Raw Style

It’s exciting to see how such label as Marques Almeida evolves. Firstly, the concept behind London’s favourite designer duo, Marta Marques and Pablo Almeida, was simple – ripped denim pants with the 90’s attire. But the apparel revival wasn’t the first and last invention of the Portuguese-born brand. The vision of Marques Almeida girl is always different with every season – but the youthful soul isn’t leaving these clothes even for a second. And this is easily seen in the model casting for Marques’ autumn-winter 2016 outing – few days before the show, the designers shared Polaroids of the friends, who were about to walk the closing show of the London Fashion Week. Naturally diverse models, as one of the designers said, weren’t over-dressed, in order to keep their real attitude, and not the posh versions of themselves.

The clothes weren’t ground-breaking, but there were many pieces that seem to be checked on the LFW must-have list – even though we’ve had a season of the truly beautiful collections from the British designers, Marques Almeida’s clothes makes you really want to have them. Maybe because of this rawness? The bold orange and fuchsia duvet coats prove that my not-so-stylish jacket for dog-walks ranks up. Utility, and style in one. The long, body skirts styled with elongated checked shirt is a bit grunge, which is already an approved trend that appears in a high number of collections. But of course there is the feminine side of Marques Almeida – the classic slip dress a la Corinne Day’s Kate Moss photographs.

You were good this season, London!

If talking of talented millennials, Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, the lovely couple behind Eckhaus Latta, also top the list of New York’s talented young blood. The nodels (not-models) stormed dynamically along the runway, wearing the brand’s clothes which always feature a raw, unfinished touch. The cast, so the designers’ friends and New York cool kids (India Menuez, for instance) wore Mike’s and Zoe’s garments, which perfectly presented what the designers are best at – Eckhaus’ background in sculpture (note the unidentified folds and slouchy, elongated sleeves) and Latta’s in textile design. The “dresses” had asymmetrical, abstract silhouettes, while the velvetish textile which ornamented the midi-skirts still shines bright in my mind. “We don’t have an elevator pitch for you because I feel like we’ve never approached our collections with traditional ideas of concept or inspiration,” says Eckhaus, “but they become representations of what we’re experiencing at the moment, what we’re feeling.” When seeing Eckhaus Latta’s outings, I always have a feeling that they fittingly reflect the current, New Yorker style among the youth – it’s not easy to define, but it’s very, very personal.