Jimmy Choo AW11 campaign Photo: Steven Meisel

Way back in the day, Malaysian-born Jimmy Choo graduated from London’s renowned Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney, long before the art galleries and loft inhabitants moved in. Even then, long before the college became part of the London College of Fashion, the school commanded an international reputation for producing shoe designers of technical excellence and creative flair second to none.

The seminal endeavours that would eventually lead to Jimmy Choo’s current stellar status and international currency first saw him set up his workshop in the then far-from-salubrious environs of London’s Hackney. And, although the top fashion press had already acknowledged Jimmy Choo’s talent in editorial, there can be no denying that the patronage of the much-copied Diana, Princess of Wales was something of a watershed in propelling Jimmy Choo to the attention of the broader international fashion circuit. Furthermore, the steady growth of the brand under the skilful eye of its creator led to success upon success that rightfully earned Jimmy Choo an award carrying the title of Dato’ by the Sultan of Pahang state in Malaysia in 2000 and an OBE in 2002 in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the UK. And there were the rest of us thinking that we just went for Jimmy Choo because the shoes were so sexy…

In amongst the slew of current campaigns, Jimmy Choo’s AW11 campaign reiterates the brand’s long-held ability to remind us that shoes are something powerful; something that can make a statement even if through a half-meant humour that totters on hyperbole.

Shot by one of the world’s currently most-in-demand fashion photographers Steven Meisel, it’s a louche affair played out in the suitable surrounds of an upmarket hotel. It’s photographed in colour. The use of lighting that implies the flash of a P.I. crashing in upon an adulterous couple or an unexpected pairing of celebrities caught off-guard in the traditionally anonymous locale of a luxury hotel. Cast as a pair on lovers spied voyeuristically, top model Raquel Zimmermann oozes all of the diva appeal worthy of a leading lady straight out of a 1960’s European cinema classic while square-jawed male model Ben Hill is all butch and bathos. The beauty of Meisel’s particular pitch for this campaign is that it never loses the potential for such dramatic moments to be knowingly ludicrous. The almost slapstick manifestation of the imagery takes us back to a comedy of genders worthy of Preston Sturges. This is a stylish and sleek narrative about what happens when a very stylish man and woman get up close and personal without ever losing a grip on a humane reality.

Sexy, stylish and ultimately rather wry, part of the power of Steven Meisel’s elaboration of this season’s enduring Jimmy Choo appeal is that it reiterates that we should never take ourselves too seriously, no matter how fabulously our feet are clad.

Jimmy Choo AW11 campaign Photo: Steven Meisel

Jean Paul Gaultier

Consisting of some 130 silhouettes by Jean Paul Gaultier spanning his full career to date, the exhibition takes the approach of examining the work of the much admired French designer according to thematics that reoccur consistently in his work over the full timespan of his long career. Under such subsections as “The Boudoir,” “Skin Deep,” “Punk Cancan,” or “Urban Jungle, amongst others, the presentation of his creations from both the couture and prêt-à-porter collections, meanders through Gaultier’s oeuvre. It’s an effective means of both highlighting how Gaultier’s work initially earned him the reputation of an enfant terrible; a wayward punkish imp amongst the then staid fashion houses of Paris. Drawing on underground street culture and gay culture’s gender games and with an ongoing fascination for the anthropological – as elaborated in folk costume or body modification- Gaultier breathed fresh life into the once sagging reputation of haute couture, reinventing it for a generation that no longer saw classic French style as an aspiration. But, as the exhibition rightfully makes clear, Jean Paul Gaultier would never have been in a position to bring about a change from within if the establishment of high fashion could have dismissed his work on the basis of poor craftsmanship or failing to make the grade in classic fashion terms. Beneath all the high-drama and circus of spectacle that is associated with Gaultier, there remains a classically trained designer whose mastery and love of traditional couture craft is as much part of his work as anything else.

In amongst the items on display are a number of costsumes designed specifically for performance and film. For example the exhibition includes garments loaned by and originally designed for the likes of Madonna and Kylie Minogue and various memorable costumes designed for  films by Pedro Almodóvar, Peter Greenaway and Luc Besson.

Though it’s not really a matter of becoming more tame, recent years have shown Gaultier to be truly relishing in his ability to produce fashion that relies less on the shock of the new, but takes a more subtle approach in its ironies and chicanery. One might even say that the exhibition plots his path from wild young thing to the elder statesmen of an alternative vision for luxury French fashion.

Never one to rest on his laurels, this exciting exhibition that originally arose as a collaboration between Gaultier and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts uses quirky and innovative technology that sees animated mannequins –including one of Gaultier himself- chatting to the visitor, providing useful information on the exhibition content in an audio form.

The exhibition will be open to the public in Dallas until early February 2012. Dallas is one of only two American cities that will host this substantial exhibition that premiered in Montreal. After a sojourn in San Francisco, the exhibition will subsequently travel on to Madrid, Rotterdam and Stockholm over the next couple of years.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s costume designs for a 2008 ballet by Angelin Preljocaj

Brodie Neill - Reverb Chair

Chances are that even if you don’t recognize Brodie’s name, you would recognize his work – his design for the @ Chair was included in Time magazine’s list of most influential designs- and his reputation amongst the world’s influential tastemakers is second to none, amongst them the late Alexander McQueen with whom he collaborated on projects.

Modernity might be simplistically divided into design aesthetics that favour the geometric and boxy and those that favour the curvy and organic. It would also be fair to say that Brodie Neil’s work is most definitely in the latter category, drawing on the curvaceous lines of the 1950’s and the streamlining that preempted it, the aspirations towards the organic that proved popular with the more individual designers of the 1980’s and the inspiration of CGI computer technologies and advances in materials that emerged in the 1990’s to make what had previously only been dreamed of viable as furniture. All of these histories and influences come together in Brodie Neil’s designs that are at once unapologetically abstract whilst never losing functionality; simultaneously beautiful in the way that the natural world offers beautiful organic form and yet all the time somehow futuristic.

This last aspect is particularly evident in some of his most recent designs for chairs. For example, the Reverb Chair consists of a continuous uninterrupted surface that is reminiscent of anything from the internal form of a flower to the human eardrum. But, somehow, its highly reflective mirrored surface that reformulates any environment into which it is inserted transforms it from the natural world into something space-age and alien, fit for some super-intelligent race that has no need for showing the boring details of how something manages its job of holding a human body off the ground. By contrast, the Remix Chaise Lounge feels less like it has fallen out of a passing UFO, but is nonetheless seductively intriguing with its stratified stripes of manmade materials –including, it turns out, some of the wood- and reclaimed materials. If its wood grain gives it something of an earthiness that makes it feel more of this world, its uncompromising abstracted organic shape certainly removes it from the quotidian conceptualization of domestic furniture.

And, for those that want a chaise as an even more purist form of abstraction, Brodie’s most recent design for a chaise that was premiered at London’s Superdesign boutique design fair during the art fair season was entitled Glacier. It was made entirely out of glass.

Brodie Neill - Remix Chise Lounge

Ekaterina Kukhareva – AW11 - Photo: Nikolay Biryukov

In her current sumptuous AW11 collection, the heritage of the Tsarinas is particularly evident. Drawing on her Ukrainian and Russian roots has always been something of a signature of Ekaterina’s luxurious knitwear. But in her current collection, the inspirations of Red Square, St Basils and the Kremlin are pushed much further as she draws on everything from luxuriously covered bibles and ancient icons enshrined beneath incense-filled golden domes to conjure up a heady mix of ancient textile patterns and very modern forms to conjure up a latter-day tsarina with all of the seductive power of Marlene Dietrich’s scarlet empress.

Ekaterina Kukhareva graduated from London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins specialising in textiles and knitwear and her current collection shows why this was a very smart choice. She pulls out all the stops, using every technique from chunky macramé to elegant lace, all built on a base of jacquard knits that give both structure to the garments and create a sense of the luxurious textiles of the tsarina’s wardrobe. But, even though the patterned knits are entirely in keeping with the luxurious design culture of Russia’s ancient noble houses, Ekaterina Kukhareva makes clothes for contemporary women and so she also uses techniques such as creating knitted fabrics from a mix of Italian viscose, wool yarn and lurex to bring a glamourous sheen to her slinky cocktails dresses as well as imbuing them with the practical benefit of retaining their figure-hugging slinkiness throughout the evening, an advantage not traditionally associated with knitwear.

Drawing on a palette fit for the imperial court of yore – red, rose pink, chocolate brown, black, silver and gold- and combined with other fabrics that denote a similarly regal air, such as fur trimming, the AW11 collection reinvents traditional forms for a contemporary woman’s wardrobe. The slinky cocktail dresses and dramatic evening gowns are resplendent with jacquard complexity that hark back to the glamour of the imperial court, but their styling is very much something to guarantee the contemporary consumer a dramatic entry to a soiree or important event. For the more adventurous woman, there are even looks that turn the decorative traditions of the ancient court into stunning showpieces using oversized macramé to dramatic effect. And, for women who are less inclined towards skirts, there are a number of stunning looks built around slinky knitted leggings that draw on the military styles of the Russian court. Conjuring up images of powerful hussars resplendent in dramatic uniforms, here the traditional cabling, epaulettes and decorations of military uniforms provide sources of inspiration for decorative elements to leggings and slinky tops.

As the nights draw in and the temperatures begin to drop Ekaterina Kukhareva’s current collection assures women that the best thing they could do is slip into something a lot less frumpy, break out the vodka and party like the revolution never happened.

Ekaterina Kukhareva – AW11 - Photo: Nikolay Biryukov

Longchamp - Le Pliage range

Longchamp was, in fact, the brainchild of a Parisian tobacconist’s son Jean Cassegrain. In 1948, in what is probably one of the most interesting case studies of business diversification, Monsieur Cassegrain decided to focus less on the traditional tobacconist’s trade and more on the accessories that went with it. The company that we now all know for its high-quality leather goods was born out of Cassegrain’s foray into creating beautifully handcrafted smoking accessories using top-class leather manufacturing techniques as its primary signature. Soon the business was far better known for its leather-bound cigarette cases and its unusual pipes clad in quilted leather as Paris scrambled to get its hands on Cassegrain’s designs.

The signature equestrian logo, created by illustrator Turenne Chevallereau, which was part of Cassegrain’s endeavour from the outset, was actually a matter of practicality: one of his relative’s use of the family name as a commercial trademark prevented him from using it. The Longchamp logo is effectively a visual pun, a play on Cassegrain’s surname and its association with one of the last remaining Parisian mills that stood at the end of the Longchamp racecourse. Coincidence turned out to be fortuitous given the natural associations between horseracing and high-end leather craft, the direction in which the family business had turned.

Some sixty years later, this quintessentially Parisian brand remains bijou and in demand for its fashionable leather goods. And when one spies its Le Cabas and Le Pliage ranges, it’s easy to see why. Both ranges are loosely based on the styles of equestrian bags for which the brand is particularly well known, such as the tote bag. But both offer women who know their own minds a high-level of customisation. Each range allows the customer to choose the size of bag that suits her, the style of handles, the colours and materials. In the case of Le Cabas, the lucky owner can choose to have her initials monogrammed into the bag as stark no-nonsense large-scale perforations. With Le Pliage, the choices become even more extensive, offering a choice of metallic finishes for the famous Longchmap logo and a range of monogram options including embossing or embroidery.

As the festive season looms, these innovative mix ‘n match ranges offer the perfect solution for busy people who have a special woman to treat. The fact that one can order a customised Le Cabas or Le Pliage bag online in a matter of minutes doesn’t take away from the fact that in only a few weeks, the lucky recipient will end up with a fabulous bag that has a high likelihood of suiting her perfectly.

Longchamp - Le Pliage range

Christopher Shannon – AW11

In contrast to most young menswear designers who have persistently focussed on traditional men’s tailoring as a starting point, Christopher Shannon zooms in on casual and sportswear as sources of inspiration or underlying references for garments. But, you would be wrong to view him as either a sportswear designer or someone whose designs were directly that. Rather, the humble tracksuit or sweatshirt – which let’s face it, in the real world are still worn by more men than swanky tailoring whether one likes it or not- are often his starting point. From these he creates something new. One might even say that he elevates the basic silhouettes of sportswear garments to their full potential, creating something luxurious and overtly designed out of the building blocks of clothing that we often overlook. Furthermore, their very basis in sportswear means that they retain a similar practicality and comfort as the sportswear clothes from which they are elaborated.

His current collection is a fine example of this. Trousers drawn on the simple line of tracksuit trousers are taken in various directions from a narrow line with a similar roomy comfort for which these trousers remain so popular through to more decorative versions. Bold prints or patches of contrast colour are used to break up the simple monochromatic palettes, or, in the more showy silhouettes, they gain fin-like ruffles. Similarly, jackets and tops based on familiar sportswear garments acquire dramatic detail such as ruffles or even a cape-like shoulder construction. Quilting is another motif, something that introduces the idea of traditional English country style. This aspect is particularly important in the collection. Jackets in the form of traditional quilted Barbour jackets or old-fashioned knitwear forge a bold new identity in which the extant class connotations of sportswear are reviewed.

Folksy touches through textiles and blousson sleeve details bring a romantic twist, demanding that we see a folkloric possibility in simple sportswear garments that was not there before. Similarly, Christopher Shannon’s repeated use of bold prints that owe something to the avant-garde UK street styles of the 1980’s pulls the sportswear aspect in a more experimental direction; more to standing in the queue at Taboo or shopping at Hyper Hyper than hanging around a football pitch.

One of the great things about Christopher Shannon’s AW11 collection is that it’s perfectly pitched towards many male admirers. Certainly, it won’t necessarily please men who truly do prefer suits, but for anyone who favours an upmarket street style that combines casualness, luxury and comfort, it’s a bit of a winner.

Christopher Shannon – AW11

The Room – issue 14 Photo: Péter Hapák. Styling: Ali Tóth & Anikó Virág

The current issue finely exemplifies how it combines excellent and informative features of local creative talent in the region with content that is unquestioningly international. One need only see the stunning cover with the unmistakeable face of enigmatic actress, model and muse Tilda Swinton to see this.

Inside it delivers on its promise. Tilda Swinton is arguably one of the most unexpected international superstars. Anyone who saw her lying confined for endless hours within a glass vitrine – she literally was part of a piece of art- at the Edinburgh International Festival many moons ago and accurately predicted that she would eventually end up as a mainstream Hollywood star is either lying or a close friend. As those who know her well will tell you, there was always something inside Tilda that spoke of a ferocious commitment to her art.

The transition from cult actress and muse to the likes of lauded experimental filmmakers Derek Jarman and Sally Potter to Oscar-winning Hollywood actress happened for Tilda at a time in her life when most would have assumed the opportunity long past. If not many of us would have known, perhaps Tilda always did.

Even before then, the enigmatic and perhaps unlikely figure of Tilda Swinton, born of a long line of Anglo-Scots families that persistently appear in Who’s Who, had already captured the eye and imagination of the world’s leading designers, artists and creative media. And, it was only a matter of time before Tildamania would reach the heights that have propelled her undoubtedly into icon status.

In the current issue of The Room, Tilda gives a lengthy and intriguing interview to filmmaker Adam Baran on the eve of her new project: working with longtime friend and acclaimed Scottish film director Lynne Ramsay. But, there’s a lot more than just that project that gets covered; everything from literary musings to details of another upcoming project with legendary feminist filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger.

The interview is accompanied by the stunning photos of frequent collaborator with The Room, Péter Hapák. In them, the ever-arresting Tilda is styled by The Room’s  Ali Tóth & Anikó Virág in array of perfect fashion choices by the likes of Céline, Miu Miu and Jil Sander, amongst others.

The Room – issue 14 Photo: Péter Hapák. Styling: Ali Tóth & Anikó Virág

La Fausse ingénue – Blanche AW11 Photo: Mari Sarai. Styling: Nobuku Tannawa.

Then, in the 1990’s, something new and interesting started to happen. There was a sudden blossoming of an impendent twenty-something fashion scene for younger French women. In a country that had largely ignored the kind of generational rebellion against looking like one’s parents played out during punk in the UK, USA and other countries, younger French women suddenly started to develop their own style. Not the officially sanctioned look of the BCBG, there was something new. France finally saw the mushrooming of styles, brands and stores that were very much about younger women making their own statements about fashion; marking their own territory.

As is only sensible, this hardly involved turning one’s back on classic French style. Au contraire, if one’s already got an advantage, why discard it? Rather, the world looked on and saw a new hybrid emerging: aspects of classicism and traditional luxury synonymous with French fashion combined with the cheeky designs of younger brands and the occasional nod to counterculture. In many ways, it had far less to do with the clothing being vastly in opposition to what came before and much more to do with lifestyle, behaviour and presentation.

The bilingual title Blanche is a good example of a magazine that speaks to women who inhabit this space between girlhood and unquestionable maturity that finally opened up within French fashion cultures less than two decades ago. It’s target readership are clearly drawn from the ranks of fashionable women in their twenties and thirties that are entirely happy with their adulthood, but not wanting to give up the playful carefree thinking of youth; the freedom to not be tied down to being boring and respectable.

As with its counterparts in other regions of the world, the title often profiles a from-the-hip direct style of presentation in which the faux-documentary approach is often evident. When it first emerged, this approach to fashion direction felt like a strong reaction to what came before. It seemed to be striving for some kind of return to authenticity and a rejection of the artifice that had become so synonymous with the previous generation of fashion directors. And ever since its first appearance, it has remained a strongly attractive aesthetic to those in their twenties, as if it somehow expressed their attitudes to living life without all the baggage of their older sisters. Sexuality, for example, was no longer a battlefield of strongly delineated opposing sides. This younger generation of women saw no reason to not combine the benefits of the battles won by feminism with traditional notions of female sexuality. If gender was performative, as many feminists had postulated, then why shouldn’t a woman be free to perform as many roles she wanted? Wasn’t that a lady’s prerogative?

Mari Sarai’s fashion story ‘C’est Blanche Style! La Fausse ingénue’ in the current issue, styled by Nobuko Tannawa, perfectly captures the spirit of the generation. Dutch model Valerie Van Der Graaf struts her stuff in an overtly domestic interior, a young woman having fun and experimenting with a Bardot-esque sexuality that is anything but naïve. Speaking to a generation who know that they have the right to be both rocket scientists and sex kittens, it offers the perfect platform for showcasing exactly the kinds of clothes that might appeal. Top names like Sonia Rykiel, Ann Sofie Back and Issey Miyake share the space with bijou little cult brands. It’s fashion for a generation that happily shares enough with its mothers whilst also making its own way in the world.

La Fausse ingénue – Blanche AW11 Photo: Mari Sarai. Styling: Nobuku Tannawa.

Instintos Primarios – Calle 20 – issue 63 Photo: Chesco López Styling: José Herrera

This latter strategy has already practically revolutionised the traditional newspaper industry, for example. But, save for a few interesting exceptions to the rule, free magazines that address the traditional fashion, culture and lifestyle topics with the same feel of a glossy have been pretty limited in their success. They have either failed to gain a sufficiently luxurious or, at least, seductive feel. Or, they seem to have struggled to find their target audience, perhaps trying too hard to appeal to everyone in the locations of their distribution.

One such exception is Spain’s Calle 20, now on its 63rd issue. It’s certainly a fairly mainstream publication aiming to appeal to a broad audience within the larger Spanish cities in which it’s distributed with perhaps a slant towards a younger, trendy readership. But, unlike many titles trying to get a foothold in the somewhat new ‘free glossy’ market, Calle 20 has taken a bolder approach to fashion editorial. Maybe it instinctively understands that successful fashion editorial is more often than not about aspiration and fantasy, not grubby reality. Grim practicality is all too obvious on the daily commute or during one’s lunch hour. So, whatever the reason, Calle 20’s fashion editorial eschews a dull, mousy approach that some have thought would appeal to Mr and Ms Average in favour of the slick, professional, creative qualities that we expected from established glossy titles.

A fine example of this is the shoot by Chesco López, styled by José Herrera, in the current issue. Titled ‘Instintos Primarios’ – which one takes to be about primal instincts- won’t necessarily make the animal rights activists happy. But, filled with pelts, hides and soft furry materials, it will probably appeal to anyone who fancies a bit of tactile warmth this winter.

Presented in a subtly faded-out palette that perfectly compliments the earthy natural tones of the seductive skins profiled, it showcases a broad range of brands with a whiff of the ethnological and anthropological imagery that has appealed to fashion a lot of late. What makes the shoot particularly notable is that it also takes the sculptural approach that has often been championed by the title, ensuring that fashion is made public through bold and memorable images rather than a prosaic illustration. Calle 20 understands that the daily grind can be dull enough and that fashion simply doesn’t have to amplify the ennui.

Instintos Primarios – Calle 20 – issue 63 Photo: Chesco López Styling: José Herrera

2020s - VMAN issue 24 - Photo: Damien Blottiere. Styling: Tom Van Dorpe

But, VMAN takes it a lot further. Drawing on ideas about ‘the archive’ that have been knocking about in contemporary art for a while, it offers a sumptuous series of shoots tracing the language of very contemporary menswear as far back as the 1890’s. Using everything from faux vintage illustration to recreations of history that border on costume drama, it’s a delightful and fulfilling exercise in a creative concept consummately realised.

The final of these chronologically arranged fashion stories ‘2020s’ propels this season’s menswear into the future. Taking the idea of splicing, whether atoms or genes, as a central motif in much science – and its imaginative cousin Sci-Fi- it is fundamentally a digital age version of old school collage technique. The fact that Damien Blottiere uses a computer rather than a scalpel to slice up his photographs doesn’t make them any less arresting than the original technique. His crisp collages of looks from the men’s current collections, styled by Tom Van Dorpe, fuse multiple photos into a new cohesive whole, producing strange and beautiful composite images that often feel akin to the original aspirations of Cubism to capture a single moment in time from all possible angles.

In practical fashion terms, it’s also fairly nifty. Not only does it enable us to get the idea of a full silhouette or the cut of a jacket, but is invariably creates a potential for showing more garments than usual on a single page and, rather unusually, can introduce close-up details from outfits simultaneously without ever seeming at odds with the overall aesthetic. Thus, signature garments by Calvin Klein, Versace, Paul Smith, Burberry Prorsum and others are showcased in a way that not only offers us a picture of the overall sway of a jacket or shirt, but also homes in on the special detail that underscores its particular identity.

The styling has paid particular attention to the strong offer of bold textiles in the current collections. Not only does this optimise the impact of the optical phenomena generated by the technique, but it also tangentially connects with the premise of the shoot: the presence of their vaguely retro forms that were once considered highly futuristic contextualise the conceit of projecting contemporary fashion into the near future. In the end, they remind us, everything ends up in the archive.

2020s - VMAN issue 24 - Photo: Damien Blottiere. Styling: Tom Van Dorpe