50 Shades of Black. Alexander Wang AW15

February 16, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

“Our customer wants black, so why not do an all-black collection?” Oh dear. It’s the most commercialised sentence I ever heard from anyone in the industry since I started writing. Alexander Wang, really? REALLY? Does this mean, that the label totally went for the masses and decided to be ruled by the customer? Creativity means, that you give an idea to people – this means, that your idea is accepted or not by the person buying, analysing or observing your work. But saying that if they want black, then lets give them black makes me want to puke. Well, the Alexander Wang X HM capsule was already a bad sign (lets not deceive ourselves – the logomania prints and all that polyester & neoprene stuff was dumb). But after this totally black collection (except few pairs of jeans and one white sweater) I lose any respect for Wang. Aside from those Frankenstein boots, everything is so retail-friendly. Every rich teen girl would die to look like Kendall Jenner in one of these black dresses… and, she is going to get it, ’cause Wang knows that the “customer’s always right”.

Minimal Bouquet. Adam Lippes AW15

February 16, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Florals? For spring? Ground-breaking. But effective. And not for spring, in reality, but for winter. Adam Lippes, the master of modern sportswear from New York bloomed this season. Known for minimal silhouettes, Adam had a dose of printed flowers there and there – on the jackets and dresses, for example. But what seriously makes me excited for this collection are the sweaters, which are made from 10 different gauges of wool! That’s a lot. And the effect is as impressive as the numbers – this knitted piece of art seems to be so soft and fluffy that you just want to wear it and hug people around… what else caught my eye? The mink fur coat. Styled with those masculine trousers, this piece of clothing seems to be timeless and never out of fashion. You might think that the collection works totally on fashion basics – but in overall effect, it has much to say this winter.

Jane Eyre and Marimekko. Suno AW15

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

What happens when Jane Eyre’s drama meets Ikea-like Marimekko floral prints? Then, Suno gives a tip. Helena Severin, which opened and closed the show, looked both awesome in the splitted skirt and brocade shirt-dress. Stripes went through beautifully embroidered roses while boots and socks nicely contrasted with over-sized silhouettes. The total favourite look is the one with the slim V-neck dress – attractive, but relaxed. And so Suno duo Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis must be congratulated on their main idea this season, not only for directing themselves to this interesting theme of two strictly different things, but also for attacking it with real vigour, and from unexpected angles.

Warm Things. A Détacher AW15

February 15, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Lately, I’ve got an eye on A Détacher, the label which was found by a Polish native, Mona Kowalska. With her own boutique on Mott Street and eponymous label, Mona is New York’s phenomen. In my opinion, she’s an inspiring, wonder woman, which is rarely spotted by big magazines and websites. Her collections are always true to her philosophy – the clothes should be comfortable, but with an edge.

This time, she continues what she’s best at – warm, soft knitted cardigans, fluffy shoes, tights and calm, but vibrant, prints. But the prints, however, soon gave way to the explosion—literally, with a great black-and-white photoprint of Vesuvius mid-eruption, and more abstractly with a energetic-looking orange and navy print. Although we had volcanos here, we should keep in mind that the clothes had something domestic about them. And hearty. The heavy cable-knit sweaters, suede skirts and semi-ponchos are just few examples. These lifey clothes will definitely find happy homes in the closets of arty women like Kowalska!

SJP is in The House. Tome AW15

February 14, 2015February 14, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Oh my gosh, Sarah Jessica Parker designed the shoes for Tome’s AW15 collection! I mean, the collection feels slight Sex and The City… But instead of that super hot news, I must admit – Tome is getting better and better every season. Their beautiful diverse selection of models just make all these shirt-like dresses and stripey pantalons look feminine and fresh at the same time. Lilac turtlenecks are fine, too! These lady-like clothes and SHOES will make women feel like a woman.