Voir Fashion Issue 25: Meet The New Gen Warriors! starring Nikita Dragun - Cover 3

Preen – Small change, big difference.

Preen SS20 took inspiration from the Japanese culture, mixing bright florals and modern prints along with manga illustrated cartoons. This season’s alternative style showed beautiful dresses, tops and trousers full of delicate, ill-assorted yet perfectly placed frills and ruffles in an array of brightly toned fabrics. However, the world’s plea for eco-friendly fabrics prompted Thornton to use his previous accumulated skills of researching, collecting and repurposing existing fabrics, which he attained while working with Helen Storey on her collection “Second Life”. Thornton Bregazzi took to their studio, searching for fabric that they could re-use and reinvent into new designs along with more eco-friendly fabrics from their suppliers such as Georgette and sustainable Viscose.

Preen successfully adapted their collection to be more ecological without damaging the core identity of the brand. There’s no doubt that this a push in the right direction into making the fashion industry more resourceful. Not only did they purposefully choose sustainable materials, but also took the opportunity to donate their leftovers to colleges and sewing schools; helping students as well as the earth. Every little helps!

Balenciaga: It’s a world affair.

Giant padded shoulders were not the only things that caught the eyes of the Balenciaga audience this season. The stir began as the onlookers were seated in a circular motion - resembling the pattern of a DNA fingerprint – in an auditorium coated from ceiling to floor in the colour blue, coincidentally matching that of the EU flag.

Gvasalia did not discuss the backdrop of the show but instead left this as food for thought. Did he really have to say anything else? Gvasalia may not have directly given his opinion on the EU’s current predicament but did make us question our situation at present. The clothes were inspired by power as a construct created by the uniforms you wear. Models of different vocations including nurses, teachers, doctors and, engineers spiralled the audience in tailored, bold and structured power suits showing Balenciaga’s spin off of the average daywear garment. It’s eminent that Gvasalia’s definition of power dressing is a boxier fit and large, sharp shoulders, embellished with a briefcase and piercing jet-black sunglasses. This collection showed that with great clothes, comes great confidence, strength and power. Balenciaga means business.