Paris Men's Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014

Umit Benan, designer for his namesake label, protesting against racism

The deeper meanings behind what is presented by most fashion designers the world over are sometimes, or even most of the time, overshadowed by people's preference to disseminating what they'd like to wear and what seems weird and unattractive from that collection based on superficial reasons. Fads come and go within trends of fashion, but clothing is also a self-expression of yourself and what you believe no matter what is seen as vogue, and quite a few designers in the Parisian scene have done so throughout their Autumn/Winter 2014 collections. Besides this, designers have decided to tweak their aesthetic in interest of diversifying - an interesting accompaniment to the messages conveyed.

The Raf Simons "Fathers" jumper, aimed at America's powerful influence today

Raf Simons was the first designer to present a protesting collection, blatantly obvious that what was in question was America's reign of supremacy. In collaboration with artist Sterling Ruby, the pair presented a runway decorated with stars and stripes banners tied clumsily, and clothing baring pop culture symbols, surface images of the Moon defaced with fabric swatches and the word "Fathers" slapped mockingly throughout. It seems as though Raf is making clear how ridiculous it is that most people praise what America offers and not what their own culture does, and in essence, this collection is also mocking those who leave their homeland to pursue "The American Dream", whatever that is to that person. The combination of his expertly tailored garments with derisive symbols and words are true Raf Simons, but this time a more political stance has been taken.

Rick Owens' signature leather shoes

Rick Owens decided to show an appreciation towards traditional Middle-Eastern culture and acceleration of the unisex fashion movement that he propelled forward at the beginning of the 21st Century. Models wore headdresses reflective of the Hijab (or even Hindi or Christian religious headwear), a gender-bending element that is contrary to the fact that these are men, and possibly a stab at beautifying this cultural headwear that has stupidly offended narrow-minded people who believe that this is a sign of a terrorist. To finish off the looks, the men wore high knee leather shoes that are masculine, despite the common association of this style to women's fashion. Cutting gender stereotypes in fashion is tough, and sometimes is an acquired taste, I mean, look at J.W. Anderson's menswear collections. But, Rick has pulled this off with consideration of the fact that masculinity overshadowing femininity is more appealing to the mass. With an already complex vision that Mr. Owens holds, a collection that manages to reflect what men's fashion is nowadays - against the norm - is just what many fashion enthusiasts would've expected from this designer.

Paul Smith used Middle Eastern patterns throughout his collection

 Another designer that expressed their fascination with Middle Eastern culture is the kooky Paul Smith. Popular amongst young fashion conscious men who don a highly tailored but want comical elements throughout, the British designer has merged this identifiable design ethos with patterns derived from Kilim and Turkish rugs. Paul's signature eccentricities are also apparent, with a pieces of footwear and panelled garments featuring iridescent sequins. This collection is a incredibly reminiscent of Kenzo Takada's work - a mixture of iconic cultural pieces to celebrate multiculturalism and racial acceptance.

Thom Browne makeup

Issey Miyake's psychedelic patterns

Two designers that always stand out amongst the Paris scene are Thom Browne and Issey Miyake - the first consistently showing artwear collections that prove avant-garde is not limited to Haute Couture and womenswear, and the latter effortlessly executing minimalism with stylishly outrageous detailing. For Fall/Winter 2014, the two have somehow bounced off each other unknowingly, with pieces within their collections representing the modern hippy. The regained fascination with nature and its wonders in health, which has sparked the movement of veganism, is shown through Thom's ethereal florals and makeup. The visual culture that is associated with vegan, hippy and new age beliefs is seen in Issey Miyake - with a surprisingly more psychedelic collection than previous ones. 

Givenchy fashion show finale

View the complete collections on www.fashionising.com or www.style.com

Images courtesy of Fashionising and Style.com

The Year That Was

Vogue Italia celebrated their 25th year with their 'Revolution" covers for the July issue

Another year over, and another wave of changes in the fast-paced fashion industry! A year in fashion encompasses many changes that reflect the evolving zeitgeist of society and the business's rapidity, spanning from music, art, film and of course, events. 2013 brought about comebacks from pop culture's fashionable icons, with Lady Gaga channeling a more demure self and bringing her little monsters back to the forefront with her album, ARTPOP, and Beyoncé collaborating with some of fashion's finest for her surprise visual music album, the first of its kind.

Lady Gaga brings a new era to her musical career - ARTPOP

Beyoncé gives us a taste of the future of music albums

Significant milestones in fashion journalism were celebrated this year, including the 25th Anniversary of Vogue Italia, marked by designers such as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace curating the special edition July covers of the magazine, and the 15th Anniversary of Russian Vogue, with influential fashion editors giving their congratulations to the magazine and wishing Editor-in-Chief Victoria Davydova the best. A whole new array of new titles have also been welcomed - Vogue Ukraine, 10 Men Australia, 10 Australia and Elle Australia all releasing their first issues this year.

The first issue of Vogue Ukraine, released in March

10 Men and 10 Magazine's Australian editions were launched during the Spring/Summer season

The fashion industry is notorious for its extravagant events, particularly those during Fashion Week, and besides the fact that it was my first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia as official media/press, a few stood out in the worldwide fashion scene. The revolutionary Paris Fashion Week show of Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2014 collection broke the norm, using "plus-size" models, or rather dancers, to show off his androgynous designs down the runway, bringing him critical acclaim. The Met Ball for the respective annual fashion exhibition, this year based on the Punk movement - Punk: Chaos to Couture attracted the public eye's attention, especially the bold fashion choices of a few celebrities who attended the event. Finally, the opening of Prada: A New Place for Stories, a literary space in New York City where the designer label's short story competition winners were awarded and where their works will be available for viewing. 

A shot of Vanishing Elephant's Spring/Summer 2013 collection, shot by myself at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia

Anne Hathaway and Valentino Garavani at The Met Ball

Rick Owens' Spring/Summer 2014 collection, modelled by step-dancers in Paris

The fashion film of the year brought about a new perspective of costume design, with the release of Baz Luhrmann's 3D remake of The Great Gatsby. Some of the hype that surrounded the film was created by the news of Prada, Tiffany & Co. and Brooks Brothers contributing costume designs, all presenting a modern interpretation of the greedy and roaring '20s. 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in a promotional editorial for The Great Gatsby in Vogue Australia

Prada's costume designs for The Great Gatsby

The Gatsby Collection by Brook's Brothers

On a final note, some of the world's well-known clothing labels experienced shifts in direction, with Alexander Wang presenting his debut collection for Balenciaga, due to Nicolas Ghesquiére's departure from the historical label, who swiftly came back into the fashion scene this year with his appointment as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton after the shock announcement of Marc Jacobs's retirement from the label at Paris Fashion Week. Notable designers who have also left include Ann Demeulemeester and Jil Sander, both leaving their namesake labels. Unfortunately this year, we also had to say goodbye to the labels Nicole Farhi, Farrell and even Ksubi, all filing for bankruptcy.

Alexander Wang's first collection for Balenciaga proved to be a hit, this crackle jumper being the key piece

Marc Jacobs at his final show for Louis Vuitton

2014 is now here and the cycle of change is already happening... who knows what will change this year! Happy New Year readers!

Jil Sander at her final show of her namesake label

Images courtesy of Swide.com, Lady Gaga, Pierre Debusschere, Cacolyte, Fashion Bomb Daily, Highsnobiety, Design Scene, Esquire, DIY Fashion, Ellies Blog, Vogue Australia and Say I Love Mary

Sneakerboy Sydney

Sneakerboy, Australia's latest luxury footwear and streetwear chain, is opening in Sydney on Saturday, December 14th! If you don't know about these guys yet, it's mainly because the retailer has kept a low profile to the mass and has concentrated on their target market. The retailer allows Australian guys who have a taste for the luxurious but want to keep things urban a chance to get their hands on world-renowned labels and designer collections in a relaxed environment. 

Sneakerboy has hit a gap in the market in Australia successfully, with sneakers from coveted labels such as Givenchy, Raf Simons, Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, Pierre Hardy, Lanvin and the legendary Alexander McQueen, being difficult to find in brick-and-mortar stores around Sydney and Melbourne. In sync with their launch in Sydney, the retailer has offered two promotions to customers! The first is a chance to WIN some of your favourite sneakers from the retailer and the second is FREE Sneakerboy denim at their Sydney launch! 

For details on how to win your sneakers wishlist and get free Sneakerboy denim, head to www.sneakerboy.com

Images courtesy of Sneakerboy

Prehistoric

It's no secret that the enigmatic American fashion designer, Rick Owens, follows a darker path in design. His clothes are infamous within the fashion industry, and there is a clear cult of followers who adhere to the shadowy stream of fashion of which he hails. Earlier this year, the designer let The Wall Street Journal into his Parisian apartment, revealing he is completely dedicated to this aesthetic. The designer has now expanded his furniture range, named "Prehistoric", which is scarily reflective of his fashion designs. The range is predominantly made from petrified wood, in the typical colour palette of greys, blacks and whites, and would be more of a modern interpretation of the Ice Age than prehistory. The furniture range is now on display at the London's Carpenters Workshop Gallery.

Images courtesy of GQ Australia

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