Stylecartel

An alumnus of Central Saint Martins College in London, Stefan Eckert’s technical talent was enough to gain him a place at Alexander McQueen’s design studio early in his career. But this isn’t the only reason why he should be on every fashion forward woman’s radar.
Thanks to his deep understanding of traditional tailoring, Stefan Eckert expresses his artistic sensibilities in a collection that has his distinctive artistic signature.

To create this first collection, Eckert retired to Germany for over a year, in hopes to nurture and process his experiences of the past. His inspirations are diverse, from early 20th century to modern photography, yet many of his pieces exude a timeless feel. Nostalgic of a more romantic era will find solace in his precise yet delicate designs. Seekers of bleeding edge fashion will revel in his use of metal and leather. Eckert has an eye for detail: bullet buttons on a lacy dress, leather for a pleated shirt, each piece is a classic with a twist and will fit into any wardrobe effortlessly, which is what Eckert is all about. Make no mistake though, these pieces are here to stay: leather, fine wool, cashmere, each has been crafted in time-tested material.
So snap him up while you still can and “Take Me Home Baby” as his collection is titled.
www.stefaneckertdesign.com

Engbirk Designer Pernille Engbirk creates her Danish brand, as if she was a Djette.
Engbirk has an artistic expression evident in the clothes. Visually striking yet simple they are like architecture and different from most RTW Lines.
Black is the palette of choice, a mixing of architecture
and sculpture positioning it as modern and minimalistic.
Perfect against an urban dreamscape.

Bernadett Penkov

Young German designer to watch by Charlotte Smith for StyleCartel

Bernadett Penkov is a Berlin-based up and coming young designer, who unveiled her first Spring/Summer 08 collection at London Fashion Week and returned for a second time to premier her Fall/Winter 08/09 collection after receiving excellent response from the fashion world. Penkov showed Londoners and the world that Germany has plenty to offer the world on ideals of fashion. In an age when young designer has become so passé it is hard for to create a long lasting buzz connects to the nuance of their collection in hopes the name will stay on the lips of today’s fashionista’s.

The Spring/Summer 08 collection took us back in time to a mystical desert land. Penkove used natural fabrics that seemed to have a slightly used-look, bountifully worn by wind and sun. Cotton for suits and coats in washed Habotay silk and high quality flowing viscose for dresses and tops. Light and elegant silk crepe chiffon with and without Lurex threads for tops and dresses with a distinction washed thin Interlock jersey for T-Shirts.The dresses were reminiscent of lazy day’s in the park flowing with the gentle breeze, capacious braided roman-style halters silk dresses: narrow double-breasted blazers, in skinny trousers. Her eveningwear was just as tantalizing, empire style dresses, with cap sleeves and tied with a sky-blue ribbon that gives off the two-tone effect. To draw attention to this smart collection included Grecian wrapped cocktail dresses, which are hand embroidered with small sliver discs on panels.

Penkov is a comtempory designer for our time. The collection was a breath of fresh air. Many of today’s young designers tend to go a little over board to get recognition, yet Penkov say’s a lot by keeping the collection avant guard, simple and wearable! She kept it consistent with her Fall/Winter 08/09 collections. Essential to Penkov vision is the idea of clean silhouettes and lucid colors. With this collection she combined embroidered detail and handmade elements, motivated by Art Deco and Fritz Lang’s expressionist masterpiece “Metropolis”. Some of my favorite pieces where the mini “Smoking” jacket and the white Grecian styled cocktail dresses easily paired with strappy sandals, wide leg trouser, jeans or skinny jeans depending on the taste’s of the wearer.

In the fall/winter collection Penkov played with the masculine and the feminine forms in her designs, resulting in bold style using black, white, silver, crème and mint green. A key item of the collection is the V-shaped dress with luxurious Art Deco elements. Exactitude detailing hand-applied ribbons, alongside tuxedo pants and mini tuxedo jackets for controlled masculinity.

Hollywood starlets of silent movies are a definite inspiration; the eveningwear includes robes in silk satin, hand-sequined silk-georgette fabrics. Sophisticated coats in pure wool are part of the ensemble. There were a few luxurious lingerie pieces as well in collaboration with Triumph, which complemented the Penkov collection for the second round of Penkov during the last London Fashion week. This made her a young German designer to watch and a name to remember.

http://www.penkovberlin.com/