Family Affair. Sies Marjan SS19

September 13, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

As in Mary J. Blige’s song, it was a family affair at the Sies Marjan spring-summer 2019 runway. “This one was emotionally intense . . . my mother was in the show, as were friends from college, new friends, old friends, people I work with, and models that we love”, Sander Lak noted backstage of his show. Model castings that consist of model veterans (Małgosia Bela, Sasha Pivovarova), runway regulars (Aymeline Valade, Kiki Willems and let’s add Kaia Gerber to that list too) and real life people of different ages, sizes and skin colour are the best, as they present the clothes in the most universal way. You can really observe how the designer envisions his fashion for women (and men, as in case of Sies Marjan), not just on a rack, but in the daily life. But this wasn’t a typical Sies Marjan collection due to another reason. While the last seasons of this relatively young, New York-based label blasted with colour and surprised with the most unlikely pastel combinations, this line-up was calmer and more structured. White, khaki, ecru, navy, burgundy: the overall impression was more down-to-earth, grounded. There was the marine theme that was a nod to Sander’s father (“That was a lot about my dad, who passed away when I was young. He was living in Saudi Arabia, and I would see him wear cargo shorts in this particular green and Ralph Lauren stripe-y polos.”), but as well many new silhouettes that seem to broaden the range of Lak’s ready-to-wear. Loose blazers, maxi-dressses, short-sleeved shirts and PVC coats are the new additions, which signal the designer’s gradual confidence in creating his own ‘wardrobe essentials’. But aren’t we having too many essentials coming from too many labels? In a way, I felt that the distinctive ‘codes’ of Sies Marjan kind of got lost in this season’s huge offering. I missed Sander’s consistence that made his previous collections so fluent. There were too many layers, making the collection’s core no longer clear. The skyscrapers illustration print popped out of nowhere on a dress; the last few looks in neon yellow and orange were unnecessary, as they disturbed the rest of the collection’s peaceful tone. The diverse casting is a right step, as it demonstrates how a range of people can easily resonate with the brand. But then, going the path of pleasing everybody isn’t a good idea for a brand like Sies Marjan

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Occasion-Wear. Area SS19

September 12, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk dabbed their fashion at Area as ‘occasion-wear’. Evening-wear tends to be too dark and too formal. Day-to-say might fall into the ‘boring’ shelf. Meanwhile ‘occasion’ sounds like lots of joy, no? Spring-summer 2019 line-up was shiny, colourful, full of bliss and charm. Those clothes are for celebration moments, but not only. Why not make every day a reason to dress like you’re off to a dance party on a sci-fi spaceship? The designers behind Area might be asking the same question. “We started thinking: What is important for us in fashion? I think as designers, in design in general, our core value is play. Playing is something so intellectual but also so pure,” Piotrek told Vogue. Indeed, it’s a intellectual, especially when Libuše Niklová is on your mood board. Niklová was a Czech artist and inventor who created the first inflatable toys for children in the ’60s – think cats with long stretched-out bodies, funny crocodiles. How did the designers refer to that quite intriguing persona and her body of work? Inflated metal earrings; big hats; candy-coloured trunk bags made in collaboration with Italian leather heritage house Bertoni 1949. I tell you, not many would tackle an inspiration like this with such fluency and smoothness. But wait, the clothes were equally playful! Festive crystal dress; sheer prairie gown in burgundy; a sleeveless bow top in eye-popping green; metallic bodice dress in pinkish, faux leather. Area clearly says a ‘no no’ to the musty, dusty ‘cocktail dress’, since they’ve got so many brilliant alternatives to, ugh, a bondage dress or this sort of sleazy stuff. Once again, we dress for occasions, big and small – not necessarily just for the cocktails.

Collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Montauk Kids. R13 SS19

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

I was on fence with Chris Leba’s R13 for a while. Until this season. The designer’s spring-summer 2019 felt different from his previous offerings, as it wasn’t plain recycling of apparel trends and grungy styling. The collection told a story, maybe that’s why. And the story was all about Montauk and Chris’ teenage years there, growing up surfing and spending time around the seaside hotel that his mom owned. Montauk used to be wilder then. And that was perfectly captured in the new collection, that had it all: t-shirts that looked as if somebody wore them to the beach for years; loosely fitted blazers and shirts with the cheesy-chic palm-tree prints; tie-dyed sweatshirts in Rasta colours. You might not be into this aesthetic (like me) but we should all agree that this kind of nostalgic and youthful carefreeness of U.S. beach towns takes Leba on the good track. The spirit is authentic. He feels this.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Clothes That Breathe. Eckhaus Latta SS19

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Industrial space in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bushwick. The sound of children’s instrumental performance, played on home-made tambourines and other metalware. One thing’s clear – an Eckhaus Latta show is about to start, which also means a radical leap away from typical, glossy Manhattan presentations. For Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, the runway is like a multi-faceted concept, that doesn’t only focus on clothes. It has to hit the senses, from sounds to visuals, and make you observe, not just stare at another dress. Even the model casting – one of the most diverse throughout the entire fashion month – has a lot to speak about the topics of age, size and skin colour. But don’t get it wrong. The fact that Eckhaus Latta works against the fashion establishment doesn’t mean that the clothes themselves are on the second plan. Somehow, the designers are able to always pull off this artistic edginess, but in a deeply sexual way – I don’t mean the sheer pieces only. Maybe it’s the rawness of those ‘unfinished’ tweed skirts or the oversized creased trousers. Not speaking of the distorted sweaters and the marvellous spider-web dresses made from wool (extraordinary knitwear is becoming Eckhaus Latta’s signature, from season to season). Other than the ‘everyday’ pieces, the designers also offered a few garments that could be easily put next to contemporary artworks in a gallery. The meticulously beaded tops for both women and men had cuts that sharply exposed the body. But Eckhaus Latta’s clothes are not complete without its wearer, that’s why it’s wrong to call them solely ‘art’. It’s the person’s character that make the clothes ‘breathe’ in a way.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

All-Day. Dion Lee SS19

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Who: Dion Lee

Where: From Australia to New York

What: Dion Lee’s netting is the designer’s signature and also a frequent evening-wear choice. But the label is more than that: it’s well-known for strong emphasis on construction, tailoring and experimentation. The designer creates a contemporary wardrobe, that’s blurring the boundaries between ‘feminine’ and ‘minimal’.

SS19: The spring-summer 2019 collection from Lee was a like a dissection of an all-day wardrobe. Distorted trench coats and pastel pink tailoring, which were a take on office-, work-, business-wear gradually switched to evening dresses with lace inserts, sensual cut-outs and playful sheerness. The few pieces in shiny blue and bold orange brought energy to the line-up, creating a smooth transition from the ‘day’ to the ‘night’. There were the easily approachable pieces, like biker shorts and pinstripe suiting ensembles. But for the more daring ones, there are the jacket-dress hybrids with zippers that had a beautiful, fluid-like quality (in a way reminding of Azzedine Alaïa’s mastership). What else felt like an absolute highlight? Of course Dion’s netting. This season it was reimagined thinner and lighter on two dresses and was made of 3-D printed latex. The effect? One word: stunning.