by the Editorial Staff
The second day of the Mercedes-Benz Prague fashion week was dominated by the Van Graaf Junior Talent show which is the equivalent of the Vogue Fashion Fund in bigger markets. The top students of Czech fashion schools compete to get their designs noticed and celebrated during this customary event. This year's young designers were Adam Kost, Lukáš Krnáč, Zoltan Toth and AiM, a brand founded by Michaela Hriňová. What was evident from all the new designers was a general trend of deconstruction and incorporation of both classical and modern narratives. Adam Kost's loose poncho like coats had a lucid and elaborate quality to it. Lukas Krnac's take on the soccer field as a wearable statement was exceptionally clever and was filled with whimsy and understated charm. AiM provided a balanced and comprehensive take on the streetwear phenomenon that has taken up a giant market share in the last decade. But for all their excellent work, the work that stood out was of Zoltán Tóth. His ability to produce an ultra-feminine-functional couture-like collection was truly exceptional. What made his mini-collection stood out was the intricacy of his work and his ability to fuse separate narratives into one cohesive expression of ideas. While some aspect of that sort of interplay between silhouettes and lines were evident in Lukas's work as well, Zoltan made it look seamless (no pun intended). Ultimately all four junior designers had very distinct looks varying from experimental street wear to functional couture. And it is not hard to envision at least a few of them finding a global market as they grow in an industry that is evolving and expanding.
ZOLTÁN TÓTH
LUKÁŠ KRNÁČ
AiM
ADAM KOST