Bright red was the color of choice for make-up artists backstage at Chanel, Chloé and Dolce & Gabbana. Meant for looking, no touch..err.. kissing. Fierce, statement making and forever in fashion. Red lips give your total look an effortless upgrade. Are you ready to paint this town red?
Bright colors, airy fabrics, cropped & cut-out pieces and a whole lot of see through. Feeling uninspired getting dressed this week? Here’s some statement making, high summer inspiration straight from the backstage of some of the biggest SS2019 fashion shows. Be like the models at Fendi, Marni and Sportmax. Be bold this season!
Big volumes have always been a big theme in couture land. Highly accentuated shoulder, rounded hips, balloon sleeves and skirts made out of endless layers of tulle. Check out the latest collections from the likes of Iris van Herpen, Giambattista Valli (the absolute tulle title holder and volume victor) and Schiaparelli. With couture minded coupes and make-up to match. Go big or go home is the message (yet again).
On Wednesday night we all gathered at Het Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ for the premier of House of Salt. Not your ordinary fashion show, but a project combining fashion, film and music. Martan Designers Diek Pothoven & Luuk Kuijf created the fashion pieces. Other creatives involved were director Willem Gerritsen (Czar amsterdam), Raphael Vanoli, Asko|Schönberg and REDKEN artist Siko van Berkel. Martan is all about fashion forward materials and refreshing shapes. For this collection the designer used fabrics with liquid rubbers and prints inspired by David Hockney’s waves. Other water world references were laminated shells and silhouette that appeared to be dripping off of the models bodies. A powdery pink suit jacket paired with a pair of silk pants stood out. As did an emerald green menswear coat and all of the fluffy fur bags. A Redken wet look to match and we were all drooling over the models look, all with their different levels of being soaked. You got that Martan drip yet?
The brightest pink, worn head to toe if possible is going to be next summer’s menswear look. From Louis Vuitton’s pink croc to Dior’s pink cover up. From Versace’s pink hair + pink runway to Emporio Armani’s fluid pink suit. Embracing your masculinity never looked this bright. Next year be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons guys!
Last season’s collection was all over the internet and went endlessly viral on IG. Even till today, when Christina Aguilera arrived in that “Fuck this Im going to Paris”-dress, it’s a megahit. So how to follow up on a hyped up collection like that? A moody but later on light hearted collection entitled Spiritual Glamour shown at the Westin Hotel was the answer. “Our spell is to transform the feeling of doom about our environment into positive action,” said Horsting. And so the designers collaborated with textile artist Claudy Jongstra. A specific shade of Burgundian black made from botanical pigments turned up on coats and dresses. As the collection slowly became a little more cheerful towards the end when the sun, stars, flowers, butterflies and the usual bows brought some extra optimism. Architectonical shapes, patchwork details, funky hairdos (with little waves) and dramatic eye make-up turned each look into a showstopper. It might turn out as less of a hype perhaps, but with a stronger sustainability message this time. “Our models are like modern witches looking for a spell to make people look at fashion production and consumption differently”, Rolf said. Let’s hope the fashion system is not cursed.
On Monday Dutch designer Iris van Herpen presented her latest couture collection ´hypnosis´. Nineteen laser-printed, heat-bonded and laser cut dresses inspired by the kinetic sculptures of American artist Anthony Howe. As Céline Dion, wearing one of the dresses, watched from the front row the designs gracefully moved (with duchesse-satin cut into thousands of 0.8 mm exquisite waves that each are interlinked, designed to move faster than the eye can follow) with every step of the (run)way. Yet explaining the way these dresses were constructed or made with technology can be as dazzling as watching the designs come down the runway. ´The ‘hypnosis’ collection is a hypnotic visualization of nature’s tapestry, the symbiotic cycles of our biosphere that interweave the air, land, and oceans. It also reflects the ongoing dissection of the rhythms of life and resonates with the fragility within these interwoven worlds´, Iris told the press. Best let the designer explain the process and simply be amazed.
When it comes to environmental friendly fashion or sustainability Dutch designers always succeed in coming up with highly innovative and refreshing ideas. Such as this one, presented by Dutch duo Schueller de Waal this Tuesday. For their haute couture Paris adventure they teamed up with Pik Pik Environnement to present the very first Collaborative Cleaning Initiative named ‘Litter’, supported by the city of Paris. On a public square, right in front of the town-hall of the 15th arrondissement, a group of 50 models, cool kids and volunteers started to clean the streets in an upbeat cleansing fashion performance. The models picked up trash from the streets, dressed head-to-toe in freshly made garments made from the studio’s leftover fabrics, deadstock and other remains from the fashion industry. The act of cleaning served as an inspiration for both the presentation as well as a design principle. With the performance, the initiators aim to make a powerful statement on the current state of the industry and inspire for change. ‘Litter’ is the next step for SDW in unfolding their story of ‘Fashion Therapy’.
Cleaning (in) Haute Couture ‘Litter’ elevates ‘the act of cleaning’ by combining different elements into a collective cleaning session. Rather than changing a location to meet the needs of a fashion show, SDW studio created an intervention that has a positive effect on the location. Collaborating with local NGO’s (PikPik Environnement, Green Bird Paris) educating about garbage separation and conscious living as part of city maintenance, and fashion professionals (stylists, fashion journalists etc.) supporting the mission, SDW Studio dressed a diverse group of people in an eclectic range of cleaning uniforms.
Men wearing dresses at the shows might have made some headlines five years ago. But menswear has changed so much the last couple of years there’s hardly a way to shock or surprise the audience anymore. And that is such a great observation. Rules have faded, boundaries have blurred, codes have shifted so that men can dress as freely as ever. Yes, we’re slowly moving from sporty and street to sophisticated and dressed up. Yet the new dressing up game is so much different than before. We’re getting seventies vibes (with lots of color, prints and a feeling of a louche love affair). Summer suits are allowed in just about any color except for the conservative navy and black. The ocean forms a big inspiration for many nautic boy (boat hat on, scarf around the neck) outings. Tunics and “midlayer garments” (quoting Vigirl Abloh) are the fits for relax/holiday mode. And then there’s a whole armory of gender bending looks and collections ready to change up the fashion game for guys just a little more. Also: let’s take a moment for the breathtaking Jacquemus show Simon Porte Jacquemus decided to hold in the middle of endless lavender fields in Aix-en-Provence. The ultimate escape for a 2020 holiday.
Sure you’ve got your gold old tux for the holiday season. But how about a summer tuxedo? The summer tux is so much more original and just as chic as that Christmas/NYE suit. Perfect for summer weddings or fancy business events. All eyes on you in a powdery pink or pastel yellow suit. Double breasted and a touch of satin? Sure! And if you don’t feel feminine enough, try a tuxedo dress. Not sure if you’re up for it? Watch how these models pulled off their tailored catwalk looks or google images of Meghan Markle in one of her many tuxes.