Streetwear trend: trenchcoats

There is hardly any fashion piece that is worn as much and by as many diverse people as the trenchcoat. This iconic coat has a style that suits any person, no matter their age, gender, length, size or race.

Although Burberry claims they invented this coat, nowadays many large fashion labels have trenchcoats in their collections. And the fact that you can run itno someone wearing a trenchcoat every minute of the day proves these coats are still ultra-popular.

While we were in Milan, Paris and New York we ran into all kinds of people wearing the trenchcoat as well. They all wore the fashion piece  differently. So the saying that a trenchcoat tells you something about a person must be true.

If you – after watching our photos – haven’t yet got enough of the streetstyle trench you should take a look at The Art of Trench. Especially for Burberry fashion blogger Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist) took the most amazing streetwear trenchcoat photos and Burberry created a website around it.

We couldn’t picture a world without the trenchcoat. If you ask us it’s like with denim, it’s here to stay forever.

Fashion Focus: all about Thakoon

This week we chose designer Thakoon for our fashion focus. The reason for that? Up until now we didn’t know a lot about him, besides the fact that Anna Wintour said she loved his designs in The September Issue. But why did she like Thakoon so much? Why are his designs so special?

Name of the brand: Thakoon

Name(s ) of the designer(s): Thakoon Panichgul

About the designer(s):
Thakoon Panichgul was born in 1974 in Thailand, but now lives in America. He moved to the United States when he was 11 years old.

Start of the brand: 2004. Thakoon had been working as a fashion editor at Harper’s Bazar before.

First collection: a ten pieces collection in 2005

Thakoon is based in New York and sold in 34 countries

The Thakoon woman: has an inner sensuality. She is nonchalant and casual, but still very sensual.

Thakoon women: Rachel Bilson, Demi Moore, Michelle Obama and Sarah Jessica Parker. (Michelle Obama was recently seen in two different dresses from Thakoon’s spring/summer collection on 5 and 11 May 2010.)

The clothes are: easy and sophisticated. For Thakoon the most important thing is the clothes are wearable. Thakoon also has a thing for prints, he works together with different artists to create the most lovely prints. He likes to use colors in his collections too.

Type of clothes: mostly dresses made out of classic materials like lace and chiffon, but used in a modern way.

Signature: combining punk and chic

Collaborations: Thakoon for Nine West (accessories)(2006), Thakoon for Gap (2007), Thakoon for Hogan (2008), Thakoon for Target (2008). Thakoon even designed a few menswear cardigans for Aloha Rag (2010).

Quotes:

• ‘For me it’s about creating silhouettes that sort of have built-in gesture.’
• ‘I would love to dress Coco Chanel, she embodies al those things I love so much. She has a chicness and a rebelliousness around her.’
• ‘My clothes represent a combination of punk and refinement’

What to expect: Thakoon’s fan base will keep on augmenting and we’re sure there are some interesting collaborations ahead of us.

Above you can see several of Thakoon’s designs from four of his latest collections.

Spring is in the air #8

Earthy colors and stripes – just what you needed to add some eastern influences to your wardrobe. Here backstage at Roland Mouret.

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.

Streetfashion FW2010 New York Day 5

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Balenciaga-heels, your latest Marni-dress or that vintage YSL? 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: New York.

Calvin Klein Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2010

For the Calvin Klein fashion show young and old models were united. Doutzen Kroes was in the audience and watched topmodels from the 80’s/90’s, Kirsten McMenamy (1966) and Stella Tennant (1970), strolling down the runway. They walked in the show right next to beginning models such as Karlie Kloss (1992) and Dutch model Gwen Loos (1993).

All girls had the androgynous look (which made McMenamy and Tennant so famous) going on: their hair was combed backwards and their clothes were kind of stiff.

It was clear Francisco Costa let his clothes speak for themselves. He didn’t send anything on the runway that could distract you from that. So, no accessories, no bags, no special make-up, no crazy poses, just Calvin Klein fashion like we know it.

The designer came up with a few non-waisted woollen coats. Their shoulders were rounded and the sleeves were wide. Those coats were shown in black, brown and white. And apart from a blue and a lilac colored dress all designs came in those neutral shades.

Costa’s streamlined shift dresses and coats all ended just above the knee. Besides, his clothes were all pretty loose fitting so the collection did lack some sex appeal. The designer did use some shiny black and white (almost silver) silk for his pants, blouses and dresses. He also added a few sparkles on the last designs of his collection but it didn’t make a lot of difference.

Two good things about the clothes are (1) in a room full of people they won’t attract all the attention towards you and (2) you are never showing too much skin when you’re wearing them. Yet you’d have to have a strong, expressive personality to make some of the looks work.

Ralph Lauren Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2010

After his ode to the American workers during the Depression, Ralph Lauren decided to take a more romantic road to fashion. The collection looked almost vintage Ralph Lauren, with its dark Edwardian touch, lots of velvet, black, burgundy and flowerprints.This is a style we know so well and which made him famous.

Ralph Lauren’s skill is to make the predictable look fresh. But he also to adds a discreet sexual vibe to male/female combinations. Jodhpurs curved to the waist and velvet vests were bodyhugging. The outerwear was plentiful, strong and mannish.

Long chiffon skirts and dresses reminded of Lauren’s favorite prairie-dresses, they were often mixed with long coats.

Philip Lim Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2010

Every fashioncity has its darlings. Philips Lim is one of the darlings of New York. Not because he is so brilliant and original, but because he knows how to sell clothes. The Chinese American Phillip Lim has a major in business at California State University and that shows.

American fashion generally puts pragmatism ahead of pyrotechnics; Lim more than most. That can make his shows seem like a series of ticked boxes rather than an experience. Mohair? Got it. Céline-esque camel drenched minimalism? Check.   Those winter 2010 trends kept on coming. Jersey, fur trims, trouser suits, low-shine sequins, sheepskin-lined biker jackets, animal prints. Sometimes it makes you a bit grumpy because it is almost predictable.

After launching his label six years ago, Lim now sells in more than 400 stores around the world and it’s not hard to see why. In real life the clothes work just fine. Lim has a knack for combining cute with chic.

Proenza Schouler Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2010

After a few sexy and dangerous looking collections  Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez gave their women more clothes to wear this fall. They layered her with staple pieces like swinging coats, cashmere sweaters and bubble-skirted dresses.

Of course the collection had some special details like the rubber printed cotton twill pants with black and white inkblots  These were cool, but the skirts that followed were better:  pleated or folded, in navy and green. Very girlish.

The designers also picked up on the season’s fur theme, but there were coats in alpaca too and dresses in black and white angora. The chic little  dresses that closed the show hit a high note.

Jeremy Scott Catwalk Fashion Show New York FW2010

“I can be a freak, every day of every week” sang Estelle – part of the soundtrack at the show of Jeremy Scott. Well, you can say that from the designer himself too, and he seems to wear that slogan with pride.  He is the guy  who makes coats of Mickey Mouse gloves and dresses in Flintstones prints.

His fall collection was named Hanger Appeal, and contains a mix of sporty print pieces, restyled classics (like tuxedo’s) and a section with jewel and cross covered dresses.

« Previous Page — Next Page »