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Shanghai. Chloé Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

The problem with resort collections presented in far-fetched destinations apply to nearly all, from Louis Vuitton’s presentation in New York to Saint Laurent’s menswear show in Malibu. The venue is spectacular; the audience is wowed; the clothes are, well, boring and far from amusing. Angelo Flaccavento, Italian fashion critic, grasps this perfectly: “these days, fashion is more about brand experience and storytelling than clothes, which most of the time are not as exciting as their packaging. The past month of traveling shows was a study in showmanship over clothes-making.” Natacha Ramsay-Levi‘s resort 2020 collection for Chloé was presented in Shanghai, specifically at Long Museum (at sunset). It’s clear the Chloé’s management has ambitions to make the brand stand in row with Dior and Prada. But does this match Chloé’s intimacy, so beloved by its clients? The entire event had to be quite an experience, that’s fur sure. However, the idea of a Chloé show in Shanghai, other than marketing, makes no much sense. Of course, the designer had some subtle references to the location. A lover of Chinese cinema, she had compiled backstage dozens of stills from her favorite movies by Jia Zhangke, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Zhang Yimou, Bi Gan and Lou Yi. Another film, Three Times by Hsiao-Hsien, informed Natacha’s decision to explore China’s rich history, drawing on its empirical eras, the Art Deco period, and its contemporary buzz. The designer’s nods to Chinese culture were conveyed in details: the side buttons on a floral dress that evoked a qipao for instance. Tiny embroideries were inspired by traditional Chinese handwork. Yet still, in general, this was one of the weakest collections coming from the designer, which is quite disturbing. It lacked a ‘look’. The clothes, put separately, with no styling, don’t spark much attention. For pre-collections, Chloé is really, really fine with look-books.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki

The Finest. The Row Pre-Fall 2019

| Design & Culture by Ed

The Row‘s pre-fall 2019 release came together with the launch of the brand’s on-line shop. Shortly speaking, the collection is as good as the website and the clothes available there – which of course isn’t a surprise, knowing Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen‘s love for refined. The look-book features the most luxe basics out there, from a cotton poplin shirt to virgin wool pants in the most delightful shade of caramel. Maggie Maurer and Małgosia Bela look stunning in those cashmere turtlenecks, without any make-up or accessories. Browsing through the bags and shoes, you will instantly get why The Row won the CFDA Award for best accessories last week. That’s a lot of The Row news for one post. Need more? When you open the Galerie tab on their website, you’re taken a step further into the Olsen’s universe: here, you can buy items from the sisters’ hand-picked, curated antiques collection – Gustave Serrurier-Bovy’s brass chandelier, a vintage Boucheron ring, Georges Jouve’s vase…

All collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Real Life. Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2019

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lately, all designers want to do clothes for ‘real life’. But it’s Demna Gvasalia who actually started that trend-not-trend, first with Vetements, then with time at Balenciaga. The pre-fall 2019 look-book, that sees models walk with their phones in front of their faces or making calls, is all about Gvasalia’s Balenciaga best-selling classics: sharp tailoring, denim, over-sized volumes and exaggerated logos. It doesn’t excite much, as it feels like a transition from the summer show from last October to the winter collection we’ve seen in March. But it’s a pre-collection after all. And it’s hitting stores at this very moment.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Always On The Go. Givenchy Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

For Givenchy‘s resort 2020, Clare Waight Keller digged into the idea of a wardrobe that’s suited for travelling – from daily commuting to long distance voyages. Or, for people like Clare, who travel from London to Paris on a weekly basis, occasionally do shows in Florence (Pitti Uomo is approaching and Givenchy is this year’s guests), dress celebrities for the Met Gala in New York and check on the brand’s ambassadors in Cannes. That’s a busy schedule, and the wardrobe should be ready for anything. “What I’ve seen so much around me, and with my colleagues and friends, are the challenges of dress today when people travel so much,” she says, then laughs, pointing to one of her Resort images of a girl who has a lanyard phone pouch around her neck and a tote in one hand. “The two-bag situation. That is exactly how my life is!” For women, Waight Keller did faux-fur coats in pink and leopard print, as well as masculine coats with military buttons and sharp shape, a beige jumpsuit perfect for entire week and some really, really gorgeous eveningwear which included intriguing lace work. I somehow missed consistency in all that, but still, it’s a wardrobe of staples, ready for very different occasions. Menswear was stronger in this collection, maybe due to the model casting (that blond hair makes anything look good), maybe because of the Givenchy motorcycle helmet which stole the spotlight. Or, it was all because of this fluidity between sportiness and tailoring. A motocross sweatshirt over a shirt and tie, a green 70s suit styled with sneakers, major outerwear put together with over-sized denim pants. There’s something very Riccardo-Tisci-era Givenchy about it, but done without overhyped prints.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Fun is Key. Thom Browne Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

“When quality is so important, I think you also have to counterbalance that with something that makes it seem not so serious. Fun is key.” This is how, in two sentences, Thom Browne explained the quintessence of his ready-to-wear line, which is presented as pre-collections (the fashion shows in Paris are ready-to-wear too, but on a very different level…). For resort 2020, Browne showed his signatures, like cropped suits (this time in cute, dolphin print) and impeccably tailored coats in a not-just-for-business kind of attitude. It’s a classic Thom Browne collection, cheered up with a gorgeous vinyl rain-coat in yellow and white rubber boots with the brand’s signature tricolour tag.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.