Runway Reviews

Anyone attending or who has seen Raf Simons’ latest spring-summer line, could not avoid noticing the stunning collection of sunglasses Raf presented at that very same show. They belong to Raf’s first sunglasses collection ever, an splendid project conceived in collaboration with London-based label Linda Farrow.

Linda Farrow, as a label, is known for doing dazzling collaborations with some of the most reputable designers in the industry such as Christopher Kane and Dries Van Noten. The label’s latest work with Raf Simons features elegantly-shaped sunglasses with remarkable frames that pursue the idea of motivating today’s youth to re-discover the world. The concept is to show today’s “hip kids” that there is more than computers and gadgets in life, yet they approach these kids with a refined “futuristic” flavor. I believe that they sit brilliantly alongside Raf’s designs since they complement the whole urban avant-garde aura he has been developing - they are the headwear equivalent of his eccentric spring shoes.

Raf Simons’ sunglasses are supposed to be profoundly influenced by the desperate need to encourage kids to get away from the computers, even though if it’s just for a second, while avoiding to do an anti-technology statement - it’s actually pretty damn hard to figure out. I believe that Linda Farrow’s and Raf’s collaboration pieces do not expose the profound explanation they presented for the concept behind their designs.

Source:Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

Each year those who are about to graduate from the Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, and who distinguish from the rest or happen to be more talented, present small collections of their own during the London Fashion Week.

St. Martins is one of the most respectable and renown art schools in the world. An immense number of talented designer have passed thru this magnificent institution - Todd Lynn and Christopher Kane, just to name a few - therefore each year the crowd awaits contently to have a glance at what the kids have done. This past fall-winter season, very few designer presented menswear collections. From those, I chose one: Anders Azubel Taylor.

As you can imagine, I have no clue about who she is - or even if it’s really a “she”. But her collection seemed to be the best regarding menswear. It was the only line, which looked structured and had a concept on which to base its aesthetic. Other lines, looked lousy and completely unflattering. What I specially like about her line, was the way in which the very slim belts were used. If you did not happen to notice, the slim belts balanced the outfit. They were more than regular belts; they hided the mid-rise of the pants and made it look lower. They also change the image of the outfit, since they “prevented” a dull clash between black and white.

Last but not least, I did enjoy the appearance of the goldish see thru coat. It looks very similar to the ones by Raf Simons, but what the hell…that should be a compliment - both coats were presented around the same time, meaning that there wasn’t any time for copying. And do you know what’s better? It’s definitively easier to pull than the blue one by Raf.

The Lanvin Mens Spring-Summer 2008 Collection has become universally popular since its release. An article in Fashion Wire Daily describes the collection as so great that even "the hard core fans – the folks who crowd into the runway shows - suddenly start saying out loud how much they want to wear the label."

For me, it is unusual to write a post about a menswear line, since I'm not male and menswear is not something I'm particularly familiar with. Therefore, you know Lanvin has to be good if even I take notice when it comes to an exceptional menswear collection.

I'm loving the very messy, casual-chic yet still classy vibe. Metallic such as a random metallic silver coat or metallic gold shoes peek out every now and then in classic Lanvin fashion.

The duo behind lanvin, Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver, made it a hit collection by adding in fresh funky touches such as cobalt blue laceups, lots of dress shirts in shades of gray, and a dramatic briefcase. My only grip is the length of some of the pants -- doesn't seem to have whatever effect the Lanvin boys may have been going for. But otherwise-- a fantastic line worth noting.

Photo Credit: Fashion Wire Daily