Color, Shine and Patterns dominate Spring/Summer 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxrjgYwKAPw?wmode=transparent]

Moschino Menswear Spring/Summer 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPEstjUP8hI?wmode=transparent]

Burberry Prorsum Menswear Spring/Summer 2013

Gone are the days of earth tone soft palette menswear collection where black, white, and taupe colors rule the runway. In the next Spring/Summer 2013 collection, we see bright colors, shinny metallic fabrics and commercial patterns around the fashion capital, most notably in the most recent collections from Moschino and Burberry Prorsum in Milan. 

In Moschino, supermarket products turned into prints and patterns all over shirts, jackets and pants. The combination of commercial-influence fashion pieces pair with super pop brights sweaters, pants and jackets all mixed together created a color-overdosed preppy look. It's fun, sexy and defintely very forward. 

In Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Bailey's boxy top and skinny bottom silhoutte created a very sexy look, filled with well designed car coats, boxy bomber and rain trench along with fitted suits. The twist came from super bright crispy metallic materials of pink, turquoise, fuchia red, yellow, orange and blue in outerwear and shirts. I especially love the touch of metallic shine water trek sandals and boxy satin shirts. The scarf inspired printed zip bomber has rounded shoulder pad and loose sleeves, finished with classic suiting bottom and metallic sandals. The Christian Bailey's Burberry men definitely has evolved along with lots of womenswear influence printed patterns and colors.

In the current age of economic downturn and uncertainty, the bold statement in recent menswear collection is almost a must to generate more buzz and interest, just not sure how well will men accept the changes there is to come, nevertheless, luxury fashion is not dead for sure, at the very least not in menswear in my opinion..

 

Sharp Tailoring and Sexy Proportion at Haider Ackermann SP/SU 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQ68ov9kzU?wmode=transparent]

I always love Haider Ackermann, the reason being he executes design proportion so well that always any form of shapes and lines look very sexy and lean. In this latest collection, he continues his signature design or wrapping and overlapping leather, shinny silks undernearth a sharp tailored jacket, using traditional Japanese kimono as inspiration, translated into a modern, architectural structure that is soft and elegant. There are mixed of wide and high-waisted, boyfriend style and skinny pants, along with tailored jackets that come in beautiful monochromatic silverish geometrical print. I really like those wide belts that translated into cummerband holding the shape of the collection really well. Just hope those pieces would come in men as well.

Matthew Williamson celebrate collection #15 in SP/SU 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig-DnZBNpSs]

Matthew Williamson newest collection celebrate 15 years of the launch of his label, inspired by Indian holy festival as paint and inked dropped into paper, creating a cold and warm colors of mix match ombre prints and embroidery. It's what he does best. I really enjoy his collection.  

 

Colorful Corsets and Cape at Burberry 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBG7JTbioxE]

Christopher Bailey does in again ! This time he sent models down the runway filled with colors in mainly the shape of "Corsets and Capes". The famous burberry trench coat were transformed into metallic color fabrics and come in different variety of length and width. We have seen a lot of colors going into next year from NY fashion week. It seems like the color does not stop at NY, more to come in London fashion week..

 

NY Spring 2013 RTW

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a1dayJI9e8]

 

OK Let's tango with these colors...

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb4lgOiHBZo?wmode=transparent]

A beautiful video of tango, monotone colors fashion pieces, expecially love how the back of the wall matches the outfit. The guy dresses in a uniform like tops and bottom in brilliant colors work really well with the dresses.

Contemporary dressing at Raf Simon's finale for Jil Sander AW12/13

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKKDbFH2TPw?wmode=transparent]

Raf Simon ending on a high note in his finale collecton of AW2012/2013

Jil Sander has been my favorite labels for a long time. When Raf Simon, another favorite, took over the Jil Sander collection 7 years ago, I have been watching him continue to transform and refine simple clothes in a new way. In this finale collection, beautiful dresses and coats fill the runway with beautiful, poetic and upscale shapes and colors. These are truly contemporary clothes with lots of soul and love. Check out the different design of various shades of flares and fitted dresses, the cutting of the seam along the princess line and bust area create an interesting mixed-fabric, which transitioning from smooth satin charmeuse fabric to metallic lame fabric. An occasional touch of leather with drapery dress truly define the brilliant touch of Raf. We shall miss you Raf..

post by J高

 

The Sartorialist

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5NgG5koPZU?rel=0]

An amazing fashion blogger and photographer, listen to how his visual life is presented into the audience, there is a sense of originality and spontaneity in his quest for interesting fashion images. As a designer, we are trained to be a very visually sensitive person when designing a collection; visualizing what does it looks like walking on the street, going to work or even going to an event, it's real, it;s creative, it's spontaneous and most of all it should be beautiful wearable fashion, not always a museum sculpture, check out his website Sartorialist.com

NYC Spring 2011 RTW 紐約春夏2011

So finally, the end of NY 2011 Spring/Summer fashion show. 2010 marks the end of a decade for the new millineium. In every decade, there is definitive look, here several fashion experts rounded up the 2011 that there is no sure trends. There is the edgy simplicity of 90s, beautiful 70s dresses, and 40s blouses all came into play as we start of the 2011 season. I personally really like those new dresses that are so light, drapery and almost whimsical in a way. Francisco Costa Calvin Klein collection is among one of the best with nice proportion of architectural minimalist dresses that are wearable and beautiful. I like the second video of how Carine Roitfeld of Paris Vogue pronounce "Helmut Lang" !!

RIck Owens video portrait

A cutting edge videos from SHOWSTUDIO presenting portrait of edgy, grunge and avant garde American designer Rick Owens.His collection has always been very inspirational especially the washed/distressed tight leather look that is modern and medieval at the same time.

Blue-ties

Double RL heavy twill khakis take on beautiful purple blue tinted shades.

denim patches in various blue shades in my journal

tear sheet of denim merchandised products in my journal

I went to HK in this past January and was shopping at Lane Crawford men's department. The denim area indeed have not slow down at all, and there are more and more emphasis on taking other complimentary blue shades like purple, lavender, blueberry etc in denim tinting. Even the khakis and twills are tinted in denim shades. It's so beautiful and wearable. Ralph Lauren does it beautifully.

All photos by Studio Lifequartet @2010

Gareth Pugh: A/W09 fashion videos

I love this video of Gareth Pugh's A/W09 collection, a very interesting theatrical fashion video with creative ways of using black and white images. I also love how he uses all the leather, plastic balloon like materials and make into very sharp and edgy clothes. Video made by Ruth Hogben
See actual catwalk show below:

Gareth Pugh: multi-talented designer SHOWoff

Gareth Pugh, a very talented British designer who started as a costume designer at age 14, later attended Saint Martins for fashion design before staging his shows. Here, he is using his own body as performing object to showcase his different moods and feelings prior to the opening of Couture Week in 2006. I really like the human disco ball. His collection is always inspirational.

Slim Stymest

Gone are the days of typical male model with washboards abs and muscular body. Ash Stymest is currently one of the top model that is cool and edgy. He is first used by Hedi Slimane for his personal projects which he was known for Dior Homme slim silhoutte a few years back. Tattoos, skinny body, skater and drummer are some of the personal traits of Ash.

Neil Barrett interview : "Precision“

One of my favorite designer Neil Barrett had an interview with New Yooxer in his Milan design studio. A beautiful well organized studio space. I love the fact that his clothes are very wearable with lots of great designing that are influenced by materials and shapes. The approach of core design concept always start from using different methods in designing the garments. In SP/SU 2010, his indentation idea of applying leather on shirts, jackets and pants is another excellent ideas in forming the overall concept for the season.

Backstage videos of SP/SU 2010.
In most fashion design studios here in Taiwan or elsewhere where chaotic and disorganized activity pretty much dominate the scene; but if you see the shows here, the show looks are very well organized and precise. All the models has their own look starting from make up, hair, outfit, accessories and even the cat walk sequence. All the details are being carefully thought out, displayed and marked with cardboard signs and photographs. In fashion design process, it is very important to be precise and clear. It is a design philosophy that here at Studio Lifequartet believes. Therefore for every collaboration or design services, our goal is to seek for creative method during the design process and eventually arrive at absolute conceptual clarity.

Fashion is not about clothes, Costume design is not about fashion

Fashion is not about clothes, it's about style and attitude. Costume design is not about fashion, it's about defining the role of the dancers, the emotions of the dance, and the vision of the choreographer. Check out this great video made by Chadwick Tyler for Marc Jacob S/S10 model casting. The following quote is from AnOther magazine. "They wear the clothes, the clothes don't wear them" . In the same way, dancers wear the costume, the costume don't wear them...

The identity of the model on the catwalk, "for this show more than any other, is key," says AnOther Man Fashion Director and menswear stylist for Marc by Marc, Alister Mackie. "As each model only wears one look, and each look is tailored and styled around the model." To be chosen for the show, the models have to embody the spirit of youthful cool; be of strong character; and have an irreverent attitude: "It's the attitude they bring; a sense of ease", says Mackie. "They wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear them. They can perhaps be less conventionally beautiful than other models, but this show is really about models who can project something of themselves through the clothes." To be a model for Marc is an early career coup – we present this season’s winners.

Shirt Sculpture: dyed, wrinkled, crushed.

Where: Espirit window display, Taipei.

What: The theme was American road trip Route66

All photos by Jordan K

All right reserved Studio Lifequartet 2010

Senior fashion

I took a snapshot of this stylish older gentlemen standing under the bridge, waiting for red light. Look at his Kangol style flat cap + Olive brown relax suits + cardigan + black shoes. The man knows his stuff ! Check out the other 2 gentlemens behind him look stun !

All photos by Jordan K

All right reserved Studio Lifequartet 2010

Not just your normal shirt

After working as a R&D designer for years , I have learned that the hanging appeal of a shirt does not just happen. It's carefully design to look custom made or authentic. Take this Scotch & Soda shirt for example. The thickness of the interlining in the collar, cuffs, plackets determine crease and wrinkle after wash. The tension of the thread, the sizes of pattern pieces and shape, all play a part in making this garment look like it has been worn for years. All fabric shrink after wash, therefore, the pockets are not just a flat piece of pattern but to make slightly bigger and ease into the seam so when it shrinks, it will automatically create some pulls. The length of the front placket is longer than the shirt length so that it can ease into the shirt and create a 3D placket after wash. It's a carefully thought out and designed casual plaid shirt, not just your normal shirt.

Checking in Taipei.

I recently walked across the zebra crossing of Taipei Main Station and took a shot of this older folk. When we think about a person with style ( not trendy ! ) and he definitely had that look. Checking in plaids long sleeve shirt ( notice he folded it up to look a bit casual ) , a wide leg taupish bottom with a beige yoke piece ( cool !) . the old folk was walking quite fast and I had to catch up behind him. He had a yellow umbrella and green canvas tote bag to complete his look.