Streetwear Trend Fashion Month SS2019: Fluo a Gogo

Neon is a thing again. Spotted on the streets of Milan, Paris and New York this day-glo bright color is all the rage. Kanye might have started it with his Yeezy range, Virgil Abloh took it to another level with his latest Off-White collection (see also the Blumarine and House of Holland SS2019 collection). Whether used on a long, floor sweeping black dress or as the main color of a complete tracksuit neon can be both chic and sporty. Wear it like Caroline Daur or rock this color like Eleonora Carisi. Neon yellow is a definite favorite (a turtle neck in that shade seems a safe bet), yet we’ve spotted some fluorescent orange, pink and green (the hair, the shoes, the bags!) as well. Are you ready to rock this statement shade? All eyes on you wherever you go. Fluo a gogo!

Benchellal at Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week

After Paris we’d just checked into fashion rehab, only to check out two days later as the fashion train already departs for it’s next destination, a new fashion week, the Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week. Founded in 2014 this fashion week which focuses on sustainable innovations takes place once a year. During this week both young and established designers get a chance to show how they incorporate this theme, which importance is ever growing, in their work. This years sustainability theme: circularity.

On Thursday night designer Mo Benchellal – not a sustainable designer per se, but he was in for an experiment – kicked off the 2018 edition of this fashion week with the presentation of his collection Re-Uniform at the Marineterrein in Amsterdam. A collection of 32 looks created from recycled uniforms, tents and backpacks. Influences from the marine, the fire department and the police were clearly visible in the caps and logo’s. Toughness was also in the details like large pockets, epaulettes and all kinds of straps which came from his deconstructed uniforms. Army greens, deep blue and camouflage prints added to that effect.

And still Benchellal managed to give his collection an absolute feminine twist. He did so by using lots of tulle, satin and taft. By adding ruffles, playing with volume and creating larger than life dresses. An XL army green dress seemed to be made out of a complete tent. The designer even managed to come up with an impressive bridal gown, which the model sported with a camouflage jacket and a blue helmet. Such an interesting contrast! If only our soldiers and officers would go out dressed like this..

Highlights Paris Fashion Week – Trends SS2019

Nine days of Paris Fashion Week were concluded this Tuesday with big fish Chanel and Louis Vuitton both scheduled on the last day. Nine days filled with highly anticipated shows (Celine) that disappointed more than a few, surprise shows and performances (Gucci’s debut at Paris Fashion Week and Jane Birkin’s performance during the show) the most impressive backdrops (Saint Laurent’s palm trees and the Eiffel tower, Chanel’s beach, Balenciaga’s tunnel that took us to a different dimension), XL shows (Dior) vs. small collections (Comme des Garcons), a big focus on the whole gender blending/neutral theme, but also collections that lacked a big inspiration, statement or political message (Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton). What an interesting nine days these have been. To sum it all up fashion wise, we’ve filtered out some of the biggest SS2019 trends. So that you can already wrap your head around the idea that you’ll be sporting washed out denim and mesh dresses in less than a year.

Have you read our Milan Trend Report SS2019 yet?

Washed out denim

Mesh anything

Polka dot

Fantasy prints

Strong shoulders

Black blazer

Get away clothes

Louis Vuitton Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

In line with this fashion months most prevailing trends, the gender blending topic, Nicolas Ghesquière pulled a little trick on Tuesday afternoon. He sent out a selection of menswear and womenswear looks, like so many designers mix those together, yet he had all girls wearing the looks. “My idea was to be ambiguous because everyone thinks that when a woman dresses like a man, it’s giving her power. I think you can be very vulnerable when you wear a suit as a woman. It was very interesting to play with that ambiguity”, he said. And why wouldn’t girls wear the black pants and white suit jacket or the kaki pants and bomber jacket he designed? A clear statement at the start of the show which evolved into solely womenswear looks with a sci-fi feeling and a touch of eighties (a returning theme in Ghesquière’s shows), worn by girls. They sported printed dresses with futuristic cyber images on their chests and sturdy rounded rubber coats. Bomber jackets with contrasting prints and mesh dresses with chunky space suit inspired sleeves. Workwear pants in all kinds of shades and black leather boots. Oh and let’s not forget about the stunning tiny spaceship shaped cross body bags.The collection didn’t have a story or inspiration, these were just clothes designed to make women feel more powerful. “Every piece that I designed for this collection, I asked the question: is it powerful for a woman to wear this? Does it give her strength?” Another fashion month has come to an end and what better way to conclude it than with a short trip to Ghesquière’s galaxy.

 

 

Chanel Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

And so we wrap up a fashion filled month with a short holiday as we took our seats in the sand at Chanel. No models strutting the runway but a casual stroll on the Chanel beach complete with fake waves and a lifeguard. A fresh C breeze. They walked on their bare feet, but made sure they carried some new Chanel footwear in their hand, one or two handbags in the other hand. Although a few of the models carried the new handbags around their necks. Some even wore two shoulder bags attached to each other in the middle. They sported tweed suits in the loveliest palette of summer pastels. Sleeves tweed jackets were slightly oversized, but the short skirts made up for it. Real beach items too, like a bathing suit, a kaftan inspired dress and some spaghetti strap printed dresses. Followed up by a series of heavy leather classic jackets (as seen on Ola Rudnicka). Lots of lace, a few fringes, some ruffles and a selection of light knits in the mix. Black cycling pants during the day, black sequined looks at night. Leather gloves (the ones Karl Lagerfeld wears himself) and straw hats accessorized the looks. As “Chanel” earpieces, bracelets and an overdose of pearl necklaces added to the fashion house’s signature look. Every look was spot on Chanel, wave after wave. With the right dose of contemporary highs (the logo’s, the cycling pants) to keep Chanel relevant and young. Fully charged and inspired we left the perfect little Parisian beach behind us. Wish it could stay there as a perfect little escape from the city. Wish we’d already own of those sets of earrings.

Alexander McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

Sarah Burtons collection for Alexander McQueen was about sisterhood, about women’s milestones and rituals: birth, christenings, weddings, funerals. “It’s about being strong and emotional, but also staying it’s okay to show your vulnerability; not to have to put a brave face on it”, she stated. And so she sent out looks that were both cute and girly but also tough. Like the first few light colored lace dresses she paired with black leather belts (some with a leather peplum or apron attached to it) and boots. A few suits and sleeveless suit jackets with lace up detailing in the mix. And then the more voluminous floral printed dresses came on. Fran Summers looked extra tough in a black leather floral painted corset/torso with lace up skirt and boots. Her hair slick in multiple braids the show’s hairstyle. Then Laurijn Bijnen came out looking like a liquid dream in her silver sheer dress. Throughout the show we went back and forth from light to heavy, supple to sturdy, light to dark, arty to commercial. Some pieces will sell like hot cakes others were the statement makers that set the mood for SS2019. A flirty and sexy but gloomy mood.

Stella McCartney Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

Stella McCartney doesn’t have a big, new message for SS2019. Her collection she showed on Monday was basically a presentation of what she does best; making distinctive clothes with a certain cool factor. The first look was a sexy floral printed body suit, the second look a sand colored oversized suit. And so the show went on from flirty skater dresses to tie dye T-shirts, from overalls to slip dresses and a pink colored knitwear looks. No reason, no rhyme, no built up. A few oversized menswear looks in the mix. All in a soft pastel pallet, apart from the bright orange co-ord Giselle Norman wore and the turquoise dress He Cong sported with matching sporty sunnies. Anok Yai looked stunning in a long mint plisse (a definite trend for next year) dress. Tie dye is going to be big next year, if it’s up to McCartney. Other than that you can just rely on her to make you some perfect fits for just about any occasion.

Givenchy Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

A woman, a Swiss, a photographer, a writer, a traveler, who lived a century ago formed the inspiration to Clare Waight Keller’s new Givenchy collection. This woman, Annemarie Schwarzenbach, who mostly dressed and behaved like a man lead up to a the menswear and womenswear sections at Givenchy being drawn closer together. If the Givenchy woman of a few seasons ago screamed sex, for next year she’s much more tamed. She wears high wasted pants and a camel colored shirt with epaulets. She wears belted double breasted jackets. She sports workwear pants and her dresses are quite straight and covered up. But even though she wears an awful lot of fabric (and rocks a pixie haircut), as Veerle Klok rocked that asymmetric yellow/white plisse gown, she still looks sensual from head to toe. Shoulders were even bare of covered up by a cape meets shoulder rug piece. A few sparkly sequined ones were the accessories of the finale filled with evening pieces and added an extra dose of femineity to the collection. Highlights in the menswear section were a safari inspired combination worn by Pascal Wilke, a perfectly tailored purple suit sported by Jonas Gloer and a sleeveless leather fit Louis rocked halfway the show. Talking about statement looks..

Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

Forget the basic idea of a runway show; straightforward, clean, with nothing else to focus on than the clothes. For Balenciaga Demna Gvasalia decided to do a completely different version of that. “I always had this idea of a video tunnel, like being inside someone’s digital mind,” he said. It was as if he transported us to a different dimension, a Balenciaga tunnel in which his eighties inspired looks followed up on each other. Strong shoulders, bright colors. Dark pants or leggings and boxy tops (An extremely boxy red menswear coat could’ve come straight out of Kanye’s latest video). Oversized suits for the guys, large structured dresses for the girls. Joggers, printed shirts, indigo denim, oversized leather jackets, flute sleeve party dresses and pinstripe looks. Lots of logo’s at display. Had we just traveled back in time or was this Gvasalia’s take on the fashion of the future? I guess the new silhouette gave it away. This was the designers vision on what we’ll be wearing the upcoming years. And given the success of his recent collection we don’t dare to argue.

Valentino Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Womenswear SS2019

Kristen McMenamy kicked off the Valentino show in a voluminous black off shoulder caftan. She looked good, no doubt, but that black look and all that fabrics were in no way a forecast of what was about to happen later on in the show. After a selection of all black looks in all kinds of shapes, sizes and fabrics, which was ended with a black dress and an enormous feathered hat, Pierpaolo Piccioli introduced a few looks in white, black and white and he sent out two girls with an enormous Valentino V logo printed on their chests. Then the show really kicked off white shades of orange, pink and Valentino red. On came the prints, the most gorgeous floral inspired mirrored prints in the most perfect SS2019 palettes (purple, green and yellow) which came back in the color of the models eyeshadow. A sequined dress worn by Britt Ensink with purple fur on the sleeves simply was the star of the show. Pockets in dresses added an effortless touch. Gold colored chunky earrings and furry footwear put the picture together. And even more so than usual this was a parade of dreamy, dazzling dresses that could’ve just stepped out of a fairy tale. Now name one woman who wouldn’t want to step out in one of these pieces of art.

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