filmed by JEJ for FACADES

The event named, ‘Noir Cowboy’ gave a very strong suggestion of what to expect from the German designer who is becoming so well known for his theatrical and dramatic shows. It would be reasonable to expect some leather, and even more cowboy hats – and this expectation was adhered to in abundance. The new P.P. range reeked of bold, visceral, wild-west inspired masculine looks – pairing alligator leather jackets and black leather trousers created about as much attitude as it’s possible to pack into 15 minutes of runway action. P.P. created a memorable range which was displayed at it’s very best when accompanied by pounding techo. Broad fitting black leather coats with shearling collars just added to the west-inspired-meets-urban visual impact.

filmed by JEJ for FACADES (JS Lee filmed by Jean Marie Chan & Xiao Li filmed by Christian Berbano)

Video 1: Young Designers from UK universities, Video 2: Zoe Jordan, Video 3: Marina Hoermanseder, Video 4: Sadie Clayton, Video 5: Mimi Fast, Video 6: Mother of Pearl, Video 7: Little Shilpa, Video 8: Basharatyan, Video 9: John Rocha, Video 10: Ashley Isham, Video 11: Hema Kaul, Video 12: Belle Sauvage, Video 13: Bernard Chandran, Video 14: Zeynep Kartal, Video 15: Xiao Li, Video 16: Min Wu, Video 17: Teatum Jones, Video 18: Edeline Lee, Video 19: Sarah Ryan, Video 20: Hiroko Nakajima, Video 21: George Styler, Video 22: Carrie-Ann Stein, Video 23: Napsugar Von Bittera, Video 24: Jamie We Huang, Video 25: Lulu Liu, Video 26: JD Lee

Images by JEJ for FACADES

The jungle theme, form Orlebar Brown, was almost a spectacle in itself as the models in the O.B. presentation looked out at the members of the press from a sea of tropical foliage. Some classic cotton tees with bold tropical designs are easily the most recognisable aesthetic trending across the O.B. Sping/Summer ’14 range. It must be said, this style, and these garments, are not short of character. T-shirts which start at the shoulders and neck line in plain white and then evolve down into scenes of flamingos in water just speaks volumes from themselves – and most likely the equally bold chap who dons these items for summer jaunts in ’14. Orlebar Brown is often easy to spot due to the side adjusters on the swimming trunks and pool-side shorts, however, it is apparent that it is the jungle theme which will mark O.B. summer garments going forwards.

images shot by JEJ for FACADES

My guess is that the ‘druid’ element emanates from Hedges’, use of lid-less eyes and pseudo-pagan imagery on some of his accessories for the new range. This is a fun gimmick, and does make an impression when offset against a futuristic and urban background which mixes shiny PVC textures and softer cotton canvas – all on the same jacket. The end result is aesthetically pleasing, if not ground-breaking. Hedges does adhere to the trending fad of the baseball jacket’s flat collar which gives the new collection some commercial flexibility.

images shot by JEJ for FACADES

Big, bold, block patterns jump out of Talavera’s new collection as the cornerstone of the ‘new look’. Thick stripes are used across almost all of the garments, whether as detailing around the cuff of trousers, or as the main design across the front of a sleeveless t-shirt. The new collection does remind me a little bit of clothing’s answer to Tetris, as these block shapes attempt to fit together across the whole outfit. Perhaps lacking a bit of variety, and leaning quite hard on a trouser bottom which splays over the laces of the shoes – not a trend I can necessarily see spilling out over the streets of London.

image shot by JEJ for FACADES

The models of the presentation were set against a heavily patterned, busy back-drop which sets the tone for a new collection making use of some prints which are so visually loud that they could be accidentally perceived as being an optical illusion. My eyes were drawn instantly to the trousers and shirt of one particular model – these two garments were both marked with red, aggressive text and flecks, giving a sort of blood-spattered effect. Across a shirt and trousers - definitely too much. However, when on just the trousers I can see a good sales angle with that kind of gritty, sharp look.

images shot by JEJ for FACADES

The main, consistent feature of ‘The Casagrande look’ this for A/W ‘14 is the use of vertical stripes, over the chest of the shirts, these are joined together by small strings, which creates an effect somewhat like a fish’s scales. The overall aesthetic is extremely textured, and when used on collar-less shirts, creates a far-eastern fusion effect. These are bold enough to make it perfectly obvious when someone is wearing one of these garments from the new range.