Men’s – New Take on Crafts. Dries Van Noten SS17

June 28, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Every editor is still highly impressed with Dries Van Noten‘s last season, staged in Palais Garnier opera house. Filled with these jaw-dropping, embellished coats. It’s a rare thing in fashion industry, when a show has such a long-lasting impact and still makes a ‘WOW’ afterwards. I guess that was the top collection of men’s autumn-winter 2016. But, can anybody keep up with such success for longer? Let’s ask each other an honest question – is it possible, to make two, consecutive collections, both just as good as the first one? I really, really doubt. There’s always this “gap” collection, where the genius seems to reflect and save creative energy for the next season.

Spring-summer 2017 wasn’t a ground-breaking moment for Dries’ career, and I’m pretty sure he agrees with that. But this doesn’t mean the collection was bad – oh, no. It surely scored a place on the podium of season’s best, with his “new take on arts and crafts“. While designing the collection, Van Noten wanted to take a rest from embroideries and his old, good colour palettes, searching for inspiration in fabric art and textile artists who were present in the 60s and 70s. The effect? A wide variety of texture and textiles, visible in amazingly great pieces. Silk print coats and jackets were patched together from Enlightment-era botanicals, while arty sweaters looked raw and dilapidated thanks to lovely, yarn finishings. The camouflage print in khaki appeared multiple times, contrasting with peacefully light trench coats and pants. The designer didn’t rest on his laurels, that’s for sure. And the anticipation for the next collection, coming in six month, is already reaching the peak point.

My Style Profile, Farfetch!

June 26, 2016June 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Design & Culture by Ed, as a blog, focuses on fashion – both in design and cultural terms. I’m fascinated with the way the fashion industry works, and I love observing how designers evolve their aesthetics and style. That’s why, I put emphasis on fashion show reports and various fashion features. My blog differs from others, because I’m not posting photos of my outfits on daily basis – I always consider this what’s happening in fashion world much more gripping! But there are exceptions! For Farfetch, the only on-line store, which gives you the experience of shopping high-fashion brands from most luxurious boutiques in the world, it’s a pleasure to open up with my personal style. Along an interview (which will tell you more about me and my love for fashion), and few of my favourite outfits, I will also present you my Farfetch wish-lists! Go for it, and scroll down!

‘EVERYDAY ME’ – 1. Christopher Kane car crash print t-shirt 2. Rick Owens cropped drop crotch trousers 3. Thom Browne zipped flat cluctch 4. No21 detail front zip sandals

How would you describe your style? My style is first of all about comfort – before I wear something, I need to be sure that I feel comfortable in a given piece! I love to call my style eclectic, mixing sporty with elegant, modern with vintage. My style isn’t categorised, because it’s all about me, and my current mood.

What is your wardrobe’s most seasonless item? I think it’s my dad’s beige, cashmere sweater by Loro Piana – it’s warm in the winter, and I take it with me for every summer vacation, as it’s a perfect choice for breezy, sea evenings.

When in doubt, what are your go-to pieces? What always looks good, and matches nearly every occasion, is a turtleneck worn with black pants. For summer, I’m sure my Birkenstocks will keep me comfortable the whole day – love to wear them with a bold t-shirt and shorts!

Who do you count as your style inspiration? Nick Wooster, and his great styling for everyday essentials; Marchetti Simone, he has this romantic, Italian spark for fashion; Haider Ackermann for his masterful layering skills.

‘FRIDAY’ – 1. Dsquared2 zip detail bomber jacket 2. Y/Project paneled ‘Kangaroo’ t-shirt 3. Byredo ‘Bibliotheque’ scented candle 4. Maison Margiela contrast cuff jeans

How long have you been blogging? Is writing a blog influencing your style? I started my blog back in 2012, and throughout these four years, a lot has changed in fashion. So, naturally, writing a blog influences my style constantly. Even though I’m not a trend-victim, I believe we’re all somehow influenced by the way fashion tendencies change!

Who are your favourite designers / brands? Phoebe Philo… love the way she designs fashion for women, sadly she doesn’t do Céline for men! Again, Haider Ackermann, I consider his collection as rebellious and beautiful. Also, I have a soft point for Yohji Yamamoto’s sophistication and No21 Italian cool.

‘EDGY ELEGANCE’ – 1. Y/Project turtleneck sweater 2. Haider Ackermann toe cap detail boots 3. Haider Ackermann intarsia knit socks 4. Givenchy pleated shorts

Have any must-haves on your radar for the upcoming, autumn-winter 2016 season? I’m looking forward to denim, denim and once more, denim. A denim jacket with embroideries is my dream of the season. Also, I’m into over-sized puffa jackets and exaggerated, big knits!

What do you enjoy most about being a blogger? Discovering new people, interacting with my very supportive readers both on my blog and on social media, and receiving all the interesting proposals! Collaborating – this is what I deeply love, being a fashion blogger.

In your opinion, what are the ‘fashion’ cities? I’ve got three. First, Paris. It’s all about chic and decadence, but also, Parisians are inspiring. They seem to get it always right, effortlessly. Then, it’s Berlin – I love this contemporary, quite edgy aesthetics that’s ruling there. Lastly, Milan is a ‘fashion’ city to me, because Italians love fashion, love shopping and love life!

‘PARISIENNE’ – 1. Maison Kitsune ‘Parisien’ print t-shirt 2. Yohji Yamamoto printed cropped pants 3. Saint Laurent shopper tote 4. Marni neoprene hi-top sneakers

Where do you enjoy shopping? Before travelling, I usually try to find all the hottest boutiques and concept stores in the city I’m heading to. So, most of my buys come from abroad! But this doesn’t mean I’m not buying anything back at home. I’ve got some of my favourite boutiques in Poland. And, of course, I’m buying on-line… also at home, on my sofa!

Why do you love Farfetch? For its unique concept. Combining more than 400 boutiques from around the world and put them all into one address? How genius is that? I appreciate Farfetch’ selection, too – from famous brands, like Givenchy, to more off-beat ones, like Gosha Rubchinskiy, there’s literally everything a fashion insider needs.

All items featured in today’s post can be found on Farfetch.com – the go-to fashion destination. Be sure to check out New In pieces & create wishlists of your own!

Men’s – That’s Youth. Haider Ackermann SS17

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

If you’re reading my blog for a while, then you know that I’m in eternal love relationship with Haider Ackermann‘s style and clothes. Loving Ackermann means loving his fashion – it’s not about an one-season affair. His collections reflect his mood, and the surrounding attitude that fascinates him. “I have this gang of young kids around me. And they are full-on. And I wanted to capture their energy. They are just kids who want to dance and party and be happy. They don’t have the heaviness of the world.” With this statement in mind, it’s visible that youthful spirit oozes in these over-sized pyjama shirts, leather tight pants and electrically colourful bombers. Youth presented by Haider isn’t fake – it’s distinctly Parisian, slightly bourgeoisie, but inexplicably beautiful. Well-travelled, boys’ wardrobe borders with orient (supposedly, inspired with Bhutan, a place he travelled to with his close friends, Tilda Swinton and Waris Ahluwalia), taking tips from monks’ robe silhouettes. But what truly made this collection a highlight, was the colour palette. It reminds me of Ackermann’s spring-summer 2016 outing for women, in a way, with shades of acidic yellow and pastel pink. This season, the designer also welcomed a spectrum of blue – from aquamarine to indigo, it’s a true pleasure for the eye to observe how these clothes “radiate”. Although there aren’t many looks for women here, it’s impossible not to mention Mica Arganaraz’ appearance in a pleated, black maxi dress, crossed with a belt. Simple, but still, many designers dream to pull off such a dress as masterfully as Haider. You need to be born with it, right?

Men’s – Velcro is Cool. Marni SS17

June 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

A Marni woman has her signature – she’s extremely edgy, all in her fancy, bold prints. But a Marni man is quite unclassified, and Consuelo Castiglioni understood that well. The lesson was learnt, good for her, and a much-above-the-average effect is here: spring-summer 2017 season at Marni is unexpectedly the best menswear collection to date, with a soft point for both, normality and eccentricity. You want to be this guy, really – he’s this skinny, good-hearted soul, with his hair brushed back nonchalantly; there are high chances you will spot him at Fondazione Prada, being in awe of Louise Bourgeois’ haunting sculptures, or see him in a park, reading a book. However, don’t think he’s like a Gucci man – oh no. This boy is into functionality, blurring his style somewhere between utility and playfulness.

Although at a first glance, most of his wardrobe seem to be pretty formal, there are a lot of surprising twists. Under an over-sized, beige cocoon coat, there’s a cheerfully printed blouson with an orange collar. The pants from this show are on everybody’s lips in Milan, even though we’re already after Prada’s nomad backpacks. Tailoring was sliced open in back and re-fastened with Velcro panels. Banal, isn’t it? But to an extend, Velcro fasteners seem to be unexplored in the world of high fashion, and only Marni could nail them. Consuelo re-sees boring clothes, and makes them as fun as children’s gadgets. A poplin shirt becomes cool a casual offer, rather than an office choice, thanks to additional volume in the shoulders. Meanwhile, footwear is too good to be true – and as you all well know, I’m a sucker for sandals, and Marni has some new, exciting silhouettes I would love to have… Bravo, Consuelo, for making your Marni boy relevant and, well, a life-goal!

Men’s – Robert Mapplethorpe. Raf Simons SS17

June 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s the first time in a while, when Pitti Uomo feels exciting. This season, the fashion editors and buyers have seen Gosha Rubchinskiy take on Italian culture; the same day, Raf Simons presented one of his most defining collections in his career. The standing fashion show for spring-summer 2017 was a special occasion – it was a nod to Robert Mapplethorpe, a controvertial American, who was known for his unconventional black-and-white photography. During his lifetime, the photographer shot such extraordinary characters as Patti Smith or Andy Warhol, but also, he was famous for his highly BDSM polaroids, flower still-lives (often compared to erect phallus) and nudes of female wrestlers.

The photographer, who began the cult of erotic photography in the 70s, was the main, well-visible and fully acknowledged reference point for Raf this season. Rather than simply putting famous Mapplethorpe photographs as prints on tops, Simons challenged himself to make his inspiration something much more profound. “Every boy is a representation of a piece of work” – this is how the designer described the models, with dark, curly hair and skinny black pants. Some looked like the original characters taken out of Mapplethorpe’s polaroids, wearing leather biker caps and voluminous, white shirts. Oh yes, the shirts. The over-sized silhouettes reassembled white walls of a gallery, perfectly exposing these defiant and somewhat deviant visuals. Debbie Harry, with a stern face, looked at you from under a cropped V-neck sweater; a penis photo on a striped t-shirt wasn’t a surprise, keeping in mind Robert’s late obsessions. Wherever you turned, you could sense respect for the photographer, coming from Raf’s heart. The focus was on the clothes – the images weren’t shouting, leaving space for the pieces to speak for themselves. It’s not a one-season-only type of collaboration between an artist (specifically, Mapplethorpe Foundation) and a fashion designer. It’s a collection, where everything is about the rebellious attitude, with a very clear, labelled reference. Other designers should take a note from Simons on how to name their inspirations, in order not to become accidental copycats.