Ladies Who Brunch. Molly Goddard AW17

February 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Molly Goddard‘s signature tulle dresses are London’s favourite. And that’s already a well-known, unofficially acknowledged fact. Her autumn-winter 2017 collection, however, differed from the last seasons. While last time Molly staged an acid-splashed rave party, yesterday’s show venue was focused on a long, Alice from The Wonderland kind of table. Goddard’s bruch was served – after the models walked around the runway, they took a sit and sipped red wine. Of course, wearing layers of blue, green and pink tulle.Whether voluminous, or more day-to-day, Goddard’s woman is a contemporary princess, who walks down the street as if it was royal ball. For those who prefer something more conventional, the designer introduced a range of boldly coloured pants, striped knits and simpler, floral dresses from a stretchy fabric. But, really, take the tulle, lady!

Respect. Marc Jacobs AW17

February 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marc Jacobs‘s autumn-winter 2017 collection praised the diverse street culture of New York – and it deserves respect.

Not only did the cast feature an impressive number of black models, but also, Jacobs decided to invite transgender girls to walk the show. Exceptionally, this ground-breaking fashion show wasn’t a venue show-off, as we’ve all got used to. A narrow aisle of chairs for the show’s guests crossed the huge Armory. No music, but the sound of models’ walk. A sudden exit to the streets of New York, where Adwoa Aboah, Lineisy Montero, Winnie Harlow and other models integrated with the city. If you ask me, I’m still awestricken with the way Marc handled the collection, sparking one of the brightest moments of the entire New York fashion week. The clothes were all about tweed, corduroy, fur and Stephen Jones’ chic hats. Golden chain necklaces were designed in collaboration with artist Urs Fischer, nodding to the bold culture of hip-hop, while round bangles – perhaps to R&B. While other designers, like Alexander Wang or, eww, Philipp Plein, tend to repeat popular stereotypes, Marc presented his own interpretation. The show’s theme could lead to something too literal, like a line of hoodies or sweatpants – but Marc ventured into the topic subtly and with heart.

Idiosyncratic. Eckhaus Latta AW17

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta of Eckhaus Latta, like other New York-based designers (whether that’s The Row or Vaquera), aren’t satisfied with the current state of United States. To that extend, that (according to Cathy Horyn of New York Mag) Latta and Eckhaus stopped working on their autumn-winter 2017 collection in November, discouraged by the election. But then, something sparked. “We just designed what we wanted,” Latta told Horyn. And that’s noticeable in the clothes – the designers, by confronting the reality, wanted to design freely. Will it sell? It doesn’t matter that much. But I doubt these semi-hippie floral dresses with velvet sleeves and boiled knits in earthy colours won’t find a place in a wardrobe of, let’s say,an art curator. There’s no main theme behind the collection, but rather an off-beat take on such essentials like blazers (voluminous and boldly coloured here) or a skirt (lenght adjustable). Specific, conceptual character of Eckhaus Latta clothing can’t be precisely conveyed by usual models. That’s why Zoe and Eckhaus do their best to invite people with passion for what they do to walk their shows. This season you could spot super-stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington, multi-disciplinary artist Julian Klincewicz and actress and writer India Salvor Menuez along other creative individuals and designers’ friends.

Minimalism. The Row AW17

February 17, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen‘s The Row lead the coat game for autumn-winter 2017. Their newest collection was virtually all about coats, whether we’re speaking of a timeless mac or a floor-sweeping ensemble. We’ve already got used to The Row’s remarkable cashmere and over-sized knits, which rather associated with the term “cozy”. Or flowing silk dresses for summer. But this season felt austere. That was pure minimalism, with no place for romance (heavy Dr. Martens prove that). The level of minimalism which was presented by the Olsen sisters matched Helmut Lang’s and Calvin Klein’s shows in the 90s – and that’s an achievement.

You need to be a great observer to notice those tiny, yet meaningful words embroidered on the shirt’s sleeves. ‘Hope’, ‘dignity’, ‘freedom’ – I doubt this word pool needs much of explanation, noting current political situation in USA. The Row women (like Jamie Bochert, Kristen Owen, Angela Lindvall) marched around the concrete show venue like soldiers, or even, modern-day angels.

Colour Party. Rosie Assoulin AW17

February 16, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Parachute top with ruffled sleeves, ball-skirt in pastel-green, purple total-look made of eye-catchy ‘marble’ fabric, lemon pantsuit, patchworked robe-dress, another blouse with voluminous ruffles, but in red. Yes, you’ve guessed it right – I’m speaking of Rosie Assoulin‘s dreamy wardrobe for autumn-winter 2017 collection. Being New York’s queen of contemporary eveningwear and ‘makes me smile’ everyday essentials, Assoulin invited her guests to a tea-party-kinda presentation, which not only let the editors observe the delightful gowns in motion – it was also an occasion to celebrate the designer’s footwear line. Assoulin was inspired with fancy interiors and those little, meticulously crafted details that make a room look high above the average. That’s why some of the shoe heels reassembled table legs! While other designers get melancholic this season, Rosie’s signature optimism stays for good. But who wouldn’t feel cheerful, wearing one of those floral slip-dresses next autumn?