New York

From New York to Copenhagen (and Back). Sea Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

The Ruth Bader Ginsburg-inspired collars are a sort of signature in Sea‘s free-spirited resort 2020 collection, but not only. The New York-based brand has it all, from over-sized sleeves and prairie dresses to chunky knits and floral tea-dresses. Inspired by Danish style, designers Monica Paolini and Sean Monahan swapped out their usual florals for foulard patterns, adding a new polish to their lineup of city essentials. Paolini said Copenhagen was a major influence. She traveled there last winter and was struck by the way the locals girls layer colors and textures in the winter. The designers are traveling there in August to participate in Copenhagen Fashion Week, which might be a hint: is the brand expanding in Europe?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki; photos by Ana Kras.

Cool As Usual. The Elder Statesman Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

Greg Chait‘s The Elder Statesman look is signature: a tie-dye top, a slip-dress, a knit (and not just any knit, but a cashmere, hand-woven sweater of the fleeciest texture). Sounds like today’s trendiest street style? Well, Chait was much, much ahead of the fashion crowd when he revived this Calfiornian, dreamy look. The Elder Statesman’s recent collections have touched on topics like self-realization and talismans, which got the designer thinking about life and the fine line between “darkness and light“. “I realized, it’s really like a game,” he said during the New York presentation of his resort 2020 collection. So he dove into how games simulate life, for better or for worse, from Saga and Nintendo circa the ’90s to ancient Indian board games like Snakes and Ladders and Pachisi. This resulted in the silk checkerboard prints, the crewnecks with jacquard stars and gaming symbols, and the very bold color palette. He didn’t go to literal for the theme, and in overall this is a laid-back, cool The Elder Statesman wardrobe we all need.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

The Finest. The Row Pre-Fall 2019

| Design & Culture by Ed

The Row‘s pre-fall 2019 release came together with the launch of the brand’s on-line shop. Shortly speaking, the collection is as good as the website and the clothes available there – which of course isn’t a surprise, knowing Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen‘s love for refined. The look-book features the most luxe basics out there, from a cotton poplin shirt to virgin wool pants in the most delightful shade of caramel. Maggie Maurer and Małgosia Bela look stunning in those cashmere turtlenecks, without any make-up or accessories. Browsing through the bags and shoes, you will instantly get why The Row won the CFDA Award for best accessories last week. That’s a lot of The Row news for one post. Need more? When you open the Galerie tab on their website, you’re taken a step further into the Olsen’s universe: here, you can buy items from the sisters’ hand-picked, curated antiques collection – Gustave Serrurier-Bovy’s brass chandelier, a vintage Boucheron ring, Georges Jouve’s vase…

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Fun is Key. Thom Browne Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

“When quality is so important, I think you also have to counterbalance that with something that makes it seem not so serious. Fun is key.” This is how, in two sentences, Thom Browne explained the quintessence of his ready-to-wear line, which is presented as pre-collections (the fashion shows in Paris are ready-to-wear too, but on a very different level…). For resort 2020, Browne showed his signatures, like cropped suits (this time in cute, dolphin print) and impeccably tailored coats in a not-just-for-business kind of attitude. It’s a classic Thom Browne collection, cheered up with a gorgeous vinyl rain-coat in yellow and white rubber boots with the brand’s signature tricolour tag.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Donna, Calvin, Ralph. Alexander Wang SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

I’ve been on fence with Alexander Wang lately – his fashion week schedule skipping and temporary identity crisis not only seemed to make him less visible (especially here in Europe), but also… less relevant. But something has sparked in his spring-summer 2020 collection he showed a few days ago in New York (three months ahead of all designers who are based in the city). It was really, really good. It was Alexander Wang we all loved years ago. It was badass, cool, energetic. And, smart. This season, the designer paid tribute to three designers who changed American fashion in the late 20th century, and whose aesthetical impect is still perceivable across the world. Donna Karan. Her stretch jersey bodysuits and big shoulders were the epitome of power dressing in the 1980s, and Wang included all of her signature codes in the opening looks. Calvin Klein. Denim, sex, but also minimalism – all these three couldn’t be missed by Wang, and he pulled them off just the right way. Ralph Lauren. The eternal flannel plaid, suede fringes, corduroy, ribbed knits and luxe cowboy look were all here. Those three designers not only reshaped American fashion, but also made their own take on athleisure go global. Most of today’s 30+ designers in the U.S. were growing up with those names, and Wang’s sporty sensibility is especially built on their foundation. Admitting this so loudly is more than excellent I think.

Collages by Edward Kanarecki.