Within the hazy confines of the fashion industry proper, 2014 has already coughed up three months’ worth of catwalk shows, several collaborations (Topshop alone offering two within a matter of weeks), and a helluva lot of debuts.
Here are seven moments we enjoyed the most.
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The adidas Stan Smith lives on
If 2013 was Nike’s year – and given their classic Air Max style celebrated a quarter of a century, it’s fair to say it was – in 2014 it’s adidas’s turn, as the 40 year old Stan Smith style wins the hearts of a new generation.
While Chanel and Dior are playing out the max luxe trainer trend, Stan Smiths have been adorning the feet of everyone from Pharrell Williams and Phoebe Philo (who sort of began the whole thing), to that bookish man at the coffee shop.
Meanwhile the subtle silhouette has taken over social media as if created solely for Instagram.
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Luella Bartley’s great return
Teaming up with her long time collaborator Katie Hillier (the former as design director, the latter creative director), the British pair were last year announced as the team who would take the Marc by Marc Jacobs line to the next level, and in February this is exactly how it played out.
While Luella’s own label collapsed in 2009, this, her first design role since, saw a return to the typically youthful (and ultimately cool) aesthetic for which she is known, with 38 looks boasting attitude and energy.
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Jean Paul Gaultier arrives at the Barbican
From the Breton striped cream buns to the reminder that Eurotrash ran for 14 years (!), ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From The Sidewalk to The Catwalk’ offered fans more than a gaze at JPG’s back catalogue (and will continue to do so until August).
Instead the exhibition sees several decades of design brought alive by ‘talking’ mannequins, videos and revolving catwalks, while photographs offer inside accounts of backstage fittings with Kylie et al.
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Prada’s month-long Harrods residency
Perhaps the chicest hashtag of them all, ‘Pradasphere’ saw Miuccia’s label takeover 40 windows of the Knightsbridge department store across May, with a pop-up store, screens, books and a café too.
Prompting one commentator to tweet, “Which museum would take on that brand’s retrospective, when shops have such budgets and teams?” the fourth floor fantastic showcased elements beyond fashion – as well as previous collections – illustrating just how extensive the house’s reach is.
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Stephen Meisel shoots Moschino AW14
Jeremy Scott’s takeover of the Italian fashion house has prompted much attention since last year’s revelation, not least over the recent menswear show at London Collections: Men, the first time Moschino has ever shown outside of Italy.
But Meisel’s campaign – Scott’s first for the label – is perhaps the most striking element of the rebrand so far, possessing a quality that dispenses of the collection’s garish nature, presenting it instead as iconic.
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Craig Green makes his solo debut
Craig Green’s clothes have been vocal ever since his CSM MA collection took to the runway at the beginning of 2012. Two years later and with three seasons under Fashion East’s wing behind him, last month his SS15 collection made and audience weep at London Collections: Men. And not just because Enya’s ‘Caribbean Blue’ was on the soundtrack.
Announced via a hand painted A3 invite – itself noteworthy amongst the more formal petite pieces of card – the show was unique to Green’s strand of modern day menswear, entertaining but expanding on themes presented previously, such as the large ‘flags’ that appear above.
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Nasir Mazhar and Skepta, the after party
Closing London Collections: Men – both the catwalk and evening schedules – Mazhar’s nightclub affair at east London’s Metropolis gentleman’s club was quite the sight to behold, with an engaging mix of respected journalists, Nasir Mazhar-branded pole dancers, and cans of free Red Bull.
Speaking to Clash ahead of the event, Nasir hoped attendees would be able to: “Experience it (the clothes) in an environment where it is kind of intended to be, rather than a catwalk which is completely unreal.”
With models and friends-of dressed in full Mazhar attire – casually – his intentions were surpassed, as the typical-sweaty-club atmosphere shone a more recognisable light on garments usually displayed under awkward bright lights.
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Words: Zoe Whitfield
More Clash Fashion, right here.
More 7 Of The Best features here– including our favourite albums, games, films and music videos of 2014 so far.
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