Authenticity key at Capsule Paris, brands focus on heritage design values

Capsule spring/summer 2010, Paris
26-28 June 2009

Progressive streetwear trade-show Capsule, hosted its third Paris edition last month, with a discerning offer of mostly menswear and accessories brands. Contemporary, designerwear, casual and sportswear labels showed summer collections that majored on authenticity and heritage design values. Many brands told the story of their making with localized, vintage inspirations.

It's one of the best, not to mention earliest indications of the forthcoming season's trends - and boasts an impressive list of international retailers scouting brands that will make a difference. Even US trends website PSFK said it wished it could have attended. (Despite the fact that Capsule travels to NY and Vegas in the next month for repeat shows - I guess they just couldn't wait.) Well I couldn't wait to post my report either! I've highlighted trends and a few of my favourite brands, plus posted my usual album of photos - see end of report for link.






Captions top to bottom: Haversack, Creative Recreation, Camo, April 77, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair

Organiser Edina Sultanik-Silver said she thought the mix of labels from Europe, Japan and the US was Capsule’s strongest to date and after only three seasons the show has quickly become a must visit for independent boutiques and department stores. She added there has been an influx of Japanese, Asia and US buyers this season paying particular attention to the British contingent due to the weakened pound. “The show is pitched as both progressive and saleable and we feel the market level is coming together with an interesting mix of heritage and new brands, balancing edgy with mainstream.”

Commercial trends & key pieces

Summer outdoor pursuits, classic nautical and authentic workwear pieces appeared as commercial themes. Light summer knits and jersey outerwear were surprising bestsellers among exhibitors. Highlights such as fine gauge cable fisherman knits, matelot stripes, short workwear or equestrian blazers, worn-out look shirting or long-sleeve placket front tops, whimsical floral prints and pleat-front tailored shorts all injected some newness into the men’s streetwear and contemporary arena for spring/summer 10.

Brands to watch

Top picks from visitors at the show included Cole Rood & Haan, Haversack, SNS Herning, Norsea Industries and Our Legacy. US fashion journalist & stylist Cator Sparks said: “I love the original story-telling aesthetic behind brands such as Our Legacy, Gitman Vintage, Cole Rood & Haan or SNS Herning. Fashion brands have to show their authenticity nowadays.”

Online retailer, My Wardrobe creative director Luisa de Paula added that British brands such as Garbstore, JW Anderson, Peter Jensen, Oliver Spencer, Lou Dalton, B-Store and Lyle & Scott were her key show picks.

Apparel:

5th Avenue Shoe Repair – this Swedish contemporary brand has become a hot export from Stockholm Fashion Week, and with womenswear as popular as its menswear offer the label is attracting an increasingly high-end stockist base. Key pieces for spring/summer 10 are drop crotch trousers, asymmetric seams and shorter blazer style jackets. Inside out lining and pocket details ensure parka style coats look fresh while washed out linen shirting and bleached denim add a summer vibe. A whimsical paisley print for shirts and tailored shorts injects some pattern interest.


April 77 – French denim and music brand April 77 is growing in collection size as well as global stockist list. Now separated into premium and core lines the three main themes for SS10 were rock n roll music, 80s denim or Apache Indian. Watch out for the myriad stone-wash denim options (on treggings too), camouflage or lumberjack print patterns and Apache Indian meets mid-Western desert styling touches.

Camo – Italian designer Stefano Ughetti looked to equestrian inspirations for his sportswear inspired collection with Arabian style dressing a clear direction. He learned how to ride horses especially for the designing process (in order to understand the functionality needs of riders) and named each piece after specific breeds. Dropped-crotch trousers and shorts alongside striped front-placket shirting and jersey polo shirts are key and a perennial bestseller for Camo. While the bold colour palette of solid colours for unlined cotton jackets with leather pockets and trimmed fine gauge knit cardigans, simple SB2 soft-structured blazers and simple front pocket tees are all key.

Haversack – Japanese label Haversack is one to watch for its love affair with British and establishment dressing aesthetic. Military and nautical themes appeared on tailored linen and light wool jackets or more casual jersey based safari-esque pieces. Plenty of pockets on outerwear pieces and layering of paisley shirting, chequered knits and gingham jersey jackets had an eccentric appeal. Put it all together and this Japanese collection looks well travelled.

Norsea Industries - The rugged appeal of the ocean was also central to Lancashire based label Norsea Industries with designer Stephen X’s new collection called “The Romance of Nature”. No nonsense brushed cotton twill jackets, chinos, cotton striped knits and whimsical fish or floral illustrated designs adorned jersey tees and plain tabard button down tops. Classic designs from days gone by made modern again for discerning menswear fans who like to keep it simple.

Our Legacy – Jockum Hallin from Swedish menswear brand Our Legacy says that the label’s design ethos was developed with the Swedish outdoors way of life in mind. Everything is kept simple and easy to wear with hunting & fishing style jackets, corduroy giets, soft-handle washed linen shirts, jersey or loosely tailored shorts and light knits all key. Hallin says the idea behind the collection is that the wearer passes on favourite or cherished pieces to future generations.

SNS Herning - The authentic fisherman cable knits in light merino wool and sea-island cotton from Danish brand SNS Herning were one of the highest quality brand offers we’ve ever seen. This young brand is still finding its feet (with a healthy kick start from Dover Street Market in London) makes second-skin knitwear with a heritage dating back to the 1930s.


Accessories:


Creative Recreation – the West Coast sneaker brand that features zip away high-top construction has extended its range to include summer-wear hiking boots and a range of canvas and leather brogue style shoes with asymmetric lacing details and soft rubber soles. The core range of high-tops has been updated for summer with over-painted and white-washed canvas, suede or leather options, texturised weave materials and dip-dyed designs.


Cole Rood & Haan – a new heritage offer from US luxury accessories giant Cole Haan sees handmade tanning and last-making for shoes come into spotlight as the brand embraces the story of its beginning. With press notes stating: “In 1928 Cole, Rood & Haan Co was introduced in Chicago, the epicenter of the Jazz movement. Through his flair for design, Trafton Cole created the company’s reputation for quality and craftsmanship while Eddie Haan elevated the brand to one known for service and style.” 80 years later their spirit is back and parent company Cole Haan can enjoy its history once more. Autumn/winter 09 was the brand’s first outing at retail so spring/summer 10 will follow its limited distribution. Light tan, vegetable dyed leathers, contrast panels of canvas and pale lacing feature in the small collection that has a washed out and lovingly created quality feel.


F-Troupe – British footwear brand F-Troupe offered new madras and ticking stripe designs for its simple desert boot styles. Lightweight primary coloured suede boots carried the label’s signature hiking style lacing and the new white sole design carried across for boat shoes and lace up brogues.

Springcourt – the French sports shoe legend has embraced pattern and print for summer, with madras checks, pixilated graphics and Aztec designs as highlights. Grey marl canvas was a basic contrast to the metallic coloured leathers that had a more rock vibe especially the stars n stripes with gold and silver metallic options for statement footwear.

For captions and more photos:

Capsule SS10 Paris June 09

Colette's facelift

StyleDesignArtFood is still the mantra at iconic Parisian superstore Colette but the uber cool designer emporium has had a facelift by equally uber cool architects WonderWall. (Love the dancing robots to guide you around the new website too.)

Colette re-opened after a two month period of refurbishment yesterday (Monday 25 August) with an impressive, glossy and ultra modern new look to 213 rue Saint Honore, Paris 75001 not to mention a bigger focus on streetwear according to co-owner Sarah Lerfel who says it's "so dynamic today - which is why we wanted to make the ground floor into a bigger street style statement". Masamichi Katayama of WonderWall was chosen to re-style all three floors at the store, further to his work with hip Japanese brands such as Bathing Ape and Billionaire Boys Club as well as Uniqlo.

WonderWall Masamichi Katayama is a compilation of Katayama’s works; published collaboratively in 2003 by Frame Magazine and Birkhauser and a veritable tome of retail porn interiors (if you like that kind of thing). And the second volume will be published in October 2008!

So on the new sweeping ground floor, Colette hipsters will still find a selection of books, magazines, CDs, records, DVDs, hi-tech products, watches and accessories (increasingly more jewellery collections too) and all these little fun objects tourists and visitors alike just love. Arguably the biggest makeover space is
dedicated to streetwear culture with a wall of sneakers, a house of T-shirts multi-brands and mini-shops for Alife, A Bathing Ape, Billionaire Boys Club / Ice Cream, Original Fake (all exclusive). On the first floor, there is the usual mix of men's and women's designer fashion, styled and chosen by Lerfel and her team as an exhibition of trends. She describes it as "our unique mix of established brands and newcomers, complete with accessories and precious jewellery". The beauty counter, “candles bar” and own-brand mini collections areas will now be on the first floor. The gallery remains on the mezzanine area and a new space for temporary projects will be created on the lower ground floor (don't worry, the water bar is still there too alongside an impressive looking futuristic new restaurant area). Photos by Khalil for Colette.

Predictably there were queues around the block Guillaume the PR tells me with a stampede on the first day for items such as the bowling bag from Little Marc Jacobs, the trench coat by French artist Andre, Olympia Le Tan's cute denim jacket, souvenirs by Kuntzel + Deygas, a grey jersey bag from Alexis Mabille and beaucoup encore...

Finally don't miss Colette's latest overseas travel plans, with Colette x Gap, a special one-month installation store next to NYC’s flagship Gap at 54th & 5th Avenue, September 6th to October 5th, with many exclusive collaborative items - such as the Liberty print shirts previewed already at GAP stores (if you can find one).

New York retail safari

So much new retail action since my last trip! But hey everyone loves a new store so check out these must visits for some fresh shopping inspiration: 

Hudson Square is the new Meat Packing, well according to Rick Owens that is. The quirky LA rock god designer has opened a huge new space at 250 Hudson (currently no man's land but that won't last long) where you can find his slick leather goth rock chick pieces and plenty of amusing men's acruments (loved the toadskin wallet & cock ring combo Hintmag) not to mention it just being an awesome space with the unusual Owens touches of sinister fog glass wall and marble sculptures of which there are more to come - maybe another over-sized wax effigy of himself - like the Paris store? Catch him talking about his new venture on ">Style.com ("I love fog.") and expect his Paris show to relocate to NYC this fall. Pic credit: Racked

And just opened on adjacent Greenwich is hip unisex streetwear haven Aloha Rag - the second outpost from Japanese owner Tatsugo Yoda after 17 years running his first store in Hawaii. "I thought it was about time to come to New York with our mix of Japanese, British and US streetwear labels. It's a cultivated group of new, up and coming or relatively underground and collectable labels such as Hysteric Glamour, Foundation Addict, Commuun, Kenji Ikeda, 3.1 Philip Lim, Surface 2 Air, Henrik Vibskov and Passarella Death Squad. We are launching our own label called Garment House Media too.  The idea behind the store was to fashion it as a gallery space with white walls, bright paintings, alcove cupboards and a generally clean, sparse feel, allowing the clothing to stand out. We think the journey from Hawaii via Japan and London is right for NYC right now."

Meanwhile hip menswear boutique Atelier is relocating soon to this stretch of Greenwich and Dries van Noten is rumoured to be circling the area for his first US store. 

Moving up town (but not much) towards Meatpacking, check out the newly extended Maison Martin Margiela store on Greenwich and Jane St - actually they've added a whole new store next door to house womenswear and menswear in separate spaces. We loved the new egg-box wall decorated jewellery gallery and walk in closet style spaces - all clad in purist Margiela white of course.  

A block down Brit menswear designer Oliver Spencer has introduced a capsule womenswear collection to his flagship on Greenwich and West 4th. Meanwhile just around the corner on Gansevoort Street, print specialist designer Trina Turk has just launched a homewares range, so her ethnographic paisley and baroque designs are now across cushions, throws and soft furnishings.

Elsewhere in the Union Square / Flatiron area, we love the new Free People store at 79 Fifth Ave. It's about time parent company Urban Outfitters made the most of its hippy dippy eco-friendly FP brand - the time is now guys! Loving the cute travelleresque just-back-from-India decor complete with patchwork fabric swatches wall hangings and button installation.  And the antique wooden cabinet cash wrap is to die for! This is one store environment you just click instantly with the brand - live the life - be free people! 

And there's a brand new True Religion store just opened opposite ABC Carpet & Home on Broadway. What with Forever 21, Diesel and American Eagle on Union Square and Rugby just around the corner on University Place this is NYU denim dorm heaven. 

Hip Scandi brand Tretorn is a welcome addition to the bottom of Spring and West  Broadway. This is healthy outdoor living with a shot of quirky Euro "I do fun sporting activities such as kayaking and tennis and rock climbing" attitude. The Swedish sports lifestyle clothing and footwear brand is back in demand due to its preppy roots and feels just right for NYC hipsters who need to not take their North Pole or Patagonia dressing so seriously. Loving the yellow and blue colouring, blocks of wood branding, perspex wall boxes full of tennis balls and swing tennis game in the middle of the store. And with a backyard barbie to launch the store last month this is ticking all the right boxes for cool healthy summer living in the city. 

Talking of hip dudes Brit menswear designer Andrew Buckler has opened a new SoHo store at 93 Grand between Mercer and Greene and brings more of his eccentric undertones and melded American rogue meets bad boy Brit designs to the area. We loved his Meatpacking store hidden away down the dimly lit stairway on Hudson (complete with impromptu piano and antler head displays) and with this long overdue new location it's time for Buckler to unleash his particularly appealing brand of hard-edged whimsy to jaded SoHo trendies. 

Meanwhile Madewell has finally hit Manhattan! After a holiday pop-up store that was circulated among the fashion industry, the J Crew owned brand has opened a New York flagship and 7th US store on Broadway and Broome. The 3000 sq ft, two storey store features the brand's covetable walk-in-wardrobe style store decor complete with denim bar and editor's picks weekly looks. CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler said: "It's about great style, design and attitude - New Yorkers just get it." We get it and it's one of the best retail brand launches to come out of the US recently - a great mix of hipster denim clad collegiate girl meets effortless laid back fashionista. Pick up the Madewell 1937 monthly newsletter in-store to see in-store direct marketing to hipsters.

And lastly I feel I have to mention Kira Plastinina. Because she's 16 and Russian and daddy is a billionaire and her new store(s) in New York (there will be plenty more!) are the dawning of a new global teen shopping era. Believe the hype. The new Russian designer has launched her own brand while still at school and is quickly carving out a fan base who love her plastic fantastic pink lifestyle brand that's a cross between Fiorucci meets Benetton. Read her first interview in New York Magazine for more insight on her fashion career journey from ponies to t-shirts.  The first store to bow in SoHo is on that busy stretch between Houston and Prince and is a girly haven. Teens around the world will want to be fashion designers just like her and just like Paris Hilton before her. Oh actually Paris and Kira are BFFs - they met at Kira's first fashion show recently in Moscow!