Proper. Givenchy SS19

October 9, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Clare Waight Keller gradually finds her grip at Givenchy with very proper ready-to-wear for both, women and men. This season, she proposed a certain toughness – clothes that empower the wearer. Take that look featuring high-waisted pants with a leather jacket tucked in. Doesn’t it make the silhouette stronger and more confident? Military cargo pants and classical trench coats bring even more poise to the line-up. Of course there was evening wear, something Waight Keller evidently feels most comfortable in. We’ve got geometrically cut dress kept in bold colours, but also blazers and gowns plunged in metallic rhinestones, fringed and sequins. Somehow it all looked as light as a feather. It’s a good collection, but as I said earlier, Clare tends to keep Givenchy’s pret-a-porter proper. Would love to see something a bit more surprising for her next season.

Collage by Edward kanarecki.

True. Haider Ackermann SS19

October 5, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

While other fashion designers and brands struggle with identity this season, Haider Ackermann doesn’t have that problem. He’s true to himself and his style. And his spring-summer 2019 collection, that consisted of both womenswear and menswear, proved that in the most sublime way. “It’s a love affair, and I’m your man,” said Haider Ackermann after his double-gender show. “You love the thing about him and her, and how they might intertwine. It’s just a borrowing.” With Leonard Cohen on the soundtrack, the models looked confident, sensual and integrated in those clothes. Whether it’s a houndstooth print blazer, a yellow leather jacket with hand-done cut-outs or a kimono-like coat in a toned, abstract pattern, every single piece in this collection is quintessentially Haider. The finale earned a standing ovation from Tilda Swinton, the long-time friend of the designer. If she approves, I approve. Brilliant.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Frustrating. Celine SS19

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

I really tried not to be too negative about Hedi Slimane’s debut at Celine. I knew that it would never be as perfect as Phoebe Philo’s Céline. With her impact, her vision and her understanding of women, she’s irreplaceable at this maison. But to my own regret, I had a silly thought that maybe, maybe, two years of fashion hiatus lets a designer… develop? Progress? But no. Hedi Slimane stubbornly thinks that his aesthetic is it, wherever he designs, whether at Dior Homme, at Saint Laurent or at Celine. The debut collection had been called Paris La Nuit and was intended to be all about youth and late night party-ing. How predictable. The former Céline woman / client / fan dropped a tear the minute the first look walked down the runway – a polka-dot mini-dress with puffy sleeves. What’s worse, it seems to me that Hedi still considers today’s youth to dream about looking pale, unhealthily skinny and, mhh, dull? The model selection triggers another question: what about the diversity the model industry fights for lately? Slimane seems not to bother. Also, please note that in a pre-show interview, he clearly stated he’s solely interested in the young, and he will design for the young. He kept the promise. So we’ve got ageism, too! And yes, I know that elder models are still a rarity on the catwalks, but at least most brands don’t narrow down their target age in such a rude, discriminatory way. Let everyone dress the way they want and feel like – don’t exclude.

Slimane’s collection isn’t thought-provoking in a good way at all. I find it shallow and monotonous. Just clothes that literally look like his YSL bits: slim and grungy. To be honest, I even don’t find any sense in listing the women’s clothes he presented. The menswear part – completely new to Celine – is said to be unisex. We’re talking about very tightly fitted tuxedos, that yes, might be very well-tailored, but hardly empower anyone. Also, I smell some vague talk about gender fluidity, that desperately tries to make this collection even slightly relevant. It’s truly painful that LVMH, who is reportedly so assured of financial success coming from Hedi’s dictatorship (it’s not a typo), wants to ‘improve’ Celine this way. One word: frustrating. Conclusions: please, give Slimane his own namesake label, where his followers can go, and stay. Phoebe, I know it was you who left, but please consider coming back to us as soon as possible. There are French houses that need your help. There are people, who need you and love you!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Tisci’s Take. Burberry SS19

September 20, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

London fashion week didn’t see a big debut for a while. But was it worth the wait? Riccardo Tisci at Burberry seemed to be an unlikely choice from the beginning. The brand’s logo and identity changes felt vague and predictable. A post-show, 24 hours only merch shopping via Instagram had to have everyone like ‘wow’, but I guess no one really bothered to buy anything. You might think that 134 looks in a collection have to speak loud and clear about the designer’s vision. That’s what I thought before. Well, maybe that number of looks tried to say a word or two, but in overall it felt like Tisci wanted to seize too much and mention too many things at a time in his first collection for this historic, British brand. The first part of the collection referred to Burberry’s heritage – trench coats, Burbs checks and silk foulards – and played with the notion of conservative, British middle class from the Thatcher era. If Riccardo developed that a bit further and kept the show in these 50 outfits, that might have been a good shot . But then, a dozen of identical menswear looks appeared, aesthetically closer to Prada and 90s Helmut Lang than Burberry. Another ton of womenswear (this time related to the punk movement, unfortunately looking shallow, preppy and… tired) and a portion of men’s unamusing streetwear (think sweatshirts and prints that are very close to Riccardo’s work at Givenchy – this time, however, we’ve got creepy, Victorian families photo instead of Catholic iconography) appeared on the runway. In the end, we had this quite stiff line-up of ladies’ eveningwear. I liked Christopher Bailey’s last seasons at Burberry, but I never really looked at his collections again. Tisci’s debut could have been more focused and gripping, that’s sure, but let’s give him time. And please, narrow down that scope!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s / New Vintage. Bode SS19

August 13, 2018November 6, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

While the fashion industry struggles with overproduction and its self-destructive pace, the New York-based designer Emily Adams Bode goes against the flow. Her label, Bode, is mostly fabricated from vintage textiles: antique table linens, patchwork quilts, grain sacks – the list can go on. But don’t think her work comes out as looking overly D.I.Y. or crafty-arty. We’re speaking of button-up shirts with romantic pussy-bows, delightful coats and striped boxy trousers, treated with the finest dyes.

Her spring-summer 2019 collection is a beautiful nod to India. Part of it was produced from khadi, a handwoven cloth, produced by Indian craftsmen. But there are as well incredible Bengalese embroideries all over the shirting; a t-shirt with a flag of India print that has a cool, vintage-y vibe; pastel-blue short shorts; a rugby jacket in the brightest shade of orange; loosely fit suits. It’s like Wes Anderson’s ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ cast wardrobe, available in real life. But coming back to Bode and it’s phenomenon, it’s incredible how the label stays true to ethical and sustainable way of doing things (noting that Bode is based in the Big Apple, where everything should be ‘now and here’ lately). “We’re still largely focused on vintage textiles,” Emily says, “and then we work to find something that is reproducible from them. We have mills and producers in India, actually. And, when buyers come, they shop on the rack, and say, ‘How close can you get to this piece?’ Some want each piece exactly the same, and others want only one of a kind. We’re calibrating it, but it’s working.” One more thing: even though Bode presents her clothes on men, all of the pieces can be as well worn by female fans of the brand.