Trend Report SS2014: Stripe Hype

Like floral prints and monochrome looks the stripe trend has been around for quite a few seasons now. From pin to jumbo stripes+ we´ve seen all kinds of variations pop up on A-line skirts, strapless dresses and partly striped pieces. Yet the most popular striped look probably is the most classic as well; a simple blue and white sweater paired with some jeans of pleated trousers. Very French, very chic! Oh and what did you think of the endless amount of striped accessories we spotted. From striped and quilted Chanel bags to almost cartoonlike shoulder bags. As you can read between the lines we´ve got a feeling this trend is just not over yet.

Trend Report SS2014: Grande Entrée

More than your shoes, your (it-)bag and your hair this season the statement making is really done by your coat. The styles are outspoken; boldly printed, bright colored or architecturally shaped and always carelessly tossed around the body these summer coats are bound to have you make a grande entrée. Our favorite one, shot in the streets of Paris is the yellow/greenish version, effortlessly paired with a chic tweed ensemble, showing some leg for the perfect proportions. A great coat goes a long way…

Trend Report SS2014: Name Dropping

While Selfridges introduced a whole range of de-branded food products the world of fashion is holding a serious game of name dropping. Large fashion houses (Kenzo, DKNY, Acne and Dior) as well high street names are screaming for attention by placing words and logos in all the right places. Not the owner of a luxury logo? A touch of humor in the form of brand-like prints such as “Celfie” and “Homies” has proven to go a long way. Classic sport brands Nike and Adidas are experiencing a huge logo revival and, of course Chanel’s CC (perhaps printed on a backpack) is your best asset in this name dropping business.

Streetfashion Amsterdam Denim Days 2014, Blueprint

What are you wearing during the Amsterdam Denim Days? Your vintage Levi’s, a bespoke Denham or your latest G Star Raw-jeans? We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion, denim and your own personal style. These are the pics made during Kingpins Show, the tradefair that kicked of Amstrerdam Denim Days.

 

Streetfashion Amsterdam Denim Days 2014, Kingpins Show

What are you wearing during the Amsterdam Denim Days? Your vintage Levi’s, a bespoke Denham or your latest G Star Raw-jeans? We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion, denim and your own personal style. These are the pics made during Kingpins Show, the tradefair that kicked of Amstrerdam Denim Days.

 

Amsterdam Denim Days 2014, Blueprint

Blueprint is a two day event for everybody who loves denim. It presents denim brands & labels directly to consumers, shop pros, producers, stylists, students, designers, retailers and other denim-heads.

But Blueprint will also show all kinds of aspects of the most iconic material in fashion with an inspiring program containing  seminars, exhibitions, workshops, documentaries, laser-print demo’s, live music & entertainment, HTNK’s Story Store, a vintage market, denim archive, food & drinks and many more to explore.

Amsterdam Denim Days 2014, Kingpins show

Finally Amsterdam has it’s own Denim event. And what an event it is! First the pro’s meet two days at the Kingpins show at the Gashouder in Amsterdam. At this trade-show Ddsigners, manufacturers and all kinds of denim-pro’s see the latest developments in fabric, finishing and production plus they will hear the latest trends from WGSN and Invista. It’s the first time Kingpins hits Amsterdam, but we cannot imagine it will be the last time in the denim-capital of Europe.

Kingpins has a cult status among professionals due to the quality of the exhibitors and inviting atmosphere combined with an exclusive admission policy.

 

See here the highlights.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Round Up Womenswear FW2014, Part 1

As always we where overwhelmed with the flood of fashion beauty and material excellence coming over us during the global fashion weeks.

There was this continuous feel for sobriety, for real clothes and a new found spirit for informality motivated by utilitarian inspirations. Lot’s of chic citywear icons where given the sporty treatment. The best windbreaker, the most comfortable puff jacket, the most perfect trouser fit. Between those masses of garments some were excellent in their normality, perfect in execution, amazing in materiality. Supreme touch, perfect drape, etc. Technology is helping here and making top tailoring more accessible, performing textiles more sensual and expressive fashion textiles more functional.

Between those real clothes to please us, very close to what woman desire to wear instantly, 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.

Then there is this big (in many ways) offering of the cosy and comfortable. We nearly dare to mention a return of the feel for cocooning. All about enveloping, embracing, sheltering and protecting. Wrapped in plaids, down blankets, furs, felt ponchos and most of all in knits.

Knits where everywhere this season. For separate items as well as total looks. Haider Ackermann uses them long, lean and liquid. Balenciaga is among the designers who experiment by laminating bulky knits; others just cut it as woven material, where many, as The Row, find excellence by use of precious fibre – cashmere has never been that big.

Where we expected previous season a future for narrative sets and spectacular venues this was limited to few. The stupendous supermarket setting of Chanel was the talk of the season, he vacuum-packed his bags where Iris van Herpen left her audience in awe by vacuum-packing her models. Both raised a manifest on consumerism, in Chanel’s case this is likely to be rather ironic. Political or social statements where hardly done. Fashion is where it used to be, fur is back bigger than ever without any thought or comment, quotes were there for a season in summer, but were empty phrases appliquéd on garments as decoration. Now the message was femininity, desire and being beautiful. Back to the core business of fashion.

In general it seems that designers very much care for how women feel, what a girl wants, how fashion makes them feel beautiful. Fall 2014 catwalk season was much more about the exploration of women’s fashion desires then about pushing designers signature looks.
Cherchez la femme!

URBAN TECH

(Alexander Wang, Prada, Christian Wijnants, Balenciaga, Miu Miu)

Outdoor and urban sportswear never looked that glamorous. Alexander Wang showed utilitarian city wear in experimental tech textiles, Prada staged a boxy shearling in mirroring gold. Silver foil jackets at Christian Wijnants cover tech double knit shorts and Alexander Wang laminated cabled knit monty’s to cover chain knit skirts. Miu Miu uplifted normality by adding hologram gloss to quilted shirt jackets.

 

INTER-GALACTIC ROYALTY

(Rodarte, Moschino, Thom Browne, Dolce & Gabanna, Etro)

Bumping into a Princess Leia look-a-like at Rodarte we realized that Starwars is still making waves. Jeremy Scott explored junk culture for Moschino and came up with the bright, brash and ingenious staging their urban princess, Thom Browne evoked the ecclesiastical and went for the sublime, it where king’s that inspired Dolce & Gabanna to dress up this princess, she is showing us the key towards success. Veronica Etro met her royalty during a trip down the Silk Road.

KNIT IT

(Yohji Yamamoto, Céline, The Row, Céline)

Knit is big in all senses. Impressive knit volumes – soft, bulky and warm at Yohji Yamamoto. Sensuality and tenderness is what drove Phoebe Philo towards her all knit wardrobes for Céline. Instant luxury is what the models must have felt when The Row covered them in these super-size double face cashmere knits. Simple, still and ultimately comfortable.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

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