Neo – Nostalgic. Dior SS16

October 8, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons and his tenure at Dior is recently all about revisiting the house’s history. Take the “1947” charm featured on the knitted collars – it reminds us of the year Monsieur Dior founded his renowned house. The delicate, organza dresses and hand-embroidered gilets had a studio feeling, as if they were just taken from the brand’s atelier. The collection was feminine, airy and absolutely Dior – even though it did not shock or excite as in case of previous seasons. It seems that Raf feels safe with doing well tailored blazers and clothes which are beautiful in its simplicity. A big plus for the gorgeous, kitten-heels with buckles.

Photography Morgan O’Donovan

Information Orgy. Loewe SS16

October 6, 2015August 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Loewe was like a wardrobe of an extraordinary lady who lived in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s – you can literally find everything in there, from plexi rain-coats and logo-mania trousers to jewellery souvenirs she brought from her exotic travels and cat-loving prints. In other words, Jonathan Anderson let his imagination take over the reigns this season, creating a collection that feels like a cabinet de curiosites of different ideas, references and objects. The effect? I am appealed to that modernistic eclecticism, but the transparent pieces don’t amuse me. Together with the mirror-cracked dresses and fancy logos, the plastic part makes it all a mishmash, that isn’t fluent. Or maybe it wasn’t intended to be fluent at all? The chaotic manner of the collection was described by the designer as “an orgy of information” – well, it surely had to say a lot about Jonathan’s current obsessions.

Photography by Virginie Khateeb

Kitsch, Belts and Grandma. Vetements SS16

October 6, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

One of the season’s most anticipated brands, Vetements, presented its anti-fashion collection in a tacky Chinese restaurant. But, even though the SS16 mood-board wasn’t focused on China nor on Asia, it reflected the spirit of this place through old-fashioned kitsch. Floral dresses inspired by Demna Gvasalia’s aprons of his grandmother, sequined capes, velvet sweatshirts and tunics – and all of that bound up with ultra-long leather belts with Harley-Davidson-style buckles. The eerie soundtrack of the collection perfecly described the new season’s attitude – it began with gentle waltz and then abruptly descended into Mayhem – the Norwegian heavy metal group. The Vetements logo black hoodies featuring a graphic based on Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic burst confusion (maybe one of Vetements’ designers loves / hates the film?), however the leather jackets that were constructed to be comfortable when sat on real bikes made much sense. The must-have, best-selling jeans were renewed to be more comfortable and affordable. In other words, Vetements for spring summer 2016 is rather an expansion of the last season’s wardrobe than a new idea. But in reality, it absolutely made the collection be more desirable, just like the cowboy boots or sock heels.

Photography by Chloé Le Drezen

Women Connection. Rick Owens SS16

October 5, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Without much effort, but only thanks to his vision, Rick Owens‘ shows are always most surprising during Paris Fashion Week. And this time, the designer did not disappoint. After the Estonian heavy-metal group performing on the runway and Brooklyn-based dancers dancing in their own, energetic style, Rick invited local, Parisian gymnasts to become… human back-packs. But, this shouldn’t be treated us a performance to be laughed at – serenity, grace and power of the way these women carried another, looking strong in Owens’ airy silhouettes, was disturbing, but beautiful. As the designer suggested, it represented the conncection between the women he dresses, knows and is constantly inspired by. And, “This Land is Mine” performed by Eska (Owen’s personal Beyonce) during the show made it the most emotionally filled collection of the season. And what’s interesting, the collection was based on plus size models – so, this means that the traditional clothes sized were in ranged from traditional model’s standard to the gymnast’s bodies.“I feel I haven’t done enough to accommodate them (plus size people). It’s hard to create a corner for people who might never come to me for that but I’m trying to find a way… I love a big girl who owns it unapologetically. Enjoy your juiciness.” Rick Owens knows how to effectively steal the spotlight, without pointless extras.

Motorcycle Trip. AF Vandevorst SS16

October 5, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

A lineup of 25-strong muscle bikes appeared backstage – Harleys and Triumphs surrounded the Faculté de Médecine Paris Descartes a few days ago in Paris. One thing was sure before the show started – this collection will be a fast ride. A.F. Vandevorst and their spring-summer 2016 attitude is literally about the biker girl, her wardrobe and her gang. An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx explained pre-show: “It’s a road trip by a woman who lives in the East and has traveled to the West.” Hence the beautifully embroidered dresses and embellished details, that give an orient-spirited impression. The idea of mixing the hand-made craftsmanship with leather biker jackets and heavy textiles is not only deeply rooted in A.F. Vandevorst’s inspirations, that are brought from their exotic trips – also, it’s their deep love for rock & roll. By looking at this great collection, you have a feeling that the Vandevorst woman is not the one to mess with – however, she is ready for adventures that await her in the future.