Viktor & Rolf Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011
January 20, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items, Menswear, Paris
It seemed the Viktor & Rolf Monsieur winter collection 2011 was sampled as if it was a normal dayroutine starting with a man in his homewear, a gray combination of a sweater and a slim jersey sportspants/longjohn, followed by a man in white undies and a shirt and ending by a man dressed in a bomber-jacket covering his smoking. In between the designers presented everything a men’s wardrobe should contain during the day and eveninghours: a comfy cardigan, a lammy jacket, a trenchcoat, a good knit and a few nice looking suits in black, gray or even red. Having those basics a man can vary as much as he can. He can even wear his longjohn with a dressy jacket or let his shirt peep out. It gave the rather serious and formal looking clothes a more informal character.
Amsterdam International Fashion Week Preview: Marloes Blaas FW2011
January 20, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items
In less than a week the Amsterdam International Fashion Week will start. So to get you in the right mood for all the great Dutch fashion you’re going to see next week, we will present you some previews of the collections of several Dutch designers. Today we tell you everything about the new collection of Marloes Blaas, which she will show on Friday the 28th of January. After having showed in the Machinegebouw last year Marloes is now showing in the bigger space, Zuiveringshal West.
For her fall/winter collection Marloes Blaas was inspired by the forties. She looked at the women working in factories (such as Rosie de Riveter), wanting to be independent. ‘Those women in the forties had to work really hard, to rebuild their country but also their families. Therefore I chose those strong women as my inspiration’, Marloes told us.
Marloes’ collection will exist of 20 different looks. ‘The collection starts with the aftermath of the War. You’ll see designs made of army tents and heavy knitwear. Then the collection turns from heavy to more feminine. You, for instance, see waist skirts. The show will end with some light, airy clothing’, she says.
Because people in the forties didn’t have a lot of money, they recycled their materials and knitted a lot of the clothes themselves. Marloes copied that example and also used old materials for her new designs. ‘I made a cape of army tents and I used old maps, printed on silk, as a fabric too. I’m lucky to have a friend who’s family business is specialized in items from the second world war. He is always on the look for objects and materials I might be able to use in my collections.’
In line with Marloes’ inspiration for the collection the colors will not be very bright. Marloes: ‘I worked a lot with army green and earthly colors, yet I also added shades of ocher, red and purple. Towards the end I show some white, some cream and a very light shaded type of denim. The old map is one of my prints and I added a slanting check print too.’
Overall the collection will definitely be very wintery. Fabrics will be heavy and many looks will be layered. Real winter-items in the collection will be leather overalls, pants and jackets. Marloes: ‘My favorite look is a cape with many different knitted parts and a collar made of army tent pieces.’
Marloes predicts: ‘Next year’s musthaves will be: knitted cardigans and clothes made from leather. I used a lot of leather in my collection as well.’
Marloes is almost finished with her collection (models & shoes for the show are all taken care of) and together with her boyfriend she’s working on the music for the show. We’re already fond of the story behind her collection, so we can’t wait to see what it will eventually look like.
Photographer: Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter
Mugler Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011
On Wednesday night we witnessed the rebirth of fashion label Thierry Mugler. Not only because the new creative director Nicole Formichetti debuted his first collection for the label. But also cause as of today the label is called just ‘Mugler’ (incl. a brand new logo).
Many came to witness Nicola Formichetti’s debut collection for Mugler, while Formichetti has been responsible for many of Lady Gaga’s looks (he was her stylist). Of course everyone was hoping the diva would turn up herself, but she was nowhere to be found. We did hear her brand new song playing during the fashion show, though. Gaga was even mentioned as the ‘musical director of this menswear project’ in Mugler’s show notes.
On his debut collection Formichetti worked together with Romain Kremer (who already worked for the brand before) and together they did one hell of a job. The show was full of daring menswear, like extremely wide and padded trousers, long (sometimes belted) jackets and tops revealing the mens’ bellies. Not to mention all the latex and the extreme tattoos, masks and make-up the models had on; very scary!
Shades of blue, black and olive green passed by as well as a bright orange color. Towards the end of the show the models wore some kind of transparent veils over their heads. It looked scary and crazy, but at least they had fun with it.
Now let’s hope Formichetti will be as successful at Mugler as he was with Gaga and the label is back in business!
Amsterdam International Fashion Week Preview: Bas Kosters FW2011
January 19, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items
We have one week to go till the Amsterdam International Fashion Week starts. So to get you in the right mood for all the great Dutch fashion you’re going to see next week, we will present you some previews of the collections of several Dutch designers. We kick off with rebel designer Bas Kosters, who will show on Thursday evening, the 27th of January.
Bas Kosters has had a lot on his mind these past weeks. Besides putting his collection together he is busy with some other projects as well, including a new commercial job, which we will hear more about soon. Yet despite the rush Bas is pretty calm: ‘The days I was finishing my collections in the middle of the night are in the past. Now I make sure I rest when I need to, otherwise things get out of control. And there’s really no need in wearing yourself out, cause at the day of the show you still have to be presentable (you have to talk to the press and you’ll get photographed).’
And Bas is right on schedule, cause the biggest part of the collection, inspired by mutants, is done. For those of you who’ve seen Bas’ show at the Dutch Fashion Awards, this – indeed – is the same collection, yet expanded. ‘The collection we’re going to show during the AIFW is more prêt-à -porter. For the Dutch Fashion Awards we were in hurry, we finished the collection (of 15 items) in three weeks. This time everything is far more balanced. Plus, we’ve added five menswear looks.’
According to Bas this collection is very different from what we’ve seen before. ‘The last couple of collections were very dark, this time we brought back the color. We also used some new techniques. For instance, we used special painting techniques and we used screen prints and digital prints.’
Bas continues: ‘The collection will also be more refined and there will be more shape in the designs. My favorite look is one of the outfits from the finale. It’s a dress made from silk pastel strips and when the model walks in it, it moves beautifully.’
Like almost everything Bas works on next week’s show will definitely not be your average fashion show. He promises a great spectacle and we sure can’t wait to see what he’s got in stores for us…
Photographer: Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter
Alexander McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Featured Items, Menswear, Milan
Dirk Bikkembergs Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Featured Items, Menswear, Milan
Streetfashion Milan Menswear FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Featured Items, Menswear, Milan, Streetwear
What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Jil Sander-shoes, your latest Dolce & Gabbana-suit or that vintage Comme des Garcons? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Milan Menswear Fashion Week.
D&G Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items, Menswear, Milan
Oh life is good and full of fun in the world of the D&G man. Despite it’s highly commercial level and copy & paste of all American logo’s and comics it was a breath of fresh air. Fashion has to be fun too, no? Especially after the dark years that are behind us now and the serious search of other labels for a new look and a new dresscode.
D&G let the sunshine in with their colorful, low crotch, small legged pants, copy/paste T-shirts with the Coca Cola logo and Disney-comics and preppy jackets and shirts. It seemed the American Fifties college-nerd inspired the designers for this mix and match of checks, prints, fits and proportions. It looked fresh and new thanks to the new proportions, shrunken wool knitwear, corduroy and padded nylon.
Gucci Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items, Menswear, Milan
The metropolitan dandy was Frida Giannini’s muse for the fall 2011 Gucci menswear-collection. And how vain this dandy is, in his 70’s inspired impeccable suit in all tones of brown & grays worn with a purple or blue shirt and matching tie, polished shoes, ostrich-leather coat and slick hair. He even has his own clutch now, big enough to protect his daily newspaper ! (how old fashioned with the iPad in town).
The Gucci-man is still a playboy and will probably never ever become a dull housefather. Even during the weekend he looks like’s been studying every part of his outfit carefully. From the mohair sweater to the big, sheepskin coat and ribcord hunting-jacket. And please let him be, because besides the new intellectual in his HD-colored clothes we also need the naughty handsome playboy in his sensual, slick suit to balance it all out and keep us women dreaming.
Prada Catwalk Fashion Show Milan FW2011
January 17, 2011 by Jetty
Filed under Fashion, Featured Items, Menswear, Milan
Designers are looking for new proportions and silhouettes, besides the HD-color, that’s the main message in Milan right now. Prada is trying to change the slim silhouette now for a few seasons, but it is difficult in a world where men hate to change the fit of their suit. They prefer to stick to what they have. But what Prada suggested yesterday didn’t seem strange at all: the rounded shoulderline, the wider fit and the black mixed with lurex in jewelcolors looked nice. However, it were the tracksuits and shiny, synthetic fabrics that made me look away.
In a time where men are desperately looking for a new dresscode this was not a serious alternative. It was tacky and a bit cheap. But, as with all those Prada-collections which irritate at first sight, the fashion-oracle probably knows something we all don’t understand yet. Time will tell.
