LV Defies the Predictable with FW16 Lookbook

“What becomes stylistic heritage?” asks the Louis Vuitton brand (by way of Nicolas Ghesquière) in the introduction to “Through The Roof,” the new lookbook for LV’s FW16 Collection. It’s a poignant question indeed, for a 162-year-old maison that must continue to be modern: and continue to be more than its endless line of monogrammed handbags that — like the Burberry scarf — have become so ubiquitous as to risk becoming generic.

If anyone can bring a brand up-to-date in the realm of presentation, that man must be photographer Juergen Teller. His works sit at the furthest end from the Photoshopped fantasies of the mainstream, where everyone is forever 19 years old, 90 lbs., wrinkles and eye bags don’t exist, and you should live in fear of ever being anything else.

His works sit at the furthest end from the Photoshopped fantasies of the mainstream.

(Which means, essentially, we are all doomed to live in fear.)

Although his models for LV are indeed young, the shoot — like everything Juergen does — resists modern conceptions of perfection, suggesting that — just perhaps — we are all perfect and sacred already.

everything Juergen does suggests we are all perfect and sacred already.

Enjoy the new shoot.

(Models were Sarah Dahl, Jean Campbell, Sora Choi, Shelby Hayes, Luisana Gonzalez, Natalie Westling, Alexandra Micu, and Erika Linder.)

 
LV FW16 Lookbook: “Through The Roof” by Juergen Teller

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With love,

FWO

Sophie Mechaly: Childhood’s End

Paul & Joe’s spring prêt-à-porter show seemed sinister at first, red overhead lights pooling over the audience, but it proved to be just as much fun as the looks Sophie Mechaly — the founder and designer of the brand — usually sends down the runway.

The brand’s namesake being Sophie’s two sons, Paul & Joe, the new looks are just as boyish as their inspiration. Spirited suits in bold pinstripe, with deep v-cut necklines, and all in denim — a fabric obsession this season. Cravats in cat — or striped patterns with accompanying broaches — brought a certain whimsy to traditional business wear.

The new looks are just as boyish as their inspiration.

The Collection

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Fur accents — also incredibly popular this season — topped the collars of dresses and, of course, fur coats made an appearance as well, although in lighthearted retro stripes or a shade of slate.

Childish accents of various star and cat patterns, heart keychains hung on belts (watch out, purse poofs), and the stripes of our first-grade yesteryear seemed to be the motifs running through the collection. The decidedly schoolgirl-esque shapes made me reconsider the merit of school uniforms (almost).

One thing in the collection was clear: Mechaly is a master colorist. When Mechaly gets colorful, she gets “Matisse” colorful; it’s as though one is seeing color for the first time. And her ability to pair vivid color and playful patterns in a way that works is masterful.

When Mechaly gets colorful, she gets “Matisse” colorful.

Mechaly offers us childish sophistication, a seemingly oxymoronic concept, and ’60s inspired garments with modern idiosyncrasies. In an industry saturated with exclusivity, Mechaly reminded us that fashion doesn’t always have to be so serious, or mature … even if the real Paul and Joe are all grown up now.

Mechaly reminded us that fashion doesn’t always have to be so serious.

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With love,

FWO

Back To Basics (Almost) At The Grand Palais

As the fash pack entered the Grand Palais, it was easy to mind read what everyone was thinking before they saw the interior. “What can Karl do next … ”

(Photos: Regis Colin Berthelier / NOWFASHION)

Well, it seems Karl didn’t do much more than lay down some luxurious white carpet, stack rows of gold chairs in a traditional couture-house setting, and let the clothes speak for themselves.

 
The Collection

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And did they speak! The Chanel set paid homage to the traditional collection presentation layouts of decades past. As every onlooker was in their own front row, Karl sent out a swarm of models donning boaters with singular straps, layered signature Chanel pearls, plus tweed for days.

Boasting a simplistic aesthetic for the interior, Lagerfeld took thematics “back to basics” and presented what looked like the inside of Coco Chanel’s wardrobe if she was still alive — except with some notable twists (not to mention a smattering of menswear for good measure).

Lagerfeld presented what looked like the inside of Coco Chanel’s wardrobe.

One element that brought our eyes back to the present day was the marrying of denim and tweed. Whereas one fabric is casual and has a breath of the ‘80s behind it, tweed is something the house of Chanel practically stitched out of. Today, the pairing brought a breath of fresh air, and a strong desire to wear it to the next board room meeting … because, why not!

We’re thrilled that International Women’s Day has fallen into Spring ’16’s fashion Week, especially on the day Karl Lagerfeld chose to honor the feminine form, paying tribute to the great women of the past, and the dreamers and doers of the future.

#girlpower

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With love,

FWO

Agnès b. Hits Revolutionary Notes with Swan

Today we have cause to celebrate two indispensable constituents of society: women and fashion.

(Photos: Guillaume Roujas / NOWFASHION)

I’m glad International Women’s Day is during fashion week because both women and fashion have been scoffed at for their frivolity, and have long endured tougher standards than their counterparts: men and other technical arts. Agnès b. held her Swan show today, fittingly, as the designer cares deeply about human rights, fair wages, and underrepresented groups. End rant.

But really, women and fashion is a swell combo.

Both women and fashion have long endured tougher standards than their counterparts.

 
The Collection

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If we’ve seen current trends made exaggerated earlier this week, Agnès b. tones them down in a softer, Gallic way. The current “Dad’s leather jacket” trend becomes instead smaller and more tailored; oversized peasant coats take on a classic shape, more like Madeline’s school coat; and while coats definitely have fur collars, it’s not too much fur collar.

The goal of this ready-to-wear collection was not to be a runway spectacle, but rather to be literally ready to wear for the modern woman.

The goal of this ready-to-wear collection was to be ready to wear.

Agnès did push limits on what the average woman might choose to wear, though, with a few looks. Notably, the designer introduces us to an extraterrestrial silver bodysuit with pedal-pushing end seams. Another original look was the twin set of an elongated white knit sleeveless shirt and pants of the same fabric, both garments with the last foot of doubly thick material. At the same time this look reminds me of post-tennis country club brunch, but it refuses that idea when paired with Converse-style shoes and a baseball cap.

Agnès b. introduces us to an extraterrestrial silver bodysuit with pedal-pushing end seams.

The last look of the show was a feminist approach to the historical custom of including a wedding gown at the end of the collection.

Instead of a gown, we have a wedding suit.

Most of her contemporaries ignore the wedding dress custom, but Agnes b. stays old school on this account. Contrast this choice with the way that Agnès b. displays a modern view on the “see now buy now” question that many of her contemporaries reject.

Agnès gives us a wedding suit.

We have to conclude that Ms. b is neither “old school” or “new school” — but just kind of cool in general.

Vive les femmes !

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With love,

FWO

Day for Night: Masha Ma FW16

H
aving worked under the likes of Alexander McQueen and Veronique Branquinho, Chinese designer Masha Ma is hardly a stranger to what’s edgy and new. She is what one could call “forward-thinking” — forever pushing the boundaries of the status quo.

(Photos: Regis Colin Berthelier / NOWFASHION)

 
A Look at the Collection

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For her FW16 prêt-à-porter collection, Masha Ma draws from “the techno underground scene” with pieces that echo Berlin’s East Side or a sleek, rave look. Certainly, the grimy-chic aura most nightlife goers embody as they slither through masses of clubbers isn’t one that normally transitions well to daylight, as most regretful partiers will attest to on a walk home in the blinding morning sun.

Masha Ma draws from “the techno underground scene” for FW16.

Masha Ma’s aim to transition nightlife vibes to daytime acceptably is a bold pursuit, one that she attains through a fusion between classic, yet notably androgynous, silhouettes and futuristic pieces. Models with purple, pink, blue, yellow, green-tinged hair and black-rimmed eyes resemble groupies … or one’s own face after a wild night.

Figuring prominently in the collection, blazers and suit pieces made their way to the runway, looking more like Friday night than Monday’s nine to five. I noticed a pair of leather pants, pleated as a nod to professional wear. An all white suit with zipper-detail at the knee and on the blouse diverged from the classic suit.

Chains and mesh from sweaty, strobing dance floors worked as sophisticated detail for monochromatic and clean ensembles in lieu of their usual commanding presence. Instead, they complimented the simplicity of the design, giving us a peek where otherwise the door would be obstinately closed.

Chains and mesh from sweaty, strobing dance floors …

As with many shows this FW16 prêt-à-porter season, high to thigh-high boots appeared on Masha Ma’s runway, almost in go-go boot spirit. And if not for the sophisticated cut of her golden accents (along with the choice of a rusty gold color), I would have said the ’60s and ’70s were back in full swing.

Besides the fluidity of nightwear and daywear in Masha Ma’s collection, the designer gives the power of her clothing to the wearer, the sleeves on some pieces able to be removed or added as one pleases. Not to mention the versatility of decidedly adaptable clothing; the jackets and blazers don’t command the wearer’s size or occasion, existing to serve varying outfits for varying styles. The designer, expressing her desire for the individual to be served above all else, presents to us a collection in the spirit of modern globalism.

Who better to represent sartorial crossover than a woman based in both Paris and Shanghai? Having studied under a Western tradition of fashion schooling and with a background in an Eastern culture, Masha Ma has insight into clothing’s ability to cross boundary lines and cultural traditions as a universal — yet personal — expression.

Masha Ma wants to redesign the way you think of Chinese creativity, but she also cedes to the desires of an individual wearer. After all, isn’t that the essence of globalism: individualism with a broadened worldview?

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With love,

FWO

Valentin Yudashkin Paris FW16

Valentin Yudashkin is a Russian designer who grew up during the Soviet era and whose high-class work topples the ideas of deprivation and deficiency ingrained during that time. Yudashkin cites folk tales by Pavel Bazhov — which are themed around life in Siberia in the early 20th century — and malachite — a green stone and symbol that appears in Bazhov’s work — as motivation for this ready-to-wear season.

(Photos: Regis Colin Berthelier / NOWFASHION)

 
The Collection

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The malachite green indeed shines in the collection, but only coming after some intense rouge. Many items opt first for a festive ichor red, including two jackets — one a shorter varsity jacket and the other an elongated driving coat of the same fabric — a long-sleeved cocktail dress (with ruffle center and a velour neck-piece), and a red silk suit with a fur collar attaché. Also not to be missed was the red gown with a long rectangular peep-hole, two leg slits, and high neck-line. At the same time, this dress is both angelic and slightly devilish.

The dress is both angelic and slightly devilish.

The emerald green comes at last, and it comes on beaded bustiers of floor-skimming gowns and on blouses with patterns à la butterfly wing. It comes with a symmetry found in nature — apparent but not overdone.

Not to be ignored were the more understated but equally heroic colors in the collection: black and gold. A dress of a similar shape as the red angel / devil dress in gold and black veers the dress straight into Princessland, while the black dress at the beginning of the show has a square neckline that deservingly spotlights a fur accessory that I can only think to describe as a nonfunctional neck brace.

Equally heroic in the collection: black and gold.

Along with the theme of finding solace in Paris — material and otherwise — Yudashkin included mittens as a keepsake for those who saw the collection, an article of clothing he has said was hard to come by when he was growing up.

Yudashkin included mittens as a keepsake, which were hard to come by when he was growing up.

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With love,

FWO

The Nouveau Luxe: Barbara Bui FW16

(Collage: Hannah Leverson)

Barbara Bui has always skewed more luxe than dangerous.

When we spoke with her last month, we were reminded that her inspiration draws from music and subculture, but that still didn’t prepare us for this collection: the parade (or maybe explosion) of punky tartan and vinyl, tartan and shearling, tartan and fringe, tartan and houndstooth, tartan and tartan, with East-meets-West, Beijing-by-way-of-Athens looks, and some military moto for good measure.

 
The Collection

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It couldn’t have been any further removed from Bui’s strictly black and brown ready-to-wear collection for Spring 2016, and it demonstrates her relatively voracious appetite for exploration.

Le Monde recently questioned the idea of luxury, specifically “luxe” — a word used to such excess in Paris it’s basically become meaningless.

Le Monde recently questioned the idea of “luxe.”

Writer Carine Bizet looked to link true luxe with a kind of rebellon: “Le luxe n’est-il pas justement voué à défier le raisonnable ?”

(“What is ‘luxe’ if not something vowed to defy the reasonable?”)

Barbara Bui responds to that question with an impossible garment that is at the same time a cape and a dress, leather and silk, day and night, outdoor and indoor, old and new, filled with and void of color. Completely unreasonable. We also wondered how it was possible to even put on the tight shiny pants omnipresent in the collection.

Barbara Bui responds to that question with an impossible garment.

Surely there must be a little extra “luxe” in that.

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With love,

FWO

Dance Deconstructed at Jourden FW16

(Photos: Claire Stemen)

Jourden’s FW show may have well as been at the Opéra, for it was a dance.

The runway, smaller than most, covered in colorful lines and directions piqued my interest the minute I walked in (and not, surprisingly, so did the free drinks thanks to Epicerie Generale.) Immediately, stage direction came to mind, but as the music began to play, I didn’t have time to think on it.

 
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Nor did I need to, as the first model delicately traversed a red pathway to a white circle, where she stood at the mercy of the photographers. Meanwhile, more models began to appear, on different pathways, some stopping in other circles, some picking up or dropping off other models.

More models began to appear, some picking up or dropping off other models.

The music, sweet and dreamlike, matched well with the looks arriving in a stream of movement down the runway — if I may reduce it to such simple terms. Skirts and dresses, almost like well-used quilts, capped off glimmering tops.

At first glance, the pieces appear sweet and almost uncomplicated, a tempting assumption especially under the spell of the aesthetic of the show. A closer look reveals the complexity behind the collection: intriguing textile choices, unsymmetrical cuts, and a ruffled trim disconnected from where it ought to be. Under all of that charming appeal, something is amiss and suddenly, I realize the music has changed to a deafening bass.

A closer look reveals the complexity behind the collection.

I suppose the age-old caveat of judging something at face value keeps renewing its lease on truth.

But I was still puzzled by the form of the show. Anaïs Jourden Mak, the brand’s designer, spoke of her interest in the motifs of dance floors, hence the lines, arrows, and direction. Looking for ways to experiment in a smaller area with the limited time she had, she worked to create scripted routes for her models to create the sense of fluidity that dance offers.

In her reproduction of dance, Anaïs deconstructs the very art she’s paying homage to, exposing the particulars of its construction on the floor.

And perhaps deconstruction is why certain ruffled trims go — so confidently — unsewn.

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With love,

FWO

Lutz Huelle FW16

Welcome to Lutz Huelle’s world, a sartorial wonderland of well-loved pieces and textiles. Much like the beaming designer, Huelle’s FW16 prêt-à-porter collection is inviting and unintimidating.

(Images: Gio Staiano / NOWFASHION)

This warm essence hardly suffocates experimentation however. Huelle recreates old classics, remixing textiles and form: from denim and sequin thigh highs to denim jackets and bombers reimagined.

Huelle recreates old classics, remixing textiles and form.

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I found myself enthralled with his sequin earrings, worn on one ear in a wry reference to textile used for dresses and other detail. Unexpected as they were, they brought a whimsical glamour to his collection.

Lutz Huelle, while obviously invested in glamour, stands apart as a pragmatist in this way — or perhaps his collection of well-loved pieces reborn is simply homage to his own taste. In any case, this collection has a fluidity that allows the wearer to travel as they please: from place to place and from occasion to occasion.

And, I think, the smiley designer wouldn’t have it any other way. As his note to the audience remarks: “… this collection became about everything I have always loved, a sort of concentrate of my favorite obsessions.”

I’m certain the fashion world thanks him for sharing his obsessions in a captivating, yet accessible manner.

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With love,

FWO

Hussein Chalayan FW16

The name Hussein Chalayan may ring a bell if you heard about the dissolving dresses during Prêt-à-Porter Spring 2016. The designer put soluble lab coats over bejeweled dresses and then made it rain, literally, on the models.

 
Spring 2016’s Dissolution
(Skip to :30 or so)

A few interesting facts on the designer: Chalayan has overcome huge technical feats in technology, science, and engineering to produce his art, notably with a dress that became a coffee table in 2000. He designed Björk’s jacket on the album cover for Post (1995), he has made short films, and he has been a Member of the Order of the British Empire since 2006.

He designed a dress that became a coffee table, and Björk’s jacket on Post.

 
Chalayan, who has called himself a storyteller, uses German fairy tales as inspiration in the FW 2016 collection. He showcases characteristically long and ümlauted German words such as “bösewicht” (villain), “verbrannt” (burnt), “Sonntagsröcke” (Sunday skirt), and “heimatlich” (native, at home). The idea behind using words instead of images was to conjure an idea of an image instead of directly depicting one.

 
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(Images: Gio Staiano / NOWFASHION)

Chalayan further unravels the fairy tale motif into numerical sequences, made with crystal and sewn onto patterns of German forests. The motivation for using numbers is twofold: they’re supposed to express the traveling speed of fairy tale characters, and the brainy mathematical nature of numbers is meant to contrast with the brawny romantic nature of crystal.

 
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When I asked Chalayan if decomposition was an important theme to his work, considering the dissolving dress from last season and the linguistic and numerical presence in the current collection, he corrected me, saying his goal is to “decode.” He disassembles codes, and we can try to put them back together.

Chalayan told me his goal is to “decode.”

Many of the looks were right on trend, with not as much re-coding necessary on our part. There’s a feminist message behind many of the looks — androgynous coats and chunky shoes with an air of adventure, cut off ponytails reattached at the ears.

There’s a feminist message behind many of the looks.

These women are strong and fierce, and they’re not afraid of Rumpelstiltskin.

 
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With love,

FWO