The soulful notes of a live flamenco performance filled the air at Johanna Ortiz’s presentation, setting the tone for an emotional show. “I wanted to reconnect with my roots and fully embrace my Hispanic heritage,” she said backstage. “This collection truly comes from my heart.” Ortiz infused her designs with energy and authenticity. The vibrancy … Read more
That’s the thing with the Paris show schedule: From designer to designer, show to show, a mood shift is positively guaranteed. That was certainly the case when going from the bravura maximalist theater of Alessandro Michele’s runway debut for Valentino to the cheery welcoming calm of Margaret Howell’s showroom, where Howell and her design directors … Read more
When things get really bad, at some point one has to convince oneself they can’t get any worse. To that end, Mira Mikati is determined to keep looking on the bright side, come hell or high water. “If you think there’s no chance, then there isn’t,” she said during a preview. “I always believe that … Read more
So much for British creativity. Ashish Gupta entrusted the art direction of this lookbook to former Fashion East-ers James Theseus Buck and Luke Brooks of Rottingdean Bazaar, along with the photographer Annie Collinge. This is the same trio that won this year’s Grammy for best recording package. However they seemed to be phoning it in … Read more
Alessandra Rich’s presentation took place in the brand’s expansive Art Deco showroom, featuring black-and-white marble floors and opulent gilded finishes. The setting framed her elegant spring collection, designed for women with a packed social calendar filled with cocktails and soirées. Rich is known for weaving a naughty edge into her seemingly prim and proper dresses. … Read more
The belted rave pants Anna Teurnell introduced for resort returned for spring with lots of pockets. The reasons for this, and the hanging pockets on draped gabardine skirts, were practical as well as aesthetic. For security reasons, bags are not allowed at big venues in Sweden, including Gothenburg’s Way Out West music festival. “I don’t … Read more
On Friday, the American Church in Paris was the backdrop for a renaissance of sorts. Following some last-minute drama courtesy of the Frankfurt airport customs authorities, MaXhosa Africa made it to PFW with a spring lineup that transposed history, symbolism and craft techniques like beading into light, modern silhouettes. Backstage before the show, creative director … Read more
Mossi Traoré dreams big. Somehow, despite being an indie designer and an outlier, he also manages to make those dreams come true. Through persistence, talent and charm, he has met his Bollywood idol and traveled the world sans expense account to fuse his notion of inclusive, ethical couture with craftsmanship from other cultures. Thirteen years … Read more
Christian Wijnants is in reset mode. After a two-year break—during which a sideline made him a collateral victim in a drama of money and murder known informally as the “Belgian Versace” scandal, followed by a retreat to Sri Lanka and a newfound dedication to yoga. He returned with a spring collection rooted in serenity. It … Read more
“Easier” is the way Vestbø described the collection, but the de-and re-construction of long, narrow skirts looked complicated and sometimes stiff; effortlessness was to be found instead in sweaters through which scarves were pre-threaded, a polka-dot dress worn with thigh-high boots, and a draped minidress with rounds at the gathering point, which reference the cross … Read more
