FOR MANY fashion-conscious women in the country, China-inspired fashion is a go-to choice for special occasions, but can it fit in an everyday wardrobe?

Shanghai Tang, a Hong Kong-based brand, is trying to provide the answer, and recently held a preview of its 2016 autumn-winter collection in Beijing, the first by its new creative director Raffaele Borriello. Borriello’s collection was inspired by the Mongolian nomadic mood as well as the area’s colours and textiles.

While Shanghai Tang is best known for its elaborate qipao (cheongsam), Borriello reinterpreted the garment using new materials and more body-conscious cutting.

His collection also includes a versatile daywear line that highlights Mongolian embroidery and prints.

“When you see the architecture and fabrics the Mongolians use, it’s incredibly inspiring – specially the very rich and strong visual elements. So, it was easy for me to get ideas,” Borriello explains.

Raphael le Masne de Chermont, executive chairman of Shanghai Tang, says he hopes Borriello will “take the brand to the next level of sophistication and fashion”.

“We need to inject some true international flair into the brand … People might think that we make only traditional qipao, but that’s not what we do. We want to show people who we are today,” he says.

“Shanghai Tang, for many years, was very touristy as it targeted a Western audience. But today, it is truly a fashion brand that is based in China and sells to the global market.”

Founded in Hong Kong in 1994, Shanghai Tang is now owned by Swiss luxury giant Richemont. In its early days, most of its customers were Westerners. But now, about 60 per cent of its clientele is Chinese.

“The designs in the early days were a bit cliched with dragons everywhere,” Le Masne de Chermont admits.

He joined the brand in 2002 and quickly began to transform it into a Chinese lifestyle label with an international outlook.

“It was a very conscious decision. Our DNA is Chinese. But we are talking to global citizens with a modern interpretation of China.”

Having lived in Hong Kong for 21 years, he says he wants to make Shanghai Tang a Chinese luxury brand that the Chinese are proud of.

“Shanghai Tang belongs to China. There are a lot of cliches about China in the Western world. People don’t understand China. But we are ambassadors of a positive, dynamic China and we want to show it to the world.”

The brand is not the only one to capitalise on its Chinese origins. Emerging Chinese designers like Guo Pei are also making their presence felt in the global fashion world.

But Le Masne de Chermont says he does not see other Chinese luxury brands as competition. Instead, he considers them as allies who can help him open doors to the rest of the world.

Shanghai Tang, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year with collections created in collaboration with Chinese designers Wang Peiyi and Masha Ma, now has about 50 stores worldwide, most of which are in Asia.

It also has one store in London and another in Miami and is now looking for a location in Paris. Despite a noticeable slowing in the luxury industry, Le Masne de Chermont says Shanghai Tang is keeping well afloat thanks to Chinese customers who just keep buying.

Dresses are the best-selling items for the brand worldwide, especially those with signature elements like embroidery and jade buttons.

Shanghai Tang now has 25 boutiques in China. It plans to open four more in Beijing and some second-tier cities in the near future.

IT’S BEEN 10 years since it opened its flagship store in Bangkok and now Mikimoto Thailand is celebrating the occasion by revamping its boutique and presenting an exhibition of the masterpieces created by the brand over the last 120 years at Siam Paragon.

Since its establishment in 1893, the Japanese pearl master has always selected the highest quality pearls to create the most beautiful pieces. The highlight of the display, the total value of which is estimated at more than Bt200 million, is the Mikimoto Pearl Crown “Dreams & Pearls.

Yasuharu Ohara, president of Mikimoto Thailand, describes the crown a “a heartbeat of pride, a sparkle of wonderment and the epitome of Mikimoto’s excellent technicality.

“This is the first time that Mikimoto brought its masterpieces outside Japan, especially the crown. This was crafted to honour the 120th anniversary of Mikimoto and assembles 12 pearls of different types sources from cultivation farms around the world. These are fashioned into 12 flowers to showcase the delicate beauty of such rare pearls. Our craftsmen used the Akoya pearl, South Sea pearl, Black South Sea pearl as well as the very rare Melo pearl and Conch pearl. The piece is worth some Bt150 million,” Ohara says.

“Each flower has a different style, allowing the exceptional beauty and the unique perfection of the pearls to be appreciated from every angle. It is also an exceptional example of our masters’ skills because the crown is multi-functional. Part of our ‘Pearls in Motion’ range, it can be altered into a fine necklace or all 12 flowers can be released to become earrings, a brooch or pendant and a bracelet. The subtle mechanism allows the flowers to be released with just |one touch. Multi-functional |accessories have been part of our story since the very beginning|and we are always striving to do |better,” adds marketing director Achiraya Inkatanuvat.

Pearls used in the masterpiece collection are also sourced from the new environmentally friendly farm on Ainoshima Island off Fukuoka, a cultivation base that will define the future of the Akoya pearl.

The exhibition shows off Mikimoto’s pearl sorting technique and advanced technology. Here too the creative possibilities are endless. They include the Akoya pearl hair band with diamonds as well as other head accessories adorned with delicate lace and ribbon that can transform into an earring, a scarf-like draping necklace and a bracelet.

A simple, classic necklace inspired Mikomoto to excel in the “pearl sorting” technique, applying the skills of its craftsmen to introduce a range of jewellery that’s perfect for every occasion.

The Akoya pearl tiara with conch pearl, diamonds and gemstones features a stunning tourmaline set of conch pearl, diamonds and gemstones that are intricately put together to create a unique hair decoration like no other.

The shoulder brooch with diamonds and gemstones, which is part of the Sapphire & Ruby Collection, exhibits rare and precious gems of different colours and shapes, and is testimony to Mikimoto’s aesthetic values that encompass both tradition and innovation in search of the ultimate beauty.

Multi-functional designs are currently at the very heart of the brand. “We’ve been working on this concept since 2013 to allow women to wear pearls for every occasions and challenging them with new techniques. We say to them, ‘this is not just a pearl string necklace but a very versatile piece as well’,” Ohara says.

 

THEY MIGHT have plunged themselves and the world’s financial markets into crisis with last Thursday’s Brexit vote, but everybody still loves the English – or their style at least.

From Dior’s black-clad boot boys to Louis Vuitton’s rakish colonial artistos, British influences where ever present, liberally dolloped with pure London punk. String vests and braces have never looked so elegant as they did on the Dior runway, with designer Kris Van Assche cutting the skinhead aggression with the melancholic gothic whimsy of The Cure.

Deconstructed cricket jumpers graced the Japanese label Facetasm’s show and Walter Van Beirendonck embraced almost every sartorial icon of an eternal England from boating blazers to brogues and even Morris men folk dancers.

Fellow Flemish master Dries Van Noten paid homage to the 19th-century English arts and crafts movement in his show, referencing patterns from William Morris’ home in Kelmscott Manor.

At a time of such anglophilia, the Brexit vote came as a shock.

Chanel’s guru Karl Lagerfeld blamed country yokels for voting Leave saying: “Look who voted, it was the people from deep in the countryside, the big cities didn’t want it at all.

The German-born style guru known as “The Kaiser” dismissed Brexit as a passing moment of madness. “It don’t think it will work out, they may have another vote.

“I don’t think it is a good idea. The analysis of the vote shows that it is a bad decision. We don’t need to say much more about it.”

Agnes b. was more conciliatory, getting up a last-minute celebrity petition begging Britons to stay in Europe. “We are very sad,” the French designer said. “Hopefully there will be another vote.”

Oddly the happiest man in Paris was the English designer Paul Smith, a fervent pro-European.

But you couldn’t but be cheerful seeing his joyful reggae-toned new spring-summer collection. “Life goes on,” he said. You have to be “positive and happy in this weird world”.

The longer fashion week went on the more it resembled a gathering of the clans, reaching an apex when Smith unveiled the latest style to have come out of the British cultural melting pot – “rasta tartan”.

British for now, that is.

“It’s Scotland gone mad,” he said as his models broke out in big smiles wearing the rainbow-Rastafarian plaid in beautifully tailored beachy, Caribbean casual wear and zoot suits.

Louis Vuitton, Dior, Off-White and Japanese labels Kolor and Facetasm also made eye-catching use of plaid while the hipsters of OAMC gave it a grungy Irvin Welsh urban edge.

Style critics often complain that men’s fashion is boring. Always the same. Jackets, jumpers and cardigans, and most dull of all, the suit.

No longer. Designers took massive liberties with the suit this week, none more so than the Vetements tyro Demna Gvasalia, who also now holds the scissors at Balenciaga.

The young Georgian dramatically remade the classic suit, pulling it tighter to the body while throwing out huge padded shoulders.

While many other have copied his oversized trope, none have yet done it so well.

Elsewhere, arms were ripped off suits and raincoats, lapels inverted, and pockets and tailoring all revealed. But all felt like deconstruction compared to Gvasalia’s radical flair.

Worn high, low and – whisper it – even with sandals, socks are slowly being rehabilitated from style Siberia.

While footballers at Euro 2016 in France are wearing theirs above the knee, Facetasm, White Mountaineering and the American label Off-White dared to put sports socks on the catwalk.

Kenzo came furthest out of the closet repeatedly teaming socks with sandals – and matching black socks and white sandals for further shock value. Some hosiery went nearly to the knees and French label Pigalle thoroughly trashed the taboo by adding bath sandals.

In one final act of pure provocation Paul Smith sent out the invitations to his show on pairs of socks. He followed this by smuggling stripey socks and sandals onto the catwalk. “Weren’t they great?” he laughed afterwards.

 

THE FUTURE of exclusively menswear catwalk shows is in doubt but the cult of the “see and be seen party” was alive and well in Milan as the Spring Summer 2017 fashion shows for the guys wrapped on Tuesday.

Highlights included Dsquared2 duo Dean and Dan Caten’s bash in their own Ceresio restaurant, which boasts spectacular views of the Milanese skyline.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana treated the crowds outside their show to glasses of bubbly before hosting their party at Bistrot Martini, where social media celebrity Cameron Dallas was the guest of honour.

At the same time, Philipp Plein was throwing a basketball-themed soiree with rapper Busta Rhymes and Paris Hilton DJ-ing.

Miuccia Prada meanwhile opted for a more low-key approach, throwing a dinner at her contemporary art foundation for 300 of her friends, including actors Jessica Chastain and Willem Dafoe.

The merging of men and women’s fashion continues apace. Men in skirts and dresses is nothing new for Vivienne Westwood but the trend was also apparent at more traditionally “virile” marques: Dsquared2 sent out its models in extraordinary thigh-high boots worthy of a drag queen. And Gucci’s last menswear show before it merges its collections was marked by the androgyny that has come to define the brand under Alessandro Michele.

The fresh air could be breathed in everywhere with numerous designers taking their cue from wholesome activities like camping, hiking and climbing. Next summer’s fashionable man feels the need to take refuge in nature, using silence and meditation to offset the stress of modern life. See Prada’s backpacks and flasks, Moncler’s sleeping bags and multi-pocketed clothes, Ferragamo’s Sahara gilets, Breton-fisherman yellow waxed rainwear at Gucci and walking sandals and socks at Versace.

With Euro 2016 underway and the Rio Olympics on the horizon, sport was a big inspiration for numerous designers. Notable examples included skate-boarders at Emporio Armani, basketball-style shorts at Philipp Plein and an Olympic-themed collection by Dirk Bikkembergs, whose show in the Caimi swimming pool – a renovated jewel of the 1930s – included a brief water polo training session.

Armani’s latest collection was a distinctly fluid affair with the shoulder padding that once defined the house style conspicuous by its absence.

The relaxed, destructured theme was emphasised by the lounge feel of the Teatro Armani set and the Caribbean rhythms of the soundtrack.

“The spirit of the Giorgio Armani man embraces change while staying true to its ethos,” the designer said in the notes accompanying a collection that seemed to be trying to seduce a younger consumer than the brand generally targets.

Armani’s tradition was reflected in a colour palette dominated by greys and blues and the textiles were as luxuriously indulgent as ever with silk, cotton and linen to the fore.

But there were also wide-cut and cropped trousers and sneakers were the shoewear of choice in a collection rich in the kind of bomber jackets, sweatshirts and parkas much favoured by millennials.

And crucially for that demographic there were no skinny jeans to be seen anywhere.

The Armani show, which “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey watched from the front row, brought down the curtain on a menswear season whose future is in doubt because of the growing trend for the major houses to either put on combined men/women’s catwalk shows or to abandon the catwalk altogether.

After the show, Armani urged Britain to stay in the European Union, warning that the bloc would be worse off without England’s cutting edge influence on fashion and design.

“I’m in favour of the British staying in Europe,” said the legendary Italian designer after showing his latest collection.

“The island is part of Europe and I have always seen England as the avant-garde part of Europe -the bit that moves, that develops, always the first to do something eccentric and to give space for art.”

Britain is a relatively minor player in Europe’s fashion industry in terms of manufacturing and global sales.

But the country’s vibrant music and street fashion scenes have helped to make it disproportionately influential on catwalk trends.

British designers are dotted around the top fashion houses on the continent and London fashion schools attract talent from all over the world.

A recent survey of UK-based designers by the British Fashion Council found that 90 per cent wanted the country to stay in the EU, mainly because of concerns that Brexit would make it harder to export their wares and that international student numbers could fall through tighter visa restrictions.

Vivienne Westwood, one of the innovative designers Armani perhaps had in mind, said it would be “absolutely tragic” if Britain were to leave the EU.

“I am disgusted that we might leave,” said the 75-year-old who made her name by putting punk style on the catwalk. “I’m ashamed of what is going on in England. It is awful.

“We fought two world wars to have cooperation and unity and now it is like every man for himself,” added Westwood.

“And somehow the English have been manipulated into thinking they’ll get more money if they leave and of course they won’t because the whole world is bankrupt and everything is getting worse and worse.”

A total of 11 brands that normally show menswear lines in Milan were absent, including Roberto Cavalli, Bottega Veneta, Ermenegildo Zegna, Brioni and Antonio Marras.

Armani has stayed loyal to the week but made it clear he is growing tired of organisers using his prestigious brand as the carrot to keep buyers and media in Milan for as long as possible.

“It should not be me last every time,” the 81-year-old told reporters. “The Fashion Chamber needs to move things around more.”

 

PACIFICA GROUP, the importer and distributor of 14 leading fashion brands including Coach, Camper, Kenneth Cole, NYX, IKON, American Eagle Outfitters and Max Mara, recently marked its 14th anniversary with an exclusive sit-down lunch at the St Regis Bangkok.

Chief executive Sopana, Opras, and Prasert Lavichant were on hand to welcome the guests, who included Mayuree Chaipromprasith, Dr Catherine Maleenont Kijothan, Matthew Kijothan, Srisakul Futrakul, Araya Chittaropas, Varawut Laohapongchana, Cheryl and Benjawan Buhrman, Dr Puttipong Poomsuwan and Wynn Pakdeejit.

The event featured highlights from three leading brands, among them Max Mara’s Whitney Bag, designed in collaboration with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and inspired by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, founder of the Whitney Museum of American, and which will on sale in Thailand early next year. Guests were also treated to a glimpse of Coach’s limited Mickey Mouse collection, of which only 16 pieces will be available in the Kingdom. Coach opened the fashion show with the cool Rogue bag that contains a bonus kisslock purse and is all set to become the season’s statement tote.

Max Mara, the luxury fashion brand from Italy, showcased its latest collection featuring a chessboard pattern in opulent greens and burgundies Also in the spotlight was the “Future Alpine” collection by Sportmax, the clothing brand under Max Mara. Unique in black and white stripes and juxtaposing nature and architecture, the urban line featured graphic dresses in bold prints, precision tailoring and crisply cut jackets and trousers. Sister brand Max and Co also presented its latest line, offering outfits covered with graphics and flowers ideal for everyday wear.

Coccinelle, the quality handbag brand from Italy, also made much of geometric designs, mixing soft fabric and leather in a range of colours including peppermint green, tile red and orange. The roomy user-friendly volumes of the boho tote bag contrasted with a multitude of mini-sized trunks, backpacks, buckets and handbags.

Premium leatherwear brand Kenneth Cole puts its best foot forward with a range of shoes for every occasion while NYX, an American cosmetics line, showed why every lady should include its fresh and lively colours for the face in their makeup bags.

Joe’s Jeans, the clothing and jeans brand from Los Angeles, went vintage with a new collection inspired by the fashions of the ’70s and in unique colours achieved through a new bleaching technique.

Camper shoes from Spain with colours and designs inspired by the history and culture of the Mediterranean island of Majorca offered a vibrant collection of footwear ideal for the summer.

For its part, American Eagle Outfitter, the leading US jeans brand, went for comfort with a line of casual-wear perfect for a hot day or hanging out with friends and family.

Sperry offered boat shoes and sandals with a minimal look while Keds introduced a range of fresh colours and materials like denim, linen, nylon, net and soft leather for its sneakers and slip-on canvases. New to Pacifica Group is the fashionable Pro-Keds line, footwear favoured by athletes, musicians, artists and style icons.

 

ANTONIO SEWARD of the wristwatch brand Audemars Piguet is the first to admit that some people think a US$30,000 watch in lime green, tangerine orange or bright yellow is just plain crazy.

But “you don’t need to be traditional to wear luxury”, the Swiss firm’s general manager for Southeast Asia points out.

He’s talking about the limited edition Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph, unveiled at the big SIHH timepiece show in Geneva in January and this month drawing admiring looks at a posh “underwater” cocktail party in Bangkok put together by Krist Chatikaratana of Cortina Watch (Thailand).

“It’s a summer watch, something to enjoy that’s casually elegant, and also made with Swiss expertise,” Seward says.

“The Offshore collection is luxurious yet sporty, outdoorsy. It’s something you want to wear with a T-shirt and shorts. We normally use traditional colours, but actually in 1990 we used yellow, green and purple in this same collection.”

Audemars Piguet is touting the 42mm octagonal watch as a “diving-into-fun masterpiece” with its bold colours. The stainless steel case has a sapphire crystal at the back and houses a self-winding Calibre 3124/3841. The dial features a “Mega Tapisserie” pattern, double indices at 12 o’clock and luminescent coating for better visibility in the deep.

And it goes very deep – it’s water-resistant to 300 metres. Divers will also appreciate the internal rotating bezel that’s colour-blocked with scale and time zone, along with 30-minute counters.

The hands of blackened white gold and hour-markers offer high contrast as well as those bright hues on the dial – tangerine, lime, citron or blue. The rubber strap’s colour matches the dial of your choice. The power lasts 50 hours.

A deep-blue model has a splash of yellow and only 400 pieces have been made. The vibrant orange and summery yellow models are even rarer, 375 pieces each.

These editions are available at the Audemars Piguet boutique at Central Embassy for Bt976,000. You have to go to the store in Geneva to get the rarest of them all, the lime green version, of which a mere 50 pieces were made. Best ask about the price once you get there.

The press in Bangkok also got a sneak preview of the firm’s 2016 Stars and Heroes suite. It’s intended to be “disruptive”, in the trendy modern sense of the word, breaking the rules of horology. One piece called Diamond Fury bristles with rebellious attitude – and 4,635 brilliant-cut diamonds.

Then there are two Millenary watches of equally stunning design. The first, Hypnotic, interleaves diamonds and onyx in dramatic relief. Magnetic Pearls is similar magic done with the oyster’s gem.

The Royal Oak Watches and Chronographs collection sees a return to yellow gold, the elemental material of luxury watchmaking. The Audemars Piguet Calibre 2385 powers each of these three-counter chronographs bearing the original Gerald Genta design from the early 1970s.

Facing the 41mm case is a “Grande Tapisserie” dial, either silvery white or a new paler blue, with yellow-gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.

 

BANGKOK’S A-listers enjoyed a truly sparkling evening at the Siam Kempinski Hotel recently as Siam Paragon joined up with 17 jewellery boutiques and Porsche Thailand for an exceptional showcase of diamonds and other gemstones valued at almost Bt1 billion.

Leading Thai actresses Anne Thongprasom and Kimberley Anne Tiamsiri joined a few select top models in dressing up in the glamorous fashion of yesteryear for this showcase of exquisite from Le Beau, Sirus Tanya, Gems Pavillion, Dermond, Bijioux de Louise, Karat, Sirinapa Diamond, Xavier, Blue River, Sette, Pannarai Jeweller’s, Trez Jewelry, Prima Gems, ST Diamond Design, P&P Jewelry, Scintilla, and Rajdamri Gems.

Emeralds played the leading role in the Blue River’s Fiori jewellery set with a total weight over 105 carats. Inspired by the greenery of Milan, it featured a necklace, earrings and ring worth more than Bt80 million.

Gems Pavillion created an exceptional diamond collection to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary consisting of a choker, a necklace, a pair of earrings and a ring priced at more than Bt180 million.

Rajdamri Gems showcased a three-layer necklace and two matching bracelets created from one-carat diamonds and inspired by Hollywood elegance. The collection, which also featured a flamboyant diamond ring and a pair of earrings, is valued at Bt60 million. Award-winning actress Penpak Sirikul modelled P&P Jewellery’s gorgeous floral styled necklace boasting a large round diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds in various shapes worth Bt60 million. Other items in the collection included earrings, a bracelet, and a ring.

Pannarai Jewellers’ masterpiece priced at Bt41.5 million featured a necklace made of diamonds cut in a pearl shape and placed from small to large to represent strings of raindrops. It came complete with matching earrings. Sirinapa Diamond, meanwhile, presented its butterfly signature in a hair brooch made with 139.92 grams of white gold and 26.67 carats of diamonds.

Prima Gems also chose to focus on emeralds with a collection that saw a 67.68- carats emerald as the centre |of an attractive piece surrounded by |diamonds. For its part ST Diamonds |used pearls from the South Sea in sizes |of between 12.55-18.88 mm and decorated the collection with 2,103 diamonds |of 0.48 carats. Colour was added with pink, blue, and yellow gems.

Xavier was inspired by nature for its magnificent collection featuring a huge opal and tiny diamonds woven together into lace form.

“This event underlines the strength of Thailand as a world-class producer of jewellery which is acclaimed for its quality, extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity and unique design,” commented Chadatip Chutrakul, chief executive of Siam Paragon.

 

CHALIDA TANTIPIPHOP, who held |the title in 1998, recently led a gorgeous choir of former Miss Thailands in singing the praises of the latest clothing line |from American designer Diane von Furstenberg.

Chalida hosted “An Exclusive Spring Party by DVF” at the EmQuartier mall featuring a collection released for spring but certainly apt but summer as well.

Savinee Pakaranang (Miss Thailand 1984), Ornanong Panyawong Awakul (1992), Apisamai Srirangsan (1999), Panadda Wongphudee (2000), Arinmas Boonkronsap (2003), Kritchaporn Homboonyasak (2010), and Onwipa Kanoknateesawat (2009) and her sister Adcharaporn Kanoknateesawat (2013) took turns modelling the Freedom Dress and demonstrating its merits.

The silk and chiffon maxi-dress is cut to accentuate the wearer’s movement. It’s adorned with a patchwork of floral prints – various blooms to choose from to express your own personality – and this season the colours are more vivid than ever.

DVF has always harnessed the power of nature in its spring collections to reflect the inspiring beauty of women, at the same time capturing the freedom of movement. The 2016 line is lively in pink, gold and dark blue daubs amid the delicate prints.

The Goddess Gown in maxi and short lengths evokes the allure of ancient Greece with layers of black and white chiffon. It’s charming, elegant and sophisticated with an ornate pattern of golden outlines forming the shapes of leopards, butterflies, the sun and rice fields.

A more practical addition to any wardrobe is the New Suit, comprising linen, olive-green rompers and shorts that are cut in clever ways and trimmed with leather and metal accents.

Femininity with a hint of playfulness (as in fringes) is evident throughout the collection, with pink and gold representing the colours of the season. Other must-have pieces include a print jumpsuit, metallic blazer and chiffon blouse.

POPULAR JAPANESE fashion house Issey Miyake recently celebrated the opening of its very first store in Bangkok with a grand bash at the newly renovated Siam Discovery where it now occupies a duplex boutique on G and M floors.

The interior has been carefully conceived and designed by Tokujin Yoshioka who designed the Issey Miyake stores in London and Tokyo, to give the space a modern, casual look in line with the spirit of the brand. Yoshioka focused on creating a space that could bring out the views of each brand carried in the store to their fullest extent.

To ensure that the clothing exists as the main feature inside this space, he used fixtures that appear to be floating in mid-air, and kept the design as simple as possible. The store offers the full range of the house’s brands including Issey Miyake, Issey Miyake Men, Pleats Please Issey Miyake, Homme Plisse Issey Miyake, me Issey Miyake, Bao Bao Issey Miyake, and 132 5. Issey Miyake.

The designer introduced his first collection to New York in 1971 and began participating in Paris Fashion Week from 1973. His unique concept of clothing as “A Piece of Cloth” has been widely acclaimed since the very beginning. An inexhaustible explorer, he has continued to open up new horizons for making clothes through research, experimentation and development while constantly reimagining the relationship between the human body and clothing.

Over the years, Miyake debuted several epoch-making designs, including the original pleated pieces in 1989 that would later develop into Pleats Please Issey Miyake. He developed the basic idea and process of A-Poc in 1997, this time in collaboration with Dai Fujiwara, which soon evolved into a design solution called “A-Poc Inside” and was incorporated into all the brands owned by the group.

In Thailand Pleats Please Issey Mikaye and the famous Bao Bao bag have enjoyed massive success. “Pleats” was introduced in 1989, and has been developed every season thereafter. By 1993, it was ready to be launched as a complete and stand-alone brand and appeared as Pleats Plese Issey Miyake for the Spring-Summer collection. The true value of the design lies in its integration with the everyday life and comfort of the wearer in a highly functional modern product – light in weight and easy to wear and handle.

The Bao Bao Issey Miyake bag was conceived from the Thai word “Bao Bao” which means lightness. Both light and soft, it folds, accommodates and transforms itself after handling to create dramatic new shapes. A line of bags and pouches with the theme of “shapes made by chance”, the Bao Bao series has a flexible functionality that’s perfect for the busy modern lifestyle.

“Homme Plisse Issey Miyake” is a new concept of clothing for the contemporary man, made possible by the development of Issey Miyake’s original pleating technology. The line has not only chosen wrinkle-resistant and quick-drying fabrics, but also uses uniform pleats in order to prevent the garments from clinging to the skin. As a result, the clothes are comfortable, easy to care for, and lightweight.

The new store also shines the spotlight on the experimental and eco-friendly 132 5 Issey Miyake line developed by Miyake and his Reality Lab team.. A new evolution of “A Piece of Cloth”, the line is made using recycled PET products, sometimes in combination with other recycled fibres, through a new process that creates garments designed to expand from two-dimensional geometric shapes into structured shirts, skirts, pants and dresses.

This new creative challenge is based on the ideas of “Regeneration and Re-creation” and is a continuation of the Japanese designer’s perpetual search for new ways to make “clothes that bring joy and happiness to wearers”.

 

A LIFELONG vegetarian, British fashion designer Stella McCartney never uses leather or fur in her clothes and accessories. That makes her Falabella tote bag even more amazing.

New in shops is the vibrant Rainbow Pop Falabella Collection, built around a mini-tote in “shaggy deer” fabric (faux deer hide) on a hand-braided ruthenium chain with diamond-cut facets.

The bag feels like real leather, but the fabric is even softer – and not a single deer was injured or lost its life in the making of this charming accessory.

It’s sold in seven colours, each representing a personality trait – Mist (calmness), Bluebird (confidence), Bright Purple (fun), Hot Pink (friendship), Cherry (love), Orange (playfulness) and Golden Syrup (joy).

The other items in the collection are an iPhone 6 case, a half-flap wallet, a credit-card holder and a key chain.

Russian model Natalia Vodianova, photographed by Harley Weir, stars in a promotional campaign colourful enough to match the rainbow collection.

The cloth lining of the Falabella bag is made of recycled polyester that derives in turn from recycled plastic water bottles.

In the spirit of summer, the bag is easily matched with McCartney’s ready-to-wear clothing, a chic melding of masculine and feminine style and this season carrying cool looks from the 1970s and ’90s.

The inspiration comes from the countryside, with floral and animal prints, especially the designer’s beloved horses.