Photo by Hans Liu

Martin Grant Fall/Winter 2009

Martin Grant’s Fall/Winter 2009 presentation during Paris Fashion Week was a couturier’s tribute to architectural design. The Australian artist had spent many years as a sculptor before turning his talents to fashion.  “My years at art college studying sculpture definitely helped in my understanding three dimensional body forms,” he commented, speaking to SPECTACLE about his newest collection. “My work process is always directly working with materials and rarely starts from flat drawings.”

Photo by Hans Liu

The intimate private viewing room on rue Charlot resembled a modernist gallery exhibition space, in which ivory white mannequins were surrounded with the scaffolding of Grant’s tailored dresses. His apprenticeship under Tatsuno also revealed itself in the Fall/Winter 2009 collection, with its strong emphasis on structured shoulders, skirts and collars. The inspiration for the season was to play with the sharp structure and fluidity contrast. “My work has always been concerned with sculptural, structural form. Silhouettes are very important for me as the designs are more about simplicity and less about decoration,” revealed Grant.

Photo by Edun

Eco-Fashion Reaches the Heart of the Industry

Bernard Arnault of fashion giant  Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy announced last week the company’s acquisition of a minority stake in eco-fashion house Edun. Edun was founded by singer/activist Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, in 2005 on a ‘mission to drive sustainable development in developing economies.’ LVMH’s cash injection is a strong gesture of support for the enterprise and, at the same time, an indication of how far awareness of social and environmental issues has penetrated the industry mainstream. Bono rejected accusations of selling out stating that: “Edun is a small brand with a loud voice. With LVMH, we can grow bigger and faster than we could on our own and bring greater and longer-term stability to our manufacturers and the communities they support.”

Photo by Christopher Fields for SPECTACLE

Lady Gaga and SPECTACLE love Bernard Chandran

Bernard Chandran is the designer of the moment with his futuristic interpretation of this Fall/Winter’s hottest trend – the sculptural and 80s -  inspired over-sized shoulders. Another of the season’s hottest commodities, Lady Gaga, who is a dedicated fan of Chandran’s work, appeared in Chandran’s pink pointy dress for the ASOS editorial back in April.

Photo by Getty

The avant-garde pop singer was seen again dressed head to toe in Chandran on her day off to enjoy a shopping spree on Bond Street in London. Check out the dress in Spectacle’s Statuesque editorial.  Good taste definitely travels fast.

Photo by the Musée national de la Marine

Les Marins Font La Mode

Les Marins Font La Mode exhibition at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris presents a historical overview of the classic French sailor stripes. The sea-blue geometrics originated in the early 20th century French naval uniform. It was so well received that before long the iconic print had found its way to the general public.  This symbol of France and freedom was first seen in children’s wear but it was high-fashion designers that really transformed the maritime emblem into the embodiment of French chic.
The exhibition showcased iconic pieces from Jean-Paul Gaultier, whose dedication to the look and whose impact on everyday French style is still considered unparalleled in the world of fashion. Not only did this exhibition take an in-depth look behind his timeless creations, but also found time to showcase many other designers inspired by the blue stripes. And the list reads like a who’s who of luxury design: Chanel, Martin Margiela, and Yves saint Laurent, just to name a few. Amongst the highlights is John Galliano’s curious bondage-inspired gown from Dior’s Fall/Winter 2000-2001 Couture Collection.
Take some time to indulge yourself in a classic fashion moment. The Les Marins Font La Mode exhibition is on at the Musée national de la Marine until July 26th.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe

Pretty in Cannes

As in retail, so in cinema: the Chinese film industry is proving itself creative, competitive and compelling, and is gaining an ever larger western audience. Chinese stars lighting up the red carpet at Cannes this year included Tan Zhuo, of the erotic tale Spring Fever, who arrived in a graceful creamy feathered gown from Roberto Cavalli. Hong Kong-based Michelle Yeoh was also centre of attention in a silken jade-coloured Versace creation. Taiwanese actress Shu Qi also looked stunning in another of Cavalli’s dresses, this one in rippling ocean blue.

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Photo by Michael Scott Hertzberg

Trying Times

Department store giant Saks Fifth Avenue announced yesterday $5.1 million loses (￡3.2 million) at the beginning of 2009, prompting the company to rethink its strategic business planning. Jones Apparel Group, who own New York rival Barney’s, have also reported an 8.6% revenue fall in the past year, although they remain in the black, for the moment.

Across the Atlantic luxury brands have been similarly hard hit. British market leader Burberry announced loses topping ￡6 million for the previous year, during the course of which 800 staff have been laid off in Spain and the UK.

The only good news comes from Italian fashion house Armani, whose revenue reached €6.2 billion (￡5.4 billion), a 2.3% rise on the previous year, proving that there is some cause for optimism, at least for the Milanese.

Photo by Hans Liu

Collect

Collect, the trendy emporium located on the prestigious Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris is one of most forward thinking retailers in the world. Clients can browse through the most discerning selection of high-end fashion, pumped up by the resident DJ, who creates a party from a shopping trip. The Gallery on the second floor has on-going exhibitions from the hippest artists around, which may prove a well-earned half time between maxing out your credit cards. Don’t forget to check out Soledad Bravi’s exhibition there from May 4th to the end of the month.

During the delirium that is Paris fashion week, Yamamoto’s show stood out for its calm, poetic aesthetic. The messy–haired models dressed in mannish peacoats encapsulate the refined deconstruction the designer has been engaged in for the past few seasons.

Away from the catwalk, Spectacle picked out several looks of the fashion editors in the front row to demonstrate some key trends for the up-coming winter season.

Classic Yamamoto jacket, a tall hat and rocker jeans. This embodiment of refined Japanese aesthetic is a great look for creative intellectuals.

And for the slightly braver? The classic English coat with a clinched belt around the waist adds creativity into a puffy silhouette.  The hunter’s hat and floral scarf complete the look.

Photo by Design Museum

From Fashion and Back

From Fashion And Back, the Hussein Chalayan retrospective at the London Design Museum, displayed a fascinating selection of the designer’s fashion, installation and film projects from 1994 to 2009. Many of his inspirations are drawn from philosophy, technology, history and anthropology. He continues to explore themes for his collections that are not usually fashion-related, and his commitment to convey political and social issues, such as ‘nation states’, ‘cultural identity’, ‘nomadism’ and ‘migration’, through his designs has garnered him praise as the ‘philosopher-king of fashion.’
The exhibition featured the Autumn/Winter 2000 After Words collection: a radical approach to fashion that saw Chalayan confront notions of fashion head on by incorporating furniture into dresses. The collection was inspired by the refugee crisis in Cyprus that forced the sudden departure of many members of his family. In order to convey this migration, Chalayan employed his innovative construction skills, turning a table into a skirt and suitcases into portable chairs. A must-see for fashion and art lovers. It is now your last chance to see the spectacle, as the exhibition ends on May 17th.

Photo by Style.com

Gareth Pugh – Fashion’s Dark Prince
The works of Pugh captures contemporary disintegration and the active aggression of rebellion in contemporary youth culture. The theatrical excess of Pugh’s trademark provokes our everyday eye with his striking confrontational subtext of a culture of morbidity. In his Fall/Winter 2009 collection, the aim is to convey violence through the use of extreme style. The black and white geometric coat, for example, symbolizes the rebellion and unease in modern society and can be interpreted as the extreme alienation of a harsh urban backdrop. His work reflects fashion’s dark excess, using the aestheticism of violence to reflect on dystopian forces in contemporary culture.
Check out The Perfect Imperfect feature in SPECTACLE for more on fashion’s dark glamour