NYFW

Clothes That Breathe. Eckhaus Latta SS19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Industrial space in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bushwick. The sound of children’s instrumental performance, played on home-made tambourines and other metalware. One thing’s clear – an Eckhaus Latta show is about to start, which also means a radical leap away from typical, glossy Manhattan presentations. For Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, the runway is like a multi-faceted concept, that doesn’t only focus on clothes. It has to hit the senses, from sounds to visuals, and make you observe, not just stare at another dress. Even the model casting – one of the most diverse throughout the entire fashion month – has a lot to speak about the topics of age, size and skin colour. But don’t get it wrong. The fact that Eckhaus Latta works against the fashion establishment doesn’t mean that the clothes themselves are on the second plan. Somehow, the designers are able to always pull off this artistic edginess, but in a deeply sexual way – I don’t mean the sheer pieces only. Maybe it’s the rawness of those ‘unfinished’ tweed skirts or the oversized creased trousers. Not speaking of the distorted sweaters and the marvellous spider-web dresses made from wool (extraordinary knitwear is becoming Eckhaus Latta’s signature, from season to season). Other than the ‘everyday’ pieces, the designers also offered a few garments that could be easily put next to contemporary artworks in a gallery. The meticulously beaded tops for both women and men had cuts that sharply exposed the body. But Eckhaus Latta’s clothes are not complete without its wearer, that’s why it’s wrong to call them solely ‘art’. It’s the person’s character that make the clothes ‘breathe’ in a way.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

All-Day. Dion Lee SS19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Who: Dion Lee

Where: From Australia to New York

What: Dion Lee’s netting is the designer’s signature and also a frequent evening-wear choice. But the label is more than that: it’s well-known for strong emphasis on construction, tailoring and experimentation. The designer creates a contemporary wardrobe, that’s blurring the boundaries between ‘feminine’ and ‘minimal’.

SS19: The spring-summer 2019 collection from Lee was a like a dissection of an all-day wardrobe. Distorted trench coats and pastel pink tailoring, which were a take on office-, work-, business-wear gradually switched to evening dresses with lace inserts, sensual cut-outs and playful sheerness. The few pieces in shiny blue and bold orange brought energy to the line-up, creating a smooth transition from the ‘day’ to the ‘night’. There were the easily approachable pieces, like biker shorts and pinstripe suiting ensembles. But for the more daring ones, there are the jacket-dress hybrids with zippers that had a beautiful, fluid-like quality (in a way reminding of Azzedine Alaïa’s mastership). What else felt like an absolute highlight? Of course Dion’s netting. This season it was reimagined thinner and lighter on two dresses and was made of 3-D printed latex. The effect? One word: stunning.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

A Discussion on Uniforms. Matthew Adams Dolan SS19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Who: Matthew Adams Dolan

Where: New York

What: Dolan’s denim jackets and signature shirt-dresses with exaggerated cuffs are perceived as the new ‘basics’. Why? Noting their couture-level tailoring, Matthew’s fashion is realistic and wearable, but far, far from trivial. It’s not about few good styling tricks or a thoroughly contrived Instagram ‘image’ that fuels the label. Dolan let’s the clothes do the talking for themselves, which is especially rare in the industry. The talented, young designer as well revises American fashion, creating the ultimate classics of 2018 (and for years ahead). SZA and Rihanna approve, just as the fact that Matthew became one of the finalists of this year’s LVMH prize.

SS19: This season, Matthew took a closer look at the American society, dissecting various ‘uniforms’ and recreating them in stylishly utilitarian looks. Splashed with colours – from acid green to bold fuchsia – the collection had the pieces you want to wear now: a belted, over-sized blazer, the ‘cashier’s vest’ worn over an over-sized shirt, a pair of bermuda shorts that can be mistaken with a midi-skirt. The young designer mentioned Claire McCardell as one of his main reference points for spring-summer 2019. McCardell is credited with the creation of American sportswear, and injecting it into women’s wardrobes. That sort of democracy appeals to Dolan, and he conveys that through the functional, yet not boring garments. It’s exactly fashion that the early 20th century designer would totally approve.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Power Dressing. Tom Ford SS19

| Design & Culture by Ed

After his over-the-top, kitschy-chic fashion show back in spring, Tom Ford’s spring-summer 2019 collection felt like a colour detox mixed with self-reflection. Black, white, beiges and pale lilac were the leading shades, while the entire line-up took us down the memory lane of Ford’s career. For a moment, we all experienced again his 90s momentum at Gucci, that was all about refined sexiness and confidence – words that match the designer’s current work with the same precision. To a surprise of many, there were as well references to the few year tenure at Yves Saint Laurent, the period that shaped Tom’s aesthetic into a more sublime, after-dark vision of women.

But back to 2018. Draped skirts with lace inserts; jackets and blazers made of fake crocodile leather; satin cocktail dresses and evening gowns with pony-hair details. Some of the looks are fit for goddesses of seduction, other for cosmopolitan bosses. This one all-leather look seemed to be taken straight out of Roxy Music’s cover that featured Amanda Lear. But no, in the end this collection wasn’t created with a dominatrix in mind, but for powerful women who want garments that look equally powerful. The menswear part can be described with one word: handsome. Conclusion: when the evening comes, you want to meet both, the Ford woman and Ford man.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Sun-Kissed. Partow SS19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Who: Nellie Partow

Where: New York

What: Partow, as a label, is rooted in the present tense, so don’t expect 70s or 90s references that storm other designers and brands for the last couple of seasons. Simply speaking, it’s a brand that can be easily put next to The Row. The quality of knitwear, tailoring and pretty much everything else makes Partow a true American luxury brand, from top to bottom.

SS19: The designer listed her hometown of Laguna Beach, California, as the main inspiration behind the laid back silhouettes. Baha hoodies are a nod to the local surfers, while the toned shades of peony and tangerine remind “the peach undertones in your skin,” post-sunbathing. The collection’s highlight was definitely the hand-knit cable sweater, which was covered with paint to mimic whitewashed wood. Gorgeous! Phoebe Philo is still off the radar, so if you seek clothes that are similar to hers, Partow might be your go-to brand this season. There are some clear clues of Nellie’s love for the pre-Hedi Céline (with an É!), from the styling to several garments (far too many to list). But that’s not a bad thing! I also found the look-book itself quite intriguing, starring Tasha Tilberg and photographed by Bibi Cornejo Borthwick.

P.s. The fashion month has just begun, and I thought of changing the format for my reviews. New brands that debut on Design & Culture by Ed will have the ‘in a nutshell’ scheme (like here), while the more well-known names will get the traditional, long read.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.