Lala Berlin Autumnwinter 2014 Collection Mercedes Us

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Lala Berlin presented its Autumn/Winter 2014 collection at the Mercedes – Benz Fashion Week Berlin

Long, dark coats sweep laconically down the catwalk, oversized knits almost envelop their wearers, shirts and sweaters with poetic-rebellious slogans flash up here and there: “Werdet wild und tut was Schönes” *. In the autumn/winter 2014/15 collection punk meets orient grunge, takes a glimpse back to the wild past and ahead to the abstract future, before returning to the here and now – a cold, dark winter’s day in Berlin.

The lala Berlin collection appears to come from foreign climes and alien contexts – a homage to the Berlin punk scene of the late 70s, a stock-check of a bygone zeitgeist and the attempt to fill the blank in the “blank generation”. Not content with merely referencing punk as an aesthetic, designer Leyla Piedayesh is attempting to express the nihilism and rebellious attitude of a generation.
The interplay and analogies between the decades and cultures play a role on all the different levels of the collection with the oriental carpet theme dominating the prints: actually a reference to Far Eastern cultures and a tribute to the artistry of the weavers, here – in keeping with the punk style – it is shown in the form of destroyed and tattered shapes, bearing the patina of time. At the same time the print is abstracted: not in the traditional way in many colours, but instead almost monochrome in only blue or red hues. Individual ornaments are extracted from the oriental carpet design and combined with the Kufiya print, lala Berlin’s signature design. Poetic rebellion on the other hand is revealed in the sweatshirts with prints like the slogan “Be wild and do something beautiful”. The Floating Ice print, an almost photorealistic visual of fragmented ice floes conveys the bitter coldness of Berlin winters into a textile context.

The dandy of the underworld is taking the catwalk by storm with his narrow menswear silhouette: a certain punk profile with oversized biker jackets and narrow- cut leg ensures volume and contrasts. The collection is defined equally by its lightness and heaviness – contrasts define the silhouette again and again. Inspired by the cheerless Berlin winter the colour palette is subdued: black, white and grey tones dominate, with orange red and blue setting accents and pastels like mint green, light blue and violet providing occasional softness and contrast.

Never before has Leyla Piedayesh demonstrated such a wide diversity in terms of materiality than in this collection: lace, mesh and leather are all to be found in the details. As well as a shiny teddy fur, there are also herringbone patterns and flannels. Femininity and an oriental bohemian look come into play with soft and feminine
materials: flowing silks for blouses and floor-length dresses and lace in the details. When it comes to the knitwear, finest materials like cashmere, angora, alpaca and merino are used. Jacquard is once again being used for various prints and themes. With the jacquard structure, the oriental carpet theme is gaining new depth and dimensions. The traditional intarsia are put in a new context, showing them in a new light.   Under the limited Atelier lala Berlin line, innovative knit designs and techniques are once again being presented: newly interpreted shapes are the result of a symbiosis of knitwear and ready-to-wear. Heavy, chunky hand-knit adds new volume, and grunge inspired jacquards translate print themes into a knitwear context.
For the first time lala Berlin is cooperating with shoe manufacturer selve – a collaboration which has resulted in three different models that fit in perfectly with the look of the collection: the flat boots are dandy in a minimalist way, the ankle boots stand out with their cut-outs and high block heels and the boots have a definitive dandy look with their patent leather.
As in the previous season the cosmetic brand CATRICE is once again official partner of the lala Berlin Fashion Show for autumn/winter 2014. All the models receive professionally-applied make-up and styling using CATRICE products, perfectly complementing the fashions they are showcasing. An edgy smokey eyes look with shine effects perfects the collection: silver highlighter on cheeks and lips as well as transparent gloss on smoky-blue eyelids – a hint of imperfection makes the look relaxed and cool.
In the autumn/winter 2014/15 collection, urbanity rubs shoulders with the most diverse cultural influences, history, orient and occident – in a nostalgic way, past its prime yet more modern than ever before – welcome to the zeitgeist!

Lala Berlin Autumn/Winter 2014 collection Mercedes , 3.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

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