Fashion Blog

PARIS, Jun 27, 2008 / FW/ — Considered edgy by fashionistas, Blaak Homme, Kiminori Morishito and Romain Kremer presented collections that make you think. Intellectual dressing had never been very popular with the mainstream fashion followers, but with the changing views of fashion, perhaps, its time has come.

Blaak Homme: “Tudor Ugly”

Cristofoli PR pulled off an edgy, entertaining show for Blaak Homme that started with the sounds of bells, birds, and whistles- creating an outdoor feeling. The men modeled, like we have been seeing a lot, longer suit jackets with shorter, ankle-length pants. The color palette started with cool navy, grey, and white tones, but quickly progressed to more earthy tans and browns.

Blaak Homme introduced some random, exposed zipper detailing on the pants in a way that accentuated the line of the leg but had no purpose. We also saw hook and eye and eyelet detailing on the side leg of pants, accentuating further the femininity of these summer suits.

The use of patchwork denim was particularly unexpected, and perhaps a bit out of context. Blaak Homme brought the waistline up, a fresh idea that we prefer over the low waisted trouser. The show progressed into somewhat 1980s inspired silhouettes, which also emphasized the trend towards feminine men’s wear.

Blaak Homme created interesting lace suits with skinny pants and longer jackets, and layered sheer black polka-dotted suits and white underneath. Contrasting the start of the show, a shocking pink, silk zut suit is what the audience was left pondering as the lights went down.

Blaak Homme

Romain Kremer

Romain Kremer: SimEarth

If a predominantly gay football team were to be created on another planet in outer space, they would need to contract Kremer to create the uniforms. His use of space-age foam filled nylon in neons and nudes created a scene from a future day and age.

Also, interestingly, every model wore bright white, patent leather Nike tennis shoes. His first models created the unique mood of the show by walking out in feminine, see-through, mesh, ankle length dresses in a palette of neons.

Following this was the theme of football pad-inspired tops, some with ruffle or ruching detail. The somewhat “normal” pieces in his line were white Capri length pants paired with electric blue or shorts with deconstructed white t-shirts.

The shorts, however, were made of foam that stood away from the body, and barely covered enough for the imagination. This show was an interesting breath of fresh creativity for the day, however its unclear what market he is targeting.

Kiminori Morishito: Saint Exupéry

Inspired by the story of St. Exupery’s humanistic, romantic and adventurous life- ending in his mysterious disappearance, Morishito created a story through his use of airy linens and aviation details.

Following the trend of layering, Morishito paired crème and army green colored linens and tweeds with vests that mocked parachute jumpers. He also used useless, exposed zippers to accentuate the design elements of his clothing.

Opting for a silhouette of “volume on top,” Morishito’s suits consisted of slim pants layered beneath longer tunics and robe-like trench coats. He occasionally threw in some floral details on vests and button-downs, but mostly stuck to a hard-edged, romantic look. Interesting lace-up details in the shoes made them resemble ballet slippers, but their rubber soles were more like tennis shoes.

A couple of exciting pieces in the line were the aviator jumpsuit, an article seen in a few other shows as well, and the beaded details on shirt collars and plackets. Another unique silhouette used was the old-style, riding pant with bowed out hips paired with shorter jackets and layered shirts.