My Style Profile, Farfetch!

June 26, 2016June 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Design & Culture by Ed, as a blog, focuses on fashion – both in design and cultural terms. I’m fascinated with the way the fashion industry works, and I love observing how designers evolve their aesthetics and style. That’s why, I put emphasis on fashion show reports and various fashion features. My blog differs from others, because I’m not posting photos of my outfits on daily basis – I always consider this what’s happening in fashion world much more gripping! But there are exceptions! For Farfetch, the only on-line store, which gives you the experience of shopping high-fashion brands from most luxurious boutiques in the world, it’s a pleasure to open up with my personal style. Along an interview (which will tell you more about me and my love for fashion), and few of my favourite outfits, I will also present you my Farfetch wish-lists! Go for it, and scroll down!

‘EVERYDAY ME’ – 1. Christopher Kane car crash print t-shirt 2. Rick Owens cropped drop crotch trousers 3. Thom Browne zipped flat cluctch 4. No21 detail front zip sandals

How would you describe your style? My style is first of all about comfort – before I wear something, I need to be sure that I feel comfortable in a given piece! I love to call my style eclectic, mixing sporty with elegant, modern with vintage. My style isn’t categorised, because it’s all about me, and my current mood.

What is your wardrobe’s most seasonless item? I think it’s my dad’s beige, cashmere sweater by Loro Piana – it’s warm in the winter, and I take it with me for every summer vacation, as it’s a perfect choice for breezy, sea evenings.

When in doubt, what are your go-to pieces? What always looks good, and matches nearly every occasion, is a turtleneck worn with black pants. For summer, I’m sure my Birkenstocks will keep me comfortable the whole day – love to wear them with a bold t-shirt and shorts!

Who do you count as your style inspiration? Nick Wooster, and his great styling for everyday essentials; Marchetti Simone, he has this romantic, Italian spark for fashion; Haider Ackermann for his masterful layering skills.

‘FRIDAY’ – 1. Dsquared2 zip detail bomber jacket 2. Y/Project paneled ‘Kangaroo’ t-shirt 3. Byredo ‘Bibliotheque’ scented candle 4. Maison Margiela contrast cuff jeans

How long have you been blogging? Is writing a blog influencing your style? I started my blog back in 2012, and throughout these four years, a lot has changed in fashion. So, naturally, writing a blog influences my style constantly. Even though I’m not a trend-victim, I believe we’re all somehow influenced by the way fashion tendencies change!

Who are your favourite designers / brands? Phoebe Philo… love the way she designs fashion for women, sadly she doesn’t do Céline for men! Again, Haider Ackermann, I consider his collection as rebellious and beautiful. Also, I have a soft point for Yohji Yamamoto’s sophistication and No21 Italian cool.

‘EDGY ELEGANCE’ – 1. Y/Project turtleneck sweater 2. Haider Ackermann toe cap detail boots 3. Haider Ackermann intarsia knit socks 4. Givenchy pleated shorts

Have any must-haves on your radar for the upcoming, autumn-winter 2016 season? I’m looking forward to denim, denim and once more, denim. A denim jacket with embroideries is my dream of the season. Also, I’m into over-sized puffa jackets and exaggerated, big knits!

What do you enjoy most about being a blogger? Discovering new people, interacting with my very supportive readers both on my blog and on social media, and receiving all the interesting proposals! Collaborating – this is what I deeply love, being a fashion blogger.

In your opinion, what are the ‘fashion’ cities? I’ve got three. First, Paris. It’s all about chic and decadence, but also, Parisians are inspiring. They seem to get it always right, effortlessly. Then, it’s Berlin – I love this contemporary, quite edgy aesthetics that’s ruling there. Lastly, Milan is a ‘fashion’ city to me, because Italians love fashion, love shopping and love life!

‘PARISIENNE’ – 1. Maison Kitsune ‘Parisien’ print t-shirt 2. Yohji Yamamoto printed cropped pants 3. Saint Laurent shopper tote 4. Marni neoprene hi-top sneakers

Where do you enjoy shopping? Before travelling, I usually try to find all the hottest boutiques and concept stores in the city I’m heading to. So, most of my buys come from abroad! But this doesn’t mean I’m not buying anything back at home. I’ve got some of my favourite boutiques in Poland. And, of course, I’m buying on-line… also at home, on my sofa!

Why do you love Farfetch? For its unique concept. Combining more than 400 boutiques from around the world and put them all into one address? How genius is that? I appreciate Farfetch’ selection, too – from famous brands, like Givenchy, to more off-beat ones, like Gosha Rubchinskiy, there’s literally everything a fashion insider needs.

All items featured in today’s post can be found on Farfetch.com – the go-to fashion destination. Be sure to check out New In pieces & create wishlists of your own!

Men’s – That’s Youth. Haider Ackermann SS17

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

If you’re reading my blog for a while, then you know that I’m in eternal love relationship with Haider Ackermann‘s style and clothes. Loving Ackermann means loving his fashion – it’s not about an one-season affair. His collections reflect his mood, and the surrounding attitude that fascinates him. “I have this gang of young kids around me. And they are full-on. And I wanted to capture their energy. They are just kids who want to dance and party and be happy. They don’t have the heaviness of the world.” With this statement in mind, it’s visible that youthful spirit oozes in these over-sized pyjama shirts, leather tight pants and electrically colourful bombers. Youth presented by Haider isn’t fake – it’s distinctly Parisian, slightly bourgeoisie, but inexplicably beautiful. Well-travelled, boys’ wardrobe borders with orient (supposedly, inspired with Bhutan, a place he travelled to with his close friends, Tilda Swinton and Waris Ahluwalia), taking tips from monks’ robe silhouettes. But what truly made this collection a highlight, was the colour palette. It reminds me of Ackermann’s spring-summer 2016 outing for women, in a way, with shades of acidic yellow and pastel pink. This season, the designer also welcomed a spectrum of blue – from aquamarine to indigo, it’s a true pleasure for the eye to observe how these clothes “radiate”. Although there aren’t many looks for women here, it’s impossible not to mention Mica Arganaraz’ appearance in a pleated, black maxi dress, crossed with a belt. Simple, but still, many designers dream to pull off such a dress as masterfully as Haider. You need to be born with it, right?

Men’s – Pope and Cristobal. Balenciaga SS17

June 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Demna Gvasalia‘s appointment at Balenciaga is groundbreaking from the very first collection for women’s autumn-winter 2016, which we all experienced at the beginning of March. New silhouettes, new youthful concept, the underground, Vetements attitude already storms the editorials and modifies the way we see fashion in 2016 – but nobody expected that the biggest shock would have come within Gvasalia’s first men’s collection for the house.

Firstly, it’s not just another menswear collection. It’s the first runway collection by Balenciaga which presents menswear; secondly, it was a tribute to Cristobal Balenciaga, his life and his creative legacy. In his first months at the brand, Demna was a tourist in Balenciaga historical archives, and one specific piece became the main reference for the entire, spring-summer 2017 collection. A coat. Or rather, the coat, which was Cristobal’s own, made by his own hand. In fact, he never finished it. And surely, he would be surprised to hear that after many decades, his Georgian successor is about to make his forgotten coat an object of desire. The first look defined the silhouette of this particular coat – tailored, yet strongly exaggerated in the shoulders. And a fitting card put in breast pocket (an unexpected, small gesture which nodded to the past of bespoke, couture tailoring for men). A fitting card used to hold the information of old clients’ measurements – and dimension is something that’s absolutely revisited by Gvasalia. While the coats were colossal in volume, extremely slim suit pants were cut on the knee, distorting any proportions left. The look got even more peculiar with python leather shoes or orthopaedic white boots. That was the “formal” part of the collection, if you can say that Uncle Fester’s look will fit your business lunch.

The mid-looks of the collection were more about Vetements, I would say, with varsity jackets (of course, the shoulder were big, too) and baseball caps. The over-sized pants were styled with ribbed knits, and one of the all-black outfits felt like Gvasalia’s friends (Lotta Volkova and Paul Hameline) choice for a stroll to the market, with a huge, bold yellow “shopping” tote. Parisian cool with post-Soviet vibe. Yes.

Demna Gvasalia’s take on Balenciaga is profound, taking under consideration all aspects that were important for Cristobal. For women’s autumn, the creative director delivered flamenco dresses in florals, mentioning Balenciaga’s Spanish origins. This instantly brings on the idea of Catholicism, which was moved this season for the boys. Cristobal was a passionate Catholic, and it was his everyday habit to go to a church on Avenue George V, a stone throw from his atelier. That’s why the last looks were ornamented with Vatican lace, liturgical red and purple silks. As for a menswear debut, Gvasalia nailed it, even though one could be skeptical whether the up-to-now male clients of Balenciaga, used to basic white shirts and sneakers, will devote themselves to this new style religion.

Men’s – Voyager. Gucci SS17

June 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Shocking green carpet with a huge red snake – that was the first thing Gucci’s guests saw, minutes before the spring-summer 2017 show started. But they didn’t have a long break from Gucci extravaganza, though. Just a few weeks after the spectacular anglomania splendour in London, Alessandro Michele, brand’s creative director, presented a show for men which was into this season’s motif, so travelling. Like Prada, Michele challenged himself to make his collection not a literal rip-off of oriental kimonos, but something more eclectic and meaningful. In fact, his “travel” is something totally different. “I hate to travel,” he said backstage, confusing everyone. Still, he loves travelling from aesthetics to aesthetic, mentally, not physically. “You can travel in different ways,” mused Michele. “With a book, you can travel. If I change the tapestry of my chair, I sit and I travel.” To an extend, it’s true – with a whole lot of tapestry, embroidery and embellishment, his menswear collection was a diversified version of a voyager’s wardrobe. Leather bombers with colourful dragon heads, rich, velvet coats, satin kimono jacket, Asian patterns featuring Donald Duck – like a treasure chest of cheesy souvenirs from around the world. Essentials, like biker jackets or turtlenecks, were pimped up with florals and marine stripes, while the classical horse-bit loafers were styled with fish-net tights (nothing surprises me anymore during men’s fashion month, honestly). As eclectic as it could be – that’s Alessandro’s world.

Men’s – Pack Your Backpack. Prada SS17

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

Last season, Miuccia Prada presented a disturbingly beautiful ode to sea odyssey and distressed sailors, a collection filled with sailor hats and over-sized, sloppy shirts. Naturally, it had a lot to do with the current, migrant situation, which paralyses European countries. But also, there was an idea of travelling (likely to unknown places), not necessarily to luxurious resorts and hotels. This season, Prada continues her travel motif, but back on a slightly safer land. Rather than sailor equipment, models wore durable, weather coats, boldly coloured nylon pouches with Prada torches inside and formal high-heels attached to classic, leather bags. “In case you want to have a beautiful evening,” Mrs Prada mused backstage. Ironically, because all the models were rather into ugly chic (introduced by Miuccia at the turn of 90s and 00s), all in sport sandals and woollen socks. Sleeveless vests had Velcro hoodies, just like at Marni, matching the straps which crossed the waists in slouchy way. Olivier Rizzo, Prada’s stylist, is indeed a master of styling – the outfits were so reliable that you wouldn’t distinguish a Prada model among real camping fanatics and members of an all-American Morgan family from Minnesota. But it wasn’t only about functional, yet pricey essentials for your next field trip to the forest or mountains. If you’re observant, you would have immediately spotted buddhas, palm trees and mariachi band prints on skirts and jackets for the women’s resort 2017 part. Mexico, India, maybe Scandinavian countries – somehow, all these different places on Earth were united in one collection, in one piece of clothing, without being to literal. “The core goal is to share with other people,” Prada continued. “Other cultures, other mentalities.”

Moreover, this collection ispressing hard on Prada’s heritage, so the famous backpack, which revives in new textiles and colours. According to history, in 1984 the first nylon backpack was presented to Prada clients in their oldest store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, leaving behind the dusty, ‘luxury-luggage brand’ past forever. A backpack is the symbol of Prada becoming a major fashion player, breaking the convention of elegance and giving other brands a sign – it’s the new chapter for accessories business. That was the first time when the fashion world heard a very down-to-earth, close-to-masses word: “utility”. And surely, spring-summer 2017 collection is the one which can be called utilitarian from the first look to the last one.

It’s intriguing to see how Miuccia conveys messages in her clothes. This summer outing for boys (and for girls, of course) might just seem ugly to people, who say a loud NO to any form of socks and sandals (get over it, people!). But to others, it will appeal aesthetically, matching this current “rave” trend present on wild, off-beat parties and streets filled with Tumblr teenagers. However, I’m rather obsessed with the way these clothes are layered and matched in the most off-kilter way, and the attitude behind the whole story. Disparity and travelling from one to idea to another – that’s elusive and very, very exciting.