When each new Riga Fashion Week season is over, there is always quite lot to think about and look back at. There are always brands and designers that constantly bring us fresh vibes; there are those who faithfully follow their signature style and then there are the ones that you don’t really know what to expect from because they somehow manage to keep their ideas in secret until the very last days before the fashion week starts. And for me these particular shows are the ones I usually look forward to the most, one of them also being the recently created It’sMe brand’s performance.
Although, the brand itself was founded only about a year ago when two fashion enthusiasts, Inese Eglite (Inese Eglīte) and Artis Shtamguts (Artis Štamgūts) decided to join their forces and come up with something fresh and inspiring, it has already proven itself as a stable and viable newcomer on the Latvian fashion industry scene. As you might know, the designer Artis Shtamguts is by no means a beginner. In fact, he has been creating fashion collections for both his own brand, as well as various collaboration brands for more than 10 years now, which means that not only does he fully know the local design industry inside out, but he has also been able to stay relevant over the countless seasons. And even though creating a new brand is always a risky process, It’sMe proves that it definitely pays off.
The brand’s main consumer from the very beginning has been a modern and successful city woman that leads a dynamic lifestyle, desires both the irrational and the reasonable and wants to feel free and comfortable at all times. She believes in herself and, therefore, looks for clothing that does not limit her everyday activities and is easy to combine with both heels and sneakers. This woman might look androgenic and yet radiate her charming femininity whenever she feels like it. It is all up to her, and It’sMe clothing is a part of her personality, just like a bold accessory.
Similarly to the last season, this time the Spring/Summer 2016 collection is also all about simple and relaxed silhouettes, as well as various fabric and texture combinations. What makes it different, however, is the overall mood, lightly inspired by Eastern fashion standards that were emphasized by the help of triangle-shaped straw hats that models wore on the catwalk. The new collection tells a story of a summery seaside resort where the various shades of hot sand and deep sea are accentuated by contrasting clothing items, thus helping the wearer to blend in with nature and forget about everything else. What a carefree idyll, isn’t it?
Speaking of the fabrics used for the new collection, they are also light, natural and perfect for the warm and effortless summer days. Linen, jersey and denim are the most frequently used ones, and in combination with the different color variations such as bright orange, beige, dark blue and black they create a great selection of midi skirts, flowy long line dresses and asymmetric cape tops that can be worn both alone, as well as layered on the top of each other, always looking modern and absolutely original.
Some may say that practical everyday fashion isn’t really a fashion if it doesn’t cause controversy and make people talk, but one must admit that despite any rule or common perceptions, we do need a bit of both worlds to keep the fashion scene well-balanced and always interesting. As we all know, what matters the most at the end of the day is how clothing makes us feel, and if you can confidently say “it is me” while wearing it, then I’m more than sure that fashion has served its purpose regardless of the brand’s concept or performance. Who else is excited to see what It’sMe has to offer next season at Riga Fashion Week?
