Art

Virginie Viard. Chanel Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

While the MET Gala stole the spotlight from the last few days, it would be great pity to forget about Chanel‘s resort 2020 collection, the first solely designed under Virginie Viard‘s direction. As Karl Lagerfeld would say, the beat goes on, and the brand is moving on after the death of its visionary designer. But I think it’s in good hands – Viard was the closest person to Karl, and understands the brand like no one else. Changes from the Lagerfeld repertoire were subtle, but meaningful. First, the venue. Travel was very much on Virginie’s mind, so Grand Palais was temporarily changed into an elegant train station, with a Belle Epoque café, potted palms and so on. Still, the setting wasn’t as show-stopping as the ones Karl did – which suggests that Viard wants to bring the focus on the clothes. Second, the clothes. They felt… real. A trench coat. Easy-in-approach cardigans with Chanel chains and voluminous pants Coco Chanel would love to wear herself. Jackie-Kennedy-inspired vacation looks. Even the eveningwear seemed to be more approachable. This was a 24/7 wardrobe fit not for a risk-taker, but a self-aware woman with big money in her wallet. Well, that’s Chanel. And Viard delivered this. Let’s see what she bring to the table in in near future.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Choices. Prada Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

Retro florals, smart layering, scarves bejewelled with XXL sequins, baroque pearl earrings, chunky hand-knit tennis vests, clashed prints. Carefree eclecticism that isn’t overly extravagant, but daringly fantastic for everyday. It seemed that Miuccia Prada resorted to simpler, easier codes of fashion, leaving the darkness of last season behind. But in a way, this was Prada’s defiance in the time of difficulties. The collection, staged in New York (just like last year), was pure joy, whether we’re speaking of a blue peasant shirt-dress with naive flower embroideries worn by Freja Beha or adorable, knitted striped beanies and socks in bold colours, paired with the most ‘unmatching’ looks. There were also looks that will comfort the safer Prada customers, like light, loosely tailored blazers and classic coats. For me, what stood out in this collection, was the number of possibilities, suited for many different personalities. While the last few collections from Prada had those two or three key looks that ruled the runway, and had a tendency to be polarised between super feminine and super dark, here the designer really emphasised that sort of off-the-fashion-show reality. Take what you love, mix it the way you feel like.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Les Jardins d’Étretat

| Design & Culture by Ed

Les Jardins d’Étretat is a magic place which, as if by the wave of the hand, has appeared at Falaise d’Amont cliffe, at Seine Maritine. These gardens enjoy spectacular views over the ancient town and one of the world’s most beautiful cliffs, Falaise d’Aval, with its famous L’Aiguille gushing from the ocean. The gardens and the villa were founded more than a hundred years ago by Madame Thébault, a famous actress at the beginning of the 20th century. Inspired by the ideas of Claude Monet, who lived in Étretat for some time and was a keen gardener, she decided to create her own, gorgeous garden. Today, The Gardens are a venue for permanent and transitory exhibtions by international artists. Works of Samuel Salcedo (the brilliant faces placed in Le Jardin Émotions), Wiktor Szostało and Sergey Catran are here, among many others. If you’re in Normandy by car, you can’t miss this charming place.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Tuinch

| Design & Culture by Ed

Every so often a label appears out of nowhere that piques my interest. This happened with Tuinch, a brand I’ve discovered while browsing Moda Operandi’s trunkshows last season. I fell in love with it at the first sight – and you will, too. Founder Veronique Vermussche is a passionate knitter, spending much of her free time creating elaborate sweaters and other garments. She combines this passion with her other ones: fashion and travel. The story of Tuinch started quite by coincidence. Traveling home from a vacation in the Himalayas, Veronique’s flight got delayed and she found warmth and comfort wrapping herself in a cashmere scarf bought from a local artisan. This way Veronique fell in love with cashmere, the beloved material that feels likes silk, but warms like lamb wool. The idea grew to develop a cashmere-only knitwear line. Back home she started working on her first collection, autumn-winter 2016, and travelled back extensively to the Himalayas to understand all aspects of the Asian cashmere tradition and to source the finest wool and discover the best artisans. Tuinch’s collections combine an artistic vision with elegant silhouettes. They are truly innovative by revisiting cashmere in not so classic designs we often see in stores and from other brands. The Antwerp-based label is about to release two new capsule collections for autumn-winter season. One is more bold and playful, with an energetic colour palette and knitted, three-dimensional bees (!) stuck on the sleeves. The other capsule is equally artisan, but more suited for, let’s say, beautiful mountain trips or escapes to the country. Those earthy shades used in oversized cardigans, ponchos and turtlenecks look too good. Not speaking of all the timeless, tartan plaids… I tell you, keep Tuinch on your radar when colder days come. Here are the knits that will serve for years!

Discover the brand here.

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.