2019-08-01_Elle_Australia

MOODBOARD

THE NEXT

FRONTIER

F

IRS

T LOOK

IN A WORLD of Instagram over-saturation, it

takes some kind of special sauce for a designer

to break through the noise. Special, like, Daniel

Lee special – whose debut show as creative

director at Bottega Veneta was arguably the

most anticipated of the entire AW19 season. A

Phoebe Philo-era Céline alum, Lee was tasked

with awaking a “sleeping giant” (his words),

bringing the Italian leather-goods house right

into 2019. And modernise he did – not just with

his sure-to-sell-out quilted cloud pumps and

deconstructed cut-outs, but with the innovative

way he created the garments, from laser-cut

skirts to neoprene coats. In short, pieces that put

an innovative twist on the brand’s rich history

of artisanal craftsmanship, introducing the

concept of timeless luxury to a new generation.

Over at Jil Sander, husband-and-wife duo

Luke and Lucie Meier are the first couple to be

appointed as creative directors of a major

fashion brand. They’re bringing their own kind of

luxe cool to the label: Luke comes from Supreme,

while Lucie’s background includes

Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and

Christian Dior, designing ready-

to-wear and couture.

Lee and the Meiers are

among a growing contingent of

fashion designers rethinking the future of

fashion by using technology and getting

creative with upcycled materials. Others in this

clique include French designer Marine Serre,

with sculpted parkas and head-to-

toe bodysuits born from her vision

of a new, post-apocalyptic planet

where style unites with safety.

Then there are the out-of-

this-world creations of Moncler

Genius, a series that sees

designers including Simone

Rocha, Richard Quinn and

Pierpaolo Piccioli (in collaboration

with supermodel Liya Kebede’s ethical

fashion label Lemlem) showcase avant-garde

interpretations of the iconic Moncler puffer.

In New York, Off-White is representing

fashion’s next chapter in more ways than one.

Virgil Abloh cuts and drapes traditionally

un-sexy materials, such as fleece and

faux fur, into feminine “couture-like”

shapes. But he’s also the first African-

American appointed as artistic director

at Louis Vuitton, and stages and casts

runway shows that are incredibly

inclusive. All in all? Fashion’s future never

looked so bright. E

“DESIGNERS

are rethinking

the FUTURE

of FASHION

by USING

technology”

Off-White

Off-White

Moncler 4 Simone Rocha

Bottega Veneta

A NEW GUARD OF

MUST-KNOW DESIGNERS

ARE USING INNOVATIVE TECH

TO SPEARHEAD A BRAND

OF FUTURISTIC-CHIC.

WE WANT IN

Necklace, $8,880,

BOTTEGA VENETA,

(02) 9239 0188

Jil Sander

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta

Dress, $2,475,

JIL SANDER,

matchesfashion.com

Clutch, $49, NO KA’OI,

farfetch.com

Words: Grace O’Neill. Still-life styling: Nichhia Wippell.

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans; Sevak Babakhani (still-life)

Marine Serre

Shoes, $1,340,

BOTTEGA VENETA,

(02) 9239 0188

Boots, $290, COS,

cosstores.com/au/

Bag, $2,917,

OFF-WHITE C/O

VIRGIL ABLOH,

off---white.com

Off-White