by Zoey Grossman
Vera Wang started off as a designer of immense promise and a practitioner of art. Her promise is fully realized and there is no bigger name in Bridal wear than Vera. And from that privileged position which is fully earned Vera goes back to her roots of creating pieces that are wearable art. The grand narrative firmly entrenched within her work's DNA, the silhouettes are soothing yet bigger than life, she produces another collection worth writing home about.
by Linda Bezos
Vera Wang does Vera Wang like no other does Vera Wang. This collection of bridal wear oozes with class and clarity of a designer who is not too bothered by the restraints of tradition. Vera Wang's collection reformulates the notion of bridal wear and incorporates a different classic...Vermeer. Edgy romanticism with a homage to probably the first painter photographer is a perfect equipoise for this collection as it is steeped in forward-thinking constructs that would stand the test of time. Rebecca Moses did the hand-painted detailing to further substantiate Vera's place on the throne of bridal wear. The beauty of this collection is not only in its uniqueness but also in the fact that despite doing away with some traditions, VW firmly remains grounded on romanticism. And that dance you cannot learn before a wedding, you are born with it.
by Linda Bezos
Olivier Rousteing is hot right now. Everything he touches turns to gold. The highly anticipated makeup line of Balmain (debuting in September) is just another commercial achievements Balmain has ticked off in the last few years. Commercial success aside, Balmain's collection have gotten more and more artistic and avant-garde and that speaks volumes about the genius of Olivier's vision. The resort collection is the exuberant extension of Balmain's pro-France line and by the looks of it, it is likely to be commercially as successful as any Balmain line.
Photographs Courtesy of Balmain.
by Lotus Ladegaard
Georgia Lazarro's Protagonist is a protagonist when it comes to minimalism. While other brands have overused and confused the term, Protagonist always manages to deliver and while offering a bit of a New York twist to scandi-looking fashion.
It is subtleties that casually hides within the Protagonist collection. It is where the brand stands out and it is part of their DNA. It also means that silhouettes will evolve from season to season and can be worn in many ways. At first glance, many of them, however, might come off as masculine and unisex, but the more you look at them the more delicate and feminine they become.
Protagonist's 2018 Resort Collection stands out in that usual Protagonist way, it is interesting, minimalist, stylish and fashion forward.
The 2018 Resort Collection offers the shirts and slip-dresses that have become synonymous with the brand. It also introduces new feminine and delightful pieces such as a cropped jacket and ruffled collars on the shirts. The collection is due to hit the stores in the autumn so Georgina Lazarro also included knitted sweaters and warmer looking coats and jackets. The color palette is surprisingly held in darker tones such as navy, burgundy, black and white, but also offered splashes of colour with a yellow sweater and pastel light blue pieces.
The collection, while not for every woman, will undoubtedly excite fans and followers, but Georgina Lazarro has added enough oompf and it factor to win over many more.
by Abigail Smith-Rowe
Naeem Khan is a staple when it comes to bridal wear. As he expands his deft touches to the ever evolving market of in-between clothes, he is acutely aware of the needs of his jet-setting clients. This 2019 collection is an homage to that clientele who are on the move, who will be attending weddings and engagements during the summer at greek islands and south african coasts. The color palette of the clothes are wildly satisfying and they are easily portable unlike a wedding dress. Naeem’s work here is relatively more minimalist in terms of silhouettes and lines. His bread and butter remains tie-ins and convertible pantsuits yet this collection touches all aspect of that elusive summer that will come eventually.
By Andrea Arjento
Galia Lahav’s head designer Sharon Sever took on Lisbon at it’s most clear and most enigmatic and unfurled a set of gowns worthy for a torrid love affair that is their inspiration. While it may seem counter-intuitive to have bridal gowns as an homage to torrid love affairs on paper, the reality is all love affairs worth writing about has a certain element of torrid-ness to it. And Sharon is able to weave that element of variability into a fairytale that looks wonderfully complex and elegant. This specific collection has all the signature Galia Lahav details but in many ways, it is also the most realistic exploration of the fairytales we tell ourselves. And for that, we are in love with Galia Lahav's Lisbon collection.
by Olivia Moreau
Diane von Furstenberg's spring collection is a homage to a different kind of pioneer women than the wild west. It is more of a concept as opposed to an historical repeat. The women trailblazer are the pioneer women in DVF's eyes. And this homage is partly based on what they would wear now and partly based on the 'homely' and humble aspect of life as a woman. It is a product of DVF's inherent and uncanny ability to mix cultural shifts into traditionalism. From the softened color palette to outright mixture of prints, this collection stands out.
by Sylvia Stoss
It is almost a surprise to find out that Jonathan Cohen has never shown during NYFW. In his first outing on the famed but subdued platform, Jonathan did what he does best...mesmerize his clientele with outright levity. From lean dresses with botanical prints to structured mini in a rainbow all came with the customary JC look. The raw edges, the oversized sleeves are always there but JC's work has evolved into truly encapsulating the many colorful facets of being a modern woman in these times. As almost a countermeasure to negative colors JC poured all the colors of the spectrum into his collection and our eyes and our sense of style are thankful for it.
by Lana Hamid
Burberry has always been the favorite of traditionalists. Before Riccardo Tisci’s arrival it was a brand that was most comfortable within the realm of uptight sophistication and occasional burst of legacy obsession. To call Burberry (pre-Tisci) boring would have been a bit harsh but accurate. That label is wearing off with each collection Tisci is producing. In his second full collection Tisci takes on the generational divide and bridges them with traditional and non-traditiional silhouettes, clever infusion of color and above all an imposing collection of the rebirth of Burberry 2.0. The rigidity is now complemented by fluidity, the beige icons are complement by blue and red. And the traditionalists and the avant-garde-ists are both equally represented as a happy medium. Re-inventing Burberry is harder than it looks but the ease to which Tisci has gone about dismantling the cobwebs of comfort into a frenzy of dynamism is worth admiring, applauding and above replicating.
by Olivia Moreau
Fendi loves the decadent. Fendi is decadent. From Ribbon and Pearls to Macramé lace to fil coupé, silk jacquard, 3-D knit, Shibori-inlaid and intarsia mink, and laser-cut eyelet, Fendi unleashed a collection oozing with class and decadence. Decadence not to be mixed with the decadence of Donald Trump's golden toilet or something equally obnoxious and vapid but decadence that appeals and overwhelms our sense of aesthetics casually yet leaves a formative sense of longing. Fendi's collection is uniquely Fendi...free, liberating, expansive, elegant and above all, ahead of the curve.
by Anita Monroe
Purists be damned…Vera Wang is pushing the envelope in directions in bridal wear we haven’t seen in a century. Despite taking her inspiration from the Sun King, the avant-garde aesthetics she has been pushing is relentless, modern and above all entirely her own. Unlike the rest of the bridal market, Vera Wang’s work has no derivatives but her own. And this collection is an extension of her previous collection and you can see the grand mosaic of her work slowly building up to a crescendo. It is light, it is forward thinking and above all it is Vera Wang.
by Olivia Moreau
Carolina Herrera's bridal collection this fall goes back to the roots of bridal collections. By rejecting any superfluous notion of trend dictating aesthetics in bridalwear Carolina moves into the rarefied territory of a designer completely comfortable with who she is and where she wants to move her brand. Sheer, Light, White and very elegantly sowed together each piece took us back to the traditional aesthetics of bridal wear. The practical aspect of Carolina's collection is never overshadowed by fantasy or elements of whimsy, and she holds that line like the pro she is.
by Olivia Moreau
Marchesa has always been ethereal, and full of feminine glory. This collection is no different and we are thankful for that. The delicate dance between ruffles and sheer, the love affair between tone and lines are all present in Marchesa’s Spring collection. The torrent of negative attention that almost sunk the brand seems like a distant memory or may be it is just an escape from the realities that still await Marchesa. It is still a polished and quietly confident collection that knows its limits and its appeal.
by Lotus Ladegaard
Behind the fashion label known for its architectural and structural aesthetics that flatter and celebrate the female body is British born Osman Yousefzada, who first met the world of fashion through his mother’s couture dressmaking business. After graduating Central Saint Martins, he established his eponymous fashion house, in 2008, and quickly became noticed as one of London’s exciting designer talents. But Osman Yousefzada is much more than a designer, he is an artist who does not settle for a single media, but master quite a few. Each year, the artist publishes the Collective, a cross-disciplinary publication drawing on Osman’s friends, fellow artists and other creatives.
For Resort 2019, Osman has created an exciting and bold collection that will wow his fans and win over new territory. It is fresh, contemporary and features a whole line of stand-out looks. The colour palette had a little bit of everything from black and white to prints, gold and metallic. The silhouettes were interesting and detailed like the tiered ruffled pieces, a little black dress and the outerwear. A silver sequined dress was among the stand-outs as well as a fantastic easy-to-wear coat in gold print. Osman had also made room for some delicate and romantic crepe-de-chine separates that are easy to mix and match like the black and white sheer skirts. Among the more edgier pieces was a black pilot leather jacket with open sleeves for the rock’n’roll fashionista and a great athleisure look with slacks and knitted cardigan that would look great for many occasions. Several of the outerwear was editorial and rather exquisite, it was tailored, feminine and with plenty of movement, it will appeal to many types of women regardless of age and body type.
Osman has created a wonderful Resort 2019 collection and it is easy to spot his talent and unique eye. His designs are relevant, bold and artistic, just like Osman himself.
Curated Looks from London Fashion Week
By Cara Livingstone
Tomo Koizumi’s path to NYFW has been probably the most magical in terms of introduction to impact. Plucked from relative obscurity by Katie Grand, his ascent to the pantheons of NY fashion has been an interesting exploration of celebrity culture and the power of such cultural trends to dictate aesthetic pleasures for the masses (or at least the New York IT crowd). So Koizumi’s second collection presented during NYFW this cycle came with an added novelty and a bit of dread of falling into a sense of manufactured genius.
Koizumi deftly bypassed all that American Idiol-esque shortcuts that brought him here and produced quite possibly one of the most outstanding exploration of ruffled fabric. With hundreds of meters of ruffled Japanese polyester organza, utilized with only one zipper, his work spoke volumes of his genius. It was almost like finding out that an American idol winner is actually David Bowie in drag.
The beauty of the layered ruffles along with a sense of levity of his costumes (they cannot be classified as everyday wear), made Tomo Koizumi’s second collection devoid of novelty and brimming with genius.
by Cara Livingstone
Osman Yousefzada is the fashion insider to the fashion forward. Finding Osman's work in high-End Galleries to Red Carpet to Supreme Court, should not be a shock as his vision is universal as it is tailored for his muses. His now famous "Perfect Five" concept is 2 years old and has fully permeated his art. While that modular system is ingenious due to its simplicity, his more complex work from the exposition of sunbursts to red hats are what really stands out in his pre-fall collection. And let us not forget the gold shoes... they are the statement piece that truly completes this collection. The extraordinary ease to which Osman has been crafting away complex ideas in a singular narrative is admirable and his pre-fall collection does justice to his talent.
by Olivia Moreau
2021 International Woolmark Prize finalist Thebe Magugu grew up in the city of Kimberley in South Africa’s Northern Cape, where his passion for design began at an early age from watching broadcasts of Paris and New York fashion weeks. After studying at LISOF, where he won best graduate collection, he launched his eponymous label two years later and went on to win the prestigious LVMH prize in 2019. The emerging label is part of MATCHESFASHION’s Innovators Programme, which supports pioneering talent. Based in Johannesburg, the designer sources from local suppliers, artisans and factories to produce his ready-to-wear offering, inspired by his South African heritage and Africa’s storied history.
Renowned fashion photographer, visual artist, and an all-around-force-of-nature Omi have outdone himself (again) by dropping his OLF 1.0 (Omi’s Left Foot) collection as a super-exclusive 50-pair drop with Italian art house shoemaker Fab-brizio. The 50-pair micro-collection sold out within an hour of dropping on a private sneakers list. Merging a solid color palette reminiscence of early Valentino’s visual solidity and Rick Owen’s sense of counter-culture (with finesse) the hightops are intricate yet lavish wearable art or at least that’s what the people who were able to grab a pair has been saying.
The custom kicks are made with Italian leather in Rome and come with individualized magnet insert boxes with imagery from Vogue, NatGeo, and gallery shoots Omi has done all over the world. We only hope this is the first of many drops from Omi’s Left Foot and the next iteration is not limited to never-gonna-be-able-get-it drop. Omi’s photography work has covered many fashion elites from Kendall Jenner to Bella Hadid. Despite such mainstream success his work both in photography and in fashion remains firmly within the scope of art noir and can often provide a sense of outsider art with subversive messaging about consumerism and the absurdity of celebrity. OLF 1.0 exudes all that. and more.
Indian-Nigerian designer Priya Ahluwalia launched her menswear brand in 2018. She primarily uses vintage and deadstock fabrics, offering a modern approach to traditional menswear. She was tapped to participate in GucciFest last November and last month during London Fashion Week, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. So we expect great things from Priya, but hey no pressure.
Artist-turned-designer Carly Mark doesn’t come from a conventional fashion school background, and her label, which is named for her Chihuahua-terrier rescue, Puppet, exudes that sort of non-structured rebellion. Non-conformity aside, P&P has taken over the streets of Paris and New York with ease and is now a staple among. the fashion elites.
by Linda Bezos
Pierpaolo Piccioli loves the street. Street styles from New York to Rome are his muses. Valentino's foray into its Resort collection is a canvas of eclecticism. It is filled with broody bourgeoise charm of 70's Rome. Art Deco to Baroque styles all invade the visual exploration of Piccioli's work. It is a collection brimming with cool and 'devil may care' sort of clarity. And by incorporating classic Valentino logos almost as a gonzo method, he foretells a future where classic brands like Valentino evolves to move forward, evolves to survive and prosper. Piccioli is a master at predicting where the market is heading and this surely is one of his more astute and nuanced collection within that realm of retro-futurism.
by Lydia Tan
Gucci is to street fashion is what Google is to search engines. There are many before it, there are many after it, but the name always reigns supreme. This look-book shot by director and photographer Harmony Korine in the archaeological parks of Pompeii and Herculaneum, has that element of gravitas attached to it. The clothes are what you would expect from Alessandro Michele’s team and they deliver being an experience by themselves, each styling telling a different story. Whether or not you buy into that element of fantastic is an individual choice as some would find these narratives to be to out there, but then again, not everything is for everyone. Gucci’s appeal is like a peacock, not every garden needs one, but some gardens prefer them. Caftans, brocades and printed suits are all stable by now, and the stories they tell is of confidence and clarity of vision. Gucci stands out because it is its sole goal.
