80’s new wave romanticism crossed with 1950’s greaser asthetic we are definitely into it. Mirja Rosendahl’s latest collection explores that featuring Elvis Presley references with romantic details such as pastels, clouds and florals. we are also enjoying the kimono silhouettes, and nice details in materials including PVC and technical nylon, adding a hard edge to some of the softer pieces.
Every season at this time there is electrical storm that surrounds Fashion Scout, The Pam Hogg circus is in town and everyone wants a ticket. Her controversial and mind blowing ethos is highly anticipated every season. The audience is varied, a whos who of fashion characters embracing the alternative. Pams fashion army is loyal and fearless, a force not to be reckoned with. The crowd caused a road block on the streets , a feeling anarchy hung in the air. Once seated the collection began to emerge. The first quarter showcased a strong military woman, canvas fabrics and shapes straight from a nostalgic battlefield. Arm bands of death injected the Pam Hogg touch, and flashes of skin peeked out from the masculine shapes. As we head into the second quarter the latex arrived.
A clean and monochromatic sub section, with clean lines and a sexual air. The taxidermy magpie headpieces lent a dark and noir aspect. As we moved forward the signature Pam Hogg catsuits came to light. As they emerged, a strong 10 look fragment, each one incorporating a slightly different colour palette. The trademark metallic shards remained; they were joined with flashes of candy pink, deep purples and bold yellows. Each look completed with a considerable headpieces, adorned with fake fruits, fake flower displays and even a small wooden box.
The next few looks took a more feminine route, clusters of pretty tule in pinks, white and blue twinned perfectly with a wash of nudity refreshed our palettes.
The lights dimmed and silence fell, emerging from the darkness was a shaking and limping figure, a matt black clutch to steady her, she appeared draped in sheer black tule with flashed of black pvc. As she stumbled down the catwalk we all became characters in the Pam Hogg show, watching on a mixture of excitement and awkwardness.
In stark contrast out of the darkness bounced a beautiful vision, a pirouetting ballerina adorned in white tule and embellished with flowers. She flew down the catwalk like a swan.
As the show came to an end, my brain struggling to piece together the collection, a mixture of emotions having been stimulated and a dichotomy of looks to understand. Yet that’s just it, perhaps we were never meant to understand it afterall.
Words | Suzie Street
Photos | Tracy Asslanian
Following from Burberry the female form continued to be celebrated by Peter Pillotto. Known for his intelligent combination of shapes and prints this spring summer collection was no different. Ariel full skirts created a dramatic silhouette, balanced perfectly with masculine shirting and sharp pointed collars. A citrus and refreshing colour palette was accentuated by graphic shard digital prints and eye-catching optical illusions. Signature origami pleating was a common accent on most pieces, and the addition of spaghetti straps adorned the shoulders playfully. A deep orange emerged in the finale, a fire like shard print provided the final explosion.
Words | Suzie Street
The coveted Burberry show is probably one of the most anticipated of the season. The collection had it all, a real plethora of what spring summer means. An ice cream pastel colour palette looked good enough to eat. Sugar pinks, cool mint greens and calm sky blues, combined in perfect harmony with feminine shapes and playful lace. The collection focused and celebrated the female form, peek-a-boo lace flaunted sky-high thighs and flowing sheer silks rested perfectly on the décolletage. A sophisticated and lady like silhouette was offset perfectly by oversized cocoon jackets, each in a contrasting and complimentary pastel shade. Flattering pencil skirts teamed with buttoned up shirts combined a touch of vintage that sits perfectly in the modern day.
Words | Suzie Street
The latest collection from this Brazilian designer certainly did not disappoint. Clean lines , sculptured shapes and a nod to the future combined perfectly for this SS collection.
Sheer fabrics sat perfectly alongside structure tailoring, with a mixed colour palette of greys, pinks, blacks and copper, with flashes of yellow, fuchsia and burnt orange.
The modernist approach saw angular lines fused with sheer inserts, cocoon shaped sleeves mixed with soft flowing pleating.
The dichotomy of the sharp geometric aesthetic sat perfectly alongside the soft feminine touches, this collection made perfect sense, and its execution seamless. The attention to detail shines through, even from afar.
Words | Suzie Street
One of the stand out shows from Sunday for me was the latest offering from Eugene Lin.
This SS collection was quite possibly his strongest from him thus far, with a new direction and an injection of minimalism , the clean lines and clever tailoring proved exciting and importantly : wearable.
With a clean colour palette of bone white, orange red and jet black, the collection consisted of soft tailoring and feminine shapes.
Unique fabric coatings gave a fresh wet look to some pieces, and soft draping fabrics offset the sharp edges.
Clever pleating combined with the bold colours, my favourite of which a stunning orange red, resulted in a collection that not only looks impeccable on the runway but one that translates perfectly to the stylish wardrobes of today’s modern woman.
Words | Suzie Street
Photos | Christopher Dadey
Clover Canypn SS14
Betsey Johnson SS14
J.Mendel SS 14
Jeremy Scott SS 14
Milly SS 14
Michael Kors SS 14
The penultimate day of New York Fashion Week was jam packed with yet more classic names and exciting young brands sharing their trend-setting collections for SS14. XO magazine has the highlight shows and the looks you’ll be loving next season from day seven.
Michael Kors kept it cool, calm and classic in a desert-hued collection full of ladylike below-the-knee dresses, trench coats and cosy, fine knit cardigans. Palazzo trousers were made office-appropriate in shades of grey and sand and paired with white shirts. Brown belts with the end knotted and folded down added a chic final touch to the smart looks. A flurry of leaf-silhouette prints came at the end with more of a holiday vibe in shorts, crop tops and glamorous maxi dresses.
J.Mendel gave a sexy collection of floor-length evening dresses with translucent, mesh and lace panels mixed with shorter, sportier dresses for daytime. Top half silhouettes were boxy, rigid and constrained juxtaposed with fish tail skirts which were a common thread across the collection. Surprisingly, the fun fur trend from aw14 crept into this collection too with strips of coloured fur accenting dresses and lightweight jackets in strong, geometric lines which created curves. Colours started out in virginal white, sugary pink and lemon yellow and moved into a stronger deep red, tropical green and black. It was lust at first sight.
We couldn’t wait to see the latest pieces from vibrant LA label Clover Canyon and it was another delicious dose of futuristic digital prints. Mesh, which has already been making a number of appearances at Fashion Week, added texture to the prints on an a-line skirt and dress and a baggy, rough-cut hem top. Chiffon overlays made prints appear more fluid in contrast to the simple cut lines of strapless dresses, long, buttonless evening jackets and cropped drainpipes which featured the prints in their full, vivid glory. The label aims to recreate the joy of life in LA and this was seen in the sunny yellow and orange of Californian weather, the lush green and turquoise of the nature and the block shapes of its modernist architecture.
Milly by Michelle Smith brought a rave attitude to the catwalk with orange and yellow neon underwear packing a punch underneath black and white mesh used on high-waisted pencil skirts and hooded jackets. Colourful Hawaiian graphic prints appeared on thick-strapped dresses, a baseball jacket and a bodysuit continuing the sporty theme. The monochrome mesh continued throughout the collection into shirts and full skirts and the showpiece, a figure-hugging black mesh cocktail dress with fish tail skirt.
Next up was men in pink PVC, an “Earth sucks” logo tee and swimsuit that’s going to require spending most of your summer earnings on Brazilian waxes; it was, of course, the Jeremy Scott show. There were 60s throwbacks in the form of bouffant, flicked bobs, cute miniskirts and block colour stripes. Artist Kenny Scharf produced the prints for the collection which included Jackson Pollock-esque scribbles on maxi dresses with cut out waists and the cartoon gremlins we’ve come to expect in Scott’s work. There was also his signature animal print with a leopard print shirt dress and mini skirt for women and matching trousers and baseball jacket for men. Turquoise tiger print also made an appearance with a bikini top for women and trousers for men. The slogan tops were just as loud with other messages stating “Mars or bust” and “I’m a mess”.
Wild child Betsey Johnson didn’t disappoint either with another fun-filled show. Models in pink frizzy wigs and metallic eyes and lips danced down the catwalk in skin-tight leopard print, 50s-style prom dresses paired with lace-up boots and skinny cropped trousers. Studded black belts, zip up tops and oversized ‘Betsey’ logo jewellery added a punk attitude. For the finale models danced back on stage in brightly coloured days of the week y-fronts before 71-year-old Betsey cartwheeled down the catwalk and landed in the splits. Bad taste was on the agenda but it raised a smile with the fashion crowd.
Words | Olivia Pinnock
XO MAGAZINE 