Independant Designers 09 Galleries

Local Art Base AW 09-10 : Cross-referencing from young Yves Saint Laurent and Giacomo Puccini’s epic tale of Madama Butterfly; this collection tells of stories of naïve, innocent servicemen deployed to foreign places to enforce peace. In the process of doing so, they fall in love with their novel surroundings and the locals, particularly the women: - sparking a romantic escapade that’s both bitter and sweet. Such an exploration evolved into the use of contrasting fabrics and design, highlighting the often tricky and confused mindset of the servicemen; torn between love and war, life and death. The collection spells of strict, disciplined, and regimented elements matched against luxurious fabrics, slimfit jackets and relaxed shorts, softening the eventual outcome. Fabrics used included imported cotton stretch seersuckers, polyester memory yarns, lightweight wool mix, silk and LAB’s signature superfine cottons. The end product is a collection that illustrates a beautiful medley of binary opposites, natural meets technical, utilitarian meets whimsical, deconstructed meets minimal, shiny meets matt. “My aim is for this collection is for it to emulate the mental processes of soldiers in love. Just like love, the pieces had to have an element of longevity in them, but yet variations that celebrate the emotional landscapes of someone that’s deeply in love. Classic styles were updated with unexpected fabrics or applications to provide something of interest and something that speaks to the heart”, says Chris.

Local Art Base AW 09-10

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