He made his debut at the New York fashion week last year; now Jiří Kalfař's models have finally appeared at the Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week. What a shame that it hadn't happened sooner! Each single piece from his FW20-SS21 collection proves we've been missing out on a lot.
The Church of St. Gabriel turned into an oasis for a few dozens of minutes. Bunches of wildflowers were stewn on the floor, drops of water were raining down from the ceiling; one almost expected a bird would land on one's palm at any moment and start to chirp. When models dressed in bright white began to walk into the room accompanied by the sound of a piano, the visitors couldn't but think:
"In this collection, I saw the color white as something like a blank canvas - white is the first color, snowdrops are white, when the snow thaws, it's white. It's a kind of rebirth. You can gloss it over with anything and start a new life or take a new approach,"
Until I saw Kalfař's show, I'd had no idea that the color white, which is typically considered to be a symbol of innocence, could be so sexy. Yet the whole collection carried in the spirit of bewitching femininity and sensuality. And it was a dazzling sight to behold! If someone had told me yesterday that I would fall madly in love with the color I consider most impractical, I wouldn't have believed you.
I can't say for sure which piece from the collection I liked the most, because I'd love to have several of them at home. But... flowing sleeves and translucent materials? Yes, please! I'd be willing to give up all colorful foods for this dress. Forever.
Overall, Kalfař's collection is sustainable and made of organic materials. The designer used, for example, vegan silk or fabrics from banana or pineapple trees. In the rare cases when Kalfař resorted to something inorganic, it was upcycled or recycled. His collection left nature intact.
The designer combined the individual materials in a brilliant way. I was immediately excited about the jacket that combines a shiny material with lace. What's more, the neither dressed nor undressed style solves the dilemma of whether to dress as an uncompromising business woman or a romantic fairy when going to work. With this piece, one can be both!
I dare say that Jiří Kalfař's show was the most anticipated of this year's Fashion Week. No wonder! We have been waiting for this talented designer for a very long time. After all, he's already shown his models to the whole world! In New York, they know him better than we do. And that's a shame. He left us for last. But as the saying goes, patience is a virtue...
The former dancer and model has only been active in the fashion industry for seven years, and yet he managed to gain fame as far as in New York. Which designer can boast that his models have been presented by legends such as Pavlína Pořízková or Linda Vojtová? That's why everyone was holding their breath for his premiere at the Prague Fashion Week.
It was therefore little wonder that during the show, one could often hear an excited "ooh" or "aah" from the audience. Kalfař's hallmarks are clean lines combined with an oversized look, minimalist details and, of course, high-quality natural materials such as silk satin, cotton, wool and cashmere.
Let's not overpraise him, though, even if I really appreciate his work. Not everything is kosher and chic. White as a symbol of innocence and purity can also be detrimental, as can be seen specifically in this model. Apart from the fact that there's simply too much white, there's also too much detail. The sleeves and the tiny scarf are completely superfluous and the trousers look shapeless to me; moreover, due to the translucent fabric, one can see the pockets. God, what can be worse than seeing not only the pockets, but also their contents?!
I don't understand why even Jirka started to believe that anyone can wear anything. Once and for all - no, they can't!!! These "I'm a beefcake and I work out twice a day" kind of t-shirts have never not been horrible. But this wither than white men's top made of lace that seems to have been designed for a princess is way too much. Totally over the top. Sorry but not sorry.
In any case, I'd like to congratulate the organizers of the fashion week for including Kalfař in the program and I hope that this will continue to be the case. This guy has a lot to offer the Czechs.