PFW

Men’s – Design Exercise. JW Anderson SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

For his spring-summer 2020 collection for men (and resort 2020 for women), Jonathan Anderson took an approach he applies at his Loewe. While discussing J.W. Anderson‘s latest collection, the designer mentioned that it’s “not about a styling exercise, but a design exercise.” Part of it was working on cutting away the sleeves of trench coats and tailored jackets to construct geometric wings and leave a drape in the back. He said he’d developed that silhouette after the “ideas about the ’40s and billowing shapes” that he’d shown previously in his womenswear collection. The deconstruction of the tuxedo dressing continued into lapel scarves and dress shirts. There’s no gendered distinction in these clothes. “All sizes can wear that,” he said. Meanwhile, the less ‘formal’ part of the collection consisted of patchworked knits, cable-knit head-bands, shoes made of multi-coloured felt (depicting a sort of pointilist landscape) and flowing, crotchet shawls and dresses. All this feels very warm-hearted, artisanal,  beautifully folkloric even. While Anderson nails each season at Loewe, lately I wasn’t that convinced about the work he did for his namesake brand. But this collection is one of his best.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Telling A Narrative. Bode SS20

| Design & Culture by Ed

Two weeks after winning the CFDA Award for Emerging Designer of the Year, Emily Adams Bode has another major achievement behind her belt: her first-ever Bode runway show, in Paris, not in New York. That’s a smart move. Men’s New York fashion week has an extremely low visibility, while Bode, a brand that possibly has the brightest, sustainability-forward concept behind it in the entire industry, needs a fair spotlight. The label’s off-kilter pieces reinterpret antique quilts and domestic textiles in a workwear context to create new narratives. Each collection harmonises disparate elements, repairing and preserving materials that would otherwise be lost, thrown away. The designer produces modern heirlooms that nod to folkloric craftsmanship with hand-stitched accents and panelled constructions. For spring-summer 2020, Bode focuses on the same idea, but with a different background. As she explained backstage, ever since launching her menswear label three years ago, she has been waiting for the right moment to present a collection inspired by her familial ties to a bygone wagon workshop based in Cincinnati that produced ornate creations for Barnum & Bailey and the Ringling Brothers. “It’s about being able to tell that narrative of the historical techniques and fabrications and then [figuring out] how we can bring this to market in larger way,” she added. An intricately embroidered coat or a suede jacket with hand-stitched florals might have been the nods to her season’s reference. The clothes that impress with detailing were put together with Bode’s classics – vintage-y, short-sleeved shirts, striped, cropped pants, over-sized overalls. I’m a huge fan of Bode and its philosophy, and it’s not the first time when I’m saying this. Big hopes for winning the LVMH Prize in a couple of days!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

80s. Louis Vuitton AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Nicolas Ghesquière‘s autumn-winter 2019 collection for Louis Vuitton was an ode to self-expression, but also, a clear nod to the 1980s. You loved it or hated it. With a faux Centre Pompidou facade built inside of Louvre’s Cour Carrée (yes, one mega-museum of Paris in another), the whole scene was time transporting. Eccentric and eclectic, the jackets had big shoulders, skirts were over-the-knee and prints made you think of the Memphis Group. The leather skullcaps and colourful riding boots are here for a go-kart race. The most convincing looks were the ones near the finale: high-waisted pants, over-sized blazers and leather ties (they made think of Hedi Slimane’s last season debut at Celine, though…). Can’t say this collection is a favourite of mine, but it was a closing statement of Paris fashion week: the past is today’s fashion favourite sandpit to play in.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

It’s A Smash. Lacoste AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lacoste is a tricky brand. Its roots are in tennis, while the green crocodile logo is often perceived as dismissingly as Tommy Hilfiger’s or Calvin Klein’s. But Louise Trotter (former designer at Joseph) made me fall in love with her vision of the brand, completely. Her debut was a smash, so a winner strike according to tennis jargon. Her love for minimalist, clean lines and athleisure are true to her style, so it wasn’t a surprise her aesthetic goes so well with Lacoste’s context. The autumn-winter 2019 show was all about tennis clothes, but transformed into desirable, high fashion. Polo necks in ribbed knit; chunky vests were worn over maxi-lenght, breezy dresses covered with the crocodile print; trackpants came in over-sized, slouchy jersey; zipped sweatshirts were kept in bold colours. The opening looks, featuring the chicest shade of beige, informed Trotter’s stance on her Lacoste: expect elevated daywear with a sporty spin. Big love.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Not Demanding. Miu Miu AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Miuccia Prada‘s latest Miu Miu collection didn’t really touch my heart this season. It maybe had to reflect today’s youth, ready to face the world, but to me it felt like a show done ‘last minute’ (I know it wasn’t, though). Bit of camo print there, florals here. Baby doll dresses and trekking boots aren’t a surprise anymore. The long cape-coats? Didn’t buy them, either. The collection had to feel spontaneous in a way, maybe grunge-y even, but there’s a difference between ‘cool eclecticism’ and ‘messy’. But if you put the clothes out of the show’s styling, you can see few great pieces. We’re all exhausted sometimes, and Miuccia definitely felt like it’s good moment for a non-demanding, commercial collection. That was Miu Miu’s primal idea, after all.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.