Streetfashion Haute Couture Paris FW2016, Day 1

What are they wearing during the international fashion weeks? A Raf Simons jacket, that vintage YSL or their latest Comme des Garcons suit? During the fashion weeks 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 Haute Couture Week.

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

Leave it up to Viktor & Rolf to blow our minds with a collection of wearable art (turning into almost unwearable art). Starting off with a perfect cute little white polo dress inspired by Cubist portraits the couture pieces got bigger and bolder with every single look. Slowly yet steadily turning that girl in the little white dress paired with the latest black shaded Dr. Martens 1460 Ajax Boots into a girl sporting a larger than life white totem. Eyes, noses and lips everywhere, in the mix with V&R’s signature sculptural XL ruffles and bows made out of a white technical piqué. Walking couture sculptures, letting Viktor and Rolf focus on what they’re best at and what they love the most; designing pure pieces of art. Creations not necessarily meant to be worn (although we’d love to see a totem look on some runway any time soon, what do you say front row guest Iggy Azalea..?) or make money with (V&R fragrances cover most of that part), but crafted couture to entertain and inspire. This was undoubtedly the most original take on the crispy white polo shirt we’ve ever laid our eyes on and we won’t soon forget.

 

Streetfashion Haute Couture Paris SS2016, Day 1

What are they wearing during the international fashion weeks? A Raf Simons jacket, that vintage YSL or their latest Comme des Garcons suit? During the fashion weeks 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 Haute Couture Fashion Week.

Monique Collignon Couture Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

Dutch designer Monique Collignon and her deep-fried pizza food regime, it was the talk of the day as run-up for her ‘ultimate comeback’ on the Amsterdam catwalk. But not tonight. The front row was packed with fancy ladies, some famous faces emerged tentively towards their seats and some journalists were patiently waiting while staring at the huge backdrop. One that was soon to be filled with close-ups of mesmerizing earthy tones and minerals, an interesting starting point for a collection called ‘Earth Delight’. It was yet another show that was a shoutout to nature’s most hidden treasures but in a theatrical eighties meets Jerry Hall manner. Big, bigger, biggest.

The show was opened by Dutch model Ovo Drenth, slowly and confident walking down the runway wearing a blossoming black dress covered with lots of shimmerings. Soon followed by more floor-sweeping dresses, fancy skirts and classic silhouettes. All ultra feminine, alternating between soft lace, embroideries and a sea of ruffles. Not to mention the Swarovski-embellishments, sometimes all over, sometimes as small details. The contrast of lightness and weight was as well in the fabrics as in the colours. The final look was a huge white dress with sparkling details, that made some women trembling from excitement.

The clothes may not be very appealing and affordable for the regular fashion crowd, but it’s exactly what a real Collignon woman would ask for. And as Collignon summoned us to take good care of our planet and stop the pollution, what better army could she wish for than this impressive line-up of stunning ladies.

Streetwear Haute Couture Paris FW2015, Day 4

What are they wearing during the Haute Couture Week in Paris A Valentino dress, that vintage Dior or their latest Celine skirt? During the fashion weeks 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.

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.

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.

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