athens understated blog

ANTWERP, Belgium — It’s been over twenty years, but the Antwerp Six still holds huge historical importance in fashion, which says a lot in today’s fast fashion world. Last season, I popped into the Paris shop of Dries van Noten, and saw Cathy Horyn of The New York Times, Virginie Mouzat of Le Figaro, and Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune all getting a little bit of between-show shopping out of the way before hitting the Haider Ackermann show. For these important editors, Dries is still the go-to designer for elegant clothing and accessories in his colourful signature style.

Van Noten and fellow members of the so-called Antwerp Six (including Ann Demeulemeester and Dirk Bikkembergs) first took the international fashion scene by storm when they rented a truck and set up shop at London Fashion Week in 1987 (or 1986, or 1988, depending on whom you ask and which source you are reading). What is certain is that were recently minted graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and shortly after hitting London developed international cult followings amongst the fashion faithful. Not only did their London appearance put Belgium on the fashion map, it also positioned the Antwerp Academy, as it is known colloquially, as one of the world’s top fashion schools.

I was delighted, therefore, to accept the invitation of Walter Van Beirendonck, another member of the Antwerp Six and head of the fashion department at the Antwerp Academy to sit on a truly distinguished jury to review the thesis collections of the Academy’s 2009 Masters students earlier this month. Over the course of a day and half, we experienced an overload of stimuli that heightened the senses (visual, aural and olfactory) and provoked the mind. Each designer created an installation to present their work, at times with startling and breathtaking effect, like Stephanie D’Heygere’s Humanimalus collection in the Garden of the Plantin & Moretus Museum.

From beautiful garden to classical sculptural studio to back-alley building and rooftop dome, we met 14 designers and listened to the stories, experiences and passions that informed their collections.  The day ended with a huge runway show in an old hangar on the river, featuring the designs of the masters students, but also those of the immensely talented bachelors’ students who will follow in their footsteps. It was one of the highlights of my professional career and one of the most creative displays of fashion I have witnessed — chicken soup for my economically-battered fashion soul.

I was honoured to be among some true fashion greats like Suzy Menkes and Olivier Theyskens and a new generation of fashion thinkers and doers, including Leonardo Girombelli of thecorner.com and Junsuke Yamasaki of Dazed & Confused Japan. Each of the 12 jury members brought a unique industry and geographic perspective to the table. Combined with the expertise of the teachers who also sat on the jury, we had some very interesting deliberations. I learned something from each and every one of them.

I also learned an important fashion business lesson while I was there. While none of the Antwerp Six has created a global brand to rival Gucci or Yves Saint-Laurent, none of them have really aimed for that in the first place.  They keep their businesses small and focused, with limited distribution, few licensing deals and little or no advertising to speak of.

This is in stark contrast to Martin Margiela’s business which, under the ownership of Renzo Rosso, has gone from virtual anonymity and unquestioned product integrity to the big brand fashion model, churning out handbags and eyewear in increasingly high-profile stores around the world. Rumours abound that Margiela himself is no longer actively involved in the design or presentation of the collections.

His absence has not gone unnoticed by fashion experts and loyal customers. Recently the JC Report lamented that “a shift has been apparent in the quality of the products since the partnership with Diesel began: the amazing wool and cotton zip-front sweaters are no longer the weight of a vintage military cloak, the cut of the t-shirts went from interesting to extremely basic and banal. What’s more, Margiela showed furniture and interior prototypes at the Salone Del Mobile that exuded a mass production treatment of the usual artisan pieces.”

Maybe there is a lesson here for all of us? It is the very fact that the Belgian fashion businesses have remained small, focused and high-quality that makes them special. They still need to be economically sound, mind you, but they doesn’t mean they have to be big. While there will always be room for the mega fashion brands, increasingly, I believe we will see the re-emergence of privately-owned niche fashion businesses that operate on a more human scale, which enable the founding designers to be involved in all aspects of the business, ensuring that their visions are realized from product to retail with integrity, creativity and yes, humanity.

Imran Amed is editor of The Business of Fashion.

A crowd several hundred people strong snaked around the block from the entrance to Topshop’s New York emporium, 478 Broadway, in the Soho district of the city, which threw open its doors at 11.30am US time, 4.30pm GMT, yesterday.

Bemused onlookers wondered what the cheerleader shouting “Kate” in a North London accent outside the Topshop New York store was saying, with one by-stander commenting “Do they mean ‘cut’ [the ribbon]?”.

The long awaited opening of Topshop New York was accompanied with a blast of red, white and blue confetti as Topshop owner Sir Philip Green and supermodel Kate Moss emerged from the heavily guarded entrance.

An excited crowd surged forward to begin shopping in the new-look store, which was designed by Dalziel + Pow.

 Topshop New York carries the ninth Kate Moss for Topshop collection, which also went on sale in London yesterday, as well as capsule collections by British designers Preen, Jonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll.

Topshop Unique is also stocked in the store and Topshop has introduced a new collaboration with Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki, which will be inspired by the Biba ranges from the 1960s.

The store also has a Style Advisor area, similar to that in its London Oxford Circus flagship.

Topshop New York’s windows have been designed by British illuatrator Jo Ratcliffe, and feature iconography reflecting the two worlds of fashion and the great British Aristocracy.

During the press conference, Sir Philip Green attempted to quash this negativity under a barrage of facts, figures and self-confidence. “With all the financial jiggery-pokery over now, we’re back to the era of the merchants and I really believe that now more than ever it’s about content. We’re not in Armageddon but we’re all just having to work harder,” he announced, all but putting his thumbs in his armpits and puffing out his chest.

Last year the Arcadia group made £4.5bn globally and Topshop alone made an annual profit of £120m. In America, it made $25m and Green is already predicting that this will rise to $100m with the brand’s increased presence. However, he added that he is not planning to open more than 15 stores in America. When compared to the 300 Topshop stores that exist in the UK, this was perhaps a sign that even Green is being cautious.

He showed characteristic confidence when asked what Topshop had to offer to make it stand out from the hugely successful American high street shops that already dominate the country. Green made reference to the brand’s various USPs that have made it such a heavyweight in Britain - “We can work at speed, we have in-house design teams and we are trend-driven” - but ultimately, of course, he said it came down to him: “I’m a businessman who sells clothes, and that is perhaps what is needed now more than ever.”

Hussein Chalayan marks 15 years in fashion with a solo exhibition at London’s Design Museum. Here, the avant-garde designer reflects on his most memorable moments.
http://www.style.com/video/fashion-moments/8615595001?mbid=sn

Leading the forefront of contemporary fashion design, the twice named ‘British Designer of the Year,’ Hussein Chalayan, is renowned for his innovative use of materials, meticulous pattern cutting and progressive attitudes to new technology.

This exhibition is the first comprehensive presentation of Hussein Chalayan’s work in the UK. Spanning fifteen years of experimental projects, the exhibition explores Hussein Chalayan’s creative approach, his inspirations and the many themes which influence his work such as cultural identity, displacement and migration.

Exhibits include ‘Afterwords’ which explores the notion of ‘wearable, portable architecture’ in which furniture literally transforms itself into garments; ‘Airborne’ - bringing the latest LED technology to fashion design with a spectacular dress consisting of Swarovski crystals and over 15,000 flickering LED lights; ‘Before Minus Now’ a dress made of materials used in aircraft construction which changes shape by remote control and ‘Readings’ a dress comprising of over 200 moving lasers presenting an extraordinary spectacle of light.

The exhibition at the Design Museum is open until 10pm Friday 24 April.

Media partners Dazed & Confused 

In association with PUMA

On the 3rd of april, XCLUSIVE DESIGNERS WEEK pesents the Vivienne Westwood Anglomania f/w 09-10 collection.

Exclusive distribution for Greece and Cyprus: zoeprokakis WHITEROOM 48, Lenorman str., 104 44 Athens, Greece T:+30 210 5133223, F:+30 210 5133124, info@zoeprokakiswhiteroom.gr

Jewellery, bags, accessories, t-shirts and perfumes are also available through Vivienne Westwood online store.

BREAD & BUTTER – tradeshow for selected brands” returns back to Berlin in summer 2009. The new location of the internationally leading tradeshow for Street- and Urbanwear is the disused, historical airport Berlin-Tempelhof.

BREAD & BUTTER, BERLIN and TEMPELHOF result in a perfect symbiosis, and great things can be expected. Berlin is BREAD & BUTTER’s hometown.

“The airport Berlin-Tempelhof, “The mother of all airports”, is an architectural jewel, a location of international historic meaning, and is known worldwide. Here, we have the possibility to completely redefine and newly position the “BREAD & BUTTER – tradeshow for selected brands”.
We are very proud to be able to organise the event here in the future”, says Karl-Heinz Müller, Managing Director BREAD & BUTTER.

The date for the upcoming BREAD & BUTTER BERLIN is the 1 – 3 July 2009. This early date signifies the BREAD & BUTTER and is the season’s kick-off for the entire industry.

Contentwise, the BREAD & BUTTER will continue to focus on its core competences Denim, Young Fashion and Sport Lifestyle. In the Urbanwear segment, “Dressed up labels” for Women and Men play a major role. The exhibiting brands will, according to their genre, be presented in newly conceived, stylistically coordinated “neighbourhoods”.

The BREAD & BUTTER is especially glad for the commitment of the Berlin senate under the lead of Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who has significantly supported the return of BREAD & BUTTER during the past few months.

Karl-Heinz Müller explains: “We have never doubted Berlin as location, on the contrary. The BREAD & BUTTER has always remained a Berlin company. After the relocation of the tradeshow to Barcelona, the company has kept its headquarters in the German capital – for a reason.

But back then, we were simply lacking the adequate event venue. The airport Berlin-Tempelhof has been an option for us for quite some time, but it was not available in those times. Now that it is available, we use this historical chance for returning home.”