https://www.instagram.com/hedmayner
Saturday, June 22, 2024
BEAUTY: Clothing--Hed Mayner
Hed Mayner's talent for tailoring was deliberately upended for his SS '25 collection at Paris Fashion Week. Without a huge overarching theme or inspiration, Mayner showed the power of clothing itself. He took familiar garments and silhouettes, and transformed them by playing with cut, scale, and proportion. Bomber jackets and cable knit sweaters get slashed and deconstructed. Suits get blown up or turned inside out. Shirt hems get lowered to become smocks. But he does it all with the skill of a tailor. Fascinating!
https://www.instagram.com/hedmayner
https://www.instagram.com/hedmayner
Friday, June 21, 2024
BEAUTY: Clothing--Rick Owens
WOW. Jaw dropping. A spectacle from Rick Owens for SS '25 layered with references and meaning.
A Rick Owens army of officiants, acolytes, oracles, priestesses, priests, monks, nuns, superheroes.
A massive procession of peacemongers in white.
A solemn ceremony of ten looks on TWO HUNDRED models.
Hollywood. The darkness and brutality of Porterville vs. the regenerative freedom of Hollywood Blvd.
The grandeur of old Hollywood films like Biblical epics, muscled men carrying a palanquin.
The symbol of two arms reaching out to one another, clasping hands. A white flag. Peace. Unity.
"We need civilization," said Rick. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 Allegretto soundtrack makes me think of the The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt (look at the crown headpieces on models here in this collection), part of a Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art") on display at the Secession Building in Vienna.
Rick's show notes:
LAST SEASON’S COLLECTION WAS NAMED ‘PORTERVILLE’ AFTER THE SMALL JUDGEMENTAL TOWN I HAD TO ESCAPE FROM. THIS SEASON’S COLLECTION IS NAMED ‘HOLLYWOOD’ AFTER THE BOULEVARD OF VICE I GLEEFULLY RAN TO... TO FIND MY PEOPLE... WEIRDOS AND FREAKS... LIVING IN A WORLD LOU REED DESCRIBED IN ‘WALK ON THE WILD SIDE’... I WAS LOOKING FOR THE FLAMING CREATURES I HAD SEEN FILMED BY JACK SMITH AND KENNETH ANGER...
AND I ALWAYS REFERENCE THE LOST HOLLYWOOD OF PRE-CODE BLACK AND WHITE BIBLICAL EPICS, MIXING ART DECO, LURID SIN AND REDEEMING MORALITY.
MY PERSONAL PETER BERLINS WEAR THRASHED GYM SHORTS AND CHIFFON CAPES WITH JUMBO GEOBASKETS THE SIZE OF SPACE BOOTS.
CAPES AND JKTS ALSO COME IN A NARROW LOOMED JAPANESE DENIM WITH A TARNISHED GOLD MEGACRUST COATING. ALL OUR DENIM IS TREATED IN AN ITALIAN WASH HOUSE BASED IN THE VENETO AREA OF ITALY THAT PRODUCES IN SMALLER TREATMENT BATHS TO REDUCE WATER WASTE AND UTILIZE A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE WATER USED. ALL OF OUR DENIM WASHES ARE ZDHC CERTIFIED.
HOODED BIKER JKTS COME IN A MILKY CANVAS BONDED WITH ALUMINUM FOIL, OR VEG TANNED PARCHMENT COW HIDE FROM THE SOLOFRA AND TUSCANY REGIONS OF ITALY. VEG TANNING MEANS ONLY VEGETAL AND NATURAL TANNINS WERE USED IN THE PROCESS OF TANNING AND PRESERVING THIS LEATHER.
THESE ARE WORN OVER JUMPSUITS OR GOWNS IN SILK GAZAR WOVEN IN THE COMO REGION OF ITALY AND MADE FROM GOTS CERTIFIED ORGANIC SILK WHICH MEANS THE NATURAL FIBER IS MADE WITHOUT HARMFUL CHEMICALS. KNIT BODYSUITS AND T-SHIRTS ARE A COLLABORATION WITH TANJA VIDIC, A RECENT FASHION GRADUATE FROM SLOVENIA WHO MAKES THE MOST IMAGINATIVE DIY KNITS I HAVE EVER SEEN.
SILVER SILK CHARMEUSE ROBES ARE FROM FINA, A COLLECTION DESIGNED BY DAFNE BALATSOS, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ME FOR 25 YEARS– FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, JUST THE 2 OF US AND ONE SEWER. BACK THEN, PART OF HER JOB WAS TO GO BUY A FEW METERS OF SILK AT ORIENTAL SILKS ON BEVERLY BOULEVARD IN HOLLYWOOD TO FILL OUR SMALL ORDERS SINCE I COULD ONLY AFFORD A FEW METERS AT A TIME. ORIENTAL SILKS WAS A HUSHED AND METICULOUSLY ORGANIZED SANDALWOOD INCENSE SMELLING STORE RUN BY A QUIETLY SEVERE BROTHER AND SISTER TEAM WHO WERE VERY KIND TO US. A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN SHE FOUND OUT ORIENTAL SILKS HAD CLOSED, SHE TRACKED DOWN THEIR REMAINING STOCK AND HAS BEEN MAKING BEAUTIFUL ROBES AND PAJAMAS FOR US ALL AND AGREED TO SELL THEM IN OUR U.S. STORES...
OUR HAIR MAESTRO DUFFY’S PLATINUM MARCELLED HAIR DESIGN FROM LAST SEASON HAS EVOLVED INTO ART DECO CROWNS MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH COCO LUCQUIAUD, A PARISIAN HAT-MAKING INSTITUTION.
SHOES ARE EITHER SUEDE MARSHMALLOW SPLINT SANDALS, OR A DEFLATED LEATHER VERSION OF OUR STRAYTUKAY INFLATED BOOT COLLAB FROM LAST SEASON.
OUR GYMNAST BOUQUET IS ARRANGED BY YLVA FALK WHO COMPOSED THE WOMEN CARRYING WOMEN IN OUR CYCLOPS SHOW 9 YEARS AGO.
AFTER SHOWING IN THE HOUSE LAST SEASON, I FELT BAD ABOUT MAKING ATTENDANCE SO RESTRICTED SO THIS TIME AROUND I WANTED TO WELCOME EVERYONE. I ASKED ALL THE FASHION SCHOOLS IN PARIS TO SEND US STUDENTS AND FACULTY, MEN OR WOMEN, WHO WOULD LIKE TO WALK IN THIS WHITE SATIN ARMY OF LOVE. ALSO INCLUDED ARE OLD FRIENDS LIKE JAKOB JAKOBSSON WHO OPENED MY SECOND SHOW IN NEW YORK 22 YEARS AGO, AND ALLANAH STARR, ONE OF THE GRANDE DAMES OF THE TRANS COMMUNITY FROM NY TO PARIS.
EXPRESSING OUR INDIVIDUALITY IS GREAT BUT SOMETIMES EXPRESSING OUR UNITY AND RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER TOO... ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF THE PEAK INTOLERANCE WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW...
https://www.rickowens.eu/
A Rick Owens army of officiants, acolytes, oracles, priestesses, priests, monks, nuns, superheroes.
A massive procession of peacemongers in white.
A solemn ceremony of ten looks on TWO HUNDRED models.
Hollywood. The darkness and brutality of Porterville vs. the regenerative freedom of Hollywood Blvd.
The grandeur of old Hollywood films like Biblical epics, muscled men carrying a palanquin.
The symbol of two arms reaching out to one another, clasping hands. A white flag. Peace. Unity.
"We need civilization," said Rick. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 Allegretto soundtrack makes me think of the The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt (look at the crown headpieces on models here in this collection), part of a Gesamtkunstwerk ("total work of art") on display at the Secession Building in Vienna.
Rick's show notes:
LAST SEASON’S COLLECTION WAS NAMED ‘PORTERVILLE’ AFTER THE SMALL JUDGEMENTAL TOWN I HAD TO ESCAPE FROM. THIS SEASON’S COLLECTION IS NAMED ‘HOLLYWOOD’ AFTER THE BOULEVARD OF VICE I GLEEFULLY RAN TO... TO FIND MY PEOPLE... WEIRDOS AND FREAKS... LIVING IN A WORLD LOU REED DESCRIBED IN ‘WALK ON THE WILD SIDE’... I WAS LOOKING FOR THE FLAMING CREATURES I HAD SEEN FILMED BY JACK SMITH AND KENNETH ANGER...
AND I ALWAYS REFERENCE THE LOST HOLLYWOOD OF PRE-CODE BLACK AND WHITE BIBLICAL EPICS, MIXING ART DECO, LURID SIN AND REDEEMING MORALITY.
MY PERSONAL PETER BERLINS WEAR THRASHED GYM SHORTS AND CHIFFON CAPES WITH JUMBO GEOBASKETS THE SIZE OF SPACE BOOTS.
CAPES AND JKTS ALSO COME IN A NARROW LOOMED JAPANESE DENIM WITH A TARNISHED GOLD MEGACRUST COATING. ALL OUR DENIM IS TREATED IN AN ITALIAN WASH HOUSE BASED IN THE VENETO AREA OF ITALY THAT PRODUCES IN SMALLER TREATMENT BATHS TO REDUCE WATER WASTE AND UTILIZE A WATER PURIFYING PROCESS THAT ENABLES THEM TO RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE WATER USED. ALL OF OUR DENIM WASHES ARE ZDHC CERTIFIED.
HOODED BIKER JKTS COME IN A MILKY CANVAS BONDED WITH ALUMINUM FOIL, OR VEG TANNED PARCHMENT COW HIDE FROM THE SOLOFRA AND TUSCANY REGIONS OF ITALY. VEG TANNING MEANS ONLY VEGETAL AND NATURAL TANNINS WERE USED IN THE PROCESS OF TANNING AND PRESERVING THIS LEATHER.
THESE ARE WORN OVER JUMPSUITS OR GOWNS IN SILK GAZAR WOVEN IN THE COMO REGION OF ITALY AND MADE FROM GOTS CERTIFIED ORGANIC SILK WHICH MEANS THE NATURAL FIBER IS MADE WITHOUT HARMFUL CHEMICALS. KNIT BODYSUITS AND T-SHIRTS ARE A COLLABORATION WITH TANJA VIDIC, A RECENT FASHION GRADUATE FROM SLOVENIA WHO MAKES THE MOST IMAGINATIVE DIY KNITS I HAVE EVER SEEN.
SILVER SILK CHARMEUSE ROBES ARE FROM FINA, A COLLECTION DESIGNED BY DAFNE BALATSOS, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ME FOR 25 YEARS– FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, JUST THE 2 OF US AND ONE SEWER. BACK THEN, PART OF HER JOB WAS TO GO BUY A FEW METERS OF SILK AT ORIENTAL SILKS ON BEVERLY BOULEVARD IN HOLLYWOOD TO FILL OUR SMALL ORDERS SINCE I COULD ONLY AFFORD A FEW METERS AT A TIME. ORIENTAL SILKS WAS A HUSHED AND METICULOUSLY ORGANIZED SANDALWOOD INCENSE SMELLING STORE RUN BY A QUIETLY SEVERE BROTHER AND SISTER TEAM WHO WERE VERY KIND TO US. A FEW YEARS AGO, WHEN SHE FOUND OUT ORIENTAL SILKS HAD CLOSED, SHE TRACKED DOWN THEIR REMAINING STOCK AND HAS BEEN MAKING BEAUTIFUL ROBES AND PAJAMAS FOR US ALL AND AGREED TO SELL THEM IN OUR U.S. STORES...
OUR HAIR MAESTRO DUFFY’S PLATINUM MARCELLED HAIR DESIGN FROM LAST SEASON HAS EVOLVED INTO ART DECO CROWNS MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH COCO LUCQUIAUD, A PARISIAN HAT-MAKING INSTITUTION.
SHOES ARE EITHER SUEDE MARSHMALLOW SPLINT SANDALS, OR A DEFLATED LEATHER VERSION OF OUR STRAYTUKAY INFLATED BOOT COLLAB FROM LAST SEASON.
OUR GYMNAST BOUQUET IS ARRANGED BY YLVA FALK WHO COMPOSED THE WOMEN CARRYING WOMEN IN OUR CYCLOPS SHOW 9 YEARS AGO.
AFTER SHOWING IN THE HOUSE LAST SEASON, I FELT BAD ABOUT MAKING ATTENDANCE SO RESTRICTED SO THIS TIME AROUND I WANTED TO WELCOME EVERYONE. I ASKED ALL THE FASHION SCHOOLS IN PARIS TO SEND US STUDENTS AND FACULTY, MEN OR WOMEN, WHO WOULD LIKE TO WALK IN THIS WHITE SATIN ARMY OF LOVE. ALSO INCLUDED ARE OLD FRIENDS LIKE JAKOB JAKOBSSON WHO OPENED MY SECOND SHOW IN NEW YORK 22 YEARS AGO, AND ALLANAH STARR, ONE OF THE GRANDE DAMES OF THE TRANS COMMUNITY FROM NY TO PARIS.
EXPRESSING OUR INDIVIDUALITY IS GREAT BUT SOMETIMES EXPRESSING OUR UNITY AND RELIANCE ON EACH OTHER IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER TOO... ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF THE PEAK INTOLERANCE WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW...
https://www.rickowens.eu/
BEAUTY: Clothing--Yohji Yamamoto
I always love seeing a Yohji Yamamoto collection...the highly regarded and highly decorated designer is one of those elevated, iconic artists who are singular. While I love when a designer takes inspiration, or inspirations from some wild, fascinating, interesting source, Yamamoto exists in a realm of his own mythology, much like Rick Owens. Yamamoto has his own sartorial vernacular and his own internal logic. His creations--Asian and Western elements combined into a future/retro (sometimes ecclesiastical) sensibility, layered and slouchy Bohemian-chic garments, flowing asymmetrical cuts, all awash with an insouciant, rippling sense of Romanticism worthy of any French Symbolist poet--are timeless, since they are not necessarily tethered to anything outside of their orbit.
For this SS '25 collection at Paris Fashion Week, Yamamoto showed familiar silhouettes in flowing silk and rayon with intriguing words, phrases, graphics, and his own paintings and drawings printed onto garments. But we see even more of a selection in Kanji, explained by his return to Buddhism... because, according to Yamamoto, "the world is becoming too dangerous." And this was a men's collection but there were a smattering of women walking the runway including legendary actress Charlotte Rampling (in image fourteen below)!
https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.com/
For this SS '25 collection at Paris Fashion Week, Yamamoto showed familiar silhouettes in flowing silk and rayon with intriguing words, phrases, graphics, and his own paintings and drawings printed onto garments. But we see even more of a selection in Kanji, explained by his return to Buddhism... because, according to Yamamoto, "the world is becoming too dangerous." And this was a men's collection but there were a smattering of women walking the runway including legendary actress Charlotte Rampling (in image fourteen below)!
https://theshopyohjiyamamoto.com/
BEAUTY: Clothing--Arturo Obegero
Paris Fashion Week has seen several new designers added to the schedule over the last few seasons and on my radar now is Arturo Obegero (he founded his house in 2020) whose SS '25 black and red lookbook seemed to channel the spirit of 1920s silent film star Rudolph Valentino through the lens of David Bowie! How fanciful is that?
https://arturoobegero.com/
https://arturoobegero.com/
BEAUTY: Clothing --Sean Suen
Sean Suen mixes Western and Eastern clothing in a way that feels completely fresh. His inspiration for his SS '25 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week was Mei Lanfang (1894 - 1961), the male opera artist best known as the "Queen of Peking Opera" for his exclusive portrayal of female lead roles. It is easy to see the Asian silhouette but how Suen mixed it with Western formalwear and suiting is remarkable. And the mix of masculine and feminine arrives absolutely on time.
https://www.seansuen.com/
https://www.seansuen.com/
Thursday, June 20, 2024
BEAUTY: Clothing--Undercover
It has been quite a while since I have posted anything from Jun Takahashi's label Undercover (previously here). Maybe I should go back over past seasons and remind myself why I failed to cover them. Anyhow, here we are at Paris Fashion Week and Undercover's SS '25 collection is fascinating, and a bit elusive. Takahashi does love a theme and working meaning, often heavy meaning, into his garments, collections, and presentations. After the show Takahashi mentioned that the collection was a metaphor for the dissolution of borders in order to eliminate conflict. I see what he means...the concept of us vs. them. If there's nothing to invade or fight over, then there is no conflict. Another influence in this collection references a West Asian and Middle Eastern sensibility which can be seen in the lovely, loose silhouettes of soft, flowing material and some prints that feel a bit ethnic. Collars, cuffs, and elbows often showed ribbons to cinch and tie. Art played a subtle but important role as well. The opening section featured a small rendering of an Italianate house that appears to be the one from Edward Hopper's 1925 painting Edward Hopper's 1925 painting "House By The Railroad". A middle section featured cloudy, amorphous images of what could be portraits of people. And the closing section of jackets with short and long skirts were printed with paintings in tones of green created by Takahashi himself. Playing with the theme of borders, he said he wanted to bring femininity to a men's collection since he believes the border separating the two are getting less and less. All of these elements taken together create a swirling enigma, especially considering the models were styled with crowns of leaves and lace masking their eyes. Not everything in life has--or needs--a clear explanation or answer...
http://undercoverism.com/
http://undercoverism.com/
Happy Summer Solstice 2024!
Happy Summer Solstice 2023!
The longest day of the year. Enjoy.
After today, the days grow shorter as we begin our descent into autumn...
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
BEAUTY: Clothing--Burç Akyol
Paris Fashion Week started yesterday, and it was Burç Akyol's sensuous SS '25 collection that stood out.
After starting his brand in 2019, Akyol debuted at Paris Fashion Week only just last year. But he is rising fast with gorgeous actors like Jared Leto and Ncuti Gatwa (the newest Dr. Who!) wearing his creations.
He is dedicated to sheer fabrics and a sense of flou, as the French say. And this is evident in his SS '25 collection that seems to be even more intimate than his past collections. Despite the structure of a waistcoat or jacket with a deep cut, there remains a sense of the boudoir, with references to slips, teddies, and camisoles. I like the softer approach to a silhouette that includes dresses and a strapless top with a peplum.
https://www.burcakyol.com/
After starting his brand in 2019, Akyol debuted at Paris Fashion Week only just last year. But he is rising fast with gorgeous actors like Jared Leto and Ncuti Gatwa (the newest Dr. Who!) wearing his creations.
He is dedicated to sheer fabrics and a sense of flou, as the French say. And this is evident in his SS '25 collection that seems to be even more intimate than his past collections. Despite the structure of a waistcoat or jacket with a deep cut, there remains a sense of the boudoir, with references to slips, teddies, and camisoles. I like the softer approach to a silhouette that includes dresses and a strapless top with a peplum.
https://www.burcakyol.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
