Fashion | The Blogazine - Contemporary Lifestyle Magazine

03/05/2012

Hyères 2012: Finnish Fashion Spotlight

Once per year the population in the city Hyères, situated at the Côte d’Azur on the French Riviera, becomes more creative, fashionable and artistic than ever. During four days, in an ambience very different from the normal cliché of glamorous fashion gatherings, the city’s regular number of circa 55 000 habitants adds up with industry people; renowned designers, artists, photographers, gallery owners, buyers, agents and to not forget, the leading lights of the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie; the yet undiscovered designers competing to receive the prestigious Hyères Award.

2012’s festival, which finished a couple of days ago, was the 27th edition and like every year a diverse mix of ten designer profiles with as diverse nationalities were presented to the audience at Villa Noaille. Creative cuts, colours, mindfulness and craftsmanship to be judged by a jury this time headed by no one less than Yohji Yamamoto. As true privies of fashion you most likely got that this is a rare opportunity for the lucky few chosen talents to get exposed to and meet industry people who all have a finger in the game of their future (industry darlings like Viktor & Rolf, Gaspard Yurkievich, Matthew Cunnington, Yiqin Yin and Alexandra Verschueren all started off at Hyères), and if you followed the fashion media over the last few days, were one of the lucky to spend a few days in Hyères or if you were part of the audience at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, you also know who the fortunate awardees are.

Having mentioned Scandinavian fashion and several of its promising talents over the past months, it was with excitement but with no choc the Blogazine received the news that the Finnish menswear trio Siiri Raasakka, Tiia Siren and Elina Laitinen were the winners of Hyères 2012 “Grand Prix du Jury L’Oréal Professionnel”. The collection presented by these three young designers, who yet haven’t even graduated from their BA’s at Aalto University in Helsinki, was out of the ordinary and described by the words “urban nomads living in a utopian future society”. With incredible craftsmanship in the work of the fabrics and psychedelic prints, neon colours, fringes, glow sticks and the key accessory; Swarovski crystals, the collection takes an unsullied angle to the often rather gloomy, strict and minimalistic Scandinavian menswear scene. Truth told, even though Scandinavian fashion received an increasing amount of attention, Finland as a fashion country never really been in the loop of that attention. On the artistic side the talk would always go towards architecture and design, as Helsinki for example were named World Design Capital 2012, and the country just never fully accomplished to please the selective industry crowd. With a Hyères Award in the backpack and a prominent design trio with the opportunity to showcase their collection during SS13 Paris Fashion Week, we await to see if Finland can widen the fashion landscape and become a solid addition to the Scandinavian fashion family.

Besides the Finnish trio, Belgium women’s wear designer Lucas Sponchiado won the prize voted by the audience of the two venues Palais de Tokyo and Villa Noailles while Ragne Kikas, Estonian knit wear designer, grabbed the official Prix du Public de la Ville D’Hyères (Fashion Public Award of the City of Hyères) as well as the Première Vision Award. Hyères 2012 also presented a new award, Prix Chloé, granted by the fashion house and was received by Central Saint Martin graduate Steven Taï.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images from www.filepmotwary.com

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26/04/2012

Tie-Dye Tribal by PetrouMan

A few seasons ago, Nicolas Petrou caused quite a stir during a New York fashion week with his avant garde runway performance featuring checker headed nomad boys, but Petrou isn’t a newly-born fashion star. Quite the opposite, the Cypriot designer who graduated from St. Martins back in 1993 has for many years worked for various brands including his own women’s line Petrou, before creating the new high end men’s wear line back in 2009.

“PetrouMan is all about wearable clothes. Yet, at the same time, I always feel the need to present them in more artistic ways. Considering the destruction that surrounds us all, it’s nice to be able to present a fashion collection by escaping to a more abstract and not so conventional place.”

After some years of runway shows in New York, supported by PR powerhouse Kelly Cutrone, Petrou decided to move his presentation to southern latitudes. The Nigerian city of Laos has since 2011 been the host for the Arise Magazine Fashion Week, and during the last edition, the Petrou circus was invited, and the collection was coincidentally, or strategically enough – African inspired.

The presentation was a low key installation in comparison to the usual Petrou standard, but perhaps not when it comes to colours, or more specifically speaking – patterns; the collection was heavily tainted by tie-dye patterns in blue and grey nuances. The silhouette for the fall and winter was of a slim, relaxed, and highly wearable kind, except for an intermission by a low-necked number with an accentuated waistline. On a more interesting note, the greater part of the collection had advanced detailing such as appliqued braided tulle on the shoulders. Multi coloured mosaic-looking pieces had been sewn on to on blazers and shirts, which somewhat resembled the flags of the African continent, and the shoes made for a nice Do It Yourself-moment with its hand painted tribal markings and skulls.

“My objective is to sell of course. I create fashion for people to wear, so I need to make the work wearable if I want to continue creating. But I always like to have some editorial pieces that are more out there because those are the pieces that attract attention”, Petrou acknowledges.

Petsy von Köhler – Images courtesy of One Nigerian Boy

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24/04/2012

Guest Interview n° 40: KALDA

Undemanding but slightly seductive. The garments by London based brand KALDA are fashioned with a lot of realism while combining contrasting elements to bring out an individual touch. KALDA is the creation of sisters Katrin Alda and Rebekka Rafnsdottir, originate from Iceland. The Blogazine caught up with Katrin, who is also the one heading the design, to talk about the inspiration, the style, and London Fashion Week.

KALDA started out as a few pieces project to sell in your concept store, Einvera, back in Reykjavík. Was the objective with the store to be a first step for the brand?
No, not really, the whole thing kind of just happened, almost accidentally, but in the best possible way. I had known for some time that I wanted to have my own brand but it was not done in a strategic way. The shop first started in the basement of our home and then evolved to what it is today.

AW12 is your third full collection. How has the aesthetics of the garments evolved over time?
For me personally AW12 is the collection where it all came together and made sense. I think the aesthetics are pretty much the same, especially for the stranger’s eye, but something changed with me personally in this collection.

KALDA is a lot about contrasts and opposites, in the same time as the style is very free and easy going. How is the creating process looking?
The creative process is very intuitive, some base idea comes along and that will be the starting point; normally it is about fabrics. I love the idea of combining different aspects in every single garment. The objective is always to create something realistic and individual.

For your SS12 campaign you worked with the Swedish model Caroline Winberg. Do you wish to keep a Scandinavian touch to the brand?
No, not consciously at least. We had gotten to know Caroline through a friend and as she is one of the hottest women I’ve seen, we had to ask her to work with us!

Your campaigns are a mix of laid back, chic and rock n’ roll. Is this how you would describe the attitude of the brand?
Yes, we create the images to give our costumers an idea of what we are about. We are lucky to work with photographer Silja Magg on our shoots and she really understands the brand identity.

You started out in Reykjavík but have along the road relocated to London. What elements of inspiration have you taken with you from Iceland?
I think growing up there has definitely shaped my aesthetics in ways I am not really aware of. Rebekka and I grew up in a town of 300 people and spent all day every day outside in the nature. Also our team comes mostly from Iceland and they are a great source of inspiration. We just appointed a new Creative Director, Regina Rourke, who is an Icelandic artist so we are very happy with our roots!

Your collection is sold through the iconic London store, Liberty. Do you have any other favourite stores in London, or back in Reykjavík?
I have always thought of Liberty as my favourite store, even more after they picked us up and I’ve gotten to know the way they run their business. Otherwise Natalie Massenet is someone who I think is a great inspiration for young professionals due to her self-believe attitude; Net-A-Porter is one of the best in the business.

From a business point of view it must be easier to be in the midst of it, in an acknowledged fashion city, than on a somewhat isolated island. Was this your main reason for moving the company?
I studied in London and got to know the fashion industry quite well while living here. I think London offers one of the best support systems for young designers in the world and I always knew I wanted to be a part of that. It is very important for me to surround myself with the best to push myself further.

And the plans for the future… What is the next step for KALDA? London Fashion Week perhaps?
Yes, loads of plans! We are just setting up our studio in London now and getting more people involved, which is very joyful! We are also planning an event for LFW in September, which we are all very excited for.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Image courtesy of KALDA

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16/04/2012

Kaleidoscopic cosmetics – Carolina Melis

2012 Beauty Club Awards, the annual competition for cosmetics brands launched by Debenhams to involve cosmetics addicts to vote for their favourite beauty products, has its winners. To celebrate the closure of the 2012 edition, the British retailer commissioned 2DM’t talent Carolina Melis to design and direct an animated film, which shows the most-loved products chosen among six different categories – make-up, skincare, fragrance, new kids on the block, body and tan – and selected by a panel of experts.

Floating among colourful dots, lines, and geometric figures, Carolina Melis displays the winning cosmetics on the screen creating wonderful kaleidoscope effects and charming images. From the lipstick by MAC and the women’s fragrance by Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo, to the best night cream by Clarins (just to mention a few) the video presents in a magical and imaginative way an array of must-have beauty products women can do without.

From the Bureau

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16/04/2012

Mundi – A Surreal Fashion Story from the North

Despite his young age, Guðmundur Hallgrímsson, better known as Mundi, is no rookie in the fashion industry. After having started his career in fashion as a pure accident involving the Icelandic phone book, he has been crossing boundaries, creating amazement and managing to stay an artist while pursuing a career in fashion. Barely 25 years old, he is one of Iceland’s most well-known designers and artists.

The young and somewhat avant-garde designers often get under the loupe with the discussion “Artist or designer, fashion or art?” In the case of Mundi there is no real need for discussion. He is not just a designer with an artistic angle to it, or an artist turned designer, more than he is an artist who also designs – and makes the whole discussion damn interesting. Ever since that first knit, which was made to be printed as the cover of the Icelandic phone book, also turned to be a sweater, he has managed to produce seasonal collections as a fashion designer while taking part in major art projects. His art collective MoMs has travelled the world, exhibiting and performing, and among the more famous projects you find collaborations with the Austrian, worldwide known group of artists, Gelitin. As a designer his skills in graphics as well as the Icelandic knits have become parts of the brand’s foundation and his understanding for art has become the way he presents it.

For not only does Mundi know how to put on a runway show or excite the audience of an art exhibition, he has also proved to master the art of fashion film. His first short, The Rabbit Hole, was launched during Paris Fashion Week 2010 and received tons of attention. Mundi himself was though strict on pointing out that the film wasn’t one in the category of fashion. In an interview with Dazed Digital he said: “If you focus too much on the fashion, the main subject falls apart. I only look at fashion in terms of extreme costumes that help to create the characters. If you are making a film it has to be more focused on a story, a character, a plot… I think in some cases ‘fashion films’ are nothing more than a long dramatic commercial. They come to life when a lost photographer realises his new Canon 5D Mark II has a video option, so instead of taking photos he makes a terrible video of skinny models jumping around in slow-motion!”

Despite this, the film amazed its audience, being like a seventeen minutes long surreal fashion editorial showcasing Mundi’s eccentric designs in the surroundings of the Icelandic highlands.

For the AW 12/13 collection, Mundi presented The Journey, another short film, but this time with the goal to create a pre-story for the runway where the characters would finally come to life. The Journey turned out to be far away from a long, dramatic commercial featuring skinny models, and even though we dare to say it’s a fashion film, it still has that Mundi ‘surrealness’ about it. The collection is shown in its full, from the distorted graphics to the careful details in the shirts, knits and accessories and was the perfect parallel to the later put on runway show.
Mundi seem to have a penchant for the futuristic side of things but the charm of his predilection is that it takes shape in something that could as easily be taken for an inspiration from the past. With a strong base in his Icelandic heritage, this is an artist slash designer who has already impressed the international fashion crowd and might be one of the stronger reasons for the industry audience to travel all the way to Reykjavík, even though the two last collections have been premiered during Paris Fashion Week. For SS13 Mundi will be showing his 13th official collection and by looking at the evolvement of his designs in the retrospective we can just guess that his graphic knits will take another turn, yet again.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images courtesy of Fridrik Orn & Ruediger Glatz – Video from Now Fashion

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12/04/2012

Reykjavík – The Other Scandinavian Fashion

When thinking of Iceland, what first comes to ones mind might be far-flung landscapes and hot-tempered volcanoes, or one of Iceland’s most famous exports Björk. Singer/composer/musician/actress, known for her critically acclaimed albums as well as for her eclectic wardrobe. Somewhere here, between the scenic surroundings and artistic multi-talent, we are tuning in on what Reykjavík Fashion Festival (RFF) is aiming for. By gathering all that creative energy into one single event they form a common platform where the local as well as the international audience can discover fashion, design and music in the various venues that the city has to offer.

Being an emerging designer is hard enough in any country, but maybe even more so when being based on, well, let’s call it an island. The creative industry of Iceland has been growing over the past years, and promising creative individuals have been trying to go overseas, but with an often limited marketing budget and a not so obvious fashion scene, the way to reach out might become a little bit more jolty. Internet and social media have all their glory, but where does it take you if the contact stops there? The fact that the RFF for 2012 doubled the number of attendees is in itself an indication that the interest for the country has gone up and the focus during this year’s edition was not only to showcase the most skillful of creative minds but also to prepare them for an entry into the international fashion business. The interest and support from industry leaders and authorities are an important element in the success of young designers and in order to foster the Icelandic fashion, awareness has to be raised. It is for this reason that events like the RFF becomes so important for the country and the designer it holds.

Speaking of the designers. Scandinavian fashion is famous for its well-tailored and clean silhouettes, but the Icelanders take a leap and gives us a wider arrange of provocative variety. Sure there are the simple lines evoking the beautiful shapes of the body, but Reykjavík Fashion Festival also offered shows in the category of dramatic extravaganza. Even though a few of the brands no longer have their base in Reykjavík, the collections and identities of the companies still marks the importance and value they put in their heritage. The fashion world in Reykjavík has become an exciting place where modernity meats tradition and like every other Fashion Week the surrounding events are as important for the ambiance as the main event itself. The spots around the city showed off the musical industry of Iceland, one that might be as important to the country as the blooming design business, but the RFF 2012 also introduced the city’s first ever Fashion Night Out.

A small economy such as Iceland might never measure up with the importance of the main fashion cities, but they can for sure fight for their earned right to a few days in the spotlight. By fostering rosy designers and offer a few days of alluring nature, Reykjavík Fashion Festival might just become a stop to consider on the fashion calendar.

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe – Images courtesy of Ruediger Glatz

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11/04/2012

Sporty Sophistication by Siki Im

Sporty Sophistication by Siki Im

After a few seasons of general praise, and after having won the prestigious Ecco Domani-prize for best men’s wear in 2010, The German-born designer Siki Im of Korean-descent is the man of the hour. The fact that Siki Im is a multicultural half-breed stands very clear in his design. In his latest collection, the Rei Kawakubo bulky-silhouette is juxtaposed with the European penchant for Jil Sanderian neo-minimalism.

Come fall, Im has taken a peak in the rear-view mirror and paid a homage to his own high school jock-phase, during which he played basketball for five years, and classic American athletic wear such as Nike and Champion held a firm grip of his wardrobe and everyday life. At that time, The Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan were in their age of glory. Therefore, their uniforms and sneakers have provided with inspiration for Siki Im’s up-coming season.

He even mentions Rocky’s Russian opponent Ivan Drago in Rocky IV as an influence; thus, the fluffy box-hair cut has been resurrected, accentuated by black and reddish sweatbands. But never mind the 80’s action movie allusions, the collection hoovers in a completely different dimension of modern sophistication, which could be explained by the fact that Im has once worked under the wings of Karl Lagerfeld and Helmut Lang.

Except for safe card such as black and grey, the collection presents a wide array of nuances from the red colour spectrum, featuring scarlet sweatshirts, burgundy blazers, coral slacks and ruby drawstring-tunics, all effortlessly layered together with goofy popcorn-print shirts and bomber jackets.
“Most people think my designs are very serious and avant-garde, but I really like it when some people say my collections are funny”, Im admits.

According to himself, he prefers to work with men’s clothing since it’s easier for women to wear menswear than the other way around. “The clothing can be worn comfortably by either sex”, he insists, “I think what’s important is to be comfortable.”

Petsy von Köhler

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06/04/2012

G Star Raw And The 3rd Dimension of Denim

During the next year, the most stalwart piece of clothing will turn 140 years – the jeans. The denim pants have come a long way since Levi Strauss and Calvin Rogers launched them in the commercial spotlight, and made them a crucial part of the everyday working life of the humble Northern American peasants.

Today, the label G Star Raw is the brand du jour who has seen into the future and brought innovation to their previous and current collections. At the right moment, when we were overfed with 3D-film productions, G Star decided to bring that peripheral dimension into their clothing line instead.

While 3D-pants might sound like something out of a cheap science fiction-production, on the contrary, the intricately constructed Elwood and Arc pants incorporated new techniques to the classic denim tailoring. To achieve an asymmetric tapered fit that adjusts to the leg, twisted seams and inseams were used. The jeans have a bow-legged shape when laid flat, but has an ergonomic 3D-effect around the leg when put on.

Ergonomic functionality has also been a priority in the current collection, with one style influenced by motorcycle rider from the swinging old days. In the 1920’s and 30’s, the importance of flexibility and comfort was never undermined; a fact that G Star Raw felt like it was time to remind the world of. Therefore, the new 5620 Dimension pant has evoked those qualities, through advanced moulding techniques, while staying true to their 3D-concept which adds volume for body parts in motion, such as the knees, in five different directions.

G-star Raw recently revealed their newest concept for the fall/winter collection – a line named Deep Tones, featuring denim that have undergone a formulated molecular treatment which will prevent the fading of colours when washing. This treatment has been applied to the Elwood and Arc pants. Aside from denim, experiments have also been carried out on wrap dresses and coveralls; by baking the denim, a more crinkled texture was obtained.

Since its inception in 1989, G Star Raw has so far been at the vanguard of jeans innovation; the challenge however lies in continuously moving forward with the technological 3D development while approaching ethical and environmental issues in new dimensions as well. Since 2011, the brand has lead a close collaboration with the multi-stakeholder organisation MADE-BY which aims to ameliorate environmental and social conditions in the fashion world. All hail to innovation, but let’s not forget that with great technological progress comes great corporate responsibility.

Petsy von Köhler – Images from the SS12 collection

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05/04/2012

Meeting Tim Coppens

Another time around, Tim Coppens created some hard-earned murmur about the eponymous brand during New York Fashion Week. With references drawn from the film ‘Drive’, tailoring marked by extreme care in details and a color palette adding sophistication to the otherwise dynamic and slightly aggressive aesthetics, Coppens presented his third menswear collection, FASTER, for Fall/Winter 2012/13. His image of the modern man goes beyond the classical structure for menswear. “I don’t think there is one specific clothing that fits every man”, the designer said when the Blogazine caught him for a quick chat somewhere between New York and Belgium.

In your F/W12 presentation, details from motocross and ice hockey gear had a strong influence on the details and athleticism is reflected in your collections. What is your personal relation to sports?
I grew up riding BMX and skateboarding and did that for about 14 years. The reason why I went to certain cities with friends was to skateboard and find the best spots. The last couple of years I have been into long distance running and cycling. I am attracted to individual sports where it’s more about going further and further, getting to know your limits. For me it’s a really good way to think and structure ideas. I’m not a big fan of group sports but I do like sports like ice hockey, rugby and American football where it’s more about the warrior athlete dressing up in battle gear getting ready to defeat the other team. The dress code and the protective armor are really interesting objects.

Does any specific type of music or places inspire you in your work?
I listen to a lot of music. But I also notice that I filter a lot more than I used to do, and doing that I also realize that I go back to the old records that I bought and loved to listen to, whether it’s Kenny Larkin or the Screaming Trees. I don’t have a favourite band. Places and music are connected.

The Fall 2012/13 collection is beautifully composed with the materials complementing each other and the meticulously worked-over details catching the eye. “I like compact materials, whether they are cottons or wool, et cetera”, Coppens said when we talked about what combinations of materials her prefers to work with. When talking about Tim Coppens, it is impossible to not speak of colors. His previous collections have been noted for some of the graphical elements that we don’t see for Fall. Instead we find the continuous subtle feeling of color blocking, given some extra vivacity through a few well-placed dashes of bright blue. The collection, which is described to have an aggressive edge and is very masculine and active, yet have a sophisticated side to it. We asked Mr Coppens if this somehow reflects on how he sees the ‘Tim Coppens man’: “I think so, yes. The masculine and sophisticated edge is something that is really important to me. Although, I have noticed that a lot of women like wearing my bomber jackets.”

Coppens, who was born in Belgium, graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerpen, and 2012 he is being noted as best new menswear designer of the year with the Ecco Domani award. Antwerpen and New York are both renowned fashion cities and the home of several noteworthy designers. Today he has chosen to live in New York, where he, as previous mentioned, also shows during Fashion Week. “I prefer spending my time in New York because it’s home for now. But I do like going back to Belgium from time to time.”

Lisa Olsson Hjerpe with a special Thank You to Tim Coppens

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02/04/2012

The Talented – Steffie Christiaens

Steffie Christiaens is someone who knew her business before setting up a studio in Paris. Prior to her first self-named prêt-à-porter collection, which was brought to the runway in March 2011, she attained her fashion design diplomas at Arnhem Academy in the Netherlands and IFM in Paris. She was chosen finalist in the prestigious Hyères Festival 2009 and she worked as collection assistant at Maison Martin Margiela as well as next to Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga. Merging the probably immeasurable expertise gained while working at two highly renowned fashion houses with her knowledge in architecture, 3-D construction and fabric design, Christiaens is creating space for a new discussion in the land of fashion and art.

The experiments have their point of departure in the forceful elements of nature and science. Femininity is presented in complementary to bold cuts and structures where texture, movement and shape all come together, creating powerful and forward-looking images throughout the three collections that so far has left the studio. The Fall/Winter 2012/13 collection is without a doubt a dynamic woman, but there’s a sensitivity and sophistication to her appearance. There’s the dimension of the projected deficits and asymmetric irregularities, and there’s the dimension of the precious work on the fabrics which adds an overall strength to a single piece as well as to the collection as a whole, both gaining from the inspiration coming from the transforming states of water and structures of ice. Black leather, 3D looking jacquards, hefty felt and zippers are softened up with light silk materials and soft shapes created out of goat hair. A color scale that stretches from black and the darkest of charcoal to the lightest crystalline whites is livened up and made more interesting with two outfits in blood red, light shades of camel and skin and the whole spectrum of icy greys.

Runway semblances can be seen through round necklines, high collars, slightly shortened trousers and heavy coats but it is not what makes the Steffie Christiaens brand worth talking about. It’s the dissimilarities in the sculpted shapes, cut outs and fine points like sliced up tights, resembling a fissure in a glacier or the hand-blown glass objects holding water and carried out as an accolade to the inspiration element. Every garment has the outlines for being a classic piece but thereafter the collection takes its own shape. Slim, nondescript trousers are matched with apron shaped miniskirts, the jackets are embellished with sculptural lines and every cut is emphasizing and shaping the female body. The line between accentuating and distorting is sometimes fine but Christiaens noticeable research and savoir-faire keeps her on the right side.

In 2011, preceding all of her runways, Christiaens released Deliquesce, a short film signifying the aesthetics in motion while slowly unwrapping and revealing a couture creation. The abstract image presented might just have been the start off for the label, but it might just become the core, representing the magnetic beauty story behind a collection.