Sophisticated. Barbara Casasola AW15

February 25, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bringing on the Latin American heat and temper, Barbara Casasola shows a sophisticated side of her aesthetics. Black turtlenecks styled with flared skirts and black ballerinas (or yellow, if you want to cheer it up). The pleating was the spotlight this season—a touch Miyake-esque, but Casasola put her own signature spin on that look. And her showpiece efforts featuring multicolored silk fringe simultaneously contrasted with the pleats theme and carried the collection’s symbolic weight. The fringe appeared as if they were doing a little dance in celebration.

British Rose. Erdem AW15

February 24, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Beautifully embroidered dresses styled with horse-riding boots? Definitely yes. That’s a cool masculine touch in a very feminine area. And it really makes the whole look great and not so banal. This season, the British “Valentino-aspiring” designer, Erdem Moralioglu, brings British aristocrat’s daughter to the world of hunting and romance, giving her not only fancy floral dresses, but croco-patent boots. She shows a bit of nipples, she exposes her shoulders. The new character of Erdem’s woman is curious and intriguing… and she’s not scared of covering a magnificently embroidered skirt with a burgundy turtleneck.

The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant. Roksanda AW15

February 24, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Inspired with lesbian psychodrama The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Roksanda broke the system with her refreshing and bold collection. Roksanda Ilincic went layers and fur, keeping in mind natural fabrics like wool. The silhouette was belted and the dresses had warm turtlenecks worn under; the film which inspired Roksanda strongly reflected the current mood of the AW15 line – very feminine, ultra-dramatic and colourful, just like the set of the drama. As the previous collections by Roksanda were very optimistic, this one brings on melancholy and irony… not that I am a pesymistic person, but this direction matches Roksanda’s aesthetics much clearer to me.

70’s Twist. Jonathan Saunders AW15

February 24, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Twisted 70’s. Jonathan Saunders falls into his routine, bringing nearly same prints each winter. Turtlenecks, A-skirts, slightly flared trousers – it all seems to be an old topic. Why do some designers always go into “now I am all about 60’s, but next season I am all about 70’s”? Yes, I understand those were important periods for fashion, but come on – they are constantly repeating. In reality, this collection by Saunders reminds me of Miu Miu Resort 2015 and many other 70’s inspired presentations. Even if we have all those fun and bold prints – Jonathan makes me yawn.

Plastic is Fantastic. Mary Katrantzou AW15

February 23, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s the first good collection Mary Katrantzou presented for a loooong time. And the Greek designers proves, that plastic is fantastic, if you know how to use it. This might surprise you, but this entire collection has been made out of plastic. PLASTIC. Well, of course she used a bit of wool and silk there and there, but… the spongy clutches, details and pink runway are giving us a note, that the sponges that we use in our kitchens are trendy. Coming back to Mary – the designer totally leaves digital prints behind, which were her signature, and gives us feminine, flawless silhouettes. The bold colours, comfortable volumes and affordable-looking skirts plan to be best-selling this season. Personally, I like this new face of Mary Katrantzou.