24/09/2013

Cut It Out

In the midst of fashion weeks from well-established fashion cities it’s easy to let slip the growing fashionable stance of other cities. For some time now, Copenhagen has been a trend hub for both sleek minimalism as well as for innovative and artistic prêt-à-porter. During Copenhagen Fashion Week SS14 “cut outs” was among the strongest trends that was spotted and interpreted through the Danish runways.

At Stine Ladefoged a collection dedicated to the futuristic cut outs was presented giving takes on not only cut out knitwear but also the classic black and white combinations. A simplistic black skirt was in combination with a cut out black top updating a timeless classic. Nevertheless the innovative approach, there was still an implicit Pierre Cardin reference to be found for the trained eye.

The cut out trend was presented also for the male audience. Both Barbara í Gongini and Designers’ Nest presented male trousers, both cut out by the knee, bringing the mind to extremely distressed jeans as seen on street style royals, but in a more urban Beau Brummell way.


Designers’ Nest was also giving a Danish demonstration of the sheer overlay for cut outs, a trend seen on the SS14 runways around the fashion world. Here the trend was influenced by the 90s sporty chic. The designer transformed the delicate fabric into a sweatshirt-like shape and by styling it with a baseball cap made it right for the upcoming spring. At Designers Remix the cut out was barely noticeable, letting just a sliver of skin peek out allowing the design to still give an element of surprise to the beholder.

In retrospect one can argue that the cut out trend has been around for several seasons due to its ability to give sensuality to garments and modernize already used trends. An unexpected and somewhat thrilling twist is bestowed upon them. However, in the rather exhibitionistic society we live today, perhaps the twist lies in the part that remains covered.

Victoria Edman 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
23/09/2013

Style Suggestions: 3 Outfits for a Day Out

As the industry preps for the Spring/Summer 2014 shows, we are busy planning our fashion week looks that give us a great chance to pull out those challenging pieces in our wardrobe and take them for a spin. Cool and casual, chic and elegant, these 3 looks can prepare you for any fashion week event that is thrown your way.

Shoes Del Toro, necklace Charlotte Martyr, bag Anya Hindmarch, vintage Levi’s shorts, jacket Helmut Lang, belt Isabel Marant, bracelet Noot, shirt R13.

Shirt Mother of Pearl, skirt Burberry, shoe Céline, bag Givenchy, sunglasses Ellery.

Shoe Sophie Webster, shirt Peter Pilotto, skirt Givenchy, earrings Chloé, bag Saint Laurent.

Styling and words by Vanessa Cocchiaro 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
23/09/2013

Milano Fashion Week SS14: Angelos Bratis

From the backstage of the grand and established to the backstage of the eponymous and promising brand of designer Angelos Bratis. Saturday, The Blogazine entered the beautiful hall of Palazzo Reale in Milan to attend a Greek summer dream, and get the insights from the designer himself.


Hi Angelos! Tell me, what’s the first thing you’d like to say after the show?
I’m more curious about your feelings! Did you feel like you were in Greece? Was it summer?

It definitely was summer, and I think Greece came to mind for all of us. It felt ethereous, close to nature.
Did you feel ease?

I felt like I could go from the beach to lunch and then straight off to dinner and a cocktail!
That was exactly what I wanted to transmit so if you perceived that, I think I succeeded! I have to see the show video, but I think I felt it.

I’m letting you ask all the questions! Let’s talk about the absolute basic idea of the collection.
I wanted to do volumes that are more free, that you don’t have to care so much about. You shouldn’t have to think about if it fits or if you have to iron it, you just put it in your suitcase, go on holiday, unpack and head out!


And what about the materials and the forms?
We wanted to experiment with masculine effects even though keeping it feminine. We worked with the typical masculine stripes but asked our factories to do it all on silk poplin. It was all poplin, but not cotton! I worked a lot on geometries and the draperies within the stripes to create a feeling of a ‘pareo-kimono-peplum’ dress, that is guided by the wind – when you walk against the wind, the dress forms itself!

There’s been a lot of talk about your technique to drape your dresses directly on the mannequin. Is it still a technique you use a lot?
Yes, it’s something very important to me, it’s a way of finding the shapes, and in the end of the day, those are the dresses that I love the most.

How important is the story around the collection?

Without the story, the clothes are just clothes. I think you need that sentiment, that little tale, so that when the collection goes out in stores, even if I’ll only have a small rack, someone can feel that this is what they want to bring with them to Greece!


Your greek heritage follows you in your creative process. Is it a conscious choice or something that comes from within?

The more I grow, as a person and as a designer, I feel it is something that more and more grows within me. It works like a memory. I don’t look at a greek sculpture and say “OK let’s do this” but it’s in my DNA and it’s with me when I fold, when I pleat, when I drape.

It’s been two years since you won Vogue Italia’s “Who Is On Next?” award and obviously a lot has happened since that. What’s the next step for the Angelos Bratis brand?
For sure to make the brand more known, more established. It’s still a very young brand but only this, being here today, is a big step. We’re now on the Milan Fashion Week official calendar, in this beautiful venue with a lot of important people. Now it’s time to grow, publicly!



Interview Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images by Piotr Niepsuj 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
20/09/2013

Milano Fashion Week SS14: Costume National

Yesterday it was time for Ennio Capasa to make his addition to the Spring/Summer 2014 collections, and after showing in Paris for 23 years, he brought Costume National back to the show scene of Milan. The Blogazine caught a moment with the designer backstage after the show.



What are your first feelings now, right after the show?

They are positive feelings! I’m happy about it and I think the vibration, the energy, was good and this place is just amazing! I feel good.

What was the initial emotion that started this collection?

You know, when I start a collection I always think of construction and deconstruction, and because of this beautiful building that was barely just finished, I tried to think if there is something that has the same value, the same energy and if there is some kind of possibility to translate that into clothes.

You tend to implement menswear elements into the women’s wear collections. Is it a result of your love for tailoring?

I cannot say that this is a masculine collection, but I can say it’s a modern collection and I can say that tailoring is a treasure of Italy! This is the one place in the world where one has great suit tailoring. I think it’s something fantastic and I like to touch that part. Actually, what I like is when we can touch the past but merge it together with the future, and that is what’s very very important to me.



Your work is famous for its innovative approach but also this passion of yours for Italian tailoring. What’s the trick for finding the perfect balance between the classic elements and the evolution and innovation of things?

Oh you never know how it will go! Sometimes it turns out better and sometimes not, one collection is more successful than another but it’s this balance that you talk about that is the achievement, the point I want to arrive to. I think this collection was quite well done in that sense, there was a good balance. I’ve been working in fashion for many many years and some collections have of course been less balanced. This time I think the collection is very strong.

When you first live streamed a fashion show you were a pioneer in spreading fashion that way. What are your thoughts about the extreme width that new media has created in the fashion landscape today?

When we made that streaming, it was the first in the world. We, my brother and I, believed, or smelled, that it was the future and we are very happy about being the first ones in the history of fashion live streaming. I think it’s like when the first people used electricity. It was something incredible, but now it’s part of our daily lives and it’s something natural.

Your reality on the runway is very much the reality and experience of the clothes that your end customer receives too. Is it important for you to create clothes that work as well on the runway as on the street?

For me it’s absolutely important! I think the ‘catwalk fashion’ is coming to an end. Fashion should be strong and there must be innovation but in the same time it has to be fashion for the use in the real life. It can be for a special occasion or a party, but it must be for real occasions.


Interview Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images by Agota Lukytė 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
20/09/2013

SS14 London Runway Trends

London SS14 runway shows are wrapped up and here at The Blogazine we have pulled together some of the key trends which we feel will be hot next SS14.

We saw the importance of pink at the Autumn/Winter shows but it is clear that pink is not going away. A palette of soft pastel pinks, sugary and sweet hues and bubble gum are applied to soft clean shapes in rich qualities.

Metallics are set to be strong next Spring/Summer with a playful use of shine and shimmer, which are used in sportive styles that create a new edge to sportswear. Christopher Kane approaches shine in a rainbow mélange of bright shiny colours.

Bold text and messages are clearly here to stay for another season continuing the 90s inspired trend. The collection at Ashish manages to draw a fun youthful edge to the trend but still keeping the outfits alive and modern, with exciting fabric and colour mixes, the collection is an exaggerated view of youth trends right now.

Denim seems to be a firm favourite with designers for SS14. It has been used as a base fabric to create another dimension, with brocade, embroidery, layering and texture, which means denim takes a new turn. Holly Fulton plays beautifully with embroidered geometrical shapes on basic mid-washed denim.

What would summer be without flowers? For the floral lovers out there, you can be sure to see some strong floral prints and patterns for next summer. Eudon Choi updates the classic biker jacket with a beautiful floral pattern, making the style more feminine than ever.


Tamsin Cook 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
19/09/2013

The Last Virtue In Fashion

Last week, Rodarte sent a gang of pseudo-cholas down the runway. After that, it’s easy to believe that there are no longer any rules in high-end fashion. Not at least regarding aesthetics. Even though Rodarte has strayed far away from its signature look, the brand will have no problems surviving the Spring season. The chichi crowd loves exotification and doesn’t mind dressing up subcultural every now and then. If we’re only talking about a mere seasonal escape that is.

The laws of visual aesthetics are turning more and more liberal. But there is still one word regulating the high–end market: quality. The last virtue in fashion. One simply doesn’t present a collection of poor standards. However, these two components are closely related.

Remember when Kanye West’s first fashion effort was cut off like in a guillotine? Few opposed the idea of the collection, except for the redundant use of fur perhaps. On the other hand, the tailoring was of the shoddy kind. The garments weren’t just ill fitting on the mannequins. It was clear that they hadn’t been adjusted to the human body at all. The visual quality of the collection fell flat. How many more collections from West have emerged since?

Few have been as accused of unoriginal design as Christophe Decarnin. But during his six-year reign at Balmain, many praised his taste in fashion. Also, there was never an obvious issue with quality. Therefore, he managed to keep the sales figures soaring.

The Mulleavy sisters will have nothing to worry about either. As long as their fringed leopard mini dresses offer the usual impeccable craftsmanship. The die-hard fans will probably find a way to wear the embellished bustier. Luckily for Rodarte, there still are no social rules regarding using subcultures or minorities as inspiration for playing dress up.

Petter Köhler – images Rodarte 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
17/09/2013

Labels and Names

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The eternal words of Shakespeare’s Juliet can unintentionally be used as an introduction to the discussion about brand collaborations, ever more common among many famous designers. Karl Lagerfeld and Shu Uemura, Marc Jacobs and Coca Cola, Lancôme and Alber Elbaz, Isabel Marant and H&M are just few collaborations, but the list certainly doesn’t end there nor does the popularity they’ve gained. For when a famous name in fashion is lending talent and brand visibility to another, it is almost always met with open arms among the big public. In relation to the increasing popularity and demand of individual style this can however seem somewhat odd. How can an individual style be kept if it constantly wants to be in connection with someone else’s name? Especially when the lower prices make it even more appealing to the masses.

Naturally there can be many answers to this. From one point of view the product is often being presented as a limited or special edition and therefore exudes a form of exclusivity, something that is highly in association with individuality. From another, since the fascination of labels was put into high gear during the 1990s, many of the consumers of these collaborations may be themselves some kind of products of that era, creating an explanation for their subconscious desire to purchase.

More can certainly be said and everyone surely has their own opinion on this. We may acknowledge that by purchasing a designer label in collaboration with someone, we are not becoming one with the designer as an individual. The words of Juliet still apply here; the names of designers may appear to be of importance but if the physical outcome doesn’t fit with our perception and desire for it, it won’t help promoting a personality or a style. Just because someone has the possibility to purchase certain labels, it won’t give him or her a “sweeter smell”. The smell is nothing more than a fleeting moment of glitz and glam which is up to the consumer to sustain.


Victoria Edman 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
16/09/2013

London Fashion Week: Paul Smith SS14










Backstage of Paul Smith by Luca Campri 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
16/09/2013

Robert Mapplethorpe: Fashion Show

Robert Mapplethorpe is one of those photographers who has really defined an era. Back in the New York of 70s and 80s, he portrayed the beauty of the subversive and scandal by shooting people like Grace Jones, Andy Warhol and Patti Smith. A special exhibition at London’s Alison Jacques gallery has started on 11th September and focuses on a different angle of his art, especially tracing his relationship with the fashion system. By working for Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia, he loved to take pictures of real identities, including the fetish and the sexual side of them. His life was all about glamour and beauty but never in a corny way.


“Robert Mapplethorpe: Fashion Show” has been organized and co-curated by his very first lover, the model David Croland, who wants to showcase more about Mapplethorpe’s personality and interests. For this reason, Croland himself has prepared a commentary to describe who Robert Mapplethorpe really was and what he was actually trying to demonstrate with his job.

This is a perfect – and rare – occasion to discover an iconic artist from a different point of view. There is also a special book “Mapplethorpe Polaroids”, edited by Sylvia Woolf and published by Prestel, that is currently available at libraries in UK and US.

The show will last until 5th October.

Francesca Crippa – Images © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by Permission. Courtesy The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, New York and Alison Jacques Gallery, London. Silver Gelatin prints: Paris Fashion / Dovanna, 1984, Italian Vogue, 1984, French Vogue, 1986, Melody / Shoe, 1987. 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
13/09/2013

New York Fashion Week SS14

Autumn may be fast approaching but the fashion industry is focusing on what to wear in Spring/Summer 2014. This past week America’s finest have presented their views. Here are some key trends spotted in the city that never sleeps.

THE COLOR
As expected, the most popular color of the season is white, worn from H to T or paired
with a black shoe. As seen amongst others at Diane von Furstenberg, BCBG Max Azria and Reed Krakoff.

THE MATERIAL

Organza, mesh or anything else that is sheer. The cut out trend and cropped top have received a partner in crime in a sheer overlay. Several designers showcased a desire to give the illusion of covering up and give a twist to the geometrical minimalism.

THE PRINT

Botanical and pinstripe. Think floral water paintings and/or classic menswear pinstripe which is a continuation from the fall season. Playful use of the stripe shirt – on top as well as bottom – could be viewed in many forms at Altuzarra.

THE ACCESSORIES

The fur wrap is not just limited to colder seasons. It has now also a place in the summer wardrobe thanks to Michael Kors. Another unexpected accessory was the fanny pack. At Tory Burch it was seen swinging from the models’ hips in a hard case leather form in tone with their modernized 60s look.

THE SILHOUETTES

The rear window seems to be focused on two eras: the 50s and 60s. Many interestingly shaped dresses walked the runway in combination with voluminous coats and small hats, as well as with a few A-lines, they created almost an escapism to yesteryears.

Hitchcock’s leading ladies – like Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren – should in other words be kept in your inspiration folder. In contrast the embrace of menswear for women is also a trend being kept. Underwear as outerwear was used to update the menswear trend in a “conservative” way at Alexander Wang and a daring 80s way at Rodarte.

Googler’s guide for inspiration:

THE MATERIAL:
Philip Lim – Look 25 (White cropped top with purple printed skirt)
Lacoste – Look 18 (Peach colored dress) 
Vera Wang – Look 9 (Black sheer long sleeved top with black skirt)
Narciso Rodriguez – look 14 (black skirt with white part sheer top)

THE ACCESSORIES:
Tory Burch – Look 9 and 20 (Fanny Pack)

THE SILHOUETTES:
Badgley Mischka – Look 8 ( “open” peplum top with hat and skirt)
Alexander Wang – Look 12 (blue pinstripe shirt with pinstripe underwear) 
Rodarte – Look 12 (Vest and Jacket with animal print briefs)

THE COLOR:
BCBG Max Azria – Look 11 (white cropped top with white Suit pants)
Prabal Gurung – Look 3 (White sleeveless shirt with white skirt)

Victoria Edman 
Share: Facebook,  Twitter  
Next Page » « Previous Page