/Creative Observations

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Maximinimalism Meets Minimalism

Stylist supremo Willy Vanderperre, is best known for his forward thinking fashion editorial.  And his recent campaigns for both Raf Simons and Dior, show no sign of letting up - with equal directional creative.  

Placing imagery on top of imagery is a simple act of design, we must admit, but it’s the juxtaposition between maximinimalism and minimalism that is most interesting,  subtle black & white meets the vibrance of color. Elsewhere fashion brand Our Legacy are honing this design aesthetic too.

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NatureTech: Selfridges X Apple

Our phones, our tablets, they’re all prized and valued items in our lives, they house our curated preferences, connections to our friends, and help us both document and preserve our memories. They’re an extension of ourselves, evolving how we live our life today.  Successful technology needs to connect with our emotions, through more relatable elements, that feel more human and natural. 

Which is why the Selfridges collaboration with Apple, is such an interesting example of how the lines between manmade and nature can be blurred.  An inventive installation, it comprises of a series flower filled walls, to be precise 24 large, 50 medium, 5,525 small, and another 240 slightly larger flowers, make up a vizierial attack to the senses.  In part sculpted in crafted cast resin, the smaller flowers were 3D printed.

A beautiful display that helps re-imagine the possibilities of technology.

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Activist Brands: Outspoken Fashion

Taking their cues from punk, fashion labels Marc Jacobs, and Acne Studios are using their collections as conduits for activism - particularly the latter.  Acne Studios’ Autumn/Winter 2015-16 collection, is fuelled with pro gender equality and feminist statements, through bold fonts and placement panels applied across sweaters. Wearable activism infiltrating the streets!

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Age-less: Skateboarding

Some sports are so intricately attached to youth subcultures, and skateboarding is arguably one example; grunge, hip-hop, all have skateboarding rooted in their visual discourse. 

Now skateboarding is back again, this time bubbling up into mass culture, with anyone from hipsters twenty-somethings to the Dads and Mums rekindling their youth. 

So it’s no surprise that the attire is following (or leading) depending on your viewpoint, but never the less streetwear is manifesting its self into the mainstream. 

Here are a few brands skateboarding brands doing it well: http://www.palaceskateboards.com/, http://polarskateco.com/, http://biancachandon.com/, http://3dskateboardco.com/, http://fuckingawesomestore.com/, http://isleskateboards.com/ and http://moodnyc.com/. 

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Activist Brands: Product design meets fashion

Matthew Miller has been experimenting with the evolution of consumer’s participation with fashion design for a few years now. Ranging from rip-able foil pockets to branded spray paint canisters, which allow for creativity and individualism. 

For Spring/Summer 2015 Matthew continues to evolve this concept, through a series of sweaters and t-shirts featuring velcro panels with detachable slogans.

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Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty

Ahead of our imminent visit to the much anticipated Alexander McQueen exhibition, opening to the public today. Here’s our look back at the key collections that blended art with fashion. 

Innovation-technology-fashion, merged to create an emotive and haunting hologram of Kate Moss. 

https://youtu.be/-1C4YcHLliI

Performance art meets notions of the future in an intreging tussle of robots and humans. 

https://youtu.be/P13oZsD-t4s

Alexander McQueen plays with claustrophobia and voyeurism, in his dark storytelling trip within the setting of a mental health hospital. The relationship between audience and model is challenged, with the use of one-way glass. 

https://youtu.be/UMTZD193AA8

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Adidas by Rick Owens Autumn/Winter 2014-15

Rick Owen’s second collaboration with Adidas could easily have been transported from a intergalactic planet or Sci-fi b moovie. As Rick Owens' takes inspiration from stealth bombers for his tech runner. As he uses oversized angular soles seen in black or white to the understated minimalist sleek detail seen in a reduced neutral palette.

Rick Owens continues to utilise innovative materials for the new range, combining high quality suede and leathers with sporty neoprene. Whilst the midsole is made of a one piece EVA with a full length outsole and a distinctive Rick Owens saw tooth profile. As well as featuring three perforated stripes and carrying the Rick Owens’ signature on the heel strike.  

First presented this January during the Paris Menswear fashion week, the tech runner will be available mid July 2014 in black, black/bone, milk and milk/black, and costs around £390.

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Joseph Turvey Autumn/Winter 2014-15

Joseph Turvey's recognition and profile has deservedly continued to grow in stature ever since he debuted his designs during the menswear ones to watch, back when LCM was squashed into one day. Where his initial collection focused primarily on his talent for fashion illustrations, with which he applied to tongue-in-cheek matching two pieces, and t-shirts. The post follow-on collections have since progressed with the use of experimental uses of mesh and unconventional menswear materials, whilst continually exploring menswear surface design.  Transforming illustrations into wearable clothing, be it Cruella De Vil style black dots to artistic digital floral and colour print Overlays.

So with Joseph Turvey's Fall/Winter 2014-15 collection entitled 'Cash In' we look on to see how his progression unfolds. Aptly ‘Cash In’, Joseph explains is his chance to explore previous collections by deconstructing previous garment, technique and fabric in an aim to redefine his core themes into something more refined and more representative of where he envisions the Joseph Turvey brand progressing in the future. So you can’t be blamed to feel an element of Déjà vu throughout, from the peach lace sport suit first seen in his graduate collection, Spring/Summer 2013’s floral panelled shirts of to the illustrated portraits applied to sweaters and t-shirts which the brand has become synonymous with. This is a collection which is intended as a turning point in a young designers development,  so ‘Cash In’ is exactly what it proclaims to be. A collection which sees Turvey show his develop through incorporating new advanced techniques of digital enhancements and hand embroidery to help enhance the colour and create a tactile texture.

So with the combination of his first major collaboration with River Island to launch in Feb 2014 and a collection, which celebrates his past, perhaps this is Turvey’s clean slate enabling him to create a new refined direction for his design.

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Jil Sander Menswear Autumn/Winter 2014-15

When it was announced back in October 2013 that Jil Sander was leaving for the third time, the label fell into somewhat of a flux with no successor named and her in-house team left to picked up the Baton for the next season. So it’s no surprise that not since Jil Sander’s return has there been as much pre-show speculation and anticipation. So with bated breath the menswear Fall/Winter 2014-15 was showcased during Milan fashion week.  

Jil Sander’s studio team focused on the core Sander aesthetics with a sold yet safe collection of outerwear, suits and knitwear. As subtle uses of unconventional material choices and dark moody colours upheld the contemporary yet understated feel many have come to expect from the label. Mineral colours such as bottle green, teal, grey and aubergine were seen on head-to-toe matching suits to graphic colour-blocking winter casuals.  As the team used a bare minimal apparel surfaces to place primary focus on the sharp silhouettes, bar the fun and youthful checkerboard camel wool crew-necks. Elsewhere material textures came in a variety of forms from glossy shearling, rubber look anoraks, and metallic disco panelled trousers to squidgy leather coats.

Whilst this is definitely a collection that will keep most of the Jil Sander fans happy for now, but one can’t help arching back to the past where the element of the unexpected and progressive design innovation were more evident. Showing whilst the design team can create a solid collection, a creative director is needed to bring a unique spark, but with such high expectations this is sure to be a hard position to fill.

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London Street Style: Varsity Bohemia

Whilst varsity themes tend to be the mainstay of menswear season on season, this stylish guy we spotted in Brick Lane, London offers a darker bohemian direction. As he teams contrasting proportions with performance material choices in a neutral palette.

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Adidas X Raf Simons Spring 2014 Collection

The second collaboration between fashion designer Raf Simons and sports mecca Adidas will be available in February 2014. First debuted in his Spring/Summer 2014 catwalk show in Paris back in June, Simons' looks to 1980s futurism for inspiration. The nine different trainer options, make use of bold colour ways and contrasting colour blocking combinations, while materials used include a combination of mesh, leather panels and silicone details.

www.rafsimons.com

www.adidas.com

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Store Openings 2013: MHL Opens 2nd London Store

Following the successful 2011 launch of Magaret Howell's first stand alone MHL store in Shoreditch East London. Margaret Howell has opened a second MHL shop in Marylebone, London. 

Designed by William Russell of Pentagram Design, the New Cavendish Street store retains the beautiful original parquet flooring and wood shop front, whilst incorporating new birch wood shelving and stainless steel fittings.  

Inspired by the ease and authenticity of utility clothing, such as work, sports and school wear, anyone shopping at the new MHL store is guaranteed to pick up a timeless staple. With the store stocking a collection of simplistic clothing enriched with a unique character - informal, comfortable with a youthful spirit. With classics such as the worker jacket, track pant and plimsoll being updated and made in lovingly chosen selected natural fabrics. Garments are re-produced using specialist manufacturing processes that pay special attention to finish and detail that has now become so synonymous with Margaret Howell design.

http://www.margarethowell.co.uk/

MHL SHOP

22 NEW CAVENDISH STREET LONDON W1G 8TT [phone] [email protected]

Opening Times Mon-Sat 1000-1800  Thurs 1000-1900  Sun 1200-1700

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London Collections Men: Martine Rose Spring/Summer 2014

For Martine Rose's Spring/Summer 2014 collection we are again presented with a big brother inspired approach to the traditional idea of a fashion presentation. We are invited to view her living room style environment, with CDs, posters and furniture all sprawled across the presentation space at the hospital club located venue. As we are invited to guilty free watch a blonde wigged models every move, as he either lounges around reading a newspaper or stands on a revolving podium.

Inspired by her recent collaboration with contemporary furniture designer Ligne Roset, Martine Rose sort to emulate the way in which our spatial interiors might reflect on our personal interiors. With the humble chair being the key focus, made most evident through graphic tees, which utilised mixed media chair collages and attached with Gaffer tape looking DIY tape. Whilst the use of lace, satin and ribbon trimmings on shirting, shorts and accessories was a subtle nod to a curtained-window and in-turn a continuation of Martine Rose's idea of masculinity in society today. Other key looks included denim super wide legged 3/4 length shorts, 70's revival wide-legged white trousers to Sport-esque jumpers were unconventional in shape and defied the norm. 

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London Collections Men: Kay Kwok Spring/Summer 2014

Presented by GQ China, Hong Kong native Kay Kwok showcased his Spring/Summer 2014 collection at London Collections: Men. Recent London Collection of Fashion master’s graduate Kay Kwok has garnered a unique aesthetic for patterns inspired by futuristic and cosmic patterns. 

With ancient Egyptian religious and cosmology being a key foundation for fuelling his internal cog. In particular the mysterious story behind Sphinx, the relation between the process of mummy erosion and the system of Ancient Egyptian’s constellation like Ancient culture of Solar, Lunar & Stellar story.  Combining these concepts ideas into tangible prints which play with shades, light and flame in order to push the barriers of digital printing, whilst updating and re-inventing classic menswear tailoring.

And so this sets the tone for his Spring/Summer 2014 collection, which sees Kwok continue to utilise the same futuristic inspired prints but with a fresh start, with Kwok attempting to move away from the thing he has become best known for. A collection that sees the designer steer towards a much more subtle, striped back and disciplined design approach, sharp tailoring, knitted tunics, wide-legged trousers, panelled contrasting leather t-shirts and neoprene short two-pieces are presented in neutral colour hues of sand dune beiges, blacks and whites.

Whilst the other half of the collection saw Kwok’s signature cosmic prints and patterns freshened up with a more wearable direction through superfine neoprene suiting and summery t-shirts and tanks. 

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LFW Street Style 2013: Urban Buccaneer

Pirate aesthetics are cleverly reinterpreted to create a street wear take on the traditional buccaneer. Teaming a straw textured Africana style parka, tapered black trouser with a black wide brim hat. Whilst accessories incorporate contemporary twists to classic pieces from camou patterned soles on a pair of black brogues to a safety-belt strapped clutch.

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London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2014: Lily Kamper

Lily Kampers beautiful geode-inspired jewellery certainly turned heads at London Fashion Week. 

Super clean-cut pieces in attractive gradient glass were particularly evocative, channeling Kryptonite, and consumer electronics. Pieces centred around the minutiae in terms of the manufacturing process. Playing into interiors, akin to Mary Kantrantzou, Kamper's pieces are wearable, accessible and will definitely excite next summer. 

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London Collections Men: Craig Green Spring/Summer 2014

London based menswear designer Craig Green closed the Spring/Summer 2014 MAN show at London Collections: Men with a spectacular crescendo of models in head-to-toe tie-dye, with accompanying pattern matching fine-art sculptures. This was easily the standout collection amongst the three designers chosen this year, causing a real stir of excitement amongst the audience.

With a collection that demonstrates a real progression of technique and direction for the designer. Following on from the themes of his previous debut show with MAN for Autumn/Winter 2013-14, where light met dark in a clever fusion of art meets fashion. For Spring/Summer 2014 nothing has dramatically shifted only progressed incorporating splashes of vibrant hand-printed psychedelic tie-dyes in red, blue and yellow whilst being intermittently blocked by subtle shades of cream or black. But being seduced by bright patterns and sculptures is not all Craig Green has to offer; the real genius is seen through the layers and layers of garments which are painstakingly cut with fine contrasting textures. Whilst Green’s silhouettes demonstrate a particularly innovative incorporating an array of utilitarian and eastern inspired distorted proportions. From wide legged shorts are teamed over trousers, long line shirts styled under boxy jacket to contrasting cross grain suiting offers a utilitarian uniform.