On friday I was invited to visit a preview of the new fashion exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum in the Hague. It is titled ‘Mr Darcy meets Eline Vere’ and features some amazing pieces from the romatic era, as well as some pieces by designers such as Vivienne Westwood, JP Gaultier, Edwin Oudshoorn and more. A beautiful dress by Jan Taminieau was actually bought by the museum. Take a look at some of the amazing 19th century pieces of the expo!
Ashish
Indian-born Ashish Gupta has reclaimed the sequin and made it his signature. No shape is too casual: this year he encrusted torn denim and the humble plastic bag with thousands of them. Elsewhere there were old school Coco Cola logos, striped shirt dresses and louche zebra print. It was a collection that went viral immediately, thanks to the Instagram appeal of those luminescent shopping bags, and marked Ashish as a young designer to watch. Next season expect pearls, lots of pink and 3D texture.
Stine Goya
Based in Copenhagen, Stine Goya’s shattered prints bring texture to her minimalist, sculptured, and carefully constructed silhouettes. Her eponymous label is quickly becoming a favourite with fashion insiders, thanks to her wearable aesthetic and a Scandinavian appeal that is difficult to define. This season the Central St Martins graduate showed perforated tops and mosaic print jackets, worn with a single ear cuff and just the right amount of edge.
Mother of Pearl
Vibrant colour ways and tongue-in-cheek insect prints have made Mother of Pearl’s slip-on sneakers one of the most coveted footwear choices of 2013. But the label’s ready-to-wear is just as bold as its accessories, with a collection of citrus prints and shopping bag stripes. Those signature patterns are inspired by the label’s collaborations with artists, distilling their work onto luxury fabrics and lending them a sport luxe feel.
Simone Rocha
The closer you look, the more there is to Simone Rocha’s clothes. Sci-fi fabrics were an early signature, but her recent shows have focused more on complicated construction techniques instead. It’s a shift that saw her take home Designer of The Year at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards earlier this month, and resulted in a collection of low-slung skirts this season. For Autumn/Winter 2014 Rocha was inspired by the opulence of Queen Elizabeth I’s court, translating it into a line of embellished cocktail dresses and ruffled coats.
Stella Jean
There’s been a lot of buzz about Stella Jean lately. Her ladylike silhouettes, borrowed from the 1950s, have been dipped in hothouse colour and reimagined with wild, exuberant prints. The designer draws inspiration from both her Italian background (craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail and dramatic shapes) and her Caribbean heritage (those exotic prints and daring colour palettes), resulting in a collection that demands second glances.
