second skin

Two days ago this post would have been a different beast.  It was going to be called ‘Skin Coloured’, and assure you unequivocally that spring/summer’s hottest hue is ‘Muted Melanoma’. Then Harry Connick Jr made us see the trend so strong in Vienna and Copenhagen in a whole new light. We mean, way. A tone reflecting the complexion of a percentage of the population, but by no means inferring superior intelligence or value, is next summer’s must-have. Sounds sexy, dun’t it?  We have editorial adoration for the stiff leather shorts in Caucasian Suntan at Vilsbol de Arce, and jumped out of our dermises for Presque Fini’s fringed frock. If you can’t come at getting about in the pseudo-nuddy, opt instead for a faux finger necklace from quirky contemporary jewelstress Margaux Lang. Maybe massage some Ambre Solaire into the knuckles before wearing. (Not that there’s anything wrong with being white. Er, we mean faded.)

flagship opens – where’s the ceremony

 
Riding escalators between the eight sparse-but-thematic floors at Tokyo’s virgin Opening Ceremony flagship, we imagined the architect’s rationalisation of spending a good portion of the budget on cubby houses and a candy pink kitchen.

Will US post boxes really sell more handbags? Well no, but…

That’s the thing with tricked-up retail environments. We imagine the designers of the Shibuya space, formerly housing Movida, explaining they’d aimed to lead shoppers on a journey of exploration and interaction with the diverse product offering in themed concept areas that eschewed the hallmarks of a ‘shop’. They’d be encouraged to linger, but never approached. Japanese consumers are suffocated by so-called ‘service’ and many don’t actually like to be coddled, they’d reckon.

We were rapt to find Camilla Skorvgaard’s AW09/10 clodhoppers in the mix and imagine a solid local market. But at close to US1,000, we weren’t inspired to, um, interact with them.

 

wanted: three pairs of legs in good working order

Heard this week that the first successful limb transplant recipient can put his arm above his head, which got us thinking of joining the waiting list for an extra few legs (with feet on the ends, obviously). That’s about the only way we imagine getting through the catalogue of covetable shoes for next spring/summer, shown at the recent northern European fashion weeks. We’re reckoning Minimarket’s fierce black platform-wedge ankle boots at the front, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair’s violet-y wedges up back, and EnD’s lifeboat-like cobalt ankle huggers in the centre. We’d also order an extra-long pair of pins and throw on Minimarket’s blue suede brogues (with the season’s skew towards seriously swollen soles, wouldn’t want to be lopsided or anything).

stockholm fashion week – let the champagne flow

Hey from Stockholm! After a fraught 24 hours threatening the hotel owner, we’re finally back online (not that we’ve had much time to sit down since we arrived in this magnificent, water-flanked city). As we’re waiting on PR pics from the first night’s show by Swedish label Saga Lova, let’s move on to the show at the Mode Center (above), where countless brands are showcased in adjacent glass booths for buyers to peruse and editors to pull. Chocolate cake to the power of 1,000,000.  Especially the CCDK showroom, where we got to play with the Karen by Simonsen ss10 collection. Lust!

Alas, we’re not so inspired by the four key themes presented, which dredged up last summer’s most overdone trends – ombre, fringing and prairie frocks. Still, Australia does tend to be a season ahead due to the seasonal upside-down, upside-down ness, so we’re hoping that explains it. We can’t bear to think that the Scandinavians aren’t the sartorial seers we imagine.

ss10 trend report/hello stockholm

As promised, you can now read our Copenhagen trend report, which reflects the ss10 trends as seen in Berlin, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Because we just can’t get enough of Scandinavian style, Fashion Platz is crossing the archipelago to Stockholm’s ‘other’ fashion week. From Wednesday to Sunday we’ll be popping into showrooms, pretending we speak Swedish at cocktails (so Sven, which ikea tv cabinet do you have?), and catching a couple of shows (we’re particularly keen on Camilla Wellton). We’re also praying to find a pair of platform wedge boots like Acne’s, within our pauper’s budget. Thankfully our hotel has free wi-fi (it would want to at the price), so we’ll keep you posted daily, as usual. Speak soon x

great balls of fur at designskolen kolding

copenhagen fashion week continues (wtf?)

Lugging a laptop and camera is wearing thinner than a model’s ankle, so  we thought we’d take it out on the ridiculousness of the past few days at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Plaits sitting like doggy-got-into-the-sennetabs on hats at Wood Wood, flesh coloured pull-ups at Vilsbol de Arce, and no that cling wrap is not invisible m’dear (Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair). Thankfully the clashing primary-coloured sockies at Fifth Ave and Minimarket returned us to the lighter side. Houston, we have a t-r-e-n-d.

(Check out our ever-balanced show coverage &  pics below.)

copenhagen fashion week – struts & cuts

Day 3 (August 7) – Karen by Simonsen (debut collection!)

When we read this fresh Danish designer’s bio today, we were charmed immeasurably by her tales of a youth spent sleeping in a grotty kitchen after her mother left to join a commune. Of finding inspiration in the darkest places. Of Worshiping mathematical theories (wrap your tape measure around those geometric dresses). It was a refreshing break from the usual fashion fairy tales and reminded us that it’s nice to be human. (By) Karen Simonsen’s first collection, for ss10, is just as multifarious, spanning conservative navy, quirky asymmetry, rock star rags and seeeeeee QUINs. It also pedals over to the Velodrome, affirming the prudence of the bike pant seen at Alexander Wang ( get that magic stepper out of the garage, would you?)

 

Day 2 (August6) – Designers Remix Collection, Denmark Design School & Bibi Ghost

Designers Remix Collection

 

What could be better than an al fresco fashion show on the perfect summer Copenhagen day? Bobby pins, that’s what. And perhaps some Prozac. What good is a whimsical peach palette when the models are either eating their bangs or battling PMS? We did look past these technicalities, however, for Charlotte Eskildsen’s ‘treasured Danish vibe’. But what we saw was the entire WGSN trend forecast crammed into a catalogue of 20-odd ensembles. Androgynous tailoring, one shouldered, peach silk, slashed pants, the obligatory leather jacket, and shoulders that jut like hallway shelves (no longer funny, for the record). There was nothing we didn’t like; we died for the fish-scale frock and can’t fault the squeaky-clean classics (hello Denmark). We just expected more difference, less same from our equal-favourite Dane. Let us know what you think – are we being too harsh? (Costs nothing to comment!)

 

 Denmark Design School 

The Danish Design School show was an epaulet (collective noun) of shoulders. In fact we wondered whether this was the brief. While some flirted with costume, others took a protein shake approach with subtler takes on the scapula.   

Bibi Ghost

Day 1 – Minimarket & Rutzou

Told you peach blazers were for real, whispered one half of Fashion Platz to the other as we settled in for Minimarket’s much-hyped show on Day 1 of Copenhagen Fashion Week. Whisperer has been rabbiting on about flesh suiting since Lew’s appearance in Amsterdam. Whisperee is coming around to the tone that anchors the ss10 collection of the Swedish super label. But the Elvestedt sisters haven’t put all their, um, nectarines, in one basket. They also sent out a series of cropped jackets and frocks with clever twists on the overstated shoulder, in an indisputable palette of navy, black and neutral. A capelet was a welcome addition to the otherwise-structured show and caused Whisperee to spill her Coke Zero on an unsuspecting somebody. Ner, ner, told you capes were for real. 

Rutzou

(To see what we’re up to next, check out our Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule.)

crazy about copenhagen

Berlin’s bold spectacles have been and gone. Amsterdam passed in a whirl of avant-gardism. Now we take to Copenhagen to see how the Danes measure up. That’s not entirely true. Long-time fans of Barbara I Gongeni, Stine Goya & Malene Birger, we are somewhat prejudiced in favour of Danish designers.  Here are our picks from Copenhagen Fashion Week’s action-packed schedule. Updates daily…