Pierre Hardy 09 ss

TOGA 09 ss

The Japanese label Toga Archives has such a deft way with fabric that means if they kept on piling it on, it would only further enhance the pieces that it have created. Designer Yasuko Furuta has another meaning for toga other than the usual Grecian/Roman connontation which is “blessed robe" and for S/S 09, once again, she manages to incorporated a multitude of elements into one dress without it looking overworked or overwrought that makes her robes truly special. Trojans and phantoms have been past seasonal themes but there was a playfulness to this season what with Furuta looking to the stylings of a cowboy. No cheesy hats though and the boot gets recreated with charm studded buckles and is elevated with a platform to veer it away from looking like a costume. The richness that Toga brings to its garments can be seen yet again even for a season where layers are supposed to be shed. The mix of navy, deep scarlet, forest green peplums are contrasted with nudes bandeau tops. The little Old West frontier nods run throughout the collection almost trying not to be noticed and thus would never get called out as being overly thematic; decorative buckles and Mexican-inspired jewellery, bolo ties, fringing (most effectly used on the denim pieces) and a palette dominated by beige. The same techniques that Furata employs are still there though; the oversized pockets creating volume at hips, the twisted pleats and folds, the symmetrical preciseness in which everything is placed, hence why Toga's garments never seem too heavy.

Lie Sang Bong 09 ss

Using geometrics as an inspiration point is not anything new but as Korean designer Lie Sang Bong showed, those shapes we were made to learn and draw at primary school can be elevated using strategic and clever techniques. His S/S 09 show entitled "Digital Cube" began in straight forward dresses that were printed with simple triangular patterns in a rainbow palette. This then became a full on assault on the three basic 3-D forms; cubes, pyramids and cylinders started to piece together under different structures. Giant circular fabric swatches swayed on dresses. Triangles pieced together in full length strapless dresses created a billowing movement in the fabric as if the shapes were alive. This was the same for the squares of fabric flapping around on minidresses. Even the tailored suits and outerwear were geometric puzzles with the use of complex two-tone panelling. Shapes weren't the only thing on Bong's mind as he also enlisted the help of DTP Link Solution to produce his gradient-based digital printing on the garments and keeping the colours simple, never really veering from blue only further enhanced the shapes he was trying to create. The finale was a dramatic trailing dress of triangular stiff black madness and as pyramids jutted in and out, it finished off Bong's explorative journey of 3-D shapes.

Jeremy Scott

Jeremy Scott 09 ss

You sort of know what to expect at a Jeremy Scott shoow yet at the same time there's always an unexpected element. The expected consisted of loud prints, tight shapes and winking, cheeky models. The unexpected came last night in the form of 18th century/80s fusion. Marie Antoinette, the film by Sofia Coppola rather than the historical character paved the way for a humourous play on the famous toile de jouy blue and white print which was used in dresses that flared out into quasi-mantuas and on boys; sporty shorts and jackets that made an interesting juxaposition. Dungarees from circa 1983 got doused in a floral pattern that looked like it was made for stiff upholstery. Ths fusion began to break down a little as gas pump prints in the latter half of the show looked like a visual play on that American put-down about gas station workers and polka dots and lace were also incorporated. When a model walked out working a 'Healthy' t-shirt, it got cheers from the crowd who probably thought otherwise. The finale involved a model stomping down in a short bustled wedding dress over cycling shorts and a biker jacket to Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and Jeremy Scott was perched on top of a giant wedding cake overlooking his bevy of high-haired models.

新發現 Andrea crews - 2

Andrea crews opening

Andrea Crews 2006

Andrea Crews @ Amsterdam Denim Award 2008

ANDREA CREWS paris fashion week 09ss

新發現 Andrea crews - 1

"I think everybody can be ready for beautiful boobs!" Andrea Crews got it half right because initially as a girl from Andrea Crews' crew was escourting people to their places in an assymetrical black draped dress that exposed an entire breast, people did not know whether to wince or laugh. Still she was so carefree in her attitude that it set the tone for Andrea Crews' show held at the Jeu de Paume museum. So a troop of galatical amazonian women came storming down the catwalk, dressed in tassled and string creations that covered very little and revealed plenty of beautiful boobs. Despite there being so much flesh on show, you did end up looking at the hair/fringed capes, the string jersey suits and the gold chunky belts that masqueraded as skirts (perhaps in French, they also use that same turn of phrase about miniskirts looking like belts). The more covered up pieces featured loud prints, basic sweatshirts that are transformed and dresses with sequin and geometric panels. Though Andrea Crews is primarily known for vintage clothing reinvigoration, the collection was actually more of a transformation of existing garments, rather than old ones, turning basic t-shirts into string cleavage-enhancing bikinis for example and only two pieces from the collection were born out of vintage clothes. So perhaps Andrea Crews, despite wanting to be known as a fashion activist is actually beginning not to feel guilty about making some cash from her fashion antics. That's of course dependent on whether people are ok about some bare booby jiggling and after the show, on this night, a few probably would have loved to join the parade.

Andrea Crews 09 ss

http://www.andreacrews.com