Joan D’Arc. Givenchy SS15

October 3, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Well. Riccardo Tisci AGAIN comes back to his roots, where he was all about stripes and graphical prints. And the harsh sexuality. I hoped this will never come back… but it did. The summer collection, which is totally not for summer, is all about leather, Jesus, heavy metal and, as Riccardo said, Joan d’Arc. Maybe there was something about Joan d’Arc in this collection… the provocation? The over-use of crosses and Christian symbols? I think this Madonna-ish trend died together with punk. The collection felt so, so weak, even dough the embroideries are certainly breath-taking. The collection didn’t introduce nothing new- it made woman look over-sexy and over-bossy. The last few seasons were pretty good, but this broke the timeline. And seeing the Kim and Kanye family ‘like all the time’ during the show looks seriously faux pas. We need a fresh breath, Tisci.

Moody Ruffles. Ellery SS15

October 1, 2014January 5, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Aussie girl, Kym Ellery, does sculptural beauty this time in Paris. The collection is so, so breath-taking. It has so much movement, flair, boldness… the materials used are so gorgeous, that the amazing over-sized ribbons look super effortless and wearable. Ellery always masters best the fun with fabrics- in their Paris-based studio, the real magic happens, making their collection better and better each season. Ellery had two main emphases: creating a lean, attenuated silhouette, and elaborating it with rich textures. The opening look established the theme: a pair of extra-long tweed trousers topped with a mesh undershirt and matching tweed singlet. The singlet had a buoyant flare, but this was a more measured take on the sculptural volumes Ellery has explored in the past. The tailoring was a highlight—lots of great pants—and the shirting, too, done in heavy-duty cottons with a touch of sheen. Ellery also scored with her long, almost monastic tank dresses, which kicked out under the hip. Serene but with a vibrant atmosphere in the air.

American Hustle. Acne SS15

September 30, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Hustle, hustle honey! It’s Acne for SS15, and we’got a big hustler thing going on. Rap gold chains, shiny aviator glasses, 70’s wide trousers and sexy V-necks are just few things that felt super hot. Green, yellow, beige, red… all of that was here, making the collection looking IT. Backstage Johansson said he’s been captivated lately by young people’s affection for and appropriation of luxury goods, the implication in the statement being that the phenomenon isn’t an experience he remembers from his own Swedish youth. But was he endorsing the current situation or poking fun at it? It wasn’t always clear. In the case of a strapless minidress made from a teal green terry cloth towel—spa day!—it seemed like Johansson was taking the piss.

Under The Palm Tree. Isabel Marant SS15

September 28, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

“My girl’s got a city to run,” Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig intones on SBTRKT’s “New Dorp. New York.”, the soundtrack to the Isabel Marant show, and the collection is all about that woman. A city girl in tailored but textural shapes, accented with elements from her travels to Africa and exotic islands. Tailored trousers and pleated, tiered mini skirts mixed with knitted shag coats and fringed tabarts, wrapped and tied at the waist. Maybe that wasn’t the best Isabel Marant collection, but you can’t say it was bad. It was french, and it felt like a good take on beach walk. It was very Parisienne, and at the same time ethnical.

Being Attractive. Balmain SS15

September 27, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mondrian-ish prints. Freeing the nipple. Parisian glamour. Sexy. Olivier Rousteing of Balmain showed a chic and brave collection, making the models look ultra attactive and provocative (if you may say, anything is still provocative in today’s fashion). For a show that was about “pushing the boundaries of sex,” as Rousteing bluntly put it, it didn’t always mean sexy with safe use. The issue, in most cases, was the fabric. As eye-catching as allover crystals can be, they’re hard to slink in—harder still, we imagine, to sit down in. The collection felt not really looking into the future woman, but into the past, where showgirls had their time to shine. However, the sheer tops with bold stripes looked good, but surely not real.