RANI ZAKHEM COUTURE SPRING SUMMER 2018

Fury, fervor, effervescence! For his first couture fashion show in Paris, Rani Zakhem celebrates life and joy in incandescent metaphors. Fire is the essential element of this sumptuous yet relaxed collection, dedicated to a volcanic woman.

As devouring as ethereal, the sacred element comes in pyrotechnic explosions and cascades of gold, drawn by embroideries of arachnoid crystals of lava on the black of a sheath whose draped top splits into a deep "V” neckline. Some creations seem to be sculpted in the light, like the pearl-beige silk dress, where red, orange and gold gems glow with a myriad of sequins that bring precious reflections back to the surface. Here the image of the volcano is spun to the neck, columned and entirely gilded, a recurring element of the collection and keystone of an architecture that favors ease, movement and, one would be tempted to add, the dancing flames that seem to devour the fabric barely touch the floor.

Reminiscent of a party in Vienna where the designer returned bedazzled, Klimt's Kiss, itself cast in a gold powder dust of stars, infuses into the collection a resolutely modernist visual vocabulary, translated into sequins of geometric forms. Geometry that also brings us into the disco spirit of the 1970s with many references to Halston, especially in a loose, single- shouldered fluid dress with a golden Mao collar, in a fanned out degradé rainbow, gold to red through yellow and bright orange. Gold, again, subtle and powdery, sculpts a feuille d'or chiffon dress, knotted in a wrap around bustier dropping into a deep backline, a tribute to Mireille Darc, elegantly quoting Guy Laroche.

Clearly, the theme of fire, sometimes extinguished leaving precious streaks of diamonds on silky nights; sometimes fluid, sizzling cascades of molten metal on a short dress with dripping panels, and sometimes gently iridescent with warm colors, is only a pretext chosen by Rani Zakhem to salute the masters who nourished his vocation.

A scarfed collared, vertiginously split yellow chiffon, plissé soleil dress with mouton sleeves, is a joyful smile addressed to Jean-Louis Scherrer. Another, short black silk satin, real Moujik tunic adorned at the bottom with pleated yellow faille and embellished with a large bow of the same fabric is a nod to Yves Saint Laurent. A third, composed of a densely embroidered golden top with narrow three-quarter sleeves, and a long black pleated skirt is a reverence to Balmain. The heart skips a beat when the liquid gold drape of a silk jersey habillé evening sheath appears, ending with a large bow of black silk satin on the shoulder, a tribute of the designer to Madame Grès.

A black silk satin kaftan, embroidered on the edges with gold sequins and flame patterns at the bottom, recalls Rani Zakhem's native orient and plays on the bond between his multiple cultures.
A delicate apotheosis of this fashion show, shaped in flowing lava and blazing fires, is the wedding dress, long and tight with its delicate whitish lace and precious simplicity , emphasizes the minimalist bias of a collection with budding emotions.

fashionado

ZIAD NAKAD Spring Summer 2018 Couture

"I am Demeter, revered by all, the power most useful for gods and men."

For his Spring Summer 2018 collection, Ziad Nakad decided to celebrate the "Goddess of Wheat" and "Mother of the Earth." Goddess who gathers the fruits of the earth and offers them to humanity; its cult is particularly flourishing in the countries where this wheat is found in abundance, in Sicily, in the region of Eleusis, in Crete, in Thrace and in the Peloponnese.

Like a bird flying over the harvests, perfectly free, crossing a colorful sky, resplendent and singularly geometric - the pale blue of the firmament mixes with the yellow and gold of the wheat, the green of the earth, the coral of the ocean and the  bronze trees at sunset. Wheat ears dot the dresses, a tribute to the most iconic representation of the goddess Demeter. Dress after dress, Ziad Nakad plays a subtle game that celebrates life in a precise mastered know-how and silk embroidered sublimated tulles.

Ziad Nakad created this collection for the strong woman, assumed, voluntary but also and especially generous. Inspired by one of the most favorable deities to humans, as a symbol of accomplishment and peace.

fashionado

Laskaris Spring Summer 2018 Couture

She used to sleep with snakes and nurse the reptiles. The Muse of the Laskaris  House for the Summer of 2018 is Olympias, the Princess of the Molossian of Epirus, the wife of Philip II, King of the Macedonians, and the mother of Alexander the Great. 

The inspiration of collection is based on the travelogue of a strong woman. It begins with the birth of Olympias in Pasaronas, an ancient city of Epirus. The domesticated snakes are made of skins, embroidered with handmade enamels or depicted on clothes with dazzled Swarovski. The sandals of the collection are traditionally handmade, manufactured by Laskaris. The emblem of Epirus, an oak, gives its green color to mark the collection which is composed of ivory, pastel and bright green in Grecian style. 

Olympias served in the Oracle of Dodoni where it had already been initiated into the bacchanalian mysteries. Thus, the entire collection is reminiscent of ancient Greek costumes of priestesses combined with pagan music from the Greek music band Daemonia Nymphe, which uses reconstructions of ancient instruments and lyrics in ancient Greek, with Bacchic ceremonies and invocations.  

Then, the Olympias’ life journey leads us to Samothrace, where the designer Laskaris was born and where Olympias became a priestess of the Kavarion Mysteries. The legend says that Philip II had been initiated into the mysteries, where he met and fell in love with Olympias, in a mystic ritual orgy of Kavarion Mysteries. 

The collection is influenced by the columns of the Temple of Samothrace, where the charismatic Great Alexander was conceived, during the ritual. The clothes are crafted by handmade meanders, destructurized columns, draped worked with real stones, beams of light, nervir and copper. 

Olympias told  Philip II, that one night, Zeus came to her dreams in the form of a snake and left her pregnant to Alexander the Great, which is why the Great Alexander was the son of god. Olympias then had only one mission: to make Alexander the most powerful man, as he became. 

The last phase of the collection identifies Olympias as the wife of Phillip II in Pella and in Aigia – today’s Vergina - where the leather, embossed flowers in the wreaths of the collection have been influenced.  A hymn to Vergina of Macedonia , Greece. May our Alexandre B. rest in peace .

fashionado

MARIA ARISTIDOU SPRING SUMMER 2018 COLLECTION

"Close your eyes and fly to the Secret Gardens of Alexander. A utopia, a fantasy land where euphoria is the only feeling of existence! A land with never ending gardens of delicate Japanese flowers, that the human eye cannot gasp in one breath! A land with human smiles that never will be forgotten and will always watching over us.  One of them, close to my heart is Alexander Boulais!  My agent in Paris! The person that with his instinct believed in my work.  A gentle human soul, a noble man that was always calm, soft spoken with a genuine smile and loved his garden! May you be the wind and the light that crosses your Secret Gardens and always be a shining star upon us!" ~ Maria Aristidou

Maria Aristidou, a specialist in couture knit wear, created a fantasy colorful world for spring-summer daywear and eveningwear for women where romance, positive energy and freedom are the safety keys for happiness. A playground of flowered patterns with silk viscose and metallic yarns and where elaborate embroideries decorate the luxurious knit fabric creations for today's woman.

Spring Summer 2018 is a collection with carefree curves and sleek cuts, with unexpected details, and the accessories that complete the beauty of this womenswear secret garden story.

fashionado

Giambattista Valli Spring 2018 Couture

“A lot of people in fashion right now are a little bit scared of beauty. There’s a lot of research into intellectual beauty, alternative beauty, a more edgy beauty, to break the rules. But I’m the opposite. I love the idea of something harmonious, sensual, romantic.”

Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli Spring 2018 Couture. 

fashionado

Julien David Fall 2018 Menswear

“I wanted to take a step and look at the sociological aspect—how we behave,” he confirmed. “I [thought] to abduct specific characters and just study the human species.” 

Julien David / Vogue

Julien David Fall 2018 Menswear - David featured 20 looks and 20 breeds wearing "normal" clothes. The models were hanging out in a presentation playing cards, drinking whiskey and exercising. Per Vogue, the masks proved to be more expressive than your average model.

fashionado

Heron Preston Fall 2018 Menswear

Designer Heron Preston showed his third womenswear and menswear collection for his eponymous brand, titled “Public Figure,” an aesthetic riff on influencer culture and self-declared celebrity.

For inspiration, Preston decided to play with observations of his surroundings on the “influencer jet stream,” a term for the highly attended cultural churn of annual events, from Art Basel in Miami to global fashion weeks (one can find a list of such events printed on a shirt in the collection under a sparkling crystal globe).

In our current culture, “Public Figure” is a title one can select for oneself on Instagram, and the patterns and proclamations of these “Public Figures” are present in the details of Preston’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection.

Graphics in the new collection bestow pseudo-titles like “Influencer” and “Public Figure”, a playful take on the intensely curated self-display that we see en masse on social media, meant to be worn and made visible in meta-context.

The labels appear across the front of camouflage pants—with a new take on the print that focuses on leaves with rich colors—as well as on denim jackets and polos. “If you buy a polo from Heron Preston you are an influencer,” the designer jokes. “Who is to argue that?”

For this season, Preston merges his covetable workwear aesthetic with new luxury materials, introducing a range of new accessories, including handbags, footwear, and eyewear. The first Heron Preston handbag, The Canal Bag, is a dual flap shoulder bag with snakeskin and calf-hair, designed with two pockets and a bright orange Heron Preston branded strap and complemented by the brand’s eye-catching orange pull tab with “Pull” instruction playfully printed on it. A construction inspired thick sole boot comes in snakeskin, black and camouflage printed leather, with the “Style” logo printed in red. The collection also introduces sunglasses, with tortoiseshell and rose, black, and red and orange colorways with branding on the frame, inspired by glasses Preston was gifted (as an influencer, naturally) and wore himself. All branding, from the silver embossed Made In Italy to the signature orange label and serial numbers appear on the outside of accessories in the collection.

Womenswear offerings continue to evolve in this collection, which includes a snakeskin leather dress, crushed velvet bodysuits, and for the first time, women’s suiting, with a two-tone oversize blazer and skirt. Preston also worked with luxury shearling and faux fur for the first time, letting elevated materials have a playful dialogue with his workwear influence.  A crystal application of the “СТИЛЬ” logo updates Preston’s signature for Fall/Winter 2018.

Fall/Winter 2018 also marks the debut of Heron Preston’s NASA collection, an idea the designer teased in December 2013 when he appeared in a Styles Section piece in the New York Times under the headline, The Street Wear Designer Heron Preston Has His Eyes on NASA. This season, which coincides with the space agency’s 60th anniversary, Preston’s self-declared dream collaboration will be a reality.

The Heron Preston NASA capsule is a NASA-inspired collection that taps on the agency’s authentic 1975 logo, which consists of the word "NASA" in a unique type style, nicknamed the "worm." The NASA “worm” logo, originally discontinued in 1992, is resurrected with Preston’s FW18 collection.

Inspired by the outer layer of Extravehicular Mobility Units, or spacesuits, Preston interprets the iconic uniform in the form of a 3M nylon space jacket, a silver denim logo jacket, and a multifunctional convertible backpack (which can also be worn as a fanny pack or tote bag). The collection is branded with “fall/winter 1990” as an homage to the former logo. 

Rounding off the Fall/Winter 2018 collection, Heron Preston introduces a new collaboration with Carhartt WIP. Early in his career, Preston re-worked and styled vintage Carhartt WIP jackets for his website, and the brand’s iconic canvas workwear remains essential to the Heron Preston DNA. This new collection will combine the classic canvas with Preston’s crystal “СТИЛЬ” logo, a high fashion stamp on utilitarian garments.

The collaboration includes a fanny pack, beanie, jacket, vest and pants, all treated and paint splattered for a deep wear look, and accented with Heron Preston’s signature orange trim. The treatment marks Preston’s reverence to workwear as functional protective layers, capturing a moment in the clothing’s life that makes it striking.

To shop Heron Preston, visit: https://www.heronpreston.com/en/US

fashionado