Amsterdam International Fashion Week Preview: Sage & Ivy FW2011

The young fashion label Sage & Ivy will not be part of the official Amsterdam Fashion Week schedule, yet it’s show on the 28th of January is definitely a must-see. Designer for Sage & Ivy Alexia van Engelen chose to give her fashion show at the Felix Meritus center in Amsterdam. ‘I really wanted the show area to contribute to the feeling of my collection. I only have about ten minutes to explain to everyone what I’ve been working on for half a year, so I want everything to be in line with what I have to say.’

Alexia used St. Petersburg as an inspiration for her new winter collection. ‘You’ll see looks inspired by Russian costumes and folklore. I played with volume and alternated different materials and colors’, Alexia explained.

In the collection light colors like white, soft grey, lavender grey, moss green are used as well as shades of black, silver and gold. Alexia came up with some great outerwear for winter like a cape and a coat of faux fur and mohair. ‘We also used stretch satin and a tweed with threads of gold. Most items are great for winter, but on some of the designs you might wanna put an extra cardigans’, she says.

As well as all of the designs Alexia gave the collection. The words ‘My Beating Heart’ therefore will be visible in different ways throughout the collection. ‘I chose this name, because for this collection I stayed very true to my heart; I listened to myself. I used the name My Beating Heart on a body of gauze, on the sleeve of a sweater and on a belt’, Alexia says.

The collection will exist of 19 looks, which will all be accessorized by some amazing vintage jewelery Alexia got to borrow from someone in her family. ‘That lady had tons of great jewelry and was very cosmopolitan; the jewelry will really add something special to the looks in the show.’

Alexia’s favorite look is one of the three evening dresses of the collection, called Anastasia: ‘It’s a dress made from organza with a baroque fit. The sleeves and the skirt have a lot of volume and the body is very tight.’

A trend Alexia predicts for next fall is a mix of light, transparent fabrics, heavy knitwear and rich fabrics like jacquard.

The music of the Sage & Ivy show will be a clash between an old song from the band Black Cat and a new one, Runaway from Kanye West. We’re looking forward to hearing that mix and seeing the collection. Everything already looks promising.

Photograpy: Jon Loek @ Team Peter Stigter

Backstage at Walter van Beirendonck

Junya Watanabe Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

For next fall Junya Watanabe showed us a different take on the Fair Isle knits, which were a big hit this winter. Instead of showing the print on cardigans and sweaters Watanabe used it on suit jackets and coats in the most colorful examples. They looked comfy and warm and formed a good combination with the ankle hem of the (pretty basic-looking) pants. As they ambled around some park benches, placed in the middle of the stage, Watanabe’s mustached models really worked the new look.

The color palette ranging from bright red and blue to mustard yellow and dark green gave the collection a cheerful twist and showed the versatility of the collection too. ‘Cause whether it’s a 18-year old student or a 45-year old family man, many fellows will be able to work some of the fairy isle items into their wardrobes.

Streetfashion Paris Menswear FW2011 Day 1

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Jil Sander-shoes, your latest Raf Simons-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: Paris Menswear Fashion Week.

Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Like other designers Dries Van Noten seemded to have found inspiration in the militairy world, but more free and luxurious using his  strengths as a tailor and colorist. His own comment to the collection though was that he wanted something glamorous without being feminine and that’s where David Bowie as the Thin White Duke comes along. Not only in the silhouette, also the grooming of the models and in the soundtrack.

A battalion of navy jackets and overcoats — some oversize and belted, others slim-line — formed the backbone of Van Noten’s collection. He added removable fur collars and lapels or  inner nylon shells in contrasting shades. He showed little discipline in the pants department, sending out skinny motorcycle and oversize Bowie-styles in equal measure. He also played with oppositions: a formal navy evening jacket over a casual white tee: a sleek, chic shawl-collared blazer in traditional camel pinning down the silhouette over huge white cargo pants; a cropped cadet jacket laden with bullion embroidery paired with a chunky hand-knit; dark overcoats in the most traditional English materials layered over their exact twins in bright white technical fabrics.

Sjaak Hullekes Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Dutch designer Sjaak Hullekes showed his new menswear collection in Paris this week. Like you’d expect from Sjaak it was full of perfectly tailored designs, like neat trousers, blouses, coat and some winter proof cardigans. Sjaak used a beautiful colored palette ranging from light grey to camel to black. His designs were all very wearable and he showed nothing too over the top. Two items people will need some time to adjust to were Sjaak’s black shirt made of a large netting and a white version with a netted collar. Apart from those two items, we’re sure the collection will be a definite hit once it hits the stores.

Goodiebag?! SuperTrash Store Opening Amsterdam

On Thursday evening fashion brand SuperTrash opened it’s brand new store in the Leidsestraat in Amsterdam. The perfect new store as well as SuperTrash-owner Olcay Gulsen looked incredible. The store was packed with fashionable people, there were drinks and special SuperTrash cupcakes and everyone was having a great time. We received a great goodiebag when we left the store, but of course we already knew at SuperTrash they’re great with goodiebags.

The SuperTrash goodiebag contained:

The SuperTrash magazine

Dr Fish magazine + water bottle

Bracelet by Ti Sento

Himalaya Clay – Rituals

Shanti Shower – Rituals

Nail file – Herome

Fragrance – Thierry Mugler

Bracelets – SuperTrash

Nail Polish – Pupa

Hair silk – BioSilk

Estimated price: 40 euro

Rating: 8

Amsterdam International Fashion Week Preview: Tony Cohen FW2011

Tony Cohen usually presents his new collection during New York Fashion Week, yet this year he decided to give a fashion show in Amsterdam. ‘One of the new owners of the Amsterdam International Fashion Week is a friend of mine, that’s the main reason I will be present. I also think it will be great for my friends and family to finally attend one of my shows’, Tony told us.

His new collection was inspired by the couture of the sixties. ‘Especially some of my new jackets were inspired by that period. Yet we also looked at Gugenheim for all the different materials and textures. You’ll definitely see those textures in the collection too, as well as very fluent shapes.’

While Tony usually works a lot with asymmetry in his collections, that’s not the case right now. ‘The silhouette is very clean and straight this time, therefore the collection feels more classic than usual, yet it still has a very modern twist.’

Tony used a lot of ‘muted tones’ for fall, like black, grey, taupe, red, deep purple, gold and copper. His fabrics range from wool to silk, lammy, leather, Japanese polyester and handmade fabrics. The music for Tony’s show will be a mix of music by Thom Yorke, Massive Attack and God is an Astronaut.

‘We still have to do a lot of work. Many designs of the 30 looks have handmade details like embroideries and handmade pleats, so they take some time. If I had to describe the collection in one word I would therefore call it detailed’, Tony says.

With one week left till the fashion show and still a lot of activities abroad Tony already predicts he’ll be working the night before the show: ‘We only start putting everything together next Saturday, so it will be hectic, but fun.’

Photography: Jeannette Huisman@Team Peter Stigter

Rick Owens Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Louis Vuitton Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Louis Vuitton-collection was a pitch dark one, with lots of black, dark-blue, brown and highlighted by off-white and the brightest of red. The silhouette was rather straight and sometimes the waist was accentuated with a belt or ribbon tied around it. It seemed designer Paul Helbers played with the volumes of a down jacket, textures of velvet, leather and fur, the mix of formal with informal. The coat played a big part in this collection, from kimono-inspired to parka. Different fabrics used in one item gave a contemporary look, the shiny and sharp body-warmers had the look of body armor. Luckily the red and white flowing fabrics like silk added some air into the rather strict and sober collection.

« Previous Page — Next Page »