Dries Van Noten’s Alphabet of Fashion |
January 3rd, 2018 |
What makes Dries Van Noten’s clothes so coveted by his pockets of fans around the globe, is the wide variety of inspiration he collides together, from each of these corners.
“For me, other cultures have always been a starting point, ” he recently told Tim Blanks at a Business of Fashion forum. “But I never took things very literal. Quite often, we take one element that we like…and mix it to be something very personal.”
But in an age where the line between cultural appropriation and homage can be fine in the eyes of critics and consumers, he admits referencing other cultures has become “more difficult now” despite it being the “alphabet of his fashion”. Instead Van Noten is moving towards the art world as a springboard from which to create.
For his most recent SS18 collection, which will land at Poepke in coming weeks, Van Noten referenced Picasso’s “Les deux demoiselles faisant leur toilette.” For this, Picasso constructed a collage of found materials, largely consisting of wallpapers featuring varying motifs, rather than his usual medium of paint. So just like the cultural references Van Noten is used to stirring together, he became captivated by Picasso’s haphazard mixes.
Van Noten took elements from the prints to create an assemblage of motifs through the decades – from surrealist lips to forties wallpaper, sixties couture flowers and bourgeois scarves straight from the seventies.
For more of Van Noten’s conversation with Tim Blanks, see below, and for more Dries Van Noten at Poepke, you can click here.
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Introducing Visvim |
November 30th, 2017 |
The unique aesthetic behind cult label Visvim is reflected in the twin abodes and hobbies of its founders. Hiroki Nakamura and his wife Kelsi, divide their time between their mid-century house high in the Hollywood hills, and their 250 year old traditional Japanese home outside of Tokyo. The clothing they design is described as “rugged western” meets “zen utilitarianism” and is reflected in their everyday environment and antics; Nakamura plays rock and blues on pre-war guitars, restores vintage motorcycles and eats off porcelain dishes from Arita. Next to the shoji sliding doors in their home in Japan, is a vintage poster of Clint Eastwood, on the tatami floor lies Aztec style rugs; “I love Japanese culture, but I love being American,” he says.
At Poepke, pieces from Visvim’s women’s range have arrived in store. As with the designers’ lifestyle it is functional but with a traditional and vintage feel. There are moccasin sneakers, slim denim jackets, patchwork skirts and pocket tees referencing Japanese textiles.
You can browse our range of Visvim here.
Tags: Visvim | Comments (0)Dries Van Noten – His career in two books. |
November 16th, 2017 |
Those who are fans of Dries Van Noten, know about his garden. It his refuge, his inspiration, his well and his source of sustenance. But American author Hanya Yanagihara who recently profiled Van Noten for the New York Times ‘The Greats 2017’ issue, found that for the designer with the ‘painterly eye’ this inspiration sometimes draws on the melancholic:
“Van Noten says that he and his longtime partner in both business and life, Patrick Vangheluwe, often joke that they’ll someday write a book titled ‘The Depressed Gardener,’ about all the things that can go wrong in a garden, no matter the allowances made for changing climates, unpredictable weather, rapacious insects and on and on. You plan and plan, he says, and something always goes awry anyway. The depressed gardener knows that. He also knows, however, that it is simply what happens when you try to control what cannot be controlled — to be a depressed gardener is to live in a state of constant humility. ”
A fitting metaphor for Van Noten’s career as a fashion designer Yanagihara points out.
And although ‘The Depressed Gardener’ is the book that Van Noten would like to write, here at Poepke we are excited to announce the arrival of Van Noten’s 2017 book in two parts; a retrospective of his 100 collections.
“The books delve into the fashion designer’s work and aesthetic vocabulary, documenting and capturing the spirit of each collection with more than 2000 pictures detailing everything from the runway to the backstage, from the invitations to the scenography and uncommon choice of locations.”
Books spanning a career that might even make the Depressed Gardener smile.
Dries Van Noten 1 – 100 is available to purchase in store at Poepke now.
To view pieces from Dries Van Noten’s 100th collection, click here
Tags: Dries Van Noten | Comments (0)Orto Parisi Fragrances |
October 6th, 2017 |
“Orto Parisi states that our body is experienced like a garden, and its smells are a true mirror of our soul.”
For the first time at Poepke, we welcome a range of fragrances – Orto Parisi, by the Italian perfumer, Alessandro Gualtieri . The range is inspired by Gualtieri’s grandfather, Vincenzo, who “used buckets to collect both his needs that timely ended up fertilising the garden”. Gualtieri, pays homage to Vincenzo by blurring the line between the pleasant and unpleasant, with his collection of fragrances. Each portray the duality of freshness versus stench and attraction versus repulsion.
Eschewing describing these parfums through notes of scent, instead, they have a story as the stimulus for their creation.
Bergamask – ‘berga’ from bergamot, is a very fresh citrus fruit and ‘mask’ captures the musky odour expelled by a fresh kill.
Boccanera – means ‘dark mouth’ in Italian. Nature offers dark holes that express sensuality in an erotic, dark way.
Brutus – is in reference to the Roman senator Marcus Junius Brutus, who was known for his lack of eloquency.
Seminalis – is an odour responsible for leading males to females.
Stercus – is from Latin meaning ‘dung’ or ‘faeces’.
Terroni – refers to Italians from the South, and is inspired by the roots and the land around the volcano Vesuvius.
Viride – comes from the Latin meaning ‘green’ and represents virility.
Each bottle is inspired by the flask, a vessel for liquids to satisfy your thirst. The cap is made of solid metal and the inlay on top is a product of nature – either wood, nut, horn or bakelite.
You can browse the Orto Parisi line of fragrances here.
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Sloane Angell Ceramics |
September 8th, 2017 |
New to Poepke this Spring are Sloane Angell ceramics. Based in Los Angeles, Sloane creates vases and planters known for their striking colours and textures. There are vases with dripping turquoise and oxblood glazes, and planters with shiny veneers and portions left raw. We talk to Sloane about his design background and approach to his craft.
Before you focussed on ceramics, you were part of Marc Jacobs’ design team. You also have your own label – Mercer Market. Tell us what prompted you to change direction?
I started making ceramics in 2000, while I was in high school. I have kept the craft ever since. My clothing company Mercer Market took a few years to get off the ground. Now that it doesn’t require all my time, I was able to get my hands back in clay. I really enjoy splitting my time between both projects.
You know live in Los Angeles after living in New York and Maryland. Does L.A inform your work in any way?
I think L.A changes the way I work based on environment, but I don’t think it effects my aesthetics. Fortunately my vessels seem to translate well in the homes here, I have been very successful with local customers collecting my work.
We especially love the oxblood and turquoise drip glazes on your pots. What inspired your use of colour?
These are some of my favourites as well. A little secret about these colours; the blood red and turquoise are actually the same glaze. It reacts either way depending on a specific firing method. Both colours evoke a great response from the viewer. The blue drips on porcelain have become somewhat of a signature of my work.
You have also worked under the L.A based ceramicist Mirena Kim. What did you take away from your time with her?
I wanted to learn production techniques and the day to day of a ceramics business. I was extremely fortunate that Mirena hired me, and allowed me to work and learn with her. She taught me a lot of great practices for being a successful potter.
What is the favourite part of your craft?
I love the process of changing ideas into form. My ceramics are handmade, functional art. Dishwater or vases that can be used on a daily basis, hopefully serving many generations of owners. Each piece is unique and individual.
You can view Sloane Angell’s Ceramics here.
Tags: Interviews, Sloane Angell | Comments (0)Maryse Botanical Skincare |
August 29th, 2017 |
At Poepke, we’ve recently discovered Maryse – a range of potent, nutritive botanical skincare. The collection is the brainchild of Maryse O’Donnell, a beauty specialist from New Zealand who uses many of the native ingredients her homeland has to offer in her optimal blends. With her pared-back approach to beauty, her formulations are comprised of rich ingredients and subtle scents.
We chat to Maryse about her beginnings, her brand, and what we should be doing with our skin.
Tell us how you became to be a natural beauty specialist.
After being in the beauty industry for a long time, I had worked with so many skincare brands but felt there was a lack of really effective natural and organic products out there. So, I decided to develop a collection myself using highly concentrated, botanical ingredients. I feel there is a shift away from mass market beauty and a move towards more honest, bespoke, handcrafted product. We formulate and produce everything in our studio in Auckland.
Some of your ingredients are sourced locally in New Zealand where you are based, such as the clay and the Manuka Leaf. Where do you source other ingredients from?
There is an amazing selection of native, botanical extracts and ingredients to work with here in New Zealand. I use locally sourced ingredients wherever I can in my products. Where the formulas require a specific non-New Zealand ingredient, we make sure they meet our standards for purity and sustainability.
What’s your go-to product at the moment?
Over the cooler months we can forget about the skin on our body, so the Multi-Vitamin Body Oil is my go-to as it delivers a concentrated boost of vitamins and omegas to replenish moisture levels that may be depleted over winter. It’s fast absorbing, revitalising and has the unique natural scent of green fig and tea leaves.
If you could give us one tip of how to improve our skin, what would it be?
My approach is rather simple and pared back. I would suggest using pure, plant based skincare. Not only because they are free from toxic ingredients but because they are far more nutrient rich and beneficial for the skin. The collection coalesces naturally with other active ranges, providing a base to add to as needed. But really, my advice is – keep your beauty rituals simple!
You can view our range of Maryse skincare here
Tags: Interviews, Maryse | Comments (0)Dries Van Noten – 100th show |
August 14th, 2017 |
Dries Van Noten is a designer that has always had a cult following. The fact that his recent AW17/18 runway show was his 100th is a testament to that. Currently, Poepke is celebrating this landmark moment with new arrivals from his latest collection. Featuring celebrated prints from seasons past, each have been given a new direction with overprinting or embroidery in geometric shapes and vivid colours – think electric blue, mustard and fluorescent orange.
The collection simultaneously toasts where the label has been, and where it is headed. As Dries himself said: “This show, number one hundred, is something that makes you think about the past and the future. We sat, we talked – it was important to us, to go back to the essence, to examine the DNA and decide what we hope to take with us to the future.”
You can view the new arrivals, currently in store here.
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Poepke Projects: Jodie Boffa |
July 26th, 2017 |
Jodie Boffa has been designing clothes both here in Sydney and in London since the mid 1980’s. Over the years, numerous trips to Japan for work helped to forge her love for vintage kimono fabrics, of which she amassed a number. Finally the time was right for her to put her hand into designing a capsule collection out of these vibrant fabrics, giving them a new lease of life. Poepke is proud to be the exclusive stockists of her range, as part of our Projects at Poepke, an initiative which heralds the work of Australian designers. We sat down with Jodie to ask her about how it all began.
Linda Farrow Sunglasses AW17/18 |
July 10th, 2017 |
It was back in the 1970’s that Linda Farrow established her eponymous eyewear range. With a background in fashion design, it was natural for Farrow to see sunglasses as a fashionable and covetable item and become a forerunner in collaborating with designers to showcase them as such.
The brand was relaunched in 2003 under the helm of Farrow’s son Simon, whose renewed interest in his mother’s eyewear occurred when he came across a vast array of vintage sunglasses in the family’s warehouse.
The AW17/18 Linda Farrow collection new in store at Poepke features cats eyes, aviators and Iris Apfel-style frames in tortoiseshell, rose gold and black. To see our selection, come in and try some on with us, or browse online here.
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July 3rd, 2017 |
Y’s by Yohji Yamamoto Pre-Fall 2017 |
June 26th, 2017 |
Y’s by Yohji Yamamoto new pre-fall collection for 2017 has arrived at Poepke, with strong splashes of colour alongside his usual sculptural basics of black, white and navy.
One of the new prints features Jackson Pollock style drip painting reminiscent of origami cranes.
A signature piece from the collection is the quilted house coat made of patchwork pieces of printed pyjamas in fleur-de-lis and paisley. Sourced from French and German pyjamas form the 1960’s and 1970’s they are a soft blend of cotton and viscose that are perfect for reclining in the winter sun.
Haider Ackermann – ‘Paradise Birds on Acid’ SS17 |
May 25th, 2017 |
Growing up, designer Haider Ackermann was constantly on the move. His father was a cartographer and would bundle up the family and take them on journeys to locales such as Algeria, Chad and Ethiopia, before Ackermann settled down in the Netherlands to attend high school.
Hints of these travels can be detected in his clothes; the dramatic drape of a silk robe, or the concertina of a sleeve. But the notion of movement is what Ackerman finds most seductive, his garments simultaneously revealing and concealing the wearer’s skin. It is this movement of women that haunts him most:
“You know, when you’re walking down the middle of this very, very narrow street, and a woman passes you like a ghost? It’s like you see those white veils, but then suddenly you will hear all the sounds – the fabric brushing, the clink of jewellery – and it’s just so mysterious. I think that’s what attracted me when I was so young – that idea of these women who were passing by all the time. You didn’t know what would happen. Like sometimes you would see some detail or discover a flash of skin of the knees. It’s quite beautiful and very, very sensual at the same time.”
– Interview Magazine, 2011
Describing the collection as ‘Paradise Birds on Acid’ and featuring fluttering ribbons and couture details, Poepke is proud to have garments from Haider Ackermann’s SS2017 collection, in store now.
Text:@shanachandra
Tags: Haider Ackermann | Comments (0)Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-between exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art |
May 22nd, 2017 |
Like a schoolgirl refusing to come in from the playground when the bell rings, Rei Kawakubo the designer and founder of Comme des Garçons, has an aversion to the boundaries people like to confine her to. Whether it is designing clothes akin to sculptures that evade the silhouette of a woman’s body or shunning words that seek to bind her and her work to meaning, Kawakubo is a renegade to the definitive. “The meaning is that there is no meaning”, she says of her work.
150 of her designs are currently being celebrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the first for a living designer since 1983. In following her command, no text appears on the walls of the exhibition. Instead the garments are organised under neither here nor there ‘expressions’ that embody Kawakubo’s reverence for spaces in between. Design/Not Design, Fashion/Anti-Fashion and Self/Other are a few examples.
Despite her wish to refrain from themes from her work, our favourite is that which staff writer of the New Yorker, Judith Thurman evokes in her article on Kawakubo entitled “The Misfit”. Capturing the CDG girl perfectly, it also captures the spirit of Rei herself:“Her clothes suggest a kinship with a long line of fictional holy terrors: Pippi Longstocking, Cathy Earnshaw, Claudine – motherless tomboys who refused to master drawing-room manners and who, when forced into a dress, hiked up their petticoats and climbed a tree”
Poepke is pleased to have Rei’s labels Comme des Garçons Girl, Comme des Garçons x dr martens and Comme des Garçons x Spalwart in store.
Text:@shanachandra
Tags: Comme Des Garcons | Comments (0)Pre Spring Summer 2017 Collections Now On Sale! |
May 18th, 2017 |
Pre Spring Summer 2017 Collections are now 30% off online & in store!
Stella Jean, Haider Ackermann, Lemaire, Issey Miyake, Y’s by Yohji Yamamoto, Maryam Nassir Zadeh & Joao Vaz.
Tags: Haider Ackermann, Issey Miyake, Joao Vaz, Leif, lemaire, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Stella Jean, Y's by Yohji Yamamoto | Comments (0)
Dries |
May 12th, 2017 |
Screening at this year’s Sydney Film Festival is an intimate portrait of Dries Van Noten as seen through the lens of documentary filmmaker, Reiner Holzemer.
In a world of trends and globalisation, Dries has retained his independence working with his long-term partner in life and business, Patrick Vangheluwe, for almost 30 years. Notoriously private, Dries opened his elegant home to director Holzemer’s camera. The film also takes in extravagant fashion shows, visits to his dedicated embroiderers and the studio where embellished silks and fabrics of every hue are displayed. Dries’s creative process and distinctive approach to fabrics and prints is lovingly detailed in this intimate documentary.
For ticketing information and session times, check the Sydney Film Festival site.
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