Foamed Tailoring. Balenciaga AW18

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

“After two years at Balenciaga, I wanted to take all the codes of the house and filter them so they can be one aesthetic and one ethic,” said Demna Gvasalia. What seemed to be a reflective season for Balenciaga‘s creative director, felt at a first glance like a very, very predictable Gvasalia offering. Coats layered over ten other coats, dad-looks, a play with corporate dressing. In other words – well, we’ve seen enough of that. I thought: is there a place for something new?

But then, you and I had no clue that what seemed to be the most ‘basic’ about this collection appeared to be fashion’s revolution. Thanks to a high-tech computer-enabled process, the women’s and men’s blazers were… molded. The tailored silhouettes had been 3-D scanned, the fittings were done digitally and then the forms were printed out. Fabrics that are well known across the traditional industry, like tweed or wool, were then bonded to a “lightweight foam”. Shortly speaking – that’s incredible. Today’s fashion needs that kind of progress a lot, to continue being exciting and desired. I really can’t wait to see how the designer develops the idea further across Balenciaga in the next seasons.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Seduction. Givenchy AW18

March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Clare Waight Keller‘s second season at Givenchy looks definitely more promising than the first one. The Hunger and B Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin, 1979-1989 were on the designer’s mood-board. Weimar-era non-chalance of Berliners was also on her mind. The effect was eternally chic, seductive. And, quite intriguing. The ‘sleazy’ faux-fur coats, as Clare called them, were all over the show, and just note how beautiful they look belted. The collection also subtly nods to Hubert de Givenchy signature, the Little Black Dress (here elegantly ornamented with a huge bow). Also, I adored the way the ‘waterfall’ dresses in the evening section (as if anything here could be easily called ‘daywear’…) beautifully flowed down the models’ bodies. Even though it’s still too early to truly capture Waight Keller’s vision for Givenchy – which is rather dark, than light – she might be on the right path.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Characters. Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood AW18

March 7, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood was a parade of characters: from Joan of Arc to haunted brides (and widows), that was a diverse outing. Vivienne and her partner, Andreas, enjoy studying the different and break any kind of stereotypes. Here, boys wore ball dresses, while girls nailed over-sized pirate jackets. Nearly everything would have been superb about this collection if not the fact that the label stole an idea, or two, from London’s emerging, young designers. Even though they have publicly apologized Rottingdean Bazaar and Louise Gray for using their prints and slogans without permission, I just can’t understand how the designers’ studio thought no one would notice that in the first place? I mean, if not Vivienne, many of those brands wouldn’t be here with their explosive attitude today. And now, who’s appropriating whom?

Still, the collection is a bomb.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Strange Times. Haider Ackermann AW18

March 7, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

“We’re going through strange times; I wanted to have this fragility, but [also] something very uplifting,” is how Haider Ackermann summed up his autumn-winter 2018 moment. Underneath the Ackermann classics – like draped coats in animal spots or masterfully tailored jackets – a blast of electric colours emerged in form of tights and matching boots. But there was something unfamiliarly feminine about the collection – just see the pastel pink midi-dress in velvet or the mustard frock. Still, they feel just fine in here – it’s nothing new that the designer knows how to combine colours. The woman that Haider portrays used to wear a protective armour for the past few seasons. Now, she goes against the flow in her badass mullet and bold, polished neons.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Refined. Nina Ricci AW18

March 6, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

So what’s the deal with Guillaume Henry at Nina Ricci? After seasons of working at the heritage brand, the designer was reported to leave due to the maison‘s underfunding. Then, Nina Ricci’s company responded to the news by denying Henry’s departure, just hours after the recent fashion show. Oh, that crazy fashion…

But still, would you say Ricci needs a new designer? Throughout those three years, Guillaume has changed the label into an exciting and very refined place for women seeking the ‘Parisian allure’ (if we really need to use a cliché). Shortly, those are delightful, beautiful dresses, coats and accessories. Although the autumn-winter 2018 collection indeed felt as if it was witnessing a budget cut comparing to the last seasons, it was… well, good. Even very good – see the fur coats; the chic trackpants; voluminous shirts. I think that’s the main problem with old houses being suddenly revived by investors. The owners want big profit, they want the brand to be on everybody’s lips – but is giving the right amount of time for the designer even taken under consideration? Worth consideration.