Off-The-Radar Goodness. The Elder Statesman SS19

October 14, 2018October 14, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

The fashion month has just finished, and one can’t forget about the brands that usually stay off-the-radar during those four weeks of runway marathon. They need their spotlight, too! Re-seeing The Elder Statesman‘s look-book few days after all that Paris fashion week fuss is a true pleasure. The Los Angeles-based label, found and designed by Greg Chait, is known for its incredible cashmere goods and love for everything that’s artisanal. But lately, Chait seems to enjoy introducing new additions to his extremely luxurious, yet niche brand. While the Swiss silk, the designer’s discovery from the last season, appears in the form of a gorgeous tie-dye dress, it’s linen that’s lately on Chait’s mind. Sourced and produced in India, the pieces made out of that often underrated material stun with summer-ish colour gradiations. What else is new to The Elder Statesman? Corduroy pants. They look so, so good with a matching yellow sweater. Love.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Goest Perfumes

September 10, 2018September 6, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Reading about perfumes is a bad idea, especially when you want to try them out so badly. So, beware. Goest Perfumes is a fragrance house coming from Los Angeles. Jacqueline Steele‘s offerings are unisex fragrances with a so-called ‘intuitive aesthetic’. You might have just thought: what?! Shortly, each scent is uniquely composed to work with, not against, the scent of the human body, with internal structures that mimic the effect of living things, and real scenes. So, it’s not a mistake if you think of Goest’s creations as of ‘living’ perfumes.

When you browse their site, you will find the How to choose a perfume tab. Prepare yourelf for the next dose of surprises. Each of the scents is absolutely different – and not just on such grounds like whether they’re based on floral or smokey notes. Depending on your habits, grooming products and even the weather, your daily smell will have specific characteristics. To suit all those lifestyle variables, Goest created the seven fragrances. For the users of fresh-scented laundry detergents, there’s Lartigue. Realism and Grand Tour “grab” into the human sweat and dress it in additional cleanliness and sensuality. Also, Grand Tour is the perfect choice for frequent fliers. Then we’ve got Dauphine (inspired by the imageries of Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette), which has a freshly sweet, rosewater-scented scent that is perfectly fits hot climate. But for many, the most sensational is Smoker’s Perfume. Goest made a fragrance specifically for smokers, and it isn’t meant to cover up the smell of smoke, but to enhance and beautify that strong scent on clothing, hair and skin. It completes the smell of cigarette smoke, which makes the only fragrance of its kind. Even though I don’t smoke… I find this exciting.

I thought that the world of niche perfumes has seen it all. Well. Goest is a proof that olfactory sensations have no limits.

Free Spirit. The Elder Statesman AW18

February 6, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Elders Statesman autumn-winter 2018 collection is the best prove that the season’s most precious and rare collections don’t need the fashion month rush (just around the corner…) in order to be fully appreciated. Greg Chait‘s knitwear (and not only) brand is for the chilled out people, who love quality, and a certain type of free-spirit present in their environment. “In Topanga, you have all these guys and girls who look like gurus, but I argue that you don’t have to look a certain way to meditate.” Well, who doesn’t love a loosely fit, yet delightful, knitted robe or a very, very fine cashmere pullover in tie-dye? While ‘Meditate‘, ‘Absolute Nirvana‘ and cannabis motif reappeared throughout the collection, one can also note the Kama Sutra positions motif on the fleecy knits. I was also happy to see Jatinder Singh Durhailay (whom I’ve met in Berlin and wrote about few years ago) collaborate on this collection. The artist painted the original miniatures of technicolor yogis that appear as a playful patterned lining. In other words, this collection suddenly makes me feel a great urge for moving to Cali and lead Big Little Lies’ Bonnie kind of life.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

#InstaLOVE – October 2017

October 26, 2017July 30, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

@mohawkgeneralstore

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’re ready for a dose of beautifully curated walls, inspiring photos and delightful shots – see my October recommendations!

@wilfridwoodsculptor / Wilfrid Wood studied graphics at Central St. Martins, then got a job in publishing. As he puts it in his own words, he got bored of that and applied to train as a ‘headbuilder’ for the satirical TV program Spitting Image. When that ended I became a freelance sculptor. Currently based in East London, Wilfrid’s incredible clay sculptures satirically resemble everyone, from Sir Paul McCartney to Angela Merkel. I love most current venture into fashion world: his Casil McArthur’s head is everything, commissioned for 10 Men Magazine.

@thesartorialist / Scott Schuman‘s street-style shots are nothing new. But I just have to share those two incredible images above – Emiliano Salci and Davide Marello’s outfits. This perfectly pictures my constant style dilemma – edgy pajamas or classy Milano? Can I be both?

@mohawkgeneralstore / With stores in Silver Lake, Santa Monica and Pasadena, Mohawk General Store makes you drool – even if you live on the other side of the globe. Their feed is filled with in-store editorials (note all the Dries Van Noten goodness) and aesthetically gripping shots of the wood-filled interiors. The ‘mood’ pics are great as well. Make sure to visit the Mohawk fam during your next trip to Cali…

@saintrecords / Well, if you love Solannge‘s heavenly music, please follow her (and her bold fashion / hair statements).

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

Los Angeles. Dior Resort’18

May 12, 2017June 9, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Firstly, that was Maria Grazia Chiuri‘s best collection at Dior up-to-date. And it was far, far away from Paris. Comparing to her previous outing – an all-blue collection, which rather looked like Armani’s millionth set of blazers than a second line-up from a debuting creative director – resort 2018 was quite outstanding. With preciously intricate gowns (which will surely find a place among L.A.’ wealthiest women), an incredible tent constructed in the middle of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon in Calabasas and a strong, Georgia O’Keeffe moment (the late “Mother of American modernism” was known for wearing a black hat and matching over-sized coat), there’s a lot to mention, while discussing this collection. After the show, Maria Grazia said that she has a life-long love affair with Clarissa Pinkola Estés book called Women Who Run with the Wolves – that set the free-spirited mood behind the silhouettes. Moreover, the designer decided to use the famous Lascaux cave paintings as the main print for rich, jacquard fabrics (Monsieur Dior used them too, back in 1951). Then, we also had the tribal symbols covering silk sheaths and ball skirts, underscoring Chiuri’s love for mystical themes.

But, am I the only one, who thinks that there’s too much going on in here? It’s beautiful, no doubt. However, Maria Grazia’s vision for this season has no bigger connection with the maison, as for me. Expect, a few old-school Dior logos on the bags and a suede bar jacket with fringes (AND this looked really upsetting). It seems that the designer has no sense of consistency, as she jumps from one topic to another – and that’s clearly visible once you re-see her previous collections, spanning from enchanted forest nymphs to faux-feminists in pricey t-shirts. And the saddest thing is that Dior’s identity becomes blurrier with every season. Resort 2018 rather looks like a well-funded Ralph Lauren collection or Chanel’s memorable Paris-Texas capsule (déjà vu, anyone?).

One thing’s sure – Chiuri knows how to design a dress and make Rihanna see her show. But does she know how to lead a heritage brand with sense? I think we’re getting to the point, where the answer is ‘no’.