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 – Time Elapse. Raf Simons SS16

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

The message behind Raf Simons‘ SS16 is quite melancholic, but so, so true – everything passes away as time goes by. In this collection, Raf presented the difference in fashion that ruled at the times of his grandpa, and at the time of today’s youth – knitted polos versus hoodies, fancy coats contrasting with whie sneakers. But in reality, the hoods were the biggest clue, giving the models and the show venue an eerie atmosphere. Half of the models walked with heads wrapped in checked textile (vision obscured to the point where at least a couple of them pitched off the raised catwalk). Hoodies have become a contemporary emblem of teenager, but Simons made his hoods medieval in shape. Monastic. And that automatically created a connection between the brotherhood of a medieval monastery and the brotherhood of a 21st-century gang of boys. Also, I feel like this collection wanted to represent the topic of martyrs, which was briefly moved by the chains carried by the models which staggered through the runway. But this mystery can be revealed only by the designer.

Men’s – Gender Fuse. Raf Simons AW15

January 24, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Raf Simons is one of those Belgian designers, that always surprise. And, again, I must admit – Raf is much better at his own label than at Dior. Here he can really experiment, have fun. “Youth on a pedestal.” That was Simons explanation of the staging of his show tonight, with its catwalk raised high above the crowd. The models wore almost-floor-length coats, gilets, that could be really analised by the editors.”I wish there could be 10,000 people here tonight,” Simons said of the warehouse on the outskirts of Paris where he staged his show. “A gathering of people, the way it was in the beginning.” After seeing this collection, I thought of first Helmut Lang collections, and Raf Simons archives. This collection, thanks to it’s gender fusing silhouettes, wild doodles placed on the coats, yellow golfs and crotchets, felt so different. Nostalgic. Youthful. Definitely that’s what Raf wanted to produce this season.

LFW: Get The London Look

September 15, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

Slide1-kopia Sister by Sibling- this youthful and cool collection by London based Sibling for women is just right for Summer- lots of exposed body, swimming wear and colours were seen in this great collection. I really loved this shade of violet that was present her- so refreshing! Blooming flowers for sure inspired the designers of this label- the last looks looked like flower bombs. There is also this part about transparent nets… perfect for a beach party spent in a sexy way! Preen- I really liked this fluo-scentic collection- the flower prints, geometric cuts on dresses and the cool, flowless vibe is simply very Preen. Well, this dress with collar and flowers feels a bit deja vu from last Summer, but who cares- these are the flowers of the season. This plastic-like neon pink dress is fabulous- and these skirts are lovely. It’s all cute but with distance!
Richard Nicoll- Richard’s SS14 collection felt a bit too last season- stripes and geometry aren’t on A list. I expected something better from Nicoll- his last collections were reallu cool with their minimalistic vibes. Well, I can’t say the collection is bad. No it is not, but could be a bit more different. It’s chic, but not for London’s creativity. However, it’s for sure very comfortable and practical… House of Holland- I love this! It is so Frida Kahlo! The collection from Henry Holland is inpired with Mexico- that’s visible- all these colours, prints, again colours- are really cool. I am certainly in love with the religious t-shirt and purple dresses with heart prints- so romantic. The tank tops and blouses from the collection would be perfect for a small Mexican trip… thumbs up for this fantastic collection!

Biarritz: My Favourite Spots

June 27, 2013August 30, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Biarritz, on the coastline of the Biscay Bay, maybe isn’t too famous, but it has it’s own specific “style” that is very different from Paris and another French cities. Here, there are two really amazing boutiques that just can’t be passed unseen! It’s IN THE MIDDLE and LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES! Both got rare and super trendy labels like Stussy, and have a selection of most cool pieces!

In IN THE MIDDLE I bought this amazing floral logo Stussy t-shirt from -20% Sale (that happens only in France…) and I am very happy because it was last one in M! Stussy is a fresh label from New York, very vintage styled, thats usually worn with the Pyrex Vision thing. The shop- my personal Must Visit in Biarritz. Great shoes, American and Parisian labels, caps and sunglasses. All in pretty low prices but super chic! And I nearly bought that Levi’s denim jacket with the cat on back… Maybe? Really, I recomend this place to every fashionista!

LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES is a off duty shop with unknown labels of unknown designer with very clear and strong meanings! The t-shirts here are full of colours and great prints, plus you can try out all of these thousands rings, necklace, earrings, broches, bags, everything and other. Indeed, the jewelery is very kitsch and a bit enfantile… This boutique is full of youth spirit and fun!