Coo-ee Couture. Romance Was Born SS15

April 19, 2015January 5, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

A bit Meadham Kirchhoff, a bit Schiaparelli – the Aussie brand, Romance Was Born took us to a wonder-land of diversity and nature. But in their signature, splendour style. That’s why their collection for summer is called “Coo-ee Couture”. Fearless design duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales didn’t disappoint. The eye-catchy collection is the result of Romance Was Born’s collaboration with artist, fashion designer and fellow free spirit Linda Jackson, who hand-painted each garment for the show. The intense jewel-toned dresses, mixed prints – including a striking beaded “Waratah “design – bold texture and glossy black plummage were accessorised by bright ceramic jewellery from the Australian label, Dinosaur Designs. If people in Australia are so easy-going with coo-coo fashion, then I love it!

Don’t Leave Me Now. Loewe AW15

March 9, 2015August 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jonathan Anderson’s second women ready-to-wear collection for Loewe is a fresh look at a traveler’s wardrobe – tweed pants, comfy over-sized jackets, warm cashmere turtlenecks and easy dresses are just few of the new basics Anderson offers for the luxe voyagers. And just to heat it up, the British designer mixed bold, colourful accents with seriously good accessories – the Puzzle bag in blue or emerald suede is everything .”Like Spanish women,” he added. “They know who they are, they know how to have fun.” The Loewe woman for fall thinks about flirting, too – the huge sunglasses said it all. The azure pleated skirts drifted through the air in a very romantic way. Although the collection reminds me of J.W. Anderson’s London presentation, it still leaves a positive feeling.

Swiss Cool. Bally AW15

February 28, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

“I didn’t think I could do another beige trench,” Bally’s creative director, Pablo Coppola explains the vibrance of color in his new Fall collection. When he arrived at the Swiss brand just over a year ago, Coppola set a challenge for the old classics. Before he got there, the 150-year-old company didn’t have much of an identity – it attempts to revive it were usually too weak. Timelessness is a reliable route to timeliness these days. “You do a camel cashmere sweater and nobody says anything, but do it in fuchsia and they all want it,” Coppola explained. The olive-green alligator trousers are amazing, too. The eclectic chic – a bit vintage, a bit modern – was perfectly framed with geometrical prints on silk shirts and handkerchiefs. Bally gets hot. And Swiss fashion starts to be cool, too.

Macaron Pastels. Prada AW15

February 27, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Oh, Miuccia. What have you done. This collection is unfortunately, one of the weakest for a long time. This was Miuccia Prada’s “Synthetic Fantasia”. Inside a series of macaron-shaded pistachio green and powder pink rooms connected with industrial grills, Miuccia explored themes that are different to her. What are our ideals of beauty? Are they real? What are the fine lines between fantasy and reality? What lies beneath a saccharine surface? These 50s-60s debutantes in all shades of pastel certainly had something cute about them. But… is it really what we need? Maybe it’s the fault of the styling. These ultra-long gloves and the horrible Geox-like stompers destroy everything. The ostrich leather, which I usually like, feels awkward with all that tweed. Definitely, that’s another vision of Prada. But not visions are always good. This one’s certainly too eye-catchy and twisted.

I See Colours. Roksanda SS15

September 16, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

I am obsessed with Roksanda’s SS15! It’s so bold, vibrant, colourful! Simply amazing. Roksanda Ilincic overdid herself this year, creating her first store in London, changing the label’s name into Roksanda and making her brand a real thing. For summer, as you might already see through my enthusiasm, we’ve got geometry and colourful radiance. Lilac, mint, rose, sherbet, fire orange, and royal blue all had somewhat of a neon tint. This contributed to the collection’s sporty edge, which was enhanced by matching flat sandals and geometric heels designed in collaboration with Nicholas Kirkwood. Also of note were Ilincic’s closing looks: sheer organza dresses embellished with squiggly lines that were one part Jackson Pollock, one part Silly String. Ilincic referred to the velvety embroidery as “eyelashes.” It evoked pipe cleaners. But either way, the result was marvelous. Art by Patrick Caulfield.