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Romain Kremer has made a name for himself during the last few Paris seasons as being just about as avant garde as anyone can be. A year or so ago we saw neon dresses on his catwalk, and his spring summer collection boasted body socks. So of course everyone was surprised when what came out on the Garage catwalk on Sunday afternoon was, you know, wearable!
Fairly sporty and casual fabrics and silhouettes in beige and black dominated. Sure, Kremer played with the length of his tops, making some of them very short. But that was adjusted with trousers with a high waist. After a while we launched into a section with stronger colours; turquoise and bright red shone a bright light from the catwalk. But the clothes were still not too extravagant. Mostly they were long jackets and coats, all of them collarless, track suit-looking bottoms and great jackets with subtle leather details.
Towards the end, though, Romain Kremer couldn’t resist the temptation to shock us a bit. Out came – first in the shape of jumpers – a plastic fur fabric. Soon the coat version followed. Most models also wore sunglasses that also functioned as a protective plate for their foreheads. Everyone – those who craved a more mainstream direction and the ones who cherish Romain’s undeniable individuality - left satisfied and fulfilled.
Dazed Digital: It was very wearable compared to previous collections!
Roman Kremer: Yeah, I was just in a situation where that was possible. I have always wanted to develop the collections in this way, and now I could!
DD: What inspired you?
Roman Kremer: The transformation from wool to plastic, from matte to shiny, human to robot and flesh to machine.
DD: What was that plastic fur on tops and coats?
Roman Kremer: It’s a special development we did for this season. It’s fake fur made out of Latex.
DD: What’s your favourite piece from the show?
Roman Kremer: The sunglasses!
Lucas Ossendrijver, under the influence of a certain Mr Elbaz, presented his autumn winter vision early on Sunday morning – the last day of the Paris menswear week. As usual it was one of the hottest tickets around, and Palais de Tokyo was bursting with people and excitement. Coats in navy wool and flowing nylon opened the show, which quickly moved into a section where deconstructed suits showed what they are really made out of!
Attention was early on drawn to the waist of the models through big leather belts, some of the over coats and jackets, others under tuxedo jackets. The colour palette changed widely, taking in brown, navy, grey and wine red. Many models had headbands, boots and rucksacks, giving the impression of a well-dressed urban hiker.
As usual, Lanvin went from effortlessly from casual to formal, even hanging their over sized rucksacks on formal tuxedo jackets. Other visual highlights included a strange hybrid of frilly knitwear and golden pants. Some biker jackets had survived last season’s drive of toughing up the Lanvin brand, but there were still traces the creased and casual boyish tailoring that we have come to associate Lanvin with.
Dazed Digital: What inspired the collection?
Lucas Ossendrijver: It was about a sense of protection, it’s rough for men out there and we need to be protected.
DD: How did that translate onto the catwalk?
Lucas Ossendrijver: When you feel good about yourself, you look assured. The coats were important – they were like cocoons with their big shapes and lots of volume.
DD: What’s the main objective behind a Lanvin collection?
Lucas Ossendrijver: That you can see the person behind the clothes!
DD: You mention volume, but you also worked a lot with proportions, didn’t you?
Lucas Ossendrijver: Yes, with the coats we had cut off, coats that were really long and coats that were quite slim fit. For us it’s about giving a choice and option because we don’t want to dictate to people what to wear - we want to offer alternatives!
DD: What was your favourite piece?
Lucas Ossendrijver: I want the first big coat in the very beginning of the show!
The last show of the week was our very own Paul Smith - a classic in every sense of the word. The length, depth and width of his shows are representative of his experience and longevity as a first class designer. You always sort of know what to expect when walking in to his show venue, and I mean that in a good way. How often do you see a bad Paul Smith collection? The man knows his strengths and plays the game the way it should be played – according to the rules.
The rules, since you ask, state that if you have a particular skill and a specific design direction that is proven right, your should stick to your guns and spend your time improving, rather than imploding. In his autumn winter collection, Sir Paul tried out quite a few styles in his fields of expertise. Starting with a subtle punk theme, we saw check trousers and jackets – often in size contrasts, with smaller checks on the pants than the top. Hoodies under the suit jackets continued that direction.
All of a sudden it turned smarter. Smith’s version of city chic included tuxedo jackets and coats, and the simple but beautiful colour combination of beige, light blue and grey.This was often accompanied by loafers and brogues. We then changed briefly to the uniform of a 19th Century gentleman, which meant black capes and bowler hats. But the real highlight – especially in a winter season dominated by grey and black – came when a handful of suits in purple, turqiose and electric blue entered. The audience lit up, and the menswear week in Paris ended on a positive and colourful note, thanks to Paul Smith.
The prime time slot on late Saturday evening went to Raf Simons a while back. The Belgian mastermind has long been up there with the great, and his status was confirmed when he successfully took over the creative direction at Jil Sander. But tonight was all about indulging his own design visions – and what a vision it was. As we pleasantly have accepted, Simons’ collections these days are mostly about sharp tailoring.
But a lot of Raf Simons’ suits and formalwear was tweaked in his autumn winter show; some of his double-breasted suit jackets had Velcro details, others sported colour panelling and a few coats and jackets came with push buttons. Simons also sent out his suit jackets layered under bomber jackets.
The trench coat was singled out for extra attention and was either kept in the shape of a skirt or made out of three separate pieces. Also wool – tops and bottoms – had been experimented with. They appeared as slim tops, tucked into skirt-esque garments, which gave the models an unusual silhouette. All in all Raf Simons deconstructed an otherwise formal and classic design direction into a personal and forward pushing aesthetic.
Three seasons in and Kim Jones is on a flow, having successfully interpreted and presented yet another modern day version of Alfred Dunhill. Or, as it was in this case, a collection based around Clement Court, a one time Dunhill employee. Nevertheless, it was in true Dunhill spirit, and the gathered crowd at Palais de Tokyo saw an army grey suits, ties and coats. But far from being old-fashioned formal wear, Dunhill showed classic fashion and tailoring, designed in a highly satisfying way.
Grey club blazers and moss green crombie coats shared the stage with pinstriped suits and ties. More casual pieces, like cardigans and utility belts, also impressed amid all the tweed and Herringbone fabrics. Midnight blue tuxedo jackets finished of another well-made Kim Jones outing, and no one doubted that this was how a true gentleman should dress.
Dazed Digital: Who influenced the collection?
Kim Jones: Clement Court, who was general manager of a Dunhill store in Paris, and his travel experiences when he went from Europe to Japan. The journey influenced the colour palette, and, generally speaking, the spirit of his adventure inspired us.
DD: What are the three sections that the collection is divided into?
Kim Jones: The first one is daywear tailoring, the second is casual clothes and lastly there is formal eveningwear. It’s like a journey of the day.
DD: What was as your favourite piece from the collection?
Kim Jones: I love the jackets with ‘mix and match’ fabric, the patchwork ones with felt and leather.
Ann’s AW10 show on Saturday took place in her usual choice of the Couvent des Cordeliers and was soundtracked by persistent rain from grey skies. The collection was suitably dark and black. But that’s of course standard procedure for this Belgian power designer.
The colour palette focused on black, white, light grey and skin tones. It had the normal Ann staple pieces, like skinny leather cargo pants, long wool suit jackets and sharp army boots. Heavy belts and chains accessories kept the clothes in place. A clear decadence was apparent. Feather boas flowed freely over waistcoats and shirt blouses. Fur – in both black and camel – testified to a sartorial feeling of supremacy.
Dazed Digital: What was your starting point for the collection?
Ann Demeulemeester: I started with a fantasy in my head - I was trying to make a character of my own. It’s a modern day Duke for 2010. His extravagant personality and artistic nobility led to the collection.
DD: What does the Duke represent for you?
Ann Demeulemeester: It represents something noble, but nothing to do with Bourgeois. My duke has edge and extravagance, he’s strange and not like everybody else.
DD: Who’s a modern day Duke for you?
Ann Demeulemeester: Someone like Robert Mapplethorpe or The Thin White Duke!
DD: So did you use Bowie for the show soundtrack?
Ann Demeulemeester: Yeah, some instrumental songs from his time in Berlin.
DD: In what way is the collection noble?
Ann Demeulemeester: I use black, which is a modern and noble shade, and my leather and fur fits into the Duke idea as well
On a smoke filled stage, Damir Doma’s intergalactic vision became clear. Or was it inspired by martial arts? Or maybe a show of quasi-religious outfits? Probably a combination of them all. What is clear, though, is that the menswear schedule in Paris has got itself a hot new name. A massive mob outside the show pushed and shouted to get in, but nothing worked…
But that can’t be said of Doma’s aesthetic vision. Grey and powerful, over sized and often bloc patterned, Damir Doma created a breathtaking show at the Garage on Rue de Turenne. Many models were hooded or wore turban-esque hats and both continued the feeling of having joined a secretive following. A few Feodora hats even had an Amish touch to them.
There is, of course, nothing secretive about Damir Doma, and neither is his clothes, for that matter, secretive. On the contrary, it was clear to many people leaving his show on Saturday evening that Doma will soon be a household name in fashion.
Dazed Digital: What inspired the collection?
Damir Doma: There was an poetic feeling to the collection, and about people coming from somewhere else, from another planet.
DD: Yes, it was almost a bit religious
Damir Doma: I agree, it is very monastic!
DD: Are you happy with the result?
Damir Doma: Yes. The collection is called 'Arrival', because it’s really the first time I feel settled, this is really me, and what I like. I have arrived to where I want to be!
DD: There were many loose silhouettes with lots of volume.
Damir Doma: Yeah, I have done that for a while now and I really enjoy it. It’s effortless and easy to wear.
DD: You showed a few female models at the end – are you working on a womenswear line?
Damir Doma: That was a teaser for the launch of my womenswear collection, which I will show in March during the prêt-a-porter in Paris! I just wanted to prepare people!
DD: Any favourite pieces from the collection?
Damir Doma: I liked the first outfit, two layered coats with different textures.
Viktor & Rolf launched their menswear line in 2003 – so don’t call it a comeback! The Dutch duo has always impressed with their quirky designs, but the collections have been low key and slightly kitsch, as proved by their comic and Hawaiian themes a while back. But now – for autumn winter 2010/2011 – Viktor & Rolf seems ready for a bigger audience, hence the catwalk show in their Paris office. The setting was still intimate, which allowed Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren to show off the delicate details of their Paint it Black collection up close.
And quite literally that’s what they have done; shirts, ties and trousers had been spattered in black paint, which made for eye-catching pieces. But also highlighted was the difference between shades of black in matt and shiny, and Lurex versus wool had a similar contrasting effect. The result was still a dark collection, but one that glimmers in the night-time. Midnight Blue shared the stage with wine red and green, often seen in a check print. Other tops had embroidered sequins details. Best described as a Neo Dandy, the Viktor & Rolf man appreciates small but clever details, and this collection catered for his every need.
Tillman Lauterbach was born in Germany, raised in Ibiza and educated in Switzerland and Paris. The result is a trans-European designer, and the collection Lauterbach showed in Paris on Saturday was thoroughly an international and accessible one. His strength lies in making a version of modern menswear that allows for individuality – this time through a series of abstract prints – but one that also works as a everyday wardrobe.
We saw a lot of beige tones and shades of green. Another theme was his well-executed collarless shirts, tops and jackets. His bottoms came in three versions; shortened and structured trousers, indigo jeans and wool leggings. What impressed the most, except for his extensive bag range, was a couple of one-piece collarless boiler suits in beige and navy blue. It’s been a good Saturday so far
When Kris Van Assche showed his spring summer collection last June, it was all about the suits. He took them apart and showed everyone what a beautiful thing they are and how carefully the Dior studio constructs them. There were traces of the same philosophy in his new collection as well, but generally speaking van Assche had by now moved on to coats.
He showed dozens of coats: flowing trench coats, slim crombies and over sized pea coats. Sure, this was a winter collection, and there’s always heavy outer pieces, but van Assche went beyond the call of (coat) duty, and created a uniform silhouette for his Bercy based show.
Underneath we saw black and slim tailoring, sometimes with a tie in company. A few pants came in quite a loose fit – classic KvA territory. Other details worth noting include a Nehru collar jacket and a leather bomber jacket, shown over a suit jacket.
After a powerful black section came a similar block of coats, this time in beige and light grey colours – two shades we recognised from the previous show as well. Nevertheless Kris Van Assche has got into the swing of making impressive Dior Homme collections, and we hope he keeps up the good work!
If there was a consistent theme at the Walter Van Beirendonck show on Friday it was the gigantic earmuffs that each and every model wore. That is, of course, until van Beirendonck brought in the heavy artillery in the form of boys and girls in over sized plastic riding helmets.
Yes, you’re never bored at a Beirendonck show: colours, prints, proportions and sizes are all taken to their extremes. But as always van Beirendonck isn’t just doing it to amuse us; there is a point to everything he does and this season it came in the form of printed guns. The machine guns printed tops and bottoms were meant to remind us of the fragile and dangerous world we live in.
Red, orange and yellow was his colours of choice this season, and they came out in the shape of boiler suits, Lycra tops and knitwear. A few suits also appeared, reminding us of Walter’s more serious sartorial side. Elaborate knitwear patterns continued to communicate van Beirendonck’s message, which shouted FIRE and FLY, at least on his utility bum bags. The grande finale contained skirts in the shapes of elephants, horses, rockets and – of course – guns!
DD: How did you come up with the idea for this show?
Walter Van Beirendonck: It’s basically a mirror to the world today, or at least how I see and feel it. It’s like someone is holding a gun to my head, the whole thing is ready to explode. That’s where the gun prints came from!
DD: You seemed to be playing around with – among many other things – the silhouette in this show!
Walter Van Beirendonck: Yeah, like in the world, there is tension in the silhoutte as well – so I had Lycra tops that are very tight, combined with loose trousers.
DD: And why did you put girls on the catwalk?
Walter Van Beirendonck: I felt it was the right moment for that. I have more ambitions than menswear, I would like to do women’s couture one day.
DD: Who helped you with the hats?
Walter Van Beirendonck: Stephen Jones – he’s my head master!
Cerruti has struggled for the past few years to find a new identity and a consistency in terms of its chief designer. The collections have never been bad; more lacked the unique personality that Paris demands of its designers on the menswear schedule. But all of that is about to change.
With the elevation from within of Jesper Börjesson to the top job, the brand is hoping to blow fresh air into the suit based brand. His style is a modern take on Cerruti’s heritage and could very well make Cerruti the fashion force it deserves to be. At Palais de Tokyo, Cerruti presented a tight and slim silhouette – bar a few loose pants – that impressed with elegant mohair knitwear under the traditionally brilliant suits. The colour palette was mostly sombre, but livened up by a couple of exciting check patterns.
Börjesson’s coats often came in a trench or biker format, and his ever-present bomber jackets were ‘glammed up’ through shimmering fabric. The choice of fabric is always a point of discussion after a Cerruti show, but this time we left talking about another detail as well: throughout the show Börjesson had cleverly layered his outer garments – a jacket over a coat, a waistcoat over a leather jacket and so on. One to watch, people!
Dazed Digital: What was the general theme behind the collection?
Jesper Börjesson: We wanted to create a new and modern army with a really rich fabrication. I don’t have a direct reference for the collection, but we did our fabric esearch in depth, and we have spent a lot of time with our tailor to define every seam and shape of the collection.
DD: What would you say is the Cerruti heritage and its strong points?
Jesper Börjesson: I would say it is the spirit of masculine elegance that Mr Nino Cerruti once created.
DD: How did the fabrics research process work?
Jesper Börjesson: I am lucky to start my first collection on a winter season where you have much more variety of fabric qualities and weights. The idea for the fabrics this season was to contrast the very textured and hairy fabrics in cashmere, mohair and alpaca on very sharp cut and linear clothes. We used some fabrics inside out, and we printed wool in a copper foil. The fabrics should be interesting for the eyes as well as the hands.
DD: Are biker and bomber jackets your staple pieces?
Jesper Börjesson: They are at the core of a man’s wardrobe and they are two of my personal favourite garments because they’re timeless. For this collection the biker jacket comes more in a flight jacket version in shearling, and the bomber jacket has a big wrapping collar.
DD: Will you take Cerruti in a younger and edgier direction?
Jesper Börjesson: The idea was to create pieces that are really well cut, and there are a lot of military and sub cultural references in the show - and I hope a younger crowd might find that attractive.
DD: What’s your favourite piece from the collection?
Jesper Börjesson: All the mohair knits with blown up butterfly wings patterns in black and pink, anise and grey.
After last season’s mix of Russian techno and denim, the autumn winter collection from Rick Owens was a bit of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. For his Friday lunchtime show just south of the Seine, the American designer tried out his tailoring skills. And even though he claims this was just a fad, it was an impressive suit effort from Owens.
His androgynous models wore formal coats, some in slight silver or golden shades, and often over a turtleneck jumper. Other models appeared to be wearing a male version of halter neck tops, and others preserved Owens’ mojo by showing a bare and sexy back.
Just because denim was out this season didn’t mean leather followed suit. We saw jackets and coats in leather - which is Rick Owens’ trademark material – and often they came out in brown, black or beige colours. Layering and Owens’ characteristic play with the length of garments also persisted, ditto his love for of fur. But even though we were treated to a surprisingly mature collection, there were clear signs of the old forward pushing designer we have come to love; duvet jackets and platform boots in snakeskin made everyone leave in an even better mood.
DD: What was your source of inspiration this time around?
Rick Owens: This season was about opulence for me. I’ve focused on austerity for the past men’s season, which I’ll probably go back to soon…
DD: It was rather a tailored collection for you, wasn’t it?
Rick Owens: Yes, last season was such and indulgence in denim, and this one was more of a library.
DD: Library?
Rick Owens: Tweeds and cigars. It had a country manor feeling to it.
DD: Do you feel it was a mature collection because of all the tailoring?
Rick Owens: It’s a mature option, not a mature direction. I will always have my leather! And also it’s a great challenge – you don’t normally think of Rick Owens when you see tailoring. A like a challenge to react to, it’s a good base for a collection.
DD: There were a few quite sexy pieces though – like the bare back tops…
Rick Owens: Yeah, well you know, tailoring can get boring. You gotta put a bit of sex into it!
DD: Any favourite pieces from the show?
Rick Owens: I’m going to be wearing the black tailored coat made out of silk and wool all winter long!
As head masters of the British punk aesthetics – at least on the Paris menswear schedule – Blaak took to the stage Friday morning. The London duo is famous for its dark and punky outlook but have long ago showed that, unlike the actual punk movement, it will age nicely.
It was a good autumn offering, full of wool and tweed. Suits also came in velvet, and the silhouette was often slim, bar the odd over sized coat with leather details. In general, leather was quite big, even adorning t-shirts. The ever-present tartan checks drew appreciative looks from the crowd. They came in a black and grey version, but most people left talking about the gorgeous yellow and red combination.
The piece de resistance was a series of deconstructed shirts in a pinstriped fabric, which had been altered in shape, form and detailing. On top of that Aaron Sharif and Sachiko Okada showed an impressive range of over sized crucifix necklaces, which melted in perfectly with the rest of the Exodus collection.
Dazed Digital: What was your main bit of inspiration for the show?
Aaron Sharif: Filmmaker Derek Jarman – we watched everything from Jubilee to This is England, both of which are very punky. And then we moved on to Passolini, and that’s how we reached THX.
DD: Was London also an influence on you?
Aaron Sharif: I think so, yes. We’ve just spent the last six months there. It’s all from there – the fabrics, the crucifix accessories.
DD: Talking about crucifixes - there were a lot of big crosses in the show!
Aaron Sharif: It was about religion and whether religion is about consumption or is it about spirituality, and what do you get from it!
DD: Did you collaborate with someone on the accessories?
Aaron Sharif: Everything has to be done, in one way or another, by us. We’re doing bags with Head Porter for this season, but we still have great input on the end result.
DD: What are your favourite pieces from the show?
Aaron Sharif: I love the stuff that we re-modelled, like the shirts and pants.
DD: The shirts seemed quite deconstructed!
Aaron Sharif: Yes, I think you have to destroy the past in order to see the future!
There was a massive shift back to a more classic Louis Vuitton at Marc Jacobs and chief designer Paul Helber’s Autumn Winter show today Thursday. And the audience seemed to like it, and why not? This – a formal, smart, slick and dark collection – is what LV does best. And why change a winning team? The previous collection looked towards New York’s bike messengers for inspiration, but this show was inspired by authors living in 20th century Vienna, and more specifically the likes of Franz Kafka and Egon Schiele. This wonderfully academic inspiration meant that an intellectual over coat matched each sporty nylon jacket we saw. But even the less organic fabrics had been treated with a more traditional array of detailing, such as felt, tweed or leather panelling.
The obligatory LV luggage came in a few monogrammed versions, but much nicer were the abstract prints that adorned a handful of bags and rucksacks (courtesy of artist Christian Schoeler), and no doubt a by product of Helbers’ interest in Vienna’s artist community. Brown – in a nice chocolate shade – and black were popular colours, together with grey and one little dose of neon yellow. Narrowly cut trousers were often tucked into boots, and more often than not were flat front ones without belt loops. We saw waterproof leather jackets in just every shape, form and length available to mankind.
Traditional and classic LV outfits dominated in a safe, but stunning, autumn collection. Once or twice did a younger and fresher look pop out, be it over sized shirts that were – stop the presses – not tucked into the trousers, or grey tracksuit bottoms. But Helbers and Jacobs nevertheless set the bar high for the rest of the designers on the Paris menswear schedule.
Dazed Digital: It was quite an intimate setting today, with little space between the audience and the catwalk!
Paul Helbers: I like that you get close to the models, it’s very critical. You have to see it close up to understand the clothes!
DD: Briefly, what inspired you this time around?
Paul Helbers: A 20th century Vienna artist and his wardrobe. They are prototypes for today’s lifestyle, which is all about blurring the boundaries between business and leisure, and making a combination of the two.
DD: It was fairly dark and moody – is that all to do with it being an A/W collection?
Paul Helbers: It’s got to do with the mood we were in. We’ve done a few seasons with colours, and we wanted a contrast for this one.
DD: Did I see clogs on the catwalk?
Paul Helbers: Yes you did! Austrian mountain clogs. Since it’s based around an artist’s wardrobe, I thought it’d be nice to have some free spirited shoes as well!
DD: Do you have a particular Franz Kafka book that you like?
Paul Helbers: Not really, we used quotes from several different ones, and they were incorporated into the music.
DD: What’s your favourite piece from this particular show?
Paul Helbers: A coat with satin sleeves with shearling body. It’s not sportswear, it’s not elegant – it’s a piece you can’t define.
The privilege of opening the Paris menswear shows was once again awarded to French hot shot designer Alexis Mabille. In his second stand-alone menswear collection, the bow tie crazed Mabille continued his self-proclaimed mission to bring ‘Bourgeois with a Twist’ to the people. On the second floor of the Parisian Academy of Architecture – a fitting venue since Mabille’s clothes apparently has an “architectural outlining made out of piping, trimming and painted borders” – he suggested a somewhat sombre look for this autumn.
Luckily it wasn’t his take on the, by now boring, climate of financial doom and gloom, but merely a comment on the colour of the winter sky. And it isn’t just London that is dark and moody, because Mabille’s Paris-inspired collection was all about grey. And black, but mostly…grey! Nevertheless, Alexis being Alexis, there were signs of hope through sparkling and glimmering details that followed the show and, more importantly, the Alexis Mabille customer who went through his daily wardrobe on the catwalk; luxurious office wear to extravagant evening outfits.
His main silhouette was a tight top with loose bottoms, and we saw it in formal suits as well as more casual cords and cardigans. But, as you know, casual isn’t what Alexis does best. He excels at taking basic items – like his duffel coat – and re-making it with Persian lamb materials. Suits came in an interesting heavy wool mix, or as a black wool organza tuxedo and the knitwear came out elaborate, to say the least. And rather rebellious for Mabille, Bermuda shorts were shown on top of long johns.
Underwear collection ‘Zero’ launched with a parade of silk boxers and briefs, often with shirt collar details. The obligatory bow ties were shown in the form of minor details or accessories. All in all Alexis Mabille successfully continued his motto of luxurious menswear for everyday use; sexy AND comfortable!
Dazed Digital: What did you look to for inspiration?
Alexis Mabille: I was influenced by the greyness of the world, how the sky changes colour and how it affects the city. It was very urban, and about being comfortable in a big city – that’s why the collection is called Urban Greys!
DD: You’re always using Paris as your muse, aren’t you?
Alexis Mabille: I love the city – I wake up early when there is no one around, and I go to bed late. I’m not that crazy about travelling like many designers: I get my inspiration here. You won’t see me drawing influences from Africa or India any time soon!
DD: You’ve mentioned sexy and comfortable – aren’t they often opposites?
Alexis Mabille: Yes, but you can do sexy things with sweatshirts and t-shirts. For example, I use beautiful Swiss cotton and then I alter the proportions, and then you have a totally new garment…
DD: Yes, you played around with proportions quite a lot this time!
Alexis Mabille: That’s how I wear my clothes. Personally, I like buying over sized clothes, but I also like a tiny waist, so I change it around with safety pins to play with the volume of the silhouette.
DD: How did the underwear collection ‘Zero’ come about?
Alexis Mabille: Every time I wanted to buy underwear I could only find over-sexy or boring ones, nothing in between. They’re very comfortable and beautiful– for me it’s a question about sensibility.
DD: What’s your favourite piece from the collection?
Alexis Mabille: I love the cardigan with push buttons attached on it!
When you go to a Henrik Vibskov show you never really know what to expect, except, of course, for the unexpected! I’m not even sure Vibskov himself knows. By creating his own mini universe – this time called The Slippery Spiral Situation – Vibskov lets the audience into a world where fashion meets art and music, two of the Danish designer’s other main interests. Indeed, the wooden artwork that crowns the catwalk is his own work.
The Thursday night show was one of extra splendour. Firstly we saw a Scottish hiking theme develop, with kilts, boots and rucksacks. Cosy knitwear supported the theory that Vibskov was designing for a wanderer in the Highlands. But then came the white boiler suit. And the multi coloured patchwork trousers. And the customised-beyond-recognition Grenson boots. The hiking was halted.
There were occasional spots of conventional suiting, designed in his characteristically casual ways. All models appeared to be bearded, wearing extremely unpractical sunglasses, and, for some reason, they all had white fingertips. But that’s all in a days work for Henrik Vibskov…
Dazed Digital: How did you come up with the ideas for this show?
Henrik Vibskov: I wanted to create a scary and spooky film feeling, a bit like Sin City. But there is a bit of Malcolm X in there as well!
DD: Where did the white fingertips come from?
Henrik Vibskov: I came up with the idea when styling the show – I thought the hands were a bit naked and needed something extra.
DD: What sort of hats were they wearing?
Henrik Vibskov: Bathing hats and a wooden structure that looks like a brain.
DD: How would you describe what you do, since you’re an artist, designer and musician?
Henrik Vibskov: I like to play around with different universes and identities. But I don’t want to try to define it…
DD: What was your favourite piece from the show?
Henrik Vibskov: I like the Scottish kilts and the English shoes that I cut up!
DRIES VAN NOTEN MENSWEAR A/W 10-11
Fresh-faced, uber-groomed models sauntered down in workwear heavy jackets and tailored trenche
Both designers and musicians face the same problem; the young ones have to come up with new and controversial ideas for each show or album, otherwise no one is bothered. There are countless of mediocre designers and musicians out there on the treadmill. The thing with the older and more experienced designer is that no one expects you to change much. And in the case of Dries Van Noten, people would be upset if he did change anything given the strength of the DvN brand!
The Belgian veteran didn’t disappoint when showing his A/W collection at la Bourse; an army of models – quite literally because military and cavalry was an ongoing theme – swarmed the place, all of them carrying their individual handheld stereo. A pot pourri of popular music met the audience, as they smiled at the heavy-duty canvas trousers, trench coats and Dries’ brilliantly casual suiting. Colourwise, he focused on white, navy, beige, grey with the odd touch of electric blue to keep us on our toes.
Many coats and jackets had sleeves in different fabric and colours, others heavily featured stripes and checks – often together on one piece. Tracksuit bottoms surprised a few, but mostly we were impressed by the beautiful colour combinations – just how we like our Dries!
DD: There were quite a few army influences in the show!
Dries Van Noten: Yes, it was very traditional in that sense. We worked with British manufactures, some old ideas and few new developments.
DD: Like what, for example?
Dries Van Noten: A double woven fabric from the 1930s which no one is making any more.
DD: Generally speaking what was the main influence?
Dries Van Noten: I wanted elegance, but also a dynamic elegance. And not so serious, more playful.
DD: Did you play around with print contrasts this time?
Dries Van Noten: Yeah, I love different fabric combinations, and then it becomes quite versatile.
DD: What was the idea behind the music?
Dries Van Noten: I wanted it to be a bit individual, and I thought about all the kids playing music from their phones on the bus.
DD: Are you still working towards a “sartorial feeling” which you mentioned after your summer show?
Dries Van Noten: Yes, It’s got to do with the shape of the jackets and the length of the pants. I work very hard to get the proportions right.
DD: A favourite piece from the show?
Dries Van Noten: It would be the khaki motorcycle pants with a beige double breasted jacket on top!
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