LAB-show AFW FW2013: Tessa Wagenvoort & Laura Smith
January 24, 2013 by Jetty
Filed under AIFW, Amsterdam, Fashion, womenswear
Travel-pictures were the inspiration for Tessa Wagenvoort’s collection. The designer from The Hague was the first to show in the LAB-cyclus at Amsterdam Fashion Week. Wagenvoort wanted to translate the often overwhelming feeling of being in another place and culture into prints. She used an old photo-technique to realize her handmade prints.
The British designer Laura Smith focused at vintage uniforms and a hippie-like beachstyle. Shirts, pants and fluid skirts form the basis of the collection. The style is minimal with sober colors and brick-red. Texture is more important than color.
Amsterdam Fashion Week FW2013, This Was Day 1
The 18th edition of Amsterdam Fashion Week kicked off yesterday with the shows of Individuals and People of the Labyrinths. It was a spectacular opening with a frontrow filled with fashion-lovers and -pro’s.
Frontrow at People of the Labyrinths AFW FW2013
Who was sitting where and with whom? From Vogue’s Karen Sweerink to Mattijs van Bergen and Aziz Bekkaoui.
Elise Kim Amsterdam Fashion Week Preview FW2013
January 22, 2013 by Jetty
Filed under Amsterdam, Fashion, Featured Items, womenswear
Elise Kim has had quite a few busy months. She has held a show in her hometown Saigon, has been making tailor made clothes for her clients and went out and about to meet new lots of new people. But she is now fully focused on her brand new fall winter collection, which she will show next week. It’s part of her trilogy of which we’ve already seen part one and part two and from what Elise has shown us so far it sure looks promising. Expect a chic, sexy collection, made with lots of handwork and a few very modern techniques as well. Oh and Elise is not only showing clothes this time around…
Why did you decide to show again during AFW?
“I chose to show at AFW because this collection is the third part of a trilogy and the first two parts I already showed at Amsterdam Fashion Week. It is nice to close my trilogy here at the Gashouder location at the Amsterdam Fashion Week. It is a nice exposure for my new collection and also for my clients and press to come and see the show. Recently I started to like to do fashion shows, it gives me such a kick.”
Does the third part of your trilogy have as much handwork as the second part?
“Although I still have handwork in this collection, it is much less compared to the last collection. Handwork is part of who I am, I really like doing that. When I have a lot of stress it is my meditation doing handwork.”
Do you get help creating your designs?
“I work together with 2 seamstresses. Recently, an intern joined us, she helps with some small things and the handwork. I’m really picky with choosing interns, if I don’t have a click with someone, it’s very difficult to work together. It would block my creativity, then I’d rather work on my own. Since the team is so small, I personally cut all the fabrics myself and prepare all the work so that the seamstress can put together the clothes as fast as possible.”
What was your inspiration for the new collection?
“This collection is inspired by a darker dream when one is in a deep sleep, but sometimes wakes up from seeing bizarre images or gets lost in another world. Once I read a short story and I was inspired by this sentence: Night is strange, night is surreal. Night is when you dream, and not because you are asleep.”
How is that darker dream visible in your f/w2013 designs?
“It’s a collection with lots of black, cobalt blue and some bright colors (reddish orange, orange and fuchsia) every now and then. It was also in the weirdest dream I saw while making this collection; I saw accent colors, sparkling in the deepest night. You can see dark clothing pieces with bright embroideries or embellishments.”
What else can we expect?
“I’ve fallen in love again with leather, there are also different kinds of wool, silk and cotton. Besides the materials we used different kind of techniques, such as laser-cut, embroidery and beading. I will show a total of 28 looks: 45 pieces of clothing. For this collection we also have shoes and bags, in collaboration with Jarah Stoop and Jelske Peterson.”
How would you describe the collection?
“Every collection reflects how I feel at the moment. This is a different collection, but it is still Elise Kim’s style. The graphic, feminine, edgy elements and the use of embroidery and handwork are all there. The Elise Kim woman is growing up, she’s sexier and mysterious, yet still my designs are very chic and wearable.”
Elise Kim will present her new collection on Saturday 26 January at 09.00 p.m.
Thom Browne Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2013
While blindfolded models hammering on a wooden construction formed the backdrop of Thom Browne’s fashion show, his walking models appeared from behind. The fact that they wore checked skirts and dress like designs could have been enough to keep us press interested. Yet Browne added an extra dimension to his looks, making them unique yet unwearable. His grey flannel suits, his cross printed vest, his checked pants and illusionist coat; they were all done in a boxy style. The effect of the square fits and the super stiff shoulders was even amplified by his square hats, rectangular sunglasses and geometric suitcases. Let’s hope Browne hat some real boxes hidden underneath his designs, so that when he removes those, he can actually sell some of these fall/winter creations.
Paul Smith Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2013
Who says fall collections have to be all about brown, grey and black? Paul Smith proved even prints and bright colors fit perfectly for an autumn collection. He showed suits in shades of mustard, red, flamingo pink and turquoise. Pairing a red pair of pants with a mustard jacket and combining different shades of blue in one office look. He introduced multiple colored houndstooth sweaters, a single Mondrian inspired creation and psychedelic prints popped up on a shirt and a winter coat. Models looked both confident and comfortable in the perfectly cut menswear designs. Sir Paul Smith’s ever growing Asian fan base won’t be disappointed and neither are we.
Saint Laurent Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2013
Skinny jeans, checked shirts, leather jackets and long striped scarves; Saint Laurent’s man is a grungy kind of guy for 2013. Jeans had multiple rips and the layering appeared careless on purpose. Hedi Slimane focused on how accessible his designs can be. So accessible both men and women should be able to pull them off (he proved by sending androgynous – real musician – models down the runway). It felt good to see menswear can be more than endless series of checked suits. Yet Slimane’s free spirited, punk creations perhaps could have been a little more original.
Snow in Paris
January 21, 2013 by Jetty
Filed under Featured Items, Menswear, Paris, People, Streetwear
Fashion and unexpected snowfall are not an easy combination. Most buyers and editors who were visiting Paris for the menswear shows seemed quite surprised by the snowfall. But they recovered well and improvised with different layers which made for a nice fashion-picture! And last but not least: Paris looks beautiful with a white layer.
Streetfashion Menswear Paris FW2013 Day 5
January 21, 2013 by Jetty
Filed under Featured Items, Menswear, Paris, People, Streetwear
What are you wearing during the fashionweeks? Your Prada-shoes, your latest Raf Simons-sweater or that vintage Gucci? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris Menswear, season fall/winter 2013.
Lanvin Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2013
January 20, 2013 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items, Menswear, Paris
Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver looked for contrast in their latest fall winter collections. Their guys wore ultra thin ties tucked in their pants as well as oversize woolen coats. Their turtlenecks in many shades, shiny shirts and footwear were just as strong statement pieces. A few quilted leather pieces were quite the opposite of the pair of sheer colored blouses towards the end of the collection. And an oversize T-shirt and a pair of slim pants formed an odd, yet good looking combination. Shades of red and blue were strangely mixed in with the typical winter color palette of blacks, whites and greys. The designer duo tried lots of new things. Some more powerful than others, but lots to think about nevertheless.
