The talent incubator Fashion East has propelled the careers of many now-established designers, such as J.W. Anderson or Kim Jones, as well as some of fashion’s most exciting new generation designers, like Chet Lo and Mowalola. This time around, Fashion East has on-boarded Karoline Vitto, Standing Ground and Johanna Parv, three designers with distinct aesthetics and values. Keep reading to find out all about each designers’ collections.
STANDING GROUND
Standing Ground was the first to show from this talented roster, debuting its first runway-style show. Founded by Michael Stewart, fit, form and shape were all explored through this eveningwear-heavy collection which featured Jersey dresses that resembled Greek columns, some in stone-like colours and others in pink shades. Shoulders were sharp on other gowns and long coats while waists were snatched in a 50s fashion, creating minimalist looks that exuded a sense of lustrous power. Elsewhere, the Irish designer shows us satin pieces, including a sky-blue asymmetrical short dress and a burgundy train placed on the models arms, trailing behind her. Standing Ground’s collection felt like a modernised version of a gala, with a refreshing take on ballgowns achieved through minimalistic design and a focus on strong tailoring.
JOHANNA PARV
Next was the former Balenciaga and Dior design assistant Johanna Parv, who offered her take on functional fashion. For her FW23 show, we saw a muted colour palette – mainly shades of greys and faded blues – as well as a splash of colour through red fabrics. “This collection sees the Johanna Parv woman in action in different situations” explains the Estonian designer. With cycling elements imbued throughout, the collection offered function-first dresses, cargo skirts, bags strapped onto models’ backs and hoods with ponytail holes. We also saw shoes in collaboration with Nike and a two-piece dress layered over a grey-ish blue mesh that ran from the head down. With real women in mind, Johanna Parv has created a survival guide of a collection for city girls who need pockets.
KAROLINE VITTO
For her sophomore collection, the Brazilian-born designer had an eye for details. As looks passed down the runway, models were seen with smooth metal wiring, sometimes keeping a garment together, like with a one-sleeve black top where the metal acted as a choker and a support for the top, as well as an extra design element, such as on a pink co-ord. Last season, Vitto’s collection consisted of a very restricted colour palette, with black, white and red looks only. This season though, colours were vibrant, offering a neon yellow cropped jacket and skirt as well as a fuschia pink dress. Another standout piece includes black dress with metal sculptured accents running from the waist all the way down to the ankles. Vitto continues to shift the ongoing beauty paradigm by dressing women of all sizes. In addition, this season Vitto collaborated with Nona Source utilising 80% of repurposed fabrics and deadstock to create her new clothing. Karoline Vitto’s FW23 collection found itself in the blend of a 00s aesthetic with 80s-inspired silhouettes that represent a bigger picture: fashion should be for everyone.
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