Aziz Bekkaoui Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

“There will be a surprising guest-model walking down the runway tonight”, Dutch tv-host and male model Dirk Taat revealed a few minutes before show time. That already started many rumours about the opening show of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam. And it was up to artist and designer Aziz Bekkaoui, who has his roots in Morocco, to warm up the fashion audience. And it seemed to be the follow-up of his last season show. While his fall collection was all about love, named United Hearts Now, this time it was about United Origins. His aim was to redefine everyday lines, squares, colours and symbols that have been around us for ages, surrounding us in the streets and in the media. Sometimes it’s good to look at regular things from a different angle, change your perception and see it in a new and refreshing daylight, considering them more than just a colour or solid constitution. The result was a clean graphic pallet of black, white, red and blue held together by golden cement. In some outfits a bold orange caught our eye, in others the British flag peeped out, perhaps the epitome of his message. Some outfits looked modernly clean, others were richer, more accessorised or slightly preppy. Oh and not to mention those white sneakers. Any guy who wouldn’t want to wear those crispy whites during summer time? We kept on flipping the pages in our ‘How to Stay Cool During the Summer’ guide, which was underlined by Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and an upbeat Dutch hip hop finale song, which was a direct link to that mysterious guest on the runway, Dutch rapper Yes-R. One thing’s for sure; Aziz gives you a one way ticket to a cool urban attitude.

Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture FW15 Backstage

Take a look backstage at the Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture Fashion Show yesterday at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

Jean Paul Gaultier has been doing the #throwback quite a lot lately. With his retrospective exposition, naturally, and with his final ready to wear show, of course. But apart from those career milestones he has been staying true to his success numbers anyway, bringing back to life his mariniere stripes, trenchcoats and cone bras every single time. Today’s JPG couture show was no exception. His first look worn by Anna Cleveland already gave that away. Striped knee high socks and sailor hats welcomed us in Brittany as the collection evolved from rather casual into spectacle. Gold threated embroideries on a number of black outfits put the couture in the collection halfway the show. Circular skirts, towering high hats (or was it hair?), double pointy shoulders and fur detailing added some extra playfulness. Designs to love and to hate. The final creation, fully made out of animal skin/fur sure made a lot of people frown. But JPG won’t be bothered. He has earned his stripes in the fashion world and is having more fun than ever.

Martin Margiela Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

The Martin Margiela collection was hard to grasp. We went back and forth with our thoughts throughout the whole show. Was this experimental or beautiful? Were the designs glamorous or arty? Was it about deconstructing or was the focus on artisanal couture? Whatever message John Galliano intended to convey things weren’t what they seemed. There was so much more than met our eyes. Hidden spaces in fabrics, complete pieces of clothing barely visible. Structure seemed key in this collection, although even that was not crystal clear as Irina Djuranovic clearly deviated from that. The color palette of pastels, metallic and cobalt blue (matching the models make-up) appeared to be just as contrasting. While some looks appeared simplistic (hello potato sack dress), others were true show stoppers. Like an exotically embroidered black and purple number worn by Katya Ledneva that is still on our minds..

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

In February Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren announced they would stop creating and producing ready to wear collections and fully focus on their Haute Couture shows. There might have been some disappointment, but on the other hand it results in even stronger Haute Couture pieces. Just as they showed yesterday when they presented their Fall 2015 Haute Couture fashion show. Although fashion? Perhaps we should consider it more art, as the collection was named Wearable Art. And what better place to unfold your pieces of art than in the gallery at the Palais de Tokyo, led by the sound of Henrik Schwarz’ melodic soundtrack.

For coming fall/winter, the crossing line between the apparently separate worlds of fashion and art was pretty blurry. Can fashion be art and vice versa? According to the famous Dutch fashion duo, it sure can. A one shoulder dress transformed into an artwork, back into a dress and into an artwork again. We saw hinged frames on coats, dresses, and capes. Soft painted colors are splattered on purely and folded or cinched white canvasses. There seemed to be an interesting conversation between Dutch Golden Age paintings and raw and spontaneous action painting. And we spotted several trompe l’oeil techniques: each artwork is executed in a complex layering of laser-cut jacquards, embroideries and appliqués. As the show was built up beautifully by each look, unfolding slowly the whole art (or fashion)collection, the final look showed the biggest and most complete artwork, as a grand finale—a huge Dutch still life dress on a moving model.

Viktor and Rolf are always up for some entertainment and unexpected show elements, so of course they wouldn’t ‘just’ send their models on the runway. Once again, the designers took the stage themselves too.  They untied their works from several models and hanging them on the white backdrop. All for the sake of that one important question. “We are fashion artists. But what does this mean, we asked ourselves. What do we want to do?” the designers explained to WWD magazine. Art collector Han Nefkens, a longstanding collaborator of Viktor&Rolf, acquired once again a piece that will be donated to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. So would that make it art? Perhaps the answer is supposed to never be found. The question seems to be far more interesting than the answer.

Chanel Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

“I gamble with collections more than ever”, Karl told Style.com after his latest haute couture show. And so he decided to turn the Grand Palais into a casino and invited celebrity friends like Vanessa Paradis, Julianne Moore, Rita Ora and Kirsten Stewart to take their chances, dressed in customized Chanel couture gowns, of course. Then in came the models in their tweed suits, outer space hairdos, red lips, red cheeks and heavy eyebrows to match. Epaulettes drew our eyes to the shoulders of the box shaped suit jackets. Nothing too shocking apart from the fact that Karl got some extra help on the sketching and cutting. Not because the designer is getting lazy, but because he’s always one step ahead of the trends. So it won’t be long before we wear quilted tule dresses with crystal embroideries. Or sparkling flapper dresses with standing collars. Not to mention that structured pale pink and black overcoat. If it’s up to Karl we’ll soon wear white suits and a veil to our wedding. He conveniently got Kendall Jenner, daughter of recently turned transgender Caithlin Jenner (before Bruce Jenner) to show how that genderblending wedding thing goes as she put an end to an early morning of roulette.

Armani Privé Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

Usually sticking to his winning color scheme of ‘greige’ (grey and beige, usually in the mix with navy and black) Giorgio Armani turned a different page at his couture show today. Turquoise, blue, green, purple and pink formed his disco proof palette. Models sported punk black hairdos and eyecatching earrings to match that theme. We arrived at an eighties party. Strong shoulders, high waisted trousers, bandeau dresses in the mix. Armani’s choise of materials like velvet, lurex, Swarovski embroidered fabrics kept things modern though. As did the styling; skirts and dresses worn over pants, loafers instead of high heels. Sequins and feathers added to the luxurious feeling of the collection. Armani may have taken a risk here, turning away from is ever so chic and slightly predictable haute couture. A daring collection turned out for the better. Shocking.

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

Tight bodices, voluminous skirts are a golden combination making any woman look ultra elegant. Giambattista Valli knows this couture code like no other and made sure to keep his audience on the edges of their seats with this mix of wide vs. narrow. His sheer/lace tops ended in countless layers of tule as well as beautifully shaped ostrich feathers. Round shaped sunglasses and larger than life earrings to match. Halfway through the show Valli brought even more excitement to the collection, adding color (yellow, green, orange and coral). Colors that stayed till the final look, even if they were used more subtly in nature inspired embroideries. One of the finale dresses had an orange shaded floor sweeping skirt that seemed to fill up the whole. A statement piece that matched the models orang-y hair. Drooling over these breath taking evening gowns (as well as those jaw dropping cocktail numbers) we all want to get married, right now (or attend a wedding for that matter). As long as we can dress up and feel like a Valli princess for a day.

Dior Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

An enormous venue that you feel as if you stepped into a kaleidoscope and a purple colored catwalk with round shaped objects on it awaited us at Dior. A magnificent scene that formed a perfect fit for a collection just as enchanting. Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s fantastical Garden of Earthly Delights and it’s forbidden fruit Raf Simons’ couture pieces were both resplendent and dreamy as well as young and modern. The collection, a mix of light and dark, featured chiffon pieces full of air and innocence (like a playsuit worn by Estelle Chen) while others were much heavier and darker (like a black leather cape with red pants worn by Waleska Gorczevski). Long and lean dresses, next to sculptured velvety capes and cloaks, tight harnessed bodices, loose sleeves, the New Look silhouette interwoven all the way. Cut outs and slits added air. Floral printed garden party dresses were followed up by striking purple and green numbers which formed a true match for any Once upon a time story. “Dior is always a fairy tale, no matter what I’m doing”, said Simons and mesmerized we were.

Atelier Versace Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

It was a show filled with Dutchies at Atelier Versace. Familiar faces like supermodels Lara Stone, Doutzen Kroes and newcomer Maartje Verhoef. But fresh faces too, like Marjan Jonkman, Susanne Knipper, Julia van Os, Lauren de Graaf en Milan van Eeten. Garlands in their hair patent platform shoes on their feet. Contrast to keep things interesting. Dresses were dreamy as well as powerful, another contradiction. Corset tops, harnesses, sheer chiffon, lace and cutouts left nothing to the imagination. Looks that had sex written all over them, even though Donatella portrayed her softest Versace side. From a distance the pastel colored dresses might have appeared princess-y, up and close the vibe was more party. Frayed edges, asymmetric off shoulder dresses and lots of body parts on display. Shiny sequins and velvet appliqués added to the rich feeling of the collection. Yet while so many designs appeared unfinished we couldn’t help but think Donatella may have been in a rush. Couture as if created in a hurry. That didn’t stop Doutzen from wearing her floor sweeping gown to the Amfar dinner that same evening. Fresh off the runway, how convenient!

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