New fashion in unusual places

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New fashion in unusual places

To break away from the competition in unveiling their new seasonal concepts, fashion brands are moving away from conventional trunk shows in cafes or stores.
Burberry’s 2003-2004 autumn and winter London collection, for instance, was presented in a sleek art gallery in Cheongdam-dong.
As the invitation card, bearing an enlarged Tartan check, suggested, Won Gallery’s white space was used as a canvas on which to draw bold lines in the check’s colors ― cobalt blue, purple, lime green and burgundy. These colors came in the form of light projected through thin plexiglass that hung in midair. Garments and accessories were cleverly displayed between, and atop, the semi-transparent panels crisscrossing the white space.
The theme “Bright Colors,” for Burberry, meant variation of colors and texture. The ubiquitous Burberry check was tucked inside, as the lining of a coat or a bag. Outside, the classic trenchcoat, for example, boasted a bold, solid purple in top-quality, satin-like gabardine.
The overcoat and the satchel featured traditionally British Tartan check, enlarged to give a look of modern chic. A stretchy cashmere top was matched with cargo skirts; a wool cape with slim pants. The officer-inspired short jacket was fashioned with a metal zipper.
The use of industrial zipper, waterproof breathable nylon, corduroy cotton and reversible fabric meant functionality; the casual yet elegant mix of classic patterns such as red-black-beige Prince of Wales check in a contemporary sportswear context seemed to pioneer a new tradition. On the whole, contemporary sensibility and optimism prevailed in one of the oldest British brands.
Fendi Korea chose a Mercedez-Benz showroom in southern Seoul to unveil its fall and winter ready-to-wear collection. It was luxury-car-meets-luxury-fashion as a Mercedez-Benz SLK230 and Fendi handbags were displayed together. The message was: a Fendi woman should be driving a Mercedez-Benz.
Wearing glossy, golden makeup, Korea’s leggiest models showed 28 looks featuring Fendi furs, leather, handbags and shoes. Mongolian lamb and fox fur were woven like traditional fabrics and thrown over shoulders; a minimal ’60s-style shirt dress was made of pearlized leather, and Persian lambskin was wrapped in a clear plastic sheet. Metallic satin, bold hand stitches and bronze zippers as details made for a delicate balance inspired by both the Space Age and the Middle Ages.
Dominating colors ― mauve, deep fuscia, lavender, burgundy, taupe brown and chocolate brown ― were rich, warm and glowing.
Skirts were very short. Jackets had sculptural details. Women whispered their approval when they saw a square-shoulder jacket with wide collars worn with a box pleated miniskirt. That exquisitely tailored jacket had impressive six-piece cuts in the waist. Short blousons and short fur jackets were casual, while shawls worn like skirts and longer coats were elegantly formal.
Everyone noticed Fendi bags of varying sizes and materials ― Selleria, Biga, Zucca/Zucchino, Baguette, Chef and fur bags. The luxuriously supple thigh-high boots in black, brown and khaki were lean, supple and round-toed with four-inch stacked heels.
The show ended with a model wearing a brown fur coat and a beautiful mauve evening dress with cut-out pink circles. She took off the coat to reveal the dress, cut wildly high in the front, showing off a pair of long, long, tanned legs, and everyone forgot about the fur coat ―here was the sheer joy and drama of being a woman.


by Ines Cho
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