An ode to Prince: stop and Stare

His signature looks became just as famous as his music. He worked those flared legs, cropped tops, wide cuffs and high collars like nobody else could. Adding some sheerness, some shimmer and some shine. From jumpsuits to disco suits, a hoodie here, a hat there. His outfits slightly dark yet full on glam and always unmistakable ‘Prince’. He inspired the fashion world and vice versa. Even for SS2016 we could feel Prince’s style throughout some of the collections. Outfits created even before the world was going to have to miss a legend, in terms of music ánd style. We picked some summer looks that Prince would be able to rock on stage. Touches of purple and brocade as seen at Dries van Noten. Some silky suits from Gucci’s collection. High collars and waistcoats as show by Louis Vuitton. And transparencies shown by the likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Givenchy and Costume National. To make sure everyone would stop and ‘Stare’…

 

Paris Milan Womenswear SS2016 Trend Round-up

Another fashion month has come to and end. With Paris Fashion Week just wrapped up, we’re excited to make up the bill and compare scores. We’ve listed our favorite shows and selected the most remarkable trends du Paris for next summer. Cause on top of some of the trends we spotted in New York and Milan, like mesh, waistbelts and slipdresses Paris had some fresh elements to add to the fashion game. A vibrant positive feeling, more than anything. In SS2016 fashion can be upbeat and abundant again. The designers did and we may too express our feelings and personality more than ever. It’s about celebrating fashion, showing (your true) color and accessorizing to the max. Fresh off the Parisian runway here are 9 trends to look forward till Springtime.

Disco dresses
As seen at Sonia Rykiel, Mary Katrantzou and Lanvin

XL earrings
As seen at Loewe, Chanel, Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood and Balmain

Gladiator sandals (revised)

(Rock chicks with) tiaras
As seen at Chanel, Saint Laurent and MiuMiu

Colorful leather
As seen at Courreges, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, MiuMiu and Mugler

Night gowns (gone wild)
As seen at Balenciaga, Dior, Givenchy, Dries van Noten and Rochas

Choker focus
As seen at Balmain, Anne Demeulemeester, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Elie Saab and Junya Watanabe

Faces of art
As seen at Givenchy, Junya Watanabe, Gareth Pugh

Gone to waist(coat)
As seen at Manish Arora, Stella McCartney, VanderVorst and Louis Vuitton

Round Up Paris Menswear SS2016

While Western Europe is taken by it’s first heat wave and wearing as little clothes as possible is all we want, next year’s menswear is on our minds. So what should men be wearing in the summer of 2016? We’ve made a recap of some of Paris Fashion Week’s highlights. Trends to anticipate, items to chase and style splurges to aspire. Here are eight menswear trends for spring/summer 2016.

The utility jacket
Junya Watanabe, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain
As a man you’re gonna want one or more sleeveless jackets, with lots of pockets. A so called utility jacket, yet note that all of these pockets should stay empty. You don’t want humps and bumps in your perfectly ironed jacket. That’s not cool. There are men bags for keys, wallets and iPhones.

Shiny & Silky
Saint Laurent, Dries van Noten, Louis Vuitton
While men are getting in touch with their feminine side more and more shiny and silky becomes more mainstream. Just look at how the models at Dries van Noten and Louis Vuitton pulled off those extravagant, luxurious attires.

Camouflage
Dior, Saint Laurent, Valentino
Camouflage prints still are a thang. Not too blend in though; these items are meant to be noticed. Festival thrill or business vibe; the camouflage print isn’t too picky when it comes to dresscodes.

Super loose
Walter van Beirendonck, Dries van Noten, Raf Simons
Pants to give you legs for days are not just for the ladies. Next summer your man is gonna want a pair of his own too (wedge sandals excluded). Shirt tucked in and belted; that’s the way to go.

Souvenir jacket
Valentino, Louis Vuitton
This fashion piece may appear like a baseball jacket, but it’s in fact a whole different ball game. The souvenir jacket is shiny, printed, with a sporty touch and goes well with jeans and sneakers.

Heavy on the hardware
Haider Ackermann, Comme des Garcons, Lanvin
Zippers all over, big buckled belts, studs or spikes; going heavy on hardware is key. For all you cool kids out there: even if it’s 30 degrees outside; wear leather and heavy metal details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eighties revival
Lanvin, Dries van Noten, Paul Smith
It was about time for it; an eighties revival. We starting subtly though; with short jackets, loose pants and pops of color. More will follow next season, once we’re completely recovered from our seventies syndrome.

Highlights Paris Fashion Week Menswear FW2015

Since Amsterdam Fashion Week coincided with Paris menswear we had to prioritize. And now that you’ve been reading all about Amsterdam’s latest fashion we’d love to give you an update on some of the Paris Fashion Week highlights. Out of all the menswear shows we’ve filtered some remarkable collections and trends. We left out the regular pin stripe, tweed suit, checks kind of returning trends and focused on what felt new. So here they are, the highlights for fall/winter 2015. Some surprising, others expected, some sophisticated, others just bizarre.

Show those muscles (sleeveless)

Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Margiela, Dries van Noten, Raf Simons

(Fl)oral fixation

Comme des Garcons, Dior, McQueen, Dries van Noten

Orange is the new black

Givenchy, Kenzo, Paul Smith

Double up (sweater + turtle neck)

Hermes, Christophe Lemaire, Les Hommes

Look mom, no pants!

Thom Browne, Rick Owens

Ethnic touch

Walter van Beirendonck, Givenchy, Dries van Noten

Woolen jackets

Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Junya Watanabe

Waistcoats

Dirk Bikkembergs, Maison Margiela, Raf Simons

Small bags (in surprising sizes)

Dirk Bikkembergs, Christophe Lemaire, Louis Vuitton

High waisted

Lanvin, Maison Margiela

Round up Paris Menswear Trends SS2015

As Milan’s menswear trends evolved in Paris we got a fresh fashion dose in the French capital. Apart from women accompanying the male models (Miucci Prada set the trend alright) lots of new stories were told. Some more surprising than others, we must admit. Sportswear and primary colors being the more obvious trends, while harnesses and some impressive beauty looks came as more of a shocker. Here our five trends that caught our eyes.

From weird looking hairdos to strong eyebrows and full body paint; crazy beauty at Rick Owens, Comme des Garcons, Raf Simons and Junya Watanabe.

Orang-y red, blue and yellow; primary colors set the summer trend at the likes of Carven, Dior, Dries van Noten and Louis Vuitton.

The sleeveless jacket made his appearance in leather, denim and cotton, mostly worn on top of T-shirts and shirts at Lanvin, Ann DeMeulemeester and Raf Simons.

Boxing pants, leather motor suits and sporty stripes represented the sporty vibe for summer 2015 at Givenchy, Kenzo, Margiela and Moncler.

Not necessarily a trend for average Joe, but Dries van Noten, Rick Owens and Vivienne Westwood sure spiced things up with their bondage inspired leather harnesses.

Trend Report SS2013: Black Crows

Although during fashion season the streets are usually filled with the most extraordinary dressed fashion show visitors, the rest of the year the bigger part of the fashion professionals dresses up in nothing but black. Good news for those people ’cause even this summer wearing all black is the way to go. Lanvin, Etro, Saint Laurent showed it. And of course Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto and Comme des Garcons stressed their darker side. Now you might find this ‘Black Crow-look’ (as Suzy Menkes described it) a little boring, fact is black is always right. Or like Yamamoto put it: “Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy – but mysterious. But above all black says this: “I don’t bother you – don’t bother me”.” So keep that in the back of your mind when you’re selecting your full on black attire. And be sure to keep things interesting by mixing knits with mesh, cotton with sheerness and lace with wool for that unexpected 2013 twist.

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Menswear: it’s all in the accessories

Spring is not far away, but in Europe it’s still winter. So we still stay close to the wintertrends – just in case you’re looking for a hat, boots or bag.

 Boots

Karl Lagerfeld is wearing them for years and will probably never take them off: his black heeled boots. And he’s absolutely right, because this fashionable footwear is everything a man needs this winter.

While women are already hooked for years, finally our men seem to be down for this timeless and ultra comfy footwear. Even the trouser- in- shoe- style seems to be accepted right now. While boots used to be worn by the rebels and mavericks, they now veered into high fashion territory. Labels like Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Kris van Assche, Bottega Veneta and Ann DeMeulemeester showed us masculine and sturdy boots. And also on the streets we find many men walking in them.

Most popular this season is for sure the combat boot, based on the actual military boot worn by soldiers. We saw them already last year, mainly because of the huge military trend, but this time the designers gave a little twist to it. They played with different colors and textures and combined brogues, sporty and grunge elements into one. Not convinced yet? Just take a look at these men…

Classic hats

They used to be the ultimate style element for a man in the twenties en thirties and for some men it still is: the classic hat. After the huge popularity in the early Nineteenth Century – think American entertainers like Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra – this iconic item sadly enough disappeared for years because it became an item that was more for the older and conservative man.

But in the Nineties it was pop icon Michael Jackson that made this phenomenon incredibly popular again. Flipping his head while doing the moonwalk. And many stars followed his lead later on, like Justin Timberlake and Black Eye Peace front singer Will.i.am. They showed that a hat is something that everyone man could en should wear on every age, and not only in a classic way.

And that’s exactly what the designers showed us too this season. While still most popular worn with a suit, a hat can be worn with almost everything and in every style. From fedora chic to Mafioso cool. Preferably right on the head and a little bit over the eyes. Take a look at the photos to see which style will suit you well…

Bags

Bags, you can’t have enough of them, at least if we ask most women. But for men it has always been a little bit different. Why carrying a bag all day when you can put your stuff in your pocket? But it seems that they’ve changed their minds. For the last few years we’ve seen more and more men walking with a so-called man bag. And not just a bag, but a real it- bag that fits perfectly with their outfit. Even a clutch is no longer a no go area. Thanks to male celebs and style icons like Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and David Beckham, showing off their Louis Vuitton and Prada purses, men seem to no longer be ashamed to be spotted with a man bag.

And this is not only noticeable in the streets but the catwalks are also full of it. Man bags are coming in a wider range of size, type, color and material. They’re masculine, aesthetic and perfect to finish off your outfit for any occasion. Like the Bottega Veneta super size casual chic purses or the structured clutches from Louis Vuitton to smarten up your look. So do not longer be afraid to get in touch with your feminine side, because the man bag is slowly becoming a real wardrobe essential.

Eva Dusch

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 6

Let’s move on with our ss2012 womenswear ABC. There’s still so much to talk about. More colors, more details and more design.

P is for POETIC VISION

This is a lovely tale of heroines travelling the world, picking up inspirations, connecting and merging the east and the west and marrying these influences in lovely, narrative and poetic stories. The spirit is romantic, exquisitely elegant and fuelled with craftsmanship in tailoring, embellishment, pattern as well as cut. Some glowful decadence in androgynous looks with a daring sensual twist. Shades of China show in dangling tassels, kimono-like wraps, north-African caftans and western suiting. Manipulated city- and landscapes in photo print as well as historical engravings of gardens of Eden.

 

Q is for QUICK UPDATE

Q is always a nasty symbol for a fashion-alphabet. Is it for Quality, Question, Quest?  Well, we chose Quick Update, as in fast update or short summary. So what do we need for ss2012? Something elegant  in electric pastelcolors and a flowerprint, a white dress with a big belt, some ethnic details and a retro vibe in coats, pleated skirts and bandeau-tops. Collections that represent these themes the best are Celine, Prada, Marni and Burberry. So get inspired!

 

R is for ROARING TWENTIES

In this time of crisis, the come back of the Roaring Twenties is not a surprise. But the remake of The Great Gatsby must have inspired some designers too. Art Deco reminiscence and pre depression jazz inspiration resulted in a pure celebration of the dress. For one the canvas to proof the lucky marriage between technology and crafts, for others a manifest to elevate the artisan over the machine. From minutely laser-cut decorations to intricate embroidery, beading and fringing. The 1920’s revived with modern twists; patterns inspired by ancient architectural icons as The Chrysler building, or lean away-from-the-body shifts inherited from the jazz-era.

 

 

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 4

You can fill two alphabets with all the news and trends that will appear in spring 2012. But let’s stick to the main stuff for now. Today part 4.

J is for JEWELRY

The more feminine and elegant womenswear gets, the more refined the jewelry. For the first time Prada presented necklaces and earrings in shiny stones and little roses, sweet and sophisticated at the same time. Marni is always strong with her jewelry, this time she focused at bracelets. And what to think of the accessories at Dolce & Gabbana, made of fake-pasta, pepperoncini and garlic. While they got inspired by the Italian kitchen, Alber Elbaz of Lanvin looked at the street and borrowed the chunky metal for his big bold chokers and pendants.

 

K is for KANYE WEST

For years Kanye West is a regular visitor of the fashionshows. He loves fashion and it seems he wanted to prove his knowledge with a collection of his own. Well, not everybody is convinced about his skills as a fashion-designer after seeing the collection for ss2012. The show he gave in Paris illustrates what he likes and problably what he likes women to wear. Lots of fur, lots of skintight dresses and a trashy (track)suit now and then.

L is for LAYERS

Although the couture spirit doesn’t leave much room for layers, there are designers who don’t want a stiff, minimal look but search for more fluidity, layering and movement in their clothes. Luckily. Not every woman is waiting for Balenciaga-esque silhouettes. So thanks to Haider Ackermann and Ann Demeulemeester there are still exciting layers, color-combinations and silhouettes. But even a modernist as Raf Simons plays with see  through layers in his collection for Jil Sander.

 

To be continued.

 

 

 

Round Up Paris Womenswear ss2012

Paris offered us a week of mixed emotions and mindsets. From thoughtful calmness and flirty elegance to sweet prettiness. The overall fashion feel was optimistic which makes a welcome escape from the ‘outside’ world.

Hardly ever before the overall look was that feminine and sensual, and surprisingly some of the most influential collections where inspired by some of the most iconic male drivers; cars (Akris), sex and sports (Stella McCartney). And that involves all global catwalks. Also nice to note that sea world inspiration was back on track with just one winter in between, it inspired Chanel to create organic sea shaped silhouettes and Givenchy to fuse mermaid and surfer looks.

Yet THE lead for summer 2012 is couture excellence and best staged by Celine: her COUTURE SPIRIT showed reduced fashion with sculptural quality.

 

Then we list the sensual impact of SLITS AND SLICES that made models floating over the catwalks. Long strategically placed cuts revealed legs, midriff and décolleté.

 

The fashion merry-go-round keeps spinning and brought us sugar SWEET fashion by Louis Vuitton. The word ‘pretty’ was banned from the fashion dictionary for seasons, but made a majestic comeback. Opulence, intricate embellishment and exquisite craftsmanship modernise romance by alternating laser cut silk cellophanes and crafted Broderie Anglaise.

 

Ann Demeulemeester showed just one of many fairy tale like collections with sheer POETIC VISION; featherweight translucent layers in fluid, floating silhouettes. Wrapped in silky veils, gathered and draped or enveloped in long, lush, layers of silk.

 

Then there was that single spark of freshness by Stella McCartney. Happy and FRESH, sporty and sexy, framing bright colours and white in bold ornaments and edging them with curvy cutouts.

 

Accessories where strikingly innovative in most collections; coordinated, iconic and all precious treasures that in some cases reflect the sign of the fashion times even better then garments do.

 

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

 

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