Philipp Plein (Q7813)
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Dutch international record label; imprint of Philips Phonografische Industrie
- LC 00305
- LC 0305
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Philipp Plein |
Dutch international record label; imprint of Philips Phonografische Industrie |
|
Statements
1 reference
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.
16 September 2009
For Resort, Andreas Melbostad injected "a little bit of escape" into Phi's urban DNA. That didn't make for any huge surprises, but Melbostad's amalgam of scuba, surfer, and biker elements was felicitous (and credit him for trying to keep his prices somewhat realistic—we were told that 85 percent of the collection will retail for under $1,000). A tropical print captured the escapist mood, glove-soft washed biker jackets were spot-on, and the collection was full of the carefully considered details—like the surf trunk-inspired lace closures on suede salwar shorts—that have made Phi one of the most talked-about labels in town. New for Resort was a small range of tough metal and leather jewelry: It had all the editors abuzz.
31 May 2009
Fashion has finally caught up with Phi. Andreas Melbostad has been working the badass eighties vibe—with sophistication and finesse—for several seasons now. Each show draws a more stellar front row, attesting to the relevance of the designer's sexy take on engineered dressing."You know I love my textures," Melbostad commented prior to a show that featured lots of zippered leather, sequins, corsetry details, color-blocking (inspired by Richard Lindner's paintings), and the collaging of classic utilitarian pieces like biker, bomber, and aviator jackets into substantial, iconic-looking outerwear. (The refashioned creepers that accessorized the show added a nice of-the-moment touch.) "We really wanted to move strongly forward despite the economy," the designer said. "These times make you feel very strongly about what you represent. What we stand for is a tough urban idea but with attention to finishings, cut, and quality." All of this was effectively communicated, even if the show had too many variants on Melbostad's chosen themes. Still, aerodynamic second-skin aviator dresses and come-hither (but don't-mess-with-me) leggings are sure to fly at retail, as are his leather pieces.Melbostad has accomplished a lot in his short tenure at Phi. Now that the pack has caught up with him, his challenge will be to stay a step ahead in seasons to come.
18 February 2009
Andreas Melbostad's debut pre-fall collection continued the subtle evolution of the increasingly coveted Phi brand. There were lots of dresses—some with signature bustiers, others with a grown-up take on a Victorian children's silhouette, and still more with delicate feather embellishments. To convey the ease he was after, Melbostad showed tailored pieces with woven fronts and knit sleeves and backs. A burgundy utility coat in alpaca was hard and soft at once. Our prediction? Pre-fall's velvet paneled biker pants will create the same frenzy as did last year's lacy leggings, which entirely sold out, leaving some fans in the cold.
7 January 2009
Phi is slowly but surely becoming a force to be reckoned with. The label was founded in 2004 by Susan Dell and has been designed since its second season by Andreas Melbostad. This year it ran its first ad campaign, with a nod to Vargas girls, and debuted a Resort collection. Early next year it will open up its second shop, in Los Angeles. "We started feeling that we had built a nice foundation and that people started to relate to the image and product in a good way," Melbostad explained modestly, "and we felt comfortable and confident to deliver more."Speaking of which, Melbostad's Spring collection was one of his strongest yet. Over the past four years Phi has experimented alternately with lingerie and aggressive tailoring. This season, the balance between the two was at its most harmonious. As his jackets demonstrated, Melbostad didn't totally abandon his preoccupation with the eighties, but his engineering and construction were "much softer," as he himself put it, "not as body-con, and a little bit looser and more relaxed."Loosely inspired by motocross racing and works in glass by Ettore Sottsass—the founder of the currently highly trendy haute-eighties Memphis design collective—Melbostad jigsaw-puzzled together soft, pale colors (opal, petal, mint) and fabrics of different weights (georgette, mesh). Paneled dresses with intricate boudoir pleating and fine tucks were worn over zip-bottomed skinny pants that looked like an Egyptian mummy's leggings. (Trust us, they were hot.)Admittedly, the harem pants and jodhpurs are unlikely to look as cool on an ordinary human as they did on the models. But beyond that, there were plenty of beautifully made pieces that are sure to race out of the NYC and L.A. stores.
10 September 2008
Packable separates "to escape with"—that was the basis of Andreas Melbostad's strong debut Resort collection for Phi. Pajamalike Turkish shalwar shorts provided a contrast to the designer's signature strict tailoring. His use of a neon leopard print, houndstooth, and nylon tulle shaded the collection with some hit-me-with-your-best-shot attitude. And for evening and cocktail hour, Melbostad played a teasing game of peekaboo with looks that mixed sheer fabrics and lace.
4 June 2008
The mood was informed by Helmut Newton'sSleepless Nights, a now-classic tome of darkly erotic photographs published in 1978, while the construction took its lead from forties and fifties foundation garments. "They're structured and utilitarian at the same time," said designer Andreas Melbostad, who experimented with lace, tulle, and stretch "power mesh" to give the clothes elasticity and an engineered body consciousness. Spring at Phi had been quite masculine, but Fall—save for some sharp and narrow smoking coats—was very feminine. Which is probably why the extravagant shearlings looked massive, a bit out of place. But there was a fresh, feral, "I am woman, hear me roar" quality to the lingerie-inspired ensembles of bustiers, bras, and lace-banded leggings layered under soft, even frilly, shirtdresses. Some elements, like the tutu skirts, got a bit costumey, but for the most part, Melbostad delivered what he'd promised in the program notes: "the elegance of decadence."
6 February 2008
From Mick Rock to Mick Jones.… Last season, Phi designer Andreas Melbostad nodded to the former's iconic photographs of glam rockers like David Bowie. Today's collection, meanwhile, owed its origins to what the designer called the "insouciant yet elegant" look of Jones and the rest of the Clash.Melbostad made use of his considerable tailoring skills via jackets and coats in banker gray or black suiting. But punk rockers don't frequent Savile Row, do they? So he shrugged off conservatism with exaggerated proportions and layered the collection up with endless vests, skinny mesh knits, jersey tanks, striped men's shirts, and lean pants tucked into studded biker boots. As the show progressed, the rebellion grew louder—mostly in the form of zippers and other assorted hardware on bombers, cargo shorts, and skirts.Backstage, Melbostad said that his aim was to be "urban and contemporary, rebellious yet sophisticated." But there were a few problems in the execution. It was too heavy for Spring, to begin with. And while any decent record-store clerk (there are some left, right?) can explain why glam rock and punk are diametrically opposed, this show didn't offer much sense of progression from Melbostad's layered and dark Fall collection. Reinventing the wheel every six months isn't necessary, but moving forward is.
7 September 2007
With any other designer, you'd expect a show described as the collision of Japonisme with Mick Rock's iconic glam-rock photographs of David Bowie and Queen to be a pretty over-the-top affair. But in the house that Susan Dell built, clothes are a serious business, both aesthetically and otherwise. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. The "I want that in my closet" appeal of Phi designer Andreas Melbostad's Fall collection was excitement enough.Backstage after the show, Melbostad talked about revisiting and repositioning utilitarian wardrobe staples like the duffel coat, the trench, and the biker jacket—sensible words to anyone who knows how most women shop. He recast these classic items with tightened, elongated silhouettes in an edgy dark palette of mostly black, navy, and gray. To keep boredom at bay, the designer created subtle textural interest, mixing tactile fabrics like leather, knits, shearling, and a nubby alpaca wool. Proportion and layering were also part of the story: Sleeveless hooded coats were worn over sweaters and pin-tucked shirtdresses.Suede vests hinted at Rock's louche seventies. Elsewhere, a Japanese stencil print subtly flashed from a dress worn under a massive toggle-buttoned cardigan. Melbostad's show is often criticized as being repetitive, but in a season with more than 200 collections, it's a relief to see a designer whose message is Baccarat clear.
7 February 2007
The Susan Dell-backed Phi line continues to evolve in a carefully measured way, with designer Andreas Melbostad honing in on a new, tightly defined area each season. Inspired by, among other things, the moody, misty photographs of Deborah Turbeville, Melbostad said goodbye to fall's tailored coats and strong shoulders in favor of multilayered ensembles (many had five elements) made of white, pink, and black silk and chiffon. One tank dress featured sequins embroidered on tulle in a Renaissance pattern, paired with a delicate bra and a flounced skirt. A white dress with flower appliqués was a crowd favorite, and finely knit Henleys worn over sheer culottes proved an interesting study in texture and opacity.Phi is about consistency, not variety, but some of Melbostad's many variations on a few silhouettes shaded into the repetitive. They were, however, as meticulously made as ever, with a youthful appeal that might speak to the customer who liked fall's wispy, Biba-esque dresses.
13 September 2006