After the wonderful showroom visit, I walked down to the Rue Saint-Honoré. At the corner of Chanel and Dior, I couldn't help but think that ArdAzAei's collection is way too precious for mass-market companies like these. Her designs truly shine above the rest, embodying a level of artistry and attention to detail that sets her apart in the industry.
Read MoreThe show starts off with a string quartet and experimental sounds were being played on violins. Initially it sounded like insects, but then it started to get a little creepy feeling. By the time the vocals came in I was properly a little freaked out. It sounded like a soundtrack to a horror movie. It was extremely eerie and intense. The vocals were more intense as a show went on and it really begged the question, what am I missing here? The clothing itself doesn't seem spooky or horror themed ...what will I see upon a closer look?
Read MoreWhat are future generations looking to dress like? The notion of adaptability is becoming increasingly important to us in our daily lives. Socially we are evolving so expeditiously, the way we express ourselves is also evolving at a rapid pace. What can we bring with us from our past that will still hold up in the future?
Read MoreContinuing on the theme of barely there coverage as seen in AW23, SS24 is a more refined play on the idea. This collection is presented with the prospective of a woman on vacation. A woman who is uninhibited and ready to do anything at any time. This wardrobe exists between playful sunny days and sultry tantalizing nights.
Hian Tjen makes me want to show up awkwardly to a party completely over dressed. From start to finish these over the top, opulent pieces are a marvel to behold. Tjen does not hold anything back, more is more. The textiles used are a mix of feathered, embroidered, burned out, applique'd and beaded. It's all in there.
Read MoreIn the second installment of Ruohan Nie's three collection series, "Line" is a wonderful study of conveying that lines can run forever. Designers strive to design timeless collections that can be versatile through seasons and time, few are successful at it. Ruohan Nie is successful with this season after season through her study in design and textiles.
Read MoreI never would have known it but this collection was inspired by surf skating. I'm so not even sure what it is but it is an activity that the designer, Reema Al Banna has been involved in for the last year and a half. This collection infuses something that is electrifying yet refined for the designer.
Read MoreThis season Wang explorers how we view Venice once the playfulness and grandeur ceases and we start to notice the decay. The silhouettes of this collection plays off of the outlines of the architecture and dilapidated colors of the walls, frescoes and paintings inside the buildings and the pungent smell of laguna water accompanied by the signs of rampant decay.
Read More... Before we get into that, I want to go back to the mid-90s. It was July in Paris and I was the typical 90s teen; unchaperoned, untracked and without a phone in Paris for a whole summer. There will never be a time in the future where this experience will ever be duplicated.
Read MoreNever have I ever been so unsettled to walk into a fashion show before. At first glance, this show was just extremely weird. After a long day of running around Paris, I was more than elated to land in the Palais de Tokyo at the Empty Behavior show. I have never heard of this brand before that day and it took me a while to figure it out, what exactly I was there to see?
Read MoreUp until this point I think it's been fair to say that I have not come across that many collections that are as sexy as they are masculine. And not tawdry, but quite sexy, almost seductive. Captivating, if you will. Minuit is the brain child of Laurie Arbellot, whom I have decided is the coolest girl I've ever met.
Read MoreMy favorite color is pink. You could not imagine how well this collection captured by interest from the first model. A voluminous dress of bubblegum pink styled with fuzzy black slide on slippers flounced down the runway. I was not only excited to see this look because it was an exuberant show of pink, I was excited because I can see myself in it.
Read MoreThe details of this collection were so unusual to me because they were oversized but didn't feel ostentatious. The way the waves were depicted on the body really free flowed from the waist to the hip and into the back, like if a wave had hugged you. The accessories were large and angular, anchoring the softer edges of the clothing.
Read MoreEverything about this collection feels slightly extreme. Exaggerated openings, leather, grommets and snakes paired with metal chains. Somehow within all of these extremities, there's still a very soft feminine voice that speaks through it. It's like the woman who is ready for everything and anything.
Read MoreWalking 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.
Read MoreIt 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.
Read MoreOuterwear 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreThis 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.
Read MoreThere 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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