Pool Party. Thom Browne SS17

September 16, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Thom Browne is one of the most daring fashion designers in New York. Attending his fashion show is like appearing in an unreal scene. “Fashion is art” statement really does relate to Browne’s creations. For spring-summer 2017, the designer built an incredible venue in an abandoned space in West Chelsea – the walls and floors were covered in multi-coloured tiles, and the guests felt like inside of an empty pool. The common association was right, as the collection had something of a glamorous, pool party galore. Think of the chic, poolside photographs by Slim Aarons in the 50s, when beach life took fashion into the iconic era of jet-set.

Suddenly, the models went out, all dressed in identical over-sized coats embroidered with floral motifs, and matching high-fashion swimming caps. Then, one by one, the models started to take off their coats to reveal the dresses they were wearing under. Trompe l’oeil matches Thom’s subverted ready-to-wear, and it became the season’s synonym. Suits, blazers, shirts with ties – in fact, the guests of the show didn’t see any of that. It was all about a camouflage dress.

So dramatic, and so extraordinary – you can look at this collection from a perspective of a spectacle, and of, yes, a fashion show. Thom Browne is New York’s creative mind.

Street-Wise Chic. Proenza Schouler SS17

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Proenza Schouler‘s spring-summer 2017 collection is my favourite collection so far – and I’m quite sure that it will stay up high in my rank for this season. Like Altuzarra, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez looked forward to colour, which used to be substituted with calm neutrals in their last few collections. Bold, graphic patterns in red, yellow, orange and blue gave the bar-jackets and pleated skirts a youthful, pop vibrancy. The styling was care-free in its fun spontaneity – take the intarsia fur coat, tied with a sweatshirt over the waist. Such an eye-catchy contrast between a luxurious investment piece, and a streetwear must-have. But the sweatshirts, and the more street-wise part of the collection wasn’t banal at all. Boxy, voluminous t-shirts were layered over shirts, while Greek sanctuary prints or a snapshot of closed fist (its Jack’s) contributed to the idea of a mixed, “collage-like” chaos. Fabrics and rare textiles were “sparsed” around the pieces like in a collage, too. For their multi-coloured, knitted dresses, the designers reached a Parisian atelier were feathers are weaved like yarn. Knitwear used in the collection came from Bolivia, and in overall, over ten countries were involved in the making of this spectacular line-up of intriguing garments. As the designers said, they didn’t “travel as much as the collection itself“. That’s the beauty behind Proenza’s spring-summer 2017.

Collage by me (as usual), feauturing Kasia Korzeniecka’s water-painting.

Object of Desire. MISBHV SS17

September 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I can sum up my love to MISBHV in this simple way – Russians have Gosha Rubchinskiy, Western Europe has Vetements, and Poles have Natalia Maczek‘s label. So, you’ve guessed right, seeing a Polish brand having a presentation in New York makes me super, super proud. MISBHV, a label that since its very beginnings caused longing desire in my, and my friends’ hearts. Maybe that’s why spring-summer 2017 collection for women is entitled “Object of Desire“? Before, MISBHV’s main focus was on menswear, but the success of HARD CORE or WARSZAWA sweatshirts among women meant something – it was high time for a new chapter.

For her first New York show, Natalia openly admits that she was obsessed with the idea of a 17-year-old girl from 00s, who loves disco. The naive character of this girl contrasts with rough party raving and the character of techno music – she wants to look her best, trying out unconventional combinations made up of her teenager clothes. Zirconia embellished crop-tops, pink chokers in leather, raw-cut t-shirts resembling heavy-metal concert souvenirs – this is the world of MISBHV, based on nostalgic fashion horrors and DIY styling. Denim pieces, like the elongated pants or laced-up slit skirt, are my absolute favourites. Of course, I can’t be too saccharine – it’s fairly noticeable that MISBHV isn’t far from today’s most relevant aesthetic (the uglier the better). But, I don’t mind. I’m celebrating Maczek’s and her team’s success like a national holiday.

Power of PR. Sies Marjan SS17

September 14, 2016September 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sander Lak of Sies Marjan has the best PR in town. It’s his second season, and his clothes are already sold by the most meaningful retailers. The hottest models and newcomers walk his shows. Out of nowhere, all the season’s fashionistas appeared on his spring-summer 2017 show. The editors are “stunned”. But is there a reason for all that fuss? I’m still in search for this ‘something’ that makes Sies Marjan a fashion phenomenon. The newest collection is good, but it’s like a deja vu of many other, on-the-radar labels. His colour compositions are called “brilliant”, but is there anything shocking about putting together the most Instagramable pastel shades? I’m quite bored with that. Lotta Volkova, the ‘Vetements best friend’, was tapped to style the show. The effect? Definitely not as jaw-dropping as everyone expected. The collection isn’t bad – scarf-like dresses in silk, platform boots, sequined gown in saucy-red – but it’s not remarkable.

Challenging. Victoria Beckham SS17

September 13, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Velvet is having its big comeback in fashion, and we’ve seen it in various forms throughout the last few seasons. Spring-summer 2017 is into velvet, too, and Victoria Beckham‘s brilliant collection is a clear evidence for us. Just look at the flowing velvet dresses kept in this fascinating, crushed effect. The silhouettes, kept in aquamarine-blue, lilac-purple and snow-white shades, were liquid-like, nearly dripping down the models’ bodies. But velvet wasn’t the only hot topic during Beckham’s outing. A play with proportions has been visible – Victoria’s high-fashion wellies looked so unnaturally big when styled with slim, ribbed-knit dresses or pencil skirts. A boxy top in floral print over a pleated, turquoise skirt: the volumes were utterly disturbed, and the look is far from banal. But that’s the spark of this collection – it’s intriguingly sophisticated, and nothing seems to be there by coincidence. I might even say that it’s the designers’ most challenging and somewhat uncommercial collection to date. A big thumb up.