaghetti-strap tops. In other words, Berlin’s urban chic is getting a refined revamp by a French maison. Good try, Riccardo. I’m into it.

Cherish the Day. No21 Pre-Fall’16

December 23, 2015August 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s again all about Alessandro Dell’AcQua – however, this time we are talking about the designer’s home-label, N21. After the festive pre-fall collection which he delivered at Rochas just a few days ago, the Italian designer took an interesting twist at N21, refreshing his house codes and bringing new motifs – like the kitty-kat prints and embroideries on knitted, chunky sweaters and mini-bags. Also, the current European weather, which is definitely not about a white Christmas, makes this collection look and feel perfect for the moment – long coats with strips of velvet, silk dresses in military hues, series of light, masculine shirts with lace sleeves and the flawless, parachute maxi dresses in red and green are the total highlights of the season. Also, the shearling jacket with delicate embroidery had a moment. Just like the bow-top, which is an exaggerated symbol of N21, the collection is full of toned, yet cheerful clothes. And surely, Alessandro and his studio have a reason to celebrate – 2016 will start with an opening the first European flagship store in the heart of Milan, and later on, the brand will set a launch of the childwear line. The optimistic attitude is visible in both, the pre-fall 2016 look-book and the designer’s Instagram feed!

New Year Eve Tips. Rochas Pre-Fall 2016

December 21, 2015December 21, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Even though these clothes will hit the stores only in June, Rochas delivered its pre-fall 2016 collection just in time before Christmas and New Year Eve fuss. Literally, this collection is a treasury of tips for a chic party outfit. Alessandro Dell’AcQua, who celebrates his second year at this heritage couture house, knows the codes of Rochas inside out – the meticulously embroidered silks, masterful Chantilly lace usage and the richness of textiles is not strange to him at all, but rather makes him feel like in his opulent fashion heaven. Also, Alessandro’s all-time favourite fashion trick for a slight granny-elegance update is here – socks worn with fancy pussy-bow pumps. This season, the fur game is strong for Rochas, too – the beautiful shades of blue, chestnut and burgundy made the variety of outerwear look more than fun. The non-chalance kept in the slouchy, fur stoles and the on-the-go idea of putting a slip-dress over a t-shirt will never disappoint or bore. And definitely not during a tasteful, New Year party.