ELEVATION IN CONTINUATION
Glenn Martens unveils this season a more sophisticated Y/PROJECT woman while still remaining true to the twisted aesthetic language he has developed as a signature. Borrowing from eclectic references, from the Belle Époque to 2020, including the latent Edwardian feel of the collection, the designer creates his own semantic universe where versatility is the law.
The new silhouette sculpted by high waisted pants with a sharp V cut at the front is taken further and applied to a variation of pieces such as evening dresses with built-in exaggerated hips, tailored suits with bodysuit blazers revealing skin in a delicate way or the archetypal blue jeans, adding charisma and sexiness to the classics of feminine elegance.
A pair of revealing trousers with an integrated G-string is the ultimate showstopper. The push-up bra makes a comeback and is incorporated into dresses, knits, or even bomber jackets. The wrapped pieces introduced last season – prolonged by long straps tied around the waist – are carried on: tops, pants and skirts wind around the silhouettes, blurring their own boundaries.
Most looks convey an infinity feel, as if they had no beginning and no end, no top or bottom. This strong design concept is purified and made more readable. The swirling movement of dresses, skirts or polo shirts, creates a flattering drapé effect.
In a playful take on fashion, layers of tulle, lace, ruffles, fringes and colorful satin stripes are multiplied, superimposed and styled in manifold ways. Blazer dresses are highlighted with layers of tulle, adding fluidity to classic tailored jackets and softening their strict lines.
Each piece allows full expression of individuality. The signature pop-up jackets are taken to their maximum potential, with new excrescences giving a 3D feel to each piece. Contrasting piping underlines their multi-dimensional volume.
The classic heeled pumps are embellished with chains and pearl necklaces, and are proposed in a ruffle- elastic version. Renowned for his architectural approach to fashion and his ability to create ultra desirable must-have pieces, Glenn Martens masters crafting bold design concepts while maintaining an elegant wearability.
The Y/PROJECT FEMME AW20 collection shows the evolution of the Paris-based label to a higher level of sophistication and addresses a great diversity of women.
Stylism: Robbie Spencer
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Tags: FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, Y/PROJECT, Y/PROJECT FW 2020
Mon, March 9 2020 » Fashion Blog
‘Défilé’ Co-ed Collection
Restoration signifies a return to worth: a re-awakening of traits and values evoking a collective sense of belonging within us. For the Autumn-Winter 2020 Défilé collection, Maison Margiela revives the dress codes of our shared societal conscience. Through the gestures and uniforms associated with the bourgeoisie, creative director John Galliano recycles familiar symbols of a mindful era, and upcycles them for a progressive new age. A study of the emotional make-up of our lived-in social identity, it is an illustration of the restorative power of heritage attributes and articles imbued with the soul of history; resonating the grammar of today.
Recicla is a new entry in the vocabulary of John Galliano at Maison Margiela. A portmanteau composed from terminology denoting reusability, the marque expands on the existing concept of Replica used to brand reproductions of vintage finds within the collections of the house. Items carrying the new white Recicla label – listing provenance and period – are genuine authentic pieces, handpicked by John Galliano, restored and re-appropriated as limited- edition garments or accessories, intended for sale. Recicla pieces integrate throughout the show, from coats cut into elongated collars to the splicing of several garments in poverina dresses. Recicla accessories include wicker bags, Snatched bags crafted from taro leaves, and 5AC bags upcycled from reclaimed luxury skins.
Informed by techniques developed for the Artisanal collection, elements associated with the bourgeois wardrobe appear alongside heritage uniforms invoking restorative sensibilities: dress codes exuding societally rooted emotions of familiarity, belonging and wellbeing. Recalling relatable values, instinctive bourgeois gestures are captured within garments: the blasé shrug of a jacket off the shoulder, the nonchalant drape of a scarf around the neck. They echo traces from the traditional bourgeois wardrobe – pussy-bow blouses, culottes, and Mary-Janes – while the invigorating pastimes of the bourgeoisie are emulated in uniforms native to hiking, sailing and exploring.
Through the technique of work-in-progress, the gestures of the dressmaker are freeze-framed within jackets and trousers. Here, the splicing of tailoring wools with calico – the humble material of toiles – conjures the acts of tailoring, the trademark of the classic gentleman. Fabric sequins, a scalloping method that reveals the contrast of linings in a lace-like effect, cut up the icons of the bourgeois wardrobe with progressive panache. The suspenseful colours of mid-century realism are evoked through an aquarelle filtrage created from translucent layers of fabric in bias-cut siren dresses.
Materials
Restorative reactions are triggered by materials nestled in associations of belonging. Wools, flannel, felt, knitwear, tweeds and trench cloth from the gentleman’s wardrobe are founded in the uniforms of bourgeois pastimes, echoing the bouclé, foulard, silks and velvet of that wardrobe’s female counterpart. Faux fur and faux crocodile nod at the seductive textures of luxury linked to the same lifestyle. Bourgeois gestures are captured within garments through tulle inserts. In work-in-progress pieces, tailoring wools are spliced with calico, the material used in toiles. Bias-cut dresses coloured through aquarelle filtrage are underpinned with layers of translucent crêpe de chine and chiffon. Re- and upcycled Recicla vintage garments appear in their respective original fabrics along with Recicla wicker bags and Recicla Snatched bags made from taro leaves, while Recicla 5AC bags have been created from the reclaimed skins of luxury overstocks.
Technique
Recicla, the new chapitre in the Maison Margiela lexicon, upcycles authentic vintage finds through restorative and transformative processes such as the hacking up of garments or the splicing of several garments into poverina dresses. Selected by John Galliano, each Recicla piece features a white label denoting its limited edition, provenance and period. Bourgeois gestures – our spontaneous shrugging, draping and clenching of clothes – are evoked within garments through cuts and tulle inserts. The work-in-progress technique freezes the acts of the tailor within sleeves and culottes by adapting calico into wool garments. In bias-cut dresses, aquarelle filtrage signifies the underpinning of translucent fabrics in different colours, which effectively blends colour within the garment. Developed as a hand-cut technique for the Artisanal collection, fabric sequins – the scalloping of fabric to create flickering holes that interact with the lining of a garment – are partly executed industrially for the Défilé collection. The house term for revealing a garment’s inside construction, anonymity of the lining appears across techniques and in outerwear folded into itself.
Palette
Informed by the bourgeois underpinnings of the collection, the colour comprehension of the American mid-century realist Edward Hopper renders a suspenseful and painterly palette inspired by the adaptability of natural and golden light and its contrasting shadows. It motivates the use of block colour as well as the observance of brown, a shade of heritage dressing revisited for a rebellious new age.
Accessories
Hats are created by Maison Margiela. In the Artisanal show, biodegradable jewellery was made from fresh fruit and vegetables. Now, adapted for the Défilé collection, these creations solidify on handmade chains in 3D-printed pendants and brooches hand-painted to convey the naturalistic illusion of real fruit and vegetables. Recicla – upcycled vintage pieces – include Snatched bags created from taro leaves, wicker bags and 5AC bags made from reclaimed skins. The Tabi – Maison Margiela’s signature split-toed shoe – features as lace-up derbies, tasselled loafers, knee-high boots and Mary-Janes; all crafted in leather, some painted white. A collaboration between Maison Margiela and Reebok, the Tabi Instapump Fury – first launched in the Artisanal show – stages a dialogue between the Tabi and the Instapump Fury in one hybridised shoe, either flat or heeled, founded in the technology and language of today.
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Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, MAISON MARGIELA, MAISON MARGIELA FW 2020
Mon, March 9 2020 » Fashion Blog
Fri, March 6 2020 » Fashion Blog
I’ve been looking forward to this date, February 28th, for a long time. Tonight is the Nuit des Césars, France’s annual awards ceremony, which honors the best of this country’s cinema. The film Wonder Boy, which follows my quest to finally get some answers regarding my history, has been nominated for a César for best documentary and to say that I’m honored would be quite an understatement.
As a child “né sous X”, an orphan who did not know his own origins. I grew up obsessed
with questions regarding heritage, race, belonging and fitting in. And that didn’t make my childhood any easier for me. Growing up in Bordeaux, perhaps the most bourgeois city in all of France, I learned from an early age that certain classes, clubs and cliques were closed off to someone who looked like me and I spent countless hours dreaming and scheming about how I could cross over, open doors and be accepted.
It’s inevitable that the time and effort dedicated to my recent search for answers as well as the many post-release interviews and conferences exploring the issues raised in that documentary have had an influence on my latest designs. Today’s runway makes that clear.
Many of the codes of a world that was once beyond my reach are key parts of this collection, including classic equestrian styles, harlequin patterns and silk-scarf motifs. Both the mix of colors (an abundance of cognacs and deep blues) and the rich fabrics (silks and cashmeres) are those associated with a rarefied world of old-families, privilege and wealth.
But, paradoxically, this collection adapts those symbols of upper-class exclusion and twists them to turn the focus on a wider and no-longer closed-off world one of open doors and open minds.
My team and I have subverted the old and restricting class codes of previous generations, rethinking and modernizing them in order to offer something fresh and very much of today an array of designs that is now open to all, one which reflects the inclusive values of today’s Balmain and the beautiful diversity of a truly modern France.
Of course, Balmain’s singular heritage remains very present. We’ve riffed on M. Balmain’s classic Jolie Madame silhouette and our iconic six-button blazer but each house signature has also been updated for next season’s offerings.
For example, our famed atelier has once again demonstrated its formidable tailoring skills via its one-of-a-kind treatment of Atsuko Kudo latex expertly pleating and draping the material, in order to offer a surprising and intelligent sensuality.
In addition, a new line of Balmain eyewear, developed in partnership with Akoni, is presented today. The many golden touches of this new range recall Pierre Balmain’s signature medallions and the high level of craftsmanship echoes that of our own workshops and, above all, the strong and audacious style and silhouette of the glasses reflect the assertive, confident spirit of today’s Balmain Army.
Those who have seen Wonder Boy already know what I have learned about my origins. And today, knowing that I am half-Ethiopian, half-Somali and 100% Français, I realize that my search for answers about my past has helped make it clear to me how happy I am to be living in this present, in this Paris of new possibilities, fewer boundaries and more inclusion. My runway today celebrates this and our hopes for an always improving, more open world.
Olivier Rousteing
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Tags: Balmain, BALMAIN FW 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020
Fri, March 6 2020 » Fashion Blog
BALENCIAGA WINTER 20
Balenciaga Winter 20 recontextualizes the structures inherently associated with desire, inverting the values of certain dress codes. The austerity of clerical garb and court robes are interpreted for casual wear. Classical traditions, hardcore aesthetics, and fetishized details are combined and rearranged, mixing business with pleasure.
Neo-gothic dressing looks back and forward at the possibilities of menswear, layering floor-length skirts and caped coats. Bodybuilder “made-to-measure” fits create oversized, anabolic suits for anyone. Sport, religion, obsession, and seduction are stripped of their functions, leaving only the sensation of a fashion object: extravagant, dramatic, erotic, or menacing.
Silhouettes defy convention, accentuating a garment’s technical construction, the body of its wearer, and the space between the two. Exaggerated pagoda shoulders and upright collars are created with technical processes that reinterpret past and present iconography.
The techniques and materials used to make motocross, hockey, or scuba suits inform outfits for every day, softening the hard constructs of protective gear, while the softness of nightgown-like prints and fabrics are pumped up in powerful proportions, quilted, pleated, and layered with jacquard messages. The fictional Balenciaga Football Club places the obsessive quality of team sports in another fanatical context.
Evening streetwear presents minimal, elegant shapes from a patchwork of athletic textures. A modern take on waist-training, stretch materials are thermoformed to create an illusory cinch, eliminating the infrastructure of rigid corsetry. Gala dresses are all inclusive: shoes, gloves, leggings, and gowns in one piece. Body-wear becomes a second skin, at once obscuring and revealing.
A collaboration with Vibram, the Toe and High Toe shoes twist and elevate an ergonomic innovation. Leather thigh high Texan rainboots provide another option for menswear silhouettes, while the Knife shoe reworks elements of lacey lingerie for the feet.
A sturdy Lunchbox clutch, along with crossbody backpacks and bondage wallets with chained wristlets reference other fetish objects; and in celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Classic Balenciaga bag is reimagined, called the Neo Classic.
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Tags: BALENCIAGA, BALENCIAGA FW 2020, FALL WINTER MEN 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020
Fri, March 6 2020 » Fashion Blog
“Slightly Off”
For his Fall/Winter 2020 womenswear collection, Virgil Abloh further develops Off-White’s codes with a sense of contemporary realism, beyond the hems of the fashion industry. He looks at the world at large.
To set the pace, Abloh ventured back to the nineties—a definitive sartorial era—by compiling references from then-ubiquitous minimal slip-dresses and bra tops to Hype Williams’s 1998 directorial film debut, Belly.
Williams is widely known for his innovative and Zeitgeist-capturing music videos, which blend technology, fashion, and uncompromising individuality; in Belly, keystone late nineties-era hallmarks like red leather Ecko puffers and original-design all-white Range Rovers take centerstage. The view towards a more recent nostalgia hints at a collective comfort regarding what has passed—especially when the future feels so unpredictable.
From there, Abloh used the nineties as a springboard for helping to define what Off-White will be in the 2020’s. His approach is one of calculated miscellany, mirroring the moment and pushing that moment forward.
Bookending his Fall runway were hybridized, high-volume dresses with Arc’teryx parkas. Myriad trenches came paired with trousers, which were generally long and lean, with breaks at the ankle. Holstein blot motifs walked alongside circular cutout separates; heavy chain elements were worked in as jewelry or dress adornments. Extra-tailored leather blazers featured spray-painted overlays.
Houndstooth patterns morphed into psychedelic pools on top-coats and skirts. An angular tulle wing-and-half-dress was worn over camouflage cargo pants. A collaboration with MGM studios led to a Blue Velvet-inspired capsule: a structured, off-the-shoulder dress in the fabric the movie is named for, along with mirror-ball metallic garments that channel Dorothy Vallens’s glitzier ensembles.
Akin to what’s happening in culture greater, we are now living in an era of openness, constant newness, hyper-information, and the pressing need for adaptability: “Reality,” says Abloh, “is the starting point of my type of storytelling.”
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Tags: FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH, OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH FW 20
Thu, March 5 2020 » Fashion Blog
‘Whether it be of this world or of that. Your love will lead us yonder at the last.’
Kim Stanley Robinson ‚The Red Mars
Alluring, powerful and fiery, the classic Code of Ottolinger is made, broken and mixed by history, contemporary life and personal experience.
Inspired by the elements of nature, the AW20 collection is an example of invisible sophistication – a symbol of sensuality and harmony for the contemporary women.
Ottolinger AW20 skillfully blends beautiful raw materials, weaving together Denim from reused and recycled cotton, hand knitted Swiss Alpine details and playful vegan shearling jackets.
The dreamlike blue of the print from LA based artist Julien Nguyen enhances the power of the handdyed cloudy pur- ple flanell. Timeless duffle over coats paired with vibrant shiny pleather pants, burned silky suits and mystical fringy raw edged gowns.
Ottolinger’s handwork shows the irresistible combination of grace, strength and independence of spirit as the Alpine interpretation of couture.
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Tags: FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, OTTOLINGER, OTTOLINGER FW 2020
Thu, March 5 2020 » Fashion Blog
Kenzo © Copyright 2020
GOING PLACES
KENZO. And the mind travels. At the start, the heart of an impulse, the first journey. A young Japanese man wants to discover France, a country with the promise of all possibilities. He embarks on a boat travelling for several weeks. He knows nothing more of Paris than the dream: a city that is the noble territory of Haute Couture.
He does not speak French, but he knows the language of colours. He combines Asian poetry with the rigour of European cuts. He understands the dialect of nature and the vocabulary of flowers. He leans upon the cultures of the world with a smile… This is the journey of Kenzo Takada. This is the spirit of the House of KENZO.
A journey through style, and a continued passageway between two designers. Two personalities blend and their common points shape a wardrobe of convergence. United in culture, their dialogue takes root in Paris, the fantasy capital of fashion. Emotional reference points converse and come together.
Summer memories of Felipe Oliveira Baptista’s childhood in the Azores. A photo album of his newlywed parents in Mozambique, on the threshold of skydiving. A surge of love from a moment in time. Imbued with evocations from a dream of Japan. The feeling of islands… Their journeys intertwine. Between intimacy and universalism.
The first Fall-Winter 2020 Collection by Felipe Oliveira Baptista for the House of KENZO.
The nomadic spirit of these wanderers of the world, sheltered by their clothes. A mobile wardrobe that heralds urban elegance and metamorphosis, transforming itself with fluency. Reversible coats that go from monochrome to printed.
Parkas that spread out like wings. Down jackets that become sleeping bags. Dresses as light as cocoons that expand with their armature of zippers. Flowing alongside each step, they follow in fluid pace, as if animated by a movement of their own. The colours come from nature, at times illuminated by camouflage prints that are in fact a trompe-l’oeil of roses.
This organic palette composes a unique painting at each glance, like colours as passers-by, or a garment that transforms into a canvas of a giant tiger head. These are “painting-dresses”, taken from the works of neo-realist artist Júlio Pomar (1926-2018). A Lisbon painter who lived in Paris for a long time and considered one of the greatest figures of Portuguese XXth century art.
In the 1980s, fascinated by tigers, Júlio Pomar created a major series of works on this feline. The amplitude of cuts, moving close and away from the body, attests to the dynamism of this wardrobe and its slender silhouette. The superimposition of materials adds to its energy. The House of KENZO, through this initial collection, celebrates the wanderers of life.
The transparent tubular structure that makes up the set of the show is designed as a modular nomadic object. It will be re-used in other forms at events in the coming seasons, such as pop-up stores or presentations. KENZO is committed to recycling the set, which can be transformed into new objects.
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Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, KENZO, KENZO FW 2020
Thu, March 5 2020 » Fashion Blog
Lanvin © Copyright 2020
CONVERSATION PIECE
Crossing lines of dialogue – other voices, different personalities, points of view. The Lanvin Fall/Winter 2020 collection is a collection of discussions between past and present, patrimony and modernity, all using the language of the Maison to communicate to the now.
Conversations are found between manifest individuals. First, foremost, there is the conversation between Lanvin creative director Bruno Sialelli and the founder Jeanne Lanvin, traversing time and connecting the contemporary with the historical. His investigation of her design vocabulary discovers a fresh grammar and syntax.
But in turn, that conversation inevitably reflects others – namely Jeanne Lanvin’s visionary collaborations, uniquely based in dialogue with different creative disciplines – she not only designed clothes for women but, in collaboration with a family of creatives, devised childrenswear and menswear, interiors, cosmetics and parfum. All are referenced here, those individual tête-à-têtes feeding a more general discussion, each speaking of Lanvin in a different voice.
Lanvin’s 1949 collaboration with the French poet and author Louise de Vilmorin on the book L’Opéra de l’Odorat – in itself a collaboration, prefaced by Colette and illustrated by Guillaume Gillet with watercolours and expressive calligrams, is a source of graphicism. Words wind their way into illustrative lines of print, expressive watercolours are printed across feathers and silks.
The perfume and beauty lines of Lanvin are translated into bijoux de fantaisie and buttons furrowed like the flaçon of Lanvin’s signature 1927 fragrance, Arpège; Lanvin’s cosmetics suggest a whispered color palette of powder blue and blush- pink, bordeaux, rouge feu and rose-midi. Furthermore, their forms are used for accessories – minaudière handbags are formed from overscale lipstick and rouge compacts, like surreal objets d’art.
Lanvin’s conversation with designer Armand Albert Rateau resulted in the extraordinary interior of her home on rue Barbet de Jouy – a zoomorphic wonderland of animaux transmogrified into furniture, here translated again into jewellery and accessories. Menswear – originally launched in 1926 – here underscores the women’s silhouettes, each borrowing from the other.
Lanvin lived beyond Jeanne. As a fragrance diffuses a room after the wearer has left, these clothes bear traces, evoke memories and emotions. They are redolent. Garments themselves reference not only Jeanne Lanvin’s signature sinuous lines of the 1920s 1930s, her robes de style and graphic Modernist embroideries, executed like jewels, but also the work of her successors, who converse with her as inspiration.
The curvilinear shoulders and structured brevity of tailoring recall mid-century haute couture, balanced on heels formed into a graphic, abstract ‘J’ for Jeanne, a Brancusi incline. A wider conversation comes from Lanvin’s perception – as an innate, distinctly French brands, the oldest couture house in Paris. References are draw generally from this abstract notion of Frenchness: the bourgeoisie gesture of a matching parure of jewels, the gesture of a gloved wrist matched to handbag matched to shoes.
From the art of Henri Toulouse Lautrec and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, executed when Maison Lanvin was founded in 1889, come ruffled rond de jambe skirts, a froufrou femininity. Playfully, a Parisian pâtisseries box can become a handbag. Exploding those periods, the show décor expresses a notion of contradictory domestic grandeur – a maison meets a maison de couture.
Created in the Manufacture des Gobelins, using archival tapestries drawn from several centuries to create an interior reminiscent of both then and now, it is another conversation piece.
In all, a manifesto of Lanvin. Past, present, always.
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Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020, Lanvin, LANVIN FW 2020
Thu, March 5 2020 » Fashion Blog
INSPIRATIONS
Nocturnal Glamour. Evoking the sultry smokiness of the femininity conjured by the make-up of Serge Lutens. London’s Camden Palace and Mud Club and an expression of the many schools of style that a club night might convene. Hard romantic. The Flamboyance of the night. The mystery of elegance. A ray of shadow.
A Theatrical Party Girl / Bella Donna / Vamp / Iconoclast. Familiar styles heightened for the night, from punk, rockabilly, disco, liberty and dark Hawaiian prints, 1930′s Hollywood, 80′s Japan, matt minimalism and shimmering maximalism. Boots from Kinky Stiletto to Glam rock platforms.
FORM
A gathering of silhouettes: the variety of night. Men’s tailoring – sleek to oversize – to the sheer elongated and feminine. Wools and cottons of the city and country. From subtle and discreet to the extravert and exaggerated. From tightly wound to louche comfort, peignoir to suiting. Saharienne, one piece overalls, sheath dress, rubberised trench coat. Plisse soleil, batwing evening dresses, capes.
COLOURS
Night and dusk and day. Shadowy matt and shine. Shades of wine. Verdant acids. Cognac, Bucolic greens and blues, Traditional tartans. Purple, lilac, beetle, orange, olive, emerald, lapis, gun metal.
FABRICS
Matt & Metals, Translucent latex, Traditional velvets and Devoré, faux shearling, Urban, rustic, diaphanous, raw denim, crepe e soie, satin, quilting, georgette, Bonded wool bouclé. Luxurious poplin.
PRINT & EMBELLISHMENT
Dark Hawaii. Python. Tattoo. Florals – exaggerated Iris. Ruching, feathers, iridescent circles, biker studs, sequins and micro beading. Fringing, bugle beading, 3D flowers adorn cuffs and hems.
ACCESSORIES
Boots: Kinky Patent and Suede Spikes to Glam platforms in leather and Jacquards. Glittering crochet flower chokers. Leather Biker and Diamante rope belts. Ball & asymmetrical earrings, Black lace stockings, faux fox stoles, Gold spheres necklaces. Soft bags in leather and jacquards. Voluminous alpaca knit scarves.
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Tags: DRIES VAN NOTEN, DRIES VAN NOTEN FW 2020, FALL WINTER WOMEN 2020
Tue, March 3 2020 » Fashion Blog
