style

Farewell, Karl. Chanel AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Chalet Camelia. Winter wonderland. Houndstooth coats and tweed hats. Luxe knits and eternal CC logo. Snowball skirts and Choupette fluffiness. Penelope Cruz, Cara Delevigne, Adesuwa, Maria Carla Boscono, Mica Arganaraz, Kaia Gerber, Anna Ewers, Adut Akech and the Chanel girls. Thousand of tears dropped, from Michel Gaubert’s minute of silence to the model’s finale walk (some couldn’t hold the tears). But you surely know all this.

I doubt Karl Lagerfeld would want his last show to be a fussy, overemotional event. His last show was exactly how he planned it to be: as if it was his next collection for Chanel, another fantasy. “Oh! It’s like walking in a painting!” Farewell to the visionnaire, the most prolific, joyous, assertive and energetic designer the world has known, whether you agree with this or not. But those are facts. What will next seasons look and feel like without him? I’ve got no idea. It seemed like he was always there. On the show’s invitation there was Lagerfeld’s last illustration, captioned: “the beat goes on!“. He wanted it to go on, so let’s all look forward to Virgine Viard’s future for Chanel.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Beautiful Consistence. APC AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

This was a classic A.P.C. presentation, with a few plot twists. Jean Toitou invited two collaborators for autumn-winter 2019 collection: Brain Dead, an Los Angeles–based streetwear brand, and Suzanne Koller, the house’s longtime stylist and Parisian friend. The first created graphic hoodies based on the 1972 documentary, Future Shock, in which Orson Welles, playing narrator, discusses how technology is moving too fast for humans to keep up. Koller, the fashion director of M Le Monde and Self Service, designed the collection’s black wool dress (worn by her currently favourite blond, Maggie Mauer) and an oversize parka that she teamed with a monochrome look in gray: chunky sweater, turtleneck, wool trousers, and leather boots. During his speech, Touitou joked, “Maybe you can guess which pieces are hers.” Knowing her style and work, you could think of Koller right away, even not knowing about A.P.C.’s collab.  A.P.C. values consistence, which seems like the best advise for any brand doing shows in Paris. And their eventual ‘surprises’ make this consistence even more beautiful.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Reality Check. Balenciaga AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

That’s a fact: Demna Gvasalia delivered the best coats (outerwear, even) of the season. Literally every coat that appeared in Balenciaga’s autumn-winter 2019 made me drool! Those volumes. The designer focused on the streets of Paris and how Parisians really dress (forget the Jeanne Damas and Caroline de Maigret archetype of Parisian chic). He thoroughly investigated outfits people wear in their metro commute, to the parties, on a dog walk, for groceries. And here we are with more than 100 looks, featuring faux-fur, floor-sweeping coats in Cristobal Balenciaga-esque architectural silhouettes to vintage-y leather jackets and quilted belted robes in satin. Tailoring was strong, too, just as the dresses. From the polished, sleek mini-dresses that closed the show to flowing, maxi-gowns (like the one Stella Tennant had on, made from some fancy, metallic fringes), each looked was distinctly Gvasalia – sharp, ironic, delightfully confusing. I really loved this one ‘super-nornal’ outfit that featured a black turtleneck, leather slouchy pants and a pink, polka-dot shopper bag. That’s exactly how editors dress in Paris. Again, this collection was extremely Paris, but not in this fashioned-up manner we often get to see. As the designer said backstage, “It’s real. When I’m on the streets of Paris, that’s what I see.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Gathering of the shadows. Comme Des Garçons AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Rei Kawakubo’s autumn-winter 2019 is the second season when the Comme des Garçons designer no longer does abstract bodies. In the collection she entitled as a Gathering of the shadows, you could sense danger: nearly all-black looks, executioner hoods, armor-like shapes, a soundtrack that definitely caused goose-bumps (think heavy, militaristic machinery, helicopters and English Victorian hymn in children voice). Some thought the show was all about defensive aggression and the terror of today’s world. Kawakubo knows what’s going on, with nationalism intensifying across the world. But maybe this wasn’t a line-up that was solely about the occurring circumstances? Rei’s shows are here for your free interpretation. I saw something very sublime about this one. A coat made from slices of leather; a black taffeta dress worn under a shell-like jacket; fishnet body-suits worn under every garment. It was avant-garde, as shocking in 2019 as back in the 80s, when Japanese designers – lead by Kawakubo – arrived to Paris with their Hiroshima chic.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Bourgeois Woman. Celine AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Second season at Celine, and Hedi Slimane doesn’t cease to spark controversy and polarize the viewer: you either love or hate what he’s doing. This review’s going to be a bit different than usual, though. I really want to share a sort of ping-pong chat we’ve had with Jennifer (@readysetfashion), the visual merchandising manager at Blake and fashion magazine / print collector (take a look at her other account, @aparticularissue…), regarding Slimane’s autumn-winter 2019 collection. First, you’ve got to know that the designer took a 180 degree turn from his youthful, Parisian clubbing fashion we’ve had to witness last season (I still hate it!). He went to the maison’s archives and came back with a very literal reference: the 70s Celine, just as it was, suited for French, bourgeois woman. Knee-length, country-checked skirts, shoulder bags with horse-bit details, silk blouses, whiskered jeans, logo-print scarves, long boots… this woman isn’t here for partying. She’s off to Biarritz, Deauville or other ultimately French destination. From one side, it’s a collection filled with classics – classics that will always stay afloat forever. But from another side, it’s just so creatively absent. I’m utterly on fence with it. But back to my and Jen’s conversation. So, here’s how it went…

JEN: The question is does he have the right timing. I don’t see anywhere on the planet women wanting to dress like this today.

ED: I was thinking about this now. Do we really, really need it? Ok, he turned to the archives… but what now? We’re in 2019, not in the 70s after all.

JEN: Exactly. Shop at A.P.C. for cooler version of this look. Also, he can bookmark a decade like a champ. That is why people use Pinterest…

ED: LOVE THE PINTEREST PART! By the way, I had A.P.C. on my mind too. Jean Touitou does this 70s chic for seasons, wait, for decades! But he keeps it affordable and not so fussy.

JEN: I think it’s weird that everyone did an about-face with Hedi at Celine. That’s sort of scary. What does that say about today’s industry?

ED: Maybe that it’s fine to say something critical in the first place, yes. But when you’ve seen enough of it in advertising and are still invited to the show, you just have to be like: “j’adore!” Which is really sad in a way, because it’s always like that, in everything. Or maybe it’s Hedi who secretly manipulates people’s minds? Don’t know…

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.