What is happening in fashion and who is happening in fashion? The Fashion Edit has been hitting the pavement in stilettos to bring you the latest and greatest at London and Paris Fashion Weeks. With access to the brands and trends that are shaping our world, we invite you to come along as we explore the world of fashion visionaries and strut alongside today’s most prolific creators. Join Fashion Editor, Sophie Lin, as she pops in and out of shows throughout the electrifying city of London and fashion’s ground zero, Paris. Discover what is to come in the upcoming seasons and feel the buzzing excitement of the moment of creative inception.
... 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 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 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 MoreA performance artist was reading a poem written by the designer in French about the human experience, or rather the human workhorse. Life was described as just non-stop work and enjoying a small morsel of the fruits of our labor until one day we inevitably perish.
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.
Read MoreIt’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.
We all travel for love, for sanctuary, for trade, for leisure. Across skies and oceans, streets and parks to find the “center of our world”. What will we need to take on the journey? When will we know we have arrived? When can you put your suitcases away, because you need travel no more? You are home.
Read MoreThe Louvre is a place where they store and present beautiful things. Although Kidill will probably never describe themselves as traditionally beautiful, their SS24 collection challanges exactly that. Kidill demonstrates more than ever that punk is not just a way of being or looking. It is beyond that, it's a state of mind.
Read More"White (urban) Mountaineering (outdoors)" Design, Function, Technology. Combining these elements and remaining true to ourselves White Mountaineering.
Read MoreFar from the sight of water, the audience is immersed in a sound bath; echoing drips, rippling splashes, pouring water. Resonant piano notes strike, marking the start of the show; soundtracked by Danish
composer, Frederik Valentin. His dreamy, ethereal composition evokes rainfall. The opening look captivates attention; an ode to Rains’ signature rainwear silhouettes. Models file in behind, entering the dry show space as if caught in a downpour outside, their hair saturated, their skin decorated with surreal raindrops. The space itself is focused, centered; all attention is fixed on the energy of the runway.
The Franco-Belgian brand established in 2019 and created by Ariane Theunissen stays faithful to the creator's love of the '70s and its icons. This season, the collection is inspired by the empowerment of women with silhouettes that emphasize the structure of the shoulders tapering into a small waist to create strong and dramatic looks, encouraging the idea of the powerful woman.
Read MoreA hand delivered by messenger, sleek glossy black bag with a cut-out handle arrived for me. Inside was an invitation in a black square box containing a black rose. Calvin Luo sure knows how to treat a lady. Being invited to a show in this way is my magical moment number 8.
Read MoreSimplistic draped pieces came down the runway one by one in neutrals with a pop of red. The Autumn Winter ‘23 collection draws inspiration from soil as a conceptual metaphor. It traces back to the original purpose of clothing and investigating the fundamental nature of its existence.
Read MoreAs she walked past me the intricately ornate shadows made by the cathedral's architecture adorned her like an accessory, or an impermanent pattern. I will end up seeing the entire show this way, each look, reimagined with the extra adornment courtesy of the architecture at the American Cathedral in Paris and the blessing of light from nature into these beautiful stained glass windows.
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