Art

Exodus. GmBH AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

“There’s this melancholy that comes from always being told we’ve gone past the point of no return,” said GmbH’s Benjamin Alexander Huseby and Serhat Isik’s, minutes after their autumn-winter 2019 collection for men and women. The Berlin-based brand, that shows in Paris, referred to planet Earth and irreparable damage the humanity causes to it. The designers frequently refer to the topic of migration, and their conclusion – “leaving this planet is the ultimate migration, right?” – was starkly contrasting with fashion’s common sense of being distant from world problems. So, what will we wear at the moment of the global exodus? Grey jersey dresses and knits, military bomber jackets, tie-dyed, worn-looking denim. But, if you’re an optimist and think that we’re staying on Earth for a while, you’re more than welcome to turn to GmBH for the office-wear – made fashion, of course.  Hammer and pick logo appeared all over the pants and puffer jackets (nothing says ‘work it!’ as this one…). Boys wore shirts with ties under sporty jumpers, while the girls walked the runway in cinched-at-the-waist blazers and masculine coats. The navy, grey & black colour palette was brightened up with a pinch of beige. While the utilitarian toolbox clutch might seem the next big accessory for men, GmBH surprised their female customber base with two evening dresses, intricately ornamented with floral and metal motifs.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

On Power Dressing. Acne Studios AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

For autumn-winter 2019, Acne Studios’ designer, Jonny Johansson, considered what’s high fashion from the perspective of young people, and how it might change throughout time. “All the power dressing that I consider iconic womenswear, maybe they are attracted to it, but in a different way.” While doing the research, he also thoroughly examined Helmut Newton’s eternally chic photographs, and was amazed with the fact that those visuals are so relevant, and not getting old – even a day. All this gave birth to a collection, that’s quite different to Acne Studios we’ve seen in the last few seasons. Oversize pants were cinched at the waist and tucked into socks; coats had those refined-looking, rounded shoulders; draping, probably never seen at Acne before, looked sublime. The new season silhouette is sharp and chic, but there were also elements that felt distinct to the brand’s aesthetic: knits with raw finishings, eclectic jewellery (those XXL bracelets are gorgeous) and, other than the very seductive, Newton-ish pumps, heavy trekking boots. Worn with one of the statuesque blazers or a collared ‘office’ midi-dress, the elegant-slash-off-duty look would exactly be what Johansson worked on this time: power dressing, fitted for a contemporary woman.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Country. Jacquemus AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Simon Porte Jacquemus‘ autumn-winter 2019 collection for men signalled his (temporary) departure from the always sunny, always beach-y wonderland that got him slightly trapped for the last few seasons. But, it’s Jacquemus – France will forever be his endless inspiration. This time, he went to the French countryside, and came back to Paris with a warm, ready-to-get-dirty offering. The designer presented his collection around a table full of cheese, grapes and bread, and posted a look-book photographed far, far from the big city – the hills of Montpellier. The collection’s leading inspiration? “Traditional French workwear,” he said, “bakery guys, farm workers. They are real, real clothes, cotton, wool.” We’ve got thick, durable collared outerwear and matching pants in brown; printed shirts that seemed to be inspired with Cezanne’s rural still-lives; leather pants that were a fashion version of an apron you wear to a barn; heavy trekking boots. But there was also the softer part of the collection, focusing on slightly over-sized fitted suits – something quite new to Jacquemus’ young menswear line. The designer’s love letter to the beautiful, French farm life could not miss foulards, tied loosely around the models’ necks. Now, anyone planning a detoxifying, rural escape anytime soon?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Eclecticism. Loewe AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Loewe’s decision to show its menswear during Paris fashion week couldn’t be better. Jonathan Anderson’s exquisite work for the Spanish brand has to have the motion of a runway. A look-book/showroom presentation doesn’t necessarily work that way, so the previous seasons for men felt a bit under the radar, and even… still? But the autumn-winter 2019 line-up was exactly that: vibrant, bold, full of energy, and optimism that was beautifully reflected in the joyously eclectic elements of the collection. Let’s start from the beginning. A yellow, canvas sculpture by Franz Erhard Walther was the focal point of the show space at Maison de l’UNESCO. Fragments of clothing were strapped to the freestanding piece (‘Gelbe Modellierung’ from 1985), which resembled the cross-section of a wardrobe. Walther’s artwork influenced Anderson’s designs this season, as they were all about mixing, matching, deconstructing and, lightly saying, playing. As usual with Jonathan’s work at Loewe, everything was very artisanal and made with great affection. Whether we’re speaking of the XXL, rough-looking cardigan made of different yarns and threads, heavily patch-worked sweater or a trench coat constructed out of wool scarves. But the collection’s ‘show-stealer’ award goes to the boots. Well, not just regular boots. We’re talking of unzipped boots, going all the way up to a belt. “We were looking at gaiters and fishermen. It was early-’80, kind of, when we unzipped them. It created kind of flaps – Western, but non-Western. It was how to take something fetish and de-fetishize it.” This sort of ‘odd’ seduction was as well applied to tailoring. Looks were slim in the torso, with flared pants. Some of the suits were in houndstooth (styled with a pink puffer jacket), some had a one, satin lapel. “We’d done the suit in the women’s collection – we kept the waist, and extended the back,” said Anderson. “There’s something quite chic and suave about it.” The tailored pieces reinterpreted the nearly forgotten, cosmopolitan elegance of men. Others felt like they were suited for an adventure, or were brought back from some remote destination. Collected and curated into an outfit – like the huge ‘fishnet’ knit or the multi-coloured, fringed bags. Summing up. Together with Marni, Loewe is my ultimate favourite of the season.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – New New Look. Dior AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

It’s just the third runway collection from Kim Jones, but it’s already visible that his Dior has the new, new look. The Dior man is somewhere between deluxe athleisure, composed of utilitarian styles and comfortable fits, and a couture dandy, a territory that lets Jones embrace the brand’s truest haute heritage – which used to connotate with womenswear, only. The autumn-winter 2019 collection was a pure fashion moment we all waited for the entire season. Models didn’t exactly “walk” the runway, but stood still on a moving sidewalk. Suiting was given an air of elegance with draped, floor-sweeping sashes in satin and leopard print faux fur. What brought the line-up a truly exquisite touch was the collaboration with artist Raymond Pettibone. Jones used his illustrations for all the hand-made embroideries and embellishments, that covered the tops and shirts. Spectacular.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.