Month: February 2021

C+plus Series explores Freudian concepts at NYFW

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C+plus Series designer C.T. Liu was inspired by famed psychologist Sigmund Freud’s concept of the ID, ego and super-ego within psychoanalytical theory that describes the activities and interactions of the mental life of a person — where that mental life is the function of an apparatus to which we describe the characteristics of being extended in space. Liu took this concept to create a narrative based on the psychology of extended space.

This resulted in a play on proportions with asymmetrical, body-fitting skirts, oversized jackets, and the occasionally oversized shoulder. C+plus Series was founded in 2018 on the concept of over-complication, meaning no design could be approached simply or minimally. While the collection did not take a true over-top the, maximalist approach, exaggerated wide cut pants, deconstructed jackets, and a combination of textures, like an asymmetrical skirt that was only half-pleated helped minimalism be avoided at all costs.

Silhouettes were crafted in bold and vibrant colors that represented self-consciousness and awakening. Cut with romantic fabrics, there was a balance of natural instinct and the possibility of self-selection, while retaining neutral elements and simple silhouettes to pursue the essence of the true ego. Soft and sturdy fabrics alike are twisted and gathered with deceiving wearability, function and experimentation. The reason for the deconstruction of the blazers and coats was to emphasize the idea of breaking through the tame and routine to explore the awakening of the super-ego. Throughout, elevated design elements such as layering and playful asymmetry underscore an alluringly confident and subversive approach to empowering everyday design.

With the talk of the future we have to look forward to in fashion as we emerge from COVID-19, C+plus Series has fashioned a future of new consciousness. The psychology of fashion has come into its super-ego.

photo: courtesy of C+plus Series

Brand Director of InWear on working smarter, sustainability, and timeless collections

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Sustainability is a lifestyle at InWear, since 1969 the Danish label has created staple wardrobe classics for the independent, passionate and free modern woman. Known for its fitted tailoring and use of pattern making, the Copenhagen-based brand continues to uphold the philosophy that long-lasting pieces made with quality and responsibly sourced fabric is at the core of its business.

FashionUnited recently spoke to Rasmus Borges Olsen, the Brand Director at InWear on how working smarter, sustainability and seeking long term solutions influence all aspects of the label. During a video interview, Olsen exclusively told FashionUnited, “the most important thing for the brand is not necessarily to be in the media shouting aloud about sustainability, but constantly work on improving ourselves and becoming better each day.”

Sustainable and long-lasting collections

“Currently, there are two ways in how InWear works with sustainability,” Olsen explained,“first is through continuously improving the percentage of organic fibers such as organic cotton and recycled polyester that we use in a collection.” “The other method is by implementing a conscious effort into creating long-lasting products. Clean and classic, fitted pieces that become quality staples in a woman’s wardrobe. A design that she will put on in 5 years and still feel confident in,” he further added.

Head of Design, Jette Romvig, stated on the label’s website, “what I’m really into is this idea of designing for women’s real lives, clothes that women feel good wearing. It’s about being timeless and chic but always with an attitude – a killer detail or something unexpected.”

On top of sustainable fabrics, eco-driven details from the transportation of the label’s products to long lasting business models that promote slower fashion can be seen in Designed to stand the test of time and made from recycled polyester, the JOURNEY bag collection is modern, minimalist and season-resistant. “At the core of the collection are timeless pieces, then for each new drop, we’ll add a unique addition-for example a hologram color,” Olsen explained this is one way InWear builds a sustainable collection yet still offering customers fresh trends each season.

On working smarter and social responsibility

Just like InWear’s collections, versatility and flexibility has helped the company adapt and strive through this challenging time. Olsen shared that at the start of the pandemic, many of their customers were affected and couldn’t pay for their orders on time. By being agile and working to find solutions that fit each client such as prolonged or periodic payments, the label has maintained a personal relationship with its customers during this unprecedented year.

“Another challenge we faced this past year was that due to Danish law, our employees could not work from home; therefore, we had to make do sometimes with less than half of our staff. Workload went up, so we had to find ways to support our colleagues by finding balance and being super agile. As a company, we learned how to work a bit smarter by taking the lessons we’ve learned as a team on being agile and adaptable. I hope we can continue to apply these traits even to our products and business in this new era,” Olsent expressed.

Faces of Women: Introducing

Digitization, localization, communication

Even before the Covid-19 crisis, InWear had already embarked on the path towards digitization by utilizing digital showrooms and holding online sales meetings. What is unique about the company is that instead of being entirely data-driven, the label still believes in an organic and inspirational design approach. Pre-pandemic, the design team often travelled to New York and Paris to collect inspiration. Olsen explained, twice a year the Design Manager virtually conveys during online sales meetings on what the inspiration was behind the collection and the process that went into the creation of it. Then, there is a follow-up with each country’s sales team which allows room for questions and feedback that are particular to that market.

“Another aspect we’ve seen (in digitization) is that our returning customers are preferring to use our B2B portal more and more when it comes to replenishing potential re-run collections and the products they are familiar with,” Olsen observed.

Next, InWear will assess what areas of digitization suit their customers and also in ways of working virtually for the company. However, Olsen added that the label still very much believes in the magic of the human feeling and the ideas that brew when people get together in person-so a hybrid approach could be more of InWear’s outlook on digitization for the future.

INWEAR EGALITARIAN CAMPAIGN-a non seasonal collection redefining the modern woman

Masculine and feminine, old and young, the EGALITARIAN CAMPAIGN is a non-seasonal collection using InWear’s timeless, never out of stock concept; REFINEDS STANDARDS. It celebrates and redefines the ideal modern woman. “To us suiting is democratic and your individuality should always shine through the threads. To illustrate this point of view the InWear team has styled different suiting items to best fit their personal style,” as stated in a recent press release.

Democratic and individualistic, the team behind InWear, consists of women with a 30 year age range and completely different professional and personal styles, interests and lives. Joined by a common sense of style, drive and love of what they do, INWEAR EGALITARIAN is a celebration of a modern woman’s strengths, skills and heritage.

Read more about InWear on the brand page:

Photos: courtesy of InWear

Schumacher targeting podium: ‘We’re allowed to dream!”

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Formula 1 newcomer Mick Schumacher believes that aiming for the podium is not out of the question in 2021.

The reigning Formula 2 champion will make his F1 debut for Haas F1 Team next month in Bahrain alongside fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin in an all-new line-up after the departure of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

Grosjean provided the team’s best result in 2020 with ninth place in the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring. Haas’ only other points finish last season was at Hungary. Even so, Schumacher is already aiming for higher things.

“We have to be clear about what the car’s potential is,” he told Auto Motor Und Sport in an exclusive interview. “We have to be honest with ourselves and do our job.

  • Read also: Schumacher preparations for F1 debut hit by COVID

“The best thing would of course be to collect points,” he acknowledged. “And if there should be some crazy races like last year, maybe a podium will come out.

“Even if it is a bridging year for us, if the option arises and the spark of luck plays along, we will give everything to then use the luck and bring the results home.

“Sure that’s a dream, but we’re allowed to dream. But first and foremost we have to be realistic,” he added. “I’ll have to wait for the first couple of races to give an informed answer.

“I want to get used to the team very quickly so that I feel very comfortable and they get along with me,” he continued. “If we can do that, the results will come.

“Of course, I promise myself a lot from myself,” he admitted. “There is always pressure. I make it myself. I have expectations of myself.

©Haas

“I want to see a difference between the beginning and the end of the year, that I’ve developed, improved and worked with the team as well as I can. I want to build a relationship and achieve that we can move forward together.”

Schumacher was confident that it had been the right choice for him to start his F1 career at Haas rather than Alfa Romeo or Ferrari which had also been mentioned as possibilities.

“The decision was of course made together,” he said. “But in the end I personally have very little experience in F1,and Ferrari is extremely knowledgeable. They know the business, they know exactly what is best for me.

“[Haas] is not the biggest team, but in return they have a very direct line to their drivers. We are in contact very often, which is of course nice.

“It is also good to know or discuss what the team’s goals are. They work very well with their drivers. I also believe that a breath of fresh air will be very good for the team. Hopefully it motivates and lets us go well together.

“I felt at home straight away. Sometimes that takes longer. At Haas, the time had come after the first day, after the first meeting. I am happy to have stayed there. It is a good station to develop myself further.”

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Ricciardo samples McLaren MCL35M at Silverstone

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Daniel Riccardo took over from Lando Norris on Tuesday afternoon at Silverstone as the Aussie sampled McLaren’s new MCL35M during the team’s filming day at the British track.

Both drivers were forced to contend with predictably wet conditions as they conducted a thorough systems check of their new mount during their respective runs.

On Monday, at McLaren’s team launch at Woking, Ricciardo revealed he had signed a three deal with the papaya squad, a duration that attests to the 31-year-old’s commitment to McLaren and his hope of reaching his dream of winning the world championship.

“It’s three years [on the contract] so it’s certainly enough time to get this thing going,” Ricciardo said.

“Obviously, I feel I’m coming here with a bunch of momentum behind the team as well.

“We don’t have a crystal ball. Leaving Red Bull or leaving Renault, it’s obviously what I feel is right.

    Read also: McLaren MCL35M hits the track at Silverstone

“Do I know 100 per cent how it’s going to turn out? I don’t, but I certainly feel like McLaren have done the right things particularly the last few years to set themselves up for these rule changes coming in ’22.

“That kind of next era of F1 has the ability to turn the field around a little bit and everything I’ve seen and known up until now really excites me about where McLaren is heading.”

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Victor Li takes us to the wild west for New York Fashion Week

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We might be grounded until further notice as we all dream of traveling again, but until then Victor Li is here to fulfill the void with some domestic travel inspiration. The designer’s yearning for the beauty of what we can discover within America’s borders became a definitive part of artistic representation with the art form we live our lives in: clothes.

Li was inspired by the lingering picturesque landscape of Wyoming, which he reimagined onto fabrics, beginning with washed denim that mimics the erosion of granite and sand, layered with colors that reflect the plunge of clear water, and motifs from vintage postcards collected along the way. After five seasons of making a name for himself in menswear, fall/winter 2021 marked the launch of Li’s foray into womenswear.

Described as a “a suspension of time” Li’s collection was also inspired by the acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain. While most people don’t look to the Great Plains region of the United States for fashion inspiration, Li took the road often less fashionably traveled, and found a fashion statement. Motifs from vintage postcards collected along the way were interspersed through the overall collection. Silhouettes were both loose and free while simultaneously having elements of strong tailoring.

Denim was the most prominent fabric in the collection, fitting as also one of the most universal fabrics both domestically and globally. Denim appeared in many forms including raw, tie-dyed, and printed, and was accompanied by a liberal use of plaid and patterns throughout the collection. Life on a western ranch was taken and suspended in time.

For women, Victor Li’s debut offerings included cropped blazers cut close to the body and wrapped around the waist, jeans were done in boyfriend cuts with a rugged look, and the postcard prints were used for blazer-on-skirt look. Accessories are also becoming key to Li’s business, notably a saddle bag he created that took inspiration from a horse-riding trail bag, and the tool bag, a cross body bag that could also be worn on the waist.

Li took us to the wild west and showed us that in even the most humble of travel destinations, fashion inspiration can be found. Denim and western style might be all too familiar to us, but they were made more intricate and exceptionally attractive.

photos: courtesy of Agentry PR

FILA celebrates 110th anniversary by collaborating with British stylist Katie Grand

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Italian global sportswear brand, Fila, is celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2021. To honor its heritage, the brand is launching a unique collaboration with British stylist, curator, creative director, and founder of The Perfect Magazine, Katie Grand.

The new collection highlights the history, heritage, and spirit of the Italian brand by reinventing past looks from the Fila archive for a modern redesign.

Grand says Fila’s history in sports inspired her to focus on tennis, mountain, water, basketball, golf, and motocross when curating the collection.

The collaboration will be presented with a unique video, set to debut during Milan Fashion Week in later February.

“Fila is one of most enduring sportswear brands in existence, and their archive is phenomenal and extensive,” said Katie Grand in a press release.

“With shoes dating back to the eighties and the most amazing books full of illustrations by the designer Pierluigi Rolando – shelf upon shelf of them – it was super inspiring. I started with sports categories that Fila is known for and put archive pieces into themes. Then we worked on making the fit more contemporary.”

Gene Yoon, global chairman at Fila, added: “We will celebrate this milestone and Fila’s worldwide accomplishments throughout the year, beginning with a partnership with Katie Grand. This project will honor our legacy while modernizing iconic pieces for all generations of Fila fans. Fila’s evolution has been fueled by creativity in design, performance, and style. Our rich heritage includes unforgettable moments, epic victories, and legendary individuals who transformed sports and fashion.”

Fila will also launch a microsite for the anniversary. The interactive site will explore the brand’s influence in sport and style, highlighting the historical context of its most distinguished fashion creations and sports moments through an interactive timeline with photos and video footage.

photo: Fila press

Mazepin expects to be close to Schumacher in 2021

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New Haas recruit Nikita Mazepin says it will make little difference to his rookie season whether the new Haas car is any good, as he’ll be concentrating on his own transition to Formula 1.

Mazepin will make his F1 debut in Bahrain at the end of March. He’ll be joined at Haas by fellow newbie Mick Schumacher with the pair replacing the former line-up of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

“I’m very much looking forward to it,” the 21-year-old Russian told The Race website. “Graduating to F1, it’s going to be exciting, regardless of how the car is performing.

  • Read also: Schumacher preparations for F1 debut hit by COVID

“At this stage in my career, being a young driver, it’s irrelevant to talk about whether the car is good or not,” he suggested.

“My focus is on getting ready for F1. The car is very different to what I’m used to, and the calendar is going to be almost double what I’m used to.

“Those are the challenges that are ahead of me, and that’s my focus for now,” he added, while insisting that he wasn’t daunted by the task.

“I believe I’m ready for F1 and I want to show it to the team, first of all,” he said. “When you’re getting to F1 there’s usually only one shot at it.”

Mazepin said that it was vital that he not be out-performed by his new team mate. The pair spent the last two seasons competing against each other in Formula 2, with Schumacher successfully claiming the 2020 title.

“My job is to outperform my team-mate as always, and do the best I can, so the pressure is still there on my shoulders,” acknowledged Mazepin.

“I’m expecting to do well in regards the potential performance and speed of the car I’ll be racing, and I believe that me and my team-mate should be close within the lap times.”

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Alonso: ‘I’m ok and looking forward to getting 2021 underway’

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Fernando Alonso underwent surgery for a fractured jaw on Friday following his cycling accident, but the Alpine driver says he is feeling “ok” and “looking forward” to starting his 2021 season.

Alonso tumbled head over heals after colliding with a car while training near his home in Lugano, Switzerland on Thursday.

The Spaniard was immediately transported to a hospital where x-rays revealed a fractured jaw, the 39-year-old undergoing a “successful corrective operation” on Friday.

“Fernando Alonso was kept under observation in hospital in Switzerland,” read a statement from Alpine. “Medics discovered a fracture in his upper jaw and conducted a successful corrective operation. The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress.

“Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours.”

The two-time world champion also posted a short message on social media to reassure his fans.

Meanwhile, a statement from the cantonal police in Lugano provided a detailed account of Alonso’s unfortunate mishap.

“The cantonal police report that yesterday [Thursday] just before 2pm in Viganello, a 42-year-old Swiss motorist domiciled in the Lugano area was driving in via La Santa in the direction of Pregassona,” read the statement.

“According to an initial reconstruction and for reasons that the police investigation will have to establish, while making a left turn maneuver to enter a supermarket parking lot, there was a collision with a 39-year-old Spanish citizen, who was riding his bicycle, as he was passing the column of stationary vehicles in the opposite direction on the right.

“The collision occurred against the right side of the car. On the spot agents of the cantonal police intervened and, in support of the police of the city of Lugano as well as the rescuers of the Green Cross of Lugano who, after having given the first care to the cyclist, transported him by ambulance to the Hospital. The 39-year-old suffered a fractured jaw.”

Alonso will be up and running with Alpine and behind the wheel of his new team’s 2021 contender on March 12 when pre-season testing kicks off in Bahrain.

The first round of the 2021 F1 World Championship will also take place at Sakhir on March 28.

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F1 aiming for ‘powerful and emotive’ engine for 2025

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Formula 1 has laid down the framework for the sport’s next generation power unit, ensuring the sport’s fans that the engine of tomorrow will be “powerful and emotive”.

Thursday’s virtual meeting of the F1 Commission yielding a unanimous decision to put a freeze on engine development from 2022, a decision that will allow Red Bull to move forward with its plan to take over Honda’s engine program.

But looking to the future, the sport’s chiefs, the FIA and the teams also agreed to target a 2025 introduction of F1’s next generation engine, a year earlier than originally anticipated.

    Read also: Formula 1 teams approve engine freeze from 2022!

To define the specification of its future power unit, which will rely once again on hybrid technology,
F1 said that “a high-level working group has been established including current and potential power unit manufacturers and fuel suppliers”.

“The definition of the objectives for the next generation of F1 car and Power Unit is of the utmost importance to the FIA and Formula 1, and together with teams and Power Unit manufacturers, there is strong alignment on the overall goals – particularly the need to reduce cost and reach carbon neutrality.”

The key objectives for the 2025 Power Unit are:

  1. Environmental Sustainability and social and automotive relevance
  2. Fully sustainable fuel
  3. Creating a powerful and emotive Power Unit
  4. Significant cost reduction
  5. Attractiveness to new Power Unit manufacturers

The words “powerful” and “emotive” will hopefully resonate with F1’s fans who often label the current V6 turbo hybrid engines as unexciting, especially compared to their loud and high-pitched, normally-aspirated V10 and V8 predecessors.

Raising the rev limit, increasing fuel flow or removing the MGU-H component that partly muffles the sound are but a few ways the engines could be made louder or more harsh-sounding.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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IMG releases final New York Fashion Week schedule

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The final schedule for New York Fashion Week: The Shows has been released by IMG. The event, which is schedule to take place next week from February 14 to 18, will see a slate of mostly virtual events with a few shows at Spring Studios. 107 designers from 14 countries will be participating in the upcoming iteration of NYFW.

A few first-time designers on IMG’s roster include Aarmy, Chaance, Colin Locascio, Frederick Anderson, Loring New York, Maison Asia, Maison Kitsuné, Marrisa Wilson, Nicole Benefield Portfolio, PizzaSlime, Sincerely Ria, Studio Amelia, Theo, Tombogo, and Victor de Souza. While some of these brands aren’t strangers to showing at New York Fashion Week, this will be their first affiliated with NYFW: The Shows, which is produced specifically by IMG.

Returning designers include Jason Wu, Veronica Beard, Alice + Olivia, Markarian, Tadashi Shoji, Badgley Mischka, Anna Sui, Monse, Adeam, Victor Glemaud, Rodarte, Anna Sui, Tanya Taylor, Anne Klein, Dennis Basso, Cinq à Sept, Jonathan Simkhai, Bibhu Mohapatra, Nicole Miller, Rebecca Minkoff and Christian Cowan. Jason Wu and Rebecca Minkoff hold the distinction of being the only in-person shows.

IMG has also partnered with the Black in Fashion Council for showroom appointments for emerging Black designers in New York and Los Angeles. TikTok will also be the official editorial partner for TikTok Fashion Month. TikTok will feature both live and taped content from IMG and distribute it through various TikTok channels.

photo: via EB Consults Worldwide