Becoming a Woman

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Guillaume Henry raised Carven, a fellow couture house of the past, into a commercial success. For the past six seasons, he’s at Nina Ricci, another Parisian maison, doing what he’s best at – reviving the spirit of a brand, and making it alive in contemporary times. But first, lets look at the history of Ricci’s legacy. Origing from Turin, Maria Nielli literally became Nina Ricci upon arrival in Paris, when she combined her nickname with her husband’s last name. Her haute couture house was founded in 1932, at 20 Rue de Capucines, complete with the design atelier and salons for client fittings. Her technique, cuts, balance and intriguing use of materials defined the Nina Ricci woman – elegant simplicity.

After years of slight oblivion, the house welcomed extremely talented Olivier Theyskens. However, his designs weren’t that sellable, and the next creative director was named: Peter Copping. His era at Nina Ricci was, well, unremarkable, filled with plain collections of boring clothes (I think the same of his few season tenure at Oscar de la Renta…). And then, Ricci named Guillaume its creative designer, and that was a right choice.

Robe coats made of rich fabrics scent with luxury, and the sequined dresses that are Henry’s signature at Ricci look feminine and powerful. The clothes for autumn-winter 2016 are versatile to a great extend – a pinstripe suit worn with a pastel pink turtleneck can switch with grace from daywear to eveningwear, while the sheer midi-dresses are both assertive and… romantic. Nina Ricci’s recent wardrobe revamp is mature and lady-like, proudly targetting women in their 40s and up – for intellectual, individual personas, who know their style best.

Oh, and take a look at this fluroscent, transparent top – love its edginess, which contrasts with AW16’s elegant chic!

Meet Cristaseya

August 5, 2016March 20, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Crista Seya is a Paris-based, lifestyle brand that’s against the fashion system’s speed and commercialism. Cristina Casini and Keiko Seya, the founders, both have worked for years as stylists for publications like L’Officiel, Numéro and i-D. In 2013, the duo decided to launch their own label with an aim to release “editions”, not collections, of around 15 items – specifically, one edition per six months. No overproduction, no hurry – just a pure, creative process which combines highest quality craftsmanship with a cool French attitude.

“Each edition is the building block for a wardrobe,” says Casini. First edition was all about indigo blue, which came across cashmere knits and over-sized pants. Their latest edition was inspired with ethnic prints of Africa, however don’t expect bold colours – it’s rather about the delicate reference, not the theme of the collection. All of Crista Seya’s editions are available at the designers’ lofty studio in Paris’s Ninth Arrondissement, while stores and customers can pick and choose what they like from previous capsules – whether that’s a blue, masculine shirt, camel poncho or a voluminous sweater from the men’s line. Don’t forget that Crista Seya is a lifestyle brand. In the brand’s selection, you will find ceramic heads created in collaboration with renowned artist, Giacomo Alessi. Coming straight from Sicily, the heads were produced, unsurprisingly, in very limited quantities. Or, there are hand-sculpted combs from Japan that were dried for 30 years, along the traditional techniques. Summing up – Crista Seya defines defiance in today’s fashion industry.

Holland & Holland

July 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

In modern-day times, nearly everything is done with the use of high technology. Sadly, this results in low quality products that aren’t as durable and long-lasting as they used to be in the past. That’s why, brands which thrive to preserve tradition and keep it in harmony with contemporary win my heart. Meet Holland & Holland, a British house found in 1835 with a historical speciality for outdoor apparel, guns and ready-to-get-dirty accessories for the woods. Today, the brand is re-invented by two, fantastic women, Stella Tennant and Isabella Cawdor. The first is a top-model, who regularly closes Chanel shows and stars in high-fashion campaigns; the second worked as a Vogue fashion editor. You can easily say that the duo breathes with fashion; but instead of resting on laurels, they decided to challenge themselves in the role of creative directors for a not-so-glossy brand.

What can you expect from Tennant’s and Cawdor’s take on a heritage brand which values top-notch quality and functionality for the outdoor activities? The menswear codes of Holland & Holland are reflected in masculine silhouettes and the emphasis on classical tweed, however the designers eagerly introduce feminine softness to women’s pieces. Understanding the country life (Stella and Isabella live in Scottish highlands, and they are surrounded by moors since being kids), the newest collection is a versatile wardrobe of knitted goods, shirts, outerwear, tailoring and accessories which can be worn simultaneosly for family hunting, and to the city. Also, Holland & Holland’s refreshed vision considers British, off-kilter style, and a mandatory weather practicality – a must for every Brit. “We’re making quality clothes to deal with the weather and to look good in. It’s very simple,” Tennant says. If talking of spending a chilly day in the forest, layering and camouflage-effect are the key according to Stella – the colours are inspired by the warm colour palette of green landscape. ‘Most of these clothes camouflage brilliantly. What pops out in an urban setting is the houndstooth tweed,’ Cawdor adds. ‘But in the landscape you can’t see it. For hill and moorland, tweed is camouflage.’ Below, see how Tennant wears these beautiful midi-skirts and fox fur collars in the background of Scottish nature.

Holland & Holland, under the wings of Tennant and Cawdor, isn’t only about durable gear for urban and rural life, but “it’s the little details that make things good or not“. The model praises local artisans and fabrics. “For example we have done very classic V-necks, round necks and polo necks, but we spent a lot of time getting the right weight of cashmere, the right density of the knit. The kind of water the wool is washed in affects the yarn (all of the yarns come from mills in Hawick on the banks of the River Teviot). The Italians like a much fluffier knit, but traditionally in Scotland it’s a dryer, cleaner finish. That’s what we like.’ Indeed, the feeling of these hearty clothes is much more rawer – without any additional embroideries, embellishment or catchy prints. It’s just as it is, pure and modern-aristocratic.

More on Holland & Holland website

Christian Wijnants

July 24, 2016July 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Usually, when I discover a designer which I haven’t known earlier, I’m living a one-day obsession with him or her. But with Christian Wijnants, I have a mania which will surely last for longer. With a soft point for Belgian fashion, no wonder why I’ve fallen in love with Wijnants’ unique, lady-like vision. Christian graduated from prestige Royal Academy of Fine Arts (‘Antwerp Six’ rings a bell?), and found his eponymous label back in 2003. As most of Belgian designers, he presents his collections to editors and buyers in Paris, and just a year ago, he opened his first flagship store in Antwerp – the city where his studio is based in. For autumn / winter 2016, Wijnants’ look-book oozes with urban femininity, peculiar colour combinations and bold patterns. A contemporary, style-conscious woman will go for one of those coats, questioning which colour is better – tangerine orange or pastel turquoise. Both look ground-breaking, so the choice isn’t easy. Knitted, olive-green turtlenecks are styled with striped baby-pink skirts, while the fluffy, fur cushion-clutches are this season’s candies out of all other accesories. The puffa jacket (of course in stripes!) is a burning desire, too. Is it a wardrobe of a modern-day dame? She’s an eccentric character, who loves to wear a pair of synthetic-white gloves to brunch!

Men’s – Wedding Guy. Pigalle SS17

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

We’ve seen nearly everything during the three weeks of men’s fashion this month. But if talking of a venue, Pigalle nailed it to the fullest in Paris. Wedding theme is nothing new in fashion, considering bride dresses and all-white haute couture gowns – but a fashion show, presented as a casual wedding? That’s quite uncommon. Stephane Ashpool set his spring-summer 2017 show at the Musée de Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, precisely in its beautiful, old-fashioned garden. Live band music, guests drinking champagne, a dose of Parisian fashion – a wedding you would rather want to come to, without a pretentious ‘nay’. “The first time I got dressed elegantly was for the wedding of my parents when I was seven years old,” wrote Ashpool in the show notes. “I was very touched by the party, the champagne, the outfits, the mood… I had been looking forward to enjoying it as well! In love with an angel, tonight is a celebration of what we all appreciate the most in this world: free love.”

Pigalle’s signatures were present this season, like basketball clothing-infused tailoring, however all in pastel pink, light lilac, and of course, white. Don’t think that a Pigalle guy will wear trainers for a wedding – instead, he might choose pool sliders and Nike trainers, styled with matchy socks. At the end of the show, with models strolling around the garden in their quilted bombers and satin shirts, Pigalle and his girlfriend appeared. They kissed each other, and they stole the spotlight instantly. LOVE.

“This feeling I do my best to feed all the time motivated me to create a collection around the theme of a wedding. More comfortable in the creation and technically, this eleventh collection is an interpretation of how I see my witnesses. I hope to be able to give you a hug after the show, and wish you all a good time.”