Victoire de Castellane’s Animal Vegetable Mineral

January 31, 2014January 6, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Victoire de Castellane is the couture jewellery designer of Dior. Known for using great traditional craftsmanship with Victoire’s artistic visions of colourful life kept within the diamonds, rubies and emeralds on her mesmerizing rings and necklaces, the new exhibition called “Animal Vegetable Mineral” just opened at the Gagosian Gallery on Maifair in London. An incredible display of gem snakes and flowers rest on pools of Australian opal, reassembling micro eco-systems. The exhibition is a second solo presentation of Castellane that definitely impresses as all with it’s beauty and detailing… And here is what the designer thinks: “Well, I love to play with nature, and I love to play with family and the idea of relationships. The relation between people and nature and how we manage to live together. It’s always so complicated. It’s three worlds coming together in one world. There are three families. But in the end they are all like human beings for me, they are little human beings – my babies”. That sounds deep…

HC: VIKTOR & ROLF SS14

January 25, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Viktor & Rolf took as to a new, elevated level of Haute Couture. First of all… the models were real ballerinas. Styled as zombie-dolls dancing around the runway, Viktor & Rolf made a great performance (and just remind yourself AW13’s couture done by VF… meditation and zen were the main keywords). The collection was made only of latex- the nude coloured dresses, skirts and bustiers looked a bit sinister and scary… just like the eerie hair that the ballerinas had on! Definitely, if talking of fashion entertainment, Viktor & Rolf as usually marks all the points.

HC: VALENTINO SS14

January 24, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

“Fifty-five looks for fifty-five operas. The Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were after something new for Couture this season, and they found it in the age-old tradition of opera. The show opened with a nod to La Traviata; Giuseppe Verdi’s score was embroidered in black on the long, full skirt of a parchment-colored tulle dress. By the end, they had called out all the greats: Puccini’s La Bohème inspired an elegant navy cashmere cape and silk crepe sheath. Bizet’sCarmen produced a pleated bronze tulle gown with silver-gray guipure lace embroideries”. And I loved the animals. Magnifique!

HC: MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA SS14

January 23, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Margiela team again made some magic for Haute Couture season. And this is a real black magic. Eyes, embroidery, fur, stripes, kimonos, canvas, sequins… art. The SS14 couture for Maison Martin Margiela meant recreating vintage “stuff” into a new, imaginery whole. The collection was about show girls- the tatoo looking like embroidered vest with these sexy pantalons. About illusion- eyes on the veils and handcuffs covered with fur. Brain activity and ancient cultures. So much different things simply touch them selves at Margiela. This is the world of artinasal fashion where nothing is impossible. That definitely was the most amazing couture of the season.

HC: VIONNET SS14

January 23, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Goga Ashkenazi, the owner and “creative director” of the old Couture label Vionnet, just hired a new designer- Hussein Chalayan, the men who did LED gowns, table skirts and all other crazy fashion you can imagine from the 90’s. This SS14 collection for this Parisian house was about decision- new or old? Hussein made it of course futuristic. The runway was very industrial with car elements lying all around. While the forms of this pretty minimalistic collection were modest, but sharp, the detail nailed it. Aluminium plugs used as belts; chargers as necklaces; and huge, hand embroidered keys on the gowns. I really like this move of Vionnet- taking new into old and another way round. What do you think of this “unexpected” collaboration?