IRIS VAN HERPEN ESCAPISM AUTUMN/WINTER 2011 HAUTE COUTURE

Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen presented her Autumn/Winter 2011 couture collection ‘Escapism‘ in Paris yesterday and proved that she fully deserves her place on the world stage.

We’ve been following Iris since Spring/Summer 2009 and her attention to detail and creativity is second to none. Although each collection takes on a world of its own, Iris’ collections are recognisable through the detail, innovation and ability to renew the female form. This creativity led to Iris being stocked by Harrods in Spring 2010 and collaborating with United Nude to create shoe ranges for AW10 and SS11 plus a collaboration with milliner Stephen Jones for AW11.

CANDY MAGAZINE JAMES FRANCO BY TERRY RICHARDSON

GIVENCHY PSYCHEDELIC ACID LOBESTERS HAUTE COUTURE SS 11

Psychedelic acid lobsters on ivory gowns; pagan headgears and references ranging from South-American idols to Japanese robots and dances (Butoh especially); embroidered swans as the ultimate symbol of the Apollonian poet… It is with this collection more than any other that Tisci shows how he diverted from his past aesthetic, mostly evoking ages of darkness, the tumults of Christianity and, generally, a more Dionysian approach. The extraordinary skeletal bird-motifs are layered both in vivid pastel colours and in multiple hues of white. Sheerness emphasizes the beauty of the -robotic- movement of these delicate origamis, adorned by hundreds and hundreds of precious details. Thus the woman can metamorphose into a swan or a solar deity, going back to her status of muse of the poet. Alexander McQueen has already brought birds (almost obsessively) as the uncanny inspiration for many collections, but Tisci has found a new territory with the light and serene beauty expressed by his creations. All in all a display of poetic virtuosity and an ode to beauty.

HUSK MAGAZINE Damir Doma collection 10.11 fall winter

Damir Doma has one of my favourite men labels!
Photographer Misha Taylor captures the latest Damir Doma collection in actiona for Husk magazine's Fall/winter 10.11 issue as stylist Matthieu Pabiot takes the pieces on a streetfight with models Brett Poulhalec, Samir Boitard and stanslas Boulain.

locals only 1975 " Hugh Holland"

This was in the summer of 1975, at the very beginning of my three years documenting the skateboarding phenomenon,” hugh holland writes. “I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. This picture, to me, sums up the whole series: a kid having a lot of fun, the excitement of the time. No encumbrances; unadulterated, and pure.”

Hugh Holland, “Down on the Corner, Danny Kwock, Balboa Beach (No. 68)”

HIGH FASHION PROTECTION

Gas Masks

We are in a state of perpetual war – with ourselves and with the eco-system that sustains us. Perpetual war breeds perpetual fear. In the present context, this fear stems from our extreme desire for authenticity and manifests itself in our collectively insatiable culture of consumption.

Deep down, we are afraid we may never be satisfied. An expanding archive of branded myths and icons feeds this fear. Designer Gas Masks is an attempt to visualize this state of mind. Because it is only by first acknowledging and then challenging fear that we will all be able to breathe a little easier.

walter steiger for akris spring/summer 2011

WALTER STEIGER SS 11

Neffora

Take a look at this fabulous collection from Walter Steiger. This collection has everything a shoe lover could want from sexy banana heels, daring wedges, laser cut designs and mesh leather. Walter and his sons Guilio and Paul continue to bring finely crafted and innovative heels due to their family ties and length of service in the shoe industry. The Norden is my favorite style because of its fuschia color, patent leather and extreme wedge heel. Before I close out this article I would like to say thank you to Gloria Li Chen for the hi-res pictures.