Author: laviniaban

Iris Van Herpen Couture

A few days ago, the Haute Couture Fashion Show, Fall/Winter 2012, was held in Paris. It was sparkling and this time, a little bit different. Apart from the traditional couturiers showing in Paris, this time, they added two new designers to the couture calendar: the Italian Giambattista Valli and the Dutch designer Iris van Herpen.

The haute couture moment is usually dedicated to the fashion elites, designers that are able to push further the boundaries of fashion, in terms of style and hard labour on and around the dress. But couture, apart from the few clients around the world (who really afford it), also supposed to be la creme de la creme of the fashion dream. Something special and something really avantgarde, something not necessary linked to our everyday outfits, but something to challenge our ordinary view on clothes. At this point, I think Iris van Herpen is the right designer to keep an eye on.

Her debut collection on the couture fashion scene was not only popular and  hysterically acclaimed, but could be also regarded as a symbolic shift of perspective in the fashion world. It seems that the traditional couture establishment finally starts to embrace something New. In Herpen’s terms, this means futurism, new materials and new fashion techniques, as rapid prototyping, the use of plastic and rubber –  in order to achieve a brand new poetry of costume.  That’s more challenging than draping and cutting boring fabrics on the vintage tailor dummy, huh?

 

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Color, Style & Humor

I think I’m already bored of the common fashion tips, tired of always doing things “comme il faut“. So, let’s taste some colored , juicy fashion lesson, and make it bold this summer! Because the colors and the accessories really matter, because Iris Apfel ( now, aged 89) is always inspiring for me.

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Julian Zigerli

Julian Zigerli is a young Swiss designer, interesting for his particular view on menswear. Julian is showing his collections at Berlin Fashion Week. Smartly mixing fabrics and techniques, animal prints with a sporty touch, he traces something like a hybrid look, so familiar, yet always charismatic. Look at these pictures from his Fall 2011 collection – “Sugar, spice, and everything nice“, they’re quite special, huh?

Julian’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection- “Over stick and stone“ (love these titles!), follows the same creative direction. You’ll find below some snapshots from Julian Zigerli’ s lookbook S/S 2012, showing beautiful prints inspired by natural elements, filled with love and humour.

Be it sporty or trendy, I appreciate Julian’ s  way – I think there’s a need for this kind of nice, emotional approach in contemporary fashion design.

 

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UAD Graduation Show 2011

The Fashion department of University of Art and Design, Cluj- Napoca, is already known as the most prestigious roumanian fashion school. Last week, I attended their graduation show. I’ve seen lots of interesting stuff and some beautiful collections. I will post here images from the designers that I noticed for their defined concept and originality.

Violeta Ivaz developed a sensitive, yet structured, discourse, showing some beautiful fabrics – the forms were skilfully organized around the theme of the manteau.

“Meltin’ Pot” by Andreea Boariu was colorfully appealing through the use of floral prints and gipsy fashionable looks. I wish I see more often this kind of color exercises on the contemporary fashion scene.

Doina Pirau succeeded in building these minimal & nice outfits, dreaming on the theme of “Ethnic Vibes” .  I loved the smart cut of the garments, particularly.

Ovidiu Pop’ s Men collection was inspired by the 20′s, reloading the charm of the vintage men suit, as an inspiring formula for nowadays fashion during the “crises”.

The outfits deigned by Adel Zsigmond are a beautiful and emotional attempt – to build a wardrobe for a dear homeless friend.  I appreciated garments’ complexity and versatility.

Apart from these highlights, I noticed another creative works, such as:

exquisite handmade prints by Teodora Baciu

structured surfaces inspired by nature and metamorphosis – Galdean Silvia Isabelle

strange tribal outfit by Lazar Ana Alexandra, based on shamanism

white outfits, with metallic adornments, by Buda Mioara Fulga

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Ode to Gaultier

Lately, I’ve seen how all the great designers and idols of my early fashion dreams, are exhibited, one by one, by different museums in the world. Chalayan, Margiela, Yamamoto, McQueen, and now Gaultier. This fact makes me realize that we’re talking about the end of a gorgeous fashion era, the point when you have to stop, to look around, to analyze and move along, to new fashion horizons.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts opened the first international exhibition devoted to the celebrated French couturier- Jean Paul Gaultier, June 17- October 2, 2011.

The exhibition was organized in six sections, mapping the guidelines to Gaultier’s fashion world, from the sidewalk to the catwalk:

The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier/ The boudoir/ Skin Deep/ Punk Cancan/ Urban Jungle/ Metropolis

I’d like to take a look over there, but, surely we will get one in Europe, too.  Soon.

images via montrealgazette.com

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Sleek

Be it swimwear or outerwear, I love these second-skins.  I also love this styling, in all its sexy sobriety.

Fashion editorial in Numero #124 / Jessica Miller photographed by Sean &Seng / images via fashiongonerogue.com

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Doppelganger

Many contemporary art projects are focused on the body, it’s space and movements, identity and especially, it’s privacy. Remember the Veasyble project?

Now, I came across another intriguing object, designed by the Franco- Portuguese conceptual artist Didier Faustino. ‘Doppelgänger‘ is designed for two people and looks like a symbolic mask (or prosthesis) which is able to link them in a sort of mirror kiss.

‘Doppelgänger’ was created for Paris, Designer’s Days 2011

images source- designboom.com

 

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