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Ana Lee, Editor IVY paris, reporting for austrianfashion.net
During Men's Paris Fashion week, Austrian designers Superated, Ute Ploier, and Wilfried Mayer held showrooms for the occasion. "I took a tour of their collections before heading out to Petar Petrov's show to get an idea of today's Austrian fashion and was pleasantly surprised to find extremely focused and thoughtful designs."
Garments incorporated new shapes and fine detailing into classic cuts. The clothing was sharp and sleek fitting, remixing influences to create something altogether new.
Superated's DE - LURK collection showed clean, lightweight, well - tailored pieces paired with elements of streetstyle ( bomberjackets, and converse derivatives). The collection lies in the idea of nature, pixelized.
A sequence of photos show a wooded landscape, two models stand in the distance. As we approach them, their faces become blurred, slowly we notice another lurking in the distance. A ghost? An apparition perhaps. We look even further, but forms don't take shape, we are only left with particles.
Superated enraptures this moment between standing out and blending in with the background. The color scheme includes dark hues of navy and grey , muted asparagus green and corn yellow knitwear, contrasting with bright azure blue sportswear. In a more obvious esthetic, shirts and tanks are imprinted with a myriad of dots, a cosmopolitan camouflage if you will.
The Superated man carries a Peter Pan complex, the clothing gives off an image of a working man not yet ready to let go of teenage nostalgia. Pants worn at the hip leave a lingering schoolboy charm. Juvenile shorts hit high above the knee.
The Austrian designer staple lays within cuts that take on simple sophisticated lines with edgy youthful details. Sleeveless sweaters have exaggerated/ over-extended slits. Off the collar pockets line jacket zippers. Slim trousers are worn purposely short, revealing the ankle slightly.
DE - LURK revisits familiar retro shapes; what was once your cheap thrift shop windbreaker, is now made of refined polyurethane. The elastic cuffs, and waistband are still there, but the fit is sleeker and the material richer.
The Superated man is sensitive to detail. The clothing carries an airy, playful quality. Crisp conservative shirts with sharp lines are less intense when matched against easy slip-on comfort clothing.
The friction between the two styles enhance the idea of a unique individual, free to chose his own identity, entering a conservative work force, but maintaining a laissez faire greenness.
The man is like the photo, half exposed to the light, yet hovering amidst the shadows -- dazed and confused. We can only capture the matter from which he is made.
At first glance, Ute Ploier's Spring Summer Collection appears simple and conservative - sharp clothes for a sharp man. Take look closer, and it tells a story.
A trompe-oeil watch on a shirt cuff, and a woven bowl hat matched with translucent blue umbrella summon Magritte. Ceci n'est pas...un vetement; but an idea of clothing, a question on masculinity, a play on roles.
Once again we see killer details. The contrast of an off-center stripe against a trail of buttons investigates the male body's symmetry. Extra thin suspenders make us look twice;
what is worn, what is not?
Ploier's designs are conceptual, yet whimsical. Skinny coated jeans are hand painted with a black roller. Shorts are paired with patent oxfords. Socks are left apparent.
Aside the artsy elements, a well groomed, meticulous esthetic is maintained within the collection. Shirts are worn tucked in, tailored trousers are accented with buttons at the hip, delicate pleating throughout.
There is an idea of time and process in the garments. Ploier explores the idea of the pixel through a set of cornflower blue sweaters that capture a pattern of different gradients; the squares become fewer and larger until there is only one, located where a shirt pocket should be.
This impression is again seen in a series of t-shirts, where scribbles of lines "grow" from the waist up. Her color palette: white, hues of blue, cool and coal grays.
She also thinks about the functionality of her garments. A black and white reversible windbreaker made of organza folds up into a bag to be slung across the shoulder (the bag can also be worn in black or white). The straps repeat the same linear motif seen across the suspenders and socks.
Another reversible jacket is made of stripped cotton and dark blue cupro silk.
Oversized duffle coats, and double breasted black suits evoke a certain mystery - hence the brilliant idea of tagging each label with a picture a renowned thinker's eye, such as that of Albert Einstein.
Who is he? Where is he going? Is it costume? Is it business attire?
The mélange of classic shapes and chimerical figures intrigue. The collection elicits an image of a dandy by day and droog [Clockwork Orange] by night.
On the other side of the spectrum, Wilfried Mayer's NEO EON ONE collection revives the Chevalier d'Eon, a spy and cavalier,of the 18th/ early 19th century. The designer himself once famous for his wardrobe that left you guessing: man or woman?
Mayer's clothes express a Romanesque feel through elongated proportions, capes, and coat tails. He revisits traditional uniforms through cutout panels on a trouser backside and extensive use of black or natural white ribbons.
We now speak of Austrian tailoring.
All pieces are finely adorned with custom made metal buttons in the like of cufflinks applied on shirt and jacket fronts, thus evoking an atmosphere of navy blazers for a navy operating in fuel-contaminated seas. A leather messenger bag, silver clasp, and are enhanced with bit shaped joints.
The ideas fit in today's context as Mayer has adapted functionality and practicality into his garments. Buttons are detachable or interchangeable. Fabrics include a mixture of silk, coated silk (water repellent, washable), silk blendings (silk/wool, silk/viscose/polyamide), silk jersey (washable), heavy cotton in gabardine weave with a mercerized finishing, cotton/linen, and viscose acetate.
Romanticism reinvented.
The clothing recalls an era of caped crusaders and quests. Its textures and depth remind us of J.M.W. Turner's moody landscapes. Delicate tailoring exudes the charisma and class of an 18th century horseman.
The designer himself claims," The style created through the pattern making reflects the inspiration on which the collection is based; shapes and volumes reverberate the intriguing mixture of permissiveness and inscrutability, both characteristics of the Chevalier d´Eon."
A divergence of shiny and opaque surfaces produce an allover dramatic effect.
Predominant colors are dark gray or a mixture of gray and aubergine, petrol, sea blue, ecru and black.
Mayer demonstrates an extremely cerebral collection where he exposes an understanding of the body whether it be a male or female. His brilliance lies in a game of hide and reveal. When worn, the clothing uncovers the aspects of masculin/féminin, exuding a dubious, non conformist attitude. Contrast collars highlight a neckline. Long slits contour the back. Sleeves are large and flowing.
Size ranges include, men's sizes 44 to 52, and also women's sizes 36/38.
As the designer states, "It is a menswear collection attracting more a certain kind of personality rather than one type of sex/gender."
Last but not least, Petar Petrov's fashion show held at the Forum de Grenelle attracted fashionistas from around the globe. Stylists, photographers, fashion journalists and enthusiasts gathered alongside the runway in anticipation of Petrov's Spring/ Summer collection.
The interior setup was divided by a fluorescent tube lamp installation. Hung from the ceiling in what began as an orderly display, each set of bulbs slowly dissolved into calculated chaos.
As the show began, the lights flashed in harmony with the drum beats. A string of models walked along a white stripe like schoolboys attending gym class. Their hair, neatly combed across the face. The shorts, true to their name, short. Once again, adolescent ankle socks were paired with white patent oxfords. Juvenile men. Do we smell a trend?
The collection remained light and airy throughout. Simple color pairings of white, neon yellows, pinks, and sea foam blue. Translucent shirts kept the palette fresh.
The concept and inspiration was less ambitious / thematic than those of Superated, Ploeir, and Mayer, however Petrov's attention to detail was greatly present throughout. He showed true shape and form strategy when combining pastels with brighter tones.
Restrained tailoring added a spin to sportswear, and the mix of casual and conservative was underlined through the usage of rich fabrics. A water repellent windbreaker incorporated the collar and cuffs of a dress shirt. A triangle cutout on the chest referenced recreation.
Petrov played with appearances. What gave the illusion of synthetic fabric was in fact a meticulously manipulated denim, coated with columns of white. Hoodies and drawstrings were also added to finishing seams and waistbands.
The look remained consistently youthful. Large collars on open jackets worn over tight fitting tanks voiced rock music. Pinstripes across the torso gave an edge.
T-shirts were imprinted with a bloodshot sun and biohazard symbols. Lines were reminded everywhere.
"Altogether the ensembles expressed a Miami Vice meets Tennis tournament.
Keep that in mind for next summer's look, just don't forget to wear
your socks."
Although their inspirations are drawn from a variety of sources, these 4 Austrian designers maintain a theme of clean cut simplicity, and acute attention to detail. Their concepts well researched, their cuts restrained, allowing their inner world to burst through the seams.
Ana Lee
Editor at the IVY paris, artist's network. I V Y Paris empowers emerging artists by providing information and
events, helping them support and inspire each other.
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