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.

Vintage Chic. Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini Resort’17

June 10, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Philosophy, as a brand, is going through a renaissance with Lorenzo Serafini‘s creative direction. The latest collection for resort 2017 perfectly sums up Serafini and his aesthetic – it’s about a girl, who has a weak spot for vintage, or at least, vintage-looking clothes. The look-book is filled with fringed biker-jackets, French Riviera oozing denim flares and suede overknees. Little, floral mini-dresses are styled with chokers, and the overall style blurs somewhere between Camdem market finds and Siouxsie Sioux’s leather mini skirts. The details, like feather necklaces or studded belts, make Lorenzo’s collection look real and hearty, and real. It seems that Philosophy wearer indeed listens to old Rolling Stones vinyls and dances to Eurythmics. Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini can be freely added to the list of Milan’s newly beloved labels, standing next to No21 or Stella Jean.

Spring Romance. Rosie Assoulin Resort’17

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Rosie Assoulin is always true to her style, and never forgets about that. But it’s wrong to think that she’s resting on her laurels – in fact, season-to-season, her signatures evolve and evolve, becoming even more craved. Staged in Meatpacking District, the presentation of resort 2017 is filled with those “wow, I need it now” thoughts. The designer makes you literally gasp, when you see one of her chiffon mega-flares worn effortlessly with a ruffled, checked top. Statuesque, but with a smile.

Rosie is known for dressing the stylish women of New York, but this season, she goes a bit farther, supposedly to Havana (which has a moment in fashion). Dancing maxi dresses, voluminous skirts and feminine silhouettes ooze with Cuba’s heat, while the joyous colour palette (from toned khaki and mustard yellow to crimson red and aqua blue) makes this collection a perfect transition wardrobe for both, winter months of deliveries, and the spring days, when these clothes will be “theoretically” worn. Not only the colours and shapes made this romantic collection so tempting. With a help of embroidered watermelons, carrots and grapes on an organza frock, Assoulin’s latest look-book is a feast for the eye. And definitely an essential top-lister of the resort shows.