Designer Nensi Dojaka’s vision is strictly about the modern woman – and that means embracing her in all her polarities. AW20 marks the designer’s first season with Fashion East, and already it’s clear her message is as powerful as the designs it informs. A recent Central Saint Martins MA graduate, it’s her BA in Lingerie Design that serves as the underpinnings of a delicate interplay, where strength and vulnerability are held together by the finest thread, or just-concealed among collaged layers of sheer silk. Talking to Twin about subverting sensuality with a female-first mindset, the Albanian-born creative tells us just why empowerment is shaping her approach to femininity.
How did your label begin?
After finishing my MA, SSENSE contacted me about buying the MA collection, and their trust and support pushed me towards working on my own brand. I followed with another capsule for SS20, and now AW20 with Fashion East, and things started to evolve naturally.
Where do you find inspiration?
At the beginning of each collection, I always have a ‘mood’ I want to convey. My woman is out there to stun, but she does it discreetly and this gives her a flavour of danger and fun. After that, I start to drape it all on the mannequin and it comes naturally as a result of visual research. My references of ‘90s fashion will always be there as most of my fashion research stems from ‘90s magazines, and looking a lot at designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Jean Colonna.
Your designs are intimately feminine – what made you want to explore femininity through your collections?
I studied lingerie during my BA so naturally, my work is about silhouettes that complement the female body. It is about embracing the strong and the soft duality of modern womanhood. I love working in the same amount of detail and scale that lingerie has, the mini details like straps, rings, which I use a lot.
I like the way lingerie contours the body because of the way it’s constructed; how some delicate straps can hold and create the dynamics of the whole piece. There’s always some bra elements in my work. I try to come up with unconventional shapes like the circle bra part of a top in AW20, which is held together by a contrasting elastic strap and goes across the bust in a very graphic way.
There’s both a strength and a vulnerability to your designs. How would you describe the message behind your aesthetic?
I think my woman is complex and her beauty stands in the fact that there is a perfect marriage between severity and delicacy in her, and I try to translate this idea onto my clothes. By distorting the perception that comes along certain materials; creating delicacy from severity, and vice versa.
To mirror that duality of softness and severity in women, I work with different levels of transparency intermingled together in every piece; some bolder drapes against lighter bits which are placed next to each other in an asymmetric, more erratic way. The way the drapes fall onto one another in a more “unexpected” way is to distort that notion of being just pretty and give it a twist into something more aggressive. The sheer fabrics also allow for me to play around with layers, which gives a more ethereal look and also serves as an “armour” by covering up despite being sheer.
Why do you feel fashion is the best way to communicate your message?
Because it is the wearer that brings that message to life and I love the relationship between the wearer and the garment and the meanings attached to it.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your pieces?
Beautiful, strong, alluring yet mysterious.
How has your connection to London and Albania shaped your design approach?
Both places have shaped the way I think for sure. In Albania, I had the luck to have the help of amazing tutors who contributed to my well-rounded knowledge. And when I came to UK, it opened up even more possibilities for me. Both places have a nice juxtaposition of chaos and order that really inspires me and is reflected in my work and the way I see things.
How do you see the fashion industry adapting in this time of uncertainty?
The pace is suddenly much slower but I see brands passionately trying to move forward despite the difficulties, and of course adapting to finding ways around it without having the comfort of being at the studio with the team or the usual cash flow.
What have you got planned for your next steps?
I’m looking forward to showing my next collection in September, and figuring out the best way to do it to ensure safety during these tough times.
Natural and noble : Twin meets Le Kasha – The brand aiming to enunciate the spirit of clothing as companion
Decorum and value: this is where our headspace is at right now. From a tightening of ethics and a loosening of excess – we are paring things back to what we have found bestows upon us a sense of purpose, significance, worth. Le Kasha is a brand that is not about screaming, yet nor is it about ignoring either. It is quiet in its voice, and clear in its motive. As we all take soft steps into a new way of thinking, Le Kasha gives us a new way of seeing too.
How did you come to take over Le Kasha?
Le Kasha was founded in France in 1918 and was part of my family heritage. Le Kasha was originally a revolutionary fabric that was supplied to the big fashion houses of the time (Chanel, Lanvin, Jean Patou) which they used in creating their collections.
The original logo was an illustration by the French poster artist Géo Dorival. It had always intrigued me and I’d always wanted to one day give new life to the story and heritage of the brand. Eventually, 4 years ago, I decided to rework the illustration and to make it a bit more modern and easy to read, marking a new journey for Le Kasha; creating a luxury lifestyle brand inspired by travel and adventure, to offer timeless pieces to wear anytime and anywhere, made only in natural and noble fabrics
What changes did you implement upon becoming creative director of the brand?
The brand had been dormant for more than 50 years. I went through the archives, repurposed the original logo and with these created a completely new story but keeping the essence of the spirit of the original Le Kasha.
Talk us through where you source your fabrics, and the reasoning behind each textile. We use only noble and natural fabrics at Le Kasha. For the cashmere: The fabrics are sourced in the Alashan and Arbus regions of Inner Mongolia, at our Eco Label factory farm. Those regions are acknowledged to be the foremost regions for producing the highest and finest quality cashmere fibres.
Regarding the linen collection, Le Kasha uses only organic, pure linen fabrics. We found a very specific linen which doesn’t crease and you can spend the full day or night wearing the pieces and they remain elegant and comfortable. The 100% Silk fabrics are sourced in Italy and feel incredible against your skin. Both the linen and silk collections are produced locally in our atelier in Paris.
What role does travel play in Le Kasha?
Le Kasha gets it’s inspiration from travel: for the story behind each collection, for the colours, the styles and the spirit.
I also love the idea that Le Kasha pieces are what you chose to travel with. The sweater that you always carry in your bag and follows you everywhere. Not just a random sweater; but a travel companion that carries with it the memories of all your travels and keeps you warm and soft on all your trips.
What projects are on the horizon for Le Kasha?
A complete men’s collection is on it’s way.. Le Kasha is also due to open a shop « Boutique de Voyage » in a new luxury hotel in the South of France by next year.
Is there a beauty in specialisation?
Specialisation can allow you to take time to make sure to do that thing really well and properly; release only the best possible version of products to the market.
It’s also more sustainable as you can focus on one supplier, one factory, and avoid the waste of a high volume of shipments and working with too many fabrics.
What principles are at the heart of your brand?
Quality & authenticity
What changes do you want to see in the fashion landscape post COVID19?
I hope there will be less pressure on brands to create and produce so quickly; giving more time to designers who aren’t given the time to be creative because there is always more and more pressure to be quick.
I hope people will realise that they need less clothes and will chose to buy with more consciousness. Which in turn will also be with a respect to the environment.
McQueen Creators NO.5 – Embroidery X Aneliya Kyurkchieva
This week, Alexander McQueen is inviting their followers to explore the art of embroidery, with a hint of inspiration from the house’s SS13 RTW collection. The challenge encourages creators to use whatever resources available at home to recreate an embroidered bee inspired by the bee dresses from the SS13 collection. The house also tapped a member of their in-house embroidery team Aneliya Kyurkchieva for a detailed tutorial on how the bees from the SS13 bee dresses were created.
McQueen Creators is a weekly initiative brought forth in reaction to the current global quarantine, and calls on the house’s followers to artistically engage with their favourite pieces from a selection of images shared on the McQueen instagram page. A selection of final will be published across their social media platforms. Follow the house’s social media channels for updates, and to be considered in the batch of images shared on the McQueen page, be sure to tag @alexandermcqueen and include the hashtag #McQueenCreators in your caption.
Gucci’s latest campaign not only features the vibrant colours and intricate textiles of Alessandro Michele’s Pre-Fall 2020 collection, but also an incredibly adorable cast. The campaign titled #SoDeerToMe is a story shot by Alasdair McLellan in celebration of nature in all its forms. Like a scene out of sleeping beauty models are clad in full Gucci PF20 looks of androgynous silhouette & flashy 70’s accessories in the company of free roaming deer, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, owls and other animals.
Since February of this year, the brand joined The Lion’s Share Fund, which is an initiative that raises funds to protect endangered species and their natural habitats. A part of the partnership entails that the fashion house will donate 0.5% of its media spending to the organisation’s fund every time an animal appears in its advertisement, and this Pre-Fall campaign is no exception. To find out more about Gucci Pre-Fall 2020 collection, visit Gucci.com
Damien Frost is a London-based Australian-British art director / graphic designer who spends his time during the day working in the theatres of The Big Smoke and immerses himself to document the city’s alternative queer life by night. His latest project is an ode to social distancing as he uses his opportunity in isolation to portrait creative compositions featuring some of the world’s most dynamic drag queens.
“I began the Social distancing project when we first went into lockdown in March as I quickly realised i was going to miss capturing the ephemeral art of the people I normally document and not only did I want to find an excuse to keep using my camera but I also needed to focus on something to distract me a little from the unfolding drama and try and document it in some safe way.
Around the same time that I began the project many people who work in the nightlife economy had their livelihoods and cash flow immediately cut off – there were parties due to happen that people were depending on to pay their rent and some of these people began to pivot towards creating online social content – doing smaller scale performances form their bedrooms or party organisers moved the parties to be Facebook live feeds where the do’s would still play and people would tune in, dance around their lounge rooms and still talk shit over drinks (or warm tea even) and collectively solve the worlds problems albeit via text chat rather than the smoking area of a club, and so I’ve been capturing people before they do a show or after they do a performance or makeup tutorial video and present these portraits in The Social Distancing project,” Frost commented.
Each portrait from the series carefully captures each queen’s individual character in the comfort of their homes as they transform themselves for their respective performances which creates a raw outlook / performance out of the concept of social distancing in itself.
“I find the term Social Distancing fascinating for it’s inherent oxymoron being social and distant at the same time and so this project is exploring that, how we are connecting with each other during this strange moment in time. I wanted to show the process also- the image quality of the photos is mostly terrible as it’s very dependent on both the video call connection, the camera the other person is using on the other end and the lighting they have available and then I’m just taking photos with my camera of a pixelated video feed on an old iPad but this poor quality is also partly the point – the technology we have is imperfect and nothing can replace the personal social experience but at the moment this is all we have and so we make-do.“
“ At first I thought there wouldn’t be a lot of people doing transformative looks during this period but I’ve been surprised by just how many people are still practicing their craft – using this time to play with new ideas, engage with challenges with other artists and just keep ploughing on. Despite the fact that many people are in extremely precarious and difficult circumstances and often not knowing where they will get the money for the next rent payment people are trying to keep positive in the knowledge that we are all in this together and there’s a strong desire amongst everyone I talk to that hopefully we can all learn from this situation and we might come out of this situation more thoughtful about each other and the delicate balance of the world we live in.”
Keep up with the artist and view the full version of the artists featured @damienfrost.
McQueen Creators NO.4 – The Silhouette x Howard Tangye
Alexander McQueen’s latest instalment of their McQueen Creators initiative invites their followers to explore the art of creating silhouettes. With the use of a sketchbook and charcoals, pencils, pastels, paint or whatever materials available, we are welcomed to join the McQueen world and interpret of favourite looks from the women’s SS20 & men’s AW20 collections with images specially chosen by Creative Director Sarah Burton as inspiration. The house also taps on the Head of BA Womenswear at Central Saint Martins Howard Tangye to spearhead the project as he takes part and shares his expertise in the field with a video tutorial. Tangye is seen guiding the McQueen audience through his process of painting an ivory tailored double breasted wool overcoat and trousers from the men’s AW20 collection. The full tutorial can be viewed below.
McQueen Creators is a weekly initiative brought forth in reaction to the current global quarantine, and calls on the house’s followers to artistically engage with their favourite pieces from a selection of images shared on the McQueen instagram page. A selection of final will be published across their social media platforms. Follow the house’s social media channels for updates, and to be considered in the batch of images shared on the McQueen page, be sure to tag @alexandermcqueen and include the hashtag #McQueenCreators in your caption.
Musée des Arts Décoratifs : “Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams” Virtual Tour
French Maison Christian Dior recently launched a virtual tour to their latest exhibition’s in partnership with Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Titled “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams,” this exhibition traces the impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers while exploring the works of the six artistic directors who succeeded him.
“There is no other country in the world, besides my own, whose way of life I like so much. I love English traditions, English politeness, English architecture. I even love English cooking,” a quote from Christian Dior. The designer deeply admired the British way of life, even his first fashion show took place at London’s Savoy Hotel and he then later established the brand as Christian Dior London.
The exhibition also gives insight to Dior’s creative collaborations with jewellers, shoemakers, and glove makers as well as a focus on some of his earliest elite clients. These include author Nancy Mitford, dancer Margot Fonteyn and a special highlight of the Christian Dior dress worn by Princess Margaret for her 21st birthday. The exhibition will presents over 500 objects and over 200 rare Haute Couture garments displayed alongside the designer’s personal possessions. The virtual show reveals the sources of inspiration which help define the Dior aesthetic, from the intricate designs of Yves Saint Laurent to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s feminist vision. Discover the link to the virtual showcase below.
Prada’s latest campaign for Pre-Fall 2020 was crafted with the intention of blurring the lines between reality and digital and re-imagining a new idea of intimacy during these very particular times. The campaign was shot in London back in February by photographer David Sims and recently digitally painted in New York.
The images and campaign films combine hand-painted watercolors with digital artistry. The silhouettes of each look and their seams and patterns, become ‘paint by numbers’ frames for energetic explorations of color – a dozen Prada-ist shades of Celeste blue, pink, yellow, orange, green and more.
“Blurring lines between the photographic and the painterly, between technology and humanity, it is a subconscious echo of our moment. The joy of color via the joy of technology – both a means of communicating a message, immediately. Ultimately, that message is positivity – a fantasy, painted in Prada colors,” read the brand’s campaign notes. For more info on the Pre-Fall ’20 collection, visit Prada.com
A Certain Authenticity and Authority of Voice: A chat with Proenza Schouler on their collaboration with Birkenstock
Collaboration – never has the creative industry needed to explore the potential of partnerships in such a laterally minded way. As the world goes through what has been dubbed a collective trauma, connected and meaningful interactions have been formulating as the experience of the global crisis solidifies groups – memories that will be shared in the future.
Partnerships are becoming more reasonable, more cultivating, more open to input and experience.We see the term maker traversing a spectrum of craft, limited not to certain adages and opening itself to dialogues with how others are coping and creating. On the crest of the pandemic breaking on western shores, Proenza Schouler collaborated with Birkenstock. Shot by Juergen Teller, the collaboration evokes an impression of the importance to look at function within form once more: of what people want, what people need.
Twin spoke to Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler about this cross pollination of ideas and why we need collaborations now more than ever.
How did this partnership come about?
J&L: The collaboration happened quite organically. A friend of ours who was working on a project with Birkenstock mentioned to them that we were fans of the brand, and that perhaps we should all meet together to discuss a potential collaboration. We met, and the rest is history.
What was the attraction to either design house?
J&L: Birkenstocks have always had a special place in our lives and are one of the few things that the two of us have in common from our separate and completely different childhood experiences.
Lazaro: I grew up in Miami, so the ocean was an important part of my life. Spending your free time on the sand and on boats was what one did as a kid. Birkenstocks were what my friends and I always wore because they were easy, comfortable, and had a kind of counterculture nostalgia associated with them that was very much in the air during those days. I remember wearing them to my first day of college at the University of Miami and not thinking twice about how appropriate that would be. It was simply part of the culture down in the tropics. When I moved to NY, I of course took my Birkenstocks with me and actually still have those exact pair in my closet. They are one of the few things I still have in my possession from those early days before Proenza Schouler.
Jack: I grew up in Tokyo but moved to New Jersey as a child with my family. Growing up in the 90’s and being the free spirited and independent kid that I was, I ended up leaving home at a young age and traveling around the country with the Grateful Dead. It was during those years that Birkenstocks really became a staple of my everyday life. On tour, that was the de facto uniform. They became a kind of symbol of a by gone era that the kids around me were glorifying in a way, and trying to relive on our own. Of course, it was a different time altogether, but Birkenstocks somehow connected the past with the present. I moved to San Francisco after I eventually finished high school, then ended up at an arts boarding school in Massachusetts, before ending up in NY and starting at Parsons. Birkenstock were a part of my entire journey into adulthood and to this day are still a mainstay of my life.
Would you say this is a meeting of likeminded creatives or actually an opposites-attract partnership?
J&L: We love the idea of two New York designers who have a brand firmly planted in the eco system of NY fashion collaborating with a historic German shoemaker. The cross pollinating of cultures and ideas and work styles feels totally pertinent to the world of today.
Why do we need collaboration in the fashion world now more than ever?
Collaborations can be great if they feel organic and natural. We actually don’t do many of them as we like to focus on the work we already do in-house. We have pretty clear ideas of what we like and what we don’t, and sometimes with too many cooks in the kitchen the process can get difficult. There are already two of us, so adding more people into the mix can sometimes get complicated. On the other hand, if the collaborator does something iconic that we feel makes sense for us and our woman, and we have a very clear idea of what we would like to do for it, then of course it is a great thing to do. It opens up your brand to people who wouldn’t normally interact with it and vice versa. It can be an incredibly interesting thing to do on many levels and we think the one-off nature of the project usually makes it exciting and desirable for people.
It’s important to open up your studio to new voices, new ideas, new people, in an effort to push the boundaries of what is possible in-house. We could have done our own version of a Birkenstock sandal with Proenza Schouler shoes, but it would never be a real Birkenstock. Authenticity is something we care deeply about and if we wanted to create something in the world of Birkenstock, who better to do it with than the masters of that kind of shoe: Birkenstock.
One of the most admirable aspects of Sarah Burton’s Alexander McQueen SS20 collection was the clever use of upcycling. The brand has committed to the task of reworking many of it’s textiles including jacquards, silks, lace and others from stock fabric held in the archives. It’s seen throughout several key pieces in the collection such as a panelled dress crafted in ivory lichen lace, cotton tulle and washed organza with oyster ruffles sleeves and skirt. The fabrics from this elegant piece were pulled from the lichen lace materials used in McQueen’s AW17 collection as well as fine cotton, tulle and ivory from the fabric stock. Another one shouldered oyster gown was also pieced together by re-cycled silk jacquard, lace, washed organza and tulle.
The ivory floral lace being brought from the house’s SS16 collection and the pale gold Venus shell and scallop silk faille jacquards from the SS19 pre collection. The house’s commitment to giving new life to old fabrics is quite commendable and stretches beyond their own use, as they recently began an initiative that gives access to students as well. Visit Alexander McQueen for more info on their SS20 collection.
In the latest edition of their digital initiative McQueen Creators, British fashion house Alexander McQueen opens the doors to their world of print by inviting their followers to make use of whatever materials they may have at home to recreate some of the house’s most beloved designs. The initiative allows for participants to make stamps, blocks, devise a screen print or draw or paint interpretations using free hand.
Spearheading the series is Academy of Art University executive director Simon Ungless who worked worked with Lee Alexander McQueen on several collection including The Birds, Highland Rape and Dante. In a video tutorial, the artist takes us through his process as he carries out his personal print projects from the comfort of his home studio.
McQueen Creators is a weekly initiative brought forth in reaction to the current global quarantine, and calls on the house’s followers to artistically engage with their favourite pieces from a selection of images shared on the McQueen instagram page. A selection of final will be published across their social media platforms. Follow the house’s social media channels for updates, and to be considered in the batch of images shared on the McQueen page, be sure to tag @alexandermcqueen and include the hashtag #McQueenCreators in your caption.
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me -Michelle Elie Wears Comme Des Garçons
Later this month, Frankfurt based museum Museum Angewandte Kunst is set to open doors to their latest exhibition in collaboration with Haitian couture icon Michelle Elie and Paris based label Comme des Garçons. During the past few seasons, many have noted Elie as one of the reigning queens of Couture Week as she can always be spotted in the streets and in the front rows serving the most inspiring yet flamboyant looks, many of which often happy to be Comme Des Garçons.
“Life doesn’t frighten me” traces the her journey in fashion and the spark of her love story with the brand beginning with her first purchase in 1997 from the brand’s Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body collection, to her fondness of how the brand’s clothing shaped her body during her first pregnancy, to the vast collection of pieces she holds in her closet today. The exhibition will showcase all of the key pieces that speak to her by means of defying ideal standards of beauty and body, while also touching on themes of representation not just in the world of Couture but fashion in general. Which was why she opted for each piece in the showcase to be worn by custom-made black mannequins made to resemble her.
The exhibition was set to open on April 2nd, but as a result of the current health crisis the opening has been pushed back to April 19th and will run until August 30th 2020. In the meantime the Museum’s director Prof.Matthias Wagner K and curator Dr. Mahret Ifeoma Kupka invites guests to virtual opening where one can get a taste of the exhibition online through the museum’s instagram channel.
PRADA launches instagram live series – PRADA Possible Conversations
In the midst of the current global health crisis, Italian fashion house Prada is set to launch a conversation series to help us deal with our quarantine woes. Prada Possible Conversation is a series of live discussions between thinkers, cultural arbiters and fashion insiders across the world in an effort to piece together a community of collective thoughts and thinkers. Set to take place on Prada’s instagram page, guests will be engaging in real time conversations that the house promises to be enlightening , engaging and maybe even revelatory. Guests will include personnel from all sectors of the creative industries including fashion, art , architecture, film, literature etc.
The headliner of the series is scheduled for this evening April 14, 2020 at 6pm CET, and will feature Pamela Goblin, author curator & Artistic Director of Jacquard x Google Arts Culture Residency and Alexander Fury, fashion features director of Another Magazine and Men’s Critic of the Financial Times. The duo will be having a conversation under the theme, ‘Fashion in Times of Crises’ and will also allow for questions from their audience.
This and all the upcoming Prada Possible Conversations will result in a donation from Prada to UNSECO.
Storytelling – synonymous with the meaning of jewellery. From wedding rings, birthday necklaces, celebratory bracelets, the concept of jewellery as symbolic of a tale is a natural role it continues to play.
This is vey much the case for Danish based jeweller Orit Elhanati.
From searching the past as much as the present for symbolism reworked into contemporary elegance and at times somewhat biomorphic shapes, Elhanati feeds into the notion of what we define as a modern woman. Not shy of her past and its impact, nor fearful of what the future can unfurl.
We spoke to Orit about her cross-cultural approach to design, the textural possibility of 18 carat gold and the protective powers something so close to your skin can bring.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by my environment and people around me. Nature, the sea, the clean lines of the desert, rocks and nature is deeply inspiring to me. I am not religious, but I believe in these greater powers that have such a force, that we cannot comprehend. Each thing I create, whether it be a piece of jewellery or something in my home, is somehow inspired by all these different places and people. It is very important to me that there is a feeling behind everything I do. I am in love with the works of Zara Hadid that has incredible ways of creating beautiful, yet functional design with soft and curvy lines. Gaudi’s mysterious universe as well as Henri Matisse’s sensual lines and touch to name a few have inspired me.
Why did you choose to launch a jewellery brand ?
Gold has always fascinated me. I have always been infatuated with my grandmother and her friends sitting on the porch in Tel Aviv dripping in gold. This has imprinted itself in my mind and has followed me throughout my life – I love the way jewellery is made to be passed on through generations and becomes a part of the woman and her story. I remember the exact moment when I knew it was my calling – I have never looked back since, and have had ELHANATI since 2011.
Has this reason evolved or changed since your brand’s inception? You are now doing a range of both fine jewellery pieces and more costume jewellery styles: was this diversion part of the plan?
18K gold has always been my preferred material. I love the texture of the gold, I love working with it. However, the main thing for me is creating, and I love having a larger canvas as you can with demifine and limited collections, so this is something that has been a part of ELHANATI from the start, with other things in the pipeline too.
You have a cross-cultural approach to your designs: how does each part of your heritage manifest in your jewellery?
I am a Danish jewellery designer with roots in Israel. I create handmade jewellery from our atelier in Copenhagen, drawing inspiration from the Nordic lightness and minimalism and mysterious energy and surroundings from the Middle East. I only work in 18K solid recycled yellow gold: I am in love with the feeling of working with it, creating textures. Everything I do is connected to nature, so this texture helps me tell stories. The yellow gold I always use, has a direct connection to the Middle East. Many of the things I create are stories about the streets of Jerusalem, the path to the dead sea, the textures of the mountains, cliffs and desert lines. There is also a symbolic meaning connected to the pendants on the necklaces, that protect and empower the bearer.
How do you see the jewellery landscape evolving after this year?
I have always been designing jewellery for men, and bespoke pieces, and I can see the demand is increasing for both of these types of jewellery, so this is something I think we will see more of next year. I am currently working on some amazing projects that I cannot say more about just at present. I can say it something I am very excited about. I love pushing myself and learning new things and working on new projects and collaborations creates something very magical and a completely different universe in my work. I have been really lucky to work with some amazing talents.
Designing calm – Tekla Fabrics on what the beauty of simplicity feels like.
There is something irrevocably slow on your senses when you look at Tekla. The colours are near chalky in their palette, the cotton looks crinkly fresh, the towels almost smell of warmth.
The Copenhagen based brand founded in 2017, and ever since has laid out a clean, concise and calm vision, the equivalent of the sound of running water in a brook, the sensation of swimming in April in the harbour, of sitting on boardwalks, of lying in sun dappled sheets at 10am on hazy Sunday mornings.
An unsatisfied search for home textiles led founder Charlie Hedlin to commence the creation of a line of functional yet formulaic home textiles that would not forego beauty nor ignore the importance of practicality and sustainability either. Seeing images of bedsheets in Danish homes, it is hard not to connect the founder’s visual aesthetic to his roots – modern but not too avant garde, classic yet not traditionalist. It’s a balance on stable foundations, and the brand’s growth is a perfect reflection of that.
The campaign imagery alongside also harks back to the bounteous presence of nature for many Danes, treasuring their forests and lakes as much as their boardwalks and harbour swims.
The simplicity of the sheets shots too – with its delicate focus on complementary colours and their gentle companionship – reminds us of Copenhagen loft apartments, with high ceilings, elegant furnishings and warm Spring sun pouring through onto the parquet flooring.
It isn’t often you come across a truly delightful home textiles brand, but in the age of isolation, more and more people are turning their eye inwards to their current surroundings. No more will trims and embellishments reign, but predictions of a softer desire in all of us as vulnerability comes through and the fragility of nations becomes ever clearer.
Keep Tekla close in your night and day: a brand to soothe, to comfort, to remind you of the beauty in small things such as box fresh cotton sheets, and towels to engulf after cold dips in the ocean.
Why and how did Tekla begin? The need for starting Tekla was honestly trickled from my frustration of being extremely difficult to find beautiful, yet affordable home textiles. I’ve moved around so much – Paris, Amsterdam, L.A. and every time I moved I needed to buy new bed sheets or towels. However, there was nothing that made me think ‘This is it’. At some point, it was not about home textiles anymore, but it was about creating something that you buy to wear in your spare time or to sleep in; products that I want to use, that are very functional but in a beautiful way. I started developing the concept and the idea while doing freelance work on the side for the first 8 months. I started it all from my savings, but since we registered significant growth in the first 6 months, and the first bigger order needed to be done prepaid, I decided to take investors on board.
What is the meaning behind the name? I was in a national sailing team when I was a kid and I called all my boats Tekla, so that’s where the name came from.
Why do you think bedding and bathroom have never been explored before in the same extent Tekla has?
I have always felt that I could buy any piece of furniture, but the lack of good sustainable and affordable home textiles made me want to create something new and different. I think people these days start realizing the essential roles of things we possess at our homes and their value. Home is your personal safe space, a reflection of who you are as a person. Everywhere you move, you are conscious of being in space that is comfortable. You want to surround yourself with different feelings, emotions, that takes you back to the serenity of childhood. Something you can escape in and I think that will matter more than ever now.
What is it about the bedroom that fascinates? I always considered my bed a safe space when I was a kid and I still feel that way today— I let go of all the things in my head, what’s going on at work and this and that. Your bed is a carefree-zone. It’s where you’re at your most vulnerable and emotionally exposed.
What do you think the creative industry will learn in this time of unprecedented change?
Ultimately, this could lead to a positive outcome for the planet and its people. Industry- wise, surviving brands will become more adaptable, resilient and attuned to emerging change. People will hopefully slow down, and their regular travel, production and consumption patterns will shift. People’s shopping habits will change and companies would need to adapt accordingly.
How do you plan to expand, or do you think specialization on key areas of business is key?
At the moment it is very hard to talk about expansion. Rather than expanding our product line, we want to improve the quality to keep delivering the best possible product on the market. Everything from our packaging to the raw materials that go into every one of our designs, there is a deep respect for craftsmanship, the tactility, and functionality of natural fabrics and materials. We work with a responsible-first approach and try to be as transparent as possible regarding our actions. However, areas remain, where we can still improve, and these are a priority both when we embark on new projects but also in the continuous optimization of our existing setup. These actions will become essential in the upcoming months for brands to position themselves on top of the ladder.
How do you establish a narrative into the brand? We do not really plan the narrative beforehand. I think it all comes down to being honest about your product and staying true to yourself, then the narrative shapes itself. Building trust between us and the consumers is the most important thing for us. And it matters now more than ever because when the outbreak eventually ends, consumers will not begin searching for brands they hope they can trust, but rather stay with those who they have already established relationship with.
Would you call yourself a luxury brand? / What do you think defines luxury? Joining together a refined and understated design language with the best of today’s materials for products that will stand the test of times in both quality and appearance. A combination of thoughtful products and quality, that serves a genuine purpose in the world, that is a luxury for me.
Where do you find inspiration? I am getting inspired by spaces and textures. Tekla is about freedom, and to me, functionality is freedom. To live simply and not have too many things, to live in a space with less but better furniture makes it all so relaxed, and adds more quality to your life I think. It’s about creating a room that feels light and warm. This inspiration you can find anywhere, galleries, museums, airports. However, homes that I have always admired are spaces designed by Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Axel Vervoort and John Pawson. Even if it’s, some people might say – minimal, I would say it has so much thought into every element in the room that it gives you serenity, that I do not think a lot of other rooms give you. Lately, I have been inspired by the Kanaal project by Axel Vervoort – a cultural and residential complex built near Antwerp, which opened recently after 18 years in the making.
One of the distinctive components of Sarah Burton’s SS20 collection for Alexander McQueen was the use of beetled linen. The fabric, known for it’s pressed natural sheen, was beetled by the oldest linen mill in Ireland and the last remaining specialist in garment beetling William Clark. Needless to say, there were pieces from this collection that would be difficult to find anywhere else with such level of quality in consideration. Each beetler at the mill is trained under a master of the craft as a way to pass the elaborate technique through generations.
Specifically , the garment beetling for the SS20 collection required the making and unmaking of clothing in the McQueen studio which were later sent off to the mill where each piece was hand painted with potato starch and hammered by wooden blocks before being constructed in a final frame in studio. The intimacy of this work is visible particularly in the form of a black troupe l’ceil layered jacket and peg trousers and in black and white puff sleeve dresses with pin-tuck details that were featured on the runway. Grab a closer look at the collection online via McQueen.
In the last few days many have been lending support to the Italian health system, which has been recently severely threatened by the Coronavirus outbreak.
A group of local photographers have also joined the efforts with the creation of an initiative in favour of the intensive care unit of the Papa Giovanni XXII Hospital of Bergamo, which at the moment is one of the most affected hospitals.
The project was born following a testimony of one the hospital’s doctors, who told the fundraiser’s organizers about an extremely dramatic situation for which all possible help is seriously needed.
Rome, Italy by Alec Soth
100 PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR BERGAMO is a call to some of the most influential voices in the world of Italian fashion, art, architecture and portrait photography, an invitation to donate their images, which can be purchased at a cost of 100 EUR on https://perimetro.eu/100fotografiperbergamo
The operation, coordinated by the community magazine Perimetro and the non-profit organization Liveinslums, initially involved some of the most important names in the contemporary Italian photography scene, who have generously intervened and immediately accepted the appeal of doctors and healthcare workers, battling on the frontline of the COVID-19 emergency.
Vincent Peters, Nadia Bender , 2016, Harpers Bazaar UK in Rome
Among these photographers are: Davide Monteleone, Alex Majoli, Oliviero Toscani, Michelangelo Di Battista, Toni Thorimbert, Giampaolo Sgura, Maurizio Galimberti.
The 100 photographers for Bergamo has already collected 350,000 euros in 5 days and today thanks to the help of the international network Linke Lab, other important international photographers will join the ranks, including Alec Soth, Susan Meiselas, Adam Bromberg, Ed Kashi, Christopher Morris, Ami Vitale, Pep Bonet, Michael Ackerman.
The funds will be entirely donated to the hospital to support the intensive care unit in the purchase of specialized technical equipment.
Alexander McQueen launches interactive digital initiative
British fashion house Alexander McQueen today launched a new project encouraging digital creatives to work from home with the help of their guided expertise. The initiative titled McQueen Creators was brought forth in reaction to the global quarantine, and will call on the house’s followers to artistically engage with their favourite pieces from a selection of images shared on the McQueen instagram page, a selection of which will be published across their social media platforms.
Each week a new set of concepts will be released, and this week’s headliner is taken from the Roses installation at their New Bond Street open studio. It involves the sketching process of the finale Rose dress from the AW19 show. Other future endeavours will include 3D creation and embroidery from home amongst other initiatives. Follow the house’s social media channels for updates, and to be considered in the batch of images shared on the McQueen page, be sure to tag @alexandermcqueen and include the hashtag #McQueenCreators in your caption.
JW Anderson SS20 – British Suburban Youthfulness explored
London-based luxury fashion brand JW Anderson recently released it’s Spring Summer 2020 Campaign for both its Men’s & Women’s collections with strikingly soulful imagery shot by photographer & filmmaker Tyler Mitchell.
Styled by Benjamin Bruno, the campaign hints slightly at the theme of the crossroads between tradition and innovation which was previously explored in the SS20 Women’s show. A cast of models from previous campaigns with included street casted faces are pictured in a light-hearted manner. They manage to highlight Mitchell’s signature style while staying true to the designer’s playful aesthetic as colourful backdrops and props like a giant oversized tricycle were implemented as signifiers of British suburban youthfulness.
Photographer: Tyler Mitchell Stylist: Benjamin Bruno Art Direction: M/M Paris Hair Stylist: Cyndia Harvey Makeup Artist: Lauren Parsons Set Designer: Andy Hillman Casting Director: Julia Lange Models: Enonha, Djeneba, Krisha, Rose, Romance, Hamza, Jerell, Khalid Production: Holmes Production
Balenciaga SS20 campaign tackles politics and post-apocalypse
Following his SS20 show last September which touched on the themes of the European Union and power-dressing , Balenciaga Creative Director Demna Gvasalia continued on a similar note for the campaign which was lensed by renown political campaign photographer Laurence Chaperon. The images use politics as a source of inspiration and conversation throughout fashion as a series of models are captured in a light similar to that of political candidates accompanied by cliche political slogans like “Love is for everyone “ and “We vote for tomorrow” .
Following the release of the campaign images the house also released video footage directed by Will Benedict in the form of a live evening news broadcast where a digitally modified cast reports disturbing but very eye opening headlines regarding climate change including flooding, the end of traffic jams , planets realigning etc. The campaign itself was a step further to the efforts the house have been making ignorer to spread awareness regarding climate change and global warming, yet carried out in a way in alignment to the Balenciaga aesthetic.
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