Stockholm Syndrome

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Stockholm brought a range of varied collections this season but there were some real stand out shows, especially from recent graduates and new designers i was very impressed! There was some great use of colour; some collections going all out and others using it subtly using one colour throughout the show adding a simple accent to more pared down outfits. Shiny fabrics such as PVC and leather definitely emerged as trends as well as some lesser known foreward thinking textile ideas, along with some all over print action, and shades of grey also seemed to blossom in the Swedish capital. So here are my top picks from Stockholm:

Hernández Cornet’s A/W 2013 collection brought some slick and clean tailoring combined with plenty of exciting textiles such as fleece, metallic silk and Polyurethane (I researched that one!) making sure the collection had an interesting tacile quality. A wondrous shade of green set the whole collection off with accompanying accent print. 

Starting in monocrome then bursting into an array of colour Marimekko was by far one of my favourite shows, although it would be with amount of prints i just can't help being drawn in by the hypnotising patterns. Named ”Art of Print Making – Colour for a Season” it was an extremely fitting title it 'reflects seasonal changes of the surrounding world' using art deco art as inspiration the prints and garments were clean but geometric.

Now for the H&M Design Award show Minju Kim was the winner this year, if you've never heard of the award you should watch this cool video about the award and the finalists http://designaward2013.hm.com/. All the finalists collections we're amazing but Minju Kim's was exceptional, wonderful use of colour, accessories, shape and texture all came together to make a sensationally creative collection.

 

Ida Sjöstedt's A/W 13 collection is my last pick from Stockholm a highly sophisticated show with just the right amount of edge to also make it incredibly cool, lots of gold on black giving the sense of mystery to the collection. The designers signature style is described as ''tasteful kitsch', her stylish evening wearing edging on couture is the perfect way to end this post enjoy!

Eley Kishimoto at Clarks

If your a footwear fan then listen up the upcoming Eley Kishimoto-Clarks collaboration collection is now available to view online and its all very exciting. The nine piece collection is a mix of desert boots (my favourites), wedged sandals and court shoes all coated in the twin pieces trademark geometric prints. Launching on March 1st you can be sure to be the first to place an order with the 'notify me when available ' button on the Clarks website. This collaboration marks 20 years on the fashion radar for the Eley Kishimoto duo, although during these two decades they have proved themselves in more than the fashion business, designing for all sorts of industries such as automotive, packaging, architecture, technology and more recently we saw them design a boat sail for an art sail charity, i recently discovered the Eley Kishimoto blog which if you haven't been on get on there, it's great i've loved looking through past posts and inspiring work that they have done on both the blog and their website. I was driven to the blog through a christmas present, i received a super cool pair of the designers sock's so decided to check out the website which was one of the better decisions i've made in my life! So make sure you check out the Clarks website to see the whole collection and get your finger ready for the 'notify when available button' for these must have creations we have been blessed with!

My Eley Kishimoto socks

The Paris Collections: Menswear

What a joyous event the Paris collections were, the pattern mania we've been experiencing was dispersed in Paris with print scattering themselves into only a few collections. However Paris showed us a range of innovative silhouettes, an abundance of sliced and dissected suits with unusual inserts and plenty of style masterclasses!  With so many amazing collections to choose from i found myself listing nearly all to talk about but i don't have a week spare so i've begrudgingly narrowed it down to my top 5 picks from Paris!

I find myself discussing Thom Browne first, and excellent hats weren't the only highlight in this collection the interesting textural approach to print pleased me and the almost embossed fabric that we've been seeing a lot this season was at its best in Browne's collection. Plaid was also a big hitter here but the way it was used almost made for fresh viewing rather than worn out and a lovely lot of layering too which i always like! 

Paul Smith brought a burst of colour to the collections with some wonderfully unexpected shades, exceptional tailoring was also on the cards but thats no surprise, i loved the shape of trouser and the smart yet playful jumpers, although the ties have to be my favourite.

Now for Sacai i loved the fabrics, colours, styling, and trousers in this collection it was all so right! Charming coats for autumn/winter sat on top of an eclectic mix of garments creating cool outfits, the heavy blue wool suit was my absolute stand out piece with its perfect white buttons and trouser creases!  

                   

Comme des Garcons brought the usual whimsy with pastel colours for A/W, bunny ears, lots of trim, two tone bowling shoes, pom pom suits, tapestry fabrics and plenty of texture. Its a whole lot for one collection but they can never fail to make it work and who knew boys could look so good in pastel pink!

Finally i'll leave you with Dries Van Noten who brought his usual wealth of texture and muted colours. A seamless collection including a full paisley ensamble i can't stop looking at, and lots of lovely pattern in varying formats, perfect A/W shades and just great clothes.

And finally some highlights from the collections:

My award for best use of colour: Wooyoungmi

My award for best top: Damir Doma

My award for best shirt: Christophe Lemaire

My award for best jacket: APC

My award for best ties: Lanvin

The Milan Collections: Menswear

Elegant, fresh and sophisticated could be used to describe the collections that came out of Milan, always a little more subdued (with some exceptions i'm talking Versace) than its former city's offering but always effortlessly chic, leaving a slick hairstyle all the modern man need do before he walks out the door looking exceptional. I'm pleased to say the bombardment of patterns didn't stop in Milan they just keep coming, along with odd trousers waistband that i'm not completely sold on yet and more spectacular outerwear. So without further to do here are my picks from Milan.

First up i have to talk about Versace an overwhelmingly loud collection but you've got to love it, oversized check, giant animal print, outfit coordination to the max, glamourous overcoats, very dapper indeed!  The collection is extremely detailed featuring hand painted suits, studded leathers and embroidered coats, subtle is not a word that springs to mind however elaborate is!

Next MSGM offered a really fun collection with lots of print clashing, funky colours, extremely nice shoes and again a great deal of matchy matchy outfits get ready to match your bag with your shoes, and your coat with your pants boys! 

Now for Moschino it was a great show i loved the misconstructed/ patchwork suit trousers, the modern day dinner suit, the tarten, the fedora's, the knitwear so much in one collection but it worked so coherently. Never did i think you could incorporate a puffa jacket into a dinner suit but how wrong i was!

Etro brought a sense of adventure to the collections, an eclectic mix of cultures, fabrics and styles worked in harmony to bring a very earthy and cool collection together.  Reminding me of 60's Britain when strange cultures and exciting garments from lands afar were drip dropping into peoples wardrobes bringing a new outlook and way of dressing to the table, i adore this collection.

And finally some highlights from the collections:

My award for best coat: Z Zegna

My award for best top: Dolce & Gabbana

      My award for best ensemble: Moncler gamme bleu 

My award for best poses in a collection: MP Massimo Piombo