Humanly. JW Anderson SS18

September 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Big changes were foreshadowed at J.W. Anderson‘s spring-summer 2018 collection minutes before the show kicked-off. No claustrophobic corridor venue, but a circular runway with an art installation in the heart of it. The clothes’ aesthetic was far different, too. Criss-cross bungee cord and textured linens gave the collection a… leisure-y attitude. Wait, leisure at J.W. Anderson, where it’s always about the explosion of off-beat references, complexity and radiant colours? Yes, that’s happening. Kitchen implements on the catwalk and tablecloth-inspired homespun textiles with the brand’s logo – that was Jonathan Anderson‘s appreciation of ‘at home’ feeling, where everything is intimate and close to your comfort zone. Quite unexpected from a designer, who is known for twisting, collaging and reshaping ideas of fashion, always in a hurry. Just like in case of his last, very laid-back fashion show for men that we’ve seen at Pitti Uomo, Anderson takes a break and wants to clear his (and yours) busy mindset. “Media makes us hysterical. We have to go back to what we know to be humanly grounded,” the designer noted backstage of his show. If you’re still unsure or uneasy with realising Anderson’s new, ‘domesticated’ direction, the Hessian-topped espadrille boots that bottomed nearly every look will get you grounded for summers to come. Or the loose mint-green dress. To my own surprise, I’m really seeing Anderson’s clothes somewhere on a beach or in a well-kept garden of a, let’s say, art-curator (who simply needs to chill sometimes, too).

Collage by Edward Kanarecki

Glam is Not Dead! Marc Jacobs SS18

September 14, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Glam isn’t dead! And nothing proves that better than Marc Jacobs‘ enchanting spring-summer 2018 collection, the delicious finale of New York fashion week. It was, as Alexander Fury ecstatically wrote on Instagram, stupendous, stupefyingly brilliant, the Yves Saint Laurent haute couture at the gym moment, so up meets down. This can’t be stated in any other way. That was a fabulous explosion of colour, embroidery, prints. And, it was presented with unbelievable modesty – no venue decorations, no music. Just the clothes, the most diverse cast of models, and Jacobs’ affection for fashion. From voluminous coats to evening gowns, from wrapped turbans to fluffy sandals, from mega polka-dots to childish daisies – it’s a rhapsody. If the rumour has it that Marc Jacobs is thinking of leaving his company – and I can’t believe what would Marc Jacobs be without Marc – then he’s really showing a middle finger to corpo-stats of ‘what sells, what doesn’t’ with that collection.

P.s. Days before New York fashion week, I was wondering what will the main subject – fashion – be like among the local designers. Will the political climate have the same, dark effect as last season? With bold collections from such names as Tom Ford, Calvin Klein and Marc, of course, New York’s fashion scene bares it all and says ‘you won’t break us’. Fashion is a happy place, after all, and lets just lose ourselves to it.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Spontaneity. Maryam Nassir Zadeh SS18

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Spontaneity has various meanings for Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and this season especially. The fashion show, with a running track as a venue, was in fact open for public and anyone could literally run the runway. The models (Zadeh’s friends-you-want-to-be-friends with like Ana Kras, Susan Cianciolo, Camilla Deterre and Mari Giudicelli) and their looks also had a sense of arty co-incidence. The signature ‘odd elegance’, as Maryam often defines, is about mixing and layering the most unexpected colour combinations and un-matchy pieces. A baby-pink dress in vichy print was transparent and neatly presented the label’s swimwear; buttoned corset was worn over another summer-y dress, but in cool mint-green; sweet polka-dots on a crop-top met with knee-length pants in beige. In case of the third outfit, I have never thought that a combo like this can be pulled off with such grace. Again, I’m obsessed with MNZ’s colour palette, because it’s so free of conventions and rules. Just like Solange, whose life performance – you see, not everything is SO spontaneous – gave audience the chills.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Precious Cameo. Rosie Assoulin SS18

September 13, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

If you think of New York fashion week in terms of recognizable style signatures, then Rosie Assoulin‘s remarkable dresses count as a separate, one-of-a-kind category. Her eveningwear (and daring daywear) is all about the most flattering silhouettes and charming details that you really have to observe first in order to understand their intimate beauty. This time around, Assoulin’s little, tiny detailing was even more precious than usual. It was all about the cameo carvings that is used in classical jewellery. That reoccurring theme was presented in form of prints developed from antique cameo carvings; what’s more, genuine, hand-sorted cameos were used as buttons for the sleeves and gowns. The delicately ruffled dress in pistachio green, covered in the delightful cameo motif, is my ultimate favourite. Again, you have to be observant to note another detail: the sea-shells, that were beautifully placed on the label’s must-have baskets and handbags, made you wonder how nice would it be to take them to the beach next summer. One should admit that this season started with a splash of bold colours, coming from many big names and up-and-coming designers, but Assoulin doesn’t follow the trends – colours (note that juicy red or the deep shade of purple) are always warmly welcomed in her well-edited collections.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Sensual Kink. Helmut Lang SS18

September 12, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

It would be just dumb to try to sum up Helmut Lang in a few words. His massive, creative legacy flows in nearly every second designer’s blood today, from the reoccurring notion of ‘urban minimalism’ to growing tendency of inviting various models and nodels to walk in fashion shows. Let just say one of the biggest Lang-isms revived in Shayne Oliver‘s debut collection at the brand (whose editor-in-residence is Isabella Burley) was sensuality, or rather its much, much filthier side. If you look back at Helmut’s collection from the 90s and early 2000s, you will note that the visionary designer enjoyed playing with transparency and made the hardest-in-use fabrics look refined on the body. For Oliver, sensuality is something much more, hmm, aggressive. It’s kinky. It’s BDSM-inspired, with lots of untamed nudity and boldness. There were lots of irregularly fitted bras, lots of leather and lots of New York-favoured trashiness to it. Actually, the collection had a lot to do with Shayne’s currently under hiatus Hood By Air brand that used to be tagged as the most ‘disruptive’ brand of the New York fashion week’s calendar. Sexuality is a big word this season, and while designers think of it in more subtle and natural ways, Oliver is undoubtedly going very ‘badass’ with it. It’s good that the designer isn’t digging to hard in Lang’s archives. But I’m not absolutely persuaded that the capital letter HELMUT written all over the t-shirts and coats is what the founder thought of. Helmut kept the mood bit more calmer, sans caps-lock. Nevertheless, that was definitely the most anticipated collection this time around in the Big Apple.