London in Brazil. Marques Almeida Resort’16

June 14, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

After winning the LVMH Prize, Marques Almeida quickly updated their brand schedule, by introducing a new season to it – Resort. And for their first Resort, Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida went to Brazil with their muse, Sofia, to photograph and present it. The effects? A collection of wearable clothes, which have a very specific MA signature. Special denim tops with ruffles; grungy silhouettes; bold colours. And lovely dresses which were styled in unusually elegant way. Loose-weave light knits were slashed and knotted just like their tattered T-shirts, which came reinvented here as beachwear. Digital jungle-print silks and florals were a clash of femininity and the typical rawness Marques Almeida has in its codes. It is worth to mention, that going to Brazil was worth it – the clothes looked really laid-back and the lookbook will definitely catch your eye.

Female. The Row Resort’16

June 12, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Row makes minimalism and “effortless” luxury its routine, and we all know it by observing the last years of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen at their brand. Resort 2016 tells a story about artists like Constantin Brâncuși or Jean Cocteau. They thought of a painter in his studio, in his oversize painter’s blouse that’s cinched at the waist. This image is balanced with the strong feminine spirit. And this wardrobe is her outside weapon filled with well tailored pieces for every scenario or journey she might encounter. She might be as laid-back as can be in a robe – or in enough layers to cast her sophistication and her strength.

The Big Ruffle. Rosie Assoulin Resort’16

June 10, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Ruffles! Everywhere! On trousers, on shirts, on dresses – a ruffle mania. Rosie Assoulin presented a playful collection, which fused her all-time signatures with new ideas. The statement culottes had those huge daisy shaped cuts while her classy dresses smartly flipped into a fancy party or a friend’s brunch at the same time. Also, the Woodstock-like dyed over-sized trousers had a moment. But again, the ruffles were really the stars of this collection – the Curcuma coloured top with ruffled sleeves was everything. Just like the pink top which surrealistically reminded an ethereal waterfall made of ruffles. Although all of that might sound very “couture-ish”, mostly all of the clothes designed by Rosie are wearable and, definitely, ready-to-wear. Even though they might be really arty (but then, why they shouldn’t have a creative soul?).

Tropical Escape. No21 Resort’16

June 9, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Dell’Acqua is the rising star of Milan and there no wonder why – his collections for No21 are always fresh and cool, but in Itlalian way. For Resort 2016, Alessandro fused many themes at a time – the marine chic which involved stripes; ethnic prints; oriental textiles (look at the canvas shoes!). All of that brought on the idea of perfect “tropical escape” wardrobe. The midi skirt with a sexy cut looked truly gorgeous with that over-sized chunky sweater while the warm colour of curcuma gave a laid-back mood. In overall, Dell’Acqua is known for his talent of mixing feminine silhouttes with masculine forms – the sailor jacket is the must-have of the collection, combined with one of these crispe checked skirts. This collection is an essential highlight of Alessandro’s fashion career becuase it smartly shows No21’s signatures in a very refreshing order.

Comfort Zones. Creatures of Comfort Resort’16

June 9, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Creatures of Comfort as a brand, concentrates on edgy clothes which, as the name suggests, are comfortable. Jade Lai, the designer of the brand, shared cropped, wide-leg trousers; boxy outerwear and fantastic, artsy layers. Among other ideas, we had a clash of two denims: a snowy fabrication from the storied American Cone Mills and a Japanese deep indigo. Both were used in a way that was pure Creatures of Comfort: Lai made the American fabric into a tank with a “fraying” peplum detail, while the Japanese denim became an oversize jacket and pants.