Dark Glamour. Rick Owens AW19

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Designers seem to reconsider glamour this season in subverted, new ways. While this term seems to be far, far from Rick Owens‘ well-known aesthetic, the designer took a try with it and what came out is the brilliant autumn-winter 2019 collection. Who else can pull off a reference crossover of such names as Charles James (the only American couturier), Larry LeGaspi (the person who designed costumes for Labelle, Kiss, Grace Jones, and Divine) and Mariano Fortuny (the Spanish-born, Italy-based designer who was famous for pleats and prints)? Only Rick. All of those people did glamour in their own, idiosyncratic way, and Owens was interested in doing garments that have a bit of each of them in the seems, cuts and drapes. Wait, but it’s never a Rick Owens collection without a bit of darkness. The designer hired 18-year-old Salvia (see her Instagram! It’s disturbing, but you won’t stop scrolling) to consult on the show makeup. The models looked like alien princesses with all the face implants and prothesis. That’s post-apocalyptic chic.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Reworked Glamour. Y/Project AW19

March 9, 2019March 9, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Similarly to this season’s Paco Rabanne, Y/Project was ‘overfilled’ – but in a good way (even if this sounds strange). Glenn Martens took the old school glamour archetypes, reworked them, and delivered something pretty much madly fashion. He jumped from a superchic tweed coat with faux fur and Turkish rug inserts to a long black satin skirt draped up from a pair of deconstructed pants. A pistacchio kimono coat-dress? Yes. A voluminous jacket with an A-shaped skirt that reminded you of weaved chairs that are all over the Parisian caffes? YES. The closing, XXL gown was so extravagantly billowy that you really wish to see it on the red carpet (Rihanna, take a look!). Martens likes to take risks. Also, he seems to be one of the few designers in Paris who really dare.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Overfilled. Paco Rabanne AW19

March 9, 2019March 9, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

We’ve all gone crazy for Julien Dossena‘s spring-summer 2019 collection for Paco Rabanne. It just felt so effortless, so beautifully balanced. What happened this season? I guess the designer tried slightly too hard. His latest collection is extremely bourgeoisie, but to an extent where it’s really difficult to trace anything that’s Rabanne or, actually, Dossena. All those rhinestones, florals, zebra prints, bling bling… Julien often repeats that his Paco has to be as modern, as the original was back in the days of the founder. This collection wasn’t modern. It was (simply saying) overfilled with details. For spring, Dossena did the must-have ‘Lose Yourself’ t-shirt in tie-dye, which was styled with a sarong skirt. This time, though, the designer lost himself too much.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Classics. Chloé AW19

March 9, 2019March 9, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

This was Natacha Ramsay-Levi‘s most commerce-wise collection for Chloé in her tenure at the house – and this isn’t a bad thing. The designer has already established such a solid set of her Chloé classics that it felt like the right moment to list them in one line-up. Some chic, breezy dresses in plaid; really good, masculine coats; a silk blouson tucked into a knee-lenght skirt; reworked denim; 70s inspired outerwear with shearling collars. All that styled with eclectic (even slightly ethnic) jewellery, always-in-demand riding boots and equally desirable handbags. Since her first season at the maison, Natacha holds close to her favourite colour palette that’s all about rust, beige, navy, and ecru. As I said, classics.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Definining Elegance. Lemaire AW19

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

I could write and write about each and signle look coming from Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran‘s autumn-winter 2019 collection. Everything’s just so beautifully balanced and refined. Lemaire might be defining elegance this season – I mean, just look at this all-knitted look feauturing a sweater with big shoulders and waist-highlighting button-down skirt. From masculine coats to evening dresses, there isn’t a thing about the collection that isn’t compelling. The blouson jackets with leg-o-mutton sleeves have this chic, slightly vintage-y Parisian feel about them, just like leather jackets or business-ready blazers. Some things don’t change, like Lemaire’s season-to-season goodness – and I’m fine with that.