Givenchy Catwalk Fashion Show New York Womenswear SS2016

This year year is Riccardo Tisci’s tenth at the Givenchy-house, and there was a sense of celebration and coming of age amongst the clothes. It was a collection which spelled out and repeated almost calligraphic black and white variations of the same sentences: Ivory slip dresses and rouleau-strapped camisoles with lace edges, worn over excellently tailored black pants cut to taper gently over pointed shoes. Supple crepe tuxedo jackets with tails, soft kimono coats, and transparent organdy trenches glimmering with jet embroidery. Many, many body-skimming sparkly silver shifts.

Aficionados of Tisci maybe recognized the most spectacular of his couture dresses, one with a degrade feather effect, and another with leather patches applied on tulle in the shape of alligator skin. And then there was the face decoration, taken to another level of beautiful elaboration, in studded golden jewelry, tulle frills, and lace.

Hot List: 24 black list upgrades

There’s no woman that doesn’t rely on head-to-toe black (except for Anna Wintour, who hates it). When you’re in hurry, have an important meeting or going on a date, black means you’re never out of style.  It’s the colour of mystery and mortality and for many designers, this inky hue is their mainstay. It may not be the most original or daring choice for summer, but it’s definitely elegant. Like Christian Dior said in 1954: “You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion.” So even when the temperatures rise it’s nice to play it safe and not stress about wether your bold summer colours and indie prints match. But sometimes our daily black uniform can use a creative and unexpected upgrade to make an chic and offbeat combo. Which means you can experiment with different fabrics (mesh!), silhouettes and lengths – there’s more than just a black dress- to see what works for you. Have a little fun and experiment, cause the runways are offering you many choices. You may not have an actual runway in front of you, but remember: the street is your runway. So for everyone who’s not sure how to give your black uniform a twist, here’s a hot list of 24 options that will do perfect in summer time (from the beaches to rooftop cocktail parties). Because it’s not always a bad thing to be on the black list.

Trend Report SS15: Flat forward

Let’s talk flats for a minute. We mean, except for the fact that they’re a huge trend right now(we’re not only seeking a flat stomach, that’s for sure), it’s summer for god’s sake and that invites you all the more to take off those high heels, take fashion a little less serious as you would normally do and give your feet a much needed holiday. Most of the time flats are our secret best friend (changing shoes right before you walk into the office or shoe-changements in the cab before making your entrance during fashion week; guilty as charged!), but this season it’s time to get your most comfy buddies out of the closet and give them some time in the limelight. And you may go flat, but that doesn’t mean you’re neglecting points on grace and elegance. Make sure the shoe has a slim and demure silhouette and choose by forehand what pair of shoes fits best with what outfit, whether you choose easy-going sandals (Dries van Noten), ankle-strap loafers (Chanel), cut-out flats (Carven) or Balenciaga’s pointy-toe flats.
It has never been this tempting to stay flat on the floor for a whole season. Sometimes the most fun part about getting dressed is about what’s going on down under, so make sure it’s worth while.

María Clè Leal Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

It’s not difficult to get everyone’s attention when a certain miss Kroes is attending your show. María Clè Leal was packed, but didn’t fail to deliver. The Madrid born designer presented the Dutch press with a beautiful feminine collection inspired by a flower’s petals. Ballet dancer Naiara Rojo impressed the audience with her elegant moves and kept dancing in between the walking models throughout the show. Models wearing structured boiled woolen creations that added to the ladylike feeling of the clothes. Not a pair of pants at sight; Clè Leal is all about skirts and dresses. Supply moving, almost floating in the air. Architectural shapes, asymmetric effects, layering and ruffles made every look standout as heavy woollen pieces slowly changed into airy floral printed numbers. A subtly transition proving Clè Leal knows just how to set up a cohesive collection. Not all women might be a big fan of her bright pink, but she introduced stuning nude and blacks to balance that out. Not to mention the light blue in the floral prints that closed the show with a bang. Doutzen picked the right show to attend.

María Clè Leal was invited to show as the guest of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Amsterdam as part of the Mercedes-Benz Designer Exchange Program, a platform to showcase and support up-and-coming talent across international borders.

Arrey Berlin Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

Brand label Arrey Kono (founded in 2005) recently changed into Arrey Berlin. And with this change the renewed brand kicked off at Amsterdam Fashion Week. The new and improved Arrey is all about “orginal elements of plisse fashion combined with a world class production and an exclusive slice of Berlin’s fashion scene”, so the press release stated. A signature style translated into a XL show full of original, grungy looks inspired by Arrey’s middle. “It’s not just about the moment it is beyond the moment. It is The Middle.”

Highway lines were pasted onto the runway and could be seen throughout the whole collection. Even the model’s brown painted faces had lines on them. As the show’s soundtrack raved on about robots the Berlin based design label experienced it’s big Amsterdam fashion week moment.

The show seemed divided into three of four different themes. The first one, very dark, was based around black cored leather. It was followed by light shaded satin and bright colored knits, creating a balance between light and dark. Fabrics had a special way of moving, fluent and flowing. Strong silhouettes made the models appear tough, their hair in a long tight braid.

In 2006 Arrey owned 42 shops worldwide. Let’s see where this collection will take her.

Alexandra Frida Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

On the last day of AFW Alexandra Frida, founded in Cuba, was one of the largest LAB shows this week. Designer Alexandra Vollebregt made sure to leave an impression with her ANNA collection. Having lived in Zaire and Nigeria colorful and cultural influences from these countries were visible throughout her collection. And having interned at Bas Kosters, who convinced Alexandra to graduate with a runway collection, might have something to do with the colorfulness and positivity of today’s show as well. During her study at AMFI Alexandra specialized in trend forecasting, textile and print design. Skills, which she showcased through her iconic bright mirrored feather prints, rich fabrics and soft shades. Lots of co-ords, cropped tops, maxi-dresses, knee high skirts, bombers, sneakers, colorful socks, 3D nail art and half buns gave the collecton it’s young and trendy touch. A collection filled with outspoken, original designs that will make anyone recognize a Alexandra Frida piece from a far distance. And any girl or woman who isn’t into full on printed outfits can match her printed pieces with all black tops or bottoms, preferably in leather, if it’s up to Alexandra. Either way no one can be underdressed wearing a piece from this ANNA collection.

 

Monique Collignon Couture Light Catwalk Fashion Show MBFWA SS16

Mother Earth is obviously the main topic this Amsterdam Fashion Week. And for Monique Collignon it was time to turn yet another page of her earth prelude this week, revealing chapter two of her Earth Delight story. The catwalk was blocked with an enormous inflatable planet. And what better way to warm up your audience than to press play Michael Jackson, whispering his earth song in your ear (“what have we done to the world”). It led to absolute silence minutes before the lights turned off.

While her show on thursday’s opening night was based on earthy minerals, this one’s based on nature’s four elements: earth, water, fire and wind. The main differences were not so much in the designs itself, but mostly in the use of colour. When talking of nature’s treasures, you can’t skip its beautiful shades. Each element had it’s particular color scheme: Earth (soft pink, beige, green), water (white, blue, green, yellow), fire (red, orange, pink, black) and wind (black and white). Outfits consisted mainly out of dresses in all sorts: knee-lenght, ballet-like, sleeveless, covered with sequins or wrapped around the body. If you’re not a very dressy person, the elegant cinched or strapless jumpsuits might be a good option. Some looks were accessorised with animal printed scarves and clutches. No surprises there for the real Collignon fans (except for the sneakers), but just a rich collection both timeless and modern.

Susana Bettencourt Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

The SS16-collection is the beginning of a new cycle for Susana and this one’s the first of another four chapters. And also a new start to experiment with new fabrics and techniques without losing her solid signature. “For me it was about how I can keep on developing my work, but people can still see in a second that this is me.” It resulted in her familiar lace techniques and knitwear details, but with a new embossing technique. The collection is build around the way we see the world. How can we all have so different views? “The first book you get to read on Central Saint Martins is about the human body anatomy and especially the eye. So I totally got involved in that, explored every bit of it, as close as I could to the pupil, the colours and even the whole structure of the vains and translated this to my designs.”

Remarkable this time was the absence of colour and ethical details, something we have seen a lot in all her previous collections. “This time I wanted to keep it really simple and clean, so I’ve chosen white as main colour. The ethical detail was mainly in the white paint around the eyes.”

To understand the path taken by Susana as a fashion designer, we need to go back a few years and travel to the Azores in Portugal, where her passion for knitwear and traditional lace techniques were developed from early in her childhood. Relocating to London, to undertake a BA in Fashion Knitwear at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Susana continued to hone her knitwear and women’s wear skills and translated her sculptural designs into the dimension of seamless knitwear. She explores the boundaries between technology and hand-crafting knitwear techniques, developing the jacquard to the extreme in order to make textures and volume in detail. And it got her pretty far. Her signature collections have won over fans the whole world over, including pop diva Lady Gaga. Will it also in Holland? As Plato once said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In that case, she did a pretty good job tonight.

AMWESTEN Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

In a world of fast fashion, designer Annemarie Westen wants to go back to craftsmanship, the point where the fashion process starts from scratch. “My work is never really based on a solid concept, it’s more about the feeling. It surpasses time or age and particular fashion seasons. I aim to give women a certain feeling, I want my clothes to strengthen who they are. Be equal to yourself. Sexyness and confidence is not depending on boobs or butts, but knowing yourself.” Something Annemarie herself has no trouble with, as this collection was full of her familiar signatures. Her designs are simplistic, sophisticated and wearable without losing elegance. She plays with subtle changes in the usual, using sharp graphic layers as a sign of strength, while the soft springy materials such as silk and wool emphasise a woman’s grace. But this time around she added more draping details in maxi-dresses and trousers. For a summer collection though, the colour palette was quite gloomy with only black, white and green. “Black is usually the basic pallet I’m working on, because it’s my favourite colour. And use of colour can cause distraction.” It perfectly fitted the dark, heavy music of Marilyn Manson and Pantera that reached our ears, and gave the show an even stronger heartbeat and a don’t-mess-with-me feeling. Exactly as she had hoped for.

Tailor&Elbaz Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

Two years ago designers slash models slash tv-personalities Maria Tailor and Tamara Elbaz took over Collection PRC, the label of former designer Percy Irausquin. But due to the lack of freedom and design possibilities, especially the lack of space for sporty and super trendy items, made them decide to start their own label. So they did, launching Tailor&Elbaz, a line based on their personal taste, mixing trendy with basic and casual with chic. The exact ingredients they showed today on the Amsterdam Runway. Except, they added a, let’s say, little show element to it. Because how not to go all the way when the theme is Alice in Wonderland. The catwalk was transformed into a dreamy fairytale setting, including a stretch of grass, enormous flowers, mushrooms and rose peddles. All is well, but the question was of course: what is Alice wearing today?

We can imagine Alice her wardrobe isn’t that surprising, but what would happen if you add some Tailor and Elbaz to it? The answer: she would definitely be more glamorous, rock ‘n roll and sporty. She would wear more polo dresses, blossoming skirts, pencil skirts, varsity jackets, ‘love’ and ‘queen’tops and denim shorts covered with hearts. Their color palette of choice existed of shades of black, white, blue and pink. After so much fairtytale sweetness and romance on the tennis court, the rock ‘n roll was mainly found in the many earrings, heavy cat eye make-up and severe ponytails.

This is not a collection that will make heads turn or still you fashion cravings, but if you’re in desperate need of some easy-going daywear glamour, stop searching.

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