Sage & Ivy Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam FW2012

Friday afternoon we rushed from the Westergasterrein (where all the Fashion Week shows are held) to the Prinsengracht in center of Amsterdam for Sage & Ivy’s fashion show. It was held in a mirror studio which was full of classic mirrors from the 18th and 19th century. Together with some lit candles and soft piano music made up for a beautiful atmosphere. The perfect setting for showing the new collection, named Pelgrimage.

With this collection designer Alexia van Engelen showed a darker side of herself than she did with her previous collections. With her dark colored designs Alexia represented an almost spiritual quest through dark and mysterious landscapes.

The show opened with one of the strongest looks of the collection in a deep green shade (the color on which Alexia based her whole color palette). It had a beautiful silhouette and gorgeous details on the front and the back, which resembled a backbone.

It was followed by a long green (fake) fur coat, which Sage & Ivy’s new Russian customers will certainly approve. Skirts with peplums, delicate tops and a transparent dress were added to the mix. Two woven leather dresses, in brown and silver, looked stunning. As did the nude colored woolen dress and suit.

With a silk printed dress, a lace top with leather cuffs and collars and a tiny polka dot print Alexia turned a little more soft and feminine again. Not everything might have been very wearable, but we’re sure many of those designs will end up in fashion magazine pretty soon.

We quickly rushed back to see princess Maxima at the next Amsterdam Fashion Week show, happy we got a chance to see this one.

Front Row Sage & Ivy Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam FW2012

The Sage & Ivy fashion show was held in a special show area outside the Westergasterrein. Although it was a quicky (since everyone had to be back in time for the arrival of princess Maxima) lots of press visited the show. Check out the front row of Sage & Ivy below.

Sage & Ivy Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Fashion brand Sage & Ivy will show it’s fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 05.00 PM. Designer Alexia van Engelen spoke with us about her brand new collection and her exquisite show location.

Amsterdam
“We have new agents in Russia and Canada which we’re very excited about. Yet even though we’re focusing more on the international market right now, we did think it was important to show our collection in Amsterdam. Not as much clothes will be sold here, but the press in Holland is very positive and uses Sage & Ivy quite a lot.”

Time
“This time we’re more on schedule than with previous collections. Especially since we’re going to Paris a week before our show a lot had to be done. We even had to make two new winter collections of around 20 looks, instead of the one we’re used to. Our agent in Russia needed one fall/winter collection as well; so we’re doing twice the amount of work.”

Show
“Our fashion show will be held in an old mirror studio in Amsterdam. In this studio old mirrors from the 18th and 19th century are restored. It’s an old workspace with concrete floors and raw walls on which over 200 mirrors hang. It’s a very special space. It feels very French to me; almost as if I am in Paris.”

Inspiration
“The collection is called Pelgrimage, which also was my inspiration. I thought of a strong woman making a long journey. The previous Sage & Ivy collections were always very sweet, yet this one is much more raw than what people have seen before. I had enough of the soft shades and the light fabrics and wanted to show another side of femininity. A tough, raw side, almost like an armor.”

Materials
“This raw look & feel gave me the opportunity to work with different materials. I used tulle decorated with patent paint; raw but still soft. I made skirts and evening dresses out of fake fur done in a jersey way; very soft but still rigid.”

Colors
“When I was in Paris to look for fabrics I ran into the perfect deep green fabric. I knew right then I really wanted to work with it. So with this green shade as a starting point I have been collecting the rest of the color palette. I used deep blue, black and nudes; all shades which work really well with the specific green.”

Changes
“The silhouette of the clothes is more tight than before. And even though I paid a lot of attention to details, they are less obvious. I think this collection is more grown up, just because I’m getting older as well. I feel really good about showing this part of me. In my opinion the Sage & Ivy brand becomes more balanced like this.”

Sage & Ivy Fashion Show SS2012 Video

At the Sage & Ivy catwalk show everything fell right into place. The models, the music, the weather and the atmosphere worked together just beautifully. And as the models in their floor sweeping designs stepped on the catwalk and their dresses hit the water we all got shivers. What a breathtaking show…

Sage & Ivy Catwalk Fashion Show AIFWSS2012

After days of rain the sun came out today. What a relief for designer Alexia van Engelen and her team. She was the only designer this week showing her collection outside. And not just on a regular catwalk. No, they built a runway under water in the pond at the Westergasterrein in Amsterdam.

This created the illusion that the models were walking on water. The water, the sun, the catwalk and the models created the perfect picture together. A picture that fit the new Sage & Ivy collection perfectly, especially since it was inspired by water.

The clothes showed many different sides of water. The way in which water reflects things, the look of a sunset, the transparency of water and all kind of colors that appear as the sun shines on water.

The designs looked feminine and sweet, exactly the kind of thing you expect from Alexia if you know her. The delicate dresses, pants, suit jackets, sheer blouses, capes and accessories all were beautifully made and all had lot of details (braiding and draping) to them.

Especially the maxi dresses and skirts in the water gave the show an extra dramatic effect. Everything fell right in to place. It was a show to remember and, if you ask us, one of the highlights of the Amsterdam Fashion Week.

 

Preview AIFW – Sage & Ivy SS2012

The Sage & Ivy fashion show is part of the official Amsterdam International Fashion Week program for the first time this season. Yet, as designer Alexia van Engelen tells us, the label is still giving the audience something different…

“When we were approached by the AIFW if we wanted to join the official schedule, we had one condition: we still wanted to be able to create our own little Sage & Ivy world around the show. We didn’t want to use just an ordinary, plain, white catwalk. We discussed all possibilities and are now showing the new Sage & Ivy collection near the pond of the Westergasterrein. This means the models are going to be walking on a catwalk build over water. We’re very excited”

And though the concept alone is already interesting, water has a special meaning in Alexia’s new collection too. “The collection is called hemisphere and is inspired by water. Yet not in an too obvious matter. You’ll see the water in reflections, the golden color it creates when the sun sets, the many colors that appear when the sun shines at it and the transparency of water.”

These diverse sides of water are brought to live in a two sided collection. “On one side it shows Greek influences like draping, braiding and lots of volume. On the other side you’ll see day wear with a seventies vibe (high pants and accentuated shoulders). Bianca Jagger really was the inspiration for this since she used to mix those two styles together in her impeccable looks.”

The whole Sage & Ivy collection consists of 24 looks, all handcrafted in small studios in Belgium and Germany (no longer in Morocco, like before). The fabrics as well as the colors of the collection breath femininity. “We used shades like light pink, light green, grey, gold and some degrade. All looks were made from materials like jersey, lace, chiffon, organza, satin, cotton and a special wool melange. There are many feminine pieces in the collection but in the show we will always combine a very feminine, elaborating item with a more simple and cool (almost manly) piece. Just wait and see…”

The Sage & Ivy show will be held on Friday 15 July at 8 p.m.

Amsterdam Fashion Week Atmosphere day 3: Sage & Ivy

An impression of the Sage & Ivy fashion show during amsterdam fashion week.

Video by Niels @ Team Peter Stigter

Sage & Ivy Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam FW2011

Today Alexia van Engelen surprised us with her brand new Russian inspired winter collection.

We saw some gorgeous embroideries and beautifully detailed blouses and evening dresses, followed by shiny leggings and corsetlike tops. The airy fabrics and the use of lace made the models look very elegant. It also made us think of chic dinners and long nights in front of the open fire. Nights on which a knitted cardigan or a furry cape would come in handy

The shape and the tailoring of the clothes was perfect. Also the colors of the collection (shades of cream, white, beige and just a little bit of black) felt nice for winter. ‘Cause it doesn’t always have to be all black right?

We fell in love with the show area too; the Felix Meritus building was a perfect match with the Russian story of this new Sage & Ivy collection

Great job Alexia!

First impression: Sage & Ivy

Although not at the official list of the AIFW, the Sage & Ivy-show was well visited by press and curious fashion-lovers. It was the second collection of designer Alexia van Engelen, and this time the collection was inspired by St Petersburg.