Where better to reveal a killer collaboration between a hot designer and a high street stalwart than a rollicking party at Coachella in April of this year? Both Kate Bosworth and Katy Perry were in attendance, while Iggy Azalea was on hand to perform after the big announcement.
New Yorker Alexander Wang will be latest designer to collaborate with H&M, and is the first American to do so. This seems like the perfect partnership. The king of sport-luxe and the Swedish fashion brand will be working together on both men’s and womenswear, while also producing a line of lifestyle items.
So far the items have been kept firmly under wraps, so fans will have to wait until the range launches instore and online on 6 November.
Matches, the very British luxury shopping destination, with an exciting international outlook are renowned for their dedication to creativity and originality, as well as bringing the most globally sought after designers to their customer. With their fashion exclusives including the likes of Burberry Prorsum, Saint Laurent and Azzedine Alaia, it’s the place to buy key wardrobe hits every season.
For the upcoming AW they have the perfect arm candy on offer, from cool classics to cutting edge, and we’ve chosen the favourites from matchesfashion.com.
The bag above the text is the Pelican satchel bag by Alexander Wang.
Words by: Felicity Carter
Balenciaga, Giant City bag
Bao Bao Issey Miyake, Lucent shopper
Burberry Prorsum, Blaze studded patent-leather bag
With attitude by the bucketful and insanely catchy songs like 212, Azealia Banks has undoubtedly left her mark on the music industry. It looks like she is no less short of conquering the world of fashion as well.
Already counting the likes of Karl Lagerfeld as fan and having performed at Chanel’s pop up store party in Tokyo, the rap star can now include the house of Alexander Wang on her list of fashion collaborations. For the new Fall 2012 T by Alexander Wang campaign video directed by Daniel Jackson and styled by Alastair McKimm, the 21-year-old performs her latest song Van Vogue whilst decked out in the brand’s casually cool threads.
It seems that the world can’t get enough of Azealia Banks right now and with projects and tunes like this, it’s easy to see why.
For his A/W 12 collection, Alexander Wang put on quite the visual spectacle – mirrors, supermodel reunions and all – making his minimalist campaign lensed by David Sims and starring Kati Nescher a complete departure, but no less captivating.
The New York designer’s collection, inspired by the surrealist manipulation of fabrics, is presented in simple black and white studio photographs, all the better for highlighting Wang’s clean-lined tailoring and outerwear invigorated by accents such as the Cubist slicing of a high-collared coat or slightly macabre mouth-covering fishnet turtlenecks.
In the span of five short and extremely successful years, Wang has progressed from painfully hip downtown designer to a creator with finesse and these images are just the thing to prove it.
From secondary season to fully-fledged collections in their own right, this past year’s fashion cycle has all been about the rise of resort. Offering the ideal transition from autumn to summer, as well as designers an opportunity to prolong their retail exposure, the season has once and for all stepped out of its main collection sister’s shadow.
From Chloé’s countryside romanticism to Givenchy’s downtown gypsy look, Twin chooses our favourite not-so-in-between collections of the season…
Alexander Wang
Wang’s aesthetic has increasingly matured since his prolific rise and this collection was a clear departure from those tank top and knit beanie days.
The designer still kept his downtown cool thanks to streamlined sleeveless puffa jackets and midriff-baring vests in patent and croc leather, but by offsetting them with front-pleated, pegged trousers and refined chiffon dresses, the looks went from everyday casual to New Yorker chic.
Celine
Every season, through the slightest tweak of a silhouette or colour alteration, Phoebe Philo manages to conjure up a new line of fashion must-haves.
Progressing from her sportswear influenced A/W 12 showing, this collection was a combination of relaxed silhouettes such as wide-legged trousers and leather jumper/jogger combos, but added that typical Celine elegance through geometric prints, clean lines and a largely black and white-colour palette.
Chloé
Chloé designer Clare Waight Keller headed to the country for this collection, but those expecting Little House On The Prairie type looks are in for a big surprise.
Instead Keller took the best inspirations of rural life – think pale skye blue and neutrals, ethnic prints and crochet patterns – and infused it into the brand’s laid back romantic DNA, resulting in lightweight harem trousers, smock dresses, waist-tie tops and scallop-edged shorts made for a summer in the city.
Christian Dior
An appropriate mix of historical references and contemporary elegance, these looks found their strength in the house of Dior’s archetypal look.
Classical waist-cinching shift dresses and tops with peplum hems were paired with cropped straight leg trousers and romantic knife-pleated chiffon skirts, whilst leather accents gave the whole collection a strikingly modern feel.
Givenchy
Presented in a street style photography approach, Riccardo Tisci fused strong tailoring with paisley and geometric prints for an urban bohemian look.
Leather and motif-printed capes stood alongside more relaxed silhouettes of harem trousers and silk shift dresses for a look that was truly Givenchy, but as always, has something new to bring to the table.
Proenza Schouler
Round-shouldered tweed jackets and capes, bleached slim cut jeans, low-slung flares, satin tuxedo trousers and laser cut neon cocktail dresses – this season Proenza Schouler offered the complete wardrobe for their brand’s cosmopolite cool audience.
With colours ranging from cream to ultramarine to pistachio, this was a collection that could go from day to endless night.
Stella McCartney
McCartney’s multifarious resort showing included sheer overlay pleated skirts, fringe tassel lace dresses, golden brocade print cap sleeve and short as well as bubblegum pink blazer and neon orange kick flare trousers combos.
Accessorised with sunshine yellow pointed toe platform pumps and holographic clutches, this collection made us that bit more excited for the summer.
Theyskens’ Theory
How to turn the essentials into something intriguing appeared to be the question on Olivier Theyskens’ mind this season. His answer ticked all the right boxes: oversized blazers were given an oil painting slick appearance thanks to silver velvet and watercolour-esque prints, shimmering lurex T-shirts and jumpers gained nighttime appeal and the tried but true boyfriend jean was fitted with just the right amount of slouch. Who said basic had to be boring?
Twin are huge fans of Alexander Wang. We love the whitewashed, ethereal summer collection that he sent down the New York catwalk last week. So there was an audible in-take of breath when we heard that Mr Wang had created his own Nike shoe. What would a Wang Nike look like?
Alexander Wang’s Bespoke Air Force 1 design is typical of his cool, understated aesthetic. And like most of his creations – we want.
Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
