Female Power. Dilara Findikoglu SS17

November 29, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although fashion tends to misinterpret the term feminism, it’s good to know that in London, there are designers who can pull off the topic in the right way. Born and raised in Turkey, Dilara Findikoglu knows what it’s like to live in a place, where political and social stability is constantly on its verge of collapse. The frequently ignored problem of women’s rights, and how they are treated back in her homeland threatens Dilara, and intensely affects her creativity. As a teenager, the to-be designer discovered young John Galliano’s work in one of the glossy magazines – for her, that was the dream. Although the plan of studying at Central Saint Martins wasn’t appreciated by her relatives, Findikoglu already decided what’s good for her. So here she’s today – on everybody lip’s, yet far from mainstream (she dressed Lady Gaga and FKA twigs, yes, however she isn’t into going the easy path).

Findikoglu presented a mind-blowing presentation for her spring-summer 2017 collection back in September. In a very naughtily appropriate place I might say – a neon-lit Soho strip-club. Dilara’s model-friends (like the women’s rights activist, Adwoa Aboah) wore clothes that overlapped different decades and eras of both restraining and liberating womenswear: from Tudor sleeves and terribly tight corsets to very Vivienne Westwood SEX punk garments, this collection isn’t even a bit close to other brands’ outings that we’ve seen before. But the goal behind Findikoglu’s latest line-up wasn’t making a collage-like mix of historically significant clothes. “It’s about how women’s bodies have been treated in different societies – what they were wearing and what they were doing, what the limitations on them were.” While the models wore Victorian collars and PVC boots, it’s quite visible – the set, the one-of-a-kind pieces and the dominant colour of pink (all good girls wear pink, right?) weren’t all here by coincidence. Dilara enjoys messing up with stereotypes, and this brilliant collection suggests it’s the time of women. Make space for female power. These girls don’t care what you think of them, or whether you’re appealed by their feminine / perverse looks. If I would to choose a collection that colloquially ‘slays’, then Findikoglu’s gang tops the list.

Photographs by Frederico Ferrari and Lillie Eiger.

Men’s – That Guy. Stella McCartney SS17

November 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I can’t remind myself the last time I have written anything about Stella McCartney on my blog – her women’s fashion doesn’t appeal to me that much lately – but her first menswear collection is just too good.

Men’s fashion at Stella McCartney? That’s quite unexpected, honestly. The look-book dropped yesterday, just a few days before first spring-summer 2017 clothes hit the stores. Without any fuss, any special announcements. A great surprise for men, who felt close to Stella’s aesthetic, but didn’t find their sizes on the racks. The clothes aren’t presented on typical models, but on a pack of street-casted guys and cool-creatives, which is totally different to McCartney’s main line, where we’ve got hot names and top models in advertising campaigns. If I had to choose from this collection, I’m sure I would catch every single piece – from those chunky knits to over-sized trench coats. These are contemporary essentials, I guess. Pajama look is so me; lovely knitted sweatpants and slouchy cardigan are on my list since right now. Stella, Stella. I’m hopelessly in love with your vision of men.

Fashion Crocs and Boudoir. Christopher Kane SS17

September 21, 2016September 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

We live in 2016, the time, when trends aren’t as important as they used to be. Of course, there are people who still seek for the 60s motifs or “major” animal prints moments. Some glossy magazines still keep on looking for those similarities, as if that was the most important part of every season. But isn’t it much more fun to absolutely forget about categorising fashion?

A way of keeping diametrically different ideas in a disorganised, collage form appears repetitively at J.W. Anderson, Proenza Schouler and Raf Simons. Christopher Kane is another designer, who isn’t following themes in his collections, but prefers to scatter them around like toys. He experiments with everything, from texture composition to styling, in order to achieve something “new”. In his spring-summer 2017, Kane does cheerful florals in various ways, from easy prints to haute 3-D embellishments. There’s something wild and undomesticated in his collection, too, with midi-skirts made of fur, and leopard prints covering the tops. Cool PVC raincoats. Seductive lace. There’s a conversation going on between Catholic innocence (see the Christian iconography on the sweatshirts) and ‘good girl gone bad’ attitude, just like at Simone Rocha‘s latest outing. The trompe l’oeil evening gowns shared a frivolous peek at the boudoir part of wardrobe – I guess those sensual pieces will sell within a second when they hit the designer’s flagship boutique in London. Ultimately, the “most out of the blue” prize goes to Christopher’s choice of footwear. For spring, the brand collaborated with Crocs to produce a range of hilarious, man-repelling rubber flats, covered with colourful stones and studs. Nobody would have expected that.

Experimental. JW Anderson SS17

September 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Nothing is what it seems at J.W. Anderson. Henry VIII’s Tudor-esque, slashed sleeves and bucket-bags printed with a dragon head. Parachute sweatshirts and tie-dye dresses. If you try to match anything here – good luck then. Jonathan Anderson continues the idea of experimental clothing and styling at his namesake label, mixing the least expected pieces of his and yours wardrobe. It’s like having fun with collage-making – you never know what will be the final result. I wouldn’t say that this makes his collections look uncomplete, or unwearable. Quite opposite, it’s the sophistication that attracts everybody to Anderson’s ready-to-wear.

Dance in Tulle. Molly Goddard SS17

September 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s hard not to spot a Molly Goddard princess dress on the streets of London during fashion week. Agyness Deyn chose a custom-made, white ensemble for her New York wedding last month. Rihanna drank Starbucks in a green tulle piece, which came straight from the London-based studio. Let’s be honest – the trapeze-shaped silhouette is cute. And it’s exciting to see how Goddard extends her range, keeping it still sweet and care-free. The model cast consisted of real women, who danced, twirled, spiralled and walked the runway in pastel-pink tops, pistachio mini-dresses, full neon-green skirts and grandma knits. The word “trend” doesn’t exist in the world of Molly, as she’s doing what she really wants to! With success.