Phi
NEW YORK, September 17, 2009
By Laird Borrelli-Persson
With its new hot-ticket status, it was appropriate that Phi should have a last-day slot on the calendar, alongside Calvin and Ralph. But the show's timing was actually happenstance: Phi stuck with the slot it has always had, and the calendar changed around it. The same could almost be said of fashion. Season after season, Andreas Melbostad has quietly but powerfully carved his signature into the raw material of body-con dressing. The result? Sellout pieces—and uncountable imitations.The clothes Melbostad sent down the runway—as Erin Wasson, Lauren Santo Domingo, Fabiola Beracasa, and assorted Trainas watched from the front row—were unmistakably his own. Uniforms and lingerie, his two evergreen interests, were combined in them…and it looked like Melbostad had declared war on the corset. He moved elastic straps from shoulder to slash-exposed thigh; delicate and decorative smocking became a textured carapace on a side-laced dress; and a brassiere became a plate of armor. All of this was executed in a stark palette of black and white, with lots of surface interest created by the choice of materials, including linen and suede. "I wanted to take tactile and natural fibers," the modest Norwegian said, "and put them into an urban context."
You could almost hear the personal orders being mentally rung up as a metal-encrusted biker jean, a chain-mail jacket with a peaked lapel, and the famous panel pants and biker jackets followed, one after another, down the runway. Despite the economy, Phi has had to go back into production with some of its highest-priced Fall pieces. It might have surprised Melbostad—but not us.
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Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear
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D&G Danielle Scutt Daryl K Davidelfin Dennis Basso Derek Lam Devi Kroell Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Douglas Hannant Dries Van Noten Dsquared² Duro Olowu -
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Elie Saab Elie Tahari Elise Øverland Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emporio Armani Erdem Erin Fetherston Erin Wasson x RVCA Etro -
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Fashion East Fashion Fringe Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio -
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Gabriele Colangelo Gareth Pugh Gary Graham Giambattista Valli Gianfranco Ferré Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Graeme Black G-Star Gucci -
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Haider Ackermann Halston Helmut Lang Hermès Hervé Léger by Max Azria House of Holland Hussein Chalayan -
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Iceberg Isaac Mizrahi Isabel Marant Issa Issey Miyake -
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Karen Walker Karl Lagerfeld Kenzo Kinder Aggugini Koi Suwannagate Kris Van Assche -
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L.A.M.B. L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lanvin Lela Rose Limi Feu Loewe Louise Goldin Louise Gray Louis Vuitton LP.BG Luca Luca Luella Luisa Beccaria Lutz & Patmos Lyn Devon -
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Naeem Khan Nanette Lepore Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Neil Barrett Nicole Farhi Nicole Miller Nina Ricci -
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Ohne Titel Organic by John Patrick Oscar de la Renta Osman -
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Paul Smith Women Peter Jensen Peter Pilotto Peter Som Phi Philosophy Pollini Ports 1961 PPQ Prabal Gurung Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
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Sacai Salvatore Ferragamo Sharon Wauchob Shipley & Halmos Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Sophie Theallet Stella McCartney Stephen Burrows Sykes -
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Talbot Runhof Tao Temperley London Thakoon Threeasfour Tibi Tim Hamilton Todd Lynn Tommy Hilfiger Tory Burch Tracy Reese Trussardi 1911 Tuleh Twenty8Twelve -
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Valentino Vanessa Bruno Vena Cava Vera Wang Véronique Leroy Versace Versus Victoria Beckham Viktor & Rolf Vionnet Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
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Wayne William Rast Wunderkind -
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Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
