PFW | Damir Doma

1 février 2012 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

The silhouettes of Damir Doma are rather known for their minimalism and comfortable proportions. It was certainly a surprise when we seen a few days ago, these men wearing fur and african-inspired prints on the podium.

Half of the collection later, we found again the style of the croatian designer: mixing shades of gray and a work on another volume for men clothes.

For the autumn/winter 2012, the cut is as usual, but colors (in fact only on two silhouettes) and subversives stripes appeared.

Not necessarily convincing, Damir Doma, however, opens the way for other creative directions. We look forward to see the rest of the process.

Green…

De Damir Doma on est plutôt habité à voir défiler ses moines urbains, silhouettes minimalistes aux proportions confortables. C’est avec surprise que l’on a pu voir il y a quelques jours, ces « hommes des steppes », portants fourrures et imprimés afro-inspired surgir sur le podium.
Une fois la surprise passée (la moitié de la collection) on retrouvait alors le style plus connu du créateur croate, privilégiant les nuances de gris et le travail sur de nouvelles proportions masculines.

Son travail de coupe reste le même, la couleur fait son apparition, timide mais franche ainsi que que l’imprimé et de subversives rayures (lire L’Etoffe du diable, une histoire des rayures et des tissus rayés de Michel Pastoureau).

Pas forcément convaincant, Damir Doma s’ouvre néanmoins la voie à d’autres directions créatives, au regard de son parcours on attend avec impatience la suite des ses investigations.

… and red, that’s all for the color for this season on two tops.

En deuxième partie du défilé, le style plus « classique » de Damir Doma.

Ci-dessus un des plus bel ensemble de la collection

Ci-dessous son travail sur le tailoring entamé lors des saisons précédentes.

Seoul Fashion Week | Nohke J

12 décembre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

Sun told me about her friend Misun Jung, designer and founder of Nohke J an upcoming brand of South Korea (in fact i notice her this summer in Nazine magazine). I exchange a few mails with Misun, trying to find time to meet each other during my week in Seoul but our schedules were so full that we couldn’t made it.

The show was one of the most exciting of the week, full of energy without being theatrical, even if the place was crowded, not suited to take pictures and dimly lit…

The outfits are a permanent contrast between fragility (mesh, silk) and strenghs (leather). Note the alternative-rock attitude given by the garments, the colour (mostly black and white) and the wet hair look.

This feminine collection is a sort of unfinished-work in progress, but easily wearable. The fabrics are in a battle, the leather is wrinkled, the silk is ruched. Straight lines and curves are crossing in a chaotic way, creating geometric shapes or inserts of fabrics on the dresses or on the few pants. You can have the edgy look without being disguised regardless your age.

On this pants, the insert of mesh is like a laser cut

It’s the collection of a young designer and perhaps(?) we need one or two really strong pieces to vamp the show.

Above all these, the collection is very coherent and very pleasant. Misun Jung keeps the spirit of the previous collection, her savoir-faire (especially the cuts) and withdrew, for next summer, what was burdening the shape, allowing more sensuality.

With her skills in cutting and tailoring we can’t wait to see the evolutions and new proposals she prepares for the next shows.

Previous collection is available here.

Seoul Fashion Week | Tache

23 novembre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

A fashion show is an event where lighting, stage, music and the garments are converging to illustrate a designer’s universe, causing an emotion.

On my way back to the press room, I heard a few notes of one of my favorites song « Bela Lugosi’s Dead » by Bauhaus, a batcave group of the late 80’s. It’s through the music that I came to see this show.

Jey Park and Jiha Park met and studied fashion in Paris (Studio Berçot and Esmod). In order to produce easily, the duo returned to South Korea and created the brand Tache a year ago and a half with the objective of returning to Europe to spread their brand.

Dark and noisy music on the runway, in contrast, walking in line, girls were wearing fluid and transparent clothes. Using mainly silk this season, the duo were also inspired by the trench coat.

The collection is experimental, influenced by the guitarist Glenn Branca. The dual color range is like an independent rock music song: nude and black.

In fact the collection is not as rock and roll as Jey and Jiha said, but rather soft, accessible and very feminine.

Tache est ici.

Meet Daniela Barros, fORS and Heureka

8 novembre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

A few words and photos about young designers i met this week end during C-Kult exhibition at Galerie Joseph.

Cissy Chen for Heureka, London

Cissy Chen, young designer from Singapour is influenced by a power woman, from Odin time (ancient) for the Fall 2011 to a military inspired (modern) for summer 2012. Heureka is actually selling in London and New York city.

I first like the basic line mixed with the work of folding/pleats and the zip thing. I also like the « bullets » pattern creating a sort of… bulletproof garments.

Heureka, fall 2011 video

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=31768062&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Heureka is here

Fors, Germany-Netherlands

Bettina and Patrizia

The two designers from Germany were showing two collections. The difference in the women outfits between the first (very feminine) and second collection (more balanced and for men and women) is interesting. I definitively like their intellectual/arty approach of fashion, Bettina and Patrizia explain their choice and their work by asking themselves three questions:

What define a woman or a man nowdays?
How to make feminine outfits without making the « typical » things?
How to still be sexy without being too direct?

Actually they prefer doing installations for showing their collections through films or in intimate atmospheres.

Fors, « Différance », début collection, Summer 2011 video

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13282727&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Fors, Autumn-Winter 2011-2012, video

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=19132041&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

Fors is here

Daniela Barros, Portugal

I first met Daniela through Facebook one year ago. I then interview Joana Ferreira, a friend of her, during Porto fashion week. I follow her work since and of course as she was in Paris, I can’t miss her.

For this collection Daniela keep her dark inspired world and add some complex computer generated prints inspired by nature (rock, sea…).

Inspired by the ambivalent character of Idis, a divine female being in the germanic mythology, she improves her work this season.

Daniella must try to add some more tailored outfits now, as it can help her reach that dark-elegance she told me about.

She’s actually selling in Muuda (Portugal) and through notjustalabel.com

Idis, Fall 2012, photo Ricardo Gomez

Daniela Barros is here

Modoscopie | Seung Gun Park (pushBUTTON) during Seoul Fashion Week

5 novembre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

Seung Gun Park, créateur de la marque pushButton, à d’abord connu le succès en tant que chanteur avant de revenir à la mode, son premier amour. Il a eu l’amabilité de nous recevoir afin de lui poser quelques questions sur son style et sur la mode en Corée du Sud.

pushButton un style punk-poétique?

J’aime cette définition. Au vu de mes premières collections on peut penser que je suis provoquant, que je ne cherche qu’à choquer. Mais au fond de moi réside une certaine forme de mélancholie. Cette ambivalence est, me semble-t-il, commune à tous les artistes.

Cette collection à surpris car elle est très très différente de la précédente

La réaction à été positive jusqu’à présent. Ici on dit que c’est vraiment mon style. Mes deux défilés précédents, ont reçus un accueil plus mitigé alors qu’à New York on les avaient jugés intéressants.

Ce défilé était programmé, il fait partie d’une suite que j’ai planifié depuis que j’ai commencé à créer des vêtements. Je me suis donc préparé à tout type de réactions.

Je veux dévoiler petit à petit l’ensemble de mon univers, c’est la raison pour laquelle on peut être surpris et penser à un changement de style, en fait il n’en est rien, il s’agit juste d’une autre facette de ma personnalité.

Futurs projets?

Suite aux salons Bread & Butter ou PureLondon où l’accueil fut bon on a constaté que la marque était confrontée à un problème de prix de vente trop élevé. Je suis donc en train de redéfinir l’ensemble de mon projet qui s’articulera autour de trois gammes:

– pushButton reste le haut de gamme, sélectif et aspirationnel.
– Dress Monster que j’ai créé récemment est une seconde ligne , casual et destructurée, plus accessible.
– push secondButton, qui sera lancée en 2012 sera positionnée plus street.

D’où vient le nom pushButton?

Cela n’a pas de signification particulière, le nom vient d' »Hollywood » une chanson de Madonna où elle dit « Push the button/Don’t push the button/Trip the station », j’aimais bien le son des mots, j’ai juste retiré l’article.

Par quels artistes es-tu influencé?

Je suis assez sensible à l’univers des clips vidéos, mais je ne suis pas spécialement influencé par des artistes dans mon travail. J’aime bien Kim Wansun (la Madonna coréenne) ou dans un autre registre Eva Peron pour son action au travers de sa fondation.

Mode occidentale et mode coréenne

La mode occidentale à des racines anciennes, mais la mode est un cycle. En Asie la mode à des origines plus récentes, elle est en devenir, dynamique et s’est beaucoup développée ces dernières années, il faut suivre son évolution car son heure est venue.

Gun Seung Park, creator of pushButton enjoyed success as a singer before returning to his first love: fashion. During Seoul fashion week, he was kind enough to receive us. We ask him some questions about his style and fashion in South Korea.

PushButton: punk-poetic?

Yes i like the term. With my first collections people think I just trying to shock. But inside me there is some kind of melancholy. However, this ambivalence, I think is common to all artists.

This collection was a surprise because it is very very different from the previous one

The reaction has been positive so far. Here people say that it’s my real style. My two previous shows have received a more mixed reaction. In New York they had found them interesting.

This show was scheduled, it is part of a series I planned since I started making clothes. I am prepared for any type of reactions.

I want to slowly reveal my entire universe, so it is not a change of style, this is just another facet of my personality.

Future projects?

I’ve got good returns after the Bread & Butter and PureLondon, but the brand faced a problem of selling price too high. Now I’m redefining my whole project, it will consist of three ranges:

– PushButton is the high-end, selective and aspirational.
– Dress Monster I created recently is a second line, casual, more accessible.
– secondButton push, to be launched in 2012 will be more streetstyle.

Where does the name PushButton come from?

No special meaning, the name comes from « Hollywood » a song by Madonna. She sings « Push the button / Don ‘t push the button / Trip the station, » I liked the sound of the words.

What artists influenced you?

I’m pretty sensitive of music videos, not particularly by artists in my work.

I like Kim Wansun (the Korean Madonna) or completely different, Eva Peron for his work through his foundation.

Western fashion and Korean fashion

Western fashion has ancient roots, but fashion is a cycle. Asian fashion is very dynamic and has grown significantly in recent years, following its evolution is a must.

All photos are from Summer Spring 2012 collection

Don’t miss « Super love », Kim Wan Sun’s video !

Links

Dress Monster at ASOS
Dress Monster website
pushButton on the web

Iris Van Herpen, Yiqing Yin | Créatrices hybrides

1 novembre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

Iris Van Herpen et Yiqing Yin ont créés des shows impressionnants lors de la dernière semaine de la couture. Entre spectacle, futurisme, prouesse technique et art.

Quelle place occupe le corps chez ces créatrices? Simple support ou véritable medium? Comment se positionnent-elles entre le métier de designer et d’artiste? Comment cohabitent savoir-faire artisanal et nouvelles technologies auxquelles elles font appel pour réaliser certains de leur modèles? Quelles sont les nouvelles approches du volume?

Parallèles

Suivant toutes les deux les courbes du corps: poitrine, taille, hanches et cuisses, la robe squelette d’Iris Van Herpen et la forme de l’empiècement de la robe de Yiqing Yin.

Iris Van Herpen, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Yiqing Yin, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Rapprochement entre la splash-water dress d’Iris Van Herpen et la robe fluide, tel un liquide, de Yiqing Yin.

Iris Van Herpen, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Yiqing Yin, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Découpages, lacets et bandelettes…

Iris Van Herpen, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Ci-dessus, les tenues sculptées faites de bandelettes d’Iris Van Herpen me rappellent le travail de papiers découpés de l’artiste Georgia Boyd-Russell (ci-dessous)…

Georgia Boyd Russel, Slick 2009

Iris Van Herpen, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Yiqing Yin, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

Jumpsuit moulant en lacets chez Iris et robe bandelette de Yiqing Yin.

Chez Yiqing Yin, qui avait déjà fait sensation lors du Festival d’Hyères 2010, sans pour autant remporter de prix, la dimension artistique est peut-être moins revendiquée. Cependant on retrouve cette envie quasi-obsessionnelle de travail sur la matière. Bandelettes et lacets chez l’une, plissés très serrés chez l’autre, un travail de sculpture minutieuse.

Sur les corps on peut voir des faisceaux qui cisèlent finement la structure de la robe en cercles concentriques, des envies de fractales, des plissés tectoniques ou encore des excroissances minérales.

Yiqing Yin, Haute-Couture, Fall-Winter 2011-2012

La femme d’Iris Van Herpen, véritable mutante, femme hybride arty-mode ou celle de Yinqing Yin n’en reste pas moins très féminine. Pour ces créatrices, chaque vêtement à un sens profond, semble porter avec elle tout un univers. L’effet matière rendu par la modélisation 3D, les plissés ou le laçage revêt une dimension très importante dans ces créations leur conférant une dimension extra-portable indéniable.

Pour illustrer cette hybridité art et mode, on peut, jusqu’au 14 novembre, en profiter pour sauter dans le Thalys et se rendre chez Sien, superbe boutique d’Anvers pour y découvrir à la fois une exposition de pièces d’archives d’Iris Van Herpen ainsi qu’une sélection de sa nouvelle collection.

Sien, Nationalestraat 91

Un portant réunissant les créations d’Iris Van Herpen et de Sandra Backlund, autre créatrice, spécialiste de la maille et qui navigue elle aussi à la frontière entre art et mode.

Seoul Fashion Week | pushBUTTON

28 octobre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

In the backstages, before the show of pushBUTTON

Very excited to discover the work of Seung Gun Park, designer of pushBUTTON, so i ran backstage before the show, to try to capture the essence of the show. I will post photos of the show and an interview with the designer in the next post.

ART OF FASHION FOUNDATION | SHOOTING STARS

25 octobre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

MODEL: STEFANIE AYOUB

THE ARTS OF FASHION FOUNDATION CREATED TEN YEARS AGO BY NATHALIE DOUCET TO SUPPORT THE YOUNG DESIGNERS WILL HOLD THIS WEEK-END A SYMPOSIUM IN SAN FRANCISCO THAT INCLUDES EXHIBITIONS OF NEW DESIGNERS, STUDENTS, LECTURES, SCREENINGS, NETWORKING EVENTS AND AN AWARDS CEREMONY.

I SHOT SOME PICTURES IN JULY DURING THE SUMMER COURSE AND THE EXHIBITION THAT TAKE PLACE IN PARIS AT MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS. MY PHOTOS WILL BE EXPOSED ON 2.50 M HIGH BANNERS DURING THE SYMPOSIUM THIS WEEK-END.

THE SHOOTING

THE PLEATS WERE MADE BY MAISON GERARD LOGNON, PARIS

THE EXHIBITION

DURING THE EXHIBITION, DIDIER GRUMBACH, PRÉSIDENT OF LA CHAMBRE SYNDICALE DE LA COUTURE, RALPH TOLEDANO, CONSULTANT, AURORE THIBAUT AND OTHER DESIGNERS CAME TO GIVE THEIR SUPPORT.

DIDIER GRUMBACH

JEWEL DESIGNER JUDITH BENITA, WEARING HER DESIGNS.

RALPH TOLEDANO

FENGCHEN WANG, DESIGNER

Break the frame, Lie Sang Bong

15 octobre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

« Brake the frame » a teaser from Lie Sang Bong

I’m flying to Seoul tomorrow, excited to discover the fashion scene which brought us well known designers Juun J., Songzio or Lie Sang Bong. Five days to discover the new talents, as the rising star Nohke J or Jain Song and pushButton.

I bring with me Nazine magazine (issue 4), an edgy korean fashion magazine i bought this summer.

Open your mind.

Paris Fashion Week | Steffie Christiaens

9 octobre 2011 ~ CHRISTIAN POULOT

Robe brodée de crin de cheval

Steffie Christiaens, has not finished playing with the Elements. Her clothes always seem moved by the forces that surrounding us. Her dresses, skirts and jackets seem captured (as a still image) moving around the body, creating a « frozen flow ».

The garments created by Steffie Christiaens do not embrace the body with glamour as usual but are the result of rashes, blisters and projections.

Accessories are also important in the style of Steffie Christiaens. The beautiful shirts collar and necklaces, the shoes and the bracelets experience the same twists as the clothing.

For her first summer in Paris Fashion Week we discover that Steffie Christiaens can add some sensuality in her style. For summer 2012, we will have swimwear, very short dresses and necklines never seen before. All this creates a contrast with the apparent rigidity of the clothes and, as usual, a cold palette of colours (silver, black, blue), except perhaps, the acid yellow (as seen on many shows).

« Don’t forget the clothes, we’re are not Lady Gaga! » some people say at the end of the show. It is certainly not far from the stage costume sometimes, even if the latest outfits (see last photos) are « simpler ».

Steffie Christiaens follow the trend of those young designers that create sculptural garments (Yiqing Ying, Sandra Backlund or Iris Van Herpen…)