Python Preppy. Proenza Schouler SS15

September 12, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Aah, I am so in love with summer’s Proenza Schouler! It’s a total, total yum. Fringes! Python! Boxy jackets! The New Yorker spirit! With super strong colours like blue, orange and red, Jack and Lazaro overhelmed themselves. Totally. “Our version of American sportswear,” Hernandez said. Of course, that’s only the half of it. The designers may have started out with basic building blocks, but that’s not where their experiments ended up. Proenza’s parkas were made from laser-cut and color-blocked leather; polos were hand-knit, with leather panels inset across the chest. Want a T-shirt? Theirs were leather with crocheted seams. As for the leather pants, one leg was a different color than the other. The collection is simply a perfect balance- nothing to add, nothing to subtract. My favourites are the white coat, the fringe gowns (aah, they are so beautiful), the orange boxy jacket and the hand-cut sweatshirt. Really major.

Radieux. Dries Van Noten AW14

February 26, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

That was so… unexpected! Dries Van Noten showed the most bright, radiant and vibrant collection to date in his career! The AW14 was all about orange, orchid, flowerd, Hawaii, sequins, stripes… It was loud, it was fun. And those over-sized silhouttes. They are so Le Marais. There was also a interesting illusionist touch- geometrical coats in silver & black are a must-have. But- one question comes up- is still winter? Ok, furs. However, furs are on every summer collection of Prada. And it’s pretty hard to imagine all these island resort elements in winter… Who cares. It’s cool and surely will be a hit when hits the stores.

Energy. Proenza Schouler AW14

February 18, 2014August 28, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

There was a clue before the show. The invitation. It was all about multicoloured pieces of spongy fabric pressed into cardboard and words written down “energy, abstraction, humour, action, colour, instinct, spontaneous, fast”. And yep, that was fast indeed. The models walked (rushed) threw the runway, with their heads down on the floor.
Surprisingly spite of the precision cutting and fabrics that often looked like carpet underlay, now looked charming rather weird. Proenza as always broke the rules- fabrics that don’t tend to be matched for example with neoprene were all mixed up here.
Wearing sandals with socks and Cristobal Balenciaga inspired cuts and forms, the collection was rapidly named majah (first fashion people used to say major- now it’s majah!) by the New Yorkers and me. Oh, and the soundtrack? Missy Elliot’s “Work” remix. It matched the fast vibe of the show perfectly.