Nothing Is What It Seems. Loewe AW24

March 3, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

This was a Loewe by Jonathan Anderson collection that can be comprehended as a line-up of utterly beautiful, artisanally made clothes, but also in terms of something much more conceptual. The framework of this show – set in a private exhibition of small landscape and domestic scenes by the late American painter Albert York – is the context for the designer’s quite off-kilter reflection on the meaning of luxury; specifically a zooming in on the interior landscapes and extremely decorative antique objects collected by wealthy Americans. “I started exploring this idea of provenance and why we buy things and why things come to have meaning,” he said. “The idea of an outsider looking into a world that we don’t experience.” Naturally, Anderson’s intertextual mind was shooting off, looking at the insanely ornate collectibles – elaborate china, tapestry embroideries of pets, Chippendale furniture – that women interior designers “specifically of the 1920s” placed for their clients in their Upper East Side apartments. And there we have the provenance behind the Loewe prints of chintzy fabric and wallpaper flowers, the painted radishes, buttercups, and foliage of English early-18th-century Chelsea porcelain. A silvered collar on a gray cashmere overcoat, masquerading as look-alike fur, turned out to be carved wood. Trompe l’oeil “caviar”-beaded embroidery smothered everything from tracksuits to curtain-fabric balloon trousers. One of the show-stopper bags was a fully detailed bunch of antique Chelsea porcelain asparagus. A replica of a replica from nature, served up once more as the ultimate luxury fashion object for the 21st-century collector.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Prêt-À-Porter. Schiaparelli AW24

March 3, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Daniel Roseberry‘s Schiaparelli ready-to-wear used to read as an offshoot of the haute couture line. But the autumn-winter 2024 collection offered a new mindset. Cleaned from bold surreal ornaments, eye motifs or in-your-face Elsa Schiaparelli references, Roseberry offered his perspective on daily chic. There was strong tailoring with beautiful silhouettes and ties made to look like plaited hair, corsets worn over vest tops and outerwear with spectacular, hand-made buttons. “So what is Schiap ready-to-wear? It’s a wardrobe full of blazer variations, crisp slacks and separates, and dramatic evening wear – with both our founder’s beloved iconographies (the anatomy, the measuring tape, the keyhole) and my beloved Americanisms (fringe, buckles, and denim) making starring appearances and cameos throughout,” the designer summed up. While the collection seemed to lack direction, and in some moments reminded bits of Demna’s Balenciaga, Kim Jones’ Fendi and Pieter Mulier’s Alaïa, it was certainly refreshing to see more lightness at this detail-heavy brand.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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This Is Chic. Isabel Marant AW24

March 3, 2024March 3, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

You can always rely on Isabel Marant. She will never let you down. But her autumn-winter 2024 collection was exceptionally brilliant. It was co-designed with artistic director Kim Bekker, who came out on the runway together with Marant. “There’s a lot of leather,” the eternal queen of Parisian chic said, “but at the same time, even though it’s quite luxurious, it’s also very easy and wearable.” There were great voluminous 1980s inflected blouson jackets in shearling or leather, à la the late Claude Montana, in olive, chocolate, or black, and because you can never have too much of a good thing, they often came worn with matching leather mini skirts, or lanky, leg lengthening pants. Aesthetically, this collection was very Emmanuelle Alt for Vogue Paris – once underrated, now hugely missed as Condé Nast is gradually homogenizing all the Vogues in terms of image. The designers used the suedes and leathers for scrunched boots resting on tiny heels, some of which came embellished with jewelry, or casual, effortless tooled suede bags swinging with fringe. Those boots and bags had a bit of a gaucho vibe. In fact, a lot of this collection did: with the short fringed sarape skirts; the blanket throw coats; the suede scarves wound around the neck; and with a killer pair of black tasseled trousers which had been riveted with silver studs, and worn under a shrugged on black trench. Into this richly layered mix went mens’ chunky cable knit sweaters, rock ‘n’ roll leopard micro-print jeans, utilitarian jumpsuits, stacks of bangles, and a fantastic combo of a beige weathered cotton drill shirt, perfect in its slouchy proportions with a pair of equally weathered cotton trousers also cut with a slouchier attitude. What’s not to love?

Urgently need some Isabel Marant in your wardrobe? I’ve got you covered!

ED’s DISPATCH:

White lace blouse

Vokayo denim pants

Balskee wedged sneakers – forever très cool.

Rokia silk blouse

Oskan Moon bag

Denim midi-skirt

Medilia sleeveless shearling jacket

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Layers. Rabanne AW24

March 2, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

At Rabanne (I still can’t get used to the cropping of Paco), a palpably different current coming from Julien Dossena. “I was craving just to do clothes. Maybe because of the climate of the world,” he said. Instead of sending down the runway another chainmail splendor, this season he’d been inspired by looking “at how girls are dressed when I see them walking around Paris, and on the metro coming to work every day,” he said. “I was really interested in just observing people. It’s a sort of collage of stuff, mixing everything together; a personal kind of intimacy with what makes people most individual.” The pick-and-mix of it, layers upon layers of cardigans, Argyle sweaters, miniskirts, shirts, jackets, trousers, and biker overalls, was a masterclass in how to make a zillion clashing patterns work together as if you haven’t tried too hard. Très parisien.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Her Gardens. Magda Butrym AW24

March 2, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Magda Butrym finds pleasure in experimenting and developing her language through exploration of themes close to her heart. She’s also a female designer with a unique design sensibility that joins this season’s growing discourse around the way women are designing for women. The autumn-winter 2024 collection is an unexpected journey: from the cult 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens” to a fascinating revisiting of Polish heritage. Let’s start in the East Hamptons property of the eccentric Bouvier family, where Little Edie’s singular style, characterized by shawls and veils, evolved and became fashion’s ever-self-updating inspiration. The latest collection revisits her iconic looks, like the maxi cardigan cocooning or the shearling coat reminiscent of the oversized fur she used to wear while running errands in her garden. A red, broad-shouldered blazer or double-breasted coat, highlighted with strips of shearling, contrasts with ribbed knits and matching pantyhose, creating a charismatic, off-kilter look. Residing in industrial surroundings, the two models starring in Butrym’s lookbook (shot by Vitali Gewich and styled by Jacob Kjeldgaard) are undeniably elegant, with a hint of madness, yet there is grace and lightness in their unparalleled styles.

With Magda Butrym’s universe, there’s always the return to her Polish roots. The appreciation of Polish cultural heritage is synonymous with the brand’s rose-budding ethos. The collection’s hero accessory – the headscarf – is a symbol of femininity rooted in Slavic tradition. Whether monochrome or adorned with blooming florals, the shawls embrace and safeguard the sacred essence of womanhood. Women are the custodians of ancient wisdom, myths, and legends, passing on entire mindsets to the next generations, nurturing and preserving their heritage and integrity. The headscarf as well evokes the image of Madonna, a maternal figure that stands as a timeless emblem of female empowerment. An enduring example of Polish cultural iconography depicting Saint Mary is the album cover of Maanam’s “Love is Wonderful”. Kora, the band’s iconic frontwoman, performs Miron Białoszewski’s 1956 poem “Carousel with Madonnas”, a vivid portrayal of girls and women having fun in an amusement park, resembling Madonnas painted by Renaissance masters. The urban setting of the autumn-winter 2024 lookbook – two women, two strong characters – can be read as a contemporary interpretation of female self-confidence and self-satisfaction conveyed in the track. The finale look of the collection further explores Slavic traditions and is somewhat an elusive mystery. A fringed, silk bolero jacket paired with a draped column dress and a bejeweled headscarf, all in pure white, a color representing absolute freedom and the possibility of new beginnings. What’s coming next for Magda Butrym? Watch this space.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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