Off-The-Radar Goodness. The Elder Statesman SS19

October 14, 2018October 14, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

The fashion month has just finished, and one can’t forget about the brands that usually stay off-the-radar during those four weeks of runway marathon. They need their spotlight, too! Re-seeing The Elder Statesman‘s look-book few days after all that Paris fashion week fuss is a true pleasure. The Los Angeles-based label, found and designed by Greg Chait, is known for its incredible cashmere goods and love for everything that’s artisanal. But lately, Chait seems to enjoy introducing new additions to his extremely luxurious, yet niche brand. While the Swiss silk, the designer’s discovery from the last season, appears in the form of a gorgeous tie-dye dress, it’s linen that’s lately on Chait’s mind. Sourced and produced in India, the pieces made out of that often underrated material stun with summer-ish colour gradiations. What else is new to The Elder Statesman? Corduroy pants. They look so, so good with a matching yellow sweater. Love.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Goest Perfumes

September 10, 2018September 6, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Reading about perfumes is a bad idea, especially when you want to try them out so badly. So, beware. Goest Perfumes is a fragrance house coming from Los Angeles. Jacqueline Steele‘s offerings are unisex fragrances with a so-called ‘intuitive aesthetic’. You might have just thought: what?! Shortly, each scent is uniquely composed to work with, not against, the scent of the human body, with internal structures that mimic the effect of living things, and real scenes. So, it’s not a mistake if you think of Goest’s creations as of ‘living’ perfumes.

When you browse their site, you will find the How to choose a perfume tab. Prepare yourelf for the next dose of surprises. Each of the scents is absolutely different – and not just on such grounds like whether they’re based on floral or smokey notes. Depending on your habits, grooming products and even the weather, your daily smell will have specific characteristics. To suit all those lifestyle variables, Goest created the seven fragrances. For the users of fresh-scented laundry detergents, there’s Lartigue. Realism and Grand Tour “grab” into the human sweat and dress it in additional cleanliness and sensuality. Also, Grand Tour is the perfect choice for frequent fliers. Then we’ve got Dauphine (inspired by the imageries of Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette), which has a freshly sweet, rosewater-scented scent that is perfectly fits hot climate. But for many, the most sensational is Smoker’s Perfume. Goest made a fragrance specifically for smokers, and it isn’t meant to cover up the smell of smoke, but to enhance and beautify that strong scent on clothing, hair and skin. It completes the smell of cigarette smoke, which makes the only fragrance of its kind. Even though I don’t smoke… I find this exciting.

I thought that the world of niche perfumes has seen it all. Well. Goest is a proof that olfactory sensations have no limits.

Fam. The Elder Statesman Resort 2019

August 17, 2018August 12, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Greg Chait‘s Los Angeles-based label, The Elder Statesman, is where you go for the finest cashmere sweater (and not necessarily in a controlled, classic shade of beige). But for the last few seasons, Chait transforms The Elder Statesman from high price point brand to a lifestyle, that is open to questioning the pretentious term ‘luxury’. The resort 2019 look-book has a message. True, living your life in a Swiss silk knit (!) or a tie-dyed sweater from the softest wool must be a pleasure. But the photographed family (that travels Europe in a lorry truck, selling vintage and surfing where possible) suggests that ultimate luxury is not what you wear. It’s the freedom. And what goes with freedom, being not attached to anything conforming, for example trends or other conventions. Moreover, Chait represents unique style and the practicality of his clothing: how it can be combined, mixed, layred. Love that. Another conclusion: being a dad in those blue overalls or that vintage-y orange-pink jacket must be fun! If I ever enter fatherhood, I will surely look at The Elder Statesman’s collections for day-to-day outfit inspiration. As if I wasn’t peeking at it now…

Fine and Raw. Eckhaus Latta AW18

February 11, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

I love Eckhaus Latta. While other designers leave New York for Paris, it’s comforting to see that Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta choose the Big Apple for their fashion shows. Or rather, Brooklyn. For seasons, Eckhaus Latta is a champion in model casting diversity (from plus-size girls to elderly ladies), but lately, it also impresses with the fabric choice. From knit skirts spun from Italian yarn to slinky rayon Jersey evening wear, there’s a cool sense of raw meets fine in every single piece. The lilac mini-dress is clingy, but not vulgar; masculine blazers make a statement, even though they aren’t overly sharp in silhouette. Mike and Zoe respect the body, in their own, arty way. But how do they get the idea what a woman (or man) wants? In their L.A. store, “there’s only a curtain that separates our studio from our store,” explained Latta. “We can hear when our customers are trying on jeans, when men are trying on women’s clothes, and vice versa.” There is no better feedback, than the one coming from a client. Take notes, other designers.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Confidence. Eckhaus Latta SS18

September 10, 2017September 10, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

The thing about New York Fashion Week is that most of young designers, who show this time around are a) not standing for anything substantial or b) do The Row / Céline knock-offs. Eckhaus Latta, however, is far, far different. Maybe because Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta are originally from Los Angeles? Maybe. But coming back to NYFW, their fashion show had messages. Be confident. Be yourself. And respect your body. Transparency and volume play made the silhouettes of sheer dresses look radical, while various knits clung the body comfortably. One of the models was pregnant, and the designers embraced that in a beautiful manner by dressing her in a button-down dress that exposed her belly. The models varied in age as well as in gender and race. Full diversity isn’t a trend, but the ultimate truth for Eckhaus Latta.