Men’s – Rustic on Acid. Acne Studios AW19

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Acne Studios’ designer, Jonny Johansson, isn’t the guy you will see all over the Paris fashion week Instagram feed. He’s an outsider. Or even, a double-outsider, as he dubbed himself in a Vogue interview. “Because we’re from Stockholm, which is from way outside [the fashion world], plus I’m from the very north of Sweden, which is way outside even Stockholm.” Being ‘outside’, to a surprise of many, has major advantages in fashion industry – you’re different, and you offer something different. Acne Studios always feels slightly off-beat, raw, but not nothing close to the stereotypical image of cold, Scandinavian minimalism. For the men’s autumn-winter 2019 collection, Johansson delivered clothes full of soul and energy. The designer mused on mid-century bohemia and counterculture in the fringed poncho-sweatshirts and acid-palette coats and jackets worn unbuttoned, over naked torsos. Snake-effect leather and cow-print pieces were very Americana, even rustic. Wear that extra long, ecru scarf when it’s cold. Use it as a blanket when the sun comes out. Don’t be afraid to step into mad in these colourful, trekking boots. Jonny loves the idea of a city escape, whether it’s the forest or the mountains. He works with this ‘weekend traveller’ notion for a while, and seems to enter the season with a similar spirit.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Moving Bodies. JW Anderson AW19

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Undoubtedly, Jonathan Anderson‘s leap from London to Paris resulted in an even more uninspiring men’s London fashion week this season. Well, good for the latter. J.W. Anderson kicked off the Parisian schedule with a brilliantly diverse collection, made up of the boys’ autumn-winter 2019 and the girls’ pre-fall 2019. At a first sight, ‘chaos’ is a word that comes to your mind while going through the collection. The models wore medieval-esque hoods with over-sized bermuda shorts, boldly striped tops and huge bracelets. Another look had fringed trousers, an exaggerated sailor collar and an absolutely distorted knit that no longer can be classified as a sweater. The women’s part was rich in polka-dots, XXL shirting and equally voluminous dresses worn over hoodies or with huge pussy-bows. The venue, filled with Paul Thek’s art installations, was a mash-up of vintage rugs, floor drawings. And of course, there was this huge, balloon globe. Everything here seemed to be full of some unidentified energy. Those garments had the vibrance that instantly reminds of Bodymap, the London-based brand that was on everybody’s lips in the 80s. Whatever stood behind the collection this time around, one thing’s clear: Anderson does it again. The strange and odd looks familiar and desirable. I’m extremely looking forward to get those zebra-print socks.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Chopova Lowena

January 6, 2019January 6, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Meet Chopova Lowena, one of the most fascinating, emerging brands in London. Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena‘s Central Saint Martins MA graduate collection began with them looking at Bulgaria’s mountain dwellers, particularly the women, and the way they dressed. There, they found all the contrasting elements they felt so intrigued with, like intricate handmade folk costumes worn with secondhand western sneakers and sunglasses. The same spirit of new and old, rare and mainstream, was reflected in their autumn-winter 2018 look-book shot by Charlotte Wales (with whom the designers worked on Kukeri – Chopova Lowena, a photographic portfolio focusing on Bulgarian culture and the traditional fur-clad masked Kukeri).The label is already known for its harmonious juxtapositions, subtly combining modernity and nostalgia, luxury and kitsch, craftsmanship and humour. Skin-tight layers of brightly printed mesh are paired with their signature Bulgarian pleats in wool and nylon. Big, punk-ish belts double as mini-skirts underneath delicate harnesses made from metal hardware – very Vivienne-Westwood-gone-ethnic. Chopova Lowena has an anthropological approach to design, observing traditional customs and revisiting them through a contemporary lens. Their design ethos stems from a desire to work with niche and forgotten techniques, and to collaborate with craftsmen in small Eastern European and English communities. By working with artisans, they aim to preserve disappearing crafts – that is quite a t to praise in today’s fashion industry. Take a look at the designers’ works, from 2017 and 2018, below.

Chopova Lowena’s latest offering is actually a mini-collection of three, hand-knitted sweaters. With this project, which launched on their website just now, the Emma and Laura “sought to take this one step further by attempting to create knitwear with the sole purpose of highlighting the manufacturing processes behind it”, as Another puts it. The process behind the sweaters spanned across borders. The works began with wool from Yorkshire mills, which was then knitted into the pieces by three skilled craftswomen from a village in Bulgaria’s remote mountain region. The knits look more than lovely – it’s visible that they’re warm and will serve for years, years to come.