Tag Archives fashion designer

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Copenhagen Fashion Week Puts Spotlight on Talents-Jean Phillip

Copenhagen Fashion Week Puts Spotlight on Talents-Jean Phillip

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Assertive, self-driven and innovative is the fashion concept presented by designer Jean Phillip.  In a long forest green robe and multi- color pants the model walked the runway with a strong look, a fierce determination and a sequence of looks followed.

jeanphillip designer Copenhagen fashion week Another set with the same prints in a black canvas as background.  Slacks and pants on black fabric served as complement to the blue and grey print that made the collection cohesive.

Shorts and sleeveless shirts added the summer look for the season.

A vibrant color set the mood for the occasion.  The tones were a combination between subtle monochromatic and a serene blue tone permeated the collection.

The choice of long open robe was very interesting, it remind us or a  rōnin  浪人 a wandering man or a  a samurai who had no master.


More subtle and neutral tones.

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A monochromatic twist was next. jeanphillip_012_small_600

 

Signature style, minimalist, edgy and slim cut.

For more on Jean Phillip, visit www.jeanphillip.dk All images courtesy of Copenhagen Fashion Week

Interview with Manuel Diaz

Interview with Manuel Diaz

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We first saw Manuel Diaz designs while surfing the web, it was one image in particular that captured our attention and provoked our curiosity to find out more about the designer.

As we continued searching for more information on him, we discovered an array of designs so unique and bespoke that we knew we needed to find ‘Manuel Diaz’ and ask him a few questions for the rest of the world to get a better view of his original creations and possibly to get an insight into his world.  
First of all tell us how did your adventure in the world of fashion, did you always want to become a fashion designer?

MD: No, I never wanted to be a fashion designer, it was until I went to Centro, a design university  in Mexico city to ask for information about a career in design, then the person who checked me in asked me about that was it that I was interested, and without hesitation I said, “fashion design”, and that’s the story, is not that interesting.  I’ve always envied people from small knew what they wanted to pursue.

LF: Your designs are very visual, that is vanguard and full of couture if not also unique pieces that seem to transcended the lines of reality and the many questions in our culture.
MD: Thank you very much for the compliment, but I have to clarify that I do not have that high couture preparation nor is my aim, haute couture is more than craftsmanship you can bring a piece.

LF: As you visualize your designs, as is the process by which you design these parts.
MD: My process always starts as a mostly literary research on the issues I find important at the time.

LF: There have been some point in particular that has inspired you / affected to design?
MD: depressive emotional crises.

LF: How has the fact of being Mexican influenced in your collection? I say this because of  the recent video ‘Reinas del Narco’
MD: Of course, whether you believe on not, we can not deny that drug trafficking is a fundamental part of Mexican culture.

LF: In your own words describe your collection / style.
MD: It would be very pretentious on my part to describe my own style, as that should be found and developed over time. I like complex and beautifully structured pieces. Mainly what I seek is currently the experimentation through artisanal work with unusual synthetic materials.
I like complex and beautifully structured pieces
LF: Tell us about your latest collaborations.
MD: More than a collaboration it was a publication, I am represented by Lewis and Leigh PR in London and they are in charged of most publications and collaborations. For now I find myself one hundred percent focused on my next collection.
LF:  Are you currently in Mexico and are you preparing to present your collection back home or are you thinking to go internationally ?
MD: After living and studying my career in London, UK,  I am back in Mexico since just five months ago, my studio is established in the City of Mexico, but I am not showing my collection in Mexico at the moment.

LF: What real or fictional character  would you like to design for?
MD: Divine “the filthiest person alive”

LF: Is there any topic you would like to visit on your visual exploration of your designs?
MD: Demonology

LF: What challenges face you and your brand?
MD: Not being directed to a public commercial is very difficult to find the resources to finance parts, projects and / or collections.

LF: Where you can get your designs?
MD: bespoke only for the moment, info @ manueldiazbrand.com

LF: What legacy would you like to leave in the world of fashion?
MD: Wow, I’d love to become a household name in the history of fashion.

LF: Who would you like to wear your clothes, or who you would like to design for?
MD: Sheikha Mozah, Daphne Guinness, Olvido Gara Java “Alaska”, Dita Von Teese and many others.

LF: What do you like and what you hate to be a designer?
MD: One of the things I like most is the research during the creative process, and what I hate being a designer is the environment within the industry.

‘LAS REINAS DEL NARCO’ from Manuel Díaz on Vimeo.

For more on Manuel, visit his FB , Tumblr, Twitter

Franzel AMSTERDAM AW15

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Franzel Amsterdam is an experimental street wear label based in Amsterdam
, as you would

guess from their name and don’t be fooled by the experimental definition. Eric Franzel is the designer and the AW15 collection is a reconstruction, reconfiguration, re-worked or repurpose of other garments into something new. You would notice I did not use recycle as one of the verbs to describe this collection, because this goes beyond that.

Eric has totally evolved beyond the experimental stage and has shown us that you can create fashion from any garment.
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Franzel Amsterdam Street wear collection

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The collection is an assortment of fabrics from tents, carpets, kakis, curtains and other garments used to create something unique in the street wear look.

You can find out more about the designer at www.FRANZELAMSTERDAM.COM 

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MLTV AW15

MLTV AW15

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MLTV AW15 Collection
MLTV AW15 Collection

MLTV is another design brand I had the chance of seeing while I was in TRANOI homme last January. MLTV is the brainchild of Anna Sjunnesson based in Stockholm, Sweden. The Collection consists of classic men’s wear items modified into contemporary style with the classic Nordic minimalism look.

The designs navigate a fine line between the boundaries of femininity and masculinity aesthetics, yet making them very simple.

For those of you concerned with environment, MLTV is manufactured in Europe in limited quantities and strive to keep the impact to the environment minimal. You can see more from the designer at www.mltvclothing.com. If you a lucky enough to find some of the limited stock available you can shop at http://mltv.tictail.com.

Son Jung Wan Fall/Winter 2015

TRISTA

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It was a typical Thursday in France during fashion week in January, make that men’s fashion week and there is usually a fashion show almost every hour. This time around I’m skipping some of the shows and I make my way to TRANOI just off Étienne Marcel. Why TRANOI? You may ask. TRANOI is an International Fashion Tradeshow were designers from all over the world get to show everything that revolves around fashion.

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The range and scope of fashion related merchandise that is covered here is just amazing, you name it and you will find it here. To be honest, I’m not just here to look at trends I’m here to find TRISTA. TRISTA is the brainchild of José Alfredo Silva and Giovanni Estrada from Mexico City south of the border from the States. Coincidentally, TRISTA is making its move towards the European market and this was one of their showings. I was lucky enough to get a few minutes of José’s time to chat about the evolution of TRISTA.

Here are some of the things were able to ask about TRISTA.

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When and how did you develop the brand?

We started the brand TRISTA 8 years ago when Giovanni and I had a radio program then, we were talking about fashion and just having a good time doing it. Shortly after that, I went off to grad school in France and left things unconcluded until my return. Then someone approached us to open a store at La Condesa in Mexico City. We started a small shop with some clothes.

The name TRISTA, how did you come up with it?

We were fascinated by literatureand different books inspired some of our collections. My graduate thesis was on a book by Gaston Bachelard who talked about the power of words to create imagery. So, one day Giovanni and myself were playing around with words and Giovanni said Triste, and then he turns around and said Trista. Trista is sophisticated feminine name, sort of oldies name and after that, we found out the latin meaning of the name is sorrowful

How has your undergraduate degree influenced your designs?

I think everything that you learn in life helps, Giovanni study Architecture and I studied industrial Engineering. It is more than the things you learn in school, it is the perception of things you experience in life. I also teach and I see this in most of the students who have a different background other than design, they see things different and tend to be more focused and they use their experience in other fields to create something different but the most important thing is the passion.

Simple by Trista is more Mexico Urban, how do you see Trista?

Trista is more like our queen and Simple by TRISTA is more like “La Vaca Lechera”. TRISTA is more of the concept originator and simple by TRISTA lives off those concepts. TRISTA now is moving towards Europe and that is the focus for 2015 and 2016

 

The design process how does it work with you and Giovanni?

Each of our pieces has a story behind it, you really have to see the clothes in person to understand it, and a picture alone does not convey the design. The pieces are more bespoke, it starts with the fabric, and we don’t just use the fabric the way we buy it. We do something different with all the fabrics. Like this silk organza piece in the booth, where multiple layers are used to develop the final design. Sometime we use 4 or even 8 layers of organza fabric before completing a piece. Another piece in the collection is made of embroidered pattern that take a week to modify the fabric for the final piece. Every single piece has something different and you need to know the story behind it that is the way TRISTA works. We have a love for working with fabrics

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The name of your last collection, how did you come up with it?

We work with a title for the 4 collections “El lugar de los objetos perdidos” uno, dos, tres and cuatro. TRISTA is a brand of remembrance we always go to the past to try to understand things of the present. That is why with TRISTA, we try to work with skiing and hiking influence from the 50’s and 60’s. With Simple by TRISTA we try to work with imaginary places “El lugar de los objetos perdidos” is like this place where you can open and discover something was untouched. This kind of place in your memory where something is different and each one of these collections has something that is very personal in a very simple way, usually we don’t talk about it because more and more people don’t care about the story. They are more interested in the clothes alone. As a designer you need to tell the story behind the designs and not be like the commercial big brands where the designs are soulless.
I was really thrilled I had the chance to see the designs in person and meet José at TRANOI, now I just need to talk myself into going to Mexico City to get my hands on one of their denim jumper suits for men.

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