SPOTLIGHT

In our spotlight category you’ll find stories that covers persons, products, movies or any thing that’s worthy of our spotlight for the week!

A Short Story On Knitwear

The Fashion Folks 70 Comments

In honour of yesterday’s passing of legendary fashion designer Sonia Rykiel we’re re-posting our article on knitwear in her memory.

Name a piece of fabric that’s comfy, cozy and chic at the same time? A piece of fabric that works for late summer evenings as well as early fall mornings? Yes folks, we’re talking about the knitwear fabric!

A short story of knitwear

The status of knitwear today, is a result of none other than Coco Chanel’s use of it in 1916. She did a collection with knitted jersey and included clothes like jumpers, dresses and cardigans. Knitwear had already begun to be used for sportswear, but Chanel introduced it to daily womenswear. Fashion designers like Jean Patou (1887 - 1936) and Sonia Rykiel (1930 - 2016) have since developed the fabric and made it a fashion fabric to count on. Especially Rykiel gave the fabric a higher status as she constantly returned to it and relaunched it in different shapes and patterns. Sonia Rykiel is also stated to be the queen of knitwear, a declaration we underline indeed! Her 2010 The story of knitwear | The Fashion Folkscollection for popular brand H&M (see right) was a knitted, colorful, history with energy, youth and life in focus.

The nice thing of knitwear

Knitwear can be used for different clothes, and others more favorably. Cardigans, sweaters and dresses are all common combos with the fabric. Perhaps even more common is the use of hats, scarves and gloves in knitted fabric, a safe and cozy go-to when the degrees hits colder temperatures. The nice thing about knitwear is that it’s not exclusive to a certain style or socioeconomic background. A knitted sweater remains a knitted sweater to anyone who pulls them off, whilst suede or silk is both more pricey and comes with an exclusive touch. Knitwear is for everyone.

Pull of knitwear

Knitwear is rather easy to do as it’s that natural to use. But we’re leaving you with some styling tips however. As knitwear is rather heavy on the fabric it’s a fun one to play with texture, we love the harsh contrast of the light silk and a heavy knitted piece. The fall buzz is a fact when knitwear is paired with faux fur or leather as it’s a comfy and warm combo. As a piece can be knitted in different styles, is also fun to play with the different textures of different sorts of knitwear. A finely knitted sweater with a rough knitted vest adds an interesting texture.

Folks, that’s our very short and quick post on knitwear! We don’t know about you but we’ll surely get comfy in the fabric this upcoming fall. And Sonia Rykiel? Hands down for you lady!

knitwear

Source of picture above (creative commons) can be found here.

The One Piece You Need For Fall

The Fashion Folks 92 Comments

one piece you need this fall1

Damn dramatic title, we know, but we told you we wouldn’t stay quiet about velvet this season. We adore this trend, and just have to give it its time in the spotlight this week. Velvet dreams might not be a thing, but you know, making the magic happen and all. Folks? Velvet is the one piece you need for fall and here is why:

History of velvet

We pinned down the history of velvet in our trend report for fall 2016 by stating that the aristocrats in the 16th century used it and so can we. (Not being pretentious at all here). However, the use of velvet goes back to the early 8th century and the Middle East. Velvet found its way to the Medieval Era and became kind of a deal. Velvet was popular during the early 20th century too (Downton Abbey you know), and also had a peak during the 1970s. With its ability to highlight colors, velvet have had its fashionable moments throughout history.

one piece you need this fall

Trendspotting velvet

Many designers turned to velvet this season. We already mentioned H&M, Rochas and Alberta Ferretti pulling of the trend, but so did Prada, Gucci and Fendi too. As we’ve talked about, velvet is close to the pajamas trend and goes well with pajama-ish pieces as well as materials. On the catwalk velvet was used mainly for dresses but also for office wear and long coats. As velvet has its association to history, it’s one of those items that has the power of giving a depth to an outfit. It’s kind of dark, it’s definitely dramatic and it’s somewhat mythical. So no wonder velvet is going big this year with all the gothic and 16th century influences we’ve seen on the runway (we remember Giambattista Valli’s fall couture collection)!

Pulling off velvet for this fall

Doing velvet for fall is both luxurious and comfy at the same time. The deep level of the fabric is a perfect detail for the rusty and dark colors of fall fashion. Velvet is favorable in fall colors such as: burgundy, midnight blue, moss green and kind of awkwardly charming in mustard yellow. Velvet is lovely to match with silk in specific but works fine in faux fabrics such as leather, suede and fur. We’d take velvet in a blazer, a statement sleeve top, or why not a pair of flared pants? If you’re uncertain about velvet, begin small with a clutch in velvet or why not a choker a la the 19th century or more up to date as the 90s?

The one piece you need for fall? Well, velvet it is! (And yes we made the magic happen)

Elie Saab Fall 2016 Couture

The Fashion Folks 94 Comments

So we thought that we’d be done with the reviews of the couture collections this time around. BUT (ofc there’s always a but) in celebration of our new design (yaaay) we have to go deep on Elie Saab Fall 2016 Couture.

Behind Elie Saab

The lebanese fashion designer, Elie Saab, showed his fall 2016 couture collection for his label on 6th of July. With an endless love for ultra-femininity, transparent fabrics and all things shimmery Saab has throughout the years stuck to his signature looks. This have lead to his popularity amongst celebrities for red carpet events and fine events. His creations are classic, flattering and almost never wrong which makes them a safe red carpet choice. So with a brand which style is rooted in everyone’s cup of tea (even though it is one of the finer ones), a change and a healthy creative development is never wrong. And the Elie Saab Fall 2016 couture collections was a step in the right direction.

 

Style of the collection

If previous haute couture collections mostly have been dreamy daydreams, this collection was the after party. With dark colors, harsh metallics, a modern Gatsby vibe and some light flirting with the 40’s, the creations felt more adult and bold in the choices. The playing with textures, colors and patterns kept the collection interesting and there were always details to look at. The color range kept to a dove scale even though he used both pink, yellow and blue, which are colors that normally pop. The go-to silhouette for the evening was the defined waist and a wide lower part that enhanced the effect.

Conclusion

Even though it sometimes felt that the collection was a bit all over the place, it still kept its main part to the dark and glamorous theme. We especially adored the use of 3D birds and flowers, which both felt charming, innovative within Saabs frames and very coutureish. The classic silhouette was well respected and when played with it was done surprisingly well. And we wouldn’t say no to the “jumpsuit gone dress”, in fact, we do kind of crave it. Some creations are definitely red carpet safe, others will be forgotten soon and some golden pieces are amongst the top of the couture season. But first and foremost, who would ever say no to a modern Gatsby party with shimmer and fringe deluxe? We know we wouldn’t!

Folks, share your thoughts on the collection in the comments below, a yay or nay and if so why?

Embroidering, beading and printing architectural structure of New York City. #impressionsofNY

A photo posted by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld) on

Bold patterns inspired by a positive modernism in a hymn to old New York #ImpressionsofNY

A photo posted by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld) on

The fast-paced essence meets the opulence of a festive gala. #impressionsofNY

A photo posted by ELIE SAAB (@eliesaabworld) on

Dear Denim Jacket

The Fashion Folks 97 Comments

Folks, let’s begin August by highlighting the best piece of denim that might exist. The denim jacket. Yes, if you’ve been a kid of the 80’s, 90’s or 00’s (or just have been alive), we’re pretty sure that you’ve worn the denim jacket at least once or twice (or everyday) in your life.

Life of the denim jacket

Even though the denim jacket feels rather timeless, its story goes back to the late 19th century. Well-known denim brand Levi’s designed the first denim jacket, and with a proper breakthrough to the mainstream in the 50’s, it’s been a classic ever since. Hollywood icons James Dean and Marilyn Monroe are two denim jacketfamous faces that worked the piece during the decade. Denim would become a symbol for the new youth fashion and is still to this date more associated with attitude and edge rather than preppy and done. Even though the lines between styles gets less visible.

The wardrobe hero of our time

The awesomeness of the piece is invaluable today. Denim jackets are both easy to style, brings roughness and works during both fall and summer. The denim jacket is one of those pieces that adapts themselves after the curring trend. The late 00’s saw a lot of tight, defined and short denim jackets and fast-rewinding to present time, it’s a mix of retro 70’s and grungy 90’s denim jackets. It’s the wardrobe hero of our time (or kind of the chameleon).

Ways to work it

So what to do you with a denim jacket? Or what don’t you do is a more appropriate question. You pair it with feminine dresses, with high-waisted jeans, with more denim, with a maxi dress, with some colors, with a bold pattern etc etc. You just add the piece wherever you want some edge. With the selection out on the fashion market today, you can find a denim jacket that suits you and your personal style. If you want to level up your game, why not go 90’s bold and buy a trendy jeans jacket with patches? We like those you know (see below).

Folks, the dear denim jacket is a dearly denim piece of ours!

 

What Is Fashion Week?

The Fashion Folks 47 Comments

Folks, July is coming to an end (say whaaat?!), which means that August is arriving and without us even realizing, it will be September and time for fashion week! And anything regarding the fashion weeks is never too early to speak about, so we might as well highlight the magical weeks now!

Life of Fashion Week

Fashion weeks for Ready-To-Wear (RTW) collections, aka the most common ones, are held twice a year. Mainly in February and September, but as different cities have different dates they usually begin earlier and lasts longer. However, the big four cities that are the most essential (New York, London, Milan and Paris) are held during this month. Fashion week kicks off in New York and runs for four weeks in the order above! Against popular belief, fashion week doesn’t display fashion of the coming season, but next season. So in September, we won’t see fall fashion (as it was shown in February), but the fashion of Spring 2017. This is mainly due to buyers and media that will have time to preview the collections (and the rest of the world too).

The circus of fashion week

Owe to the cultural phenomenon, celebrity-buzz and media institution fashion has become, the fashion weeks are rather complex. It’s not only the designer showing clothes, it’s also the buyers viewing, the journalist reviewing, the photographers photographing, fashion bloggers attending and celebrities giving the glam. And except that, it’s also chic backstage photos, street style pictures before and after the shows and also the models off duty street style. And if there are famous models walking, there will be some extra coverage of that. Not to mention the circus of front row where the most famous and important people should sit and everbody wants a spot. Oh, and the fact that there are at least 100 events during the weeks that are discussions, panels, campaigns etc.

What to Expect

So after all that is said and done, what is there left to expect? Well, hopefully we’ll se fun, inspiring and innovative collections. Some of the shows that usually get the most hype are Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Balmain. The two first because of their iconic status and elaborate shows. The latter because of the celebrity buzz that’s around Olivier Rousteing with the Kardashians and Jenners. These shows are probably the ones you’ll see most of in social media. As for the inner people of the fashion world, sophisticated and minimalistic designs are usually praised. Celine, Acne, Chloé, Stella McCartney are some brands to mention.

What is fashion week? Certainly a fashion circus!

Source Picture 1