Dubai. Chanel Resort’15

May 14, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Making it big for the shows is pretty natural for Karl Lagerfeld, who already took us to St.Tropez, Miami, Antibes and Singapore for his Resort collections. This time, we travelled to Dubai, the city of United Arab Emirates, that’s full of gold, petrol and luxury. So, no wonder… the collection was presented on a special Chanel island, that had a carved double C all over it! However, the collection itself was one of the worst, unfortunately. It didn’t have that Dubai opulence I wished of! It had flowers, moons, Scottish checks, blond version of Diana Ross curls and a lot of strange themes that seemed to be useless. I suppose Dubai summers are so cold you need to wear socks-up-to-knee… I certainly loved the camel gown that Joan Smalls wore with flats and trousers trousers. Oh yeah, trousers- I see Arabian harems are bag in beige! And I am a little bit disappointed that we didn’t see Sebastien Jondeau in a Chanelized sheikh costume. That’s it!

About the artist: Abdul Qader Al Raes is an artist from Dubai made famous by his monumental art works in palaces and distinguished public spaces.

Brooklyn Heights. Dior Resort’15

May 8, 2014May 8, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Dior and Brooklyn sound strange in one sentence. The baby of Parisian LVMH and a district of New York? Believe that or not, but that’s totally true- Dior showed it’s Resort 2015 collection in Navy Yard Greenhouse, from which a beautiful view of Manhattan’s skyscrapers is seen. In my opinion, the collection (excluding the fact it was presented in Brooklyn) was one of the best that Raf Simons presented to date. The artistic director created a smart, lovely and energetic collection that is a mix of eternal Parisian chic and the new New York style. Simons took up the silk scarf—le carré, as they say in Paris—as the show’s leitmotif. It meant that these clothes were more fluid than the sculpted and molded silhouettes of some of his previous collections for Dior. And, of course, you had an impression you look at art- everything felt artsy and very free-spirited!

About the artist: Lucien Freud is known chiefly for his thickly impastoed portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time. His works are noted for their psychological penetration, and for their often discomforting examination of the relationship between artist and model.

Think BIG for Fall

April 24, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Comme des Garcons AW14

“Fashion is reactionary,” said Valerie Steele, the director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Sensibly, she explained that fashion is moving away from “a close-to-the-body moment.” “It’s the pendulum effect,” she said. “If it’s long, it gets short, and if it’s short, it gets long.” Fashion changes a lot just like proportions. This fall, it’s all about a large coat with too long sleeves and over-sized shoulders. Just like the one at CdG by Rei Kawabuko, whose boundary-fight with stereotypical beauty is just on it’s place this season. I really loved what Prada had in it’s offer- 70’s masculine jackets. Looked elegant, but very on the go. And of course, lets not forget about VFiles Melitta Baumeister, who loves dressing Rihanna in white fur stoles and large, leather jackets! Her new season collection is amazingly cool. in a very BIG way.

Rick Owens AW14Melitta Baumeister AW14Viktor & Rolf 1999 Haute CoutureJonathan Saunders AW14Prada AW14

Paco in 2014

April 18, 2014April 18, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Paco will be forver in us. All his alien dresses, metal jumpsuits, eccentric dresses that remind us 60’s sci-fi movies and UFO comics. Although, Paco Rabanne was a revolutionary fashion designer, for some time he was only recognised by his Million perfumes and kitsch advertisemnts… but, thanks-giving, he, in form of Julien Dossena, is back. And for good.
The new designer of Paco Rabanne which debuted in 2013, is Julien Dossena, the same one which designs for Atto Paris. And I must say- he really, really does a great job. Maybe it’s because of studying at Nicolas Ghesquiere studio? Or having this Paco blood in veins? What was most striking is how well Dossena handled the obvious Rabanne clichés and made them modern and wearable for AW14.

Chain mail, Rabanne’s strongest signature, has a tendency to be heavy and ill fitting. Dossena reimagined it as a net of safety pins. Worn over silk underpinnings, the metal tops and dresses had a cool, clingy drape. The house’s iconic tile dresses, meanwhile, can look rather retro, but Dossena ensured that didn’t happen when he re-created them as laser-cut leather harnesses and layered them over crisp cotton button-downs and shirtdresses. Of course, a brand can’t thrive on statement pieces alone. The designer also had sharp, well-made tailoring: classic menswear trousers that hung low from the hips and skinny pants with white plastic zippers and contrast topstitching. Another key item was the super-fitted quilted leather ski jacket. I loved it. Very chic, and very innovative. Having Dossena on the radar.

Perfect Chaos. Ellery SS15

April 7, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Australian Fashion Week for SS15 have just started and here is my first favourite: Ellery. Ellery is designed by Kym Ellery which comes from Perth and currently designs and most influencial label from Australia. It has in it’s account avant-garde, girlie dresses, flattering skirts and some seriously cool shoes… Ellery’s SS15 is kept in white tones- it’s full of cool tops and sporty pieces like sweatpants or easy gowns. The models wore piercing and chains on their faces, making a perfect chaos between these beautiful, peaceful clothes and the punk attitude… Looking at it, I would love to go on the Iceberg Pool that is at the famous Bondi Beach!