A Lady with A Twist. Creatures of The Wind AW16

February 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters kick off the New York Fashion Week on Design & Culture by Ed with one of their most mature collections to date. Not only because it feels like the Creatures of The Wind girl has changed into a woman – but also, the identity of the eponymous label seems to be much more recognizable. For the autumn-winter 2016 season, the designer duo staged a feminine, yet quirky outing of V-neck dresses made from lace and textile patches, mink coats and to die for slip-tops with autumnal leave prints. The collection blurs between playful Couregges-like polished leather mini-dresses and much more toned, mature pencil skirts and turtlenecks – meanwhile the geometrical jackets, as the brands’ Instagram feed suggests, are all about Ettore Sottsass graphic, visual vision. Good to see that the boys behind Creatures of The Wind show off their other, much more lady-like side – and present something infinitely New York. Both eclectic, and individual.

Over The Top. Marc Jacobs SS16

September 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Marc Jacobs’s spring-summer 2016 show was actually really about fashion. It was so over-the-top and so good, that I just don’t know where to start from. So let me make a list of things that I am still obsessed with.

Location – This season Marc Jacobs took us to the “Hollywood of New York”. The entire fashion show was staged at the location of Ziegfeld Theatre on West 54th Street. The velvet details of the theater matched the eclectic mood of the collection precisely – glamour and chic shouted from every corner of this magical place…

Model Casting – Marc Jacobs and Anita Bitton of Establishment NY always choose the most interesting faces. Molly Bair, Lineisy Montero, Karly Loyce, Varya Shutova, Alice Metza and many more walked the show, representing diversity and beauty. But also, Marc’s all time favourites wore these opulent gowns – Guinevere Van Seenus , Karen Elson and, yes, even Beth Ditto attended the show, slaying it.

Fashion – As I mentioned before, this show seemed to be the most fashion-thinking of all during NYFW. I won’t hide it – this season was mostly about slip dresses and minimal outfits. And while everybody seemed to be revising their own signatures, Marc Jacobs truly let his imagination take over the reigns – all these silhouettes, the detailings, the whole Old Hollywood inspiration. Cinched waists and exaggerated shoulders, flared sleeves and full cut trousers, pussy bows and neck chokers, glitter and lamé were all here. Beautiful and strongly missed splendour came back to fashion on a massive scale.

Embroidery – All kinds of embellishments and applications were used in this collection. Through collaboration with Lessage studio in Paris, the evening gowns looked absolutely ethereal and highly dramatic. Matty Bovan and Amie Victoria Robertson worked on the prints, that were later on ebroidered onto the over-sized suits – their toothy and freckled characters gave the collection a humorous edge.

Uff. I am done. This collection was great, Marc! And a great ending for the pretty calm New York Fashion Week.

Flamenco. Proenza Schouler SS16

September 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler are approaching a new field of femininity. Their SS16 was like a quick vacation to South America – the heat of flamenco was unbearable, but appealing. The textiles were more light, which is a contrast to their last-season heavy wools and metal detailing; the attitude changed towards the Proenza woman, who is much more sensual and on-going. Exposed-shoulder-dresses and Cuban heeled pumps are the ultimate hits from the collection – just like the 70’s inspired, plexi earrings. However, the collection lacked a bit of fantasy, even though the designers had their dresses made by Parisian couturiers. It wasn’t a bad collection, but surely not the best one from Proenza Schouler boys.

Only Lovers Left Alive. Rodarte SS16

September 17, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Only Lovers Left Alive is one of my favourite movies, ever – vampy Tilda Swinton, elusive Detroit and the beautiful story of two, pale-faced lovers always makes me have goosebumps. So when I saw the first looks from Kate and Laura Mulleavy‘s Rodarte SS16 outing, I was mesmerised. I am absolutely share, that New York’s favourite sister duo had this movie on their mood-board. The collection had a fancy, psychedelic approach towards romantic dresses. This signature, Rodarte-ish romance is not shallow – it is like poetry. You need to interpret it the way you want. The designers spent the summer immersing themselves in Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson, and Leonard Cohen, while listening to Electric Light Orchestra’s early synthesized, sparkly music. The collection also had something of Old Hollywood – the gowns were made of collages of lace, velvet, embroidery, beading, and silk fringing, cut into Victoriana bodices and ethereal, floor sweeping lenghts. To complete all that lavish heaven, Rodarte introduced their gorgeous, Art Deco inspired boots. The effect? With black fish-net tights, this collection felt authentic and nostalgic, but in a good sense.

Gender Fluid, Ageism and Raw. Eckhaus Latta SS16

September 16, 2015September 16, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta know how to strike New York. They don’t need Marina Abramovic to make a performance, they don’t need a celebrity-crowded front row. Eckhaus Latta is the brand, that makes the topic of gender-fluid fashion more accessible, and somewhat, intriguing. Their spring-summer 2016 collection was arty and avant-garde, but surprisingly werable. Also, it said “stop” to ageism – the designer duo’s 50+ friends walked the runway in sheer, body stocking jumpsuits. Nudity was the topic of the show, too. The models wore all those transparent blouses and mini-dresses with confidence and original, free-spirited attitude. There is a catecorigal difference between a professional model wearing an almost naked outfit, and a person that really wears the clothes. The feeling of Eckhaus Latta’s nudity is raw, but absolutely true. Although we couldn’t notice a usual blogger pack, the undergroud influencers of New York, (Dev Hynes, Juliana Huxtable, Alexandra Marzella, and Grace Dunham, among others) presented amazing, voluminous silhouettes and edgy tank-tops made from the strangest textiles I have ever seen. I must admit – after seeing the second Eckhaus Latta collection in a row, I am much more amused and overhelmed with it, than with the massive Givenchy show that took place earlier this week. Sometimes, less is really more.