Aquilano Rimondi and the Joy of Symmetry

by Olivia Moreau
 

For Resort 2018, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi take inspiration from Joan Mirò's paintings  The incorporations of  graphic connections and primary colors often in contrast, characterize the vertical bands that outline the silhouette, emphasizing the duality in movement and static.

The puffy sleeves and ribbon revers, with asymmetrical cuts exude sensuality in hammered slipped crêpe, while sticking the DNA of minimalism. Experimentation with colors and stripes pays off as every single piece has a story to tell. 

 

 

Fall Foliage with Osman

by Irene Bisset

Osman Yousefzada has built a reputation of undeniable envy through flattering silhouettes infused forward thinking clothing. While he has never ventured into the outright avant-garde his work is a beautiful bridge between commercially successful and stylistically ambition aesthetics. This collection is built on that foundation. Floral Prints, ruffles, sheer fabrics all take their respective places in Osman’s universe as he fashions the fashion into accessible yet exclusive heights. From leathery skirts to shimmery dresses the collection feels complete and precise with it’s brevity just like Osman’s work.

Photographs Courtesy of Osman

Balmain and the Search for the Exquisite

by Lotus Ladegaard

Balmain has leaped into the 21st century ever since Olivier Rousteing arrived at the prestigious Fashion House. He has revamped the aesthetics and made it relevant yet remained very true to the Balmain DNA.

For Pre-Fall, Olivier Rousteing found inspiration in the archives and thus paid homage to some of Pierre Balmain’s very own favorite designs and revamping them into very contemporary pieces. It made for a stunning and impressive Pre-Fall collection full of showstoppers and stand-out pieces. Giving old Balmain classics a facelift might have been a risk for some, but Olivier Rousteing manages to do so with bravura.

The color palette was anything but simple; it featured a variety of tartans, varieties on paisleys, baroque embroidering in silver and gold, animal print, dots and stripes along with some splashes of bold blue, yellow and red. The silhouettes were very Balmain but also featured some variations and even offered a couple of easy-to-wear pieces.

Perhaps the most successful pieces were the paisley along with the tartan and embroidered pieces although the Jolie Madame jacket with the Pierre Balmain signature strong shoulders in black with leopard spots and the pared-down tuxedo dress also stood out as Balmain classics and showstoppers that any fashion editors would love to shoot.

The Balmain Pre-Fall collection is exquisite, bold and fashion-forward. It is bound to do well with its celebrity following, fashion editors and fashionistas alike around the globe. Olivier Rousteing has delivered another successful collection and continues to move Balmain forward while never forgetting the Fashion House’s past.

Too Hot for Couture with Inbal Dror

by Samantha Arnold

Inbal Dror has built up a reputation of outright excellence for her Haute Couture collection. And her current bridal collection stands heavily yet confidently on that reputation. From front slits and plunging necklines to shimmery beads, often tempered by traditional ball skirts and long sleeves, this collection is for the modern bride and on the move celebrity. The details make the collection but it is lines and silhouette that builds the foundation of this wonderfully intricate series of dresses. This collection stands out as not only because of it's exquisite nature but also Inbal's willingness to create something more approachable for the less famous brides. 

Antonio Berardi and the Pursuit of Precision

by Lotus Ladegaard

Antonio Berardi was fast-tracked into a fashion career when he studied at the prestigious Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design, meanwhile working as John Galliano’s assistant. He graduated in 1994 with a noticeable collection which attracted London buyers such as Liberty and A La Mode. He launched his first professional collection the following season. Unlike may other fashion houses, Antonio Berardi’s eponymous house is run completely autonomous due to the designer’s sense for not only fashion, but also manufacturing and business. 

Antonio Berardi has become synonymous with sensual figure-hugging dresses and classic silhouettes. He focusses much on the manufacturing techniques and is not afraid to try out new ones, he also works with advanced fabrics and plays with them. Drawing on influences from many different genres and disciplines from arts to his Sicilian heritage, he always manages to create pieces that collaborate with the female form and enhances it. 

For Resort 2019, the UK born designer presented an interesting and fabulous lookbook that is bound to take fashion editors by storm around the world. It might not be the most glamorous, however, it feels fresh, real and each look stands out. The colour palette was vibrant and fresh with multi-coloured prints, stripes, yellow as well as more subdued tones like dusty and dark green, grey and a pale blue. The silhouettes offered a little bit of everything from fitted and tailored dresses to easy-to-wear dresses. 

Antonio Berardi is a master when it comes to cut and precision, he knows how to construct garments to enhance the female form and every single look has been worked to perfection by him. In such a lookbook most looks stand out and make an impact, especially the burnt printed caftan in chiffon and the multi-coloured striped suit. The oversized yellow dress with pleated skirt felt fresh and youthful while still remaining luxurious and glamorous. The grey/white ruffled top with grey skirt was another exquisite look that showcased his eye for details. Another very stylish look was the layered look with grey trousers and tops with extra length and width at the back as well as little bolero jacket in a busy print. 

Antonio Berardi has created a very fresh, relatable and interesting Resort collection that will take fashion editors around the globe by storm. It will appeal to all his fans and might even pull out a few new ones. 
 

Oscar de la Renta and the Winds of Change

by Alara Brodfeld

Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim’s Oscar de la Renta is a product of the new firmly entrenched in the old. And their bridal collection sits right in between that equipoise. While benefitting from the ongoing revolution in the bridal market where traditionalism is being slowly inched toward avant-garde, their work provides consumers with the right kind of choice. A choice between haute couture heavy to iconoclastic edgy. That being said if you want an outright rejection of bridal traditions, you may have to look elsewhere as Garcia and Kim subtly addresses the traditionalism through floral appliqués and tufted tulle trains. A concise and ultimately visually pleasing collection of bridal wear suggest Oscar de la Renta is on the right path, all be it a little too cautiously.

Givenchy and the Colors of Transition

by Clara Thomas 

Claire Keller took over the role of Givenchy's artistic director right before this collection came to fruition but those of us who were seeking a peek into the future was duly notified that this collection is a product of the design team and the artistic director has not fully settled into her role yet. So this collection is a transitional collection but that being said, the design teams at Givenchy are no slouches, as they produced a collection full of vigor, color, and verve. This the singular tones may come across as a bit too structured, they do provide a very strong foundation for Claire to experiment and move this iconic brand forward. 

Miami Vice with Fausto Puglisi

by Sylvia Stoss

Fausto Puglisi has many inspirations but his work remains his own. Despite his obsession with Versace, he has carved out a niche of his own in this unforgiving market. Feminine, cheeky and above all, uncompromising in its aesthetics Puglisi’s collection bores the quality of a designer completely comfortable in his skin. Oozing with sex and a sense of Miami whimsy embroidered with palm trees and color blocks, Puglisi's collection is just another piece of a masterpiece Fausto is building.


Striking a Pose with Zac Posen

by Andrea De Silva

Zac Posen encapsulates drama like no other. This resort collection is inevitably full of drama with floral prints to frocks that evoke a sense of poetry. The movement and the silhouettes of the collection are firmly on the cusp of evening wear which is Zac Posen’s bread and butter. But beyond that, this collection also feels much more organic and less planned, and foundationally closer to a full wardrobe as opposed to a full narrative. The signature Posen elements are all there with a sense of spontaneity and clarity of vision. If there is a grand narrative in each artists vision, then this collection fits in nicely with Posen’s previous work yet stands out with a sense of purpose.

Maison Francesco Scognamiglio and The Couture of Capri

Francesco Scognamiglio dedicated his collection to the island of Capri where absurdity, fashion and excess exists within the same realm of reality. And looking at his collection is easy to see why he found such inspiration to be worthy of his expression of couture. The homage to Capri’s lush greenery is evident in the color palettes that veer from turquoise to blue to pink with the whiff of the antique white. It is almost a love letter to an island that he would be hosting a private show in august. And if this is any indication, the love affair would be a long lasting one.

The Rising of Wunderkind

by Lydia Schaff

Wolfgang Joop's Wunderkind has become a german heavy hitter within the industry. With the introduction of the "Berlin spirit" it has slowly but surely moved toward a more cohesive minimalist structure that appeals to the german market. Wunderkind has become sort of a platform as opposed to just a design label for Joop's vision of Berlin as he collaborates with talents all across the creative field. Whether or not this Hugo Boss meets Celine' aesthetics is a sure fire way to consumer's hearts is yet to be tested, but if the current collection is any indication of things to come, then we are seeing a foundation being built for a very successful reboot. 

Vera Wang's Spring Rebellion

by Anna Brosova

Vera Wang’s Spring bridal is a celebration of avant-garde wrapped in seasonal tidings. The layered complexity of each dress provides a true statement of feminism and femininity. While the color palettes remain traditional enough, the deconstruction of wedding wear as a statement piece for the avant-garde is inescapable. Vera’s work have been moving in this direction for the last three seasons and with each passing season her team add more context to an already beautiful mosaic of her progression as a designer and an artist. There are many wonderful designers in the wedding circuit now but no one walks the line of avant-garde and traditional like Vera does.

Alberta Ferretti and the Call of the Evolved Couture

by Sylvia Mathews

Alberta Ferretti built her empire on the foundation of light and flowy couture. From flexible silhouettes to shinny silk, her work has remained consistent and consistently good. So she would be in no hurry to change things up. But as it is with artists they rarely follow the safest route. And this Haute Couture collection is Alberta’s plunge into the unknown…into the structured silhouettes and more minimalist expressions of joy. All the other things that make her work standout still remain intact making this a collection worth savoring. Evolution always is.

Carolina Herrera's Refined Lightness

by Olivia Moreau

Lightness comes in many forms. From Kundera's unbearable lightness to Wes Gordon's delicate and romantic lightness. And Carolina Herrera's bridal collection is an accumulation of Wes Gordon's romantic vision where the structures of rigidity have slowly given birth to the lightness of ethereality. This collection Wes Gordon dives deep into the ethereal while leaving a lot to imagination and perspective. A lace based gown morphed as a restrained form of luxury is just one of the many surprises of Gordon's vision. Embroidered camellias and tulle filled gowns were the foundation of this lightness and with the right kind of touch which Gordon possesses, Carolina Herrera's legacy getting a proper makeover.

Holly Fulton's Love Letters to Europe

by Linda Bezos

Holly Fulton took a hiatus for almost a year and this is her second collection of her second coming. And by the looks of it, it is a second coming worth celebrating. Overture of Brexit dictated the foundational aesthetics of Art Deco graphics, the shape of the Empire State Building, large Swarovski crystals and Mongolian repurposed fur. The 'long-distance love affair' with Europe proper is peaking through her magnificent take on this calamity of isolationism that has gripped at least half of the British isles. Ultimately her collection is far more romantic than the nitty-gritty details of her inspiration Brexit which by any measure is an ongoing headache. But for sake of jest, a collection like this helps to deal with the magnificently daft decision that is Brexit. 

Jill Sander and the Second Coming of Ultra-Cool

by Linda Bezos 

Jill Sander's design team of Luke and Lucie Meier reconceptualizes the Jill Sander ethos through the aesthetic of polish and symmetry. The resort collection is full of personal fashion with grand ideas. Each individual piece fits nicely into the grand vision of the designers who instill radical and edgy elements to even the most mundane objects. Jill Sander's resort collection is full of grace, glory and outright rebellion but with an understated desire to fit in. It is a collection worth swooning over.    

Tory Burch Sports the Sports

By Olivia Moreau

Tory Burch Sport is what you would expect it to be... sporty. But just like every aspect of Tory's work it has an underlying layer that is quintessentially hip, quintessentially Tory. Mix and Match stripes to puffy jackets add a sense of streetstyle to Tory's already expansive work.  The bold checked version of tights along with exercise heavy gears are all part of a collection that is going to be a commercial win for Tory Burch. 

Naeem Khan and the Forces of Transformation

by Andrea Hanson

Naeem Khan's work is transformative. While that may seem like a philosophical statement, it is also a literal one when it comes to his bridal wear. A multitude of silhouettes in one single dress that can go from the wedding aisle to dance floor to morning brunch is something Naeem has been perfecting for the last few seasons and it is paying rich dividends. With each passing collection, Naeem is only making wonderfully intricate gowns but also removing a lot of stress from the bride by giving them multipurpose dresses and suits. Now you can truly go bonkers over your flower arrangements as the Naeem got you covered when it comes to your wedding dress.

Isabel Marant and the Pursuit of Le Chic'

by Olivia Moreau

Isabel Marant is the ultimate Parisian. Her sense of aesthetics is quintessentially French and overwhelming in its cool factor.  From wrap jackets and oversize coats, the silhouettes are all relaxed yet the underlying sense of structure, the method to the chaos is evident with each passing formation. Marant's style has driven the now fabled Parisian chic streetwear long before the oversaturated space of street style. And despite many pretenders, no one does the French high streets better than Isabel Marant. 

Co’s No Nonsense Clarity

by Julia Avila

Stephanie Danan and her partner Justin Kern are the brains behind Co. With minimalism playing a prominent role in their design aesthetics, Co team has an uncanny ability to make clothes seem like an elaborate statement. That in itself is a hefty ask, on top of that add a variety of silhouettes, and Co touches all demographic bases. Co makes rational, organic, pinpoint clothes…none of which by itself would be too exciting, yet Co’s clothes are brimming with wonderful electricity.

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