Ece Ege of Dice Kayek / Photo: unelibanaiseaparis.com
While Fashion Weeks keep us distracted by news of the latest offerings from the top names in the industry, it is often up-and-coming designers who present some of the most innovative and exciting collections. Here we look at some new and newly noteworthy creatives who are rethinking what we wear:
Patricia Padrón / House of Ashia
Having originally trained as an architect, Padrón launched House of Ashia in 2015 with a commitment to craftsmanship and an eye for detail. For her debut SS17 collection, Padrón played with proportion and drapery based on the Golden Ratio. Some of the simpler pieces featured raw-edged plaids with plunging necklines, while others saw sheer fabric stitched into complex geometric structures.
This balance between color, volume, and weight has been Padrón’s trademark since she established her studio in 2012. She moved from her native Venezuela to Madrid in 2008 to pursue a career in fashion, and her past experiences continue to influence her process. “Every place where I have lived in the past has helped me understand different ways of being, thinking, feeling. Has helped me grow internationally,” she told Vogue Italia. “From Venezuela I got the capacity of being consciously aware and sensitive about my surroundings.”
Q by Dorit Sharon
A luxury brand that creates everyday clothes, Q by Dorit Sharon brands itself as a “House of Basics.” However, Sharon’s designs are anything but basic, with iterations of a classic tee in a palette of neutral pastels, ranging from cropped and off-the-shoulder to asymmetric and sleeveless styles.
Before athleisure was an established trend among celebrities and shoppers alike, Sharon was already working to perfect the T-shirt. The Israeli designer started her career creating similar, highly successful pieces for 7 For All Mankind. In 2008 she established her namesake brand, which features a full line of clothing and accessories for both women and men. The clothes, which are easy to layer and are every bit as chic as they are comfortable, allow the wearer to be “sophisticated and chic in an effortless, casual way,” embodying Sharon’s outlook on style, life, and luxury.
Alena Akhmadullina
Based in St. Petersburg, Akhmadullina started designing in 2001 shortly after graduating college, with a mission to introduce runways to illustrative translations of traditional Russian folklore. Her clothes, which typically recall a more regal time of tsars and elegant eveningwear, are beloved by European socialites and celebrities alike. This season, amid her trademark furs and floral motifs, vibrant silks recounted the fable of the Firebird. In the past, she’s lent her whimsical sensibility to hotel interiors and collaborations with the likes of Cirque du Soleil. Though she’s spent more than 15 years in fashion and is stocked in 22 boutiques worldwide, her designs have just started to appear stateside at Curve and online at Moda Operandi.
Blazé Milano
Founded in 2013 by Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Sole Torlonia, Blazé redefines the traditional blazer. A twist on the French word blasé meaning “unimpressed” or “indifferent,” Blazé Milano was created upon the notion that the blazer, while a classic, is so familiar to women they’re indifferent to its charms. But at Blazé, every blazer is made-to-order, allowing its wearer to hand select everything from material to buttons. Inside, its discreet system of pockets renders a purse unnecessary. “We love this idea of a mono-product,” says Picardi, as told to Double J. “Specialization is key today.” Since launching, the brand’s idea that women can customize and go hands-free has garnered it a cult following and, most recently, a collaboration with Margherita M. Missoni.
Dice Kayek
Known for voluminous creations often complete with puffed sleeves and exquisite pleating, Dice Kayek is a Paris-based couturier devoted to subtle tailoring and skewing conceptions of shape. Before joining The Fédération Française de la Couture, the brand presented ready-to-wear for 23 years. In 2014, its founders, Turkish sisters Ece and Ayşe Ege, realized their techniques were suited for bespoke luxury garments. The two now combine Turkish craftsmanship with French tailoring. “Creating couture is like a choreography,” said Ayşe in an interview with i-D. Calling their aesthetic “couture-to-wear,” the sisters aim to broaden the definition of couture by producing contemporary pieces in addition to daywear.
Shop the designers’ latest collections via the links below:
Patricia Padrón / House of Aisha: Luisa Via Roma
Q by Dorit Sharon: Lyst
Alena Akhmadullina: Moda Operandi
Blazé Milano: Moda Operandi
Dice Kayek: Moda Operandi