Good Things. Rosie Assoulin AW16

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Considering all the fresh names that appear during New York Fashion Week, not many enter the game with a purely unique vision, or even a mind-striking collection. Sometimes, it looks like a slightly modified Celine or The Row copy-and-paste method fits all the occasions, while the venue of the show or presentation is limited to a modestly furnished uptown loft (there are too many of those this season, too). But in case of Rosie Assoulin, one of the most prolific and talented millennials in the fashion industry, everything works in the other way – meaning – every step the designer takes is utterly her’s, and not of somebody else, and what’s the most important – she doesn’t lead her eponymous label onto a mainstream path (well, you may say that her jumpsuit appeared in Beyonce’s Formation video a week ago and that her gowns appear to win the celebrity’s hearts on the red carpets – but still, her creativity keeps to be offbeat).

The autumn-winter 2016 presentation was, honestly, the most beautiful of all the New York brands I’ve seen this season. Firstly, the place where Rosie showed her new collection felt like the perfect spot to show these joyous clothes – the diverse models walked around a wooden installation of colourful, burning candles, creating abstract wax veins on the concrete floors. The rawness of brick walls, the elegant, but kinda off-duty black piano filled the atmosphere with Assoulin’s presence.

Another asset that Rosie had this season was the intimacy her show held – the guests could discover the pieces on the models up and close. And what’s more, the clothes were really interesting, which sometimes is missed by other designers nowadays! Dark blue velvet-trimmed pajamas (and chokers), a lipstick red jumpsuit with a caped back, a one sleeve cable knit worn over a ruffled, beige skirt – the woman portrayed by Rosie deserves a wow on a party. And for those, who prefer something more everyday, the female designer who understands all aspects of a woman’s wardrobe presented some great, olive-green pants, breezy tops with sexy shoulder cut-outs and arty blousons. I’m not mentioning the coats, as they look perfect when styled with one of these cargo pants…

Rosie knows what’s good. Slay.

Lugano

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Lugano! The Swiss paradise… I miss this place so much right now. And mostly, the mesmerizing view of Lago Di Lugano, and the taste of their season-fresh artichokes.

Photographs courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

Milan by Night

February 8, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Milan by night is all about the people, who seem to be so relaxed and never in a hurry; the scent of bold flowers from the local, street kiosks; the smell of delightful Italian cuisine coming from trattorias and bristros; and the beauty of lit up architecture, which never stops mesmerising. And it’s the city, where trams look always chic – observing elder women who wear their mink coats and tweed pencil skirts entering the old-school public transport is both, a fashion moment and me-after-school defining goal.

Love you, Milan.

Yep, it’s me!

All photographs courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

HC – Eclectic Candy. Valentino SS16

February 1, 2016January 31, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I must admit – this time the haute couture week in Paris dissapointed me. It distinctly feels that the designers are frustrated with the speed of fashion industry, and such time-consuming, uncommercial collection like couture seems to be missed with the point. However, the only brand that made me sigh was Valentino – and that’s strange, because I have always ignored Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s and Pierpaolo Piccioli‘s pastel-pink-princess-dress vision. BUT, few of their last collections are great and absolutely different – and it’s visible that this designer duo push their boundaries, putting their Insta-famous rockstud stilettos and camo bags aside. The couture spring-summer 2016 collection is indeed a candy for the eye. There was an exotic, “Venetian-pagan” romanticism about this collection, from the sculptural, golden harnesses to ornamental gowns with meticulous floral embroideries and monarchy-like coats with fur-linings. I loved the sensual, sheer gowns with delicate Victoriana collars as much as the body-dresses which were more built-up and excessive. This bi-polar and eclectic outing, covered with white rose petals, was also all about the barefoot models, which looked like Grecian goddesses in their snake-themed crowns and neck-lines. Totally into this one, Valentino.

HC – Haute Foodie. Schiaparelli SS16

January 27, 2016January 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bertrand Guyon has his second season at Schiaparelli finished, but it still seems that he needs time to show his audience who he is. The signatures of Elsa Schiaparelli are so characteristic that it’s surely hard to make your personal style the first privilege – even though Marco Zanini, the predecessor of Guyon at the brand, was nearly there. The idea behind the haute couture spring-summer 2016 collection, or rather a thematic find from Elsa’s archives, was celebration of food and the family meal. The topic of food was significant for the legendary designer – in her autobiography “Shocking Life“, she stated “eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale.” Indeed, the nearly minuscule details and bejewelled embroideries, created in collaboration with Maripol, looked joyous. The adorable cherry was hooked over one nipple, while an evolution of a “breakfast egg” had been humoristically presented in form of jacket buttons. Bertrand and his team proved that craftsmanship is the maison‘s specialty – the blazer above was ornamented with a wheat plaiting technique, known to the best Parisian ateliers only.

However, the collection had its bad site which couldn’t be fixed by all those nutritious finishings – in the overall, the collection looked unfinished. The closing looks weren’t spectacular at all – modest, scanty dresses felt not on the right place. Even the spider-web shoulder exposures were illogical. I suppose Elsa didn’t mean insects as her favourite positions in the menu. As it’s visible, the collection needed a more strict edit, and a rich, festive ending. I still felt hungry after the show.