First View Paris Womenswear SS2014: Tribal Now

Quite a few designers are stirring the cultural melting pot this season to come up with totally personal and some rather emotional manifests. Africa does it, plain and obvious as well as merged with Asian refinement, American boldness, as well as hippie shaman and Wild West influences. Few want to get rid of the commercial conventions, the notions of what should be beautiful forced onto people. They have the opinion that it paralyses fashion and creates a circle of perpetual style recycling.
This seems to be the moment for change is what Rick canadian pharmacy online Owens exclaims. His fierce models are stepping, a dance conceptualized at colleges by African-American students, fueled with cheerleading, military drill and Zulu influences. These women need to move in clothes that allow maximum motion, laced, slitted and zipped – a cross over of elegance and roughness. Yoga-like dresses and sculpted leather vests have a gladiatorial feel to them.
Givenchy called his inspirations a car crash of Japan and Africa. Obsessed with Madam Grès he sculpted a very romantic and dark collection, which ended up to be ravishingly elegant and beautiful.
Where Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy chooses to please and be artfully lovely, Rick Owens but also Junya Watanabe seem to make an anti-establishment-fashion statement using outsider influences and turn it into a loudly ravishing and impressive message.
Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View Paris Womenswear SS2014: Shine On

‘A graceful quality with a touch of gorgeousness’. ‘Whimsical and charming femininity’. ‘Light as a rainbow after a brief shower on a sun-bright spring morning’. These where some of the qualifications dropped by the experts reflecting on the runway revelations of Lanvin, Rochas and Dries van Noten.
It was all shining bright with layers of pearlescent lamé, crystalline finishing, reflective organza’s shot with metal and airy fabrications in shiny nylon-filament yarns. The loveliest of these shimmering lamé fabrics sparkled in bleached lemon yellow and pistachio.
The Lanvin looks have a vast party quality – festive cocktail dresses and skirts and lush lamé total-looks in space-age jewel shades cheap generic viagra came splendidly glittering down the runway. The Rochas outfits are meant to capture the translucent qualities of glass, frost, and crystals. Rochas designer Zannini freaks out in jacquard velvet bonded to duchess satin and thermo-sealed with Swarovski crystals. Everything glows and glistens, from pleated lamé to chartreuse technical fibre and spun sugar knits. The detail of the Dries van Noten collection is nearing haute couture quality. From micro-beaded gold shifts to simple cream skirts with tinselly gold ruffles.
In this first Paris style spot artistic embellishment and intergalactic textile technology add magic to otherwise modern and wearable clothes.
Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

The Big Round Up Womenswear FW 2013 Part 1

Nothing as rewarding as summarizing after a grand series of shows. First of all you just note likeness and all similarities. Starting to pick out the headlines it becomes clear that there is always something really exiting to spot! Same procedure for fall 2013. Next to continuous retrospection there was introspection – designers looking inward to find a personal way of expression and re-finding their personal signature. The ones who did, did not dive into trends, the trodden paths of competition, but sourced for their most intimate inspirations. The happy aftereffect is that we met moments of sincere emotion and passion. The most beautiful quote to conclude this was coming from Miuccia Prada: “Who cares about the dress?” she said, this is about “Stories of women and life,”, Phoebe Philo declared backstage after her show for Céline: “It was coming from a place of emotion and intimacy, something instinctive. There was softness and desire, to create something emotionally engaged.”

Some collections might not have had the shock of the new and many showed that swift notion of the mid-century modern. Most interesting it was when a faint whiff of nostalgia was balanced with nowness. A lingering trend we spotted was the eccentric mixture of nostalgic wallpaper florals, art nouveau, Scottish heritage, Art Deco and Liberty blooms. All simmering in romance.

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The buzz words where: intimate, feminine, elegance and emotion. Not just the collections played their roll. In some cases the interest in settings and sceneries became predominant. The Vuitton show unrolled like a silent movie. The mood was the 1920s, as the models came through each door on the corridor that was the hotel set. An atmosphere just as cinematic was the Film Noir setting at Prada – a spinning ceiling fan, shadows cast by blinds, a woman silhouetted in a doorway, waiting for…? All by means of an artful back projection. Miuccia launched her exercise in fashion as cinema.

Another hot topic was warmth generated by tactile softness. Cuddly, fluffy and sheltering. The number of soft and brushed looks grew steadily during this catwalk season. Especially coats where cuddly and generous in proportion. For some designers softness was the covering theme. Hernandez for Proenza Schouler stated: “It was all just soft, that’s the one word we were thinking about. Softness of form, softness of color, softness of texture.”

To wrap this up we point out that coats took the lead. Generally and globally this item won when it came to presence and quantity as well as quality of design. So passion, warmth, softness and coats. Setting the stage for an ice age!

We picked the frozen cherries for you, straight off the international catwalks in New York, Milan and Paris.

FEMINITY REVEALED

From left to right: Rodarte, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Chloé and Prada

From pure exposure to more subtle revelations – intimacy exposed at Saint Laurent, emerging womanhood at Chloé, modern romance at Rodarte and passionate nostalgia at Vuitton and Prada. Sensuality and emotions unraveled in cinematic atmospheres showed femininity ‘under cover’ – soft lace hidden under long tweed coats, fluffy sweaters came with a slip of a skirt and velvet dresses had a swoop of neckline.

CALM ELEGANCE

From left to right: Jil Sander, Victoria Beckham, Hermès, Rochas, Ports 1961

A true timeless elegance flooded the catwalks at Jil Sander, Victoria Beckham, Hermès, Rochas and Ports 1961. Much more serene, feminine and sensual then the calm sobriety we faced seasons before. All soft and rounded. The skirts flaring just below the knee, showing true elegance in New Look proportions. Jackets elongated and slightly suppressed at the waist and coats – mannish and reassuringly oversize. All breathed calmness with lasting value in an esprit ranging from ‘Bon Chic Bon Genre’ to Film Noir allure. Slow, calm, quiet and with lasting value.

GREY MOOD

From left to right: Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, Céline, J.W. Anderson, Lacoste

Concrete caught by the fuzz. Grayed-out and foggy marls were key for fall 2013. Brushed mohair, heathery and airy fleeces, compact felts and tarmac shaded double-face and bonded materials. This all added up to strange and sculptural beautiful cloths. Asphalt fleece and mohair knits are paved with iridescence at Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney wrapped her models in pinstripes, where Céline knotted hers in felt touch woolens. Monastic tunics at J.W. Anderson and fossil florals at Ports 1961.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

 

 

 

First View Paris Womenswear FW2013: Homme/Femme

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No worries, no battles, but the male/female story seems one of this seasons headlines. From “Garçonne”, the boyish look tailor-made for women, to military influences, Bowie androgyny, collegiate prep and just elegant women wearing the pants…

Colors were almost entirely plays on black, in different shades and textures, and with neckties wafting gently, like the soft, full pants. Bespoke tailoring alternates with nonchalance in plus size jackets with cool swagger. Decorative details soften an otherwise severely serious look.

Vanessa Bruno showed the boy stuff in boxy pinstriped jackets; contrast collared shirts and full pleated pants. Raf Simons showed patented perfection with couture class. Dries van Noten, added some collegiate Fred to frilly Ginger, which made a gorgeous cocktail. Lanvin topped youthful innocence on couture looks by adding talkative jewelry.

One thing is clear; no one felt for clashes, this was all love and peace between man and women. This is just the ideal gear for contemporary women; elegant clothes that connect the genders, classic icons of masculinity and femininity, clothes that are comfortable, wearable and decent.

For women well in control of there lives as well as there looks.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View Paris Womenswear FW2013: Craft Allure

At first glance serious, plain tailoring reigned the runway offering this season. At second glance it was an ode to artisan-ship. Escaping the rat race to show the it-silhouette,most designers want to be true to themselves. They move back tot where they started and want to show the value of tailoring and fashion. Genuine emotion was fueled into collections where some felt like pure poetry. From rebellious expressiveness, energetic artisan-ship, to inventive and refreshing embellishment. Primal and tribal intensity to cheeky freedom and fun.

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Maison Martin Margiela’s line-up looked like a fresh start, showing expressive crafts carefully embedded in Margiela’s masterful tailoring principles. Dior fused casual flair into a very couture collection by adding a series of chunky craft knits, Dries van Noten was inspired by ballroom dancing and scattered crystals, feathers and flapper fringes. Rick Owens showed rare, but very effective decorative touches that seemed like experimental exercises to explore the ancient crafts of basket weaving.

How crafts add couture allure.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

First View Milan Womenswear FW2013: Fuzzy & Furry

It was the soft spot that caught our eye. Fashion is serious business nowadays, what makes it exiting to see some items that are slightly out of sinc. It is not in number that these fluffy flounces made impact. It is in proportions. These caused some of the models to look nearly as wide as they were tall. From slightly austere in compact curly astrakhans to fluffy alpaca piles, cosy camel teddy bear looks and chunky boucles. It needs slender, tall models to show these looks with elegance yet many may have found comfort and ease in these soft sheltering styles. Not just in jackets and coats, also in giant knit sweaters with twisted cables, trimmed and sleeved with high pile furs. For the more extreme we spotted wild fluffy Big Bird jackets and feathery hairdos.

Ports played with New Look proportions combining astrakhan jackets and hoodies with full circle, below the knee, skirts.  Max Mara’s cocoons where almost caricatures’, showing bulky layers of fuzzy fur-looks in giant square tops and coats. Blumarine showed boho flair in lean long-loop-knitted cardigans and pastel shaded shearling bikers. Gucci combined sensual curves with cosy egg-shaped astrakhans and pony hair jackets.

Maybe it is time to re-hype cocooning!

Stylespot is a cooperation with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View New York Womenswear FW2013: Fabulous Coats

It’s been a big week for coats. Remarkable that an item that independent of the weather gradually lost its position in the stores, is now THE canvas for fashion statements.

A myriad of coat styles crossed the runways – from traditional camel capes, pea coats and prep Prince of Wales jackets to decadent furs, plastic trenches and an impressive series of stern and rigid, broad shouldered power coats with nipped and belted waists. From prim tailored trenches, reinterpreted smokings to rugged utilitarian parkas.

Most obvious where the numerous terrific coats that where stripped down and traditional, inspired by menswear suiting and tailoring.

Alexander Wang cut his coats oversize and dropped the waist inspired by boxing. Phillip Lim referenced bikers; showing  motorcycle jackets, ragged shearling but also super trenches. Michael Kors themed urban warriors; fast-paced, sporty and chic in bold, boxy, sculptural shapes and Calvin Klein buckles up and goes large; with mannish shoulders in dense cloth.

Though the coat’s references are mannish the looks are generally sensual.

Great tools of empowerment.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

The Big Round Up Womenswear SS2013, part 3

Spotting trends, common threads, strong statements and influences was not an easy task this S’2013 catwalk season. What does this tell us about the present status of fashion? Is this the outcome of the current economic turmoil? Making designers opt once more for carefulness, minimalism and restraint? Does this push immaculate tailoring and supreme crafts? Excitement more hidden in cut and materials then in expressive aesthetics?
Reflecting on this we concluded that there was pure concentration on the making of beautiful clothes rather then strong fashion statements. Today, part 3 of our list of 9 inspiring directions ss2013-collections are taking us:

TIE DYE

Graduated coloring adds an exclusive, crafted and lively aspect to fabrics and garments. Here it reflects many moods. Acid and intergalactic at Missoni, bohemian at Versace, dreamlike at Blumarine, 70s at Jonathan Saunders and poppy at Cristopher Kane. These lovely graded coloring and subtle ombres become classics over time.

PRINT POWER

We DO believe in the power of print. This season they are scarce but smashing. Patterns with heritage and pedigree: inspired by hand pained glazed terra cotta at Dolce & Gabbana, to reworked animal skin classics by Stella McCartney as well as Kenzo. Fresh and modern are the vibrantly printed volants of Peter Pilotto and the wild ink outburst on red by MiuMiu.

 

FRESH STRIPES

Stripes are going to make it BIG! This parade of bold striped dresses breath crisp retro reminiscence yet the designers stated their inspiration was found in more obscure places.

From historic couture at Dior, disco at Jonathan Saunders, Sicilian souvenirs at Dolce & Gabbana, to 60s graphism at Sportmax and glam sports at Michael Kors.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

The Big Round Up Womenswear SS2013, part 2

This is part 2 of our list of inspiring directions the new ss2013 collections are taking us.

SHEER LAYERING

When there isn’t the urge to change shape and silhouette, when restraint and understatement reign, interest in intriguing and manipulative fabrics raises. Here the playfulness is not in the cut yet in the cloth. Translucent layers cover simple shapes. Not so much about sexy sensuality but all the more about moderation and adding a faint touch of magic. Stella McCartney, Dior, Sportmax, Lacoste and Givenchy.

JAPONISM

Yoga suits and kimonos inspire minimalist silhouettes. Layered and gently wrapped; reinventing the dress as well as the suit. Subtle origami folds in soft plains with sophisticated shimmer, polished sheen or simply matte surface looks. Padded aspects, square trims, knotted belts and obi’s. At Prada, Lanvin, Mugler, Gianfranco Ferré and Haider Ackermann.

GORGEOUS COLOR

Gucci, Costume National, Dior, Lanvin and Jil Sander show that intense and passionate colour is just part of the message. The silhouette is the big story. As sharp as its shades, these forms are bold, square and boxy. Form fierce symmetry as well as sensual, bare-shouldered asymmetry. Power dressing is not just reserved for suits.

 

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

The Big Round Up Womenswear SS2013, part 1

Spotting trends, common threads, strong statements and influences was not an easy task this S’2013 catwalk season. What does this tell us about the present status of fashion? Is this the outcome of the current economic turmoil? Making designers opt once more for carefulness, minimalism and restraint? Does this push immaculate tailoring and supreme crafts? Excitement more hidden in cut and materials then in expressive aesthetics?

Reflecting on this we concluded that there was pure concentration on the making of beautiful clothes rather then strong fashion statements.

We saw lines of models wandering like babbling brooks, very interesting but far from mind goggling. The strongest acts of expressionism where in the sphere of geometrics and linear patterning. An interesting pulse came from textile technology, novel finishing and techno-crafted embellishment. Outspoken silhouettes where most inspired by the Orient, which was a follow up from what started previous seasons, rather then being a novelty. Understated black and white reigned when it came to coloring. And the return of patterning was near to non-existent.

So it will be the high street in desperate need of ways to differentiate, that will fuel the pattern trend, or it will take another season to reflect on it. And let’s be honest … in the context of recent catwalks, the few collection showing pattern, print and decorative accessorizing seemed quiet trivial and out of sink.

The lessons learned where: ‘how to be beautiful’, rather then ‘how to be fashionable’. And what can be wrong with that?

But… after seasons of flash backs and heritage, playing safe and conservatism… aren’t we in need of excitement and entertainment? Isn’t this what catwalk shows should be about? To be honest… we would have loved to see the sparkle of the unexpected.

The fun is, it’s there! Just look at the street photography during the catwalk shows. There the fire of decorative expressionism and eccentricity is burning.  It is all in the mix.

Nevertheless we list you 9 inspiring directions, spotted at the international catwalks of New York, Milan and Paris. The first three are:

OPTICAL STRIPES

Where Marc Jacobs and Moschino show a literary revival of the swinging 60s, Aquilano Rimondi, Costume National and Sportmax add a contemporary twist to manipulative and illusionist black and white geometrics. From neat linear stripes to optical cut, patched and scattered blocks. Alternating contrasts of matte and shine, as well as transparency and opaque.

OPENWORK

There is a massive interest in materials, in techno-crafted embellishment and innovative manufacturing. Sportmax lasercutted hounds tooth patterns where Alexander Wang cuts and carves in more organic ways. Michael Kors punches sail rings and rivets where, Christopher Kane shows spectacular updates of quilting and lace, where, Balmain goes over the top showing glamazones in leather embellished with a layering of techniques.

NEW TAILORING

Works of art or couture mathematics? Costume National shows graphic cuts and sharp asymmetrics, balancing layers and proportions. Balenciaga confirms the important role that the sleeveless jackets will play coming seasons, martial arts reflect in Haider Ackermann’s wrap suits, where Narciso Rodriguez goes classy, Givenchy throws layers and Dior goes for powerful contours.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

 

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