2014 has barely bid us goodbye, yet talks of 2015 trends have sprung alive. And no surprise, Pantone — American based provider of universal colour systems — have named their colour of the year: Marsala. “A naturally robust, earthy wine red, Marsala enriches our minds, bodies and soul” – cr: Pantone.com Last year, Pantone had “Radiant Orchid” — a curious blend of purple and pink — as colour of the year, and the year before, the ever-green “Emerald” rose as their choice (no pun intended). 50 Shades of Emerald – cr: Pantone Many (including me) wonder: what is the significance behind Pantone’s choices? What is Pantone? What makes Pantone so important? Fret shall answer these…
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(Insert luxury brand here) Made in Sweatshops
Gucci made it to the headlines again — and this time, for the wrong reason. A recent report claimed that Chinese employees for Libero Mondo — one of Gucci’s subcontractors in Italy — worked 14 hours a day on handbags, instead of the contracted 4 hours. Worse, Libero Mondo’s Arnoldo Guidotti proclaimed that Gucci is fully aware of the exploitation, and Gucci buys those bags from Libero Mondo for 24 euros. In store, a Gucci bag retails for approximately 1000 euros. Kering (once Pinault Printempts Redoute or PPR), Gucci’s parent company, responded that they would include additional measures to ensure that incidents like these would never repeat again. Yet, in 2002, Brylane — a US based clothing supplier for Kering —…
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Fashion: Recession Style
Google “Recession 2015”, and one is bo mbarded with headlines about the economy going from bad to worse. Falling oil prices, the devaluing rouble, whispers about a Chinese credit crisis, and the possibility that Germany will fall into recession along with the rest of the Europe, paint a bleak new year. Consumer confidence is in its all time low and people are spending lesser. In the midst of this a new wave of trends emerged: 1. Style a la recession Prada’s S/S Uomo 2015 Drab dresses, sloppier silhouettes and conservative colours dominated the runways. Minimalist is the key. Excess is out, austerity is in. The rise of the “recession chic” style came as a response of…
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Psy{chic} ⎯ Michael Metric
If there is one event in Milan that you can not miss it is WOMADE ⎯ a creative network, an incubator that nurtures and enhances relationships, putting creativity at the center of everything. What a delightful surprise to discover Michael Metric there ! The Italian couple based in Berlin ⎯ Emanuela Amato and Michael Saba ⎯ assume that there is no longer a dichotomy between genders. Born in 2014, the aesthetic of Michael Metric offers a modern interpretation of the meeting point between masculinity and femininity thanks to an accurate vision of shapes, volume and space. Nowadays, men and women are more and more inclined to share their wardrobe. “This is about what a garment…
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Masterpiece ⎯ Label2
She is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is native of Serbia. Andrea Popovic and Alen Pinku met each other in Milan at the Accademy of Fine Arts of Brera. From this friendship Label2 was born, a concept that erases the boundaries between Art and Fashion. This is the metamorphosis of the human body into a work of art. Neoprene ⎯ the secret ingredient of the duo ⎯ gives unexpected shapes and emphasizes the minimalistic aesthetic of the silhouette. Contemporary muse, the Label2 woman is statuesque and determined. When was the brand born? Alen : We started to work together 4 years ago, but things got serious in 2012. Do you have a…
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Black Friday: Next Stop Milan?
It never fails, every Friday after Thanksgiving, storms of people full of turkey flock to department stores all over the United States in efforts to find the best bargains Due to the economic downturn in the US economy, Black Friday sales have been declining, although due to slumping oil prices and larger discount incentives sales should have improved. Last weeks sales analysis stated the opposite. Reasons? The new “Grey Thursday” (Pre-Black Friday teaser sales) and the race to offer the largest and earliest deep discount has given customers the ability to shop earlier. There has been a power shift in the complicated B2C relationship, customers now have the power. They…
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Love for fashion from the early days- Juozas Statkevicius
You become what you wish to be. And this belief brings us to… Lithuania, country in the Eastern Europe. So small and where such a big person was born. Juozas Statkevicius knows what it means to go for your goal and to reach it. It is not only about success and “right people you meet”, it is also about hard work, sleepless nights and big dreams. Juozas Statkevicius (or Josef Statkus how he is called abroad) was born in the city of Lithuania which is known because of people wear work-out outfits even when they go out on dates or wear heels and sports bag for job meetings, Kaunas. And…
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Beyond the Black ⎯ Klekko
Initially graduated in architecture Julia Los and Joana Krawczyk ⎯ a Polish duo ⎯ redefine the garment’s structure through the dark theorem of Klekko. Based in Berlin and launched last year, the brand is the mathematical equation of deconstruction through the lines. The silhouette is strong, the style is sporty, the cut is avant-garde. Klekko is for Fashion what Pierre Soulages is for Painting: the light comes through the black. For a full immersion into the dark paradise of Klekko, Lust in Fashion suggests you to listen Fresh & Low – New Life source of inspiration during the creation process of the new collection “Bolder Line”. Julia Los & Joana Krawczyk How does architecture help you in your work? Julia:…
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Workshops: The Trend Researcher
To every season there is a trend. In fashion, this is an inevitable fact. Be it a colour, a fabric or a shape — from the window displays of luxury shopping streets to cheap fast-fashion retailers; the teeny bopper to the sophisticated male — trends are omnipresent. How do trends come and go? How do trends repeat and evolve? Gianni Fontana and Fiorenza Spezzapria from Milan Style Academy solved this question during the BS4F Trends Workshop. First, a trend (or “directions”) is a combination of past events that will have an impact on future events and it will determine the aesthetic. A trend can be defined as a research evolutive path, then supporting both creative and…
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Sacred & Profane ⎯ Mavranyma
This is not just only about black and minimalism. There is something else — something almost divine which immediately catches your attention. Mavranyma is an Italian brand from Montefano, a small village in the province of Macerata. The project started in winter 2012 and took shape one year later: one year to understand the tough business world of fashion start-ups and to build the DNA of the brand. Now, Mavranyma is more than ready to get in the market and you risk tasting the forbidden fruit. As the 7 deadly sins, Lust in Fashion asked 7 questions to the designer, Elia Francinella. Where does the name Mavranyma come from ? This is mix between two words.…
