Autumn Fantasy with ASAI

August 27, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

I’m so happy to finally post the collage triptych I’ve done exclusively for ASAI – one of London’s hottest labels. We wanted to convey the autumn-winter 2019’s mood: English country-side, autumn woods, the Oliver Twist kind of look, a very close to nature feeling. The result? A forest fantasy. I felt especially appealed by ASAI’s collection, as it’s all about the magic of autumn dressing I love so much: earthy tones, layering, knits. Perfect for long walks in the nature and (XXL) mushroom-picking. If you want to learn more about the designer and the collection, click here for my review I wrote back in February! Yes, time flies so fast.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

The Look – Zanini AW19

August 23, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

I’m having a major love affair with Marco Zanini‘s debut collection, which is under his own name. This is a collection for all the autumns ahead. If you still haven’t, take a look at Zanini‘s autumn-winter 2019 right here.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Fidan Novruzova, In Her Own Words

August 17, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

The moment I discovered Fidan Novruzova on Instagram, I knew I wanted to do a collage with her works. Fantastically exaggerated. Intriguing. And “how in the world does this skirt float in the air” were my very first thoughts on Novruzova’s garments, which surprise with their distorted proportions and eclectic charm. Keep this label on your radar, as I’m sure we will hear about Fidan more than once in the future. Here, the Central Saint Martins graduate describes her first collection in her own words:

“My collection is inspired by my Azerbaijani family who came from a small town, moving to a big Soviet capital and it’s about their transition from being surrounded by the elements of South Caucasian domesticity to the pragmatism of big city everyday life, alongside being strongly influenced by 1980’s Soviet movies.”

“My starting point was a trip to Baku last Christmas where I rediscovered our family archive and sourced all kinds of memorabilia, collected various objects from thrift shops representing the era I was researching, that included an ill fitted 1980’s stripy office shirt and a skirt suit. After extensive draping I’ve developed all the silhouettes and the stripes on the shirt were transformed into something almost resembling animal prints.”

“The outerwear piece from look 7 was a mix of a cape traditionally worn by local shepherds and a trench coat which is considered a ‘metropolitan’ staple. The concrete buttons with the Azerbaijani motifs were my way of making something as classic as a trench coat more personal and special, portraying symbols such as pomegranate, Maiden Tower (a 12th-century monument in Baku), carpet motifs and so on.”

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Hot Girl Summer. Saks Potts SS20

August 11, 2019August 11, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Saks Potts‘ faux-fur coats in various shades of neon might have stolen Cardi B’s and Rosalia’s heart. But the designers behind the brand aren’t resting on laurels. For spring-summer 2020, Barbara Potts and Catherine Saks introduced a different view on their ready-to-wear, only showing a single brown pleather version of their best-selling ‘Foxy’ coat. Titled “Latina Gala,” their new collection for summer was essentially a bow down to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Mexican-American singer who was tragically killed by her manager in 1995. Expect drama. A rodeo-ready bedazzled white leather minidress with matching cowboy boots and hat worn by local model and Saks Potts muse Emma Leth was the star of the show. If hot girl summer was a fashion collection, then it’s this one from Saks Potts.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Acid Splash. Ganni SS20

August 10, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

To celebrate a decade of wroking for Ganni, Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup presented their spring-summer 2020 collection at the same venue where they debuted – an outdoor playing field. But this wasn’t a “memory lane” kind of show you could have expected. Of course, the designers included Ganni classics, like pretty floral dresses and heavy, faux python boots. But the collection was all about the acid splash colour palette that’s everywhere lately in mainstream, Instagram fashion. Well, that’s not a surprise – Ganni recycles trends over and over again, but sharpens them up in this edgy, Copenhagen-specific way. There were also some evident inspirations taken from Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s brand, which is known for unlikely matchings that somehow become the new normal. If you read me, then you know I’m on fence with Ganni. But this brand should definitely be praised for the way it made Copenhagen fashion week a phenomenon, and for the way it developed throughout the years.