Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Again, Nicolas Ghesquiere suprised us with a very streetwise-collection, this time with influences from the punk-era. By the choice of his models Ghesquiere already explained the theme of his show: to express identity and individuality. Besides 6 supermodels – like Stella Tennant, Carolyn Murphy and Gisele Bundchen – he also casted 6 girls at the streets of Amsterdam, Belgium and Copenhagen.

The look was streetwear infused with a bit of London punk and retro teddy boys. Every garment was treated, coated, lacquered and manipulated by hand. For example: some leathers were embroidered with PVC to make it look fake and knits were coated with brushed silk. He also mixed couture techniques with modern edge laser cutting.

The collection was dominated by thick, molded leathers lacquered with big houndstooth patterns in red, black, white and blue. More or less feminine were the draped dresses and sleeveles shirts with neon lace inserts. The overall look was boyish, and it was the designers purpose to react to ‘a certain kind of sexiness’ as he told the press.

Intermezzo: Klavers van Engelen Collection SS2011

In their ongoing quest to keep their design principles pure and their fashion elegant, Niels Klavers and Astrid van Engelen went back to their minimal approach. They wanted to create maximum effect with less and less interventions.

Square shaped panels turn into flowing, slightly complex yet easy fitting shapes once addressing the body. Seams, necklines and collars in draped silks (and fine blends) are glued instead of stitched, leather is left completely unfinished while other, more structured fabrics are finished with a tiny cover stitch only.  And for the first time Klavers van Engelen used prints. The color palette based on shadowy shades of black and sand perfectly balances out in an ocean of blue.

Again the designduo made a collection that looked simply beautiful from the outside, as if it was created accidentally. But take a closer look and you’ll see true designs that will keep surprising you by every movement and still make you feel elegant.

Hakaan Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Hakaan Yildirim was this year’s winner of the french Andam-award and the designer – with roots in Turkey and based in London – presented a solid collection in head to toe cream or black for the first time in Paris. He must be a hot ticket, since he somehow managed to get supermodels like Daria Werbowy to walk the show. She opened the show in a slouchy jacket and tapering trousers.

His overall look was minimalist-sexy, with a long elongated silhouette and floorsweeping mermaid dresses. He also presented tunics and minidresses asymmetrical cut and with pleated inserts.

Rochas Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

For his Spring Summer 2011 Collection for Rochas Marco Zanini was inspired by a recent trip to his mother’s country of origin Sweden. In the small town of Fjakelmyra he met local artist Slotts Barbro who is well-known for her traditional canvas prints and asked her to create some exclusive prints for Rochas.

To these typical Swedish prints poetic phrases of French writer Françoise Sagan were added as: “Les merveuilleux nuages” or “Dans un mois, dans un an..” on head scarves, skirts, dresses, and knitted cardigans.

Another eminent pattern, besides the Swedish folkloric print, was a peonies floral print from the early 20th century Bucol archive. Long silk satin slip dresses were washed, hung to dry without ironing to give them a vintage boudoir feel.

The color palette ranged from Indigo blue, mud brow, chartreuse yellow to grass green.

Zanini played with all different kinds of silk: silk satin for dresses and blouses, taffeta for flower printed full skirts, hand-punched silk shantung to give texture to a white full dress, lightweight woven raw silk with topstitched silk lining for loose jackets. The overall mood of the collection was romantic and a bit folkloric.

Dries van Noten Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

The oversized jacket at Dries van Noten set the tone of his spring summer collection. No firework of colors, no frills. It turned out to be a quiet, almost poetic collection with elements of workwear (jeans, heavy cotton), chinoiserie (the kimono-dresses, flowerprints, the silk) and menswear.

Colors were light, almost etheral – the lightest tints of gray, yellow, pink and blue – slightly turning into heavier shades, there was also a lot of white, denimblue, marine and black. The mix felt very contemporary and cosmopolitan, like the high-waisted pencilskirts with kimono-blouses or the couture-like tunic with wide pants.

Dries van Noten continues to mix streetinfluences in his collections, like he did this winter with the armywear. It gives his soft voiced style a modern toughness.

Bonjour Paris!

Bonjour Paris! Having breakfast at the courtyard of Hotel d’Albion, the temporary headquarters of Team Peter Stigter. Discusisng the schedule for today with runner Muriel Schouten, streetfashionphotographer Joris Bruring, chef de bureau Lisa Klappe, colleague Jonas Gustavsson and editor Jetty Ferwerda. Peter Stigter is there of course, he took the picture.

Check out the blog daily. Our plans for today: Rochas, Dries van Noten, Gareth Pugh and we take a look at the show of good old Pierre Cardin – see what he’s up to.

Giorgio Armani Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

Of course it was a madhouse outside the Armani Theatro in Milan before the second Giorgio Armani-show. The rumour was confirmed: George Clooney was coming. So paparazzi and fans gathered outside and fought for the best picture. Clooney smiled all the time.

Luckily the collection stood on his own and drew the attention away from the American moviestar. Indigo-blue was the only color Armani used for this Touareg- inspired collection. The models wore small turbans, their outfits were thin layers of different textures (glossy, matt, glittering, transparant) and items which created a compact silhouette. Short tunics mixed with loose pants and cropped jackets, long skirts with flat shoes, accessories like amulets.

It was a beautiful, restraint and elegant collection. Sensual and relaxed, it made me forget the lack of color. Blue can be so mysterious.

Roberto Cavalli Catwalk Fashion Show Milan SS2011

With his spring/summer collection for 2010 Roberto Cavalli celebrated 40 years in fashion. The man that brought us sexy, fluid dresses in all kinds of animal-prints,bohemian  rockstar-clothes in python or crocodile and the real Italian style did not opt for a retrospective show. He invited a lot of his favorite models though and some were even walking in the show, like Laetitia Casta and Natalia Vodianova.

The others, Nadege and Heid Klum, watched the show front row together with Taylor Swift, Leona Lewis and Elisabetta Canalis.  They saw a very condensed collection that consisted of four things Cavalli is known for: long fringes, long dresses, catsuits and python(prints). Hip-hugging bellbottoms and long webby skirts were worn with tops that left hips, back and bellies exposed. Underneath the models wore bikini-tops. They looked like tribal hippies with their flat ironed hair.

The collection had nothing to do with color or minimalism, as we’ve seen elsewhere in Milan this week. This was Roberto’s own trip and he used his signature elements well.

Streetfashion Milan Womenswear SS2011 Day 5

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Louboutin-heels, your latest Dries van Noten-jacket or that vintage Prada? 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: Milan Fashion Week.

Bye Marc!

Another Team-member left today. Marc van Fucht, who was doing research for his fashion-documentary and is making a short video about Team Peter Stigter, left Milan. He takes hours of footage with him and hopefully we will be able to post this very special video at our blog soon!

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