This season, Ouest took us behind the dodgy looking curtain at the very back of the video rental store and unveiled the world of the Ouest man. Kitschy, sexy, tongue in cheek and around lollipops at this presentation.
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Seems like everybody was waking up from a long slumber. Whether it be a physical rest or a mental one, there were themes of awakening in this collection. The accessories were gold foil pouches of protein powder bags and yoga mats. There was also a nod to different elements of horror from pop culture, from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to the monsters from "Stranger Things".
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While waiting in line, we met an interesting pair of Dutch fashion curators. It's at shows like these that you truly get to meet like-minded individuals who appreciate the artistry of fashion. Once inside, Coco quietly pointed out that two of the stars of "Emily in Paris" were in the audience. As photographers were frantically taking their photos the room came too a halt, signaling the beginning of the show. Suddenly we were all at a hush and the show began...
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The Kid Super show was everything that I thought it was going to be. Full of celebrities, beautiful people and most importantly the creativity of this American artist and designer. His background is rooted in New York City and started with a few t-shirts but his art drew the attention of many in the industry and grew into the fashion collections that we see today.
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Do these "masterpiece" products still fit in today's fashion climate? Should a real "masterpiece" be more personal? How much personalization goes into a "masterpiece" before it's not just a staple anymore? Through this collection, Kolor works with what can be described as a variety of standard silhouettes and revitalizes them with the signature Kolor touch, adding playful and detailed accents.
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Standing outside waiting for the Rains AW24 show, Coco and I were laughing at how many people kept cutting in front of us when I noticed a figure in my peripheral vision that had been lurking around for a few minutes. It was evident that he was not in line. Upon some conversation, he did not know that this was a fashion show and was very curious. I told him to just stick with me and let's see if we can get him in to see his first show. And this is how I adopted my first fashion orphan.
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The collection drew inspiration from the life and work of British artist Hanna Gluckstein, or “Gluck”. This season was particularly inspired by a painting of Gluck by Romaine Brooks titled, "A Young English Girl" c1923. The portrait exuded both masculinity and simplicity yet it carried an emotional depth with a touch of femininity.
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We were completely jet lagged by this point of our trip and the thought of a 9:30 a.m. show on such a cold and rainy morning felt like torture. But as I looked out the window that morning, I found myself feeling sorry for the models and production who had to be there hours prior. The least I can do is to show up and enjoy the fashion. When we arrived, my colleague started the morning with the comment, "Did I just die and go to heaven?"
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This collection transforms the Chinese tea culture into a fashion collection. The underlying themes were respect for nature and traditional culture while conveying contemporary values. There is a sense of freedom and confidence in this collection from one who is proud of their traditions and is eager to share them with the world.
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I wasn't expecting to get into a fight with a photographer at a show. But there I was, waiting for all the attendees to arrive and getting yelled at by a photographer who insisted that I was going to block his shot. After an exchange of me yelling at him in English and him yelling back at me in French we somehow understood each other and cooled down in the frigid venue, just in time for the show to start. That is the beauty of Fashion Week. It is multicultural, multilingual and there is always respect for the show.
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Paris in Winter isn't pleasant. This season I finally understood how Europeans in the last centuries died of consumption. The streets are cold and damp, buildings that are hundreds of years old drip dirt all over you and finding a warm place to escape the weather isn't as easy as it should be. I was overjoyed to enjoy a little respite at the Airei presentation. I did not expect, however, to walk right into the '80s Maxwell cassette ad.
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Walking into the Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud courtyard full of colorful banners I truly felt like I finally had been invited to enjoy a joyful summer moment in Paris. It may possibly be because of the sweltering heat the mise en scène was every bit the idyllic European city summer as it could be. Arriving at the TAAKK show and watching everybody file in, many faces looked recognizable and familiar. Not personally, I've just seen them on social media. The excitement built and finally the show began.
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It wasn't very long ago that it would almost be unheard of that a Nigerian based designer would be showing in any of the European fashion weeks. But designer Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme reached deep into his heritage for inspiration to develop a collection that is not only true to where Nigeria has been but where it is going.
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Outerwear is now elegant. I thought I would never see the day. The way that the 90s windbreaker was deconstructed and reconstructed into something extremely modern, beautiful even, brand new length and usages.
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I somehow ended up at St. Martin’s because of a girl and that's kind of yeah… many years ago I started at menswear and then I finished it and it went pretty well and then someone was actually like, “Hey, you made it, have you heard about the [fashion] festival in France?” And I went 20 years ago.
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I really appreciate how straightforward Phipps is; it's simply good, durable, quality clothing. It's just good clothes. The buzzword that we have heard in recent years in fashion is of course, sustainability. This notion has been used to reinvent many labels which is why Phipps was careful to not label outright that this is a sustainable collection, although it obviously is in the truest sense of the word. Sustainability through durability.
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The aquatic theme was felt immediately. As he made his way around the show space, dramatic train in tow, a sheer black mesh one shoulder dress made its way through the crowd. Shades of blue denim paired with white and black mesh, glistening beige sequins and knits and crochets in silhouettes that echoed defiance and a little bit of anarchy paraded through the space. The show was unambiguous and sincere.
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This season's textiles was developed from pieces of the designer's own collection of antique books and old pieces of fabric. A collage was made utilizing these materials lending to the print of the new textiles. The fabric is then treated with an over dye to give it another dimension and reveal a trompe l'oeil visual effect. It took very careful experimentation of various techniques to reach the correct thread count, texture and desired thickness of Chen's textiles.
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There are way too many stairs to climb in Paris. But this show was worth the climb. After finally making it to the top, I looked into the show space and to me, the show had already begun. Walter Van Beirendonck people sure do know how to dress for a Walter Van Beirendonck show. It was like looking at an archive of all of his past creations and the people were there to celebrate his work in the most meaningful way. Wearing metallic vegan leather pants in 90° weather, in a warehouse with no air conditioning. These are true fans.
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It’s June 2023, and it’s time to get away.
Escape the city, escape the daily life. Go in the mountains, party and forget about the world.