Focus on: new fashion brands to discover

INTRO

ANREALAGE

For Fall/Winter 2023-24 Anrealage uses fashion to explore the evolution of human perception and how every living organism, no matter how simple or complex, inhabits a world of its own. Fashion becomes metaphor of the need to celebrate diversity. "We are all one race, even if the way I see my world is not the same as the way you see yours," says the Japanese designer. With a collection that mixes classic shapes inspired by the 50s and futuristic materials that change colour when exposed to natural sunlight (UV rays), Anrealage expands its portfolio of in-house produced experimental photochromic materials, adding faux fur, velvet, lace, knit, jacquard and satin. THE new colour developments for the look include yellow, beige, red and blue which transform into other shades under UV light. As the intensity of natural sunlight is constantly changing, the colours are constantly changing. These garments return to their original colour in about three minutes when no longer exposed to UV rays. Apparently the silhouettes have neither front nor back. Instead, the looks are based on "front/back" or "back/back" constructions, with symmetrical/asymmetrical shapes that highlight Kunihiko Morinaga's mastery in cutting the models.

DURAN LANTINK

Dutch designer Duran Lantink is known for reworking deadstock designer fabrics into sexy, desirable garments, often labeled a sustainable enfant terrible, who challenges fashion's weird and outdated norms and its never-ending cycle of overconsumption. It didn't start out like that, though: "It's always about having fun and finding new ways to design," he explains. In her universe, a faux-fur sleeve can become a top, and a coat and skirt can be cut, copied, and pasted into a hybrid piece of insightful beauty, as seen on the 2020 cover of Billie Eilish's Dazed. His ingenious methods were born when he was a kid, and all he had to deal with was a closet full of glam '80s party dresses belonging to his mother.

HELIOT EMIL

Inspired by the sculptural works of Henry Moore, Julius Juul Creative Director of the Danish brand Heliot Hemil has created a collection that questions traditional shapes and patterns. Heliot Hemi l's Fall Winter 2023 2024 collection features avant-garde clothes that capture the essence of Moore's art: spontaneous and in continuous dialogue with the street. In fact, many of Moore's sculptures are exhibited outdoors in public spaces, which gives the works a natural patina and unique texture influenced by the environment in which they are located. In the collection, Juul wanted to reproduce the same look and feel of material and texture, manipulating the fabrics with heat, water and extended rips. Other influences from the sculptures manifest themselves in the form of curved hinges, morphological silhouettes, asymmetrical details and exaggerated shapes. The organic lines of the models create volumes and cocoon shapes with jackets, trousers and dresses with a sculptural look. The asymmetrical lines also continue in the details of the pockets and seams.

ROISIN PIERCE

Beware, Beware, Roisin Pierce's Fall Winter 2023 2024 collection maintains the pure aesthetics and sustainable, zero-waste sensibility that are at the heart of the Roisin Pierce brand, while expanding it into new territory with a series of handcrafted innovations. Traditional Irish crochet is made new, tubular and spherical, on wavy layers of organza. Irish floral motifs such as wild radish flowers (Meacan raidigh) and snow berries (Poirin sneachta) punctuate the collection, and elsewhere contemporary three-dimensional embroidery floats like air, while suede strips are layered and formed around the body. Hints of leather peek out from beneath the embroideries, with new stitching techniques applied in tandem to create unique textures and surfaces; entire pieces of fabric without a single cut are transformed into three-dimensional shapes that show new textile possibilities. Wraps, bubble hem shirts, cowl neck dresses and boxy blouses are brought to life in smocks and pintucks. Lace also remains a central reference point, crafted by three generations of Irish lacemakers who have come together in Pierce's atelier in a collaborative effort; their meticulous handwork is evident in the scalloped edges, swirls and cascading flowers.

WEINSANTO

Weinsanto imagines Sex and the City by revisiting the wardrobes of the four most beloved fashionistas in the world, as well as pop icon Rihanna. These cultural icons have influenced the way modern women dress and see themselves. A no-limits approach to the collection sees body-hugging silhouettes, à la Samantha, and gigantic oversizes à la Badgal RiRi. For the autumn-winter wardrobe, at Weinsanto we have a range that goes from the classics of daywear and workwear to the extravagance of couture escapism. Fringed, folded and pleated threads, stonewashed denim, a couture dress that comes from the canvases of the artist Romain Eugene Campens, to create a print, monochromatic outfits, nylon looks for a sportswear/activewear atmosphere with puffy jackets and ski. Weinsanto presents the "Samantha Bag": a shoulder bag with corsetry details and pleats reminiscent of the traditional Alsatian cake Kougelhopf, a tribute to the designer's roots. Attention to sustainability with deadstock fabrics from Nona Source, the LVMH textile archive of which Victor Weinsanto is an ambassador.