Modele by Sarai Nunez

SPRING 2015

“Old patterns seem excitingly fresh when rejuvenated by a contemporary palette.”

N Print – Designer Mary Katrantzou 4

Know Your Prints 6

Runway S’15 8

Architect and Shoes 10

Top 5 Trends of this Spring 12

Fashion and Technology 14

Imagine a field of flowers. A field of flowers at its rawest and ripest,

Prints

Mary Katrantzou

in awful, European midday sun. Colours on the gruesome side of vivid, petals just on the turn. And imagine it seen through a long-lens camera, perhaps while a bit tearful, perhaps while heartbroken and distracted. Hold that image in your mind: this is a Mary Katrantzou print, to be abstracted magically into a rigid dress. And this – this odd feeling you get when you encounter Katrantzou's designs, half-queasy (like her Jewel Tree Dress, the £8,300 piece of "demi-couture" that's based on a Fabergé egg) and half-elated (again, that fabulous Jewel Tree Dress bobbing down a catwalk like someone's brie-affected dream) – this is why we're excited that, with her collection for Topshop hitting stores this week, we'll finally be able to afford a bit ourselves. Mary Katrantzou came late to fashion. Born in Athens in 1983 to a textile-designer father and an interior-designer mother, she moved first to America to study architecture, then to London to do textile design at Central Saint Martins, where she only specialised in fashion on her MA. She talks refreshingly about her fashion education – she discusses the long nights "learning its history, geekily connecting the dots" to get up to speed with her peers. At college she taught herself Photoshop, scanning in an image, then building it up into those agitated prints that make you feel drunk and have come to define her. In the past three years she's built a business with more than 100 international stockists – Ruth Chapman, CEO of fashion boutique Matches, says they sell out of Katrantzou's designs in hours. What does Chapman think she's doing right? "Two main things," she decides. "She cuts her dresses beautifully, so they fit and flatter the wearer, and secondly, her prints are extremely clever. They stand up as works of art in their own right, which makes her dresses highly collectable. Her designs always make me feel uplifted." “I’m inspired by women who have that travelled, refined eye,” Katrantzou says, leaning forward, grinnily. Her accent slides endearingly over little Grecian potholes. “Women who can blur the line between design and art. Who collect art to decorate their homes. Women who merge mismatched objects. Things that sell at Christie’s for lots of money. That... excess!” Katrantzou’s first catwalk show was inspired by a quote from Coco Chanel, “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future”: she created body-sized perfume-bottle prints that appeared to curve glassily around the hips – the darker spaces sculpted the body. In 2010, 24 women commissioned couture Victorian lampshade skirts from Katrantzou, skirts that were as chintzy as they were postmodern. Diana Vreeland decorated her 1955 apartment to look like “a garden

in hell”; in 2011 Katrantzou morphed images of Vreeland’s apartment into a collection of Lurex knits – clothes that appear even wilder when you see them against today’s Céline-led landscape of clean lines, camel, “good taste”. “I like to create a new world for these things,” Katrantzou says matter of factly. “I like to look at filtered beauty through design. And by dressing women as perfume bottles, or as amazing rooms, I want to liberate them.” By turning them into an object? “They’re not the object, they’re wearing the object. It’s the opposite of objectifying the woman – it’s allowing her to walk around in something revered.” Katrantzou herself dresses uniformly in black – in her serene London studios, where quiet seamstresses in neon and pastels snip busily at tables, hers seems to be the only shadow. Why doesn't she design womenswear for herself? "The dresses are very fitted silhouettes," she explains slowly, "and besides, I think I need to wear black to clean my palette." Who are her designs for, I wonder. It makes me a bit sad that the only people who can wear her main line are size six and wealthy, but they have been red-carpeted, beautifully, by skinny stars Keira Knightley, Solange Knowles and Anna Dello Russo. "Thank you for making great dresses," tweeted Alexa Chung to Katrantzou, who was photographed in one of her Ming vase-inspired looks. "Me = happy, bank balance = sad." "The people who wear my designs wear them with confidence," Katrantzou says. "Their boldness attracts the right women, don't you think?" “Katrantzou can do ‘concept’,” said Vogue’s Sarah Mower, reviewing her latest collection admiringly, one that veered away from the trompe l’oeil that she’s become quietly famous for, and towards prints inspired by fields of tulips and crushed-car sculptures. “But she’s also just as interested in making wearable variations on her themes.” This month she’s managing to make her work even more wearable, with the 10-piece Topshop collection available from £40. Kate Phelan (who recently left her role as fashion director of Vogue) is excited to work with her on one of her first projects as creative director of Topshop. She talks about the way Katrantzou “captures a femininity” through her sense of colour, and the way she felt when she first saw her work, on the British Fashion Council’s Newgen panel that went on to sponsor her for six seasons. “I’d never seen anything like it before. I was amazed by her passion and new ideas for print,” Phelan says today. “Mary’s collection for Topshop defines how her intricate prints can so easily translate from a couture dress to very simple shapes and make them must-haves for your summer wardrobe.” I get the impression Katrantzou came to the brand with a little fury bubbling under her surface – she’d seen her designs ripped off on the high street and wanted to bite back. “Yes, I’d seen bits and pieces, things that looked like lampshades, prints using interiors. Things that had ‘referenced’ me. So I wanted to take back control.” There’s her signature porcelain bowl-inspired party dress, her architectural training gleaming through. There’s a button-back blouse with jewelencrusted flowers, there are prints upon prints upon prints. There are even leggings and T-shirts for the shyer lady. “It’s a cacophony!” she squeaks. On my way out, I linger for a while by the rail of dresses, thinking. My vision, resting on a floral sleeve, slips into Magic Eye mode, and the print fizzes in and out of focus, so for whole moments I’m not sure quite what I’m looking at. It makes my mind bubble. Which, I think, is quite an exciting thing for fashion to do.

Know

Dutch Wax Print

Batik Print

Using drawn-on wax, batik prints are a dyeing technique that’s

Your

super popular all over Southeast Asia, parts of the Middle East, and Africa, but the Javanese batik print is the one that’s come to currently be the most inspirational in fashion today. Bolder, more complicated patterns are usually worn by nobility while simpler designs are for everyday use — ranging from florals and paisleys to geometric shapes, batiks can come in thousands of styles, but all have that tell-tale delicately layered look.

Chinle Pattern

Prints

ith wide bands of alternating shapes and stripes, the Navajodesigned Chinle pattern came to form in the ‘20s. These rugs with long strips saw a surge in home decor popularity during the ‘30s, and are coming back in a strong way on tons of fashion accessories and textiles, at present.

he history of dutch wax is an international one, with the Dutch adopting Indonesian wax-resist dyeing (batik prints, anyone?), and bringing the technique to West Africa in the 19th century. Known for its splashy, super-bright colors and oversized patterns, Dutch Wax cloth is used to create traditional garments called kitenges, which are worn by women in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Ganado Pattern

According to Navajo art expert Jeff Wood, of Indian Territory

Gallery, when rug weaving techniques were introduced to the Navajo in the late 1800s, they started weaving a few particularly popular designs to trade - these incorporated many now-familiar design elements including diamonds and crosses.

Ikat Print

Creating an ikat print is a complicated process that involves binding the threads, piecemeal dying, and weaving everything together after the threads have been dyed. Because of this, ikat fabrics are instantly recognizable by their up-and-down, almost bleeding-dye quality. This process has been practiced all over the world, from Mexico to Uzbekistan and Cambodia to Japan.

Shibori Print

A Japanese-developed process of tie-dying, shibori involves folding, twisting, and manipulating cloth into lovely, organic patterns. Typically done with blue dye, there are a few distinctive styles of shibori, including concentric circles, striated lines, and scales. Don’t call it child’s play either - master shibori artists can create some ridiculously elaborate patterns.

Runway

S’15

Soaring nights, quality materials and enduring design has many

Architect & 10

meanings to Pratt Institute architect graduate, Adriana Epelboim. And the Fall '14 launch of her woman's collection coined Alepel (derived from the German words "apfel and "baum" meaning apple tree, alluding to her tempting and daring styles) is the perfect merging of the two words. "Shoes are the only item in fashion that can be compared to a building," Epelboim explains. "It has structure, stability, geometry." The end result is a sleek and balanced line of short boots, platform pumps and two-piece flats and heels, each with a bold, color contrasting line along the heels and soles of the shoes – a patented signature that Epelboim says distinguishes the brand. Her own love for fashion and architecture is reverberated throughout the collection with steel gray and silver color blocking and geometric combinations of black and white and linear patterns. The signature lines pop in red and yellow. "Shoes can change everything about a woman's look," she says, adding, "these are for strong, powerful women who are not afraid to wear shoes as a statement piece." the fall collection wholesales for $100 to $150. Supported by an experienced team, the self-taught designer plans to grow the line at a realistic pace, targeting high-end independent boutiques and chains. Most of all, Epelboim intends to build upon Alepel's signature line detail as part of the company's branding. "We know it will take some time to reach major retailers, but the most important thing for me is to make people aware of 'the line' identity," Epelboim explains. "I hope the world will one day be able to recognize it as a unique symbol in the industry." – Angela Velasquez The line for Epelboim is everywhere and she wants to make women aware of this line. It is seen in architecture as well as shoes. Everything starts with a line and a line is continuos; it doesn’t end. A line is the basis of design and as an architect and shoe designer a line is one of the most important things to Adriana. Each Alepel model is a work of art, a unique peace where color and drama play as essential role. Shoes designed with a specific geometry such as any architectural composition, where simplicity perfectly merges with sophistication.

Some thoughts from Adriana Epelboim Who is the Alepel target costumer? Her simple look is accented by her selection of shoes. She dresses in jeans with a black or white shirt and blazer, but she is always elegant and sophisticated. What is your favorite shoe memory? Getting my first pair of designer shoes. They were Sergio Rossi. I still have them, and I still lobe his designs. Who is your style icon? Audrey Hepburn. Which celebrity would you love to see in one of your designs? Kate Moss, Jennifer Lawrence, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman – they are all stylish, elegant and powerful women. Where do you like to shop? Intermix, Neiman Marcos, Saks Fifth Avenue and Koko & Palenki in Miami. Who's shoes in your closet are getting the most wear? Besides Alepel, I wear a lot of Valentino. It is one of my favorite brands that have always inspired me. The Rockstud Collection is amazing. I can't get over them. What shoe must every woman have in their closet? High heel pumps. They are a must. Which trends do you hope to never see again? Overalls and bare midriffs. Which designer do you admire the most? I love Alexander McQueen. I admire the drama and extravagance he always brought to life within his pieces. What is your favorite part of your job? I love to brainstorm and to create a strong concept for every single design decision we make. If you weren't designing shoes, what would you be doing? I love to paint. When I was young I always thought I would be an artist, but now I can't see myself doing anything besides design.

“Behind every successful woman there is a fabulous pair of shoes” 11

Trends

Top

Midriff Baring

this 1 Spring 12

Gingham

Bohemian

2 Festival Girl

No Wallflowers

Fashion

he digital revolution presents the “biggest challenge for fashion brands” according to digital fashion pioneer Francis Bitonti who asks: “How will an industry where value is communicated by exclusivity and craft cope with this new space?” The fashion industry has been slow to adapt to new technologies, says Bitonti, who warned: “Fashion brands are going to have to adapt to this, which is going to mean a shift in core values for many brands.” The New York-based designer initially trained as an architect but has recently focussed on applying advanced manufacturing techniques to fashion, jewellery and accessories, including a 3D-printed dress for Dita von Teese and a pair of 3D-printed shoes. “We want to redevelop everything from design methodology to material and form, to distribution and production,” he said. “This technology is going to turn the entire industry inside out.” Bitonti berated the mainstream fashion industry for not being quicker to embrace technology. “Adoption has been slow and it’s many years behind other industries. I hope they catch up soon,” he said. The designer also hit out at wearable-tech products: “It’s a watch that tells you how many steps you are taking, who cares?” “I don’t want technologies that integrate with my body, I want clothing and accessories that makes my body do things and feel things I have never thought I was capable of,” he said.

Dan Howarth: How will digital technology benefit the fashion industry in the near future? Francis Bitonti: The most important thing that has happened to humanity since fire and the wheel is the search engine. The search engine thrust us out of a psychology of hierarchies and linear structures and into a distributed adaptable soup that mirrors our desires. We are a search civilisation. I will never forget the first time I used Google, a blank page onto which you project your desires and your world is built before your eyes on your request. Our media, movies, music books etc, have all gone been forced to adapt to this world view. We are now undergoing a hardware revolution, the digitisation production processes and design files will take advantage of this infrastructure. This is going to be the biggest challenge for fashion brands to contend with moving forward. How will an industry where value is communicated by exclusivity and craft cope with this new space? If they hope to capture millennials they will have to adapt. It’s not about exclusion anymore it’s about individualisation and cocreation. Fashion brands are going to have to adapt to this, which is going to mean a shift in core values for many brands. Dan Howarth: How will clothes and accessories become more integrated with the body? Francis Bitonti: I don’t want to see this happen. This is what I am seeing technology do for fashion design right now. People working in wearable tech are particularly guilty of this. It’s a watch that tells you how many steps you are taking, who cares? I want more conflict with the body. This is always a danger when designers get into tech, they think they need to optimise. I think they get insecure. I’ve seen too many movies set in the future with everyone walking around in a wetsuit coved with lights. No one is inspired by the path of least resistance, technology is about giving humans new capacities.

Interview with Francis Bitonti: Dan Howarth: What benefits has the fashion industry gained from digital technology so far? Francis Bitonti: I am still waiting for the fashion industry to embrace technology in a meaningful way. Aside from performance-oriented wearable products and brands, I am not seeing an intrusion of technology that is influencing design methodology and thereby having a meaningful impact on the way we think about clothing. I hope my reply does not sounds negative but the first step is transform design methodology. We don’t even have this conversation happening in fashion right now. All the software I am seeing only digitises traditional workflows. Before we can have meaningful conversations about new production technologies and materials, we need to be embracing digital design processes as an artistic medium and not an environment for engineering and optimisation. Dan Howarth: What are the most important digital technologies currently used in fashion?

Francis Bitonti: I don’t think digital technologies have been widely adopted yet by the industry. I don’t think it’s the fault of the designers, to be honest good digital tools don’t exist yet for the industry. The only digital design tools have nothing more to offer beyond what we can do with traditional design methods. I myself have been forced to use CAD tools designed for the animation industry.

technology and fashion?

Dan Howarth: What developments are you currently working on that bridge

Francis Bitonti: We are very focused on 3D printing and additive manufacturing. We have abandoned all other material production for the time being. Our project is a big one. We want to redevelop everything from design methodology to material and form to distribution and production. This technology is going to turn the entire fashion industry inside out. Dan Howarth: Has the fashion industry accepted technology yet? Francis Bitonti: Adoption has been slow and it’s many years behind other industries. I hope they catch up soon. I can’t wait to see what such a vibrant creative community can do with all we have available to us right now.

Create. Design. Invent.