Glory Box. Victoria Beckham AW16

February 15, 2016February 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Victoria Beckham‘s creative vision for her brand seems to evolve – just like her view on femininity. The autumn-winter 2016 collection was all about a very lady-like, yet contemporary woman – meaning a downtown personality in a loosely sculpted midi dress, wearing simple, patent-leather flats. Seems to be trivial – but it looks so effective, when worn with a graceful red lipstick. Also, it feels like Beckham is having a moment with her well-tailored coats. One is masculine and with double buttons, while the second one is all about a baggy, slightly slouchy look. However, both look like the must-have, seasonless statements of the designer’s winter outing. It’s getting better and better with every season, Victoria.

Sultry Punk. Alexander Wang AW16

February 14, 2016February 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Sultry, defiant punk girls walked down the aisles of St. Barts Church in the heart of New York – it’s visible from the first sight that Alexander Wang pushed hard to provoke. But did he achieve his aim? Not really, even though the view of the Byzantine cupola was breath-taking. But lets not lie – in the Instagram age, it’s hard to shock with both, the clothes, and the venue. And if talking of the clothes, it’s visible that Wang again feels his NYC freedom he had before his three-year Balenciaga tenure – the looks ooze with “I don’t give a f***” attitude from every angle. Mohair cardigans and leg-giving mini-skirts smell with teen spirit, but not with Kurt Cobain – it’s more about dressing up as a “punk” girl of Sky Ferreira origins and putting on your Supreme beanie (I nearly thought the designer collaborated with Supreme on these “Strict”, “Tender” and “Girls” slogans). But what really described the Wang-gang girl were the cannabis-motif embroideries on patent white dresses. This felt both kinda youthful and Tumblr. However, I doubt a lot of 17’s and 18’s can afford this “high fashion” stuff.

Self Management. A Détacher AW16

February 13, 2016February 13, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mona Kowalska, the Polish-born designer behind New York’s obsession-casuing label, A Détacher, envisions her woman in her signature, hearty way. Sometimes, the idea behind Kowalska’ collections are deeply rooted in the designer’s mind and seem to be hard to decode. However, A Détacher never disappoints to deliver a great outing of simple, yet beautiful clothes which are made with heart. When I saw the first looks of the collection, I was instantly in an autumnal forest with my head – blame the over-sized knits for that, which look so warm and down-to-earth. Moreover, note the inspiring silhouettes Mona presents for autumn-winter 2016 – the white tops are voluminous in the shoulders, while the cardigans are so XXL that they nearly cover the length of the pants, creating an optical illusion of long, long legs. From one side, the collection plays with effortless, everyday essentials – but from the other side, the result is mind-blowing due to the cool tricks Kowalska shares with her fashion-lovers. Such a pity that she sells only in New York…

Ironic Glamour. Area AW16

February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Area is one of the most exciting, fresh brands coming from New York. The duo of Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk are known for their modern take on vanity with the signature Braille-like pattern, already quite favoured in the city, where everything shines bright. But if talking of a shine, the new collection was all about it – the fluidic silhouettes were dazzling thanks to embellished, fluroscent stones, and the minimal dresses were poshed-up with fur stoles, fur bras and fur jackets. However, the pastel-coloured look-book had a sense of irony, as the season represented neo-glamour with a humorous edge. The young designers behind Area know their codes very well, and they are aware that they need to revisit their creative vision each season to make their fan-base grow – but what really makes this eponymous brand so unqiue is the designer’s not-so-serious attitude towards fashion.

Men’s – Milanese Guys

February 5, 2016January 4, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Photo I took on Via Manzoni in Milan last week.

When women desperately seek a way to look like a Parisian girl, who masters the messy chic of Caroline de Maigret or does the sexy au naturelle look a la Jeanne Damas, then men do their best to be like a Milanese guy. A man from Milan is not obsessed with Versace and Dolce as you might think – the contemporary one (who is usually in his 30s, 40s…) cares about the statement: a unique, fancy detail, which seems to be nearly invisible. Also, this guy rides his Vespa with grace, showing off his perfectly matched socks which are exposed by the cropped pants. Being a Milanese guy is hard – but possible, if you know his three, quite effortless yet so, so dandy tips.

Photo via The Sartorialist

Simone Marchetti is the most stylish guy in the town, and also the best guide if talking of Milan’s tourist-free restaurants on Instagram. He can pull off a chiffon, pastel pink Gucci blouse from Alessandro Michele’s autumn-winter 2015 collection, and still keep a cool, masculine effect (even if the wool sweater is pink, too). Matching his gentle style with classical Levi’s denim pants and furry mocassins, the fashion editor at La Repubblica always nails it, when wearing a piece from his favourite Italian designer or something much more casual.

Photo via A Love is Blind

Stefano Pilati is the designer who kept Saint Laurent extremely chic before Hedi Slimane’s catastrophy; also, he left Zegna just few days ago, in order to “focus on personal projects”. His collections at Zegna envisioned his Milanese style – over-sized, woollen pants and coats are his signatures – and when writing “over-sized”, I mean Stefano’s elegant play with silhouettes. Moreover, Pilati wears the symbol of every well-dressed Milan-raised man from Milan – the neck scarf, non-chalantly tied aorund the neck. The outfit above is a total favourite of mine.

Photo via The Sartorialist

Alessandro Squarzi is a Milan-based fashion entrepreneur and street-style regular, who has a carefree approach to dressing. Squarzi is a fan of Italian’s finest Neapolitan tailoring – but at the same time, he loves the comfort of Converse trainers and t-shirts. In the look above, he looks more than great in an edgy, checked blazer and vintage boots.