Considered the sophisticated older sister of H&M, COS presents a Fall/Winter collection that emphasizes cocooning and precise silhouettes. Rebecca Lo sizes it up.
COS stands for Collection of Style. Compared to its parent company H&M Group, which dates back to the 1940s in Sweden, it has a relatively young history at just barely 6 years old. However, COS quickly gained a loyal following consisting originally of H&M groupies who needed tailored clothes suitable for the office but prefer attire that embodies the brand's attitude.
COS' solid colors, flattering shapes and timeless basics also won it a new clientele of men and women who wanted to remain stylish without looking too radical in business meetings. It has already opened two shops in Hong Kong and Shanghai, plus one each in Beijing and Tianjin.
For its stand-alone boutiques, COS tends to situate them in buildings with character, while creating a neutral gallery within to showcase its designs.
Karin Gustafsson, COS' womenswear designer. |
Swedish native Karin Gustafsson is COS' womenswear design manager. She joined the label in 2006 as an assistant designer when it was still in the embryonic stage.
"I was super happy to be part of such a brand new concept and felt an immediate affinity with its aesthetic, ethos and design aspirations," Gustafsson says.
She was promoted to her current position in 2011. "In this role, my main responsibility is to shape a season's collection: from coming up with inspiration for the seasons' colors to developing new and interesting silhouettes."
Gustafsson began making garments at an early age.
"I grew up in the Swedish city of Linkoping, where I was inspired by my mother to make my own clothes," she says. "I started to experiment with patterns. This led me to study traditional womenswear tailoring and dressmaking in Stockholm, where I started to develop a signature technique of designing through draping."
At the age of 23, she began designing her own clothing range. "Through that, I was offered the opportunity to further my education at London College of Fashion. I loved being in London, in such a big city and around such an established fashion industry," she says.
"I then made the decision to continue studying at Middlesex University, then at the prestigious Royal College of Art. The team from COS happened to be at my graduate show, where they noticed my work and offered me a position. I have never looked back."
For COS' Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection, the inspiration for both mens- and womenswear was nature's drama and people's reaction to the outdoor theater by cocooning indoors, all delivered with the brand's precise tailoring.
Rounded silhouettes, such as shoulders with brushed wool cut into kimono sleeves, are worn over a demure pencil skirt stopping just below the knee.
Sculptured coats in heavy wool feature high waistlines to feminize the linear geometry of its lines. Shoulders are emphasized, either by bearing one with the other softly covered or with cut-out notches along side hems.
"I feel that the new sharp shoulder silhouettes seen on many of our asymmetric pieces provide definition and feminize a look without revealing too much," says Gustafsson.
For the boys, fitted wool blazers are collar and lapel-free, outfitted with concealed buttons for clean, minimal forms.
The cocoon effect is also seen in menswear, in a gray wool blazer that takes its cue from the fabric it is made from and offers no structure across the shoulders for a rounded look. Casual hoodies stop at just above the hip, with slightly balloon-shaped arms.
Colors for both men and women come from the minerals in mountains, muted shades of sand and sea green for daywear, while black and midnight blue dominate evening wear.
Voluminous shapes juxtapose slim-cut and body-hugging pieces. Soft leathers give trousers a rebellious flare while natural materials, such as silk, cotton and wool crepe, comfortably drape the body.
"The dramatic scale of nature inspires both the cut and cloth for the upcoming season," Gustafsson says. "The minimalist construction of tailoring is at the forefront, as are textured fabrics.
"We like to revisit and reinvent our classic pieces, like our classic white shirt with an elasticized bottom that gives the item a subtle design edge. Yet the garment remains functional and can be worn either in the office or with jeans to dress it down."
Women's accessories for the season include a folded leather clutch that doubles as a shopping bag, classic high-heeled pumps and a simple leather brogue, all in rich chocolate brown.
Men can add finishing touches such as a round-toe Derby shoe with peekaboo white trim, black leather and navy wool gloves, and a bag in black wool and leather that's perfect for transporting laptops or iPads to the office.
"We think our customers are style-conscious, confident, have a big-city mind set, and are up to date with what is happening in the world - from art and music to politics," Gustafsson says. "They want value for money, good service upon request and an inspiring, pleasant shopping experience."
She isn't surprised to see how quickly COS has taken off in China since the first Hong Kong shop opened last summer. "China is a country renowned for its diversity and we feel that our modern, tactile, functional and timeless collections, as well as our external interests, such as architecture, design and art, are aligned with the interests of our existing and potential customers in the country," she says.
"We are happy to see that the COS brand is being well received by our Chinese customers in all cities. We hope to continue this success as we continue to expand throughout the country.
"The Chinese market has such a thriving fashion industry that is continually growing and developing. I feel that because of this, there is room for any brand to thrive, whether it is a luxury label or a more mainstream brand."
If you go
COS
Parkview Green Shopping Center, 9 Dongdaqiao Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5690-7890.
74 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong. 852-3580-7938.
www.cosstores.com.
Womenswear and menswear from the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. Photos provided to China Daily |
(China Daily 09/15/2013 page13)
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