HC: Latex Dreams. Dior SS15

January 30, 2015January 30, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons did some crazy latex knee boots with rhinestone crystal inside. Having Allen Jones provoking furniture and art on his mood-board, Raf Simons fused Great Gatsby jumpsuits, 60’s prints and flattering 70’s silhouettes into one, beautiful collection. “My first Couture shows were exercises in understanding the history. The more you understand, the more you see what it can become.” Definitely, Raf is more into couture at Dior… thoses striped tulle skirts are mesmerising! So tribal. The jumpsuits look chic and stylish. And latex shoes which covered the legs made it all a bit eccentric, sexy, flirty.

Photos by Lea Colombo

Galliano at Margiela

January 3, 2015January 6, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Guys, that’s happening. John Galliano is taking over Maison Martin Margiela, and presents his first Haute Couture collection this month. Firstly, this combination felt a bit awkward to everybody – Margiela was always known for “minimalism”. But that’s just a fashion stereotype. No. Maison Martin Margiela has never been a minimal label. It’s dramatic, bold, edgy, different. The fact that real Martin Margiela never gave any interview and he is totally anonymous up to today, doesn’t mean that the label is minimalistic. Just look at their past artisanal collections – they are full of couture embroideries, one-of-a-kind textiles (for example tapestry based on La Femme du Roi by Paul Gauguin (1896) or draping made from two hanging textile prints of Mira Lunar, designed by Verner Panton) and fantastic jewellery. Maison Martin Margiela also brought a lot of unexpected accessories to their ready-to-wear – transparent plexi clutches with artificial roses inside or the famous tabi boots, which look like a horse hoof.

I am writing about this, to prove you one thing – reflecting on John Galliano’s collections in the past for Dior, his style should be perfect for Maison Martin Margiela. The fact, that he got drunk and started to say cruel things about Jews in one of Parisian caffees few years ago made him lose his own namesake label and Dior. Everybody showed Galliano their back, and from the first place everybody fell in love with Raf Simons. But forgetting the political matter which was strongly emphasized by LVMH (nobody’s sure whever these guys simply didn’t frame John into this “scandal”. Maybe they simply wanted to get rid of him?)- fashion world felt dull after Galliano’s departure. And the word minimal really matches Raf Simons – yes, his dresses are up till now the most sleepy of all during Haute Couture week in Paris.

But now, Renzo Rosso group, which owns Margiela, took over John Galliano. And hopefully, the fashion world is going to cheer up again, with this man. While waiting to see Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture SS15 by John Galliano in few days, have a look at he biggest Dior / Galliano couture moments and last season’s Margiela / Matthieu Blazy show.

Tokyo. Dior Pre-Fall’15

December 13, 2014December 13, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons seems to have two personalities- one at his namesake label for men, where he doesn’t care about the rules; another at Dior, where he definitely obeys the bosses. Last season (SS15), in my opinion was trash. I truly couldn’t understand it. It felt like Simons explained it only by “oh, look, it’s like this, but look at those couture embroideries”… yawn. Come on, who cares about embroideries, if the clothes are so boring? Thankfully, Dior thought of something new for the house, which was smart. The pre-fall 2015 which was presented few days ago was organised in Tokyo- the place were Dior has it’s boutiques on nearly every street. Commercially, this is genius for the house. But for fashion? Raf Simons had his model walk zigzags in a huge sumo wrestling arena, inspired by the scenes of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner movie. With fuses of futuristic influences (that badly reminded me of Paco Rabanne gold years) like silver sequined turtlenecks, jacquard motifs and wax cotton coats, Simons brought a lifey twist into his Dior timeline. And what’s interesting although the fact the show was in Tokyo, Japan, we didn’t notice even one kimono, manga print or anything of Japanese stereotypical fashion. Definitely, Raf looked at Japanese woman of the future- stomper boots, wide trousers and clean lines with neon elements. Plus, corn-rows and super kawaii eye-brows. Personally, I have no offend to Raf Simons- sometimes, he is just not on the point. However, this dynamic show proved one thing: not only that Raf has better and worse days in his life, but also that Tokyo is an amazing, energetic city of fashion.

Just to be in the Japan mood- here are some amazing vintage posters from Wafu Works…

Fashion History. Dior SS15

September 28, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

The music was so bad, that Anna Wintour run away in the middle of the show, screaming “horrible fashion”. Well. Half that’s true. The music certainly was bad, and the clothes were also not really good… Raf Simons continues the same idea as during his last couture- to show history of fashion changing throughout one show. First we had medival gowns, pilgrim caftans. Then, lady-like skirt-and-tops. At the end, cosmic jumpsuits. Mostly all-white collection, with few drops of red velvet and blue tulle, felt for me not so good. It kind of didn’t have this thing that Raf usually brings to Dior. This modernity of past or how he calls it, starts to be boring. And I still can’t forgive the shoes. They looked to heavy, and destroyed nearly all looks. I don’t want to hate, but this thing doesn’t work on me. Hope Dior is not falling down again…

HC: Modern Medieval. Dior AW14

July 9, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

The word that describes Raf Simons at Dior perfectly is future. But this time for Dior, he did it in a bit different way. In a Star Trek like chamber in Musee Rodin, where the whiteness of the orchidees and the marble floors striked the guests eyes, we had a venture through different centuries. Simons was interested, the program notes explained, about the way different time periods informed and influenced fashion. And more than that, he said afterward, he found himself thinking about Christian Dior’s fascination with the Belle Époque and asking himself, “If I had been [working] at that time, what would be my interest, conceptually or technically or architecturally? What would I be excited about?” The show was divided into eight groups, hopping not decades but centuries—for example, from the Marie Antoinette-inspired pannier silhouettes of the opening to astronauts’ jumpsuits, back to embroidered court jackets and forward again to twenties volumes. The floor lenght fur coats worn with over-sized trousers were my favourite. Looking at the collection, yes, indeed, it was beautiful. The embroidered bar jackets from 50’s and sweeping, long-line coats inspired by Edwardian era were all a fantasy. And Raf made all ultra pure and ultra modern, after all. With a tease of past.