Peter Stigter just revealed his latest project Peter Stigter aan de muur, an online photo gallery which will be launched in november this year. Peter opened up his archive of thousands of fashion pictures and put his favorites in a photo gallery. The photo’s are printed in a very small limited edition and profits will be donated to projects helping the blind and visually disabled. The website peterstigteraandemuur.nl will be launched november 12th at Fashion Mania in Amsterdam. A blog will inform about the work in progress starting by the end of august.Keep an eye on this site, Dutch magazines and  newspapers. To be continued…

As we announced before Peter Stigter is joining an exhibition of Glamour during the Arnhem Mode Biennale, entitled Celebrate Shape. The magazine invited their best photographers to send in their view on Shape. You didn’t go yet? Hurry, it closes july 6th. Location: Coberco Melkfabrieken, Nieuwe Kade 1, Arnhem.

You’ll never see this at a runway-picture, but this is the setting of most of the catwalkshows. For example, Dior Homme.

Kris van Assche sent out a sensual, ultralight layered collection for Dior Homme. Tailored but very comfortable, with blazers als sheer as possible. There were also gym-influenced pieces like mesh tops under a sheer cardigan, or ultralight knits.

Paul Smith’s summer-collection has that old vintage vibe with a very toned down color palette – and that’s new for Smith. The show started with sober grey suits and evolved in a more sheen part and colors from pale pastels to purple, orange/red. To make it all more relaxed he paired the suits with espadrilles and pineapple-like prints. At the finale Paul Smith and his models were dancing down the catwalk to’ Thriller ‘. This was a happy end of an interesting fashion season.

‘The best thing about fashion is the freedom to be’, says Albert Elbaz – creative director of Lanvin. And from this point of view the Lanvin-man can wear anything he wants, from sleeveless jackets, to shirts with a tine bow on a neckline or at the waist, kimono-cut shirts, high waisted khakis, puff sleeves or silk shorts. Lucas Ossendrijver did a wonderful job here, to mix the glamourous with the more adventurous.

It was a little sad for Riccardo Tisci. The day he presented his menswear collection for Givenchy Michael Jackson’s death was all over the news. And Tisci just finished the costumes for Jackson’s new tour. The superstar found out about Tisci through the pieces of Givenchy’s womenswear he’d been wearing. The collaboration inspired the gold-star studded tunics and hoodies Tisci showed. But they did not make the collection, it was the mix of North African inspired, layered active wear. He used high tech fabrics and mosaic-like prints  and created his own version of a sports uniform.

The Couvent de Cordeliers in Paris was transformed into a sand-colored road for the Hermès-show. A lot of shows in Paris are influenced by deserts, sand and cultures from the Middle East.

Hermès menswear designer Veronique Nichanian makes clothes not fashion, and that’s a relief. Because you can see she’s trying to design the best, flattering and desirable clothes in the world, without the stress of being on top of the trends. And because she is not pushing it, but feels what’s happening in the world, she presents clothes with just enough fashion. Sophisticated colors (taupe, slate, bronze, green), slightly cropped pants, more volume in jackets and knitwear, and beautifully made linen suits in black and bronze. Of course made in the best fabrics.

No layers at the Ann Demeulemeester-show, no poetry, no mixing of proportions. Her ss2010-collection looked simple, sensual and masculine – but very clean and distant as well – with sparkly twinsets, long silken coats, kimono-like coats and simple suits in black and white.

The John Galliano-show was the usual spectacle, with beautiful models painted and dressed to resemble anyone but themselves. Napoleon’s rise was the theme of the collection, but it could also be pirates or a weekend at the Sahara. Clothes were transformed, layered, romantic, floating and colorful. Safari-jackets, shirts turned into sarongs, sand-colored suits and frock-coats as the new outerwear of the season.

You can leave it up to the Belgian Walter van Beirendonck to send out a happy show with a clear message. This time it was the Trademark- and Copyright-sign that formed the essence of the collection. He showed them on socks, shirts, jackets etc. Walter look-a-like models were parading in quilted bubbly fabrics, bright colors and swimsuits.