PARIS FASHION: MADSEN CREATES 'MAGIC' WITH SLEEPING BAG

Anne Sofie Madsen

Anne Sofie Madsen gave a whole new twist to the idea of ready to wear during Paris Fashion Week: just grab whatever is at hand, be creative, and throw it on.

For her Elvis-Presley inspired collection, the Danish designer combined all sorts of textures and materials - be it leather, fur, feathers or, in one case, a sleeping bag. 

Madsen's artful combinations

Madsen said that her show was inspired by the fact that “Elvis Presley was a twin-twin and that his great-great-great-grandmother was Native American”. The singer’s lifelong eccentricity was apparently supposed to come across in the designer’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection, which was titled “Heaven or Las Vegas”.

“I like to challenge and push the boundaries for everyday wear and at the same time it is really important to me that the garments are in their own way functional and wearable,” Madsen has said. “It’s not about garments for princesses in a fantasy world, but I do wish to bring magic into reality and preciousness into fashion”.

Viewers could choose where they thought they were, as the setting of the show – the underground parking lot of fashion school Istituto Marangoni – gave plenty of scope for wild imaginings.

Madsen's use of fur and netting

Madsen showcased mainly flowing, loose-formed pieces, with intriguing asymmetrical looks. She used netting and rubber string to create blouses and dresses (if they could be called that), and the edginess of the designs meant that only the bravest of consumers, or exhibitionists, would dare to get into these revealing garments.

The muted browns, greys, and mustards let the real focus of the collection shine through: the textures. Every ensemble combined “spurious and glamorous, working class hero and tragic glam-clown”.

The brightest colour came from a red sleeping bag, wrapped artfully to form a sort of poncho or winter coat. The challenge was: could you do that with your own blanket at home? It was beyond cool. Or rather, it looked really warm.

The models sported short haircuts with natural makeup, in contrast to the offbeat designs. One model was completely bald, making viewers think that she was a survivor of some kind, and giving them an instant desire to know more about her story.

As discordant electronic music pounded, the models strutted down the concrete ramp, disappearing round the bends of the parking lot. Then they swaggered back into view, with their dangling belts, flowing sleeves, and wide-legged pants.

Some wore brown leather loafers, reminiscent of the Nineties, while a few strode insouciantly in cowboy boots.

At the end, several viewers seemed not to know whether to clap, chuckle or just shake their heads. 

The overall effect of Madsen's collection was one of confusion, awe, and yes, a certain admiration for this kind of audaciousness. - J.M. De Clercq / Tasshon

Madsen's ode to Elvis Presley?

YOKO ONO RETROSPECTIVE SEES THE LIGHT IN LYON, FRANCE

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon is hosting France’s first retrospective of Yoko Ono’s work, from March 9 to July 10, 2016.

Yoko Ono, Walking on Thin Ice, 1981

Titled Lumière de L’aube (Dawn’s Light), the exhibition includes photographs, music, writing, film, art “instructions”, and a range of installations, covering 60 years.

The Japanese-born artist (widow of English singer and songwriter John Lennon) is known for her conceptual work, and the show’s co-curator Thierry Raspail says that the key theme is that of experimentation and “sharing”.

A musician as well as filmmaker and peace activist, Ono, 83, has exerted a wide influence in many fields, Raspail says, even if some art experts and members of the public - “mainly in Europe” - prefer to downplay her role.

He adds that the exhibition’s title is apt because “light” is of the essence in Ono’s productions. The French word “Lumière” also evokes the legacy of the Lumière brothers - the world’s first filmmakers, who lived in Lyon. For more information: http://www.mac-lyon.com/mac/sections/fr/a_venir/yoko_ono

COUTURE: ELEGANCE, GLAMOUR AND DESIGNING FOR PEACE

The United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, got indirectly involved with Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week when it named the renowned African designer Sidahmed Alphadi Seidnaly an Artist for Peace on Jan. 25.

Alphadi speaking at UNESCO.

As runway shows took place around the French capital, the organization hosted a packed ceremony at its headquarters that included a presentation of Alphadi’s cutting-edge designs, which combine modern looks with traditional influences.

UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova said that the nomination was in recognition of Alphadi’s “commitment to culture and development at the service of peace, respect and human dignity, and for his contribution to the promotion of tolerance”.

Among the designer’s accomplishments is the creation of the International Festival of African Fashion (FIMA), which he launched in 1998 in a section of the Sahara desert - under the auspices of UNESCO.

The Festival has since become a place of “exchange and dialogue between cultures from all over the world”, the UN agency said.

Two of Alphadi's designs.

As a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Alphadi - who was born in Mali and grew up in Niger - will work to transform FIMA into an itinerant event so that the next editions may take place in other African countries, notably Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, UNESCO said.

The designer intends to develop the educational aspects of the festival as well.

At the Paris ceremony, Alphadi said he would work to promote peace, economic development and culture. “We need to create a world of love and lasting peace,” he told spectators. “I will use all my energies to build peace through fashion and the arts.”

BOWIE WONG AND JULIEN FOURNIE 

Elsewhere in the city, fashion was being used to lift morale with a similar explosion of colour and creativity, amidst the grey weather. The stand-out designers of the week included Hong Kong-born, Australia-based Bowie Wong and Paris-based Julien Fournié, among others.

Bowie Wong

Each designer’s Spring-Summer 2016 collection pushed boundaries and worked to “reinterpret the elements of designs”, to use Wong’s words.

The stylist said that fashion creates a certain freedom of expression, but that it is through “learning to express ourselves” that fashion itself can be crafted.

Wong said that his show, titled “ABC123” was inspired by the playful self-expression of Japanese schoolgirls who create unique ways in which to style their school uniforms. “This is my most Japanese collection,” he told Tasshon.

His assured use of red, black and white, and the repetition of light-hearted motifs such as sailor collars and bow ties made for a memorable defilé in the grand lobby of the Peninsula Hotel.

Earlier in the week, Fournié equally drew on black and red, but went for a glamour-on-the-shore theme with his “First Paradise” show. Spectators were meant to be soothed by the rhythm of waves (evoked in music composed by John Barry), as they imagined themselves sailing on the high seas.

Julien Fournie  

Viewers also had to envision the Oratoire du Louvre, where the show was held, as something of a “fashion Eden, full of mystery and voluptuousness”.

Those without such vivid imaginations could, of course, just focus on the clothes: a fitted cocktail dress with large tropical flowers, or fitted pants combined with a draped jacket in a “papaya shade”.

According to his company, Fournié dared to use “the entire palette of oceanic rainforest fruits and blossoms: from saturated dragon-fruit pink to mangosteen deep purple or the intense green of philodendron leaves”.

The collection was indeed colourful and daring, with some of the more risqué clothing - revealing quite a bit of skin - apparently meant to emphasize the concept of being ocean-bound and carefree.

The fussier garments of bright, billowing fabric might not have appealed to all the sea-faring spectators’ taste, but the collection did combine luxury and ready-to-wear styles in an appealing, innovative way.  - Tasshon

Bowie Wong

ETHICAL FASHION SUPPORTS DESIGNERS, MIGRANTS IN ITALY

One of the world’s most important menswear fairs, Pitti Uomo, has teamed up for the second time with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) to present four African designers at its biannual event, with asylum seekers participating as models.

AKJP's show at Pitti Uomo.
 (Photo: Giovanni Giannona)

On Jan. 14, the rising brands Ikiré Jones, U.Mi-1, AKJP, and Lukhanyo Mdingi x Nicholas Coutts showcased their Autumn / Winter 2016 collections in Florence at Pitti Uomo 89, under the title "Generation Africa".

The presentation followed a successful first edition with Pitti Uomo last June, when the EFI selected and supported four stylists for its African Designer Programme. That show was highly rated by fashion experts, but critics said that the runway models did not reflect enough diversity.

This year, as “part of its mandate to raise awareness not only on African fashion but also on social issues”, the Ethical Fashion Initiative said it partnered with Lai-momo, an Italian organisation working with migrants, to cast three asylum seekers to participate as models in the show.

Ikire Jones design.
 (Photo: G. Giannona) 

“Africa is one of today’s creative poles and this show proves that African designers speak about art, life and innovation. At the same time, we are in an age in which many Africans come to Europe as migrants. We believe in a program that enables them to work in the value chain of fashion,” said Simone Cipriani, EFI’s director and founder.

Lai-momo assists asylum-seekers in Italy and promotes cross-cultural exchanges between Africa and Europe “with the aim of reducing stereotypes and preconceptions”, organizers said.

The EFI, founded in 2009, is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. It has worked with leading designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Stella Jean to facilitate the development and production of “high-quality, ethical fashion items” from artisans living in low-income rural and urban areas.

For the past two years, it has been expanding its scope so that African designers can have greater access to global events. The four brands showcased at Pitti Uomo this month represent South Africa (AKJP and Lukhanyo Mdingi x Nicholas Coutts) and Nigeria (Ikiré Jones and U.Mi-1), although the designers call other countries home as well. -  McKenzie / Tasshon

Lukhanyo Mdingi x Nicholas Coutts. (Photo: Giovanni Giannona)

FRANCE TURNS SPOTLIGHT ON KOREAN CULTURE AND ART

Fans of Korean culture are enjoying a bounty of art shows and other events across France as the Asian country takes centre stage during the “2015-2016 France-Korea Year”.

The festivities started in September, when Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn made an official visit to France, and they will continue until next August. Events include art exhibitions, film retrospectives, culinary demonstrations, concerts and conferences, all in celebration of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

A section of the "KOREA NOW!" exhibition.

According to the French government, the France-Korea Year reflects the nations' joint determination to “strengthen relations in all areas”. It will also highlight “innovation" in different sectors.

A key event is the exhibition titled “KOREA NOW! Design, craft, fashion and graphic art in Korea”, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Decorative Arts Museum), located in a wing of the Palais du Louvre in Paris.

Comprising some 700 objects by 150 artists, artisans and designers, the show aims to introduce viewers to Korea’s “formidable artistic patrimony”, as the curators put it. The exhibition is striking for the clean, modern lines of the items on display, whether pottery, furniture or clothing.

Other exhibitions include a look at five centuries of painting in Korea, with the “Tigres de papier,” show at the Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet, also in Paris, and various contemporary art offerings.

The eastern town Dijon (famous for its mustard) will host the show “Lee Ungno & Han Mook : Two Modernist Korean Painters in Paris”. This exhibition, which runs from Oct. 30 to Jan. 30, 2016, looks at the work of two artists who were among the first Korean modernists. Both left their homeland for “artistic exile” in Paris - the city of their dreams - after the Korean War and the partition of their country.

A Korean cook gives a demonstration in Paris.

In St. Etienne, meanwhile, photographer Bae Bien-U will be the guest of honour with his iconic pictures that show Nature somehow suspended, through an ethereal portrayal of volcanoes, rivers, forests and windblown trees.

On the culinary art front, Korean chefs will be giving a twist to nouvelle cuisine in restaurants and cooking schools across France.

Earlier this month, for instance, the famous Ferrandi School in Paris hosted a memorable four-hour dinner that could only be described as a gastronomic "dialogue" between France and Korea: each course contained a mouth-watering specialty from both countries that had diners expressing sounds of delights - in a variety of languages. - Tasshon

Some of the ingredients in Korean cuisine.

PARIS FASHION WEEK: ALL SUNSHINE AND SUSTAINABILITY?

Shiatzy Chen

The sunshine came mostly from the clothes at Paris Fashion Week (Sept. 29 – Oct. 7), as several designers opted for dazzling golden hues in their collections, while the rain pelted down outside.

Shiatzy Chen: blazing gold.

Taiwanese designer Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia, aka Shiatzy Chen, got the mood right as usual, and her artistic views for Spring/Summer 2016 lifted the spirits of those who had come in from the chilly October showers.

With multi-layered styles, floral patterns, a range of different materials and “retro contour and cutting”, Chen showed that for her art is paramount in fashion, as she has told Tasshon previously.

The palette of gold, yellow, satiny orange and other tones were a visual feast at the imposing Grand Palais building, in true Chen tradition. Meanwhile, the collection comprised both maxi and short dresses, as well as easy-to-wear loose pants and swirly skirts. For a more formal look, the designer incorporated her celebrated embroidery designs on a variety of jackets.

Her use of a technique combining printing with embroidered lace and “light imitation silk” equally enhanced the clothing, which was paired with striking footwear: 1970s-style sandals with block heels, embroidered boat shoes and Mary Jane pumps.

By the time the show was over, one had forgotten about the rain.

Rahul Mishra

Indian designer Rahul Mishra also evoked sunshine this season, and he gave fair warning by quoting Persian poet Hafiz in the introduction to his Spring/Summer collection: “Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth ‘You Owe Me’. Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky.”

Designer Rahul Misra.

Mishra’s collection certainly lit up the already sumptuous rooms of the Mona Bismarck Centre, located by the river Seine. Shown a few days before Chen’s collection, his use of yellow, ivory and other colours conveyed a mixture of cool warmth; “cool” in the sense of effortless elegance, and warmth in the sense of “supreme wearability”.

Mishra, 35 years old, is the new kid on the block at Paris Fashion Week, showing for just a third season. But he’s set to make his mark, judging by the enthusiastic reaction to his collection. After the show, a spectator rushed up to hug him, saying, “I just wanted to tell you how great it is to see truly beautiful clothing”.

Rahul Mishra: hints of the sun.

The designer, who won the 2014 International Woolmark Prize at Milan Fashion Week, beamed in response. With his engaging smile and down-to-earth aura, Mishra seems to embody what many now want in fashion: skill and substance.

The designer told Tasshon that for him fashion is about simplicity and elegance, but that it’s likewise about sustainability. “Fashion for me is about employing people,” he said, describing how he sources his materials from artisans in India.

He expands on this theme in his official communiqués: "My idea is to create new jobs which help (people) in their own villages - I take work to them rather than calling them to work for me. If villages are stronger you will have a stronger country, a stronger nation, a stronger world,” he says.

“So my entire idea, my entire philosophy, revolves around that. The product will go through evolution - it will change, it will improve - but a philosophy is what is constant."

Allude

For German designer Andrea Karg, founder of the Allude brand, sustainability is equally a philosophy, and she highlighted this in her Spring/Summer 2016 collection titled “The Rise of Imperfection”.

According to Karg, the world should stop racing after perfection, which is never lasting. “We need to leave room for personality, for sustainability,” she told Tasshon.

Andrea Karg, founder of Allude.

“Nowadays people have got used to buying and throwing away. That’s not my style, not my cup of tea,” she added.

Long crowned the “Queen of Cashmere”, the designer has launched a “cashmere clinic” in Munich, where people can take their worn clothing to be repaired rather than throwing “old” items out.

“Cashmere is a sustainable material and we want to emphasize that,” she said.

In Paris, Karg once more showed the versatility of her chosen material, combining it with cotton, silk and normal wool for a memorable collection.

Textured cashmere skirts and dresses, mixed with cotton yarn and luminous silk, induced images of fresh spring evenings and relaxed beach outings.

At the end of the show, all the models stood together in Karg’s designs, as if at some mass protest for good taste. The overall impression was one of militant chic-ness and absolute artistry. - J.M. De Clercq & L. McKenzie

Allude

FASHION WEEK: DESIGNER MIMI PLANGE RIDES INTO MILAN

Okay, Mimi Plange didn’t actually ride a bike to Milan, not even a Vespa, but the Ghanaian-born American designer did travel to the Italian city for Fashion Week (Sept. 23 - 28) and did launch a very stylish Fixie bicycle for the fifth anniversary of her eponymous brand this year.

Mimi Plange (Photo: GL Wood)

Plange journeyed to Milan to participate in the “Beat of Africa”, a showcase of designs by four acclaimed African stylists. She joined fellow designers MaXhosa by Laduma, Sindiso Khumalo and Sophie Zinga, who all featured looks from their Spring/Summer 2016 collections at the iconic Milanese store Buffi Boutique. The stylists also created a special gift item sold during Vogue Fashion’s “Night Out”, which launched the event.

Their looks have been on display at Biffi Boutique during the week for the shoppers on Corso Genova and for the fashion crowd to see.

Taking place for the third consecutive year, the "Beat of Africa" was organized by both Biffi Boutique and by the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI), a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, which is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

Simone Cipriani (Photo: McKenzie)

The EFI normally focuses on linking the world’s top fashion talents to marginalised artisans – mostly women – in East and West Africa, Haiti and the West Bank. But now it has expanded its range to include select African designers, who are being given support to reach a wider clientele.

The organization says its aim is to fully “enable Africa’s rising generation of fashion talent to forge environmentally sound, sustainable and fulfilling creative collaborations with local artisans.”

“There is a huge buzz around African fashion but scarce opportunities for real trade,” said Simone Cipriani, the director of EFI. “[We are] working on this and are soon launching a new mentoring scheme to enable designers to work alongside investors and business partners. This is a key component to grow and bring more work to Africa.”

Plange at her Biffi window.

For Plange, who’s based in New York, the ethical fashion movement is important for producing jobs as this can help countries to reduce poverty.

“It may not be how everyone sees things developing, but we have to start somewhere,” she said, adding that she is now sourcing products in Ethiopia for her brand’s handbags, and that she is “looking more” to Africa for fabrics.

Plange said that she considers herself an American designer because she lives and works in the United States, but she emphasizes that she is Ghana-born and inspired by African culture and lost African civilizations. “Our world is so global now, and there are so many channels to tell your story that there is no reason to limit ourselves with our creativity,” she said.

The designer started her luxury ready-to-wear brand in 2010, and since then has won several awards, including Designer of the Year, from Africa Fashion International and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Africa.

First Lady Michelle Obama, in Mimi Plange skirt. 

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama wore one of her designs for an appearance on the television programme “The View”, and Plange was invited to the White House in 2014 for the first Celebration of Design reception.

“It was like an out-of-body experience, like a dream,” she recalls. “I don’t think there has been a first lady who has highlighted designers so much.”

Her products have been worn, too, by businesswomen and celebrities, with clients including Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Vanessa Hudgens, Estelle and Serena Williams.

Plange and the other designers in the “Beat of Africa” programme have received a great deal of support from the Italian fashion industry, according to the EFI.  For instance, South African knitwear brand MaXhosa by Laduma participated earlier this year in Pitti Immagine Uomo, one of the world’s largest menswear fairs, held in the Tuscan capital Florence.

MaXhosa by Laduma, at Pitti Immagine Uomo.

MaXhosa normally makes men’s clothing but because some of the styles appeal as well to women, designer Laduma Ngxokolo decided to launch a women’s collection; in Milan he also showcased some of his menswear looks.

Each designer additionally had the task of developing a special limited-edition fashion item for sale at the event. All proceeds from these items will be donated to a project selected by Vogue for 2015, the EFI said.

Now back to that Mimi Plange Fixie, or fixed-gear, bike (pictured above): it too is a limited edition creation, and came about because the designer and her business partner Ibrahim Ndoye decided to “have a bit of fun” this year.

“We always ride to the garment district on our bikes, so we wanted to create something that was useful and lightweight that you could carry down steps,” she said. “So we just let our imagination ride and we came up with this.” - Tasshon

The "Beat of Africa" designers at Biffi Boutique in Milan.