Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Menswear FW2018

Dries van Noten presented a curious, but well balanced mix of combinations, like Las Vegas-style Western garb, white broderie anglaise pants, military parkas, suits in traditional British checks, granny crochet cardigans and pajama stripes. There was also a hint of pimp and a hearty dose of punk, such as a look pairing a glittery zebra sweater with tartan pants.
Even the more daring elements were digested perfectly into the looks. Case in point: a minimalist navy tracksuit traced with lines of tan cowboy-shirt piping.

Van Noten continued to play with oversize proportions in the slouchy suits, boxy trenchcoats and the baggy pants.
The designer’s magic colorist instincts climaxed in an Instagenic run of anoraks in swirling colored marble-y prints recalling Venetian paper or spun paint, with models gathering in a painterly formation for the finale.
The open-border mixing of cultures worked best on a tropical print pajama shirt paired with a fantasy leopard print skinny pant and snakeskin shoes which, like the rest of the collection, was chic whilst telegraphing rebel instincts.

Haider Ackermann Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Menswear FW2018

Haider Ackermann’s collection felt less gritty rock than past collections, and showed a more merch-friendly, cleaner side. Fully intact was his sense of color and nomad instincts. On a range of layered military-ethnic silhouettes for a chic dandy, the designer juxtaposed Army green and khaki with the jewel tones of the silky rich fabrics.

Quilted green and gold underlayers flashed out from the big tailored coats and jackets, silks lined upturned lapels, and white silk-linen cherry blossom embroideries climbed across the clothes, mixing with stripes on one of the kimonos. Soft unconstructed velvet leisure suits underscored the cocooning mood.

Lemaire Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Menswear FW2018

There were hints of English suede heads of the Seventies in the larger flare pants and three-quarter lengths worn with boots. Juxtaposed with Moujik pants, caftans and Tibetan coats taken from Tolstoy’s descriptions of humble folks, it was a trademark of Lemaire’s season of zen-meets-workwear.

Amid the clinical crispness, bubblegum pink sweaters, muted overdyed paisleys or marbled swirls — the work of French endpaper artist Atelier La Folie — felt like a thunderclap on a clear day.

Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran have developed a glossary of classic Parisian understatedness in their work — think Yves Saint Laurent, the man and the ultrachic male Parisian. In their hands, an overcoat piled atop a jacket and several other elements do not add much bulk, making their layers more nuance than cold weather strategy. Yet the standouts were undoubtedly those silhouettes in which the volume play was marked: a sheepskin flight jacket, worn with elasticated paisley pants; oversize chimney collars and flowing pants, and a generously proportioned marbled hooded raincoat.

Karim Adduchi FW18

Take a sneak peak at the Karim Adduchi show in Amsterdam.

Karim Adduchi Couture Fashion Show Amsterdam

Moroccan designer Karim Adduchi presented his new collection “She Has 99 Names” in de Duif in Amsterdam. In addition to Karim himself as an immigrant, he works with his collections together with Syrian, Russian and Eritrean laborers and artists, who recently found their home in Amsterdam. He specifically aimed at workers whose work you do not often encounter on the catwalk.
In “She Has 99 Names” Karim has given an oath to the women he had around when he lived in Imzouren as a child; the Berber village where he was born too. Adduchi shows these women in their distinctive complexity: beautiful and confused, happy and sad, furious and fragile.
Adduchi dives in the rich heritage of Morocco prior to each collection. He designs woolen fabrics, hand-woven by local laborers.
Even though Adduchi is not a political artist, he tries to map social problems with his art. Immigrants and refugees invite him to work with him in his collections. At first, these people were all unknown, but their shared passion for craftsmanship and design brought them together.

Ralph Lauren Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

It was within the context of luxury cars (Porsches, Bugattis, Jaguars, Ferraris) that Ralph Lauren’s claim of connection between clothes and cars resonated. Unlike some of the cars, revolutionary when created in terms of design and performance, the clothes didn’t attempt reinvention. Rather they oozed the timeless chic in which Lauren believes deeply and which, as the surroundings indicated, has worked well. The show opened with the tony men’s wear fabrics he loves — mixed tweeds, checks and plaids. The extensive passage featured a women’s range of dressed-up (bustier over pants) and dressed-down (relaxed jacket, pants). Men’s looks included a re-fabricated motorcycle jacket over shirt and tie and a double-breasted coat belted over lumberjack plaid sweater.

DelPozo Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The collection of Josep Font for DelPozo was inspired by the kitschy poolside glamour of Esther Williams and the music by Xavier Cuga. A retro world with soirees at the Waldorf Astoria. And without getting on the campy side of that world, Font came up with modern flamboyance, color and concept.
The models walked through the sunlit space at Pier 59 Studios in vivid combinations of red, white, pink, yellow and aqua blue with pert straw bow headpieces while the band Negro Helado, dressed in white tuxedos, performed throwback easy-listening tunes. Daywear was done in architectural shapes — sportswear in sculpted but minimal curves — in mostly ivory punctuated by a pop of fluorescent yellow or orange.

Font also let his imagination run wild with blown-out red paisley prints on a molded coatdress worn over aqua pants, or an aqua and white honeycomb sundress with a bright yellow strap and a wave of sculpted ruffles at the shoulder, hip and hem. There were rainbow-colored tulle gowns and a dress in blue, red and silver lame flowers with puffed tulle sleeves.

Fenty Puma by Rihanna Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The set of Rihanna’s Fenty Puma show was a pair of pink sand dunes over which several BMX bikers flew in a series of aerial stunts. After last season’s show of schoolyard stereotypes and the 18th-century girly sport of the season before, Rihanna went in an entirely different direction with a hyper-athletic mash-up of surf, motocross, rock climbing and all things extreme sport.
There were windbreakers and biker shorts, hoodies, racing pants, and for the first time, swimwear. Everything was torqued with athletic straps and buckles and emblazoned with Puma branding as well as words like “wet” and “drowning” in fast, graphic fonts. The colors were classic sports-born combos of navy and hot pink, black and fiery red, pool blue and white and hunter green and navy. The tight stuff was tight, but there was oversized stuff too that had a current street flavor. Everything was styled to the nines with attitude and a sense of humor. And once again Rihanna managed to make athletica, one of the most widely mined concepts in current fashion, into a vibrant collection with a point of view that can hold its own.

Coach Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

Coach-designer Stuart Vevers continued his celebration of American heritage — but this time, it came with an upgrade.
During his spring show at Basketball City, a departure from his former home on the West Side Highway, Vevers teamed with Stefan Beckman to create a glittery set filled with New York rooftops, mailboxes and an antique car that served as a fitting backdrop for a playful, vibrant collection.
Staple pieces such as prairie dresses, varsity jackets and leather jackets got glam treatment with sequins, satin and lace, colorblocking, metallic embroideries and burnished hardware. Denim marked a new step for the brand. Vevers added retro patchwork designs that blended seamlessly with his celebration of Americana.

Coach’s archives also served Vevers well as he reinterpreted such classic pieces as the mailbox bag first created by Bonnie Cashin in 1972 and offered this time in a variety of colors and sizes.

For the Coach man, it was all about attitude. With Western-influences, mixed with Hawaii and sportswear.

Helmut Lang Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear SS2018 New York

The worlds of Helmut Lang and Shayne Oliver collided Monday night as the former Hood by Air designer put his distinct yet complementary stamp on the venerable label.

Many of the influences were the same — bondage, fasteners, metallics, monochromatic whites and lots and lots of black leather. The collection also featured a lot of Helmut Lang branded references. But Oliver’s penchant for deconstruction shone through in many of the pieces, providing the right balance to the overall collection.

Women’s looks channeled the brand’s history of provocation with Oliver’s disruptive spirit. Oliver was tasked with moving the conversation, sure to be divisive, back to the brand and incite a new following. Oddly shaped bras and bustiers, open-seam trousers and daring displays of skin for both day and evening winked at a kinkier and more adventurous customer.
In men’s, the tailored top coats were a highlight along with the fastening cummerbund worn with a pink shirt that made the look feel modern.

« Previous Page — Next Page »