Vivienne Westwood© Copyright 2019
It is a pleasure to design and I’m fortunate and lucky to work in fashion. In this collection we have reduced the product to its essence. To me and many more, what’s truly sustainable is to repurpose what already exists, materials which lie dormant, also making use of by-products which would normally be thrown away.
Another part which I want to extend is working with Africa and for now, we got some hand-painted fabric made in Burkina Faso, working with the United Nations; and I remembered the skills of the village I grew up in, making house slippers and I used my off-cuts to make these slippers to accompany the collection.
What’s most liberating to me is using fabrics I was collecting, sitting on my treasure for more than 30 years because I loved them and I always thought one day I’ll use them. I’m cooking my leftovers, it’s just a great feeling. The world is constipated, the system needs space, you always need to make room. We over produce, we over consume, we overdo everything. We need space.
We have done a small collection which I find more than eloquent because there is going to be another one in 6 months and one should look forward to that. This is the 7th collection I have done as Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood and I called it that because it was a difficult one – I reached the 7 season hurdle: transfiguration.
Clothes make us feel better, fashion is a tonic, something which refreshes our individuality. There is a sacred value in making beauty. To finish this all off I would like to quote Vivienne and say that, ‘fashion is about eventually being naked.’
(more…)
Tags: ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, ANDREAS KRONTHALER FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOOD FW 2019-20, FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2019-20
Thu, March 7 2019 » Fashion Blog
‘Défilé’ Co-ed Collection
Degeneration is a decadent process through which an entity is reduced to its purest core. At Maison Margiela, collections are composed through a pyramidical structure where ideas developed in the Artisanal ateliers filter into consolidated form. For the Autumn/Winter 2019 Défilé co-ed collection, creative director John Galliano induces the digital decadence identified in the recent Artisanal show and proposes a purified sense of restraint. From one collection to the other, this image of degeneration is demonstrated through the reduction of garments themselves.
The overstimulation created by a computer-generated culture of artifice alters reality and confuses fabrication for truth. With cyclical centennial timing, a new era of decadence sets in: excess inevitably followed by decay. Oversaturated by impressions, the millennial generations native to life in cyberspace begin to search for authenticity. Through the evolved language established at Maison Margiela, John Galliano employs decadent cutting to reduce familiar garments to their most authentic form – their core, their silhouette, their proportion – retaining only the memory of what once was.
Appropriating the inappropriate, traditional wardrobe staples fragmentise and migrate to new areas of the body. A flannel coat transforms into a dress, an equestrian trouser mutates into a bustier with a skirt, and a faux leather trench coat morphs into shorts with decortiqué hems. Trousers cut open and flattened become skirts, dresses or capes, their voids filled in with fabric. Flat cutting appears in jackets and dresses brought to life in strategic cuts from which three- dimensional shapes are raised and back-panelled in contrasting lining.
Through degeneration, conventionally gender-specific garments become truly genderless, heralding the combinaison: a top and bottom in one. Excess rears its head in the decadent symbol of pink flamingos, illustrated in the flamingo sequence print fabricated entirely from computerised textures and forms. Exercised in the juxtaposing panels of black or grey outerwear, its sensory overload highlights the contrast between overflow and degeneration. Through this inverted excess, Maison Margiela proposes a new idea of purity.
Materials
The idea of degenerating garments down to their purest core embraces the use of humble fabrics from the classic men’s wardrobe. Here, herringbone, flannel, equestrian and cavalry twills, Harris tweed, felt and coats created in collaboration with Mackintosh represent a feeling of authenticity. Wadding overlaid with chiffon, in outerwear evoking Maison Margiela’s Glam Slam bag, links to the idea of nomadic glamour. The honest character of these materials is contrasted by the over-satiation of a flamingo sequence motif made up of pink flamingos and artificial textures and structures, woven in jacquard as well as printed on nylon. Echoing a sense of excess, embroideries composed of beads, pearls and sequins adorn lace, a glamorous element reflected in plume trims. Organza features in overlay on chunky knitwear and cotton poplin shirting. Next to elements of chiffon, duchesse and tulle, it cements the Maison Margiela codes of unconscious glamour and reverse dressing.
Technique
The decadent cutting first proposed in the Spring/Summer 2019 Artisanal collection informs techniques. As classic garments are deconstructed, their components migrate on the body: a trouser becomes a cape, a coat morphs into a short, another coat transforms into a halter-neck dress. Employing the Maison Margiela code of shadow play, one garment is evoked within another through stitching or the placement of components associated with other parts of the body. In flat-cut jackets and skirts, strategic cuts form three-dimensional shapes raised and back-panelled in contrasting lining. Capitonnage jackets – one bonded to bias-cut chiffon – bring to mind Maison Margiela’s signature Glam Slam bag. Reflecting the artisanal vocabulary established by John Galliano at the house, techniques such as decortiqué, unconscious glamour, reverse dressing, dressing in haste, anonymity of the lining, nomadic cutting and the memory of garments are intrinsic parts of the collection’s genetics. Keeping in line with the gender-nonconformist philosophy of the house, every look was fitted without attention to gender.
Palette
The palette sees a contrast between excess and degeneration. A multi-coloured sequence motif features bright pink flamingos among a sea of oversaturated hues. It is juxtaposed by the authenticity and purity of blacks, greys and ivory.
Accessories
Jewellery draws on the futuristic language of cyberspace in silver-plated palladium display rings and cuffs worn on gloves featuring the flamingo sequence motif. Echoing those codes, necklaces and ear cuffs constructed in the image of flattened bicycle chains also draw on the image of inverse excess. Detached collars in flamingo sequence printed neoprene with clear material detailing appear inverted. Mary Janes draw on the unnerving idea of magnified doll shoes introduced in the Artisanal collection, and appear in rubber, leather and patent leather. The Louis 22, a square- toe heeled boot in flamingo sequence print satin, nods at the shoes of Louis XIV and further takes its name from Maison Margiela’s numeric code for shoes. Finally, a round-toe heeled boot features in leather. Alongside the Glam Slam and the NDN, the collection launches a new take on the existing 5AC bag in a fabric that reacts to UV rays and changes colour accordingly.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2019-20, MAISON MARGIELA, MAISON MARGIELA FW 2019-20
Wed, March 6 2019 » Fashion Blog
In a wardrobe that mixes casual with evening, the real Parisian of today becomes an emblem. Volume, cut, and material represent the inventiveness and tenacity of a typical city local. Patterns and shapes emblemize common daily activities — grocery shopping, commuting via motorbike, and going out after work.
Suspended shapes allow for shoulders to be shifted upwards or for sleeves to be raised above the shoulders. Incognito collars and hoods on coats, long trenches and robes assume anonymity. Dropped or ring-shaped necklines that rest away from the body also redefine the profile.
Hidden or eliminated closures reflect the Parisian trait of opting to wrap a coat and leave a jacket open. Certain dresses, on the other hand, have many closures, modeled after a double-breasted jacket or trench coat worn with nothing underneath.
Atypical materials, too, represent resourceful intentions. A modern interpretation of the cocoon is made with fake shearling, another with a soft, duvet-like outer. Knee-length kick skirts are made with embroidered tweed and fake leather and insignia shirt are actually knitwear. Jackets rework the articulation of biker sleeves for the purpose of volume. Pants are either cropped or left extra long.
Easy Eveningwear encompasses the idea of wearing something all night after a long day, while At-home Outerwear imagines wearing something all day after a long night. Garments and accessories take the idea of house wear outdoors — a kimono-like robe — or they bring oversaturated symbols of tourism to a more intimate level.
Party dressing introduces still more silhouettes. A new evening set consists of a maxi kaftan shirt and maxi kick skirt in moire silk. A new babydoll dress deconstructs a longer style, reattaching the lower half to the bust line and tagging it with the graffiti that happens to someone who fell asleep at a party. A hand- sewn gown is beaded with curled paillettes, falling delicately around the wearer and continuing into a train.
Throughout the collection, new logotypes intersect with older ones, adding to a growing language. Bags and shoes flare and arch in new directions, balancing between dramatic tension and practicality.
(more…)
Tags: BALENCIAGA, BALENCIAGA FW 2019-20, FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2019-20
Tue, March 5 2019 » Fashion Blog
LANVIN “MYSTIC PILGRIMS”
The 13th century Musée de Cluny plays host to the first Women’s and Men’s collection designed by Bruno Sialelli for the house of Lanvin, sublimating the illustrious heritage of the Parisian maison in the midst of its own renaissance. As the first true purveyor of lifestyle, Lanvin encompasses a prismatic vision of fashion. Contemplating the life and times of our founder Jeanne Lanvin, a vital optimism permeates this respectful evolution – acknowledging the maison as a florilegium of creative energy.
Embodying a folkloric spirit, the Fall Winter 2019 collection roams from the Rue Saint-Honoré to Brest and far beyond, reminiscing upon cinematic and literary personas through history. Reviving Lanvin’s playful narrative in a symphony of romantic archetypes, Sialelli draws upon a multitude of moods: from nautical to bucolic, regal to childlike, the collection personifies lyrical conversations in cloth.
Pre-Raphaelite colours depart from Lanvin ‘quattrocento’ blue into powdery shades of avocado, absinthe, banana and bergamot warmed by mahogany, navy, tomato and a blaze of ultraviolet. Inciting pure comfort and a suite of leisurely pursuits, classic shapes are spliced with sensual fabrications, as Norwegian blankets, exotic Fair Isles, and giant clan tartans swaddle inherently French garments.
‘Whole garment’ knits create sinuous volumes shaped in cashmere and lurex, whilst the vareuse from Brittany, the heart-collar caban, zipped blousons and riding coats are rendered in cashmere, gabardine, intarsia shearling or wool gazar. Passing from myths to modern fairy-tales, graphics flit from Paul Iribe’s logo La femme et l’enfant (1924) on stamped muslin to mosaic monogram pyjama silks and delicate marguerite micro-florals.
Evoking the whimsy of Cécile and Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar the Elephant books, illustrated scenes float over crewneck twinsets and foulard riding boots, whilst tufted hares and foxes frolic across transparent tulle. Sensuous and in perfect symmetry, shaped necks and contoured sleeves impart blouses or dresses with a medieval line, as the scrolling imprint of illuminated manuscripts is writ large across
silk twill.
Faded Merovingian splendour is woven throughout, from gilded leather amulets and dipped thimble rings to St. George’s dragon resplendent on embroidered velvet. Voluminous kaftan gowns trail with linings inside and out, layered with bands of lace, pleated satin, and portrait print georgette.
Lanvin’s muse is embellished with abandon, adorned from head to toe with heraldic charm jewellery and porcelain chokers, fruit minaudières and salome wedges in Viennese metalwork. Grounding the season’s mystic vision, satchels, flat totes and asymmetric bucket bags are crafted in supple suede, canvas and calfskin to match fringed tennis shoes, studded clogs and moulded moccasin boots.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, Lanvin, LANVIN FW 2019-20
Fri, March 1 2019 » Fashion Blog
‘TEMPEST’
‘I have been thinking a lot about England as a country of contrasts, from the structured to the rebellious and free, and I wanted to celebrate how these elements coexist. My first season for Burberry was about starting to develop my alphabet for the house, it was about identifying new letters and new codes. And now, I’m starting to put these letters together to begin writing my book here, to form the first chapter for a new era at Burberry.’
Riccardo Tisci, Burberry Chief Creative Officer
THE COLLECTION
Called ‘Tempest’, Riccardo Tisci’s Autumn/Winter 2019 collection for Burberry takes inspiration from the contrasts in British culture and weather, from the structured to the rebellious and free, and further develops the codes and cues first set out in his debut collection for the fashion house last year. The collection continues to evolve around the four characters that are becoming integral to this house – the girl, the boy, the lady and the gentleman. Presented in four parts, the collection was revealed at a new show venue in-between two contrasting bespoke show environments within the Tate Modern Tanks at 5PM on 17 February.
GIRL AND BOY
For women: Shearling and faux fur coats, off-the-shoulder corset tops, double-waist tailored trousers and lace-detail slip dresses styled with Chelsea boots and sneakers with rubber oversoles. For men: A paneled trench, a puffer duffle, a parka in shearling and quilts. Vintage check in bold patchworks with animal print accents and tape details. Track pants refreshed in plonge leather. Sneakers with neoprene socks.
LADY AND GENTLEMAN
For women: Deconstructed trenches, embellished car coats, draped wool cashmere ponchos. Sharp tailoring, cinched dresses, pleated skirts and printed shirts. Pumps, boots and kitten heels, with fringing and hand-applied crystals. For men: Striped wool duffle coats, quilted gilets over tailored outerwear. English-fit suits, pleated trousers, reconstructed boat-neck knitwear and silk-jersey shirts. Rubber-cap-toe brogues and Chelsea boots.
EVENINGWEAR
A series of delicately draped evening dresses, in black, white and beige.
ACCESSORIES
Key shapes introduced by Riccardo for his debut evolve for Autumn/Winter 2019. The TB Bag returns in new iterations. The Society is updated in extra-large and portrait styles for men. Introducing Title, our new refined silhouette defined with a triple-stud detail.
KEY COLOURS
Shades of beige punctuated with green, red, pale blue, orange, brown and black. Tonal layers feature an injection of colour.
KEY PRINTS
Vintage check, stripes and the Thomas Burberry Monogram are revisited this season. Nautical references include seascapes, oysters and ropework details.
(more…)
Tags: BURBERRY, BURBERRY FW 2019-20, FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2019-20
Sat, February 16 2019 » Fashion Blog
Tue, January 29 2019 » Fashion Blog
Tue, January 29 2019 » Fashion Blog
Tue, January 29 2019 » Fashion Blog
Feeling the Wind
Today’s lifestyle is getting more minimal and light, freeing us from all constraint, allowing us to feel the wind. ISSEY MIYAKE MEN pays homage to this sensation of freedom and energy the wind provides. Multi-methods of dyeing and weaving, craftsmanship combined with technology bring warm but airy clothes for agile wearers.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2019-20, ISSEY MIYAKE, ISSEY MIYAKE FW 2019-20
Tue, January 29 2019 » Fashion Blog
Tue, January 29 2019 » Fashion Blog
