amsterdam fashion week: tony cohen

(images via team peter stigter)

over the course of opt’s acquaintance (see a/w 2011, s/s 2012, a/w 2012) with dutch designer tony cohen, i’d say that he’s struggled a little bit with exactly who he wants to be aesthetically—on the one hand, there’s certainly a drive to make beautiful clothes (and gowns in particular) that flatter his customers and turn them into the belles of the moment, but on the other, i think we’ve seen little, creeping signs (particularly with last season’s work) that he wants to hew a little closer to the career of a haider ackermann type (and the belgian’s a/w 2011 & s/s 2012 collections especially). 

but left to assess his latest work at amsterdam fashion week—that of his s/s 2013 range—i’d argue that mr. cohen has certainly fallen back more into his own comfort zone, playing with the draping, asymmetries, and brighter (but more terrestrial) tones that are his forte, in lieu of the complex cuts (that flatter pretty much only the models and tilda swinton) and jewel hues mr. ackermann so favours.  and really, it looked good.  “Tony Cohen combines soft leather with knits to create the perfect outfit for a downtown girl going uptown,” wrote the blog by styling amsterdam, and they weren’t wrong. 

as for what inspired the designer and all of that…as per the norm, he never seems to really release his themes, or simply works from the ideas of moods or something, in lieu of a, like, ‘hard’ inspiration.  however, the dutch site fashion addict did write that mr. cohen (trans.) “presented a 24/7 adventure, from sunrise to sunset. The colour palette consisted of warm orange and earth tones, but went slowly into nudes, grays, white and black,” so maybe we were supposed to read an undertone of theme from that.  

to be sure, i suppose i could have seen something like a ‘desert sunrise/sunset’ suggestion contained within, maybe a touch like vena cava’s resort 2011 range, which was dully inspired by the 1970 film zabriskie point and a sojourn of the designers’ into death valley.  “As the sun came up,” noted fashion watchers, “Kim Feenstra appeared with an eye catching orange ensemble on the runway…There was also some neon dresses that really brighten up the room. After a short pause, the sun set and it was time for some evening wear. The second part of the collection was darker, but Tony Cohen made the collection attractive using shiny materials (like silk, silver coated fabrics, shiny stones, etc).”

meanwhile, the dutch website couturekrant’s take was that mr. cohen’s spring work was (trans.) “distinguished by graceful and feathery lines. His collection is characterized by a wearable daywear in a fair and sunny style. Nude, gray, black and neon colours with cool pink dominate a decidedly pleasant colour palette. In his dresses, women can work all day and simply go to a party. ’Wear it with a pair of killer heels and you can not go wrong,’ he explains.” um hm. 

anyway, he chimed in with something rather similar to the dutch blog miss murphy, making the point that this was indeed a (trans.) “(d)owntown girl going uptown. Take life as it is, dive in 100 percent and forget about limits and restrictions. SS 2013 is about the woman who enjoys life and is ready to go 24/7.”  which i guess isn’t really bad, but i kind of which he had a little more verve when giving his interviews, giving his clothes a bit more of a backstory, with something that sounds a little less like a mall brand and more…i dunno, exciting?  global?  it certainly is, and what i ultimately like about the designer’s work is the way one could manipulate it, style it to her one particular quirks.  

ah, well.  elsewhere, the dutch modeblog offered that (trans.) “(t)here were a lot of clothes in gray, black and white, but also shades of nude. We found the long dresses in neon pink, yellow and green beautiful…Then came the dresses with more glitz and glam on and off, for an evening in style, and so there was the full moon. In addition we also saw dresses with flared legs and 70’s wedges. The models had their hair pinned up loosely and often their faces were shining as if in the sun or rays of moonlight.  Elegant and party proof, as we are accustomed to from Tony.”

and finally, according to l’officiel (trans.), “(a)fternoon, evening and night. Business & pleasure. It all goes together easily and sometimes simultaneously. Reconciliation is the key to success and Tony Cohen said yesterday its fine to see how. A smooth cotton blouse under a tough, soft leather biker jacket. For a grand entrance you will choose a combination or a casually draped and unforgettable evening dress. He combines soft leather and knits, braided leather and lace. From city to ethnic dresses in long, longer longest: the floor is the limit!”

(see the final walk-through video here)

amsterdam fashion week: tony cohen

(images via team peter stigter)

opt has been covering the many renditions and incarnations of one of holland’s more famous designers, tony cohen, at amsterdam fashion week for a few seasons now (see a/w 2011, s/s 2012, and the 2 love tony cohen label’s s/s 2012), and though we can usually predict something vaguely posh and definitely feminine (with varying degrees of wispiness), for his latest presentation—a/w 2012 (he seemed to forgo the cheaper line this time around)—we were treated to something utterly different.  there was strength in his creations, and beauty but without any of the froth we’ve seen previously, and relatively few of the shorter skirts he used to so favour. 

although i wasn’t able to get my hands on any reviews actually documenting what the inspiration for the collection was—they all seemed to be languishing around the subject of the fabrics, which we’ll come to in a moment—mr. cohen was still relying on the draped-and-layered thing, but this time with a longer and much leaner silhouette.  interestingly, a couple of critics, including the dutch site nrc directly compared the range to the work of designer haider ackermann, who, coincidentally, i myself was just mentioning with regards to the recent amsterdam show of said mahrouf.  however, if that designer’s touch alone was what led me to compare the two, i’d tend to agree that mr. cohen’s exhibition had quite strong ties to both the a/w 2011 & s/s 2012 collections of the belgian designer. 

team peter stigter’s review, too, agreed with the above, as well as suggesting there might be a hint of rick owens in the air.  i’m not sure i buy that one as much, but i do generally agree with the fact that, besides the colour scheme (both mr. cohen and mr. ackermann tend to prefer their jewel tones), this had a slick, international feel and an allegiance to—instead of the general feminine form that mr. cohen usually tends to go for—the type of long and lean physique mr. ackermann so appreciates (and which tends to hold me a little aloof from his work), as if his creations were made solely for the bodies of models and, perhaps, tilda swinton (who seems to be the only woman able to pull them off with such grace in ‘real’ life).  but i digress a little bit, and we should probably come back to my original point. 

that is to say, mr. cohen has generally seemed to position himself in the past as a lovely, of course, but…much more commercial designer.  true, he was selling us high-end luxury, and the kind of stuff the non-fashion-oriented wouldn’t be seen strolling down the boulevard in (much too posh); it was more like oscar de la renta, i suppose, or perhaps carolina herrera (to use a more mainstream, if not necessarily aesthetic comparison).  it was pretty, flattering, and wearable.  and pretty easy to digest, even if one wasn’t completely ensconced in the fashion game.  but this time, as tps—accurately, i think—reports, “(p)ointed vests and draped cardigans were tight together by leather waistbands and wintery scarves were tossed around the models’ bodies. Some of dresses will look better on a more curvy woman, the silk pants on the other hand will look unflattering on any woman who’s larger than a size XS.”

unfortunately, i tend to think that the only pieces likely to work for women not of a column-like physique were the tops—jackets, wraps, coats, and sweater-y pieces.  to be sure, the designer also tossed a few of his signature shorter frocks into the mix, but they just (at least to me) didn’t have the allure of those slow, thoughtful gradations of colour, silky and leathery straps winding ‘round the body, and the goddess feeling of his long, winding gowns (as above).  which, probably needless to say, i was quite impressed by (oh, i should make that clear, shouldn’t i?); indeed, whatever my critiques, i do want to say from an artistic perspective, i found the autumn range particularly alluring, mr. cohen’s skill with fabric (though i don’t think that was ever under dispute) worthy of much respect.  the problem, as it stands, is just that he seemed to be eschewing all his old customers in favour of something sleeker.  and that’s frustrating; as we’ve all noted before, girls shaped like the aforementioned ms. swinton look good in everything.  they don’t have ‘problem areas’ to downplay. but there i go again. 

anyway, there were several reports on mr. cohen’s teaming up with dsm—a provider of man-made materials—and sites like the blog independent fashion daily and dutch news source de pers spent a good while informing us that, contrary to what they assume we’d suppose, the collection was made with, among other things, a silk blend, with none of the irritating effects of synthetic fibers (chaffing, inability to absorb sweat, itchiness) and all of the expected luxury.  so we can all relax on that front, i suppose.  we also saw nylon, leather, and wool.  and though i’ve hinted at it above, i should take a moment here to give a shout-out to the beautiful late fall palette, which was based in black (as seems to be the designer’s standard), with rich, cool shades of magenta, raspberry, aubergine, pearly gray, pale mauve, and teal, which often faded in-and-out in a sort of ombré fashion, with bits of shine and sparkle. 

in the end, i’d like to make it clear that i did really enjoy the work, even if it did helm a little close to mr. ackermann’s—to be sure, i think mr. cohen added enough touches of his own to keep it so.  however, i’m a little discomfited at the upheaval within the brand, and i’m not sure what spurned it; is he simply trying to go younger?  more avant-y?  certainly this season in amsterdam featured many more designers going the latter route, and of course there’s always jan taminiau, who used to present perfectly placidly pretty little collections in the city, before reinventing himself as a lady g-type and delivering theatrical exhibitions at couture week.  so does mr. cohen want to go that route?  it remains to be seen.  and for now, i’m not mad, but i will be if he dumps everything he’s given us in past years simply to ride the avant garde train to paris and the attentions of some random celebrity.  unless it’s ms. swinton, i can aver he’s better than that. 

(see a backstage video here & the final runway walk-though video here)

couture week: jan taminiau

(images via team peter stigter)

opt has had a fleeting relationship with dutch designer jan taminiau, covering his work now and again (see the demi-couture for a/w 2011 and haute couture for a/w 2011), and though we’ve seen him go through several incarnations, he seems to have finally settled, after several ‘pretty, but inoffensive’-type entries, on something a little more avant-y and theatrical, as if determined not to be ousted from the title of ‘most daring dutch designer’ by iris van herpen, who is also these days showing at couture week, and who we’ll come to in time.  but for now, mr. taminiau’s s/s 2012 haute couture collection is up for discussion. 

anyway, team peter stigter explained that the show, titled ‘tarnished beauty,’ was ” designed to elevate women.”  then, presumably quoting mr. taminiau’s press release, they write, “(i)n the world of Jan Taminiau  beauty is more than a twinkling armor that protects us from reality. It is a hedonistic refuge that keeps the world outside. Real beauty comes alive when people open themselves to each other. Ultimately, the army descends and the masks go off.”  meanwhile, the dutch site nu enthused that it was a (trans.) “collection designed for women on a pedestal. Taminiau put down an army of models in feminine, colorful and extravagant pieces which are fragile, delicate fabrics. At the end of the show the models – including the Dutch Kim Feenstra – put their ‘masks’ on to show that beauty can be both endearing and hopeful.”  

meanwhile, elle made a nice commentary on the juxtapositioning of (trans.) “glittery armor elements – that keep the harsh realities at bay – and the delicate fabrics,” while the dutch site elsevier chirped on about (trans.) the “(e)specially striking shoes with platform soles and an exceptionally high floating heel,” with footwear seeming to be the designer’s preferred standout item these days.  actually, i did quite like the shoes, as i did the pale springy colour palette, which included lovely shades of peach, tiffany blue, beige, and silver.  however, overall i found things a little less compelling than last time around, particularly as the notion of motorcycle helmets has already been done at least once with evening gowns—at viktor & rolf’s s/s 2005 show, if somewhere else i can’t recall at present. 

in the end, i suppose we all know where mr. taminiau is headed—elsevier notes that lady g has worn his clothes, and frankly, we all know what that does: the lady g-ificiation i spoke of last couture season, which, in essence, i feel means a designer will cling to things more outlandish in lieu of moving on, simply because s/he has been branded a ‘lady g designer’.  and i find it too bad, too, because if one took away the helmuts and some of the obscene sparkle, i think we could find some lovely frocks underneath.  mr. taminiau is, no doubt, talented, but i’d like to see him free to explore his creative unrestrained, in an arena that welcomes some of the quieter and more demure designs as well as the ostentatious ‘over-the-top’-style pieces.  ah, well.  he’s on his way now, so we may as well step back and hear the absurd, loud comparisons to mcqueen begin…

(see a quick bit of video here)

amsterdam fashion week: hunkemöller

(images via peter stigter)

perhaps needless to say i’m ready to be on to blathering about my beloved copenhagen fashion week (as i always am with any new event) and leaving the past behind us, but we’ve got a couple more shows from the netherlands to quickly scope out before sliding on to the next, and dutch lingerie brand (and much-approved vicky’s secret alternative) hunkemöller is up with their latest, not as good as  f/w 2011, but better than s/s 2011, s/s 2012 efforts!

as peter stigter explains, the show was divided into two sections, with lingerie filling the first part and swimwear closing the presentation out.  fashion.blog.nl notes that this season marked the first assortment of bridal lingerie (which we can expect to see each subsequent season), and lingerie subgroups included ‘modern brigitte bardot’, ‘hot pink’, ‘flowers everywhere’, ‘golden touch’, and ‘oriental beauty’, while those of swimwear were titled ‘fashion jungle’, ‘shapes in cobalt & macrame’,  ‘copacabana beach’, ‘tropical fever’, and ‘ethnic animals’. 

classic colours such as white and black played heavily throughout, but nude, aqua, hot pink, teal, purple, pale gray, and metallic silver were also prominently featured, while an assortment of floral prints and calicos, zebra stripes, tropical fruit motifs, psychedelic ‘70’s-esque patterns, stripes, snakeskin, leafy prints, and tribal motifs also walked the runway.  silk, satin, tulle, and lace were among the show’s materials. 

amica comments that embellishments were a big factor in providing interest to the range, and indeed, the rosettes, draping, macrame, ruffles, bows, rhinestones, feathers, cut-outs, and ruching helped accentuate the variety, making for what seemed a greater assortment of pieces than any swimwear or lingerie show might traditionally offer.  however, hunkemöller certainly didn’t skim on options, providing, as styleranking notices, the traditional assortment of bikinis, one-piece suits, monokinis, and stranger swimsuit choices alongside kimonos, rompers, bra-and-panty sets, teddies, nighties, robes, maxi skirts and dresses, and step-ins. 

hunkemöller traditionally infuses their shows with at least a little vintage flavour, and while that was still present today (particularly in the lingerie sections), i couldn’t help but feel that the range was especially closely tied with what the brazilians are doing of late and that the bright colours and prints were more in line with the trends than the brand’s own aesthetic that we’ve seen more strongly in prior seasons.  and perhaps if they’re making a push to be competitive with vicky’s secret, it makes sense.  however, i couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed with the lack if i did nevertheless quite appreciate several individual looks.  and being so in tune with the times, i have no doubts it will sell.  hopefully that won’t encourage the label to entirely turn their back on their prior offerings and scent, for those of us who love the retro and glamour (that vs has never even vaguely evoked) in our days. 

(watch a brief show video here)

amsterdam fashion week: tony cohen

(images via peter stigter)

following the sis by spijkers en spijkers opening act on amsterdam fashion week’s first day was the considerably-more-renowned tony cohen (his a/w 2011 show at the event featuring top model kim noorda and this time with the famous-in-holland kim feenstra, above), resulting in more fanfare, though doubtless—for the most part, at least—deserved as well. 

most show reviews focused on the obvious; the flowing, asymmetrical looks and the feminine quality of the designs.  indeed, these were strong, and the designer opted mainly for soft, semi-transparent fabrics, with elle pointing out that (trans.) “(t)he colors were soft and natural – like green, brown, pink and purple wild berries – interspersed with kaleidoscopic prints and sequins.”  dresses were, of course they key focus, in shorter cocktail or floor-length evening varieties, with occasional focus paid to draped top-and-pant combos (as second from top & second from below). 

although for the most part, reviews were content to remain quietly supportive, so i was…if not quite startled at casting nieuws’ tone, perhaps a little amused.  opining that the show was (trans.) “fluttering fabrics in different colors and the hair were very Cavalli-esque to (S / S 2011),” the writer then goes on to state that mr. cohen’s clothes “is very portable fashion, and for some people is that to be not worthy of Fashion Week (sic).”  in other words (i think), that these are merely ‘clothes’, not fashion, and something just to make cute girls look cute less than daring sartorial suggestions (although where do you draw the line?, i’d wonder.  and spijkers en spijkers are somehow relevant where mr. cohen is not?)

myself, while i understand some of the critiques (i’m not necessarily sure i’d see this as that particular cavalli collection—more a/w 2010, i’d argue—but still credit the allusion) and needless to say don’t find this to be one of the designer’s crowning achievements, nevertheless found some interesting discourse, particularly in ms. feenstra’s opening look.  to be sure, mr. cohen broke it down rather quickly into numbers such as the one above—basic, pretty, and totally unremarkable—but sailed up again with the intriguing contrasting fabrics, as below.  certainly we hope to see more from him, particularly after his bright showing a season ago, but to dismiss it as entirely irrelevant seems unfairly harsh, especially in light of that somewhat lackluster opening on the week.  yes, we’ll get better delights from the event yet, but i wouldn’t discount mr. cohen’s talents entirely.  not yet. 

(watch the final walk-through video here)