Celinism is Feminism. Celine Pre-Fall’16

May 11, 2016May 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

See it, buy it. But in comparison to other houses which sprint in digital fashion era, Céline chooses to chill, rather than sell one-season-only sweatshirts. The house was the first to decide to show its pre-collection just a week or two before the clothes really hit the stores – and many other brands, like The Row or Proenza Schouler adopted this smart and tactile tactic. Phoebe Philo‘s pre-fall 2016 collection is in fact an introduction to autumn-winter 2016 which was presented back in April, filled with a strong layer game and the what-women-want styling. Loden green tunics / dresses are worn over extremely large velour pants, while pillow-soft handbags and totes are carried around loosely, just like the all-time classics suede coats and mackintoshes. Philo plays with volumes in case of smokings, too, delivering a super French one in a dark burgundy shade. It looks even better on Nirvana Naves, Philo’s currently favourite model.

But when you see the entire collection, you can easily notice that Phoebe is keeping it very settled, even elegant, but with a number of eccentric twists (like the charms and the odd shape of Croissant bag). The reason behind that is not only the fact that this collection will be sold for the next six months in all Céline flagships. It’s also about the woman, who comes back every pre-collection; the pure soul of Céline. Let’s be clear – runways are much more unconventional and edgy, they are the occasions when the designer tries to exceed her comfort zones. But for this, and previous pre-falls, Philo is all about her Célinism – clothes, which are timeless, ageless and are every women’s essentials. Investment pieces, which are empowered by the women who wear them, and likely to be individualised by the way these women love to wear them. Pre-fall is bi-polar, from one side much it’s more feminine, and from the other – masculine. Lastly, it’s full of beauty – from the folklore detailing to the way the leather is stitched and processed in the bags. Perfection?

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Cuba. Chanel Resort 2017

May 5, 2016May 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

On Monday, Karl Lagerfeld took his cool ladies, like Tilda Swinton and Carine Roitfeld, to Cuba, and not to the fussy MET Gala filled with cheesy Balmain-gowns and Kim K klan. In fact, everybody thought that Manus x Machina event in New York, and its “galore”, would dim Chanel – but all eyes were on swirling, organza skirts and Stella Tennant’s chic show opening. Dressed in a classy Cubanos smoking, with over-sized collars and pantalons, the monochrome colour palette dynamically evolved into peach-pink and lemon-yellow silhouettes. Floaty dresses, 50s car prints on t-shirts and functional flip-flops – joy and easiness was perceivable along Paseo del Prado, scented with male models’ cigars which were smoked nonchalantly during their walk. Debutante dresses were all about the embroidered, slightly tattered sleeves, showing an homage to Hispanic ruffles which are so popular on the colourful streets of Havana. Even the show venue, a public street, didn’t feel like previous, slightly pretentious resort shows by Chanel – Ibeyi, French-Cuban twin-sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz performed a soulful, temperamental song just at the beginning of the show. By the end, models, guests, Cuban passersby and the designer himself, danced… and it all looked like a cheerful parade of wearble fashion and Latin attitude.

Of course, these clothes will cost their average, Chanel prices – but still, Karl and his team managed to pull it off in a casual way. Showing a Chanel collection on the streets of a communist country might be risky, and in effect look too distant and Euro-posh. But to my surprise, the collection was a laid-back line of carefree styling, without much of pressure on Cuba’s culture and references. Focusing on a diverse casting (big plus for the brand) and relaxed leisurewear, Lagerfeld has effortlessly started the Resort 2017 season – with grace, and in Cuban rythm.

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System Hang. Louis Vuitton AW16

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Even Nicolas Ghesquiere needs a break. Although Louis Vuitton‘s creative director look always into the future, and wants to be as fast as his muse, Lightning, the hero of Final Fantasy XIII and face of the house’s most recent campaign, this season it’s distinctly visible that Ghesquiere is having a throwback to his best Balenciaga and Vuitton moments. Not that the collection is bad – quite the opposite, this chic, luxe Tomb Raider girl is Nicolas’ long-term concept, which both excites and sells. But it just feels like the autumn-winter collection doesn’t have this sense of new, which is always conveyed in his collections. How many sweatshirts will we see, or those satin, sporty dresses? And why are the last-season’s patent-leather boots again in the show (well, because they were best-sellers – but I doubt whether Ghesquiere’s aim is to go Valentino’s path and become an accessory-loving, commerce-wise designer)? Believe it or not, but this collection looks usual and quite easy to pull off, and even more banal, when you are Nicolas Ghesquiere. Phoebe Philo can confess she is having a chill – but I doubt Vuitton’s designer, noting the capacity of the brand, can let himself for a system hang.

Brave Velvets. Haider Ackermann AW16

March 8, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It’s a tough world outside and I want to have this gracefulness, this brightness, happiness,” Haider Ackermann said afterwards his autumn-winter 2016 show. “To show the other side of what we are confronted with every day.” Ackermann’s brave season is infinitely Haider, as the silhouettes, which continue to evolve from the last spring’s outing, are all about the jaw-dropping varsity jackets, super skinny pants and feminine dresses – and one of them, specifically, was cut up to the hip, looking fierce in velvet red. By coincidence, the Belgian designer moved the topic of the season’s hottest trend, so velvet (seen recently at Rochas and Vetements). It’s virually everywhere in this collection, ranging from dusty pink to emerald green. And it’s even in the hair of the models, tied up in for of colourful, quite abstract dreadlocks. Love it.

Les Amours Perdus. Lemaire AW16

March 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Christophe Lemaire‘s utterly French outing for his autumn-winter 2016 wasn’t just about models, who presented the clothes. The girls at Lemaire show glanced at the audience in a naturally captivating way – as if they weren’t models, but women who wear Christophe’s seductive dresses, felt wool pants and low-heeled shoes on daily basis. Lemaire isn’t the type of designer who changes his attitude season-to-seaon. The approach stays always the same, with just a few additions to the line. This season, the chic wardobe of his Parisian, intellectual female (supposedly his life-parter, Sarah-Linh Tran?) was expanded by cable-knits and blouses with Elizabethan sleeves. V-neck, black dresses were effortlessly styled with these nostalgic shirts, while the sophisticated all-black looks were contrasted by curcuma yellow shoulder bags and voluminous pantalons. Your clavicles will surely love the feminine satin top, and the outerwear lovers will have an affair with the shearling jacket. The delicate braids and simple, red lipstick are the lifelong companions of a Lemaire woman – just like the clothes she loves so much.