Men’s: Memories. Raf Simons SS15

June 27, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons got really sentimental this season. In an industrial space, with guests standing instead of seating, the designer served a portion of unexplained things. And as he said, they are hard to analyse. But first of all, the backs of the coats and tops “Like mood boards you’d pin your favorite images to,” Raf said backstage. Friends, family, a fluffy kitty, a roller coaster, Mt. Fuji painted by Hokusai, a koi pond, a shark, a swimmer in peril, an astronaut…it seemed furiously random until Simons parsed the images. And these were all his memories and inspirations that he thought of while putting them live, on the models. Sharks- he loves Jaw movie and horrors. The astronaut was isolation. Roller coaster, the one he rode with his friends Olivier Rizzo and Willy Vanderperre decades ago. The Japanese influence was his thank-you to the first retailers who ever supported him. That was a truly psychological idea, too. In other words, Raf Simons made us all a bit shaky after the show. And the clothes were very him! The sneakers, the sophisticated suits, colourful tops and sharp tailored trousers. The AW14 collaboration with artist Sterling Ruby was a sweet surrender that Simons said, “I could only go deep into myself to find another challenge.” He’s a supremely organized individual, but maybe Ruby left him with an appetite for chaos. “It’s interesting to let go,” he agreed.

Men’s: Jokes on Classic. Prada SS15

June 23, 2014June 23, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

So, what did Prada serve us this time for her men’s SS15 and women’s Resort’15? Something you would probably not think of: a pool. In the middle of the show venue, we had a 90 deegree rectangular swimming pool filled with water. A pretty perfect mood for summer, isn’t it? But all the spark was in the fashion that was presented. “I interpreted the classics. It means everything and nothing. It means what looks good for me” said Miuccia Prada backstage, meaning that for menswear, she always can do what she likes most, while for womenswear, “we always have to push, push, push.” I totally agree with her in that fact – the men’s clothes were a fresh, updated version of her 70’s ugly-chic uniforms and the sandals had this Prada mood written all over it. “It’s kind of conservative. Conservative looks more new” Miuccia added. Utah boys visiting the concrete jungle, embroidered top-stitched everything, brown leather-detailed denim and cashmere versions of charity shop knits… it all felt old, but new in a way it was a bit forgotten by people. But as it sounds typically, nothing is really normal at Prada. The exagarated stitches are just the prove! You see them everyday on your denim, but here, Prada made them in the spotlight. If coming back to the pool, there was also an irony about it. Surrounded on all sides by bleachers covered in dodgy golden-brown carpet (only Miuccia would pair that with a glittering pool) that extended to a raised runway on the water, it was a Miuccia-style take on an old summertime chestnut. “It was a joke on what’s classic,” she commented after the show. So, was that just another show? No, it was a very Prada show.

About the artist: Israeli sculptor. He adopted the name Absalon on his arrival in Paris in the late 1980s. During his short career he achieved widespread recognition for the 1:1 scale architectural models that he constructed of idealised living units. These wooden models, painted white, demonstrate an obsession with order, arrangement and containment, and have associations both of protective shelters and monastic cells.

Men’s: Bruce Chatwin. Burberry SS15

June 19, 2014June 19, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bruce Chatwin spent much of his early career specialising in the work of the impressionists – think Cézanne, Degas and Monet – at Sotheby’s. It’s always a delight when Bailey himself turns to art for his references (think back to his Hockney inspired SS14 menswear collection, or his homage to the Bloomsbury Group for AW14 womenswear). The early Parisian impressionists were pioneers of elevating ordinary subject matters through the interplay of light, brushstrokes and composition. It’s much like what Bailey achieved today. The collection was covetable, buzzing with an infectious youthful energy yet routed in something far deeper. Christopher Bailey makes Burberry a fashion house which is very open for Bristish art legacy. And that’s really good because the men collection by Burberry are again exciting and interesting! For SS15, I enjoyed most the radiant colours which are perfect for long, Summer evenings. The accessories were also here the key- the leather, printed clutches with smart texts written on; colourful sneakers; the funny Woody Allen like hats… surely that’s one of the best Burberry collections ever!

Men’s: Mens-Wear. J.W. Anderson SS15

June 18, 2014June 19, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson is the strange man in London fashion scene. And this menswear collection proves the point. Scarcely a promising scenario for a collection of mens-wear, but gender blurring has always been an Anderson trait, and here it yielded clothes whose softness and languor were—what else?—oddly appealing, especially in the bias-cut tops that slipped off the shoulder or the hip into loose scarf-ties. “Sleepy eroticism” was the impression he wanted to convey. The collection was one of the disturbingly hyper-normal. Why? Just see the first three looks. Cap-sleeve tops patterned after the work of octogenarian carpet designer John Allen, which were items of bucolic loveliness. True to character, Anderson felt compelled to point out the dropped pockets, which made the models stretch their arms. “A bit creepy,” he mused. “It feels normal, but it’s not.” I myself wouldn’t wear any of these clothes. But after all, I feel that Anderson makes fashion fashion, and not just something to be sold on-line (although his new web-site is amazing). More on http://j-w-anderson.com

Striking. Prabal Gurung Resort’15

June 15, 2014June 18, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Prabal Gurung said he approached his striking new Resort collection as if it was a “one-stop shop from morning to evening.” The idea, he explained, was prompted by all the traveling he’s been doing to trunk shows in places as far-flung as Singapore and Toronto. It’s smart business to listen to customers’ needs, but if Gurung embraced practicality, he didn’t abandon his creative side.