Patchwork Perfect. Jonathan Saunders SS16

September 21, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

For the last few seasons, Jonathan Saunders made the fashion industry slightly yawn. His collections were good, but totally not ground-breaking in terms of design. However, his spring-summer 2016 was like a massive wave on a calm surface of water – bold stripes, sexy cut-outs and appealing silhouettes took over the control. Strong, patchwork game played the main role this time – the floral kimonos and silk, midi-skirts looked sleek and on-point. The suede, pastel-coloured jacket seemed to be the perfect choice for next summer – hopefully, Jonathan will once again concentrate on the clothes, and not whether his collection is 60’s or 70’s enough, as in case of last season.

Royal Tenderness. Simone Rocha SS16

September 20, 2015September 20, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Spring-summer 2016 seems to be the most daring collection for Simone Rocha up to date. And not only because the show was staged in Buckingham Palace. This collection proved, that Simone Rocha is a designer who can freely play with her own signatures. The new season was all about blurring prettiness, tenderness and sexuality with traditional and high-tech techniques. Lace tops were styled with brown, neoprene trousers while the flip-flops and dresses were embroidered with crystals, which took the designer into a more couture level. But how did the collection and vision of presenting it in London’s most royal place appear in Rocha’s mind? “I found out I was pregnant while I was in Japan, working on a project with Dover Street Market Ginza, and then went on to Kyoto for a few days,” said Rocha. “I was suddenly seeing everything so intensely, it felt trippy!” Although the collection was not mainly about Japanese references, it had a lot to do with kimono silhouettes. But the main idea was deeply rooted in the history of British aristocracy – the ball-room gowns, pretty ruffles and the lady-like feeling.

Body Show. JW Anderson SS16

September 19, 2015September 20, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson is a designer with that spark in whatever he does. For his eponymous, London-based brand, J.W. Anderson went baby-pink with arty, Keith Harinng-inspired graffiti art. The models looked “nude” in their pastel sweaters, while the duvet dresses and voluminous shoulders gave the collection an edgy, slightly eerie feeling. But what really shocked in terms of Anderson’s style was the opening outfit – a black, minimal bra and high-waisted pink trousers. I think that’s the most flesh-exposing look delivered by the designer ever! It played a strong contrast towards the built-up tops, though.

Childish Haphazard. Molly Goddard SS16

September 19, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

She left her M.A. course at Central Saint Martins, where she’d studied under the late professor Louise Wilson, a year early to focus on putting together the spring 2015 collection. Her hope was that it would help her get a job. While she always wanted to have her own label, she assumed she’d work for someone else first. However, her real dream came true. Molly Goddard is one of the most exciting and fresh talents from London due to her secret weapon – the super cute, sheer tulle dresses. Inspired by the frilly outfits her mother and grandmother made for her as a child, Goddard gets her ideas from old family photographs and children’s knitwear patterns, and visiting Portobello Market, Alfies Antiques and the Retro Clothing Exchange in Notting Hill Gate. Her spring-summer 2016 presentation had some naive, hand embroidered skirts, checked crop-tops and of course, the signature pink dress which looks great with denim trousers or with nothing under. The chaotic and childish haphazard of putting clothes together is also the thing that makes Molly’s label so… enchanting. “At that age, you don’t even care what you’re wearing—and that’s quite a nice thing,” she says. “You’re wearing a big dress, then you put on your mum’s shoes and then you put your favorite T-shirt on top. When my sister was born—she’s three years younger than me—I used to wear all her clothes. When I was three, or older, I was wearing these tiny little dresses with my entire bum slipping out the bottom. I was just obsessed.”

Over The Top. Marc Jacobs SS16

September 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marc Jacobs’s spring-summer 2016 show was actually really about fashion. It was so over-the-top and so good, that I just don’t know where to start from. So let me make a list of things that I am still obsessed with.

Location – This season Marc Jacobs took us to the “Hollywood of New York”. The entire fashion show was staged at the location of Ziegfeld Theatre on West 54th Street. The velvet details of the theater matched the eclectic mood of the collection precisely – glamour and chic shouted from every corner of this magical place…

Model Casting – Marc Jacobs and Anita Bitton of Establishment NY always choose the most interesting faces. Molly Bair, Lineisy Montero, Karly Loyce, Varya Shutova, Alice Metza and many more walked the show, representing diversity and beauty. But also, Marc’s all time favourites wore these opulent gowns – Guinevere Van Seenus , Karen Elson and, yes, even Beth Ditto attended the show, slaying it.

Fashion – As I mentioned before, this show seemed to be the most fashion-thinking of all during NYFW. I won’t hide it – this season was mostly about slip dresses and minimal outfits. And while everybody seemed to be revising their own signatures, Marc Jacobs truly let his imagination take over the reigns – all these silhouettes, the detailings, the whole Old Hollywood inspiration. Cinched waists and exaggerated shoulders, flared sleeves and full cut trousers, pussy bows and neck chokers, glitter and lamé were all here. Beautiful and strongly missed splendour came back to fashion on a massive scale.

Embroidery – All kinds of embellishments and applications were used in this collection. Through collaboration with Lessage studio in Paris, the evening gowns looked absolutely ethereal and highly dramatic. Matty Bovan and Amie Victoria Robertson worked on the prints, that were later on ebroidered onto the over-sized suits – their toothy and freckled characters gave the collection a humorous edge.

Uff. I am done. This collection was great, Marc! And a great ending for the pretty calm New York Fashion Week.