tedoré : To Mind

Showing posts with label To Mind. Show all posts

JANE SMITH AND JOHN MASON SMITH

images courtesy of ©janesmithandjohnmasonsmith

While scrolling through Instagram Explore a few days ago, I came across some images and vibes that caught my eye. It reminded me of the 90s style of Helmut Lang mixed with Margiela, a fusion of athleisure, tailoring, and an unfinished look. I want to share this discovery with you.

text by our contributing editor and photographer lisbeth breland saalmink

images by lisbeth breland saalmink

________________________________________________________

Treasures. Undiscovered treasures. Maps to follow. Paths to be found. The authentic ones are hard to locate. In a city, in the city, as the capitol unravel itself with so many areas, so many impressions. Where are we to look, where are we to wander?

A deeply hidden secret. A real treasure chest, it glimpses with its presents and drag you towards all what it entails. For the adventurers, you might have found your Tokyo just here. The beautiful little Japanese store at 5-32-2 Daizawa Setagaya-ku, 7 min from Shimokitazawa station. A little shop that only measures 2 X 6,5 square metres, there is no measure to the atmosphere. As the space has stopped to coexist, you are now in a universe where you senses can start to play; look, grasp, touch, try and feel. Handcrafted cobber braces, woven suits and bowler hats, silver rings and leather belts, cotton shirts and linen backpacks, all with the signature of true craftsmanship and their Design-Atelier just in a walking distance away.

This universe is presented by the Designer duo and couple, Kohei-san and Marina-san and their brand, Klasica.

This freshly graduate of Central Saint Martins within jewellery design is already gathering a lot of the attention through Instagram, the only "place" for now, where you can follow her talent. The reason is her collection of handmade facial ornaments, a new take on statement piercing jewellery. In each piece Joanne combines traditional techniques with modern ones and focuses on topical approaches. "Not Your Average Beauty" is her collection drawing inspiration from radical tribal jewellery that aims to combat the media´s idealisation of beauty and the modern obsession of plastic surgery that is prevalent in her Asian community. Constructed with 18K yellow gold, pearls and diamonds, each single piece is uniquely designed with varied structures, scaled accordingly to fit the multitude of facial anatomies of both Western and Asian societies. With this collection Joanne hopes to raise awareness about the pressures of today’s beauty standards by offering a viable alternative that celebrates one’s individuality and improves existing imperfections. By enhancing dissatisfying features on the face, Joanne hopes she challenges her wearers to embrace their flaws.

TO MIND - EX INFINITAS

Lucas Vincent is an Australian designer who grew up in a surf-obsessed suburban Melbourne beach town, where the only way he could connect with "fashion world" was through magazines. It may sounds almost as a film-cliché, but this reality really stifled him, that´s why he decided to experience big fashion capitals. After seven years living in in Paris and New York, gaining tons of experience by working with leaders of the fashion industry, Lucas returned to his country and established his own menswear brand, Ex Infinitas. He merged the over- and always-present surf motif, especially the ´70s surf culture with minimalism and a modern, punk.
Why some fashion experts named Ex Infinitas as an Australian answer to Vetements, I don´t know. Maybe the reason is in that cool factor, but that´s something that cannot be named, because elusive and nonchalant. Or it is somehow a "common" source of inspiration that Vetements found it in "gopnik", a Russian term for a lower-class, typically post-Soviet male, while Ex Infinitas is into "bogan" that in Australian means someone with really bad taste or no taste. Is there really always a need to put everything and/or everyone into a certain box? No, please. When something is great, works and has potential, like here, that´s it. Leave it to breathe, to evolve. This is real. Truly, no bullshits. Even with his presentation, not a classic showcase, but a lookbook with a story, photographed by Fabien Montique, the one who has been working with Kanye west since 2012, not to mention the brand Off-White and the video directed by Jason Last. How we may call it? A real debut.

Sies Marjan is a new label of a Brunei-born and raised in Netherlands designer Sander Lak that debuted at NYFW in 2016 and gained a really positive response. Named after a combination of his parents ‘given names, the brand has already its own characteristic silhouette: elongated, fluid and smooth, built for full of contrasts, drapes, interlaces and asymmetries. The S/S 2017 is non-other than that, a continuation of Lak´s debut collection with garments made of fluid, silky-fabrics combined with knits and plastic-coated velvet pieces in warm pastels, natural tones and some bright, really vibrant ones. If we add that he was Dries Van Noten`s former designer, probably you will logically attribute his fondness for colour to that, but what he really got from Dries, is how to exquisitely execute each piece and the result more than proves that.

Are you into sophistication, but still want some drama from your clothes? Well, then you definitely should "meet" the Canadian-sister duo behind the label Beaufille. This "handsome girl", who was founded in 2013 by Parris and Chloé Gordon, is inspired by contrasts like masculine and feminine or hard and soft, consequently translated into elegant pieces with modern proportion and with that particular avant-garde touch, making the whole look an unique sense of style. Among their stunning F/W 2016/2017 collection we particulary really fond with their decadence-touch seen in hand-made soft organic knit pieces that were embroidered via water-soluble bags or by burgundy patent leather-like coats that are actually made from boiled wool coated in polyurethane.

West London born Molly Goddard started to specialise in tradition hand-crafted techniques like smocking, crocheting and hand pleating during her BA in Fashion Knit at Central St. Martins, where she graduated in 2012. Since then every single garment is hand-made from the beginning to the end, dedicating it all necessary time in her London studio. The all talent mixed with hard-work paid off really quickly. Since her first official collection, the S/S 2015 she gained success on the level that the label acquired different prestigious stockist, such as Dover Street Market London and New York, Club 21 and IT Hong Kong, while her S/S 2016 was even supported by NEWGEN and presented on schedule during London Fashion Week.

This New Zealand originated designer (her birthplace is actually a very small rural area by Lake Dongting in China), who also used to live in Singapore as a child, didn't initially study fashion design. Her background is in painting, having a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Auckland (for one year) and Beijing (for three years). Claudia´s father is an art dealer, so consequently her career guideline naturally inclined towards on becoming a painter, but for her that wasn´t enough. She always imagined seeing people in her work and since she was young, she always wanted to become a fashion designer. That´s why she moved to London and took few design courses at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, where one of her "pattern-making" instructors encouraged her to try at Parsons. After London it was time for her to move to New York City, where she attended an MFA in Fashion Design and Society at this renowned institution. There she found the program that was a perfect fit for her fine arts background. The study years at Parson totally changed her design-wise. Among other stuff she learned, she developed a special affinity towards using and weaving yarns that played a crucial part in her impressive thesis. Following two years she worked as a freelance for Brandon Maxwell, but only working for J.W. Anderson, who after seeing her portfolio, reached out to her himself, made Li ready and gave her the courage to move back to New York, to start her own label. The first official collection-debut was for Spring 2016, the one she presented during New York Fashion Week.

Born in Sydney, Josh Goot was always, from early age devoted toward music, film and fashion. In 1999 he started with a Media Art and Production degree at Sydney’s University of Technology, but not long after that realised that New York and fashion design inspires him more, where his talents were better expressed through. He described fashion design as "another way to talk to people".

Jenia Kim Is a young fashion designer, whose family are Korean emigrants from Uzbekistan. She was raised in the city of Tashkent and then moved to Moscow where she studied first at an art school and later at the Moscow Carl Faberge College of applied arts, where she graduated in 2014. She officially launched her label in the summer 2013, when she launched hers first collection. Kim´s aesthetic is defined by the core elements of traditional Asian costume, represented in a fresh, modern way. The result is a synergy between the Asian-culture-heritage and the contemporary.

There are really rare examples of emerging designers with the ability to make beautiful and luxurious clothes, without losing a succinct vision. One of those is Grace Wales Bonner. She made a name for herself in the industry straight after graduating from Central Saint Martins winning L`Oréal Professional award for design. Her S/S 2016 collection, the second shown at Fashion East, is inspired by the story of Malik Ambar* and the cross-cultural elements between West India and Africa.

If you were a fan of Vena Cava, then you know this lady. She shared this label with partner Lisa Mayock. Since 2014, shuttering the label, Sophie concentrated and we can also say that she totally deepen herself in the L.A. design scene. She re-explored her passions for interiors and jewellery design. Working in peace and without any pressure in her basement, she created a debut range of sculptural objects and jewellery, perfectly reflecting the area´s aesthetic. A totally handmade in Los Angeles, the collection consists of pieces produced from sterling silver, maple wood and hand-carved walnut. Simple and sculptural forms emphasizing strong and striking statement.

Ghesquiere, if you like it or not, is a big influencer. I am not going to talk how much his comeback made (almost) every fashion house to follow (and not only) his aesthetic, but about his protégés, that are having the glory-time. I am not referring now to Julien Dossena, now creative director at Paco Rabanne, but to Charlotte Chesnais, over a decade the stylist and then the costume jeweller during the Ghesquiere´s era at Balenciaga and now head of jewellery and leather goods at Paco Rabanne. Less than year Chesnais also launched her eponymous jewellery brand, with an intention to create modern classic or as I lately like to say, pieces that would stand the test of time.

Will she achieve it? Time will say, but her beginning is more than promising. The confirming is also this week´s news, that Charlotte is among the three finalists for the ANDAM Accessory Design Award.

It happened in the (not so long) past with Céline and lately with Carven and Delpozo. At the end I guess someone will think or take it as a trend. But is not. What are we talking about? To revive a brand or to wake it up from the long-sleep, to say it in a more romantic way. That happened also with the Slovakian brand Nehera. The brand´s history starts in the first half of the 20^th century, when the former designer and founder, Jan Nehera, made in the mid 30´s from it a renowed fashion house with over 130 fashion stores throughout Europe, USA, Russia, North and South Afrika. Everything didn´t last long. The reason was the second World War, that halted the business.

In 2014, after 70 years of silence, the eastern beauty was brought back to life under the creative helm of Samuel Drira. Anyone that knows the aethethic of the French stylist, creative consultant and founder-editor of the Parisian magazine Encens, knows in which direction is and will take the brand. It´s Drira´s credit (as a creative consultant) for the beginning and for my opinion the best Damir Doma era ever. On the list are also the rebirth of ChristopheLemaire and Hermès, not forget to mention The Row. If you make a line and sum all images of the mentioned brands, you´ve got nearly a common aesthethic – the 80´s to 90´s, Japanese-influenced.

Nehera´s first official collection, the S/S 2015 one, is titled “Black Canvas”. What a best way to explain, how they needed to invent everything from the scratch. Literally they needed to consider how the new “basic” should look like. If we take for an example a white shirt – what a white shirt really is? Its point? How should be the collar, eventually the pocket and what most important is, the cut? The result are the boxy-pleated shirts, elongated jackets, voluminous pants and ankle-length ones and shirt-dresses. Smart, daily and well-made pieces, for an eclectic, practical and reflective woman, that loves comfort, long-lasting pieces and elegancy.

The Roman designer Federica Berardelli made her way into fashion by designing accessories and jewellery in silver and semi-precious stones, inspired by her love for contemporary art, cinema and travel. In 2010 she discovered the world of handbag design, following the production and commercial sphere of a notable Roman designer. After two years of self-study she mad in 2012 her debut in fashion with the creation of her first line under her namesake brand.

Her bags and accessories take shape from the constant study, relentless passion and personal care for every detail in the creative and production process. The products are totally “Made in Italy”, crafted with the finest leathers from large Italian tanneries, basic linen fabrics and more experimental ones, such as a technical satin. The brand is a born out of collaborations between young Italian artists and designers, including also jewellery and painting, making it innovative and experimental.

F/W 2015/2015 handbags collection dives into the humid atmospheres of the night, in the metropolitan deserted corners, metallic reflections and concrete shadows. Brand´s iconic “Alex” bag is for the winter season created also in a variation with long fringes, to draw new urban landscapes with a rebel and grungy approach. Federica´s passion for jewellery is seen on the bag´s famous eye-detail, typical for the “Alex” bag and made of bronze and multicolour leathers, present on every bag size – mini, midi and maxi-versions. The colour palette consisted by black, bronze, bloody red, chalk white and silver, sometimes paired with calf hair leather or the iridescent laminated ones. The essence of calf leather interchanges with hand-made dyeing, confirming the recognizable brand´s identity, in which the opposition between shape and inspiration writes personal interpretative codes of the “modern enraged”.

During the study at Central Saint Martins, the young British menswear designer Alex Mullins was a runner up in the “L´Oreal Professional Young Designer of the Year Award”. After that he completes the MA (Menswear) at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 2012.

Prizes didn´t stop here. While he was awarded a full scholarship with Kopenhagen Fur at the RCA, was also nominated for the Dazed and Confused/Casio G-Shock “Spirit of Toughness” award.

Before setting up his brand in spring 2013, Alex worked with few renowned and from the design-aesthetic point, different designers, such as Alexander McQueen, Jeremy Scott, Diane von Furstenberg, Dirk Bikkembergs and Kanye West.

Mullins showed us his passion for denim (and the word “denim” is used quite a lot from now on) at his third collection by playing with proportions and “tousling” the common work-wear into something unconventional. Presented at the BFC Presentation Space, his F/W 2015/2016 consist of raw-seems turned outside in the pleating part of denim pants, elongated denim shirt-inspired jackets and the 70´s vibe with velvet and corduroy suits, composed by trapeze-shaped, ankle length, high-waist pants, paired with matching elongated, one button blazer or cropped, denim-inspired jackets. Turning primitive ideas on their head would say he.

TO MIND - REJINA PYO

She is an award winning Korean born fashion designer based in London. In 2011 she completed her MA degree at Central Saint Martins with a stand out collection, presented also at the London Fashion Week. With a use of wooden sculptures together with fluid dresses, she created a beautifully idiosyncratic mood that captured the attention of the fashion press. Consequently doesn´t surprise, that this collection gave an opportunity to create a range of designs for the H&M owned “Weekday”. Here was not the end. Pieces from the MA collection were also selected by Vassilis Zidianakis the curator of the “ARRRGH! Monsters in Fashion” exhibition to feature in their shows at the Benaki Museum in Athens and the Gallery La Gaite Lyrique in Paris.

For the past two years she has gained significant experience working for various luxury designers in London. During this time she was also won the prestigious Han Nefkens Fashion Award. Among others her works were featured in Vogue, Elle, Independent, New York Times, AnOther, The Gentlewoman, Dazed and Confused, and Style.com. With only three collections to date, she already got orders from influential retailers.

Pyo´s third collection, the F/W 2015/2016, was inspired by her surreal memories from a trip to California´s Joshua Tree and the never ending deserts of the American West. Nature´s contradictions are translated in a palette of muted earth tones, balanced with urban greys and accents of acid yellow. This season´s silhouette reflects a free spirit and a nonchalance attitude.

For all quality (material and craftsmanship) and long-lasting design lovers, here is one brand to really keep in mind. Samuji, creative studio and design house based in Helsinki (Finland), helmed by a Finnish designer Samu-Jussi Koski (he spent his early career at Marimeko), launched its first womenswear collection in spring 2011, while the first menswear collection, as a capsule one, was introduced in fall 2013. Their goal is to produce timeless and sustainable design, using quality materials from European and Japanese suppliers. The whole collection is produced in Europe and sold in their flagship store in Helsinki and also throughout selected stores in Europe, Asia and America. The brand use to bring each season two separate lines; the first is Samuji Classic, that carries timeless, clothes and accessories, while the second line, Samuji Seasonal, is more bohemian and colorful oriented collection.

p.s.: today I posted my photo, on which I am wearing their super-soft alpaca and merino wool jumper.

Marta Jakubowski was born in Poland, grow up in Germany and used to live and work in Berlin, Antwerp, London and New York. She started her degree at University of Applied Sciences Trier in Germany, took a year out to study at Central Saint Martins and finished her MA at Royal College of Art last summer. In between, she worked with Bruno Pieters, Jonathan Saunders, Alexander Wang and Hussein Chalayan.

Marta caught public attention with her MA graduate collection, showcased back in June at Royal College of Art’s Graduate Showcase. The collection is about the loss of her mum and how much she love and miss her. It’s about the endless connection after being separated. She was trying to capture emotions, all the sadness, madness and sickness in my silhouettes. That she interpreted also in colors; black for sorrow, red for love and white for a new beginning.

A part of the collection was also showcased at the British Fashion Council´s "One to Watch" installation in Somerset House during the last London Fashion Week.

MAX.TAN is an androgynous geometric minimalistic tailored Women's RTW brand from Singapore, awarded by Modefabriek in Amsterdam, Vogue Nippon, Vogue Paris and Surface Asia.

After graduating in 2006 at the top of his school in Fashion Design from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, he went on to show his first collection at the Singapore Fashion Week in 2007 and was awarded the second runner-up position at the Singapore Fashion Designers Content. With the recognition that he received from the competition, Max started his own label max.tan and continued to create one-off pieces and capsule collections to meet the increasing demand for his designs. The label made its debut with the full-fledged S/S 2010 “Pressed” collection at PARCO next NEXT, a fashion design incubator project jointly created by Parco Singapore department store and the Textile & Fashion Federation (TaFf). Max describes himself more as a garment engineer rather than a fashion designer. While retaining a penchant for austere moods and somber inspirations, his cuts are amazingly innovative and playful. Although much of his attention is paid to tailoring, his real talent is revealed through the unexpected silhouettes generated through the twists in his designs and his constant challenge to the rules of drafting and tailoring. Apart from designing for his label, Max also lectures at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Laselle College of the Arts in Singapore.

Serious but never severe, minimal but never simple, fragile but never weak is the brand´s design. Experiments with quirk cuts and expanding on extremely simple ideas define the max.tan language. Maximizing on minimalistic ideas, this complex language results in details that are sometimes blown out of proportions. Much of the label’s attention is paid to tailoring and draping while creating unexpected silhouettes and austere moods. The garments play with volume, modified shapes and use, masculine, feminine, oversized, undersized, deconstruction, reconstruction and transformation. These factors form the underlying DNA of max.tan. The label advocates an alternative and quiet fashion lifestyle.

Infinity may be everything, but it’s also nothing. Max.tan’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection introduces the abstract concept of everything probable and impossible, the limitless, the unbounded, and the unconventional.

Will it be possible for a garment to have no ends? No conventional hems, nor cuffs?

The exploration of this vast idea results in hybrid garments with no hems; end of garments are lengthened and flipped up, transforming into another garment, e.g the hem of a shirtdress is extended into a jacket bodice, morphing a two-piece garment into one. Sleeves are conjoined together with fabrics flowing one side to another, leaving a drape behind the wearer. Inspired by the curves of the Infinity symbol, curved seams are tactically used to create the main silhouette of the collection; Volumes. Pieces are hung onto the wearer’s body lightly; yet creating big shapes and forms.

JANE SMITH AND JOHN MASON SMITH

TO MIND - KLASICA

TO MIND - JOANNE TAN

TO MIND - EX INFINITAS

TO MIND - SIES MARJAN

TO MIND - BEAUFILLE

TO MIND - MOLLY GODDARD

TO MIND - CLAUDIA LI

TO MIND - JOSH GOOT

TO MIND - J.KIM

TO MIND - GRACE WALES BONNER

TO MIND - SOPHIE BUHAI

TO MIND - CHARLOTTE CHESNAIS

TO MIND - NEHERA

TO MIND - FEDERICA BERARDELLI

TO MIND - ALEX MULLINS

TO MIND - REJINA PYO

TO MIND - SAMUJI

TO MIND - MARTA JAKUBOWSKI

TO MIND - MAX.TAN