Trashy Sequins. Rodarte AW15

February 19, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mulleavy sisters got trashy for AW15. A lot. Rodarte woman is flirty, sultry and sexy – she loves opulence, wears leather minis and reminds us a Hedi Slimane / Saint Laurent chick. I am a fan of Rodarte since their spicy beginnings – but this collection seems to be a bit… too much? The last looks remind me of dresses, which HAD to be beautiful, but somebody unfortunately overdid themselves and created a pile of sticked up feathers, sequins, glitter and Swarovski cystalised stones. That’s, surely, not my taste. Possibly, Rodarte wanted to make a parody out of kitsch-dressed women – if that was their aim, then they really nailed it. But if their aim was to “create” something fanastic… then sorry, we don’t need that. We’ve got Hedi Slimane who’s doing vulgar chic at YSL. Let the real Rodarte spirit come back.

City Trotter. The Row AW15

February 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Row is always a go-to label. It’s, as I said once, American version of Celine. It’s wearble and feminine. For fall, The Row approaches the customer with babooschka flats, flared trousers, leather robe coats, new “drum” bags and smooth, knitted turtlenecks. All of that sounds like a perfect kit for city trotters, which go to work in the morning and come back home in the evening after a dinner with friends. Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen brought out the old, good signatures that really sold well in the past season – the collection is good, but it lacks a boost the Olsen twins always bring. Of course, it’s a great base of #OOTD inspirations, but it feels a bit like a remix of the biggest The Row best-sellers.

Murder, She Wrote. Thom Bronwe AW15

February 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

If talking of good drama, Thom Browne knows how to amuse the viewer. For AW15 venue, the enfant terrible of New York’s fashion scene presented his extraordinary show in Victoria era seminary, where “doctors” gave life to the patients. Also, the guests had a chance to be present on the funeral of a mafioso – every model was dressed head to toe in black, with veils on their faces. And, no, he said, he did not see the new all-black exhibition at the Met, where his partner, Andrew Bolton, is a curator; he purposely avoided it, so as not to be overly influenced. The sadness brought by Thom Browne in black colour was meaningful – opposite to Alexander Wang’s recent retail-friendly collection, the darkness felt emotional, beautiful and ironic at the same time. Each outfit offered something for the eye – a swingy jacket edged in thick beaver fur worn over a tweed mini and cardigan; an overcoat of black wool bouclé edged all around with frayed silk; warm and sublime wool dresses; coats horsehair fringe, and a jacket in a wool woven to resemble astrakhan and then embroidered with tiny black beads and deep green feathers. The veils were impressive, too – they all told a story.

Thom Browne’s AW15 was a totally different experience than his SS15 – the season before, full of green and flowers, brought cheer. AW15 is utterly different – it’s dull and gloomy. But both of them are ultra-couture if talking of craftsmanship and represent fashion as art. Thom Browne owns that.

Pastel Life. Derek Lam AW15

February 17, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Pastels are always a good choice. In my opinion, Derek Lam is seriously underrated – he is a master of colour combination. He can easily mix unobvious camel with teal or rust with yellow, creating a simple, but interesting look. AW15 is one of the most genius collections Derek showed in his whole career – the way of wearing coats, the “whatever” mood brought by the XXL-sized sweatshirts and pantalons – created a smart and sophisticated collection which allows women to style their clothes however they want to. No big theme is imposed – it’s all about pastel-coloured basics!

Party Girl. Victoria Beckham AW15

February 17, 2015February 17, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Victoria Beckham which you knew during her first years of fashion career and Victoria Beckham that you know now are two, utterly different women. The one in the past wore super high heels and slim cocktail dresses; the one now prefers flats and comfortable, over-sized clothes in which she feels best. Beckham’s AW15 is just the right reflection of how she, herself, feels – easy, feeling happy with her kids and life. Slouchy knits, carrot-shaded midi skirts, wearable boots and cobalt coats are all, as she said, so beautiful, that you can wear them for a very long period of time. Also, Victoria experimented with textures and layers – the last two final looks had long, cut-out skirts which were definitely a new field of discovery for the designer. This collection easily proves, that Victoria Beckham really feels well in her own skin.