Saison Deroeux

"Etienne Deroeux is an emerging French designer. Trained in Belgium at Antwerp’s Royal Academy and La Cambre in Brussels, he has collaborated with various fahion houses in Paris, London, and New York. Enhanced by these experiences, Etienne Deroeux presented his first collection ‘Saison Un’ in 2011 during Paris fashion week. His line evokes elegance, quality and remains timeless. All materials used are natural and handpicked carefully. The pieces are produced in France in limited copies, with each garment hand-numbered from 1 to 100, ensuring authenticity and exclusivity to each piece." (etiennederoeux.com)

I came across the French designer a few weeks a go in an article written by the brilliant Léa Taleb and was instantly draw to his quietly luxurious creations. His designs offer a poetically precise Bauhaus signature, which Deroeux has effortlessly mastered in only a few seasons. The design talent launched his label with the eponymous but simple name 'Saison Une'. From the begining of this journey right through to 'Saison Quatre', Deroeux has been accompanied by his faithful allies; asymmetrically draped dresses, graphic jackets in luminous blends of colour, fabrics and leather selected from manufacturers and tanneries which the 24 year old designer has iconically transformed into works of virtuous simplicity with a subtle blend of tradition and modernity. These masterpieces are all carefully crafted in a small factory in the north of France which also produces his collections in small quantities, believing that "fashion is about long lasting garments that can be integrated into the everyday lives of women." I feel that it is very rare to find designers as attached committed to local craftmanship as Deroeux, and this savoir-faire quality embodied by so little young designers needs to be preserved as much as possible.

Geometry

Tessellating and simple pieces that come together to make exiting and unexpecting results-this is what you will discover when purchasing from Bao Bao-Issey Miyake. The idea of form and function produced by chance is what the Japanese-born designer has enveloped into his exciting and interminable accessories line, first bought about in September 2010, Miyake created a wearable look full of charge and energy. The label 'Bao Bao' comes from the word 'bilbao' which is the comprise of repeated triangular pieces, and it is these tessellations that give the bag its unique and flexible shape, inspired by the metal panels that steel workers fuse together to create structures, the triangles are attached to mesh cloth to give it movement and the feeling of lightness.

Denim nostalgia

London based design team Marques' Almeida are known to evoke the post-grunge Ninties era in their garments and for their FW13 collection they did not shy away from their iconic aesthetic. However, the designers took a rough-luxe take on the era, combing the industrial and baggy skater with raw silks and slashed denim. Semi-court shoes with their signature clompy soles added a splash of sophistication to the skater child, along with silk parkas and luxurious ink and maroon biker jackets-the pinical of Ninties fashion. Pushing the boundaries, Marques' Almeida even tackled the gown but of course to their own ethic; with huge balloning trousers to bring us back to the collection's raw nature, whilst transparent knits were slashed, torn and trailed. Marques' Almeida certainly bought about a sophisticated nostalgia to street.

Acne FW13

It was said that you cut the suspense with a knife at the opening of Acne's first debut at Paris Fashion Week after leaving London last year. It was the final step in the exclusification that is Acne, whereby Jonny Johnasson decided to adapt Acne's men's show into an "intimate presentation" which ultimatley down-sized the exposure of the house and it was certain that Acne would not dare disappoint with their iconic skill in their approach. The outcome of Johnasson's cocktail of cerulean blue, splashes of slate and boxy leather was down to the progressive-minimalist kabel collaborating with bespoke artist Katerina Jebb and the Musee Galliera which created a masterpiece that completely reshaped fashion as we know it. "We wanted to insert a historic element with what we do," said Johnasson and this historical element allowed the label a new outlook and perspective, viewing fashion in a new angle; and with Jebb's materialised prints featured throughout, it made for a captivating and interesting collection. It was a concoction of leather and corduroy, thick knits with brutal zips and stitching, and through the harsh and stiff shapes peered soft salmon pinks and sandy shades invited as much appreciation as the consideration that had gone into the label. With Acne unravelling history, as Johnasson intended, with such ease and innovation, it is safe to say that Acne has found itself a home here in Paris.

Short hair and Vogue

Sweater: Jil Sander
Shorts: Vintage
Plastic raincoat: Topshop

When a woman cuts her hair...

"…it’s time for a change. Change is a funny thing; it can transform not only one’s physical appearance to perhaps something more empowering and elaborate, but can completely renovate that person’s embodiment of their persona into a new, exciting and wonderful being. Extravagant changes are part of human nature, we will simply never be satisfied with being ‘ordinary’ or ‘plain’ but strive to embody every eccentric on this planet until our locks run fuchsia and every inch of our skeleton is inked. It’s an unconventional arms-race which will be won by those who do stick out like a sore thumb, those who are not afraid of neon plaid or floor length cobalt braids á la Brooke Candy..."

This is a short extract from one of my 500 word entries for the Vogue Young Writers Talent Contest which I am planning to enter this year. The thought of exremely important people reading my somewhat mediocre writing really scares me, but this is such a fanstastic and thrilling opportunity as an aspirational editor, I just hope the Gods are on my side! (I think what I wrote above pretty much sums up why I got my hair cut!)

Eudon Choi FW13

Eudon Choi-a young designer who has been steadily building his reputation on cocoon lines, sleek shapes and a sense of futurist austerity, yet for his FW13 collection be bought an aesthetic of Russian romance to the ever-anticipating audiences in his London show this February. "For me the real focus was to keep the signature, but the main starting point was actually the Swarovski sponsorship which really inspired the romantic element in the collection like the crystals," said Choi, who also noted Russian costume as the basis of new shapes and elements fullfilling his collection; bloom-filled headwer and full cocooned skirts adorned his blushing collection. "It has the hardness and the softness," went on Choi, who elaborated that this was a season of firsts and change, a new chapter in fashion and a new chapter in the book Eudon Choi has opened.

 

The main reason why I love London Fashion Week as aposed to the more prestigious of the events is simply because of the discovery and unveiling of new young talent-they emmerge as bright, exciting and unexpected flowers in the fashion Garden of Eden, blooming with innovation and austerity, ready an awaiting their debut which is exactly what has drawn me to Eudon Choi. He mastered it in rosewater and Persian blue.