First View Milan Womenswear SS2014: Living Art

Milan fires up full speed ahead with a number of collections that surprise us with a fresh breath of air and a new found sense of opportunism by taking the route towards modernity and digging deep into the opportunities that striding fabric technology is offering. Without betrayal of heritage, Milan tends to stick to its roots, we witnessed activism and experimentation in silhouettes that where alternately mesmerizing, odd and elegant.
Inspirations range from feminism, arts, folklore and techno crafts, subjects that granted these looks authentic freshness as well as a rich content.
No. 21’s tropical spring outfits, show layered street wear with ornate embroidered gauzes in an edgy arty-crafty spirit. The exceptional work of the couture fur ateliers of Fendi delivered a collection boosting with streamlined modernity inspired by the ‘light and lightness’. Careful bits and pieces of preciously crafted, exceptional materials are artfully clustered. At Just Cavalli one seemed to have bumped into London punks during an inspirational trip to Bhutan. Digital prints, animals spots and handkerchief patterns, all Cavalli icons, where mixed in an iconoclast mix.
The most artistic and storytelling was the viagra pills Prada parade, Miuccia Prada making a feminist statement staging mesmerizing girl gangs dressed in sporty city wear with a strong tribal edge. Energized by mural art inspired graphics and accessorized with rhinestone encrusted brassieres these colourful women spread an air of radicalism. ‘Weirdly beautiful’ as Suzy Menkes mentioned.

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First View New York Womenswear SS2014: Stark Modernism

This trend is the fastest way to chic ‘as whispered by the league of stylewriters’. Since New York means business, another range of easy wearables for us to Spot! Exercises in modern minimalism show clothes both sharply tailored and deconstructed. Ultra-chic black and white suits, sharply tailored jackets and relaxed trousers that can be worn day-to night. Crisp plains as well as bold artistic patterning – wild linear brushstrokes and scribbles, cut up checks and stripes, buy viagra new york bold blockings and some very smart and arty engineered optical patterns and panel prints.
Slouchy looks in loose trousers and floppy, sleeveless tops make sleek sophisticated outfits for the downtown crowd and ‘90s obsessed.
A two-tone multifaceted trend. Marc by Marc Jacobs connects to this ‘90s crowd with his baggy silhouettes and arty patterning. Robert Rodriguez goes for a prim, sexy silhouette as sharp as his pointed shoes. Rag & Bone drops waists and décolletées with sensual nonchalance. Where the Mulleavy sisters push Rodarte off the beaten tracks with some crafty tailoring and pretty playful details.
The great thing about black & white is that it fuses and joins almost any look in a magical way…

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First View New York Womenswear SS2014: Sweeteners

Joseph Altuzarra comments on his Spring 2014 collection –‘ I wanted something that felt easy, something that women would want to wear in summer’. No reason to complicate things where the matter is as straightforward as this. Let’s make pretty clothes to please the girls. From tailored retro sportswear in impeccable neoprene’s, to diaphanous slip dresses layering translucence over opaque. Modern remakes of classic suits, pretty frocks, elegant dresses in sun kissed pales as icy aquas, cool mints and fresh breezy corals and pinks. Ravishing prettiness, without becoming too sweet, all minutely tailored, pristine, smart and silken.

DKNY showed pastel-hued tailoring, pretty parkas, lean bodysuits and racy track pants. Easy pieces in pleasing pastels. Prabal Gurung hailed the muse of fifties sweetness – Marilyn Monroe. He celebrates the elegant women, whom he thinks is endangered. Alexander Wang proves fashion to bying viagra online cheap us be entertainment and Altuzarra displays gracefulness, subtlety, restraint and quietness.

As Prabal Gurung proclaims  – ‘This is about the preservation of elegance’.

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First View New York Womenswear SS2014: Sharp & Short

This was a soft landing. No shock or revelations. This very first Stylespot of the Spring 2014 Runways is kicking off with a series of upbeat, fresh and wearable urban sportswear. Updating a rich sports and college legacy, celebrating icons of American sportswear and futurizing these into simple, spontaneous, upbeat and easy to wear styles.
Flirty dresses, relaxed polo’s, unbuttoned button-down masculine shirts, kicky skirts and boxy jackets. Energetic, nostalgic and overall quiet relaxed. Alexander Wang acts out of nostalgia, longing for cialis +2 free viagra a time where fashion was fun, full of wit and humor and not that serious. The outlines simple, he added edgy details and embedded his logos in many playful ways. The Lacoste brand sticks to its sporty credentials – remakes of the classic tennis dress, fresh updates of the clichéd polo and entering the lines on the court as trims and piping’s in racy polo’s and cropped, square cut jackets. Victoria Beckham matches this crispness perfectly well and continues her quest to be perfect and prim. Where Peter Som focuses on the après-sports – loosening up in easy to wear pieces.
Ok here we are, landed on the fast track, ready to start from here …

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The Big Round Up Womenswear FW 2013 Part 2

This is the second part of our round up regarding the fall 2013 collections, which focuses on Prints, Fabrics and the designers’ favorite coming season: checks.

CHECK SHOCK

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From left to right: N21, Junya Watanabe, Céline, Jesús Del Pozo, Rag & Bone

A mash up of Scottish tweeds, plaids, checks, Prince of Wales suiting and hounds tooth jacquards. Classic, twisted, cut up, patched or blown up to grandiose proportions. These are definitely all from the now – heritage inspired, college prep, BCBG, archetypal and iconic but reinvigorated – rejuvenating tradition at N21 and Rag & Bone, adding a punk coded sense of rebellion at Junya Watanabe or with artful tailoring at Céline and Jesús Del Pozo. Check marks everywhere!

 

TEXTILE ART

From left to right: Comme des Garçons, Chanel, Hermès, Fendi, Lanvin

Free floating freedom and fun. Cascading swatches of fabrics, rosettes, bows, thick serpentines and bold biomorphic shapes at Comme des Garçons. Rounded flounced belle Époque bustles are a joyful explosion of extravagance at Chanel. Crafted spontaneity at Hermès, fringed skins at Fendi and butterflies appliquéd at Lanvin. All with techno-barbarian enthousiasm. These are exercises in pure texture.

 

PRINT STORY

From left to right: Mary Katrantzou, Rodarte, Tom Ford, Peter Pilotto

Welcome to the catwalk circus. Exalted excess in a cultural cross over ranging from glam, to disco, pop to op and manga to Marvel. Fantastical shadowy landscapes in misty monochromes at Mary Katrantzou and cross-cultural multi ethnic Flash! and Bang! at Tom Ford. The very personal folksy mysticism of Rodarte and the cartoonish verve of Peter Pilotto. We are talking maximalism here!

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

First View Paris Womenswear FW2013: Bed Time

Cosy is not the usual aspect spotted on a Paris catwalk. But nevertheless we met a snug bedtime spirit in Paris with models flaunting out of hotel rooms in silky, lush pyjamas, lace-edged-negligees and flowery dressing gowns. Roomy, soft robes that showed the generous proportions of menswear. Sensual and intimate voluptuous bathrobes lined in marabou. Fabulous, sheltering cashmere wrap-coats in baby blue, pink, camel and blush in smooth, winter-weight woolens and brushed plaids. And thick silk pyjamas printed with English tweed patterns or tender China florals.

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Softness and desire seemed a re-found aspect, in touchable styles that established an intimate dialogue between the masculine and the feminine.

Carven is rounding out with oversize coats in teddy bear textures. Cinematic sceneries at Vuitton, in a film noir esprit, showing various states of dress and undress in a midcentury inspired atmosphere. Stella McCartney goes square, though softened, in snugly, velvet touch robe coats.

We noted a refreshing sense of ease, slightly quirky and off beat and an inspiring invitation to cuddle up.

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 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!

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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

 

 

First View New York Womenswear FW2013: an Englishman in New York

Here is a very clear and retail-friendly trend to spot. Classic English tailoring, menswear suiting materials and silhouettes referencing collegiate prep. Not that we have never seen this before. This is all about comfort and ease, not so much in the fit but more in mindset – looking good, no shock, no unease and absolutely no risk. Luckily there are some designers to give this look a twist. By adding a touch of futurism in bonded materials or a quiet but brave re-proportioning of the silhouette. But mostly this is about referencing the classic, the authentic and re-viving as well as re-living tradition in Peacoats and double-breasted coats and blazers combined with abbreviated minis.

Tommy Hilfiger stays close to its preppy roots with Prince of Wales checks and hound’s-tooth checks and plaids. Rag & Bone, adds modernity by re-proportioning and mixing materials and textures. Victoria Beckham layers her skin-tight and sexy dresses with mannish but nevertheless sensual coats. Then have a look at Marc by Marc Jacobs, Y3 and Thom Browne to see how they manage to merge these icons of tailoring with their personal signature.

Hail to history and now back to the future please!

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