The Blogazine

Paris Fashion Week – the city of haute couture, where fashion is taken incredibly seriously – has, for a long time detained the status of the capital of fashion. Nevertheless, despite its impressive fashion past, Paris was recently met with some tough competition from other fashion metropoles. In fact, the geography of fashion has changed, and it would be inaccurate to speak of only one, key fashion capital today. However, Paris is still one of the most influential cities in the industry, which is more obvious than ever during every fashion week. But if we put the established brands aside, what is the temperature for upcoming designers in Paris? Here is a brief list of names which have set themselves to be the next fashion wonders.

Aganovich is the new avant-garde fashion brand, whose two designers, Nana Aganovich and Brooke Taylor, have built their design philosophy around a mix of influences which take form in an abstract and conceptual way. This design approach is seen in their latest Fall 2015 collection, where mixes of patterns and volumes form key features of each look. Aganovich might not be easily approached by everyone, but that is also one of the most interesting things about the brand: they have stayed true to their vision and fulfilled it without trying to make it mainstream, establishing an initiative and approach that is refreshing in times when many brands are trying their best to be liked by everyone.

Yang Li is known for his “grunge romantic” aesthetic and has in just a couple of years made a name for himself due to his particular approach which combines of rough and soft attributes. For the next Fall, Li has taken inspiration from the look, definition and feeling of the word ‘tension’. The whole collection embodied the theme, from the metallic color scheme to the fabrics which were crumpled like a plastic bag. The balance and tension between the perfect and imperfect was always present in the pieces – a message that feels very current in a world of Instagram filters and airbrushing: sometimes the imperfections are what makes everything more interesting, a saying that Li successfully expressed.

Masha Ma is a young emerging Chinese designer with one foot in Shanghai and one in Paris. The Central Saint Martins graduate and Alexander McQueen intern, is known for her feminine and yet futuristic approach to fashion, and for this Fall strong women were her main focus. With that said, it was not the look of one woman sent down the runway, instead a lot of various looks and styles were showed. From 70s inspired pieces to more clean silhouettes with items in black and white, the collection embodied many different types of women, with one thing in common – they dresses for themselves.

As the fashion world’s most exciting season comes to an end, we bring about the final account of Paris fashion week, moving on from accessories and colours, to the, perhaps, most defining of all ingredients: the cuts. From classic draping or wide palazzo pants, the next Fall/Winter 2015 season looks is shaping up to be a very elegant affair.

Two-in-one: One of the most recurring trends was creating a sort of a patchwork effect, making looks seem almost ambiguous and exciting. On one side, this trend was translated in half a dress in one color or fabric and the other half in a different one. Witnessed at Chalayan, Céline and John Galliano, the approach could be seen mostly on flowy dresses, creating a rather romantic bohemian composition. On the other side of the trend, structural tops in several different colors, shapes and patterns combined in a single piece, were seen at Jacquemus and Stella McCartney, where the technique was used to expand the garment’s repertoire.

Draping: Draping is one of the most traditional, classic and tested styles, with different typologies and techniques of draping used at Undercover, Rick Owens and, naturally, Vionnet. The laid back style of draping used made for a rich visual effect, recalling a mystical time of yesteryears without relinquishing a modern artistic elegance.

Palazzo pants: The cigarette pant was a mere memory on Parisian runways, as several shows put on, the relaxed over-dimensioned pant. Designed in silk with pleats, black leather, velvet – and the list could go on forever – leisure clothes were taken on a more elegant and urban route. At Balmain, the palazzo pants were given a pop art soul, while a more tailored look could be seen on the runways of Emanuel Ungaro and Maiyet. Finally, some designers simply focussed on the right fabric – velvet – as in the case of Dries van Noten.

Moving on from Milan to Paris, accessories are able to highlight just any look. Aside from the continued profiling of fur details adorning several garments, there were a few other recurring accessories seen at the Parisian runways.

Wide belts: This season features a comeback of both the traditional wide belt borrowed from the 1980s, as well as the obi-belt, seen strutting down the runways of Ann Demeulemeester, Rochas and Haider Ackermann as well as many others. Showcased mainly in black leather, the wide belt functioned as an unexpected twist to ordinary looks. It was worn smartly way to contrast both color and material without making things too complicated.

Harness: Leather structures, reminiscent of different form of harnesses, was another way of adding an interesting element without completely violating the style of the look. It made for a futuristic, yet oddly vintage feel. Strapped over the chest in an asymmetrical swirl as seen at Lanvin, or over the whole body, recalling a cross body bag, as seen at Céline or just presented as a leather detail around the upper chest as showcased at Balmain. The harness effect created the illusion of layering without actually adding another layer, bringing the piece to a more postmodern fashionable time.

For over a century, the fashion from Paris has dictated upcoming trends around the world, including what colours to invest in. During the shows for the upcoming cold season – Fall/Winter 2015 – black was still the dominating colour. However, there were a few other contenders to keep in mind.

Earth: Sand-tones like beige and taupe were seen at many Parisian runways, including Nina Ricci and Acne Studios. In a tailored and nuanced way the different fashion houses used earth tones on mixed materials creating a grounded effect which paradoxically lifted the looks to something more eye-catching than just another beige coat.

Wind: Fresh as a summer breeze, light blue notes infiltrated numerous shows, sometimes bordering on white – as seen at Loewe – or in light denim – as seen at Chloé. The custom seemed to be a head-to-toe light blue look, with darker accent colors. A black belt, as seen at Barbara Bui, or dark grey boots á la Dior, are just a few sources of inspiration.

Water: Since the water in the fall suddenly becomes dark and enchanting, so were some of the color schemes on Parisian runways, proposing the same deep blue scale. Navy was dominating and could be spotted at Carven, Lanvin or Isabel Marant. It could be seen in apt combinations which brought together different shades of dark blue with black or white, showing why it is considered a classic, yet of its time.

As Paris Fashion Week came to an end, we can say farewell to this season’s exciting menswear runways. Even though Couture captures all the attention now, we still want to linger on what we saw in the French capital by selecting five best prints that men will be wearing next season.

MAISON MARGIELA: After all the changes in the Maison’s direction, Margiela managed to keep things interesting and pretty good, especially in menswear. Pale, ruined and decadent at the right level, these prints make every mise look delicate.

DRIES VAN NOTEN: Sensual and flamboyant, men on the show wore their shirts rigorously open, with the colour palette being quite dark and intriguing.

LOUIS VUITTON: A mirrored pattern chosen by Louis Vuitton for next winter draws on a contrasting combination of dark and light tones, with drawings printed in black on camel and grey.

VALENTINO: The key word here is geometry: rigorous figures decorate sweaters and coats combining different tonalities, resulting in simple yet very effective garments.

ALEXANDER WANG: For his menswear line, the young designer went all-in with the camouflage. Delicate and based on same tones, this camouflage pattern defined a new modern and contemporary approach, so typical of the designer’s oeuvre.

Since Milano Moda Uomo has just passed the baton to Paris, the poshest of all fashion weeks, we are giving you a short and sweet slice of what will be the boldest trends for men for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2015 season. We start we the most obvious winter piece: the coat.

THE PVC COAT: The plastics inspiration infected more than one designer, even during Milano fashion week shows. In Paris, the best example was seen on Rick Owens’ runway. Obviously black, it presents a silhouette which is examplar: not too short and yet not too long.

THE VEST: We already talked about this trend a couple of months ago. As outwear, it should be worn long and matched with a heavy sweater. Raf Simons is the one who stood out with the vests he presented.

THE VERY LONG COAT: The long coat is going to take the place of the half-lenght one: majestic in its whole figure, it should be avoided by those not particularly high. The best example is the one designed by Walter Van Beirendonck: black and colored at the same time, it should be worn wide open.

THE CAPE: Christopher Lemaire is one of the most chic designers of the last generation. His inique and flawless style blends together with timelessly cool garments. For the next season the highlight is surely on the cape, which comes in military green.

THE ANIMALIER COAT: Mostly recognized as an aggressive print, so far only women have worn it on the catwalks. But for the next winter, it seems like it has finally entered the menswear world. Although we have seen different types of animalier garments on coats, it’s the one designed by Haider Ackermann that caught our eye.

After nearly a month of exciting, yet tiring, runways, this fashion season is coming to a close, with main shows of Chanel and Valentino ending the Paris Fashion Week today. This year’s Paris Fashion Week was actually quite intense: we saw the farewell of Mr. Jean Paul Gaultier from ready-to-wear world, enjoyed Yohji Yamamoto’s sensual experiments, and breathed a typically Parisian avant-garde air (in some cases tragic, in others utterly relaxed). Speaking about most notable trends, we must point out three main lines of development: net composition, denim and a ‘modern princess’ inspiration.

Let’s start from the first one, netting: it might sound weird, but for next season, various designers have worked on the mesh element. Alexander Wang, at the helm of Balenciaga, played with different consistencies, and created long light coats, as well as ethereal white skirts and pink tops, with a futuristic, yet minimal attitude. At Dior, Raf Simons gave a taste of the trend, with net details made of silk styled over dresses, in a way that was more hidden than revealed. Céline exploited the mesh trend in a completely Phoebe Philo style: it firstly came out as a long sleek dress, created through sapient marquetry, later turned into a bigger weft in black and ivory tanks.

The second trend was the one related to denim. Even though is not a big deal to see a pair of jeans or a denim jacket take a stroll down the catwalk, it must be said this year their presence was notable. At Chloé we saw a 90s revival, with trompe-l’œil effects – both a skirt and blouse and a pants and blouse tandem at a first glance seemed to form a unique piece – and huge frontal pockets. Refined Christopher Lemaire wisely paired indigo with navy blue, leaving the hem free. The youth vibe came from Kenzo, where maxi palazzo pants were alternated with extra large zip coats.

We finish our tour with the jolly one, the modern princess style. If the girl imagined by Rochas is a preppy student who dares to show a bit of her young skin and wears white socks with precious heels, the one by Rick Owens definitely emerged from the dark side, without leaving the romanticisms behind. We should end by mentioning Undercover, one of the real surprises of the last fashion week: theatrical, intense and dreamy, the collection – as well as its princess – was a mix of influences blended in a unique mood, that partly sums-up Paris Fashion Week.