Chadwick Bell (Q4062)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Chadwick Bell is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chadwick Bell |
Chadwick Bell is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Foundational dressing was the theme at Chadwick Bell today, and the collection centered around clean, sculptural basics that could be styled in endless combinations. Inspired byWhitewash, Nicholas Alan Cope's book of stark black-and-white photographs of modern Los Angeles architecture, Bell incorporated bold contrasts (primarily in black and white), away-from-the-body shapes, and touchable fabrics. "It's just about pieces you can easily wear," Bell said. "I like to design clothes you don't have to fuss with. It's throw-on-and-go." A floor-sweeping, backless crepe and satin gown with a wraparound waist may not be completely fuss-free, but styled with flat sandals it was the picture of modern party dressing. That same gown was repeated later in the show under a white satin blouse, then again with a pink suede belt. Layering was key for every piece—models wore pleated dresses under V-neck sheaths, pencil skirts over cropped trousers, and cocoon sweaters over button-downs.Those minimal looks progressed into "something a bit more native," as Bell put it. Fringe trim and wide leatherfajabelts added a far-flung element. "There's something really worldly about this woman. She isn't just sitting all the time. She travels, she has collectibles…. I like the idea of keepsakes." A cognac leather bolero, a dusty pink pleated dress, and an embroidered teal gilet fit in nicely with the more pared-back separates. You could picture that well-traveled woman tossing a few pieces in her bag and coming up with a week's worth of chic, unfussy outfits.
4 September 2014
This season, Chadwick Bell "focused on the idea of nomadic women" with a pared-down collection accentuated by eclectic pieces designed to look, he said, "like finds from their travels." A graphic, color-blocked suede belt (Bell's take on traditional South Americanfajas) captured this sense of worldly adventurousness. Ditto went for the frayed, braided-rope trim decorating clean coats and sheaths that came in a pretty blue wool. Piled-on fox fur pelts further upped the luxury factor.Meanwhile, Bell displayed his first-rate tailoring skills with a precise, slouchy suit. He whipped up an oversize sweatshirt with a dramatic low back from a soft alpaca bouclé that highlighted the nape of the neck and paired it with a matching wrap skirt featuring a high slit. That standout look was simultaneously unexpected and sophisticated. Elsewhere, Bell energized the lineup with pops of on-trend fuchsia seen on a rounded suede jacket and the piping of a quilted puffer. For evening, he showed several gowns with simple silhouettes that had a linear purity. A long, cream-hued column merged geometric planes of silk with floating seams, while a sequined maxi dress cut from a block of "shapeless" tulle mesh twinkled like a starry night when in motion. All in all, Bell earned favorable marks here for his bold yet unfussy approach to everyday luxury.
6 April 2014
Chadwick Bell, a child of the nineties, grew up in Southern California, and for Spring he went back to both the place and the decade. "Surfers, skaters, cholas…" he rattled off, listing the ambassadors of subculture cool who ruled in his youth, and whose stamp he put on this collection. The nineties' in-crowd was never known for looking tidy, and at Bell's studio the day before the show he described his girl as "disheveled."Still, for better or worse, put-together-ness is a Bell trademark, and this season's woman was definitely more chic than counterculture. The closest thing to dishevelment was a looseness in the silhouette, an era-appropriate slouch that projected the enviable impression of not trying too hard. If some of the pieces seemed to float off the body—such as the black stretch wool crepe crop top that opened the show—it was because Bell lined the interiors of cuffs and hems with horsehair to make them stand up. That level of detail extended to the openings on the sides of jackets—which allow the wearer to easily put her hands into her pockets—and to the clusters of metal embroidery on a dress and sheer tulle skirt: Upon closer inspection, they were little fish swimming upstream. A white silk georgette tank gown with subtle bands of fringe was a knockout, and the ivory-and-oxblood blanket poncho that closed the show was an elegant take on the Mexican influences Bell mined. Simple and sophisticated, the best pieces here showcased Bell's knack for refinement.
5 September 2013
Rock festival filmMonterey Popmight not seem the most obvious source of inspiration for a rich Fall collection. But for Chadwick Bell, the 1968 concert documentary held lessons about nascent freedom and self-discovery. "The moment you define yourself is the moment that others are going to take notice," said Bell during a studio visit before his show.Ideas about "throwing away social constructs" lent themselves to Bell's latest collection in surprising ways. A uniformlike blazer in windowpane check flannel got a relaxed spin from dropped sleeves in neoprene jersey and from the coordinating flannel-fronted, neoprene-backed sweatpants shown with it. A vicuña cashmere coat with a slash of evergreen suede paneled onto the arms brought to mind DIY customization, in a totally luxurious way.It wasn't completely perfect—the pleats and swamping scale of a white smock felt schoolgirlish, and the square pockets at the wrists of a gray flannel coat superfluous. But Bell's attention to detail made hits of the simplest pieces, such as the long, lean trousers with subtle fins running down the legs and the plum neoprene sweatshirt trimmed in navy wool jacquard. This was a modern, accomplished collection, right through the Lurex jacquard suit and strapless A-line velvet gown at the end. Bell's woman may be richer than your average sixties rock rebel, but who cares when she's this well turned out?
7 February 2013
Last season, the Chadwick Bell girl was a bit disheveled and on the verge of crazy. But she took the summer to embark on a spiritual journey of self-discovery. "I like to think of it as a crusade for clarity," Bell said. With that idea in mind, the clothes took on a clean, mostly neutral palette mixed with pops of desert colors—emerald and aloe green, chalk white, and a deep mauve. The lines of the garments were also clean, playing off the flat, open plains of the Southwest. His point of reference boded well for a series of viscose jersey dresses and skirts, some of which had sheer, peekaboo panels. Bell juxtaposed these pieces with floaty tulle frocks that were weightless against leather belts and Edmundo Castillo shoes. As for separates, among the strong points was a khaki blazer with embroidered sleeves paired with loose-fitting gaucho pants. The last look, a silk mesh "Superman" dress with an austere open back, was a clear indication that Bell's girl is on the right track.
5 September 2012
"A perfect woman in an imperfect situation," is how Chadwick Bell describes the theme of his latest collection. As he explained backstage before his show, his primary touchstones were two radically different, yet spiritually similar, works of art: Picasso'sBoy with Pipeand Arlene Gottfried'sMidnight, which in turn led to his discovery of a series of Bob Richardson-lensed photographs of Anjelica Huston. "She's well-kept but dangerous," he explained, elaborating on his imagined muse, "and her hair looks like she fell asleep in a cab."For his models, this inspiration translated to a sort of Frankenstein chic: With teased hair and bright red lips, they walked under flickering lights to ominous music straight out of a horror flick. Still, the clothing was anything but scary. Bell demonstrated his ability to create alluring looks with a variety of materials, from fur (a stunning silver fox coat worn with stockings and spotted platform heels) to silk (a completely backless printed jumpsuit). And let's not forget the python and leather separates and tuxedo jackets with matador embroidery, complete with pompoms. All in all, it's safe to say the designer has stepped up his game—and reminded us how very enticing imperfection can be.
8 February 2012
For Spring, Chadwick Bell imagined a quirky art collector—not a far cry from some of his current clients, to hear him tell it—whose wardrobe should stand up to the work on her walls. Bell injected an architectural edge into his pieces, giving a short-sleeve cotton jacket bands of strong seams that kept it from collapsing onto the body, but he also worked to make things, as he said during the presentation, "a little less serious." He achieved a bit of levity by treating silk faille like denim. The hem on an ivory skirt puckered like denim would, and had a relaxed, uncomplicated shape.Embellishment was new. ("I didn't think I would ever use a paillette," Bell joked.) Clusters of caviar beads made up the abstract birds' eyes that appeared on a few of the evening looks, with the rest of the avian form swooping in through embroidery. Colorful, beaded birds on an organza chemise in pale yellow were the height of art-snob chic; if you smoke, which you shouldn't, this would be the type of piece to accessorize with a slender cigarette holder. Bell's first-time paillettes were just as you would expect: not too shiny, and in cool tones like chalk and smoke. This was lighter fare than we've seen from Bell before, but substantial nonetheless.
12 September 2011
A professed fan of menswear fabrics for women, Chadwick Bell posed the inevitable question: What happens if a woman raids her husband's closet, discovers, "Aha! This is what I want to be wearing," and has it all tailored to fit? Well, our apologies to the husband, but we understand the appeal of a hefty Donegal tweed just as well as the next girl. Working with luxe fabrics—from a sponged silk georgette to a creamy wool jersey—Bell put his spin on the classics, aiming to strip away the extras. Lapels disappeared from jackets; unseemly buttons and pocket flaps evaporated. One of the only sure signs of entry was an exposed zipper running down the front of a gray wool flannel sheath, giving what would have been a staid suiting option a sporty, sexy edge. A long silk gown in the collection's sole print, a cascade of gray-brown leaves on a deep steel blue backdrop, fastened like a men's tie at the neck. In the back, the halter gave way to another on-view zipper snaking down the spine and two strips of an exposed leather harness (you would never have guessed something so kinky from the front). A wool jersey wrap jacket in deep camel came with a flurry of tied leather trim at the bottom; it looked like what Phoebe Philo would make if she tackled cowboys and Indians.Bell's restrained, woodsy palette and luxurious fabrics gave these pieces that hard-to-define feel of something special. The conservative silhouettes and subtle details may not spark everyone's interest, but they should keep Bell's current fans—and maybe a few of their discerning daughters—very happy, indeed.
13 February 2011