Cold Method Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam FW2012

On Tuesday night we all gathered at the Compagnie theater in the center of Amsterdam to see the brand new collection of fashion label Cold Method. In a large – yet still very crowded – theater room with an old skool backdrop of wooden boxes and activist poster the brand took us back to the late sixties.

Inspired by student’s revolutions of that period Cold Method showed a rough and raw collection, named The Gentleman Activist. ‘Cause even though those students were fighting against the authorities back in 1968, they did so in style; like gentlemen.

Head designer Dieter de Cock translated the activism of the student revolutions by expanding his range of suits (in tweed, woolen, corduroy). He showed how to wear those suits in combination with wax coats and fluff jackets. He also came up with casual chinos and corduroy 5-pockets worn with a shirt and a jacket.

His key items for fall turned out to be his field jacket, checked jersey cardigan and a woolen caban. A selection of gorgeous knits was added to the mix as well. And in stead of using a lot of black Dieter introduced shades of dark blue and grey combined with seventies shades like ochre, burgundy and navy blue.

Besides the regular male models two famous Dutch faces, singer Jim Bakkum and actor Patrick Martens who are often spotted wearing Cold Method, made their appearance on the runway too. Together with the show area, the theme and the strong collection that made up for a special Cold Method night. After the models had left the stage we went on it to celebrate Cold Method’s new collection and the fact that the brand turned five this year. Hurray!

Marloes Blaas Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Marloes Blaas will show her fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 04.00 PM. She spoke with us about her brand new collection and how she came up with her source of inspiration.

Show
“I have showed my work during Amsterdam Fashion Week before, but it was always pretty tough to come up with the large amount of money they charge designers. This year I have the help of sponsor shoelabel Clarks, which I am very grateful for. They even provided me with shoes from their f/w2012/2013 collection, which are now produced earlier especially for my show.”

Inspiration
“My collection is called ‘A common silver spoon’ and is based on a Dutch saying (Geboren met een zilveren lepel in de mond). I came up with this when I was on the phone with my mum. She told me she had some old silver for me, which I maybe could use in my work. Right then the inspiration for my collection was born.”

Theme
“The collection is built around the after war period. In other collections I used to look at the forties; this time I focused more on the fifties, a prosperous period in which everyone seemed to be doing well. It was a time of solidarity, working together and large families. Especially those family portraits intrigued me. I started looking and old photo-albums from my mother’s family (she grew up in a family of 12 children). People used to really dress up in their best clothes. They didn’t look at all like themselves, but they did put a lot of effort into those pictures. I used bits and pieces of looks from that time and translated them into something modern.”

Collection
“My collection of 20 looks is divided into 3 parts. 1. In the first part jewelry plays a big role. I used real silver spoons and made necklaces out of them. The clothes in this first part are heavy, dark and are made in shades of grey and black. 2. The second part of the collection is more tough. For this part I studied old school pictures. They inspired me to come up with several school uniforms and school bags. 3. For the third part, which is more about the reconstruction after the war,  I used my own print with rocks. It has shades of burgundy and sand in it.”

Streetfashion Paris Haute Couture SS2012 #1

What are you wearing during the Paris haute Couture-shows? Your Givenchy-shoes, your latest Valentino-jacket or that vintage Gucci? 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: Paris Haute Couture.

Iris van Herpen Catwalk Fashion Couture Show Paris ss2012

Dutch artist/designer Iris van Herpen was an official guest at the calendar of the Haute Couture-shows in Paris. Again she surprised the audience with a breathtaking collection.

Jacob Kok Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Jacob Kok will show his fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 02.00 PM. He spoke with us about his brand new collection and his plans for the future.

Title
“The name of my collection is Schat Zoeken (Treasure Hunting). I began with the idea of minerals and crystals and eventually I added the world of mineworkers to it.’

Inspiration
“My inspiration for this collection is a result of the winning collection I showed on Project Catwalk. There I designed clothes with stone details and I thought it would be nice to start from there. The mineworkers theme is very visible, since I used many work clothing details. Also, I added some sort of treasure to every look…”

Materials
“The treasures in the collection can for instance be a special fabric. I developed my own fabrics at the Audax Museum of Textiles in Tilburg , which represent my treasures. The clothes might appear pretty normal; it’s the fabrics that make it special. Besides those new fabrics I also used recycled ones, so there’s a real contrast between old and new. I, for instance, worked with blankets movers use when they want to protect the furniture.”

Colors
“Overall the clothes look quite dusty. Even if I used colorful fabrics; they still have this washed out feeling to it; as if everything is covered in dust.”

Stress
“I was actually planning on coming up with about 20 looks, but as fashion week is approaching I think that number might diminish to 15 or 17. There’s still a lot to do, so I’ll definitely work till the very last hour. I have really panicked about this, but now I am planning on just doing the best I can and not stressing out any more.”

Goal
“With this collection I am not planning on impressing buyers and press, like others. I just hope my knowledge of fabric and the way I work with it will get noticed. It’s not my goal to create a new collection every six months and sell as much dresses as possible. I would love to just work together with an established fashion brand. For instance, a collaboration like Peter Pilotto and Kipling; I would love to work on a project like that. I don’t even have to work with clothes necessarily; I think I am much better in creating accessories anyway. I don’t see myself as a fashion designer, yet more as an art director.”

Jan Taminiau Catwalk Fashion Couture Show ss2012

Dutch designer Jan Taminiau showed his Tarnished Beauty collection during the first day of Paris Haute Couture. According to the press release  the collection was designed to elevate women. For this purpose Jan Taminiau deployed an army of beauty. The collection is feminine, colorful and extravagant with fragile forms, tarnished delicate fabrics underneath and in contrast with this glittering armor.

Tarnished Beauty
In the world of Jan Taminiau  beauty is more than a twinkling armor that protects us from reality. It is a hedonistic refuge that keeps the world outside. Real beauty comes alive when people open themselves to each other. Ultimately, the army descends and the masks go off.

Streetfashion Paris Menswear FW2012 Day 4

What are you wearing during these menswear fashionweeks? Your Prada-shoes, your latest Raf Simons-jacket or that vintage Gucci? 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: Paris Menswear Fashion Week.

 

Sage & Ivy Preview Amsterdam Fashion Week

Fashion brand Sage & Ivy will show it’s fall/winter 2012/2013 collection on Friday 27 January at 05.00 PM. Designer Alexia van Engelen spoke with us about her brand new collection and her exquisite show location.

Amsterdam
“We have new agents in Russia and Canada which we’re very excited about. Yet even though we’re focusing more on the international market right now, we did think it was important to show our collection in Amsterdam. Not as much clothes will be sold here, but the press in Holland is very positive and uses Sage & Ivy quite a lot.”

Time
“This time we’re more on schedule than with previous collections. Especially since we’re going to Paris a week before our show a lot had to be done. We even had to make two new winter collections of around 20 looks, instead of the one we’re used to. Our agent in Russia needed one fall/winter collection as well; so we’re doing twice the amount of work.”

Show
“Our fashion show will be held in an old mirror studio in Amsterdam. In this studio old mirrors from the 18th and 19th century are restored. It’s an old workspace with concrete floors and raw walls on which over 200 mirrors hang. It’s a very special space. It feels very French to me; almost as if I am in Paris.”

Inspiration
“The collection is called Pelgrimage, which also was my inspiration. I thought of a strong woman making a long journey. The previous Sage & Ivy collections were always very sweet, yet this one is much more raw than what people have seen before. I had enough of the soft shades and the light fabrics and wanted to show another side of femininity. A tough, raw side, almost like an armor.”

Materials
“This raw look & feel gave me the opportunity to work with different materials. I used tulle decorated with patent paint; raw but still soft. I made skirts and evening dresses out of fake fur done in a jersey way; very soft but still rigid.”

Colors
“When I was in Paris to look for fabrics I ran into the perfect deep green fabric. I knew right then I really wanted to work with it. So with this green shade as a starting point I have been collecting the rest of the color palette. I used deep blue, black and nudes; all shades which work really well with the specific green.”

Changes
“The silhouette of the clothes is more tight than before. And even though I paid a lot of attention to details, they are less obvious. I think this collection is more grown up, just because I’m getting older as well. I feel really good about showing this part of me. In my opinion the Sage & Ivy brand becomes more balanced like this.”

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2012

For fall Van Assche said his primary mission was to combine good tailoring with sportswear. He chose a strong theme to bring those two world together: the army.

Military-inspired looks in army green opened the show. Pleated pants with neat suit jackets, long powerful coats, subtle turtlenecks, a long hooded sweater and some leather jackets looked impressive.

Though the theme could have easily gone darker, Van Assche added white to his fall color scheme and later on some metallic/light grey. Towards the end he even introduced a dove (peace) print, making clear that an army (war) inspired collection doesn’t at all need to look heavy and aggressive.

There was not a look in sight, which you’d hit the gym in. But those officer dress codes did get a refreshing more modern and sportive touch. So in the end the tailoring and the sportswear did meet up, somewhere in the middle.

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2012

Tiny waists and broad shoulders; Lucas Ossendrijver definitely renewed the male silhouette for this fall collection. He came up with long loose pants, oversize jackets tossed on the models’ shoulders and what appeared to be boxing boots.

The collection balanced on the fine line between being wearable and being cartoonesk. Yet if you’d take away the extravagant styling of the show most of the designs looked more subtle.

Besides full looks in camel, blue or red, looks with bold stripes and your typical deep red Tartan print were introduced. Still there was plenty of grey and black, but Ossendrijver managed to keep the collection quite light, which is very rare for a menswear winter collection.

It may take a while before your average male guy decides to dress in those black high waisted pants and that tight red and grey sweater. But more accentuated waists for men are becoming a trend, so Lanvin definitely nailed that one.

 

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