Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014

The Dior Greenhouse, the set of the label's Spring/Summer 2014 show

It's time to say goodbye to another busy fashion month, and what a way to do so, with the shocking news that Marc Jacobs will be leaving his position as Creative Director for Louis Vuitton after a 16 year reign of the historical label. Of course, the discreetly artistic show by Chanel, the plastic hat parasols of Chalayan, the surprising turn of aesthetic for Gareth Pugh and Givenchy and the revolutionary, non-conformist sorority style show of Rick Owens topped it off. 

The "runway warriors" at the Rick Owens show

Marc Jacobs at the finale of his last show for Louis Vuitton

Despite the abundance of well-known names and labels showing, there seemed to be an unwelcome bleak streak, which may have been cancelled out by the sudden changes within the fashion industry. Three designers stood out to me, simply because of their abilities to show diversity and renewed skills in design...

Gareth Pugh

I still believe Gareth Pugh's Spring/Summer 2013 collection and show is one of the best I have ever seen produced by a designer - it was a collection born from the scorn and ravages one can experience in life... but this time around it seems the darkness has been averted to a welcome change in aesthetic. A softer silhouette is seen throughout the collection, drawing inspiration from both traditional Asian and Mediterranean attire. The usual harsh colour palette of black, grey and red has now been replaced by one with metallic shades of blue, bright hues of green and even luminous gold. Will Mr. Pugh keep with this new found change in his coming collections? I certainly hope so.

Christian Dior

Raf SImons has well and truly earned his place as the Creative Director of Dior, and there was a feeling that he has decided to show a darker side to the Dior woman. Raf has managed to keep the undoubtedly sophisticated look of Dior, but has tweaked elements to represent his struggle to enmesh into the label - especially the deceivingly friendly florals. The reflective detail is present in every necklace, bangle, pattern or appliqué, being and/or featuring poisonous flora - poison ivy, wisteria or the romantically dangerous rose. The vividness of the collection is undoubtable, but this discreetly dark addition to the garments is what stands out beyond the silhouette, colours and flawless styling.

Givenchy

The ever-rebellious Riccardo Tisci has decided to take a turn of aesthetic for Givenchy. Riccardo Tisci has made himself known via his outlandish injection of youth culture into the historical label, his selection of prints including rottweilers, dobermans, birds of paradise and the cartoon character Bambi, just to name a few, being his signature. But now, he has gone back to the roots of the label and shown his ability to embody and appropriate the distinct aesthetic that gave Givenchy its fame. Of course, he has not done this without twisting the feminine silhouettes with worldly approaches to draping and overlaying in the dresses, a visual story continued from his menswear collection. 

Karl Lagerfeld at the finale of the Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 show

TO VIEW THE COMPLETE COLLECTIONS, HEAD TO FASHIONISING AND NOWFASHION

Images courtesy of Dior, Vancouver Sun, The Business of Fashion and Fashionising

Louis Vuitton: The Art of Travel

Louis Vuitton has developed over many years into the optimal luxury brand when it comes to travelling fashionably, with their high-quality leather luggage frequently being marketed as the best for crossing continents. Staying true to their reputation, the label has now released a series of travel books, all glorifying the beauty and diversity of the many worlds within our world.

Central Park by Jean-Phillipe Delhomme, New York

The 4 artists, all from different parts of the world, aimed to show both their skill and the perception of a traveller within a new city - French fashion artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme painted New York, Congo artist Chéri Samba for the fashion capital of Paris, Japanese graphic illustrator Natsko Seki presents to us her view of London and proud American Daniel Arsham gives us a look into the mysterious Easter Island in Chile. The books aren't your typical travel guide, so don't sacrifice that much-needed Google Maps app for these, but rather keep them as a reminder of the wonderful multicultural world we live in , a testament to these artists' talents, and simply to flick through for inspiration to travel to these iconic cities and landmarks.

The busy city of London by Natsko Seki

The elusive Easter Island by Daniel Arsham

To view and shop the series and find out more about the artists, CLICK HERE
To watch the campaign films, CLICK HERE
Images courtesy of Wallpaper

Harper's Bazaar Australia: 15 designers, 15 covers, 15 years to celebrate!

Giorgio Armani

Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs

Harper's Bazaar Australia turns 15 this year, and in celebration of their anniversary, 15 powerhouse designers of the fashion world have conjured up limited edition covers for fashion fans around the world to collect. In addition to those pictured, high profile names such as Frida Giannini from Gucci, Alber Elbaz from Lanvin, Christian Louboutin, Hermés, Karl Lagerfeld from Chanel and Diane Von Furstenberg have lent their creative minds manifest into a series of custom designed fashion sketches and editorials. Personally, I have the Carine Roitfeld cover in my sights, and with Mother's Day in our midst, why not grab one for your mother for a truly fashionable gift! Happy Birthday Harper's Bazaar Australia, may the publication continue to bring fashion inspiration to all of us!

 

Victoria Beckham

Carine Roitfeld, featuring Prada Spring/Summer 2013 dress

To view the complete series of covers, head to www.bazaarcoverstory.com.au

 Images courtesy of Harper's Bazaar Australia

Vroom Vroom!

Girls with guns always love shoes and cars... according to Harper's Bazaar USA's March editorial, "V Room". At first it may be hard to decipher the link between automotive design and fashion design, but there are similarities, believe it or not. The mechanics, production, and skill in the design of these polar opposites and their interrelation were made clear with the "Car Shoe", designed by Gianni Mostile in 1963.

The Car Shoe were shoes designed to enhance adherence to car pedals and to be worn when driving, especially luxury sports cars. More recently, designers have caught onto the automative influence on footwear, such as Prada in their S/S12 collection and the checkerboard clad Louis Vuitton S/S13 collection by Marc Jacobs. Whether this editorial by Dan Forbes is a homage to the Car Shoe is up to you, but this is an editorial that caters to fashion and vintage car lovers alike, particularly those who have a knack for Mercedes-Benz.

Images courtesy of Trendland

Brea Souders' Fashion Collages

Prada shoes

Dolce & Gabbana bag

The appeal of Brea Souders' minimalist photography is largely due to her immense skill is the manipulation of light, which is key in bringing attention to specific objects within an image whilst allowing the surroundings to complement the main subject of the photograph. Her editorial shoot for L'Officiel Art features the most unique pieces from the Spring/Summer 2013/14 collections of high profile designer labels such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Burberry Prorsum, juxtaposed against thematic artworks and prints in a collage-style editorial.

Louis Vuitton shoes

Chanel bag

Burberry Prorsum clutch

The editorial effectively presents the connection between art, fashion and photography. The collages may seem like something that can be produced swiftly, but the careful consideration to colour complementation, composition and lighting is undeniable.

To view Brea Souders' photography portfolio, visit www.breasouders.com

Images courtesy of Brea Souders

Paris Men's Fashion Week, Day 2

A myriad of well known designers/labels showed their Autumn/Winter collections this day, including Kolor, Phillip Lim, Japanese great Yohji Yamamoto, the illusive Rick Owens, the outrageous Jean Paul Gaultier, and one of my favourite designers, Dries Van Noten.

My favourite shows/collections from the day include Issey Miyake, Viktor & Rolf and Louis Vuitton.

Issey Miyake Autumn/Winter 2013

The label's upcoming collection for Autumn/Winter is sombre and relaxed, yet not sacrificing its modern approach to tailoring, designing garments with a loose yet flattering fit. As a whole, the neatness of some of the pieces are contrasted to more vibrant metallic panelled pieces, offering options to both the reserved and confident man.

View the collection HERE

Viktor & Rolf Autumn/Winter 2013

Viktor & Rolf will surely be bringing geek chic back to the forefront of fashion with their latest collection showing geeks at their most stylish. Outerwear and tailoring is modernized with rib quilted and quirky patterns, toned down by the calming chocolate brown based colour palette. Textured tweed trousers and fur lined jackets also appear in the collection, adding extra warmth to the collection.

View the collection HERE

Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2013

Louis Vuitton's latest collection gives us a look into the fusion of East and West and the possibilities in the future of fashion. Exploratory and bespoke garments including gloves and puffy parkas, modern minimalist jackets, and classic tailored double breasted blazers fill this collection, but among these hints of subtle leopard print and oriental printed silks make it complete. An extra jolt of vibrancy was needed, and the Asian-inspired silk trousers, robes and hold-alls gave exactly that.

View the collection HERE

Watch the fashion show HERE

All images courtesy of Fashionising