Martin Margiela Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

The Martin Margiela collection was hard to grasp. We went back and forth with our thoughts throughout the whole show. Was this experimental or beautiful? Were the designs glamorous or arty? Was it about deconstructing or was the focus on artisanal couture? Whatever message John Galliano intended to convey things weren’t what they seemed. There was so much more than met our eyes. Hidden spaces in fabrics, complete pieces of clothing barely visible. Structure seemed key in this collection, although even that was not crystal clear as Irina Djuranovic clearly deviated from that. The color palette of pastels, metallic and cobalt blue (matching the models make-up) appeared to be just as contrasting. While some looks appeared simplistic (hello potato sack dress), others were true show stoppers. Like an exotically embroidered black and purple number worn by Katya Ledneva that is still on our minds..

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

In February Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren announced they would stop creating and producing ready to wear collections and fully focus on their Haute Couture shows. There might have been some disappointment, but on the other hand it results in even stronger Haute Couture pieces. Just as they showed yesterday when they presented their Fall 2015 Haute Couture fashion show. Although fashion? Perhaps we should consider it more art, as the collection was named Wearable Art. And what better place to unfold your pieces of art than in the gallery at the Palais de Tokyo, led by the sound of Henrik Schwarz’ melodic soundtrack.

For coming fall/winter, the crossing line between the apparently separate worlds of fashion and art was pretty blurry. Can fashion be art and vice versa? According to the famous Dutch fashion duo, it sure can. A one shoulder dress transformed into an artwork, back into a dress and into an artwork again. We saw hinged frames on coats, dresses, and capes. Soft painted colors are splattered on purely and folded or cinched white canvasses. There seemed to be an interesting conversation between Dutch Golden Age paintings and raw and spontaneous action painting. And we spotted several trompe l’oeil techniques: each artwork is executed in a complex layering of laser-cut jacquards, embroideries and appliqués. As the show was built up beautifully by each look, unfolding slowly the whole art (or fashion)collection, the final look showed the biggest and most complete artwork, as a grand finale—a huge Dutch still life dress on a moving model.

Viktor and Rolf are always up for some entertainment and unexpected show elements, so of course they wouldn’t ‘just’ send their models on the runway. Once again, the designers took the stage themselves too.  They untied their works from several models and hanging them on the white backdrop. All for the sake of that one important question. “We are fashion artists. But what does this mean, we asked ourselves. What do we want to do?” the designers explained to WWD magazine. Art collector Han Nefkens, a longstanding collaborator of Viktor&Rolf, acquired once again a piece that will be donated to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. So would that make it art? Perhaps the answer is supposed to never be found. The question seems to be far more interesting than the answer.

Streetwear Haute Couture Paris FW2015, Day 3

What are they wearing during the Haute Couture Week in Paris A Valentino dress, that vintage Dior or their latest Celine skirt? During the fashion weeks 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.

Streetfashion Haute Couture Paris FW2015, Day 2

What are they wearing during the Haute Couture Week in Paris A Valentino dress, that vintage Dior or their latest Celine skirt? During the fashion weeks 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.

Streetfashion Haute Couture Paris FW2015, Day 1

What are they wearing during the Haute Couture Week in Paris A Valentino dress, that vintage Dior or their latest Celine skirt? During the fashion weeks 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.

Atelier Versace Haute Couture Fashion Show Paris FW2015

It was a show filled with Dutchies at Atelier Versace. Familiar faces like supermodels Lara Stone, Doutzen Kroes and newcomer Maartje Verhoef. But fresh faces too, like Marjan Jonkman, Susanne Knipper, Julia van Os, Lauren de Graaf en Milan van Eeten. Garlands in their hair patent platform shoes on their feet. Contrast to keep things interesting. Dresses were dreamy as well as powerful, another contradiction. Corset tops, harnesses, sheer chiffon, lace and cutouts left nothing to the imagination. Looks that had sex written all over them, even though Donatella portrayed her softest Versace side. From a distance the pastel colored dresses might have appeared princess-y, up and close the vibe was more party. Frayed edges, asymmetric off shoulder dresses and lots of body parts on display. Shiny sequins and velvet appliqués added to the rich feeling of the collection. Yet while so many designs appeared unfinished we couldn’t help but think Donatella may have been in a rush. Couture as if created in a hurry. That didn’t stop Doutzen from wearing her floor sweeping gown to the Amfar dinner that same evening. Fresh off the runway, how convenient!

Saint Laurent Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

Fashion followers know that Hedi Slimane has been photographing the California beach scene for years — long before he replaced Paris for  Los Angeles. So now wonder his ss16 menswear collection has its roots in the “Surf Sounds” .

The pitch-black show venue was covered in kitschy palm-trees-at-sunset wallpaper. And similar motifs turned up on satin jackets and mohair granny cardigans, which the young models wore with the same nonchalance as black leather jackets.

There was plenty of Kurt Cobain in the men’s looks: the shaggy hairstyles; the white plastic sunglasses, the plaid shirts; the denim with blown-out knees. And there were plenty of literal thrift-shop styles.

 

 

Balmain Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

For his debut men’s wear show for Balmain, Olivier Rousteing was pretty good prepared. He kicked off with the hardcore techno track “Prepare for Glory.” He tapped the world’s most successful male model, Sean O’Pry, to open and close the show. And he stacked the catwalk with beauties like Alessandra Ambrosio, dressed in women’s resort. For inspiration, Rousteing looked to the great adventurers of the early 20th century — but this was safari male to the max.

Leather jackets were intricately latticed and laced, while a tobacco-hued explorer suit came spliced with a double-breasted jacket with gold buttons. In a nod to hip-hop culture, butter-soft suede was draped into a cowl-necked vest and slouchy drop-crotched pants, while a black sweatshirt glistened with a web of gold hardware. Rousteing plastered his signature gold crests, some featuring a lion’s head or a Union Jack flag, on jackets, including a tiger-striped ponyskin bomber with black leather sleeves, and a trim black blazer with satin lapels

Louis Vuitton Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

Kim Jones, menswear designer of Louis Vuitton, likes to travel. Looking for rare animals, hidden crafts and remote landscapes. In Myanmar last year, Jones came across a tribe whose handmade costumes — loosely cut and bearing dynamic stripes — brought to mind modern streetwear and a whiff of the Eighties hip-hop scene. More recently in Japan, he discovered Kobe leather, named after the pampered cows that produce that prized beef.

Jones dappled exotic prints and embroideries, mainly plucked from Southeast Asia, across traditional Ivy League silhouettes. He hit on souvenir jackets, also sending out sweatshirt versions and similar pajama sets decorated with birds of paradise, cranes and monkeys lodged in bamboo.

Accessories were mostly  totes in supple versions of monogram canvas that are, like the souvenir jackets and those coats in the thinnest leather, reversible.

Givenchy Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2016

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