Jiska van Rossum Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Designer Jiska van Rossum presented her collection ‘Adorned in Elegance’ this week. Like in al her clothes sensuality and temptation were important aspects of her menswear clothes.

Individuals by AMFI Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

The Individuals fashion show we saw on Thursday was named Some dream of running away to the circus. The show was all about elegant wearable clothes with fun details. After lots of smoke was blown in the air the first girls appeared. They wore dresses, tops and pants in purple and champagne. Some pleats and fringes were nice details and most of the clothes were loose fitting.

Leather accessories like gloves and knee-bands gave the looks a fun twist. And the knee stockings added some extra color.

The models all had beautiful make-up, completely matching with the show’s circus theme. The colors of their clothes (dazzling white, popping pink, daring turquoise en cannon ball black) were used for the make-up as well.

The collection had some pretty strong outfits in it. They were beautifully tailored and had a nice, wearable silhouette.

Individuals is an ever changing collective of young creative designers. By combining talent every time an inspiring story is told. Every generation adds it’s own unique chapter to the continuing story of Individuals.

Individuals is sold in the Netherlands and is now focusing on expanding abroad (United States, France, Japan and Denmark). In September an Individuals pop-up store will be opened in London.

AIFW Sfeer Dag 1

Impressie van de eerste dag AIFW Amsterdam Fashion Week. De opening en shows van Iris van Herpen en Spijkers & Spijkers.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/13387870[/vimeo]

Ado les Scents by Hyun Yeu Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Designer Hyun Yeu told us he was pretty nervous before today’s show. But there really was no need for that. For the third time Hyun Yeu proved he’s a talented designer who really has something to offer.

Today’s collection was inspired by the character of King Edward VIII, who gave up the English throne for a divorced American Woman. He named the collection The King Is Helpless. This inspiration was visible through looks that were vulnerable and romantic at the same time.

Yeu designed round shoulders, slightly puffy ¾ sleeves and little pleats in unexpected places. The clothes were made out of lightweight cottons, summer wools, silks and hi-tech fabrics. There were both casual and formal pieces in the collection.

Casual were the shorts, t-shirts and sport jackets, while suits (with checks), tailcoats and trenchcoats felt more formal. Several blouses were almost transparent and the shorts made of nylon resembled leather. All clothes came in pale green, light blue, navy, black and white, perfect shades for summer.

All looks were tailored really well. Especially the pants, the blouses and the navy trenchcoat looked stunning. Tomorrow Hyun Yeu will show a small womenswear collection. Since we loved the show today, we’re very curious about tomorrow. Will Yeu’s womenswear be just as good as his menswear line?

Rick Owens Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Right before the show Rick Owens was quietly drinking his espresso and watched everybody getting ready. Yet once the show started calm and quiet weren’t words that came to mind anymore. The music was extremely loud and the models seemed to be almost running on the catwalk as if the end of the world was near…

Like the hair of the male models, the silhouette of this collection was long. Jackets, blouses and tops all often reached the models’ knees (how summery!). Besides the boys wore long leather boots and some of them worked a long headband.

For this collection Owens again used his favourite shades: black & white, with one or two brown items. It matched to show area (a big black room) and the special effect of the show (white smoke was blown in the air).

Apart from the long autumn-like jackets Owens introduced a few sleeveless versions. Several of those were made out of leather. And while this season many brands opted for the double breasted jackets, Owens made his with zippers at the front.

Some of the tank tops and black over-the-knee shorts looked more like summer. Let’s just hope nobody will actually dare to wear one of the asymmetrical, one-shouldered tops outside of the house…

The best of Milan Fashion Week FW2010

Many Italian brands proved they know exactly how fashion works during Milan Fashion Week. Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Jil Sander and Marni all showed very strong collections meant to be worn by strong women.

Dolce & Gabbana
The Dolce & Gabbana show was one of the best shows we saw in Milan. With their 50th fashion show Domenico and Stefano went back to their roots. They showed everything Dolce & Gabbana stands for, which they described by the terms Sicilianita’, Sartorialita’ and Sensualita’. The show, which started off by a clip of the designer working in their atelier, was a true sensation. Domenico and Stefano presented perfect tailoring with a very feminine touch. Their polka dots, animal and floral prints combined perfectly with all the black. Like in the show for their summer collection of 2010 the designers at the end sent out 75 models on the runway. All of them were dressed in black jackets. What a lovely sight! The show was marvellous, but you’d have to be there to understand why it made certain people cry.

Jil Sander
Anther brand that stayed very true to itself was Jil Sander. Raf Simons took some inspiration from the Lara Croft movie Tomb Raider and said to have designed the collection for ‘women with a target’. The tight catsuits, the boots with Velcro-closures and the streamlined shorts suits represented the Tomb Raider influence. While another part of the collection, with colorful tweeds and checks, felt very classic. The whole collection gave us the Jil Sander feeling from the nineties and Raf Simons showed retro-minimalism like it’s supposed to.

Prada
Just when Jil Sander went back to the nineties, Miuccia Prada travelled back in time to the fifties. At her show we saw elegant looking women in sophisticated clothes. They didn’t show much skin, yet their busts were highly accentuated. Ruffles and pleats brought the focus of the designs to the models’ breasts and small belts focused on their waists. The skirts were longer than before at Prada and the models were fuller-figured. It all felt somewhat conservative, but maybe that was just what Miuccia was going for. And she wasn’t the only one. Marc Jacobs went for the fifties look in his Louis Vuitton collection as well. And since Prada and Louis Vuitton are two of the top fashion brands of the world, we might see a lot more of the fifties in future collections.

Marni
A great aspect of the Marni collection were the colors. The ochre, dusty pink, matt olive, ox blood red and the turquoise green looked suitable for fall and yet were bright enough to feel fresh. They were there on Marni’s bermuda’s, tops, skirts and on the arty T-shirts made by Gary Hume. Not only did we love the clothes with their structured silhouettes, the perforated shoes and major accessories were to die for as well. Overall Marni’s collection surprised us with it’s unexpected fits and color combinations. We can not wait to wear those ochre bermuda’s!

Overall Milan’s hightlights represent a sophisticated lady like look. Nothing too loud, sexy or over the top. Just wearable clothes in which women can feel feminine and comfortable.

The best of London Fashion Week FW2010

After a period in which British brands preferred showing abroad they’ve now come back to London. The city’s fashion week celebrated it’s 25^th anniversary last year and is again a popular fashion town. Some of the best British labels have returned to the London catwalks, including Burberry, Pringle, Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Clements Ribeiro. Luckily for London, cause Burberry and Williamson were surely two of our London Fashion Week highlights.

Christopher Kane
With the fall collection Christopher Kane presented he is bound to win another Collection of the Year award. The designer used black lace and leather embroidered (by hand!) with floral patterns. A crazy combination, at first sight, but after a few looks we started to like it. The skirts and dresses meant for young women were short like always, but never looked sleazy. Kane worked some Priscilla Presley looks into his collection as well. ‘From the time before Elvis got her hands on her’, he said. Even though Christopher Kane and his sister Tammy are only running the label for four years they’ve already achieved a lot. And we’re sure there’s much more to come. Now let’s just hope he won’t be taking too many extra design job like the ones for Versus and Topshop, cause he already has his hands full right now.

Burberry
Another successful British designer who is fully booked is Christopher Bailey, creative director for Burberry. Bailey oversees some 60 different men’s and women’s collections each year, including the Prorsum, Brit, London and Sport labels, plus children’s wear, denim, underwear, fragrances, home-wear and all the accessories. Plus he’s responsible for the design of the Burberry shops. But that doesn’t influence the great collections he delivers. His work even tends to get better. The womenswear collection for next fall was a highlight of the London Fashion Week. Not only was it the first show to be watched live in 3D, people could even buy the designs as they came down the runway by simply clicking the ‘Click to buy’ button. And there sure was a lot to love, the coats being the public’s favourite. They came by with military accents and in aviator style, shear ling lined with double collars. So the Burberry show was trendsetting in two ways: (1) The military coats will be a success next year (2) Other labels will soon broadcast their shows in 3D and will let their customers buy their clothes straight from the show as well. Just wait and see.

Matthew Williamson
A show we would have loved to see in 3D was that of Matthew Williamson. Although the man is known for designing bright young things for, well.., bright young things his fall collection seemed a little more grown up. Of course there were the multicolored mini-dresses but Williamson also experimented with a more mature look. We liked it. Romantic ruffles and drapery were seen on his sophisticated dresses. He used beautiful colors from icy grey and blue to warm shades of fuchsia, peach, orange and red. Colorful prints and sparkles gave the collection it’s Williamson-twist. We loved the designs, the colors and the more grown up look. The dresses we’re maybe a bit too dull for his on-and-off girlfriend Lady Gaga, but they are still perfect for his other young customers, like Sienna Miller and Jade Jagger.

The best of New York Fashion Week FW2010

New York doesn’t always have the best brands showing their new collections. Still some labels left a big impression on us at the latest New York Fashion Week during which the fall/winter collections for 2010/2011 were shown.

Marc Jacobs
One of the highlights certainly was Marc Jacobs’ fashion show. Not only did the designer create a buzz around his show by starting a contest on Twitter only three weeks before the show. The beginning of the show was also very spectacular, with the 56 models all standing in a box on the stag  wrapped in brown paper. The show started on time, ’cause there were no celebrities invited and we loved the fact that Somewhere over the rainbow was played. The song brought back good memories while Marc Jacobs brought back old trends. He showed many items of his nearly two-decade repertoire. He stressed the fact that he didn’t want his clothes to look new. They were fashionable but were ‘not trying too hard to be so’. The clothes looked conservative, pure and simple and had a vintage vibe going on. The waists were raised and the A-line was back. And we just let us carry away by the music, the romantic clothes and the serene atmosphere. We loved it!

Rodarte
Another NY show that breathed serenity was Rodarte. The models appeared in beige, nude and floral printed designs, while candles were burning and dripping in the background. The models’ glow in the dark heels represented dripping candles as well. It all fit perfectly with Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s idea of sleepwalking.  The clothes had a suitable dreamlike quality. Rodarte’s craftsmanship was better than ever, the patchworks looked cheerful, and the knits seemed very wearable. Especially the ending was magical when four models in long white dresses stood in the center of the catwalk.

Calvin Klein
From the romantic atmosphere at Rodarte we go to a modern looking Calvin Klein show. And thus we switch from Rodarte’s candlelight to bright techno light moving to the beat of Calvin Klein’s music. Calvin Klein’s show was memorable for it’s diverse models; eighties supermodels like Stella Tennant and Kirsten McMenamy walked alongside young, upcoming models. There were a lot of coats, many designs had round shoulders and we saw some interesting textures. The clothes were also very streamlined, they had sterile shapes and didn’t have a lot going on. And since everyone is so fond of the minimalistic look at the moment, continuing his simplistic and sober style was a smart idea of head designer Francisco Costa.

Michael Kors
A last highlight of the New York fashion week for us was the show of Michael Kors. It was actually quite the opposite of Calvin Klein’s sober collection. Michael Kors’ designs represented luxury and wealth. He showed us how glamorous sportswear can look. His materials looked exquisite, his camel clothes made us green with envy and his enormous fur coats had our full attention. The collection was loaded with must-haves for the rich and famous and Kors proved a winter collection can be very very sexy.

So these four different brands amazed us, made us smile and frown and let us think twice about fashion. The four collections were very diverse and yet equally likeable. It shows fashion is never about just one vision; it can be interpreted in a thousand different ways.

Vivienne Westwood Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

Fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, the Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beansteak were Westwood’s inspiration for her Prince Charming (fall) collection. Her models wore large colorful crowns, hats and cloaks. Their lips were bright red, their eyes were dark and some models had small mustaches painted on their faces. Very fairy tale-like indeed.

Like children love fairy tales they would have loved this colorful collection. The brightest pieces (in purple, red, mustard yellow and blue) were combined together. Colored leggings, belts, enormous hats and big bags completed the looks. Every item seemed to add more fun to the collection. Yet, apart from a pair of printed black and gold leggings, we probably wouldn’t leave the house soon in any of the designs. The shapes just looked too crazy and many items didn’t look finished.

The emphasized shoulders and the voluminous dresses were two great aspects of the show. Towards the end a white dress with floral prints and a light-colored waist belt looked lovely. An orange/pink gown felt like French couture and would also look perfect on the Sleeping Beauty (plus sleeping is probably the best thing to do in a delicate dress like that).

As in this year’s menswear shows Vivienne Westwood paid some attention to climate change. According to her climate change is, at the moment, the context of everything she does. ‘Like everyone who has woken up to the fact that we are endangered species I try to do something about it. And I wish to understand the world’, she said. Still, apart from a water bottle with the message ‘Stop climate change’ on our seats the problem wasn’t visible during the show.

With this collection Westwood showed a good game of dressing up. But although we knew the inspiration (fairy tales) of the show we didn’t get the one model that seemed to be calling on her cell. We also didn’t understand the dress full of paper streamer. As far as we’re concerned that dress was never worn in any fairy tale. So when we heard ‘If you could read my mind love’ at the end of the show we actually wanted to read Vivienne’s. Caus some parts of the show we just didn’t get.

Manish Arora Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2010

I remember helping his models get dressed for a show he gave in the Netherlands. I was amazed by the colorful architectural designs he had created. I loved how his designs were embroidered with crystals and beads. It was all so different from everything I had seen before.

With his fall/winter collection Manish Arora proved he still had that ability to amaze people. We were wowed by an off white dress with eye-catching, padded shoulders and a strange print. A dress with a pink peacock pattern and a gray sequined top caught our attention as well.

Apart from the peacock influences and some floral details Arora used a lot of geometrical prints in every color of the rainbow (all made from beads and crystals). The emphasize of the clothes was clearly on the shoulders and upper arms. Rounded and pointy designs alternated each other.

As if there wasn’t enough color used in the clothes all model wore bright, short wigs and contrasting colorful eye make-up. The last three girls even had a luminous bundle of treads on both side of their heads.

Manish Arora’s show full was a lot of fun to watch. Not all designs will be very wearable, but when you show this much creativity in a collection wearability is not all that matters.

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