The Big Round Up Womenswear FW14, Part 3

This is part three of our trend-overview of season FW2014. Take a closer look at Cosmic, Warriors and With a Swirl.

COSMIC

(Dsquared², Balenciaga, Gucci, Wang, Iceberg(

A touch of Barbarella spotted at Dsquared² with a slice of lunatic glamor. Much more strict, square and bold, the sporty hybrids of Balenciaga show a playful touch of humor. Cosmic starlets in leather mini’s at Gucci. More utility at Balenciaga, ready to hunt or to enter the lab? Chunky sweaters treated with crinkly silver foil, like an astronaut’s space suit at Iceberg.

 

WARRIORS

(Haider Ackermann, Rick Owens, Rick Owens, Haider Ackermann, Barbara Bui)

Brace yourself, the troups are nearing. The heroins of Haider Ackermann, show feminine and masculine symbiosis, in longer then long sumptuous slouchy suits.

Family tribes and high priestesses at Rick Owens wear sleeveless tunic dresses and ponchos in primal knit, felt and leather skins. Modern day cocooning goes elegant at Ackermann in lush jersey cap-sleeved onesies, the hit of the season. Barbara Bui shows chunky and sharp tailored jerseys.

WITH A SWIRL

(Chalayan, Dries van Noten, Christopher Kane, Roland Mouret, Just Cavalli)

Most excitement was in the added dynamics. All moving layers and slits in Hussein Chalayan’s gauzy gowns, glittering in liquid textures. Dries van Noten’s pattern mania shows psychedelic swirl with a rave quality. Christopher Kane’s organza dresses ruffle, since composed of fifty dark-trimmed leaves of the fabric. Sculptural as well as ethereal. Roland Mouret’s stiff coated tweed is animated by a swirling laser cut fringe skirt. Just Cavalli shows racy metallic collage prints, exuberant applications and skirts with an elegant swirl.

The dynamic promise of technology!

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

The Big Round Up Womenswear FW14, Part 2

This is part 2 of our trend-overview of the coming fall season. Between the continuous feel for sobriety, for real clothes and a new found spirit for informality , we did spot some true fashion statements. In percentage not that many, but nevertheless there. Found mostly in expressive materials, holographic coatings, laminations, cuts, fringes, 3D embellishment and eye-catching patterns. Where past seasons were strong on craft we now sense a steady shift towards technology.

Take a closer look at Crafted Luxury, l’Art Decoratif and the Wild Ones.

 

CRAFTED LUXURY

(Céline, Altuzarra, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, Michael Kors)

Love for raw refinement. Céline wrapped her model in fluffy feather fringe, Altuzarra in simple elegant shifts from crafted tapestry weaves, Stella McCartney’s comfy tweed parka’s showed an earthy tribal feel, where Michael Kors went for maximum luxury in ombré pullovers, chocolate brown feather fringe and masculine suits made of floating luxurious cashmere tweeds.

 

L’ART DECORATIF

(Missoni, Burberry Prorsum, Bottega Veneta, Peter Pilotto, Tod’s)

Missoni showed abstract patched tanks in boiled and felted knit. Reflecting on Bloomsbury, Burberry hand-painted cashmere shawls to be worn on mohair coats. Technical wizardry was used to create this pattern magic – zigzag puzzles at Bottega Veneta. Exuberance and excess in trippy and clashing geometric prints at Peter Pilotto, where Tod’s showed mosaic-like lozenge patterns in multiple techniques.

 

THE WILD ONES

(Miu Miu, Saint Laurent, Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Marni)

A flavour of the primal. Miuccia Prada layered her padded and quilted dresses with grand volumes of fluff for Miu Miu, Saint Laurent‘s cool, pop princesses strolled the catwalk in fur, lazy with casual extravaganza. As human cats in long haired fluff. Wild beauty at Alexander McQueen, and – this is a quote – incongruous incursions of fur at Marni, just figure out yourself what this might be…

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

 

 

 

First View Paris Womenswear FW2014: Rave!

Great to see some power and vibrancy coming to stage. Where glamour, sportswear and technology meet, energy sparks and flickers. Demure, slightly unhinged optical illusions and psychedelic swirl in hybrid cloths coming straight from the fashion laboratory. With swirling spirals, mish meshed two-dimensional flowers – all flavoured with unexpected elegance.
Dries van Noten is inspired by Bridget Riley, an English painter who is one of the foremost exponents of Op art. The most optical and delirious patterns where inspired by her works, that had a disorienting physical effect on the eye. This art part being whole-heartedly alternated with true fashion icons – as brilliant flat flowers, supersize 3-D corsages and chic sliver shoes.
At Balenciaga texture is the story. Referencing American sportswear in a playful and experimental way. Re-imagined cabled knits are laminated with latex and bonded with leather. Hefty zippers crisscross jackets and pants.
Fashion with a bold, cartoonish edge and a healthy touch of humor.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

 

First View Milan Womenswear FW2014: New Understatement

 

There are alternative ways to make a woman look beautiful. We saw brave and masterful innovative cut and pattern-making, smart updating of traditional skins and silks and an intelligent play with shades and light. The outcome looks new, modern and understated – sophisticated elegance with a self-evident comfort and natural flair in shapes that are not all that natural. What we look at are complex drapes, mathematical mosaics, intelligent coupes and smart technical finishing.

Tomas Maier, for Bottega Veneta, called these fab outcomes “puzzles’ – simple silhouettes with clever nips, skilful pleats and intelligent trompe l’oeil illusions. Ending up to be comfortable dresses in a sensual cosmetic pallet, to make women feel good.

Alessandra Facchinetti for Tod’s found ways to use leather less like skin and more like fabric which leads to streamlined, modern, women friendly outfits in lacquered patent leather.

Where Bottega Veneta uses ‘puzzles’, Tod’s mentions ‘mosaics’, both as results of in-depth explorations of pattern-making. Their efforts are inventive, unorthodox and challenging classical tailoring standards.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam