So Fetch, Fake & Fine. Gucci Pre-Fall’17

December 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Observing Alessandro Michele‘s creative narration at Gucci is absorbing, even if you know you would never ever dress like that. Or maybe… you would? Looking like a charming, yet edgy granny entire week is hard – but for one day, a bunny-embroidered cardigan, layers of floral brooches and a patchworked midi-skirt sound quite mind-blowing on the background of your daily-routine wardrobe, even if they are far from the term ‘new’.

Alessandro’s pre-fall 2017, forgetting the beautiful chaos, tells one clear thing: brands like Gucci, to stay on ground in 2016 (and 2017, which is ahead of us), should recycle. And I’m not speaking about ecology right now. Keeping the consistency of collections; forgetting others and going your own aesthetically path; enriching every single detail, from branding to logi size on a shoe’s buckle. Similar eveningdress silhouettes, but in new colours, are on demand, and all the time in stock. Last season’s floral prints and this season’s Donald Duck become unexpected friends on an adorable blazer. Instead of creating a new ‘it-bag’, why not revive an oldie from the archives? Just like the shoes (extra-dramatic this season, but that’s not a surprise anytime with Michele). Working with such scheme is quite likely a guaranteed success, and Gucci’s monthly turnovers are the best prove for that. But will this take on nostalgia and chic kitsch get boring at some point? Becoming bored is a human’s nature, sorry.

Ignoring reason – this so fetch look-book was shot in Rome’s two historical locations. First is the Antica Libreria Cascianelli, an old bookstore specializing in art history. The second is the Antica Spezieria di Santa Maria della Scala, a 16th-century apothecary. Mind-blowing. And whatever I’ve written in the paragraph above – Alessandro Michele keeps on surprising and the look so fake tights with GG logo are really the thing.

Autumn Escape

October 31, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Autumn is my favourite season.

Lena, all in No21.

Real honey.

Bee yard.

Still life in nature.

Mushroom planet.

Kamila, wearing a No21 knit.

Red.

Another mushroom planet.

Layers.

Lena, all in No21.

Gold.

No21 clothes from Concept 21 Store. Photographs by Edward Kanarecki.

Couture – Rhapsody. Schiaparelli AW16

July 8, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Being a creative director of Schiaparelli is hard, noting Elsa Schiaparelli’s extremely idiosyncratic and characteristic legacy. We’ve all observed how Bertrand Guyon struggled with the splendour of archives and references during his last two seasons, simply re-designing Elsa’s famous gowns and costumes. But for autumn-winter 2016, it seems that Guyon decided to sit down in a calm place while designing the new collection, which, in fact, isn’t a laid-back topic.

Schiaparelli’s famous summer 1938 circus show was in Guyon’s mind throughout the creative process, keeping it toned and, at a first glance, simple. The first looks were quite surprisingly elegant – black dresses with Old Hollywood style cuts and shoulders, hand-painted smokings. So chic. Then, it got even better, as the cocktail dress with a Picasso-esque bustier emerged. Back in the times, Schiaparelli expressed a true rhapsody of surreal beauty in fashion, and this collection proved that Bertrand can do Elsa’s thing, too. A velvet, butterfly-wing shaped jacket; colourful mink jacket; sequined ball-dresses. It’s a circus inspired collection, so naturally it was impossible not to spot meticulously embroidered peacocks and other animals. Every piece from this collection is a work of art. Indeed, that’s haute couture.

#InstaLOVE – June 2016

June 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

@elementzenski

I am an Instagram maniac and I openly confess that I spend too much time on filtering my feed. But it’s irresistible, when you have so many great accounts to follow! If you are ready for a dose of beautifully curated walls, inspiring photos and delightful shots – see my June recommendations!

@elementzenski / This one comes from Poland. Paulina Puchalska and Monia Kucel write about beauty, but from a different, much more sophisticated perspective. Their blog posts are filled with real women’s stories (mentioning beauty tricks and favourite cosmetics), while their Instagram account looks like a constantly evolving mood-board of varying beauty cannons. My latest Insta-obsession, even though I know nothing about cosmetics.

@caramariepiazza / I wrote about Cara last summer, but I’m having a love affair with her moody feed up to now. She lives and produces in New York as a textile designer and natural dyer. Cara creates one-of-a-kind textiles, using natural dye stuffs such as plant matter, minerals and non-toxic metals. But lately, her most daring artworks (well, even a bra is an artwork in case of Piazza) are made thanks to bundle dying with flower petals. If you follow her (and you should!), you will see a great dose of colour and natural beauty on daily basis.

@flowernoritake / A flower shop in Japan’s Nagoya. These guys do magic with flowers, and their talent spans from making wonderful wedding bouquets to arranging whole boutiques (as pictured above). Photos from their Instagram page are striking, too, but unfortunately, you can’t smell the scent of these lilacs…

@sincerelytommy_ / In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, there’s a concept store which focuses more on lifestyle, rather than on fashion. They sell curated objects coming from around the world. A selection of traditional babouche shoes, handmade in Fez; abstract jewellery by Ruby Star; must-have bags by Building Block. And of course, the photos posted by Sincerely Tommy reflect the unconventional retail attitude of this New York best-kept secret!

@another_man / Another Man Magazine is where fashion and culture collide in the masculine world. The British magazine introuduces new designers (like Charles Jeffrey, pictured above by Ellie Grace Cumming) and looks back at male legends (Mick Jagger or Tom Ford, for example) in great interviews. However, this archive-photograph loving page has a lot to do with such iconic women as Siouxsie Sioux or Cher. So, girls, mind following Another Man on Instagram, just like as you do in case of Another Magazine.

AND, if you want to follow one more account on Instagram… why don’t you follow, ta-da, @designandculturebyed?

By The Sea

May 4, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

How big, how blue, how beautiful
How big, how blue, how beautiful

Now there’s a few things we have to burn
Set our hearts ablaze, and every city was a gift
And every skyline was like a kiss upon the lips
And I was making you a wish

Florence + The Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

I’ve spent my May Day by the Baltic sea, on a remote, wild beach… and I felt like in heaven. So quiet and peaceful. Relax – reading Vivienne Westwood’s biography, drinking lemonade taken from the hotel and feeling the breeze in my hair. Priceless!