Bevza: FAUX REALITY

For FW18, Bevza presents FAUX REALITY, a new generation of elegance, inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow in The Royal Tenenbaums, Anna Wintour, and Carrie Bradshaw.

Bevza puffy coats, instead of sporty, show literal classic feminine “fur” coats which give the illusion of luxe fur in a trompe l’oeil print. At first glance one sees wealth and drama of a full length fur coat (a sort of opulent propaganda).

 
Bevza: Gwyneth, Anna & Carrie

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The jackets contain no animal fur or goose feathers, only down alternative and printed nylon. The coats will be titled Gwyneth, Anna & Carrie.

The FW18 collection is comprised of outerwear, pants, tops and dresses comprised of silk, wool & eco-­leather. Key accessories include silk belts & bags. Bevza’s inspiration for this season was making clothes that people want now, items that are practical and utilitarian. Nobody needs now futuristic, impractical messages. Everyone wants actuality. Elegance
and humanity -­ ULTRAREALISM.

Designer – Svetlana Bevza
Producer – Maksym Nekrasov @VYSHEGROUP
Producer assistant – Anna Nazarchuk
Casting/production – Violetta Malakhova
Style assistant – Alina Cotsiuba
Make up/ Hair -­ SHISEIDO
Pr – Amanda Carter, Lindsey Solomon @ModePr
Photo – Federica Dall’Orso

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With love,

FWO

Klelia Andrali “Freakshow”: Athens Exclusive Designers Week

Athens Fashion Week may not be the hippest fashion event just yet. Nevertheless, I really enjoy such events because I get to know young designers that no one has come across yet. It feels like I am trying to spot the treasure, the undiscovered, or unpolished gem. Klelia Andrali is one of those unpolished gems. Klelia is a Greek, UK-based fashion designer with expertise in digital print. She managed to bring her fresh ideas, passion for graphics, colours and shapes to the Athenian catwalk.

 
Klelia Andrali “Freakshow”: Athens Exclusive Designers Week

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The Brighton-based designer’s show was a joyful moment, although ironically her S/S2018 collection is inspired by 1800s freak-shows. What I like the most about Klelia, is that she knows about the history of fashion, and that shows in her clothes.

“During the Victorian period, freak- hows were so popular, that travel guides marked them as a ‘must-see,'” she says. “I am drawn to their aesthetic, and that is why I chose them to be my reference for this collection. What is very interesting about freak shows is that at that time, the theatre management made loads of money due to the presentation of human oddities (image diversity) like the Siamese Twins, the Four-Legged Girl, the Human Skeleton, and so on. In 2018, the ‘freaks’ are not the same, but still exist. I admit that I have a more idealistic approach to them because mine are happy and colourful, but this is how I picture them in my head.”

Of course, she would have pictured them as bold, colourful creatures. I cannot imagine her brand without beautifully made, bold graphics. So I ask her about what the Klelia Andrali brand would have been without the digital prints. “The brand is focused on the digital printing and the history of prints and art in general. Without those elements, Klelia Andrali would be incomplete.”

In every country, we’ve seen a really great response to diversity on the catwalks, and Klelia responded, too. She is a young designer, not interested in polished perfection. Her colourful show suggests diversity is a thing that mattered once, and still matters now, only in a very different way indeed.

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With love,

FWO

Shivan And Narresh Amazon India Fashion Week FW18

From the evolution of a saree into a ‘bikini saree’ to a mastectomy blouse, the 8 year old label is at the fore of one of the most difficult markets in the industry today. Shivan & Narresh, named after designer duo Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja, has been a game-changing luxury resort wear label since its inception in 2008. Lesser known fact about the label is before they took the plunge as swimwear designers, they pitched high-function, luxury sportswear as their USP. Soon after, the duo took to the well-travelled, well-settled woman as their muse and got the ball rolling thereon.

 
Shivan And Narresh: Amazon India Fashion Week FW18

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In 2018, they stand as one of the most successful luxury resort wear, swimwear, and wedding wear designers in the country- not a variety of categories you’d expect to see together until today. From a picture-perfect social media presence to being worn by Kim Kardashian in the pages of Vogue India, the label has not only created a niche for itself but mastered every square inch of the space.

This season they bring another vacation to life, on the ramp, amid the Eden of the world – Seychelles, transforming it into a traveller’s decadence. Always oozing oomph and exuding elegance, this season is no different when it comes to the scrumptious prints that have inadvertently become representative of the design language of the label. Taking to the millennials for their Autumn Winter 18 collection, the label is prepared to bring the high-octane, accessory-rich extravaganza back to Amazon India Fashion Week. The Seychelles memoirs featuring luscious fruits & flowers like Sour Sop & Alpinia Purpurata, fantastical birds and the magnificent Coco de Mer nut, meet the artistic era of Edo art. The “getaway” of the season is a thought reminiscent of the virgin islands of Seychelles, eagerly awaited on the Friday of this season’s Fashion Week in the capital.

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With love,

FWO

Heavenly Somebodies

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a press presentation on Monday, February 26, at Galleria Colonna in Rome, Italy, to reveal early details about The Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibition, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, opening on May 10.

Figures in attendance included Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone; and of course Anna Wintour.

Heavenly Bodies

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They were joined by The Met’s Deputy Director Carrie Rebora Barratt and Costume Institute Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton for a glimpse of some of the objects on loan from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel Sacristy.

These fascinating and gorgeous items will be featured in the exhibition, on view May 10–October 8, 2018, at The Met in New York City.

Exhibition Overview

The exhibition will feature approximately 50 ecclesiastical masterworks from the Sistine Chapel sacristy, many of which have never been seen outside the Vatican. These will be on view in the Anna Wintour Costume Center galleries and will include papal vestments and accessories, such as rings and tiaras, from the 18th to the early 21st century, encompassing more than 15 papacies. The last time the Vatican sent a loan of this magnitude to The Met was in 1983, for The Vatican Collections exhibition, which is the Museum’s third most-visited show.

In addition, approximately 150 ensembles, primarily womenswear, from the early 20th century to the present will be shown in the medieval galleries and The Met Cloisters alongside religious art from The Met collection, providing an interpretative context for fashion’s engagement with Catholicism. The presentation situates these designs within the broader context of religious artistic production to analyze their connection to the historiography of material Christianity and their contribution to the perceptual construction of the Catholic imagination.

Designers in the exhibition will include Azzedine Alaïa, Cristobal Balenciaga, Geoffrey Beene, Marc Bohan (for House of Dior), Thom Browne, Roberto Capucci, Callot Soeurs, Jean Charles de Castelbajac, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Maria Grazia Chiuri (for House of Dior), Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana (for Dolce & Gabbana), John Galliano (for House of Dior), Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Craig Green, Madame Grès (Alix Barton), Rei Kawakubo (for Comme des Garçons), Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld (for House of Chanel), Jeanne Lanvin, Shaun Leane, Claire McCardell, Laura and Kate Mulleavy (for Rodarte), Thierry Mugler, Norman Norell, Guo Pei, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli (for Valentino), Pierpaolo Piccioli (for Valentino), Elsa Schiaparelli, Raf Simons (for his own label and House of Dior), Riccardo Tisci (for Givenchy), Jun Takahashi (for Undercover), Isabel Toledo, Philip Treacy, Donatella Versace (for Versace), Gianni Versace, Valentina, A.F. Vandevorst, Madeleine Vionnet, and Vivienne Westwood.

Exhibition Credits

The exhibition—a collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters—is organized by Andrew Bolton, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, working together with colleagues in The Met’s Medieval department: C. Griffith Mann, Michel David-Weill Curator in Charge of the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters; Barbara Drake Boehm, Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator for The Met Cloisters; Helen C. Evans, Mary and Michael Jaharis Curator of Byzantine Art; and Melanie Holcomb, Curator.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), the interdisciplinary architecture and design firm, will create the exhibition design with The Met’s Design Department. Raul Avila will produce the gala décor, which he has done since 2007.

Related Content

A publication by Andrew Bolton will accompany the exhibition and will include texts by authors David Morgan and David Tracy in addition to new photography by Katerina Jebb. It will be published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press.

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Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination

With love,

FWO

ALEXACHUNG Paris Fashion Week FW18

Represented by Purple PR.

This March, ALEXACHUNG releases the fourth collection titled Virginia. Inspired by the Bloomsbury Group, the collection features 100 Spring appropriate pieces across ready-to-wear, jewellery and shoes, all channelling the playful effervescence synonymous with the brand.

“This season’s inspiration came from writers, painters and sculptors whose lives are filled with created works of beauty. Our muse works in her worn jeans, old t-shirts, borrowed shorts; painting, creating, travelling, loving. Pay close attention to the piping, frills, embroidery and all of the Charleston inspired prints that make up this collection.” — Alexa Chung, Creative Director

ALEXACHUNG: Virginia

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Virginia is a celebration of art, craftsmanship, and self-expression. Drawing inspiration from the works of British painters Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, the sister of Virginia Woolf, the collection evokes a modernist intellectual tone. Both Bell and Grant were pivotal players in 20th Century painting and members of the infamous ‘Bloomsbury Group’, a group of artists, poets, philosophers and writers. Throughout, Chung explores Charleston, the country haven and getaway for the group.

The collection draws inspiration from the works of British painters Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, the sister of Virginia Woolf

The collection is a play between unadulterated comfort and the austere mood of the early 1900’s. True to the lifestyle of the artistic set, oversized ruffle collars, leisurely luxe jacquard pyjamas and sumptuous paisley contrast the loose smock dresses, dungarees and paint splattered denim.

Outerwear and jackets in Virginia all feel in context of the era and are pragmatic in use. Laminated cotton Raincoats in bottle green and cream for typical British days in the garden, sailor jackets in both paisley and navy wool, and the Boxy Military jacket shape harks back to a time gone by. Suits range from a Brideshead Revisited inspired relaxed cream linen two piece, to a delicate flower embroidered check – a bespoke fabric made from an original in-house design.

Dresses this season are an exploration into different silhouettes, trims and necklines. Mid-length dresses of a conservative shape are pulled into the contemporary day with the addition of a bodice with keyhole detail. A key piece is the Ruffle Collar Peasant Dress available in navy and white printed georgette and a white seersucker; these can be worn as loose and lofty or cinched in with a belt. The

Jersey tees and sweatshirts feature prints in the vein of book covers with slogans such as ‘Work of Art’, ‘Tawdry Details’, and ‘Put a Spell on You’, inspired by literature of the time.

Shoes carry the mood of formal and relaxed through cross stitch and perforated clogs, suede espadrille wedges, and comfortable ballerinas with either a flower embroidery detail or a crystal strap.

Jewellery follows the home-grown crafty feeling to echo the works of Vanessa Bell. There are playful wavy hairpins and beaded necklaces with a starfish icon in bashed metal. Brooches in two size op-tions can be pinned to lapels of the cream linen suit or used to elevate simpler looks; these are hand-made silk brooches from Italy, all individually plissée.

Virginia is an ode to the unsung heroes; writers, painters, sculptors, whose lives were and are still filled with wonder.

The collection prices range from £70 for ALEXACHUNG’s signature tees, £500 for statement dresses and up to £995 for jackets.

About Alexa

Alexa Chung’s eponymous brand ALEXACHUNG launched in May 2017.

The brand produces four seasonal collections per year and sits within the advanced contemporary category. Unfettered by the traditional fashion cycle, each collection is available at the turn of the season.

ALEXACHUNG embodies her personality and intuitive sense of style, with the principle of making great clothes for great women. The brand curates its collections in a playfully subversive way; bending long established rules of silhouette, proportion and design.

Its diverse offering of daywear, evening-wear, denim, shoes and jewellery is available in over 100 stockists worldwide and online. The brands e-commerce platform stocks the collection as well as exclusive pieces. The company designs, markets and manages distribution in-house at their headquarters in London.

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With love,

FWO

Dan Liu NYFW FW18 | Peril Romanticized

Represented by The Riviere Agency.

When a show is named after the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, a certain number of expectations are created. We expect the clothing to exude the undeniable sensuality the Bond woman possesses, wrapped together with a certain class and haughty hard-to-get.

We went behind the scenes before Dan Liu’s Fall/Winter 2018 show to ask him about his collection and about himself.

The show’s title “The Spy Who Loved Me,” came about after Dan and his team pulled off an “mission impossible” by putting together the collection last minute. Due to personal reasons, he explained, everything was backed up and Dan thought he would not be able to make this show happen. But he did, and so it got him thinking about nearly impossible missions, like his, and that’s when James Bond came to mind. “The spy who loved me is the first movie where James Bond met the Russian spy to help him to solve the crime. The bond girl is not the girl to sleep with him and die”. It’s exactly what he wanted from this collection. “It’s all about the Bond girl; the women are sophisticated and have what they need to accomplish their mission.”

Dan Liu: NYFW FW18

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Teamwork is what enabled Dan to show this collection and claims it’s the most important thing he has learned since becoming a designer. In the most honest and modest fashion, Dan explains “without anyone here, I am nobody. Everyone has to do their job the best they can in order to pull it off. I am honored to have everyone here.”

With such a strong market in Asia and Southeast Asia, I asked Dan about intellectual property protection from a designer’s perspective. “Four days after the show, you will see the clothing on Chinese websites.” Counterfeit products are an issue and not to be tolerated, he admits, but clothing that mimics his own without purporting to be an actual Dan Liu design, he has a different opinion. “I am happy that, because of my design, a lot of people can make a living. If you think of it from a positive side, you should be happy your design is so good that people have to copy it to make a living.”

I asked Dan what trend he doesn’t loving right now, and his answer was as honest as his previous ones. “I love all trends” he giggles, realizing that sounds a bit clique, “but really, fashion is simple – look your best, represent who you are, and in a way where people can see your characteristics.” He continued, “if a trend doesn’t fit you, you can always work with it to make it your own style; don’t just follow a trend that is against your own preference.” He reiterates a value his fashion school believed in, which was “respect individual taste” and to Dan, that is what he hopes to do as a designer for his customers.

Dan’s collection showed, with the James Bond Theme Song playing throughout. His pieces, true to his prior collections, showed feminine cuts and baby pink hues. Peeks of lace underlay extending past skirts and dresses were found on several pieces. My favorite part of the show? The various sizes and colors of the models, a refreshing scene on the NYFW runway.

Congratulations to Dan Liu for making a mission impossible happen.

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With love,

FWO

Pamella Roland: Fall / New York

When asked about the inspiration behind this collection, designer Pamella DeVos proudly stated just one word- “Prague”.

A trip to Prague that was originally just for her son’s hockey game resulted in an opportunity to gain great inspiration for this collection as she was able to explore the city in depth. The jewel toned colors that she saw throughout Prague are very much reflected in the collection with ruby, amethyst, sapphire, and emerald as the focus of this season’s color palette. Baroque motifs are translated into luxe fil coupes and jacquards to represent the royal Prague interiors in fabrication.

The show exuded nothing short of elegance as the models walked gracefully down the runway, each gown glistening with pearls, sequins, crystal appliqués and a variety of feathers. Embroidered ornate metallic threading, a mix of metallic gold and gunmetal elements and tulle were prominent throughout the looks to help create a crown jewel resemblance as well as to keep with the signature sleek and extravagant style that is Pamella Roland.

After the show, I was able to catch up with Pamella in the bustling backstage scene to ask a few questions about the collection.

The Fall Collection

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The Interview

Q: What was your inspiration for this season’s collection?

It was a visit I’ve had this summer to Prague. I’ve been there many times. Usually I’m there for business and I don’t have the time to explore but this time I took a boat tour and realized “Wow, this city is so beautiful” as I experienced both the modern and historic part of Prague. I explored some amazing buildings with great architectural designs and saw lots of golds and metallics, amethyst and ruby and I said to myself “This needs to be the inspiration for my collection.”

Q: If you had to choose, which is one of your favorite looks or a “hero piece” in the collection?

Oh gosh, there’s so many and for different reasons. Like I love the coats in the beginning because I’m a person that loves coats. I love the blue two-piece (Look 3) because that’s very young and modern. But then I love the gowns too, I really have to say- I like everything, and I don’t say that about every collection.

Q: How would you say that your brand has grown or changed overtime?

Well, when I first started I was more of a sportswear designer, and then we found that our dresses were selling better so then we became a dress designer and now we’re kind’ve doing a little bit of everything. But, it’s all luxury and high-end.

Q: So, what’s next for Pamella Roland?

We’ll have resort, and I think our inspiration is Bali.

Q: That sounds incredibly exciting! Thank you!

Sally Lapointe NYFW FW18

Set up like a hip downtown club, the basement of the Skylight Modern hosted Sally LaPointe’s new collection. A DJ booth centered in the room provided the tunes for the show. Rows of vertical bars of LED lights dancing to the music offered a photogenic backdrop and created the runway.

The theme of this collection – and a common one of this season at that – was inspired by the future. Positivity, forward thinking and centered around the idea that the human race has been fascinated by space since we landed on the Moon decades ago.

The line was filled with mostly monochromatic looks, starting with white vinyl and ending in deep burgundy fur. Metallic fabrics were interspersed throughout the looks. Her range of pants, coats, skirts and jumpsuits sparkled under the bright lights and against the sterile concrete floor.

Sally LaPointe launched this collection, complete with her classic fur cuffs, to dress a confident woman with her sights set on the future.

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With love,

FWO

Son Jung Wan NYFW FW18

Represented by Deborah Hughes.

Hailing from the current Olympian host country of South Korea, Son Jung Wan has become a regular figure at NYFW. And who wouldn’t want that? She has the quiet and commanding grace of someone in full possession of themselves along with a wonderful smile she seems to bestow upon everyone.

Her FW18 collection entitled “Way To Extreme” harkens back to the ’80s and its larger than life aesthetic. Using acidic yellows and blues alongside a soft pink and a dreamy white makes for a gorgeous pop of color that doesn’t feel too of the moment. The silhouettes are large and dramatic with structure to what appears to be loose clothing—the kind of tailoring that in its intricacy and subtlety we can truly appreciate the artistry of.

Before her models made it down the runway, I caught up with Son Jung Wan to ask her about her intentions for this collection and what exactly it means to be the kind of woman who wears her beautiful clothing.

 
Son Jung Wan: NYFW FW18

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Q: I got a look at your collection and it’s really beautiful and I was wondering what you were inspired by for this collection.

This season I got inspired by 80s extreme. I emphasized dramatic volume with a 80s retro mood. I designed a bustier and used two barrier cut seams to give the effect and structure of a silhouette.

Q: You like to emphasize the duality of woman in your clothes with both her sweet side and her sexy side. How would you describe the Son Jung Woman?

A smart woman. A warm-hearted woman. A confident woman.

Q: You’ve been showing in New York for about seven years now. What is it that you like about New York and what keeps you coming back?

I love New York and New York is fashion’s mecca. I hope that I can have my own shop in New York—that’s my dream.

Q: Your fashion passion was for the fine arts, like painting. Are you still inspired by art?

I always am inspired by beauty and by movies!

 
If Son Jung Wan’s FW18 collection was a movie, I know I’d be watching it again and again.

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With love,

FWO