Rough and Sweet. Marques Almeida SS18

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Roughness and sweetness collide in today’s femininity, and that was quite clearly shown in Marques Almeida spring-summer 2018 collection. The designers were intrigued in womanhood and its many faces, that’s why their show embraced many personalities. Dolly Parton’s song were on the soundtrack, so no wonder why Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida focused on the all-American classic: denim. From re-invented Texan Tuxedos to torn-up trousers, there were many options to choose from. Dolly Parton is woman to love and respect for many reasons. So did the designers think of Joan of Arc. The metallic gilets (worn over pink smocks) and armour-like total-looks were the main, smartly played nods to her powerful appearance that definitely fell into the first camp – roughness. But if you really think of a 2017 woman, the extra-large shoulder bags are here to support on daily-basis. Nicely covered in floral jacquard, they are both practical and pretty.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Chavs and Checks. Burberry AW17

September 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

There’s a new, very common tendency in fashion for speeding up the sales. While in the past, that was done by launching a new perfume, today, it’s making the clothes feel Vetements (with some smaller or bigger alternations). In case of Burberry, Christopher Bailey‘s strategy was to pin-up that popularly over-sized, ‘I don’t care how I look’ style to the brand’s biggest heritage – the Burberry check – that lately wasn’t a top-seller. The bootleg power has its impact, after all, and as the current consumer fancies looking cheap, that’s a very, very good shot.

Following the successful recipe of many brands, Bailey invited the ‘cool pack’ to collaborate in the new season. So we’ve got Gosha Rubchinskiy, who has already presented a glimpse of the Burberry collab in his recent menswear collection that took place last June in Saint Petersburg. The Russian photographer, known for capturing the post-Soviet skate youth and rave scene, also contributed to Burberry’s photography exhibition, ‘Here We Are‘, curated by Alasdair McLellan. But back to the clothes: not that the overall collection was bad. Quite opposite – it was one of the best Burberry collections in a while. Lots of heavy knitwear worn over sheer dresses (lovely, rustical mood of Scottish highlands); PVC jackets in pastel pink; and of course, checks covering everything from coats to the ‘chav’ inspired caps. The effect? Sure, I took out my well-forgotten, beige scarf for a walk. Looked at it with a ‘fresh’ eye. But if taking a closer look at that Gosha-coolness of this collection, Burberry’s new-season directions says as follows: ‘desperate’.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Singular. Gareth Pugh SS18

September 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Gareth Pugh‘s spring-summer 2018 look-book (the designer has ditched the runway to focus on fashion, not the frame around it) is one of those incredible, but underrated collections, which you’ve got to digest after seeing first. It was a literal explosion of forms and silhouettes, whether we’re speaking of the red column gowns or cage-like armours that resembled a surreal, outer-skeleton. It’s a season of colour, but none of the designers used red in such a furious way. Those red-splattered garments (they hardly can be called regular ‘clothes’) were as equally dynamic as the fire print that covered the dresses. My favourite part of this collection is definitely the crinkled, metallic story. The effect? As if Gareth dripped the body in liquid gold and let it dry. Or simply packed it in shiny wrapping paper. But of course it was much more complex than that! The collection itself isn’t everything that Pugh has in offer this season. Together with the visionary photographer, Nick Knight, the designer directed a thrilling visual that could easily be called a very hi-tech horror with emphasis put on jaw-dripping clothing. Note, it’s very NSFW.

Collages by Edward Kanarecki.

Blush. Simone Rocha SS18

September 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

“I had these china dolls with Victoriana dresses when I was little. I used to send them down the bannisters at home, so they ended up with cracked faces,” Simona Rocha told the press after her spring-summer 2018 fashion show. “But I kept them, and now they’re coming out again for my daughter to play with. I loved unpacking them and looking at their dresses, and the tiny boots and everything.” Rocha’s daughter, Valentine, and motherhood in general, bring a lot of joy and fantasy to the designer’s work lately. The new collection was innocent, playful and naïve – and nearly kept in virginal all-white. Red dolls were embroidered on white poplin dresses and over-sized shirts, while hand-painted flowers decorated the ball-skirts and coats. Little-lady pearls were the key element of the collection, neatly used as the main material for jewellery and embellishments. Although all of the models had girlie blushes and were kinda sweet and adorable, that wasn’t a tale of high-fashion Lolita, as the collection had some more grown-up moments. Elongated bias-cut dresses in funeral black looked serious – was that a glimpse at an alternative wardrobe of Mrs. Haze, the mother of Nabokov’a naughty heroine?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Girls Wanna Have Fun. Molly Goddard SS18

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s a season of happiness, that’s a sure thing, and you may like it or not. Molly Goddard, who’s devoted to ‘happiness’ since her London fashion week debut, is fully in the game. Edie Campbell with a glass of champagne in one hand and an e-cigarette in the other was the first sign that it’s gonna be fun. The models were spiralling and dancing down the runway, not walking. Well, who wouldn’t want to loose themselves to dance in one of Goddard’s signature tulle dresses? To a surprise of many, though, tulle wasn’t the season’s hero for Molly. And it’s great to see that the designer can pull off a brilliant collection, while emerging into new fields. Smocking jackets; modern day dame ball-gowns; layers of shiny embroidery over frocks; heavy boots worn with the lightest pieces. Those ‘ladies’ have balls. They might go to a Prince Charming’s palace and leave for a pub with pals (maybe Chavs, even?). Erin O’Connor, who closed the show wearing a loosely-fitted skirt underneath a dress, was yet another sign: British fashion, today’s or yesterday’s, adores Goddard and her girl.