Junya Watanabe Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2015

The story Junya Watanabe was trying to tell was that of algorithmic folds. The result: incredible shapes crafted out of the basic and commonplace, such as starched white shirts, cropped tailored black pants, capes, moto jackets and T-shirt dresses. Beginning with a plain white starched shirt and full, shiny black skirt in rounded pleats, Watanabe quickly built up the silhouettes into sculptures topped with exaggerated symmetrical headgear that made the models look vaguely like chess pieces. Skirts and capes came in precise honeycomb accordion folds that encased the body, some stiff, some structured but with a springy, elastic movement. A loose, lean jumpsuit had a spiky shrug around the shoulders.
Most of the clothes would satisfy conceptual fashion geeks and retailers alike. But some of it was just for fun: The round, red honeycomb neckline of a hot-pink dress looked like a modern geometric ruff; an even bigger version of it on a purple look had the shape of a grand, perfectly pruned topiary.

Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2015

With his fall Balenciaga collection, Alexander Wang made a bold, engaging move — or started to. “I want to approach design [with] something much more subversive and irreverent [in] looking at these classical notions,” he said during a preview to WWD. “I try to respect the heritage and the history, but also add a twist.”
And he did indeed. Out of the gate, mixing meaty fabrics — tweeds, windowpanes, bouclés — in looks grounded in the architectural curvature of the house founder, sometimes with heightened severity. And he piled on glamour jewelry derived from (without copying) the in-house heirloom loot, fastening a sexy wrap skirt with a flower brooch; closing a coat with a dramatic diamanté dagger. Between silhouette and sparkle, there was a lot of lady going on.

Christian Dior Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2015

For fall, Raf Simons wanted to explore the more sexual side of the Dior-woman by taking her natural urges out of the garden, to a place where more primal instincts dominate: the animal world. The show’s sexual content proved more discreet than Simons’ idea would suggest. The show opened with a pair of short black cutaway dresses with colorful facings and pointy metal mesh collars. Both were worn with second-skin Lucite-heel boots in a blown-up, blue-and-red animal pattern. Such abstracted skin motifs would prove a recurring theme, two or three thick, wavy stripes undulating across a coat or making a splash on a swingy minidress, and, several times, on flashy bodysuits. Often they formed the underpinnings for an impressive lineup of coats.
Tweeds from his Simons’ collaboration with the fabric firm Kvadrat and other substantive materials, including multitone pastel furs, were a core of the collection. A woman in touch with her masculine side looks sexy. Simons dressed her with chic authority in pantsuits with trim, double-breasted jackets over slim cropped pants.

Streetfashion Womenswear Paris FW2015, Day 3

What are you wearing during the fashion weeks? Your Burberry-boots, that vintage Dior or your latest Celine coat? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. 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. Next stop: Paris Fashion Week fall/winter 2015.

ArtEZ Masters presentation/show Paris

Five master design students of ArtEZ institute of the Arts Arnhem presented their highly personal visions on fashion in an intimate presentation yesterday at the Atelier Néerlandais. Labelled “Arnhem Masters in Fashion”, the 16th generation of the institute proved that an impactful presentation is not reserved for big catwalk shows.

In a small-scale and multidisciplinary presentation, fashion designers Haesung Bong, Anja Dragan, Nathalie de Koning, Sunanda Koning and shoe designer Chrissie Houtkooper deployed innovative ideas for the future of fashion. In the corridors of the Atelier Néerlandais, the audience was served new flavors of the designer’s fashion propositions, with a strong emphasis on expressive handmade textile innovations and tactile qualities, in ongoing presentations ranging from group installations and a video projection to perpetuate catwalk movement.

Mark van Vorstenbos, head of the department: “We’re proud to present a new generation of fashion designers in Paris, historically considered the heart of the fashion industry, in a refreshing way. The current system is in need of more personal visions, so we chose to show the collections in an intimate way. Up-close, personal, inviting visitors to give the garments a second or third look.”

The ArtEZ fashion design master aspires to educate fashion professionals who from a highly personal fascination, critically interrogate their own unique handwriting as fashion makers in relationship to the current design discourse to seek out both their relevance and their additional value through research and design. With Arnhem Fashion being founded over 60 years ago, the cultural heritage is enormous. Being positioned outside the fashion establishment, each student is offered a wide open space to explore and develop his or her own refreshing idiosyncrasy.

Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2015

Historical richness and modern elegance met each other at today´s Dries van Noten catwalk at Hôtel de Ville. Here he presented a definite luxurious collection with just the right amount of coolness. Or, as the designer called it himself, grounded glamour. Army trousers worked beautifully with brocade, embroideries and fur. Floral and oriental prints flawlessly merged into original patterns given an extra touch of glam by shiny beads and sequin. Trenchcoats, sweaters and wrap/over skirts were followed by combat culottes, waistcoats and turtle necks. Worn with a certain careless cool (hands in the pockets), but given the absolute luxury van Noten treatment. Safari chic covered under a cloak of lavishness, like only Dries van Noten could pull it off.

Liselore Frowijn Show Presentation Paris FW2015

Dutch designer Liselore Frowijn made her debut this afternoon in Paris, at the first day of Paris Fashion Week FW2015. She presented a small collection in a salon environment. As a designer Liselore feels the continuous drive to capture the energy she obtains from art, music, people, and different cultures she is surrounded by, in her work. Fashion is the best medium to translate all of this in one eclectic vibe.

Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture SS 2015

The expressive landscapes of Vincent van Gogh provided the visual cues for giant 3D flowers and enormous straw hats in Dutch fashion house Viktor & Rolf’s Spring Summer 2015 haute-couture collection. Team Peter Stigter went back- and frontstage to capture the moments before and during the fashion show.

Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture Catwalk Show SS2015 Paris

Viktor&Rolf’s Spring/Summer 2015 Haute Couture collection is inspired by the raw energy of Vincent van Gogh’s exuberant depiction of the rural countryside. Flowerprint A-line babydoll dresses paired with straw hats and flipflops form the basis for a collection of increasingly colourful and sculptural looks.

Spring/Summer 2015 Haute Couture is a surreal exploration of print: Flower petals sprout outwards and escape the garments, transforming 2D prints to 3D, and essentially bringing the flat surface to life.

The essence of the countryside is translated into unexpected, sculptural looks that combine abstract graphic volumes with organic elements. Straw hats, put together with a spontaneous touch, form a surreal nod to countryside living. They enhance the bucolic mood of the looks, ultimately merging with the shapes of the garments, creating a new organic unity where hat and dress become one. Sandals made in matching printed fabric complete the summer look.

All fabric is manufactured through an authentic batik inspired “wax-dyeing & block printing” technique by VLISCO in the Netherlands. This ensures an unique high quality print with craquelé indigo lines and intense vibrant colours on both sides of the cloth.

The mood of the collection is set with a musical injection of femininity from the theme of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’, which starts as a lullaby and grows into an eerie and mysterious vibe during the course of the show.

Art collector Han Nefkens, a longstanding collaborator of Viktor&Rolf acquired three pieces of the collection after the show debuted on January 28th on the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week. These three works will be donated to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Their longstanding collaboration has led to the purchase or commissioning of pieces that are donated or given as a long term loan to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen as part of the Han Nefkens Fashion on the Edge project.

Jan Taminiau Couture Presentation SS2015 Paris

During an imtimate presentation at the Residence of the Dutch Ambassador in Paris Jan Taminiau told his SS2015 couture story. A collection for which the talented designer shook things up a bit. His three models wore wigs (in red, black and blonde) and therefore looked outspoken. Like characters out a Marvel Comic Strip, Jan Taminiau’s source of inspiration for this collection named Marvelous. More than ever before Jan put the focus of his designs on the hips, waist, breasts, buttocks and shoulders, honouring those parts of the female body women are sometimes afraid to reveal. The dresses seemed to give the models an even better, very powerful posture and a touch of super heroin toughness. A split cape added to that effect. Yet no matter how rigid and tough some of the creations appeared, hours and hours of handwork were put into them. Like the case with some embroidered star and feather shaped applications, glass beads and shiny sequins. Feathers made out of unravelled fabric popped up as well, making a strapless evening gown feel classic and an orange cocktail number look unique. Two pairs of pants and a full on glitter bodysuit made their appearance. Other than that Jan only presented his audience with dresses (both cocktail and evening) as “the shape of a dress is one in which his ideas can be released to the fullest”. A warm color palette of shades like orange, copper, nude, red, yellow and mint green worked lovely with the gold colored setting of the Parisian residence. We’re curious to see which power women will end up wearing these designs. Fact is any woman wearing Jan Taminiau will always look like a superwoman. And who wouldn’t want ‘ Jan’ in a star shape embroidery written on her chest?

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