Ala Champ
 
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MUNI

A Leading Dining Destination In Adelaide's Rural Township of Willunga

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL

Artist Mark Rothko's Sanctuary For Contemplation, Congregation & Humanity

ART BIOTOP WATER GARDEN

Engineering Nature: Junya Ishigami's Architectural Wonder

KHAITE MERCER ST

Steel & Glass Dominate This Minimalist Flagship Retail Interior

SHIROIYA HOTEL

24 Hours In One of Japan’s Best Art & Design Hotel Destinations

Messner Mountain Museum

The ZHA-Designed Museum Dedicated to the Mountains and its Climbers

KOICHI IO

A Tokyo Studio Visit to the Third-Generation Metalsmith & Contemporary Artist

ISSEY MIYAKE SPRING SUMMER 2023

Kondo's Tribute Through The Power of Sculpture: “Enveloping The Body, Liberating The Mind.”

NoMad London

A Former Magistrates Court Is Transformed Into One Of London's Best New Hotels

Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel

Where the Creative Jetset Stay and Locals Hangout in Downtown Los Angeles

PARKHOTEL MONDSCHEIN

A Rich Cultural History Combined with a Refined Design Aesthetic at this Modern Luxe Hotel

FUFU KYOTO

An Intimate Luxury Hotel that Entwines Traditional Japanese Dining, Architecture and Hospitality with Modern Elegance

JACQUEMUS PARIS

A Pure Interior Led By Playfulness and Surprise

A-POC ABLE ISSEY MIYAKE / KYOTO

Designer Tokujin Yoshioka Renovates A 200-Year-Old Machiya, Balancing Heritage With Innovation

The Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

The Charred-Brick 'Black Box' Presenting The Beauty Of Theatre & Performance

GAIA

British Artist Luke Jerram’s Explores The Vastness of Our Earth

ONES TO WATCH: LONDON DESIGNERS

Champ Selects The Top 5 Designers At London Fashion Week Mens SS19

July, 2018
Nicholas Daley SS19 SLYGO © Ollie Adegboye

Ala Champ re-caps the top 5 Designers of This London Mens Fashion Week
Spring/Summer 19 Season; including Bianca Saunders, Nicholas Daley, Kiko Kostadinov, A-Cold-Wall* and Phoebe English.

Nicholas Daley

Designer Nicholas Daley presented his SS19 “SLYGO” collection, inspired by his parents club night known as Reggae Klub (which operated in 1978-1982). Held in the light-filled Swiss Church London, the presentation included a DJ set by legendary Don Letts and Caya Sound System, accompanied by a stellar roster of London’s leading jazz musicians and artists. Yussef Dayes, Cosmo Pyke, Mansur Brown, Obongjayar, Yahael Camara Onono, Charlie Stacey, Rocco Palladino, Simeon Jones and Nabihah Iqbal, all in Nicholas Daley’s SS19 tailored vanners silk weave shirts and suit jackets, including a new reinterpretation on the baker boy hats for an effortlessly sleek look. Footwear included adidas originals and Daley’s ongoing use of British craftsmanship with shoes by Trickers and Christys’ Hats. The space was filled with an original scent by Kuumba, created especially for the show. Nicholas Daley continues to be one of London’s leading young designers reinvigorating menswear.

Musician Mansur Brown at Nicholas Daley SS19 SLYGO © Ollie Adegboye
Obongjayar Performed Spoken Word At Nicholas Daley SS19 SLYGO © Ollie Adegboye
Nicholas Daley SS19 SLYGO © Ollie Adegboye
Artists & Musicians Involved In Nicholas Daley SS19 SLYGO © Mishael Phillip

A-COLD-WALL*

A-Cold-Wall* presented their SS19 collection “Human. Form. Structure.” at the old Truman Brewery warehouse in London’s East, focussing on a key concept of clothing in relation to architecture and space, and how the way physical spaces inhibit or correlate to our mental space. With two conceptual performances (amongst set structures by Joseph Bond Studio) the SS19 collection included new colour tones including earthy oxblood, soft mustard yellow, silvered blue and crimson, with strong silhouettes of 3D pockets and inflatable vests; a reflection of digital adaptability.

A-Cold-Wall* SS19 "Human. Form. Structure."
A-Cold-Wall* SS19 "Human. Form. Structure."
A-Cold-Wall* SS19 "Human. Form. Structure."

PHOEBE ENGLISH

Phoebe English presented her SS19 collection as an amalgamation of her mens and womenswear collection, now united as one collection and presentation for the first time. Led by a poetic explanation of the collection’s direction, it included juxtaposed words such as “chaos/ control”, “dot/stripe”, “line/ circle” with more tangible descriptions including “waxed cotton, waffle linen, textured shirting, sequins” reflecting the diversity of garment materials. The collection acknowledged the separate personalities of mens and womenswear, describing them as: “menswear remains utilitarian womenswear remains imaginative and narrative based.” Phoebe English’s sculptural garments continue to stand out with their and wearable minimalism, attention to detail and emphasis on craftsmanship.

Phoebe English SS19 © Asia Werbel
Phoebe English SS19 collection presented a more philosophical and poetic approach, using juxtaposed words such as "chaos/ control", "dot/stripe", "line/ circle" for the collection concept © Asia Werbel
Phoebe English SS19 © Asia Werbel

KIKO KOSTADINOV

Kiko Kostadinov‘s SS19 ‘Interviews By The River’ collection featured with models in his consistent thread of a contemporary take on utilitarian and workwear tailored garments, inspired by German artist Martin Kippenberger’s installation piece The Happy End of Franz Kafka’s ‘Amerika’. Kostadinoff created a contrast between his impeccably-tailored yet relaxed garments that featured additional adjustable elements such as buttons and zips, reflecting his “fictional utopia of universal employment” collection concept. Including a sneak peek of the designers latest collaboration with footwear giant Asics.

Kiko Kostadinov SS19 'Interviews By The River' © Portia Hunt
Kiko Kostadinov SS19 © Portia Hunt
Kiko Kostadinov SS19 © Portia Hunt
Kiko Kostadinov SS19 © Portia Hunt
Kiko Kostadinov SS19 © Portia Hunt

BIANCA SAUNDERS

Titled Gestures, emerging British designer Bianca Saunders‘ SS19 collection took a closer look on body language and mannerisms, providing a wider perspective unto British culture, black identity and hyper-masculinity. Focussing on the nuances of human behaviour often going unnoticed, Saunders took inspiration from her own earlier films, and a Royal College of Art peer Paul Maheke whose “Unwritten Handbook” focussing on the physical portrayal of male identity, provided added inspiration.

The collection’s comfortability was paired with a sense of sensuality, exercising sexuality, in an ambiguously positive hopscotch between masculinity and femininity. Warm, earthen colours dominated the collection palette for a display of organic and natural foundations, alongside sharp, white, cotton shirts and black nylon trousers.

Bianca Saunders SS19 Collection 'Gestures' | LFW
Bianca Saunders SS19 Collection 'Gestures' | LFW
Bianca Saunders SS19 Collection 'Gestures' | LFW

Images courtesy each designer | Written by Joanna Kawecki | Tokyo-based Editor-In-Chief

July, 2018