Mon, September 19 2016 » Fashion Blog
Mon, September 19 2016 » Fashion Blog
GARETH PUGH SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – LONDON FASHION WEEK
It’s an audacious play for any designer: a full length opera and a runway show scheduled to debut over two cities within 24 hours. For Gareth Pugh, a designer known for an intense creative method and obsessive attention to detail, it’s an unequivocal expression of confidence and determination.
Eliogabalo – written by Francesco Cavalli in 1667 for the Venice Carnival – opened last night at the Palais Garnier in Paris, with over sixty costumes created by the designer. Based on the life of the eponymous anti-hero, it’s the story of a child emperor in imperial Rome, an obscene tyrant and self proclaimed sun god – a narrative that struck Pugh as oddly prescient:
“He’s an agent of chaos, a crowned anarchist, emerging amid a climate of greed and narcissism. It’s essentially about an empire eating itself – which felt alarmingly relevant. I knew that this was where we had to start this season, reframing those themes against a contemporary backdrop. And then, above it all, a single recurring motif: the totemic symbol of the sun. In one way the sun is a symbol of creation and warmth – an explosion of power and life – but it can also represent tyrannical power and destruction. So I wanted to explore that duality, to show two sides of the same coin, but for grace to triumph over nature.”
That this evening’s show opens with a black sun – a hole, a void – is in part a reference to the impotent fury of Francis Bacon’s Pope Innocent X, his gaping mouth described by the designer as “the ultimate symbol of insatiable hunger and consumption,” his ecclesiastical vestments largely responsible for the shock of purple that surfaces elsewhere in the collection.
This opening look clearly plays to the performative aspect of power, which is a theme that runs throughout the entire first movement, most pointedly via a series of garments seemingly decorated in a form of gold bullion. Look closer and what first appears as an opulent display of wealth is in fact a mosaic design based upon the chaos symbol.
As the story unfolds, this gilded rigour is shattered – quite literally – as regal silhouettes gradually give way to a relaxed earthy ease, and a cast of square-shouldered bureaucrats are overrun by a shit-kicking phalanx, draped in solar strobe.
Signifying a return to the source, the sunburst motif – intended by Pugh to represent fertility, mysticism and a sense of renewal – is, in the designer’s own words, “a ray of light emerging from the darkness.”
Sun, September 18 2016 » Fashion Blog
HOUSE OF HOLLAND SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – LONDON FASHION WEEK
FREE TO ROAM
A chaotic sense of freedom.
Josef Koudelka’s photography of 1960s and 1970s Gypsy communities from the Eastern Bloc.
Noa Eshkol patchwork art.
Frills, flounce, florals and flare.
Embroidered netting negligee, punchy gingham shirting and graphic sequin embellishment.
Sun, September 18 2016 » Fashion Blog
RALPH LAUREN SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
Ralph Lauren Presents The September Collection
The Ralph Lauren September Collection, presented in a first-of-its-kind fashion experience, embraces the elegant heritage of Ralph Lauren’s design aesthetic and takes it in a special and unexpected direction as the runway is reinvented.
In celebration of the company’s first runway-to-retail fashion show, Ralph Lauren creates an especially sophisticated and modern collection that offers hints of playfulness in its use of embellishment, color, pattern and silhouette.
“I have always been inspired by the rugged beauty and romance of the American West. The September Collection is imbued with that spirit, but reinterpreted in a modern glamorous way for the woman whose style is both personal and luxurious,” said Ralph Lauren.
Intricate feminine elements imbue a natural elegance and distinctive style, from jet-black beading and leather macramé to petal appliques. A unique contrast emerges with clean, architectural shapes in rich, flowing fabrics.
A western-style belt, a timeless signature of Ralph Lauren, is the starting point of inspiration, as it offers incredible detail and craftsmanship but also a unique opportunity to twist an iconic item into something new that’s exciting, chic and urban.
The same has been done with other classically western elements, including embroidery, southwestern blanket and beacon patterns, distressed leather, fringed suede and well-worn studs.
Ralph Lauren’s legendary ease and elegance are effortlessly and luxuriously reimagined in updated interpretations of iconic silhouettes such as the serape, poncho ranch coat and leather jacket.
The September Collection is available now at global flagship Ralph Lauren stores, top retail partners and RalphLauren.com.
Fri, September 16 2016 » Fashion Blog
TORY BURCH SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
“East Coast meets West Coast. For Spring/Summer 2017, we begin out East, hostess chic to cool prep. From there, we continue to the free-spirited beach towns of the West Coast. It’s about contrast: graphic motifs and engineered prints, rope and rickrack, pearls and macramé, mules and moccasins, structured and bohemian ease. Relaxed and effortless…quintessential American style.” — Tory Burch
Silhouettes: Structured tailoring—empire waists, wide-legged sailor pants and tomboy blazers—softens as the collection moves West with breezy dresses, peasant blouses and board shorts. Voluminous hostess skirts with sweeping hemlines are paired with crop tops that play on proportion while tunics and caftans round out the collection, putting the emphasis on effortless style.
Palette: Orchid pink and green—a classic preppy pairing—ocean blues and bold reds give way to sunwashed oranges, yellows and periwinkle blues, balanced by soft neutrals of white, ivory and sand.
Prints & Patterns: The collection opens with a graphic garden motif, regatta stripes and nautical prints—followed by bohemian batiks and patchwork florals. A placed wave print subtly references the surf scene.
Fabrications: The season’s coastal contrast carries through to a mix of fabrics —from linen burlap and cotton knits to silk shantung and delicate fil coupe—and embellishments. Appliqued patches, rickrack. and pearl details provide dimension while fringed macramé and criss-cross lacing lend an easy, undone vibe. Metallic threadwork and moonstones add shimmer and shine.
Accessories: A relaxed, effortless mood extends down the accessories, from mules and moccasins to pearl-embellished slides and ruffled sneakers from Tory Sport. A convertible handbag with wooden handles brings nostalgic appeal while jewelry draws inspiration from the sea with articulated fish collars and cuffs and cowrie shell charms.
Thu, September 15 2016 » Fashion Blog
3.1 PHILLIP LIM SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
Spring 2017
Midnight at the Victorian Rodeo
“It’s my reaction to the current mood in culture…
Somehow playful austerity seems to be a new sensuality.”
Phillip Lim
The soul of late ‘50s Nashville – love, innocence, and heartbreak – crooning over a Victorian romanticism.
Thu, September 15 2016 » Fashion Blog
COACH 1941 SPRING SUMMER 2017 WOMEN’S COLLECTION – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
A dreamer, subverting American style with counter-culture influences. Faded florals and mashed-up prairie dresses worn with the ease of a t-shirt, reconfigured with the toughness of biker leather, gangs and pumped-up rockabilly moccasins.
Exploring the sense of belonging that comes from being part of a movement — The symbolism of rebels, Beatniks and an Elvis fan club — Embellished by the individuality of personalization.
Challenging and subverting the traditional conventions of luxury by exploring the raw, elemental hand of rebel craft of Sante Fe. Studding, fringing and hand-worked metal, reimagined and recontextualized — New York City-style.
Thu, September 15 2016 » Fashion Blog
Wed, September 14 2016 » Fashion Blog
LACOSTE SPRING SUMMER 2017 COLLECTION – NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
A TENNIS MATCH ON THE ROOFTOP OF THE VILLA MALAPARTE – Felipe Oliveira Baptista has found the most gentle response to the aggressiveness of our times. Impressed by the ocher and white hues of the modernist Villa Malaparte in Capri, he dreamed up a tennis match on its rooftop. Chiseled by swimming and sunbathing sessions, sexy and tanned bodies hammer balls back and forth, against a backdrop of pine forests, creeks, and rocky inlets. The Spring-Summer 2017 LACOSTE collection freely redefines the notions of comfort, elegance and sensuality.
THE SENSUALITY OF TERRYCLOTH - The bathrobes and wrapped towels Brigitte Bardot dons in Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, which was partly shot at the Villa Malaparte, inspired a wide range of hooded or shawl-collared bathrobes, along with terrycloth bustier dresses that are belted high on the waist with matching improvised strings, the better to highlight the effortlessly silhouette. A faux-denim jacket and reversible terry Bermuda shorts become real security blankets. They are worn with shoes one can easily slip into: clogs with high wooden soles recalling the sharpness of 1950’s Brazilian furniture, or platform sneakers devoid of strings or loopholes.
THE COMFORT OF FLEECE AND MESH – In this haven of languor and sensuality, clothes are parti- cularly user-friendly and functional. Among them are chic tracksuits and loose fleece sweatshirts with sleeves that vanish thanks to a simple set of studs, and whose sides can be unzipped, allowing a breeze to brush the skin. A reflection of the designer’s obsessions, the clothes are modular, reversible, or with retractable sleeves, and a «petit piqué» embossed PVC tote bag boasts a cotton strap that can be hand-held or carried over the shoulder. Inspired by women’s tennis skirts, short tunics in feather light mesh sport gussets or delicate wide pleats. Tucked into the front pocket of a small navy and white «petit piqué» embossed matte leather bag, the racket is close at hand. The fisherman jackets and slickers recall seaside family houses. Bleached by the sun and stiffened by sea spray salt, they have an unmistakable holiday flavour.
CLASSIC VOCABULARY AND NEW ATTITUDES – Summer also offers the opportunity to reinterpret items that are imbued with memories and marked by a timeless elegance. Cut in technical navy blue cotton and worn over a white tracksuit, trench coats have a new found aerodynamic purity. Long tank dresses in cotton piqué can be worn with or without belts, and sport either 1970’s-style stripes, or larger versions that recall 1990’s skaters. The very demure BB-shirtdress is reinvented in a seamless but entirely heat-sealed «techno Brigitte» version, cut in transparent red vinyl. Rumpled and casual cropped pantsuits in ultra-light seersucker are adorned with an unexpected Prince of Wales check, while other outfits have the formality of a couture suit, especially when the lining of a coat matches the fabric of the pair of pants and shirt worn underneath. Felipe Oliveira Baptista revisits the art of tailoring, the better to break its rules and redefine French chic.
CROCODILES IN THE WILD AND ARTY STRIPES – LACOSTE’s animal mascot appears on new gene- ration tropical prints. Enlarged crocodile graffiti are covered with childish scribbles, halftone flat tints painted à la Andy Warhol, and free-spirited brushstrokes, like those Le Corbusier did for the fresco of the Swiss Pavilion of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Inspired by the Berlin installation of the American contemporary artist Richard Jackson – a maze of 5050 horizontally stacked paintings creating the effect of white slices dripping with pure colors -, Felipe Oliveira Baptista reinvents the iconic pattern of the sailor top. Unapologetic in its simplicity and utterly free-spirited, LACOSTE’s Spring-Summer 2017 collection lays the foundations of a new state of mind, one that centers around the notion of natural seduction.
Tue, September 13 2016 » Fashion Blog
