Saturday, June 29, 2013

INSPIRATION Robert Morris 1965… Dior Homme SS||2014

This wonderful mirror cube installation "Untitled' created in 1965 by conceptual artist Robert Morris [left], might have been an inspiration to the stage design of the SS||2014 Dior Homme fashion show [right]. The designer of the collection Kris Van Assche said that with the hall of mirrors he wanted to mimick the glinting Miami skyline.
Morris’s Minimalist sculptures of the mid-1960s consist of rigorously pared down geometric forms. He typically arranged these into ‘situations’ where ‘one is aware of one’s own body at the same time that one is aware of the piece’. This work demonstrates the principle. As the viewer walks around the four cubes, their mirrored surfaces produce complex and shifting interactions between gallery and spectator. The cubes were originally installed in the garden at Tate for Morris’s 1971 exhibition, but were put on show in the galleries when the exhibition had to be re-made with substitute works.



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

INTO IT… a MARBLEOUS pattern

Please welcome today my brand new segment INTO IT, where I will present to you current trends that various designers seem to be totally into. That trend might be a theme or a special material or details or patterns or colors, … something designers and brands just can't stop to propose in their collections because it is just the right moment for it. Like for example  the marble patterns we have noticed at Alexander Wang's debut collection for Balenciaga at the last PFW for FW 2013||14. But this is not the first and not even the last time we see this black and white pattern appear, since also Helmut Lang proposed it again for the next season in their Resort SS||2014 collection, while it has had its moments already at Jil Sander, Hussein Chalayan and even at &Other Stories.



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

INTO THE SAME IDEA... 3.1 Phillip Lim and Tibi Resort SS||2014

Splish splash... these two NYFW designers have had a similar fun paint splatter print idea, both in black and white, for their 2014 resort collections: Tibi [left ] and 3.1 Phillip Lim [right].


Monday, June 24, 2013

LOVE IT| WISH IT|| SHOP IT... Missoni's MISS-03 handbag FW 2013||14

Last week I have been to the presentation of the new signature bags of Missoni, all designed exclusively by Margherita Maccapani Missoni. I particularly fell in love with the Miss-03 model you see in the picture. The stiff square accordion handbag gets a lively touch from the colourful inset of the long handles lined with the iconic rust tone of the Missoni logo, like the pyramidal enamelled studs of the clasp, that is a three dimensional interpretation of a single zigzag [cost: 1490,00 Euro the big version, 1300 Euro the small one]. This new collection of handbags is made entirely in-house by Missoni for the first time and summarizes the brand’s distinctive features, like the unmistakably natural and informal conception of Missoni's elegance, that combines precious leathers with exclusive solutions and details.



Friday, June 21, 2013

INSPIRATION Robert Sloan 1965... Damir Doma Resort SS||2014

This wonder ful jumpsuit out of tricolor cotton voile by Robert Sloan, photographed in 1965 for Mademoiselle magazine by Louis Faurer [left] might have been an material and pattern inspiration for Damir Doma's Resort collection SS||2012 [right].

With this post I recommend the book:
Resort Fashion: Style in Sun-Drenched Climates by Caroline Rennolds Milbank


Thursday, June 20, 2013

INSPIRATION Hermès SS||2012... Giambattista Valli Resort SS||2014

Even if Giamattista Valli's Resort SS||2014 collection had as a theme the "Grey Gardens' and was an ode to the amazing looks of "Little Edie" [right], it also recalls some outfits of the SS||2012 collection of Hermès [left]. 
[Grey Gardens is a wonderful 1975 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of the two Edith Beales, a reclusive socialite mother and daughter of the same name who lived at Grey Gardens, a decrepit mansion at 3 West End Road in the wealthy Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton. "Big Edie" Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale were the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.]





Monday, June 17, 2013

INSPIRATION L'Officiel 1972... Michael Kors SS||2013

This fun striped outfit from an L'Officiel editorial, photographed in 1972 by Roland Bianchini [left] looks pretty much like a pattern and color inspiration for Michael Kors' SS||2013 bathing suit [right].


Friday, June 14, 2013

INSPIRATION Paul Poiret 1912... Givenchy Resort SS||2014

In the 1910s, the oracle of the mode was the amazing French designer Paul Poiret, who employed the language of orientalism to develop the romantic and theatrical possibilities of clothing with enigmatic silhouettes such as his iconic "lampshade" tunic and his "harem" trousers like this outfit from 1912 [left]. The work of Poiret, mostly for the silhouettes,  came to my mind when I saw the Resort 2014 collection of Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy [right].



Wednesday, June 12, 2013

INSPIRATION Miu Miu FW 2012||13... Lanvin Resort SS||2014

This wonderful dress created by Alber Elbaz for the Lanvin Resort collection 2014 [right] might have been slightly influenced by a similar dress from Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu FW 2012||13 [left], while both of course recall the work from the 1960's of Paco Rabanne. Are the sixties already back again?


Monday, June 10, 2013

INTO THE ARCHIVES Yves Saint Laurent and Betty Catroux 1969… Saint Laurent SS||2013

Everytime a new creative director takes over a famous maison, their debut collection is mostly an homage to the design heritage. Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent is no exception in that, even if he would prefer to appear always more special than others. His fist collection for SS||2013 [all rights] had numerous quotation of Yves Saint Laurent work for his ready to wear line Rive Gauche, especially details from the outfits worn by Yves' muse Betty Catroux in 1969 [all lefts].

Friday, June 7, 2013

INSPIRATION Clara Bow 1933... Maison Martin Margiela SS||2007

The wonderful silent movie actress Clara Bow wears an amazing stage costume in her comeback movie "Hoopla' from 1933 [left]. Maybe this image has been an inspiration to Martin Margiela while creating the trompe l’oeil bra bodysuit [right], that has also been reissued from the original SS||2007 collection in  MMM's collaboration with H&M.